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- Principal's Message
- Religious Education News
- Spiritual Reflection: "Be A Voice for Generations"
- The Most Holy Trinity
- Positive Behaviour For Learning
- SCC Sport
- Library - News From the Library
- Semester One Reports
- Pupil Free Day - Tuesday 13 June
- P & F News
- St Columba Lunch Pack - Fresh Start Canteen
- Wollongong Running Festival - Sunday 4 June
- Reminder - No Dogs or Pets on School Grounds
- Holy Spirit College Production
Dear Parents and Carers,
Hope that you are well and have embraced the challenges and celebrations throughout the week.
Last Friday 26 May, we acknowledged National Sorry Day. A day when we pause to remember the Stolen Generations of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
"A single raindrop in a sea of broken hearts" Finn Conway 4G
National Sorry Day is followed by National Reconciliation Week. This year's theme is ‘Be A Voice for Future Generations’. National 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. Thank you to Mrs Herring and her team for our acknowledgement of National Reconciliation Week through Liturgy this afternoon.
Walking Together, A Prayer for Reconciliation
Creator God,
God of all, who gave the Dreaming,
you have journeyed with your people through the ages.
You have spoken to us through the land, through story, through culture, through people, and have made your love clear to us through the person of Jesus.
Confirm our resolve to honour the dignity of all people who are one in God’s Spirit, especially our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sisters and brothers.
Give us courage to speak out against injustice and to right the wrongs of the past as we seek to build right relationships with one another.
Empower us, to honour the history of this Great South Land, to remember the stories and all those who have gone before us as we walk together in a spirit of true Reconciliation, respect, and love.
Amen
Today, we celebrated Festa Della Repubblica. Mrs Disibio and her team, organised a sensational acknowledgement of this special day through students and staff wearing the Italy's National colours of Red, Green and White, along with pasta tasting. As the only school in our Diocese to offer another language, we thank Mrs Disibio for her planning, passion and dedication to her teaching of Italian to our students. Grazie Signora!
On Friday 9 June we will be celebrating the feast of our patron saint - St Columba. Students will be celebrating with Liturgy (MD Hall) K-2 and Mass (Church) 3-6 from 12pm. This will be followed the presentations of our St Columbkille's certificates, 1G Assembly and awards at 2:15pm.
The St Columba Fun Day will be held on Friday 16 June and will include a host of activities commencing from 12pm. The St Columba Lunch Packs will be available to be purchased on the day. Parents and grandparents are most welcome to attend, joining us in both the activities and for lunch.
St Columba Blessing
Our K-6 Family Mass will be held this Sunday 5 June at 9:30am. After Mass, the Parish will be holding morning tea. Our School band ' The Cobra's' will be playing, Mr Lattimore joining the choir and students engaging in the readings of the day. Thank you to Mrs Herring, Mr Lattimore and Mrs Andary for their work and support in preparing for Sunday's Mass. It was be great if your family able to celebrate Mass with us on Sunday.
The Most Holy Trinity
This weekends masses remind us of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Every time we bless ourselves or begin prayer with the sign of the cross, we reaffirm our belief in the Trinity. That seemingly simple prayer, ‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,’ is, in fact, a confirmation of our belief in a triune God – three in one. The earliest use of the sign of the cross only involved tracing a small cross with the thumb or finger on the forehead as it is still done in baptisms or blessings today. Later, describing the shape of the cross on forehead, abdomen and shoulders became the common practice.
Parish School Community Mass
This Sunday 4th June at 9.30am we celebrate our Parish School Community Mass. Our school band 'The Cobras' will be providing the music, which we are very much looking forward to. A number of our Confirmation candidates will be attending and it is the first of our children's liturgy mornings. At the conclusion of Mass there will be morning tea and the children's playground next to the parish centre will be opened for families to enjoy. Please bring a plate to share and we look forward to sharing this day with all members of our faith community.
Feast of St Columba
On Friday 9th June our school community will celebrate our patron saints feast day, St Columba Day. Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 will join together for a liturgy in the hall and Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 will attend Mass with Father Patrick. Both celebrations begin at 12 noon. At the afternnon assembly our St Columbkille's awards will be handed out. The following Friday 16th June we will be enjoying a fun-filled day with activities and games in further celebrating St Columba.
Reconciliation Week
Today our community celebrated the end of Reconciliation Week with a liturgy before assembly. Thank you to our Aboriginal students who took on a leading role, and to Mrs McLeod and Mrs Lattimore for organising this event.
Our Prayer: God of the Dreaming, the journey towards full respect and participation of Aboriginal people in the process of fair recognition has been long and difficult. We pray today for justice and forgiveness that we hope will promote healing and trust. God of mercy, love and peace, be with us as we pray the prayer which unites us as one family.
We sang a lovely song titled "Come Together". This song is about unity for all and to continue on together for a better future. It is a collaboration between Australian country singer, Lee Kernagan, Yorta Yorta (yaw – tuh) and Gunditjmara (goon – ditchi- mara) man, Isaiah Firebrace and Gamilaraay (Ga- mil- a- roy) man, Mitch Tambo. If you recognise the names it is because Isaiah won X Factor Australia in 2016 and Mitch was a grand finalist on Australia’s Got Talent in 2019. In this song, you will hear Mitch Tambo sing a verse in indigenous language.
