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- Principal's Message
- Religious Education
- The Emmauns | A Lenten Journey | Week 6
- Pupil-Free Day - Friday 8 April
- NAPLAN - Year 3 and Year 5
- SCC Cross Country 2022
- Football NSW Futsal Schools Championships
- St Columbkille's 2023 Enrolments
- Anzac Day Dawn Service March - Monday 25 April
- Vegetable Week & The Big Vegie Crunch
- Doctor Clearance for Injuries
- Winter Uniform Commences
- Compass Parent Portal Changes
- Self Isolation for Household Contacts
- Football Holiday Training Camp
- Chippers Finishing School
- Reminder - No Dogs or Pets on School Grounds
Dear Parents and Carers,
As the season of Lent draws to an end and we move into Holy Week, an opportunity is presented to reflection on and deepen our faith through prayer, sacrifice and serving others - just as Jesus did. Easter brings hope, renewal and an opportunity to live out our school motto 'Christ is the Way'.
"We proclaim the resurrection of Christ when his light illuminates the dark moments of our Existence" - Pope Francis
Thank you to Mrs Herring, Ms Finlay-Joseph, staff and students for their work in preparing our Holy Week celebration this afternoon - Stations of the Cross. It was a wonderful opportunity for our school community to pray and celebrate together as we move into Holy Week.
Congratulations to the following families who won the staff donated Easter Egg raffle drawn at our assembly this morning. Thank you to our staff who generously donated the Easter Egg prizes and Mrs Sumner for putting the seven baskets together.
Kinder: Annabel Karakolevski 
Year 1: Isabel England
Year 2: Samuel Porter
Year 3: Piper Hume
Year 4: Kade Bloom
Year 5: Benjamin Niew
Year 6: Noah Gallo
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. We will remember them."
Our school community has been invited to participate at the ANZAC Day on Monday 25 April. All students, staff, parents, grandparents are welcome to march at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. The Parade will gather on the Princess Hwy at the Corrimal RSL at 5.30am for a 5.45am start and march to ANZAC Grove.
As Term 1 draws to an end, thank you for your ongoing support and involvement in the life of our school during these challenging and disruptive times. It has been a thoroughly enjoyable term and we look forward to all that Term 2 will bring when we return to school on Tuesday 26 April.
Wishing you a sensational Easter holiday break with your family and friends. Stay well and safe.
Take care.
Mr Brad Colquhoun - Principal
Kinder /Year 6 Family & Parish Mass
Our school and parish Masses for Kinder and Year 6 were celebrated last weekend. Several families came along to join in the eucharist and supper/morning tea afterwards. Thanks to those students who read at Mass, especially Niamh Conway, Lauren Foster, Cameron Ritz, Preston Park and Zaria Nguyen. Our Stage 1 and Stage 2 Masses will occur later in the year.
First Holy Communion
Our First Holy Communion candidates reverently received the eucharist on the 26 and 27 March. They were wonderful celebrations and thanks again to all those who supported these students.
Stations of the Cross
Our St Columbkilles Stations of the Cross, in recognition of Holy Week and Easter, was celebrated yesterday. Thank you to the staff and students for preparing so well and partaking in the liturgy so reverently.
Staff Development Day
Tomorrow the staff of St Columbkille's will be involved in revisiting and evaluating the Vision and Mission of our school. It was also a day of reflection as Holy Week nears, and a chance to celebrate the eucharist within our parish.
Confirmation
Enrolments are now open for the Sacrament of Confirmation which will be held on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 June at St Joseph's and Wednedsay 15 and Thursday 16 at St Columbkille's. Children will bring home enrolment forms home from school. Forms can can handed in at any Sunday Mass. Final date for returned forms is Sunday 1 May.
ACT WITH INTENT
“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
"They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem.” — Luke 24:30-33
Supper at Emmaus is a typical painting by Caravaggio, the sublime interrupts the daily routine.
The incognito, beardless Jesus suggests that moments of encounter with Him can happen at any moment, in any space and with any person.
The immediate divinity and the humanity of Jesus are depicted. Between sitting down and getting up from the table, the two disciples had experienced a realisation that this man they had journeyed with was actually Jesus, the risen Christ.
They sat down with the human Jesus and got up to the divine Jesus.
It is not every day that our ‘hearts burn within us’ during a chat while we are on a journey.
Yet it was not until the breaking of bread that the realisation of the man being Jesus himself, was triggered. However, without the journey and the time spent listening to the unrecognised Jesus, this realisation would not have happened.
The reaction of the two apostles, however, was to act immediately with intent - ‘they got up and returned at once to Jerusalem.’
The Faith in Action imperative of our school & office communities is highlighted during the season of Lent as we support CARITAS and their Project Compassion. The selfless giving and tireless advocacy for our domestic and international communities is always intentional and impactful.
As we view and listen to the Project Compassion resources and experience local and school based stories of need and despair our ‘hearts burn’ too. The stories are relentless and harrowing. They range from the current Project Compassion theme ‘For Future Generations’ targeting Africa, India, Australia and the Pacific Islands, to the tragic scenes from the Ukraine and to the drowned cities of our Northern Rivers.
As Emmauns, our intentional action as we respond to these situations is always triggered by the presence of Christ at the epicentre, in particular at the breaking of bread during the Eucharist. Christ is a child in a developing country, a pensioner in the basement of a Kyiv building or a mud army member cleaning out a flooded home. Christ is a lonely student in a crowded playground, a tired teacher at the end of a long term.
