Dear Parents and Carers,

Hope that you are well and have enjoyed a sensational couple of weeks.

Reconciliation Australia’s theme for 2021, More than a word. Reconciliation takes action, urges the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action.

For reconciliation to be effective, it must involve truth-telling, actively address issues of inequality, systemic racism and instances where the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are ignored, denied or reduced.

While we see greater support for reconciliation from the Australian people than ever before, we must be more determined than ever if we are to achieve the goals of the movement — a just, equitable, reconciled Australia.

Moving towards a braver reconciliation requires a vision for what a just, equitable and reconciled Australia looks like.

On Thursday, Uncle Kev will join us in celebrating Reconciliation Week with a smoking ceremony from 9.30am on the Paddock followed by a reconciliation walk through our school.  As part of our acknowledgement, staff and students will place a decorative pebble in our Memorial Garden beside the MD Hall, then participate in reflective prayer. Thank you to Mrs Herring and Mrs Orphin for their organisation and support - it is greatly appreciated.  

Mrs Maria Disibio, our Assistant Principal, will be undertaking an Appraisal in the coming weeks.  From next week you should receive an email from CEDoW containing a link to a  Survey Monkey questionnaire.  Please take the time to reflect on the questions to assist Maria with affirming and improving her practice.

Congratulations to Mrs Tyrrell and her husband Jared who have announced that they are expecting their first child in November. We wish them all the best. 

Last Saturday, 22 May, Bethany (Ms O'Leary) and Matthew were married at St Matthew's Catholic Church in Jamberoo. It was a beautiful day and all went to plan, apart from the limousine getting stuck. Congratulations Mr and Mrs Tirchett.

School Captains Allegra Calmasini and Isaac Ayers joined me in representing our school community at the St John Vianney Co-Cathedral, Fairy Meadow for Mass to celebrate 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia marking the bicentenary of the first Catholic school established in Parramatta in October 1820. 

The first Catholic school in Australia was founded in October 1820 by Irish Catholic priest Fr John Therry and run by convict and lay person George Marley. The school, which Catholic historians believe was in Hunter Street, Parramatta, taught 31 students. 

For us, St Columbkille's, Corrimal was opened in 1904 with Sisters of St Joseph - Irene, Bede and Rosaila travelling each day from Bulli to teach the children on the verandah of a cottage in Midgley Street.

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong staff, Principals and School Captains from our Diocesan and Independent Catholic schools were present for this most significant event. 

Wishing you a wonderful two weeks and thank you for your ongoing support of our school.

Take care

Brad Colquhoun - Principal

“We gather to remember and honour our beginnings, acknowledge with pride the journey, be grateful for today and look forward with faith, courage and hope to the future" — Jo Kenny, CEDoW Head of Service

This week on Dharawal land, we've celebrated 200 years of Catholic education in Australia – with students from our Catholic schools and representatives from CEDoW, our Catholic Church agencies, and religious orders across the Macarthur, Illawarra, Shoalhaven, and Southern Highlands all gathering for Mass as one community of faith.

Thanks are extended to those responsible for the celebration, particularly the members of the Catholic Life, Education and Mission team, and all those who prepared and were involved in the liturgy. Also to the staff and students of our schools for travelling from the breadth and width of our diocese to make such a strong statement of unity and spirit for the significant celebration.

Mass to Celebrate 200 years of Catholic Education

On Monday Mr Colquhoun attended the bi-centenary Mass at St John Vianney’s Co-cathedral in Fairy Meadow. 200 years of Catholic education throughout the Diocese of Wollongong, was recognised and celebrated, from its humble beginnings in a slab hut at the southern end of the village of Campbelltown to the recently opened St Francis Catholic College, Edmondson Park. We continue to be proud of our Catholic schools which give us strong messages of hope and confidence for the future. Take a moment to watch the clip on YouTube titled ‘Faith in our Future’: CEDoW celebrates 200 years of Catholic education in Australia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjp0FwhwkWM. You will see some Year 1 students from St Columbkille’s as well as students from around our Diocese. (video also posted above)

National Sorry Day / Reconciliation Week

Wednesday marked the anniversary of National Sorry Day, a day when we pause to remember the Stolen Generations of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It leads us into the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation and National Reconciliation Week which is held each year between 27 May and 3 June.

