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- Principal's Message
- Religion
- Spiritual Reflection - Paying Attention to the Earth and the Poor
- R U OK DAY?
- Footy Colours Day
- Award Assembly and Father's Day Celebration Photographs
- Book Week 2021 - Old Worlds. New Worlds. Other Worlds
- Project Unite
- Year 5 Virtual Excursions
- Year 1G Paralympian Supporters
- Student Representation Council - SCC Bake Off
- Fuit & Veg Month 2021
- Parents and carers on home schooling:Don’t panic, and don’t feel guilty’ Celina Ribeiro - Guardian Newspaper 21.8.2021
- Parenting Insights - From Worrier to Warrior
Dear Parents and Carers,
Hope that you well and have found some renewed energy and inspiration as we move into the season of Spring.
‘Spring - a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be’.
Last week, we were provided with a plan for the remainder of Term 3 and the scheduled return to school for both staff and students moving in Term 4. Please see below for key information re: Term 3 and Transition to School Term 4. All schools across NSW will follow the same plan moving forward. This is a positive step moving forward and we are extremely excited about the opportunity to safely bring our school community back together again.
Timeline for the COVID-19 safe return to face-to-face learning:
- Present: All schools in NSW at Level 4 restrictions (remote learning).
- 25 October 2021:Kindergarten and Year 1 will return to face-to-face learning with Level 3 COVID restrictions on school sites.
- 1 November 2021: Years 2 and 6 will return to face-to-face learning with Level 3 COVID restrictions on school sites.
- 8 November 2021: Years 3, 4 and 5 will return to face-to-face learning with Level 3 COVID restrictions on school sites.
This morning at our Week 8 Award Assembly, we acknowledged our dad's through our Father's Day Celebration. Thank you to Mrs Herring, Ms Finlay-Joseph for their support and organisation, along with Father Rick for his wonderful tribute - 'To All the Dad’s'. Our St Columbkille's dad's Sam Immens (Tom and Hugo), Paul Stephen (Molly and Isla) and Rob Docherty (Grace and Tom) who spoke from the heart with describing what it means to be a dad, the special memories, stories and the positive impact that they and their children have on their lives, thank you.
'Dads hold our hands for a little while and hold our hearts forever'.
Throughout Remote Learning, our SCC Weekly Grade Check-Ins (Monday or Tuesday) have been a wonderful platform to connect with our teachers and students after the weekend. It enables us to discuss the week’s upcoming events, learning and have some fun together (eg: games, Kahoots, and challenges).
It is an expectation that all students are in attendance for these Weekly Grade Check-Ins on a Monday or Tuesday in order to discuss the week’s events and most importantly have the opportunities to connect with their classmates and teachers.
Throughout this challenging term we have been a beacon of hope, source of calm and support for many people within our school commnuity and beyond. Thank you to the many students and their paretns/carer, who supported them, in writing letters to our parishioners and friends in aged care facilities, including Diggers here in Corrimal. We have received some wounderful feedback and this act of kindness and thoughtfullness is immeasrable. Students are currently writing lettters to children who are currently in Westmead Hospital. Thank you to Mrs Immens for delivering these letters on our behalf.
Enjoy the weekend and your Father's Day celebrations on Sunday.
Stay safe and connected.
Take care.
Brad Colquhoun (Principal)
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
Thank you for joining us on Wednesday for our World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation liturgy and acknowledgement of the Season of Creation (throughout the month of September).
Don’t forget to print off the pledge and decide on an action for each of the 4 weeks of the Season of Creation. Place it someplace where you and your family will see it often and remember what you have promised to do. Post an image to your teacher each week. Some of these will also be forwarded to Catholic Earthcare to share on their website. Thank you for taking the time to be stewards of God's creation throughout September.
Father’s Day
This Sunday we honour our fathers and all those men in our lives that nurture us with a father’s love. Some of these people may include our grandfathers, pops, uncles or brothers. On this day, we express the love and respect we have for our fathers and show our gratitude for all that they have done for us.
Thank you to those students who provided reflections for our celebration this morning- Molly and Isla Stephen, Tom and Hugo Immens, Grace and Tom Docherty (and their dads!).
Also, thanks to Father Rick for his prayers and wise words. From the many photos forwarded to school a lovely movie was created as a reminder of the special memories we share with these people. Thank you Ms Finlay-Joseph for assisting with this.
Sacraments
We still have not had an update regarding the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. As soon as these become available parents will be notified. Thank you for your patience.
Joanne Herring - Religious Coordinator
The warming of the mid-August sun indicates a movement to prepare for a new season - the season of Spring. It is also an opportune time to prepare for this year’s Social Justice Sunday on 29 August 2021. The Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference Social Justice Statement 2021-22, Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor calls us to a change of heart, mind, and behaviour.
The restrictions of lockdown in this period of the pandemic have redefined how we interact with the community and places we live in. 'Don’t leave your house', ‘limit your movement’, ‘masks on’, ‘shut down’ ...haven’t left us with too many options to be in community, celebrate Mass, to be in nature, to shake someone’s hand….
