Dear Parents and Carers,

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

There has been lots of excitement over the last week for many of our Year 5 students. They have been preparing and presenting their speeches for School and Vice Captains combined with our Student Representative Council positions. The quality of the speeches have been outstanding.  Many students have highlighted their connection to our wonderful school, sense of belonging and what they would bring to each role. I have been immensely proud of their collective efforts and wish to thank Mrs Tirchett, Mrs Rathbone and Mrs Lace, along with our parents for their support of each candidate.

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected by our Staff, Year 4 and Year 5 studeetns to represent our school.

School Captains - Zaria Nguyen and Bailey Mitchell

Vice Captains - Bronte Fursey  and Tobias Fielding 

Last Thursday and Friday our Kindergarten 2022, students engaged in our 'Orientation Opportunity'. Our future Kinders, where able to connect with their teachers, explore the playgrounds, listens to stories, play and interact with each other. The students were very settled, engaged in the activities, enjoyed themselves and are all very ready for 'Big School'. 

Congratulations to Mrs Tyrrell on the birth of her daughter, Lucy who was born Sunday 14 November. It was brilliant news for our school community, with our staff and Year students extremely excited. We wish the Tyrrell family - Libbie, Jared and Lucy every success and happiness. 

In preparation for 2022, we have finalised our Staffing. We would like to congratulate Mrs Barrett. She will welocme a new addition to her family with her second child due in March. Thank you to Mrs Gilmore for her support of our Year 1B students. Mrs Gilmore will be returning to St Therese West Wollongong for next year. We welcome new staff, Mrs O'Conner, Mr Lattimore and Mr Lowrie and Mrs McDonald back to St Columbkille's next year.

Please find further Staffing 2022 information in the article below.

Wishing you a sensational 2 weeks as the 2021 school year draws to a close. Thank you for your continued support of our school community. Stay safe and connected.

Take care

Brad Colquhoun - Principal

Advent

The Season of Advent begins this Sunday 28th November and is the special time when we prepare for Christmas. Advent invites us to reflect upon time, the relationship between past, present and future. Advent is a Latin word that actually means “coming.” In the Christian church, Advent is time of preparation and waiting for the birth of Jesus. During this time, it is also an opportunity to remember our place in the global family and to think about how we can contribute to caring for our common home, both during Advent and in our Christmas celebrations.

The Advent Pause
Our habits to consume are very strong. They are reinforced by our culture that tells us that our happiness is dependent on owning the latest gadget, product, or experience. To break this consumerist habit, we need to become aware of this internal energy to consume, so that we don’t blindly follow it. This is a contemplative practice–to begin to see how the market and cultural forces shape our interior world.

1. Notice your internal impulse to buy more, to eat more, to do more things that are not essential. This can be owning the latest electronic gadgets and buying the trendiest clothes. It can also be over-consuming more information or social media than is necessary, eating (and often wasting) too much food, or trying to pack in too many activities. It might feel like a subtle tug or pull in the body which we are conditioned to give into. This is normal and natural, but it doesn’t mean you have to follow the tug to consume more than you need.

2. Pause and take a breath. Then find a phrase to ground you such as “Less is more”, “Jesus is the reason” or even “Do I need to get/do this?” in order to remind you of your commitment to not over-consume and to keep your eyes on Jesus.

3. Make a choice based on your commitment to live simply, in order to create space and time to focus on what is essential: God, relationships, service, and caring for our earth community.

Below is a 2021 Advent Calendar you may like to use with your family.

In the busyness of the end of the school year may you be able to find some time this Advent to pause, be reflective and prepare for the miracle of the incarnation, the time when we celebrate Emmanuel - God with us!

First Reconciliation
On Thursday 2nd December, our celebration of the sacrament of First Reconciliation will occur. Father Patrick will confer this sacrament in the Monsignor Downey Hall. A huge thank you to everyone involved in the preparation of these candidates. We continue to pray for these children as they make their second sacrament of initiation.