The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2021 is “More Than a Word. Reconciliation Takes Action.” Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. For the Catholic Church in Australia, this week offers us a time to be fully the Church that God dreams for us – a Church in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make their own unique contribution and that contribution is joyfully received by others.

St Columbkille’s will be celebrating on Thursday 3 June with a Reconciliation Walk around the school grounds and finishing with students placing their own decorated rock into our spiritual garden. A big thanks to Mrs Orphin for helping to organise this. Uncle Kev will also be blessing our totem poles in the paddock and celebrating a smoking ceremony with our community on this day.

Confirmation Books

These books should have been returned by today. If there are any problems or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Family Mass

On Saturday 5 June at 6pm, and Sunday 6 June at 9.30am we celebrate our Family/ School/Parish Masses. We would love to see as many families there as we can, in particular our Year 6 students. Our parishioners will be invited to pray for a specific Confirmation candidate/s after receiving their prayer card. Our community continues to work together as partners in transforming our student’s faith. This Eucharistic celebration allows for this love of Jesus to exist.

World Environment Day

This day is a United Nations Environment-led global event, which takes place each year on June 5 and is celebrated by thousands of communities worldwide. Since it began in 1972, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated across the globe. Most of all, World Environment Day is a day for everyone around the world to take ownership of their environment and to actively engage in the protection of our earth. 

World Environment Day 2021 will be hosted by Pakistan, with a theme of “Ecosystem Restoration” calling us to Reimagine, Recreate, Restore.  

For too long, we have been exploiting and destroying our planet’s ecosystems. Every three seconds, the world loses enough forest to cover a football pitch and over the last century we have destroyed  half of our wetlands. As much as 50 per cent of our coral reefs have already been lost and up to 90 per cent of coral reefs could be lost by 2050, even if global warming is limited to an increase of 1.5°C. 

Ecosystem restoration means preventing, halting and reversing this damage – to go from exploiting nature to healing it.

In celebrating World Environment Day, we are reminded of our call to mission in the care of God’s creation, the care of our common home. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis calls us to remember that we do not abuse or take for granted that which God has gifted us. Rather, with contemplative action, we are called to care for the earth and are clear in our response to challenge those who would use and abuse the earth’s resources indiscriminately for power, financial gain, and self-serving purposes, and proactively work towards redressing climate issues which affect the health and well-being of our earth, its creatures, and its peoples.

Recently on Earth Day the actor Alec Baldwin invited people to join Generation Restoration and on  World Environment Day this invitation is repeated for us to join and improve the well-being of people  and nature: taking action; making smart choices; and raising our voice for restoration of the planet’s  ecosystems. 

Video: Generation Restoration 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEsHJ5Elleg 

On this World Environment Day, you are invited to take a moment to pause and reflect on your own ecological journey and consider what are some deliberate, loving steps that you can make in your daily living that nurture and give life to our world.

What can you reimagine? What are you are able to recreate? What needs to be restored?

St Columbkille’s will commemorate this annual event with a liturgy celebration on Friday 4 June at 11.30am.

St Columba Feast Day

Our patron saint, St Columba, will be honoured on Wednesday 9 June during class time. Our annual St Columba Picnic Day and liturgy will be held a little later on Friday 18 June within our school premises. More details of this event will follow.

Joanne Herring - Religious Education Coordinator

Congratulations to the following students:

Principal's Award

KG - Florence Atkinson, Isabel England, Bodhi Powell

1B - Alexander Barclay, Beau Jorgenson, Izaijah Lozenkovski, Noah Martelozzo, Henry Shaw, Isla Stephen

1G - Luke Baumeister, Brae Cooke, Opal Duggan, Lennox Elliot, Harry Franklin, Maxwell Hammet, Ayla King, Patrick Lucchitti, Oliver Park, Samuel Porter, Luka Scekic, Xavier Switaj-Zwolinski, Abigail Vaughan

2B - Juliette Ayres, Lachlan Donachy, Darcy Fursey, Eamon Higgins, Sophia Martinus, Zali Mayo, Hunter Moskwa, Dylan Saveski, Ollie Stewart, Alyssa Tatton, Wilfred Welch

