Dear Parents and Carers, 

It has been a productive and exciting Term 2 filled with loads of new learnings and wonderful learning experiences. As we conclude Term 2, I would like to thank all our students, staff and parents for the contributions made in making our school the great place it is.     

Learning Conversations between students, parents and teachers continued this week. The Conversations have allowed for the opportunity to celebrate learning gains, plan for collaborative support in achieving learning areas for growth and discuss how students are tracking academically and socially. A huge thank you to our staff for making the time outside their working hours to meet with students and families.  

NAIDOC Week 2023 will be held nationally from Sunday 2 July 2023 and continue through to Sunday 9 July 2023 which is during the school holidays and so many of our schools choose to celebrate NAIDOC Week before or after the school holidays.

This year's NAIDOC 2023 theme is For Our Elders.

Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role, and hold a prominent place, in our community and families. They are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones. They guide our generations and pave the way for us to take the paths that we can take today. They influence and inspire us to work for the equality and hope that they fought for.

During NAIDOC, we remember the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of our country and celebrate their rich cultures and inspiring contributions to Australia.

Thank you to Mrs Herring for work in assisting us to celebrate and acknowledge NAIDOC Week at St Columbkille's through the liturgy held this afternoon.  

Congratulations to our Year 3 students who participated in the Sacrament of Reconcilation yesterday. May they know that God loves them totally and unconditionally, growing in love for God and knowing forgiveness is God's gift to them and to each of us.

Laura Russell, our allocated school counsellor from Catholic Care has taken leave.  Laura and her partner are soon to be first time parents.  We wish Laura and her partner all the very best and hope that baby Russell brings much love and joy. Catholic Care are yet to advise who will take on the role of counsellor for our St Columbkille's students.  

I wish the staff and students a very happy and restful holiday – they all deserve it.  For the parents and carers, I hope that you can relax with your families and spend some extra time with your children, doing things that you don’t usually get the time to do.  I understand that this is can be difficult for families where both parents work outside of the home, but, perhaps the weekends will provide a little extra time, away from the routines.

Have a safe, enjoyable and restful school break! 

Buone Vacanze.

Warm regards, 

Mrs Maria Disibio - Acting Principal

Mini Vinnies

The Minnie Vinnies in Year 5 went for a walk to St Vincent De Paul. We learnt all about why they do the amazing things that they do and how they get all the donations. The volunteers that showed us around the fascinating place were really nice and kind. They showed us around the shop and there were a lot of things that were priced really cheap and they were all in good shape. There was a wide selection of items like shoes, antiques and clothes for all ages. They talked to us about where the money, clothes and food goes after people donate them. It turns out there is a massive St Vincent De Paul charity and food shop in Sydney which is where most of the stuff goes to. They also told us that food trucks come every day and they have a seperate room just for food.
They also mentioned that every week on Monday and Friday mornings they have meetings with people who are struggling and need more money or food. They take those peoples stories to their meetings and then they will give them money. If they can.That is where most of the money they receive goes to. St Vincent De Paul Society is doing an amazing job and they do all they can to help the people in need. If you want to help them, you can bring in some food for our winter hampers.   Otherwise, you can visit one of  the charity shops. There is one in Corrimal next to Woolworths and you can buy something from their wide selection of things.

Abbie Stenos
Year 5G

Our St Vincent de Paul visit was fun and the workers were very friendly. It was a great experience to see what they do for a living such as going in the waiting rooms and the supply room. There was lots of workers and they were all very nice. There was a president, secretaries and much more. Some people volunteer their time to work at the St Vincent de Paul Society. We know now what they do and how they give money to the poor and needy. The clothes were very cheap and it was a good way to raise money. The things in the shop were still in good conditions. We liked that there were volunteer women who helped sort all the clothes that were donated to the shop. After they sort the clothes they nicely put them on the shelf in the shop. It was such a good experience to see.

Darcy Shaw & Kynan Merola

Year 5

From the 2nd to the 9th of July Australia celebrates NAIDOC Week. The theme for 2023 is "For Our Elders". This statement from their website recognises elders past, present and future.

Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families. They are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones. 
Our loved ones who pick us up in our low moments and celebrate us in our high ones. Who cook us a feed to comfort us and pull us into line, when we need them too. They guide our generations and pave the way for us to take the paths we can take today. Guidance, not only through generations of advocacy and activism, but in everyday life and how to place ourselves in the world.  

We draw strength from their knowledge and experience, in everything from land management, cultural knowledge to justice and human rights. Across multiple sectors like health, education, the arts, politics and everything in between, they have set the many courses we follow. 
The struggles of our Elders help to move us forward today. The equality we continue to fight for is found in their fight. Their tenacity and strength has carried the survival of our people. It is their influence and through their learnings that we must ensure that when it comes to future decision making for our people, there is nothing about us - without us. We pay our respects to the Elders we’ve lost and to those who continue fighting for us across all our Nations and we pay homage to them. 

During NAIDOC, we remember the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of our country and celebrate their rich cultures and inspiring contributions to Australia.

St Columbkille's acknowledged NAIDOC Week today with a celebration in the hall. Thank you to all involved, especially the students who spoke about their Elders, and our guestspeaker Bobbi Law from the NRLW Dragons Team.

First Reconciliation 

Yesterday a number of students, from Year 3 and other grades, celebrated their First Reconciliation. Father Patrick led them through this sacrament of healing. It is such a special sacrament whereby sins are forgiven and we try to make more responsible choices. We thank the Sacramental team for their organisation and the students and their parents for engaging in their Catholic faith and traditions.