The poet Mary Oliver has been a meaning maker and a source of wisdom in paying attention. She challenges her readers into a new way of thinking of being in relationship and being attentive.
She writes in Praying...
”It doesn’t have to be the blue iris,
it could be weeds in a vacant lot,
or a few small stones; just pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don’t try to make them elaborate,
this isn’t a contest but a doorway
Into thanks, and a silence in which another voice may speak”
Just to pay attention - how much attention do we really pay?
Then again in her sublime poem, The Summer Day is a perfect example of paying attention -
“Who made this grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean -
The one who has flung herself out of the grass
The one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
Who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down…
Who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes…"
To notice that a grasshopper’s jaws move side to side and not up and down - that’s paying attention!
The language in these poems - noticing ‘a doorway into thanks’ and a simple description of a grasshopper's eyes - open a doorway into a renewed way of paying attention...
To see clearer
To listen more intently
To hold our spaces with more mindfulness.
The current restrictions are placing significant challenges on our communities but also provide an opportunity for what Thomas Merton calls the deepening of the ‘interior life’. This renewal of attention sharpens our response in caring for our earth and our people.
Ripples podcast, in support of R U OK? Day,
A conversation with Paul Field explores the R U OK? Day theme of 2021, "Are they really OK? Ask them today". Paul Field was the lead singer of the band The Cockroaches and the manager and performer of the Wiggles for almost 25 years. Paul shares his own story highlighting how his music, family, friends, and faith have all played such an important part in his wellbeing. It is a moving and authentic story and reminds us of the value of a single conversation.
We continued our annual celebration of Footy Colours Day on Friday 3 Spetmber and join as a school community both onsite and remotely by wearing our favourite sport team colours.
What a fun Book Week we had! It was fantastic to see so many of you dressing up and joining in the festivities. See if you can recognise anyone from these photos.
Book Week Competitions
Thank you and congratulations to the following students who entered the story writing and book trailer competitions. I loved reading your stories and watching your videos, and I was extremely impressed with everyone's creativity. Well done!
Story Writing Competition Entries
Dinosaur in PJs by Harrison Esteves 3B
Harry Potter and the transferred student by Payten Sims 5B
Old, new and other worlds by Lorella-Marie Tadros 4G
The Rainbow Ant by Jett Hyslop KG
Snowflakes the Snowman by Keira Fabon 2B
Book Trailer Competition Entries
Fart boy by Kaylan Pons 1B
Mario & Tilly take flight by Georgie Gilmore KG
Kid Normal by Ciara Pons 3B
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Noah (1B) & Savannah (KG) Mortelozzo
Harry Potter and the transferred student by Payten (5B) & Mackenzie (2G) Sims
Due to the high standard it was difficult to choose the winners, however, I would like to congratulate the following students:
Story writing competition winners:
Infants: Keira Fabon 2B and Jett Hyslop KG
Primary: Lorella-Marie Tadros 4G
Book Trailer competition winners:
Infants: Noah & Savannah Morelozzo (1B & KG)
Primary: Payten & Mackenzie Sims (5B & 2G)
All entrants will be receiving a certificate and a prize in the mail next week, or in person for those who are attending school. Congratulations to you all, and I hope everyone enjoys reading and watching the winning entries.
Helen Moon - Library SSO
On Thursday 26 August, Year 6 students and Year 5 Mini Vinnies engaged in a Zoom conference with UOW International students living in Japan, China and Thailand. These students are currently involved in a program called ‘Project Unite’ which is based around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Our students presented on a range of topics that focused on environmental and sustainability practices and procedures that we have in place within our school and wider communities. Some topics addressed included our school garden, ’The Patch’, recycling and rubbish disposal, Trash Free Tuesday, Mini Vinnies initiatives and the Enviro Ninjas Leadership Team.
Students were given the opportunity to ask questions of the International students which strengthened their knowledge about those involved and the culture and traditions of the people and country.
A big thank you to Mrs Caroline Ayers for her support in organising and facilitating this wonderful initiative!
Libby Tyrrell - Middle Leader
This week Year 5 participated in two virtual excursions to Canberra, visiting the Museum of Australian Democracy, located in Old Parliament House, and the Parliamentary Education Office, at Parliament House.
Our virtual excursions gave us a tour of the House of Representatives and The Senate. We saw the Mace, learned about the Speaker’s role, visited offices, the front bench, back bench and cross bench!
The design of Parliament House was showcased and explained, and we participated in online polls to further our understanding of the democratic process.
Some Year 5 students also chose to participate in optional virtual excursions to Questacon and the Royal Australian Mint.
Healthy Kids Association has created a competition for students as part of Fruit & Veg Month 2021. Completed entry forms can be submitted to Mrs Smyth or the class teacher by the end of Term 3. There is even a link for parents to find out more information on fuit & vege