As the apostles hurried back to Jerusalem, let us hurry back to serve the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised where Jesus prefers to reside. Let us go forth and find Jesus who longs to share the Good News that we belong to each other and are loved as unique gifts to this world, made in God’s image as co creators of God’s kingdom.
Challenge – As we enter Holy Week and journey towards the Resurrection next week:
- Slow Down
- Listen Deeply
- Discern Often
- Expect to Transform
- Gather and Break Bread in Joy
- Act with Intent for Justice and Peace
Years 3 and 5 will be sitting the annual National Assessment Program- Numeracy and Literacy (NAPLAN). At St Columbkille's we will sit the tests from Tuesday 10 May through to Friday 13 May. (see school calendar for times and tests). The NAPLAN tests are another oppportunity to gather data about our students' learning for both our teachers and parents.
It is vital that both Year 3 and Year 5 students have headphones at school to use during the tests and Year 5 students must have the NAP Lockdown App installed and ensure the App is updated.
You may like to visit the NAPLAN Public Demonstration page which will allow you and/or your child to experience the assessments.
Should you have any questions about the assessment please speak with your child's class teacher or Stage Middle Leader.
Maria Disibio - Assistant Principal
What a wonderful day we had this week for our school Cross Country carnival. After weeks and weeks of rain, the sun was shining brightly for our carnival. The primary students walked down to Harry Hensen park to run a shorter lap than the usual hilly lap at Bulli. They ran hard and put in 100% effort. Congratulations to you all on your efforts, you should all be very proud of yourselves.
The following children came first in their race and are Age Champions:
8/9: Sabina Santillan and James Andary
10: Sophie Coughlan and Harrison Esteves
11: Amelia Rutledge and Sonny O’Brien
12: Ava Cooper and Bailey Mitchell
The following students (3 competitors in each age division) have been selected in the St Columbkille's Cross Country team to compete at the Diocesan Carnival in Nowra in Week 2, Term 2.
|
AGE |
Girls |
Boys |
|
8/9 |
Sabina Santillan Zara Erven Elodie McCluskey |
James Andary Ben Franco Beau Jorgenson |
|
10 |
Sophie Coughlan Ciara Pons Harper Harrison |
Harrison Esteves Nixon Breakspear Talon Mayo |
|
11 |
Amelia Rutledge Payton Simms Eadie Nelson |
Sonny O’Brien Randy O’Brien Taj Bloom |
|
12 |
Ava Cooper Bronte Fursey Wintah Breakspear |
Bailey Mitchell Dean Srbinoski Hayden Sharman |
Ribbons and Medallions for the Age Champions, 2nd and 3rd will be handed out at the morning assembly on Tuesday 26th April.
The winning house was Downey!! Well done! It was very close….
1st Downey (Red) - 131
2nd Mackillop (Green) 127
3rd McCabe (Yellow) - 125
4th Joseph (Blue) - 75
Thank you to our staff and and parent helpers.
Mrs Carla Olima - Leader of Sport
A team of Year 4, 5 and 6 students represented St Columbkille's at the Football NSW Futsal Schools Championships at Illawarra Sports Stadium on Monday 28 March.
The boys played extremely well, showing both great skill and team spirit throughout the day. After 4 wins and 1 draw, they advanced to the Grand Final against TIGS which ended with an impressive 5-1 win. Congratulations to players Dean Srbinoski, Haydon Sharman, Nate Russell, Bailey Mitchell, Daniel Tramacco, Kynan Merola, Randy O’Brien, Kye Morris and Talon Mayo.
Also a very special thank you to our coach for the day, Mr Vlado Srbinoski.
Mrs Elizabeth Rathbone
ANZAC Day on Monday 25 April. All students, staff, parents, grandparents are welcome to march at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. We will gather on the Princess Hwy at the Corrimal RSL at 5.30am for a 5.45am start and march to ANZAC Grove. Students are to wear their summer uniform.
What a Big Vegie Crunch!On Thursday 31 March, our school dressed in our favourite vegetable colours and at 10am, we participated in The Big Vegie Crunch as part of Vegetable Week.
Thank you for sending your child/ren to school dressed in coloured clothing and for packing vegetables for your child/ren to crunch on for the event.
293 St Columbkille’s students crunched on vegetables for the Big Vegie Crunch! The mood was amazing and the students were very happy to be eating vegetables (no more excuses at the dinner table)!!
We joined around 450 other schools across NSW trying to break the record for the most children eating vegetables simultaneously.
The final numbers are still being tallied but it looks like close to 100,000 students crunched together and a further 5,000 students crunched over Vegetable Week.
That was a lot of vegetable eating! Keep practicing at home by eating more veg every day and we can try again next year.
Need ideas to help your family eat more vegies? Then check out the Up the Veg at Home resource.
(Mrs) Sue Smyth Vegetable Week School Coordinator
If your child has a broken bone or a significant injury that may impact their learning and/or mobility, it is essentail that the school is given a medical certificate and/or Doctor’s clearance letter upon their return to school. We need this certificate and/or clearance for your child to be at school and hence it needs to be supplied on the day of return to school. This certificate and/or clearance allows us to adjust the curriculum to suit your child’s needs and if required, assign a school support officer to your child, all considering the well being and safety of your child.
Mrs Pauline Leonard - Leader of Diverse Learning
All students are expected to wear the full winter school uniform from Monday 23 May. If you have any concerns regarding the winter uniform, please contact the office.
Link to uniform policy and information.
A reminder to all families and community members that dogs are not permitted on any of our school grounds unless they are assistance dogs. We have a student in our school that has an Anaphylaxtic reaction to dog fur/hair, hence this is for their safety and for the safety of all our community.