Year 6 Graduation
This special evening takes place next Thursday 9 December from 6-7pm in the St Columbkille Monsignor Downey Hall. Thank you to all those students, staff and parents who have helped to organise this momentous occasion. We are especially grateful this event can take place with parents in attendance as we celebrate our Year 6 students of 2021!

St Vincent de Paul 2021 Christmas Appeal
This year we have been asked by the Corrimal St Vincent de Paul group to send in a monetary donation for Christmas. As items and other edible treats cannot be received, our St Columbkille community will bring in a gold coin donation. On Friday 3rd December each child is asked to come dressed in their finest Christmas clothing or craziest Christmas get up. The money raised will be used to purchase Woolworths vouchers which will be given to those in need within our community. Please give generously so that others in our community may experience some joy this Christmas. Thanks for your continued support, which is also greatly appreciated by the Corrimal St Vincent de Paul group. If you are interested in making a further monetary donation, please log on to the website

https://donate.vinnies.org.au/christmas-appeal

Christmas Concert
Our annual Christmas celebration will coincide with our Christmas mufti day on Friday 3rd December. Year 6 are taking a leading role in presenting the Christmas Story to our school community via zoom. Kindergarten will show off their dancing skills as we sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus, and the staff have some special messages for the festive season. Thank you to all those who have been involved in any way, either big or small, but the biggest thank you goes to Ms Finlay Joseph for all the extra hours in helping bring this together. (I think she really does enjoy putting on a production!)

Activate Fire
On Wednesday our Year 6 students were involved in a faith-filled day called “Activate Fire.” The day focused on the sacraments of initiation (especially Confirmation), prayer, mission and taking ownership of their faith. Songs, video clips and small group reflections allowed the students to further their relationship with God. Thank you to the Year 6 students for allowing themselves to be totally involved in this day, and to the Youth Ministry Team from the Diocese of Wollongong for providing the resources.

Mrs Joanne Herring - Religious Education Coordinator

Congratulations to the following students:

Principal's Award

1B - Kaylan Pons
1G - Opal Duggan
1G - Xavier Switaj-Zwolinski

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Award

KG - Esme Zemaitis
1B - Harrison Caughey
1G - Brae Cook
1G - Ella Hartup
1G - Sebastian McIndoe
2G - Abigail England x 2
2G - Amity Fuller
3B - Ethan Oliver
3G - Taavi Cooke
3G - Sabina Santillan
3G - Ruby Ukotic
4B - Ryder Bighetti
4B - Bronte Ireland
5B - Emily Spiers
5G - Betty Barry
5G - Aiden Heaton
6B - Isaac Ayers
6B - Hamish Dorney
6B - Ileana Lozenkovski
6G - George Blake x 4
6G - Zali O'Hara

School Medallion

2B - Keira Fabon
2B - Bronte Jansen
3B - Andie Lucchitti
3B - Abby Mannion
3G - Chloe Copson
3G - Eoin Vaughan
4B - Ryder Bighetti
4B - John Tadros
5G - Betty Barry

.

As senior members and leaders within our school community, Year 6 are called to live according to a pattern of love and service modeled by Jesus Christ.  Each student is challenged to use their own unique skills and abilities to help bring about peace and grow our sense of community, by modelling how to best be, Respectful, Responsible and Safe. Over the course of the year, Year 6 are invited to participate in activities of service and stewardship, both at a school and community level.

Students are asked to identify areas of need and/or support, endeavoring to promote and provide positive relationships between their peers, other school students, teachers and parents.  In maintaining and sustain these relationships, students will help and support others during their own time, through making themselves available to help others within the St. Columbkille’s, Corrimal School community.

Within their Our Time to Lead booklets, student log their actions of giving which is later signed off by the teacher. 

