Dear Parents Carers,

Hope that you and your family are safe and well.

We have enjoyed our second 'Return to School' in the space of two weeks, with our Year 2 to 6 students and staff experiencing a successful transition back to school. It has been wonderful to see and hear our school community come to life with the energy, joy and enthusiasm that our students bring. Thank you for your ongoing support, patience and understanding as we continue to work with Level 3/Level 3 Plus restrictions. 

Today we acknowledge and celebrate Happy World Teachers' Day - Friday, 29 October. It is an opportunity to recognise our dedicated staff who serve with distinction, the students in their care. Thank you to our staff who have worked through the challenges and difficulties that we have faced through the year, to continually support the needs of each of our students. To the P&F, your World Teachers' Day gift to staff was greatly appreciated, well received and most welcomed. 

‘Let us thank all those who teach in Catholic schools. Education is an act of love - it is life giving’. Pope Francis

On Monday 1 November, we will be holding a Transition to School Zoom from 1.30pm-2.30pm for our Kindergarten 2022 parents and carers.  This will be an opportunity to reconnect and discuss our plans for our new students transitioning to school. We are looking forward to beginning this journey with our new and existing families.

• Transition to School Zoom https://dowcatholic.zoom.us/j/67431687440

Mrs Tyrrell commences her maternity leave today. She will be missed by our students, particularly Year 6 and staff here at school each day. Mrs Barrett has kindly accepted the the role of teaching 6 Gold for the reminder of the year. We wish Libbie and her husband Jared every success and happiness as they await the arrival of Baby Tyrrell. It is a wonderful time in their lives. 

Enjoying a sensational weekend with family and friends. Stay safe and connected.

Take care

Brad Colquhoun - Principal

Today we paid tribute to our grandparents in recognition of International Grandparents Day. Each year at St Columbkille’s we have a special celebration for our grandparents and older friends with a liturgy, class visits and morning tea. However due to COVID we were unable to do these things this year.

The Catholic church recognises the 26th of July as Grandparents Day to commemorate Saints Anne & Joachim who were the grandparents of Jesus and as a school we celebrated this. However today is the Australian date where we pay tribute to our grandparents and those older men and women who support and guide us as we live our lives.

Some of us are lucky that our grandparents live close by, some of us are lucky to see them once or twice a year, and some of us pray especially in our hearts as our grandparents have died and are now with God in heaven.

Congratulations to the following students:

Principal’s Awards
KG - Chloe Carroll, Benjamin Macgee, Max Piacentin, Alexandra Ryan, Cohen Saweris, Oliva Tatton
5G - Tobias Fielding, William Jones Murphy
6B - Isaac Ayers, Jensen Curbison, Grace Docherty

St Mary of the Cross McKillop Award
1B - Kaylan Pons
1G - Amelie Andary, Oliver Park
2B - Juliette Ayers, Elodie McLuskey, Wilfrid Welch
2G - Sophie Windisch
3G - Nixon Breakspear, Harper Harrison, Eoin Vaughan
4B - Joseph Molina
46 - Natalie Harris
5B - Payten Sims
6G - Allegra Calmasini, Marcus Saveski

School Medallion
3B - David Asher, Sophie Coughlan, Harrison Esteves
3G - Sophie Willoughby
5B - Charlee Campbell, Jack Lawford

Congratulations to Hamish Dorney for his outstanding efforts in Cross Country earlier in the year. Hamish represented the Diocese of Wollongong at the MacKillop Championships were he placed 2nd. He was then selected in the MacKillop Team to compete at the NSW Cross Country Titles and also finished 2nd.

Hamish has been recognised for his efforts in Cross Country with a 2021 Wollongong Diocesan Sports Medallion that he will receive at the Diocese Sports Awards Ceremony to be held next month.

We are very proud of Hamish and his achievements. Well done.

Mrs Colleen Kipp - Leader of Sport.

Dear Parents and Carers

Due to the disruption caused by COVID-19, adjustments to curriculum have been made throughout Terms 3 and 4. Focus for Semester 2 has been on student wellbeing and learning, and priority has been given to Religious Education, English and Mathematics. As a result of this extended period of Remote Learning and the lack of opportunities for teachers to provide quality assessment tasks to determine student learning attainment and/or growth, student reporting in Semester 2, 2021 will look a little different to the one you received earlier this year.

This Report provides information about your child’s participation in learning during this time of extended Remote Learning. I would like to extend my thanks to you, the parents and carers, for your ongoing support and commitment to your child’s learning through these unique times.

Morning Arrival

- For Week 3 only,  morning arrival at school from 8:30am for Kinder (East) and Year 1 (West) on the Front Cement. Students of essential workers (2-6) to arrive on the Paddock. 

- From Week 4 morning arrival at school from 8:30am for K-2 on Front Cement, Years 3-4 on the Infants Playground and Years 5-6 on the Paddock

Afternoon Dismissal (inclusive of wet weather)

- Parent Pick-up from Midgley Street (outside of Paddock) or Princes Hwy (in front of Church) at 3:00pm, Bus Lines on Front Cement at 3:05pm and Car lines from back of church at 3:10pm.

- In wet weather, Parent Pick Up to assemble under covered walkway on Paddock, Car lines undercover at Parish Centre and Bus Lines in Basement 

Parents, carers and grandparents are not to enter the school grounds. If visiting the office is essential then parents, carers and grandparents must sign-in via SCC QR Code, sanitise and be wearing a face mask.

We are strongly recommending that students wear face masks at school.

Students who have already indicated that they will be participating in the ICAS assessments will sit for these tests on the following dates:

English: Thursday 4 November at 9:15am
Spelling Bee: Friday 5 November at  9:15am
Maths: Thursday 18 November at 9:15am
Science: Friday 19 November at 9:15am
Digital Technologies: Thursday 25 November at 9:15am

Christine Perre - Middle Leader

It was great to see all the crazy socks worn today by students and staff, a total of $416.95 was raised for the Kindergarten class in Thailand.

Thank you to everyone who donated money.

Dear Parents and Carers,

A reminder for students to bring their drink bottles of water from home to stay hydrated throughout the day, and even more so as the weather continues to get warmer.

Applications for student travel in 2022 are now open. From October 2021, information on the School Student Transport Scheme and the School Portal will be available via Transport for NSW.

Students who need a School Opal card or travel pass for 2022 can apply now. Parents/students will need to submit a new application if they are applying for a school travel pass for the first time, or if they are requesting an additional travel entitlement as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation.

Students who change address, school, campus location, or who have repeated a year or received an expiry notification from Transport for NSW for their school travel entitlement should renew or update their details before the end of term 4. This will ensure that schools can endorse applications and current entitlements are updated and remain valid. School Opal cardholders will have the changes applied to their existing card.

Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.

Term Bus Pass holders will also receive a notification to re-apply.

Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their Student Opal card at their nominated postal address. Cards will be mailed out from January 2022.

Students living in rural and regional areas should receive their travel pass at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator.

To read the update from the Commbank regarding school banking please click here