2G - Finn Conway, Abigail England, Zara Erven, Poppy Galaxidis, Reece King, Giorgia Marcelli, Sam Raschilla, Mackenzie Sims

3B - Sophie Coughlan, Darcy Shaw

3G - Dylan Fang

5G - Harper Briscoe-Hough, Preston Park, Nate Russell, Lola Shaw, Isabella Stenos, Ricardo Vega

6G - Thomas Immens, Quito Munoz Letham, Chloe Nightingale, Marcus Saveski

St Mary of the Cross Award

1B - Henry Shaw

1G - Ella Dorney, Opal Duggan

2G - Zara Erven

3B - David Asher, Sophie Coughlan, Abby Mannion

3G - Sophie Willoughby x 2

4G - Clover Duggan x 3, Laura Mannion

5B - Jack Lawford

5G - Niamh Conway, William Jones-Murphy, Lola Shaw

6B - Maddison Beverley, Jensen Curbison

6G - Sophia Gualtieri, Jake Mannion x 2, Molly Stephen

School Medallions

2B - James Andary 

2G - Zara Erven

6B - Grace Docherty 

Next Tuesday, 1st of June we are asking students to come to school wearing a beanie and/or scarf with their school uniform to promote our St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. As their donation for wearing a beanie and/or scarf, we ask that students bring in an item for their class basket. The Stage identified items include:
 
Early Stage One (Kindergarten): Tinned Soups and Vegetables
Stage One (Year 1 and 2): Packaged Meals such as Mac and Cheese, Irish Stew etc
Stage Two (Year 3 and 4): Pasta Sauce, Pasta and Rice
Stage Three (Year 5 and 6): Deodorant, Shampoo and Conditioner (Male and Female).
 
We thank you for your support.
 
Mrs Bethany Tirchett and the Mini Vinnies

St Columbkille's Student Express - Issue 1  

Italian Festa della Repubblica Day

On the 2nd of June is Festa della Repubblica Day, a day where Italians celebrate Italy: its food, language and traditions.

I had a chat with Signora Disibio, our Vice Principal and Italian Teacher to talk about this important day and what it means to be Italian. We will celebrate by making pizza and wearing Italian clothes, although Risotto is Signoria Disibios favorite Italian food but “Pizza was the easiest choice because it is easier to give everyone 1 slice of pizza rather than 1 piece of spaghetti.” Il Nido will come with a pizza van and will help us make some delicious pizza.

Mrs Disibio’s favourite memory from highschool was playing softball against other schools? Her background is Italian and she grew up in Australia. Signora D spoke Italian at home and loves to teach us the beautiful language of Italy. It turns out that  when she was at school she wanted to be a Fashion Designer, her first job was as a teacher in Bulli and she couldn’t escape students since then.

Reporter - Livinia McLuskey 4G

SCC Cobras Futsal

On the 24th of May Dean Sibinoski, Christian Villella, Jacob  Esposito, Zed Cox, Byron Morris, Bailey Mitchell and Haydon Sharman represnted the  SCC Cobras Futsal team in Minto to compete against public and catholic schools. It was a quick match with 15 minutes in each half although it was very intense. The boys, Haydon and Dean, when asked, decided that if they could do it again, they would, even if it was challenging.  The score was tight, but the boys just won by one goal - 4 to 3. RThe SCC Cobras will play in the NSW Futsal Chamionship next term.

Reporter - Sam Dorney 4G and Ben Niew 4G

We purchased some wonderful equipment for our students to use during the day, especially recess and lunch. The equipment includes a new large trampoline, 2 mini trampolines and 2 rockers. The students have enjoyed using this equipment while having fun with their friends.

The students are remembering to play safely and respectfully on this new equipment.

Mrs Leonard - PB4L Team Leader

TOMORROW - Staff Development Day: Pupil Free Day Friday 11 June

Enrolments for Kindergartern 2021 are now open.  Come into the Office to pick up an enrolement form or simply download a copy. Remind your family and tell your friends. 

Enrolment Packages 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10EZFV-lVidGyeUlYGYrete2Cc6S35oaMlY-BXrnSnec/edit

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