Dear Parents and Carers,

Hope that you are well and have enjoyed a sensational week.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation, with many of our Year 6 students and their families. It was wonderful to welcome back Bishop Brian to our parish community celebrate this sacrament. Thank you to Fr Patrick, Mrs Herring, Mrs O'Connor, Mrs Page, Mrs Barrett and staff, along with the Millie and Anna from the SCC Sacramental Team for their support, dedication and time in the preparation of our students in this Sacrament of Initiation.

Let us be guided by the Holy Spirit. Allow time to speak to our heart and he will tell us this: God is Love - Pope Francis

Semester One Reports

Semester One reports were sent via Compass yesterday afternoon. Thank you to our staff for their work in preparing  reports that highlight our students successes and areas for development. In reading the reports, I am exceptionally proud of the collective efforts of our students learning, as they continue to learn and grow. We look forward to Student Learning Conversations over the next 2 weeks to further explore our students  growth throughout Semester One.

St Columba Awards and Fun Day

Last week we celebrated the presentation of our St Columba awards for our students you consistently demonstrate our Core Values of Faith, Learning, Respect, Responsibility, Celebration and Community through their words and actions. Congratulations to the following students:

KB Samuel Perre   KG Cruz Ricci        1B Lara Burns         1G Simone Rit

2B  Kaela Fabon    2G Alyssa Browne  3B  Kaylan Pons      3G Amelie Andary 

4B  Elina Bekhit    4G Ollie Stewart      5B  Sophie Willoughby     5G Jessica McKevith   

                                 6B  Lorella Tadros   6G Georgia Doherty 

St Columba Fun Day was held today as part of the celebration of our Patron saint - St Columba. Thank you for to our staff for their work in preparation for and running the today, Foster Amusements for the great rides, P&F Team for the special treat and our students, parents and grandparents for joining us in the fun.

Building Works

We have completed and/or are currently working on a number of improvements throughout our school. These include:

• P&F Donated Play Area on the Front Cement. Thank you to the Nicky Bishop and the P&F Team 2022 for raising $20 000 for the instalment of the new play area.
• Thank you to the Mannion Family - James, Fiona, Jake, Laura and Abby, for the donation the beautiful Cross that is on display in the Office Foyer. James' workmanship and craft in building the Cross is outstanding. 
• Development a Calming Space for students
• The ongoing work of the new playground space next to the Paddock, which will be open for use in early Term 3
• Submitting application to CEDoW for new carpet in Years 4-6 and new classroom furniture in Years 2-6.

   

       

Throughout 2023, our staff are developing, implementing and reflecting on continuous improvement practices in the areas of Writing and K-2 English and Mathematics Curriculum. These are our focus areas within our Annual Improvement Plan (AIP). Below are the focus areas, gaols and strategies for 20203.

Annual Improvement Plan 2023

Focus Area: Student Learning and Wellbeing

Goal: By the end of 2023 students K-6 will demonstrate learning growth in writing.  

Strategies: Teachers to align PDP goal with Writing Focus Engage in the Professional Learning-Improving Writing Pedagogy  (IWP),Engage in a Student Writing Review twice each term, Revise the schools data plan so that it identifies and aligns with school priorities and is supportive of Case Collaborative processes and Engagement with the Writing Analysis Tool Moderation process

Focus Area: System Support for the Core Work of Teaching

Goal:Students will be able to use tier 2 (high utility words) and  tier 3 (subject specific)  vocabulary to describe/demonstrate  their understanding of concepts learned in English and Mathematics 

Strategies: Completion of K-2 Professional Learning Modules, Alignment to PDP process and staff goals, Development of Scope and Sequence in English and Mathematics K-2, Revise the School English and Mathematics Agreed Practices to reflect pedagogies that underpin the K-2 Curriculum, Align goal with Vision and Mission, Development of units of work in Mathematics and English through the use of the CEDoW programming templates, Communication of the K-2 Syllabus key changes/areas to the parent community, Development of oral language differentiated assessments to assess students' understanding, Development of English and Mathematics assessments and evidence, Engage in professional readings, Explicit teaching, feedback and student voice, Inclusion of High-Impact Strategies - which to use and Engagement with Collaborative Processes (for example: Learning Walks, Videos of Practice, Co-Teaching Cycle etc.), Develop differentiated writing assessments in CPS, incorporating the importance of Oral Language  across all KLA’s - provide feedback in a timely manner  to students and Moderate writing samples using this assessment rubric.

Hope that you enjoy a wonderful weekend and looking forward to working you throughout Week 9 and 10, as Term 2 draws to a close.

Take care

Brad Colquhoun - Principal

Parish/School Mass

Our St Columbkille's community celebrated a wonderful mass on Sunday 4th June. The students were involved with reading and children's liturgy, with a special performance of two songs by our school band 'The Cobras'. A huge thank you to the band under the expert conducting of Marguerite Andary, and to Mr and Mrs Lattimore for leading the singing. We look forward to our next Mass on Sunday 2nd July.

Confirmation

Bishop Brian officiated at our two Confirmation evenings this week, and spoke of how proud he was of the students who had made this committment to journey further in their faith. Thank you to everyone who had helped organise or given of their time to support these students. A special thank you to parents and sponsors for continuing to guide them in living out the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

St Vincent de Paul Hampers

For the next few weeks, before the holidays begin, we are asking to help out our community by donating itmes to our Mini Vinnies hampers. Each grade is allocated particular items:

K-Baked beans/spaghetti

Year 1- Chunky soup tins

Year 2- Pasta/pasta sauce

Year 3- Breakfast cereals / flavoured rolled oats

Year 4- Pancake Mix

Year 5- Long-life milk/long-life custard

Year 6- Campbells spaghetti sauce with beef / Tom Piper braised steak and onions

Please not this is only a guide and whatever you can donate is greatly appreciated. These hampers will be distributed to needy individuals and families within our community. Thank you once again for your generosity.