In Semester Two the follow students took up the challenge.  Congratulations to:

Christian Villella, Isaac Ayers, Jensen Curbison, Maddison Beverley, Grace Docherty, Hamish Dorney, Mackenzie Kerr, Alyssa Fitzpatrick, Ileana Lozenkovski, Stella Peiris, Aliza Woodford, Athanael Disibio, Tom Immens, Marcus Saveski, Allegra Calmasini, Maricar Santillan, Harper Duggan, Molly Stephen, William McMillan and Eleisha Niew. 

Mrs Maria Disibio - Assistant Principal 

We had a number of students participate in the UNSW Global Writing, Science, Digital Technologies, English, Mathematics and/or Spelling Bee ICAS Assessment for 2021.

Congratulations to the following students for their participation in one or more of the ICAS Assessments:

Year 3: Ciara Pons, Rosalie Larkin, Taavi Cooke, Kynan Merola, Abbie Stenos
Year 4: Alissa Bishop, Daisy Smith, Bronte Ireland, Clover Duggan, Juliet Ritz
Year 5: Aiden Heaton, Cameron Ritz, Christian Da Silva, Lauren Foster, Lola Shaw, Jackson Logue
Year 6: Phoenix Miller, Jensen Curbison, Jonothan Logue,

Mrs Christine Perre - Middle Leader

For a number of years St Columbkille's have run a Holiday Reading Challenge, with a pause in the challenge last year due to COVID19 restrictions.  This year the Holiday Reading Challenge is back, but in a way that is environmentally friendly, meets COVID restrictions and easy to access for all interested students.  

The Holiday Reading Challenge will be available via the Google Classroom platform. Here you can elect to print a copy of the booklet or complete the booklet online.  

Students need to simply log into their student Google accounts and join the Holiday Reading Challenge Classroom using the class code: f4p3aco or by using the invitation link. 

The Challenge starts on the first day of the school break (16 December) and will end on the last day of the school break (31 January).  

Further information is contained within the Classroom and booklets.  

Mrs Maria Disibio - Assistant Principal 

Next Friday 03 December, students are asked to wear their Christmas themed clothing and bring in a gold coin donation, for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. Please be mindful to ensure students are wearing appropriate footwear for school activities. This year, funds will go towards purchasing Woolworths vouchers and will be given to those needing assistance in our local community.

We thank you in advance for your ongoing support of the St Vincent de Paul Society.

Mrs Tirchett and the Mini Vinnies

Thank you for your continued support of St Columbkille's School Library during 2021. It has been wonderful to see the students enjoying the library and borrowing books from our collection.

Please be advised that the library will be closed for borrowing from Week 9 this term and therefore this week is the last week students have been able to borrow. Students can continue to borrow online resources/books from SORA, which can be accessed through our library homepage - this is accessible from our school website under the Learning tab.

This week you would have received, via email, an overdue notice for any outstanding loans. Can you please ensure that these are returned by the end of Week 9 including any books that have been recently borrowed? Any questions or concerns please contact the library via email - scclibrary@dow.catholic.edu.au.

Thank you.

Ms Helen Moon - Library SSO

Year 4 Artwork based on the book "The Burnt Stick"

Part of the agenda of Tueday evening will be discussion on updating school uniforms.  The meeting will commence at 7pm and will be held in the Monsignor Downey Hall.

If in attendance, please ensure you are wearing a mask and are able to sign in using the QR Code.  

Term 4 2021 - Wednesday 15 December will be the final day of school for students for the 2021 school year.  

Term 1 2022 - Students Year 1 to Year 6 will resume school in 2022 on Tuesday 1 February.  Kindergatern will have Best Start Assessments before starting on Tuesday 8 February.  

Dear Parent/Carers

The close of Term 4 is nearly upon us, and this is a reminder to all parents/carers to now settle outstanding school fees for 2021.

If you need to discuss any issues regarding outstanding school fees please do not hesitate to contact Mr Brad Colquhoun - Principal or Mrs Sharon Anderson - Acting Senior School Support Officer on 4284 7987.

Sharon Anderson - Acting Senior School Support Officer