World Environment Day
We will acknowledge World Environment Day on Monday 5th June at morning assembly. Prayers will be offered and students who are passionate about the environment will receive their class award.
Confirmation
The Sacrament of Confirmation with Bishop Brian will be held at St Columbkille's on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 June at 7pm. Our retreat day will be held on Thursday 8 June from 9-3 in the school hall and church. Please pray for all our candidates that have been preparing for this sacrament.
Our candidates for Reconciliation have now received their workbooks and log in details, to begin their preparations. This sacrament will be held in St Columbkille's Church on Thursday 29 June.
Religious Education Coordinator - Mrs Joanne Herring
Australia's history is marked by both resilience and sorrow. For 65 000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have lived in harmony with the land, nurturing unique cultures, languages and traditions. However, the arrival of the European settlers brought immense challenges, displacement and profound loss of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Reconciliation Week not only calls for tangible actions and policy changes but also invites us to explore spiritual dimensions of healing, empathy, and understanding. It is an opportunity to reflect on our interconnectedness as human beings and our shared responsibility to nurture a harmonious and inclusive society.
Within the tapestry of Australian history, there are stories of pain, resilience and hope. We must confront the injustices that have been inflicted on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, including the forced removal of children from their families, the loss of land and resources and the erosion of cultural practices. These dark chapters of our history continue to cast a long shadow and Reconciliation Week provides an opportunity for us to acknowledge and learn from them.
Reconciliation is not a mere gesture; it requires deep introspection, empathy and concrete actions to address the past and create a more inclusive future. It is about recognising the ongoing effects of colonisation, listening to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and working together to build a society that values and respects the rights, cultures and contributions of all.
In this moment of reflection on our Nation's history, we also recognise the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities who have preserved their cultures, languages, and traditions despite immense challenges. Let us open our hearts and minds to the wisdom and teachings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, listen to their voices and celebrate their rich heritage and invaluable contributions to our society.
Reconciliation Week is a reminder that our work does not end with a single event or a week of reflection. It calls for ongoing education, understanding, humility, compassion, empathy and action. We are committed to embedding Reconciliation within our organisational values and practices and learning from the wisdom of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, who hold deep spiritual knowledge and a profound connection to the land.
Together, we can be agents of change, contributing to a more just and equitable Australia. Let us carry the lessons of Reconciliation Week throughout the year, amplifying the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and make a firm commitment to help shape a reconciled and harmonious Australia.
Let us be the generation that is the voice for change for generations to come.
The St Columbkille's Cross Country team had a great day in Nowra on Tuesday for the Diocesan Cross Country Championships. It was a crisp start to the day but the sun came out and it was beautiful conditions for a Cross Country run. Congratulations to all of our students who ran on a tough course. We are very proud of your efforts. Congratulations to Harry Esteves his 2nd place. Good luck to you Harry at the NSWCC Cross Country Championships in Sydney next month.
A special thank you to our parent volunteers on teh day, we really appreciate your help.
Leader of Sport - Mrs Carla Olima
On the weekend of 20th May I woke up at 5:00 am to make it up to Sydney for the registration at 7:30 am as I was competing in my first National Sports Rock climbing Championship at Villawood.
As I made it to the Nationals, the climbs were extremely hard. But even if you get to the top or only one metre off the ground everyone will cheer you on no matter what. It was a great atmosphere with everyone supporting each other.
On one of the climbs I made it to the second-last hold, on the next climb I only made it halfway. It was a challenging day, testing my strengths. Overall I came 17th out of my division which included forty girls and a few from New Zealand.
Overall I am now ranked 15th in Australia, which is an amazing achievement as it’s my first year of competing. Next year I hope that I can get higher in the state competition and hopefully make it to nationals again. But as I am getting older I am going into a new division, meaning I will have to train extraordinarily hard because next year I will compete in lead climbing in which you must clip a rope into each hold while climbing up the wall, if your foot slips unexpectedly you will fall about 2 metres from where you slip.
Ariah Blue 5G
Our school participated in this year’s National Simultaneous Storytime.
The students either had the story read to them by their teacher or watched a live online feed where the author, Rebecca Young read the story and the illustrator, Heath McKenzie demonstrated how to draw a sloth.
We like to seize as many opportunities as we can to encourage reading with our students and this event showed just how much they all still love being read to.
Library Monitors
I would like to introduce our current library monitors.
Jasmine Bertacco (5B), Georgia Allman (5B), Khloe Jorgenson (5B), Rosalie Larkin (5B), Isabella Masters (5B), Ariah Blue Channer (5G), Jessica McKevith (5G) and Scarlett Raschilla (5G)
These students have been an amazing support in our library. Each has been designated a particular section to look after, ensuring it’s ordered correctly and is clean and tidy. They are helping to shelve returned books, of which there are lots as we have a well utilised library.