Have a wonderful holiday break and we look forward to seeing you in Term 3!

Mrs Jo Herring - Religious education Coordinator

As we approach the school holiday break, we’d like to remind you that Kinder, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4 and Year 6 students continue to have access to the PM eCollection. This is a digital library of PM books that we pay a yearly subscription for.

If you require your child’s username and password, please contact your child’s class teacher.

Mrs Christine Perre - Middle Leader & Instructional Coach

Term 3 Resumes for Staff and Students on 

Monday 17 July 2023

Students will return in winter uniform.

On Tuesday six teams from St Columbkille's attended the South Coast Netball Gala Day.

The teams included boys and girls in Year 5 and Year 6 as well as girls teams from Year 3 and Year 4. The students had an enjoyable day in the winter sun. Many thanks to the parent volunteers who assisted with managing and umpiring teams. Thank you also to our staff, Mrs Barrett, Mrs Runko and Mrs Finney who attended.

Fresh Start Canteens is changing their online provider from Term 3.

The new online platform will be Flexischools. 

Fresh Start Canteens and Flexischools have put together a welcome flyer with bonus credit as a thank you for registering with a new provider. Please see below on how to close your account at QuickCliq. The flyer from Flexischools will also be attached for your reference on how to join over the holidays with Flexischools. 

I have attached 2 flyers with the following information for the upcoming Canteen changes. 

1.Information on how to close the account at QuickCliq

2. Flyer with a bonus credir for all families who register with Flexischools for the beginning of Term 3. 

Warmest Regards,

Karen John

Fresh Start Canteens

For this year’s Book Week we are having a story writing competition. Below, you will find the details and guidelines to help you create your story. Stories must be submitted by the end of school on Friday, 11th August.

• Please ensure your submission is handed in to Mrs Carroll in the library.
• Judging will take place during Term 3, Week 5.
• Winners will be announced the following week during Book Week
• Winners will be selected from each school stage:
• Early Stage 1 (Kinder)
• Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2)
• Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4)
• Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6)

Winning stories will be published in the school newsletter and on our library internet page. Copies of the winning stories will be available for reading in the library.

Participants have the choice of three exciting themes to base their stories on:

• Adventure:
• Write an adventurous tale set in a fantastical world.
• Take your readers on a thrilling journey filled with excitement, danger, and unexpected twists.
• Let your imagination soar as you create vibrant characters and a vivid setting for your adventure.
• Friendship:
• Create a heartwarming story that celebrates the value of friendship.
• Explore the bonds between friends and the power of support, loyalty, and understanding.
• Delve into the challenges and joys that come with true friendship.
• Environmental Conservation:
• Craft a narrative that promotes environmental awareness and conservation.
• Use your storytelling skills to raise awareness about the importance of protecting our planet.
• Highlight the role individuals can play in making a positive impact on the environment.
• Story Length and Content:
• Story Length:
• Each participant may submit one story.
• The story should not exceed 800 words.
• Optional Pictures:
• Participants may include optional pictures to complement their story.
• Pictures can enhance the visual appeal and storytelling experience, but they are not mandatory.

Get ready to unleash your imagination, young writers! Remember to adhere to the guidelines provided, choose your preferred theme, and create a story that captivates and inspires your readers. We look forward to reading your amazing entries and celebrating your talent during Book Week!

Any questions can be clarified with Mrs Carroll via email. 

Bullying is different from conflict.

Conflict is a disagreement or argument in which both sides express their views.

Bullying is negative behaviour directed by someone exerting power and control over another person.

Bullying is when someone aggressively uses their “power” to target another individual with repeated, unwanted words or actions. Those targeted are hurt either physically or emotionally and have a hard time stopping what is happening to them.

In normal conflict, children self-monitor their behaviour. They read cues to know if lines are crossed, and then modify their behaviour in response. Children guided by empathy usually realize they have hurt someone and will want to stop their negative behaviour. On the other hand, children intending to cause harm and whose behaviour goes beyond normal conflict will continue their behaviour even when they know it's hurting someone.

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.

FIRE WEEKEND FOR YOUNG ADULTS & YOUNG MARRIED COUPLES
Fire Weekend for young adults and young married couples! We have an upcoming weekend retreat for those 18-35s looking for an opportunity to be renewed in faith and continue journeying with the Lord. The weekend will be packed with talks catered for young adult Catholics and times for prayer, and praise & worship. It’ll be a chance to set aside time with God and be open to where He is leading you, plus you’ll meet and get to know some great people on the journey with you! We'll be diving deeper into the theme RELIGHT: Called to More. You won't want to miss this! 
 
Here's everything you need to know:

WHEN: 5:30pm Friday 28^th July – 1pm Sunday 30^th July 2023
WHERE: Mt Carmel Retreat Centre (247 St Andrews Rd, Varroville).
WHO: Young adults and married couples, aged 18-35 years.
COST: $200 (inclusive of accommodation, activities and meals)
For more info and to register, see the QR code on the flyer or you can find the form at: https://form.jotform.com/231340929360857
Questions? Contact Stefanie via stefaniekusters@outlook.com
See you there!!

CitySkate

10am - 3pm

Saturday and Sunday, July 8 & 9 

Crown Street Mall.

A two-day skateboarding event that includes:

- Over $5k in giveaways

- Learn to skate lessons

- Pro-rider demos - including Olympic teacm riders from Australia and NZ

- DJ

- Open skate sessions

To book visit www.wollongongcentral.com.au or check out the event on our Facebook page.

Thank you

Pia Gray - Marketing Coordinator