Our Mini Vinnies team will visit the local St Vincent de Paul store next Wednesday 21 June.

Feast of St Columba

Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 celebrated a liturgy, whilst Years 3 to 6 attended Mass last Friday to acknowledge St Columba, our schools patron saint. A student from each class was awarded the annual St Columba Award. Congratulations to those award winners for 2023.

Our fun day celebrations occurred today, with many fun activities putting a smile on everyone's faces. 

Ordinary Time

On Sunday 18th June the Church year reverts back to Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time is the longest season of the liturgical year. During Ordinary Time we celebrate the whole life of Christ and learn the meaning of living as his disciples. We reflect on and celebrate the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, making Catholic Ordinary Time is an extraordinary time to learn and follow the teachings of Christ in our daily lives and to grow as his disciples. We also learn about and celebrate the lives of the saints. Green vestments and altar cloths are now used as they have traditionally been associated with this time after Pentecost.

Migrant and Refugee Week

Refugee Week in Australia is always held from Sunday to Saturday of the week which includes 20 June (World Refugee Day). For 2023, it will be held from Sunday 18 June to Saturday 24 June. The theme of Refugee Week 2023 is Finding Freedom. It aims to highlight the importance of living life free from violence, war, and persecution. Refugee Week is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the contributions which refugees bring to Australia. It's also a time when all Australians are encouraged to educate themselves about the issues that affect refugees, as well as listen to the stories of those seeking asylum.

Solemnities of St John the Baptist and Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Aside from the Lord and His Blessed Mother, John is the only other individual whose birth the Church commemorates with a solemnity. He spent his adult life preparing the way for Jesus and proclaiming that “the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.” We commemorate this solemnity on Friday 24th June.

In 1856, the Feast of the Sacred Heart became a universal feast. St. John Paul II, a great devotee of the Sacred Heart, said, “This feast reminds us of the mystery of the love of God for the people of all times.” In 2022, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 24.

Joanne Herring - Religious Education Coordinator

Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus  

The Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated this Friday 16 June 2023. At the Chapel within the Marist Hermitage in Mittagong, there is a stained glass window depicting the Sacred Heart of Jesus (pictured below). When given the opportunity to really sit with this icon, it becomes apparent that there are many layers of thought and meaning which have great significance today. 

Many of us are initially struck by Jesus’ heart in this icon as it is not within the body. It is a heart that is exposed and can be seen by others. And it is a heart that is wounded and pierced. This exposed and wounded heart speaks of the importance of authenticity and of the power of vulnerability.

In Jesus’ exposed heart we see an authentic Jesus who revealed who he was through the way he lived and loved. He let others around him know where his heart was at and he was able to reveal through his words and actions what was most important to him. Where is your heart? And how do you show others what’s important to you or what you love the most?

In Jesus’ wounded heart we see a vulnerable Jesus who revealed that these painful wounds can also be sources of new life. Experiencing pain is a natural part of the human condition and yet we are not always comfortable sitting with our own woundedness or the woundedness of those around us.

“Vulnerability is not weakness, it’s our greatest measure of courage.”   Brene Brown

One of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves or to another human being is to offer a space for these pains or struggles to be named. At times we either avoid discussing these more painful issues out of fear of upsetting someone further or we move into a practical response and try to do things for someone in pain. Whilst these are most generous acts, sometimes what is needed even more, is the willingness of someone to sit with them in their struggle. 

Dr Susan David, a Clinical Psychologist, recently shared a short reflection on social media about the power of just sitting with someone in their pain. She expressed that one of the most powerful phrases we can share with someone is, “Tell me more”. She went on to say, “It is such a gorgeous invitation to a shared sense of exploration and a shared moment of compassion.”

As we look a little further at this icon we also see Jesus pointing to his own heart with one hand and to heaven with the other hand. This gesture highlights the way in which, through our human loving acts, we can experience and share divine love. As we share our authentic and vulnerable selves with others and allow others to do the same, we reveal the person of Jesus Christ. 

A Moment to Reflect:
How do you respond to your own woundedness or to the woundedness of others?
Do you run away or do you see these as opportunities for life to come forth?

The impact a single teacher can have on the lives of countless young people is beyond measure. That's why making sure our teachers are supported to focus on the core work of teaching, learning and faith formation is at the heart of our new strategic plan.

Check out what the staff of St Columbkille's shared about their work.  

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On Friday 2 June, the school community celebrated “La Festa Della Repubblica Italiana” by wearing green, white and red, “i tre colori” or dressing as a famous Italian.  

During Italian lessons, students learned about the history of the national day and how it is celebrated in Italy.  The school bell was also changed to the Tarantella, which made many students dance with joy and dance their own version of this traditional Italian dance.  Students were also gifted with a sample of pasta which aided to the celebration of the day.  

Thank you to the staff of the Il Nido Woodfired Pizza Truck who supplied, prepared, cooked and served the pasta to our students and staff.    

Signora Disibio - Leader of Languages - Italian

On Sunday, 28 May, Scarlett, Khloe and I competed in the EBSDN, which stands for Everybody Sing and Dance Now competition. It occurred at Berkeley Basketball Stadium, where we were judged by 2 judges. We competed in lyrical, in which we came highly commended-4th, and we competed in jazz, which is where we came third. We are very proud of our results and can’t wait for the next competition. We had such a great time, and loved watching the other dancers competing. 

 Written by Jasmine Bertacco (5B)

We are very excited to celebrate this big moment in the life of Holy Spirit College. Please join us for a Formal Dinner of community celebration with current and past families, staff, past students and special guests!

NOTE: This is an OVER 18 years event.