The girls have been keen to write book reviews and recommendations as well as assisting with our weekly library displays AND they’re often on hand for students to loan and return books. They are giving up lots of their time (recess and lunch) to perform these tasks and I am extremely grateful and proud of them for their commitment and wonderful work ethic.
I get assigned a couple of hours in the library each afternoon so our monitors provide me with invaluable assistance to ensure the smooth running of our operations.
Thank you for everything you are doing girls!
Premier’s Reading Challenge
A reminder that it’s not too late for your child to join in this year’s Premier’s Reading Challenge.
PRC book lists can be found on the PRC website - https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html
For Kindergarten to Year 2 students, books can be read to them.
Last term every student was given a letter about the Premier’s Reading Challenge which also provided their individual login details.
If this letter was lost please and you would like another copy of these details, please email me at CarrollK03@dow.catholic.edu.au and I can send you the details.
Overdue Books
We currently have over 200 books that are overdue in our library system.
Since taking over the Library Administrator role at the end of last year I have been trialling different ways to deal with our overdues. Previously, parents have been emailed directly at the end of each term listing the overdue books our library system says their children have. I have received emails and messages from parents saying their children have never taken these books home and this sometimes causes concern. Please note, your child will not be blacklisted or having anything held against them if they do not have a book listed on the email. Sometimes books turn up several weeks later when myself or the teachers are sorting through classroom resources.
At the end of last term I decided to email lists of overdue books to class teachers rather than email parents first. The teachers were then able to ask the students to look for their overdue books in their classrooms and school bags. We had many books being returned but we still have lots which are overdue, some from early in Term 1.
I will therefore be sending emails for overdue books out to parents towards the end of this term. If the books cannot be found please just reply to the email you receive letting me know which books cannot be located. No charges will be made for missing books.
Knitting Club
We are starting a knitting club in the library for Years 4 - 6. This will take place on Mondays during lunchtime 1:30 - 2pm and there will be a couple of staff members assisting.
There are many benefits of knitting including:
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Supporting mathematical skills - counting stitches and rows, measuring
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Problem-solving - mistakes happen to all beginner knitters!
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Motor-Coordination - a high level of hand-eye coordination is needed so knitting can certainly help to improve this.
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It encourages creativity and teaches patience.
Students will be required to bring along their own knitting needles, a ball of wool and a small bag to put them in.
The knitting needles and wool can be purchased at local craft shops e.g. Spotlight, or, at most local Op-Shops.
Knitting needle size should be either 4mm, 4.5mm or 5mm.
Wool should be 8ply and a bright colour is preferred. It is difficult to see all the stitches for beginner knitters when using dark coloured wool.
All students from Years 4, 5 and 6 are welcome and we look forward to seeing what can be created.
National Reconciliation Week 27th May - 3rd June 2023
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best wishes to you all.
Library Administrator - Mrs Katrina Carroll
Student academic reports will be distributed via Compass on Thursday 15 June. The Semester One Report, assesses all Key Learning Areas taught using the A to E scale.
Learning Conversations will follow during Week 9 and 10. Learning Conversation appointments are to be made via Compass Conferences. Children in Years 1 – 6 are to attend the conversation with their parents, as it is our belief that through engaging the children in the shared conversation about their learning, they can assume an increased responsibility for their learning and also celebrate their personal achievements. These appointment times will be made available in the coming weeks.
Kindergarten do not receive a Semester One written report, only a Semester Two Report at the end of the year. This is an agreed practise in Catholic schools within the Wollongong Diocese. Learning Conversations will take place providing oral feedback for the first half of the school year.
Mrs Maria Disbio - Assistant Principal
Pupil Free Day - Tuesday 13 June
Day 2 - Professional Learning: Improving Writing Pedogogy
Focus: Staff will be working through writing research to further understand the pedagogical approaches that are most effective in supporting student writers in the classroom.
Special Lunch Pack
Friday 16 June
Please see the attached flyer to place an order. Orders are open to students, staff and parents.
Orders must be handed to the canteen or ordered online before the 14th June.
Both packs cost - $8.00
Group 1; Salad Roll / Water / Popcorn / Treat
Group 2; Hot Dog / Popcorn / Popper / Treat
Warm regards,
Fresh Start Canteen
Wollongong Running Festival
The Wollongong Running Festival is on June 4 2023. For students wanting to register for the event, parents/carers can do this online using the Wollongong Running Festival website http://www.wollongongrunningfestival.com/
When you register you will need to join the St Columbkille's Corrimal Team. This is easy to do. You do this by clicking on 'join a team' and then scrolling down and selecting St Columbkille's Corrimal. Registered participants will be given St Columbkille's Sports Singlets to wear on the day.
If anyone registered previously but was unaware of how to join the St Columbkille's team, please email the office and Mrs Olima will add you into the school team. If you are running Mrs Olima and Mrs O'Connor will provide you with a SCC Athletics singlet.
The School with the most registrations for the event will win $1000 to spend on whatever they like! If successful, we will be spending the $1000 on new sports equipment for PE and the playground.
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.
