“O, God. We thank you for teachers whose heart is of gold. Please be their shield while they guide us with wisdom. Watch over them as they fulfill the tasks you have trusted them with.

Be their light in uncertain times. Amen”

Dear Parents and Carers,

Tomorrow we celebrate World Teacher’s Day, and acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our staff at St Columba’s, thanking them for their commitment to our school. Results from our recent Wellbeing student survey, using the external 'Assessing Wellbeing in Education' (AWE) tool (used by schools across the world) shows that our students feel their teachers care about them. More results are in this newsletter.

Thank you to our P&F and parent helpers for last Friday's disco, which is always a poplar event. The children enjoyed dressing up for the 'Enchanted' theme and the decorations created a wonderful atmosphere.

Our Kindy classes loved having their grandparents and carers in class yesterday for Grandparents' Morning. This is always a special community gathering at St Columba's, as we acknowledge the special role that grandparents play in the lives of the children. Tomorrow, we look forward to seeing grandparents of our Pre-Primary to Year 6 students.

There are an array of extra-curricular activities available this term at St Columba's; we trust this adds to your child's sense of wellbeing and fun at school.

Nominations are now open for P&F and School Advisory Council (SAC) positions. More information is available below.

Please remember Kiss & Drive is closed tomorrow morning for Grandparents' Day.

God bless and keep safe.

Allen McMahon

Principal

Friday 25 October

• Grandparents Day PP - Y6
• World Teachers Day

Tuesday 29 October

• CAPSS Athletics Carnival - Langford Sporting Complex

Thursday 31 October

• All Saints Day Mass - Y1-6 - 9am

Friday 1 November

• Assembly PPG & PPW
• All Saints Day

Year 2G - Charles, Zoe

Year 2W - Ava, Evelyn, Amelia

Year 3G - Alexandra, Mischa

Year 3W - James H, Vincent , Judsen, William, Isabella, Georgia, Olivia B

Year 4G - Lilli, Mila

Year 4W - Stella, Samuel, Alistair, Bade

Year 5G - Grace, Niall, Flynn, Kyle

Year 6G - Bonnie, Denim

Year 4 - Evelyn

Year 5 - Leah, Tanya, Xavi

Year 6 - James, Johanes, Toby

Tomorrow is Grandparents Day!

A Grandparents Day Mass for Years 3-6 students and grandparents will be held in the Church from 9:00am. Students will be able to sit with their grandparents at the Mass.

A Morning Tea for grandparents only will be provided in Kalyara Mia from 10:00am, supplied by the P&F.

Grandparents are encouraged to enjoy some morning tea and then spend time with their grandchildren in the classrooms (10:00-10:50am) and at recess time (10:50-11:10am).

A Grandparents Day Liturgy for PP - Y2 students and grandparents will be held in the Church from 11:15am. Students will be able to sit with their grandparents at the Liturgy.

Please note the following:

· Grandparents can walk over to the Church for Mass/Liturgy with their grandchildren.

· The Kiss and Drive will be closed on Friday 25th October (during the morning only) to allow for access to the Church.

We are excited to be able to offer this community event for our grandparents.

On All Saints Day, 1 November, we celebrate all saints who are in heaven. These include all known and unknown saints. It is a holiday rooted in the belief that the world is spiritually connected to heaven.

All Saints' Day is considered a holy day of obligation, requiring Catholics to attend Mass.

Our Year 1-6 students will attend Mass at 9am on Thursday, 31 October to celebrate this special day, led by our Year 4 team. Parents are always welcome to attend.

Just as All Saints Day celebrates all the saints who have made it to heaven, All Souls' Day (2 Nov) honours those who have gone before us.

As we continue on our wellbeing journey at St Columba's, we're able to share some of the results from the external 'Assessing Wellbeing in Education' (AWE) tool, used by schools across the world.

Each year our Year 5 cohort will complete the survey, which is benchmarked against other schools in the AWE data set. We are pleased that St Columba's has performed very strongly against the data set.

Some other takeouts include:

Friends and Social Connections:

• Friends are a central theme, with students consistently mentioning the importance of friendships for their happiness and enjoyment at school.

• Many students feel supported by their friends, who help them during recess and lunch or when they face challenges.

• There is an emphasis on friends who are kind, caring, and supportive, which contributes to a positive school experience.

Teachers and Supportive Environment:

• Teachers are frequently mentioned as a positive influence, described as encouraging, caring, and kind.

• Some students appreciate that teachers ask for feedback, showing how the school continuously strives to improve, based on student input.

• The support from teachers in managing personal issues like friendships and family problems is another key element.

Safe and Happy School Environment:

• Students feel that their school is a safe and welcoming place, where both teachers and peers are nice and kind.

• The overall happy environment is mentioned as a factor that makes the school a good place to be.

• Community and inclusiveness are valued, with students appreciating the positive relationships they have with staff.

Activities and Play:

• Recess and lunch times are important, especially as opportunities to play soccer or other games with friends.

• Some students express a desire for more activities, including more opportunities for out-of-school activities and a bigger soccer pitch.

• Excursions, sports, and fitness are highlighted as fun aspects of the school experience.

Learning and Curriculum:

• While friendships and play are more prominent, some students also appreciate the opportunity to learn new things and enjoy specific subjects, like English.

• Mindfulness and continuous improvement are also mentioned, with one student noting how they are asked what is going well, leading to positive changes at school.

Emotional Wellbeing and Understanding:

• There is an emphasis on the school’s emotional support system, where staff and students make efforts to improve things when something goes wrong.

• Students value how their school provides great support for personal issues, such as friendship or family problems.

• In summary, the main themes from this set of responses are friends, supportive teachers, a safe and happy school environment, activities and play, and a focus on learning and emotional well-being.

Congratulations to all the students who competed in the Interschool Spelling Bee on Friday, 18 October.

The children did an exceptional job and spelt some very tricky words.

Congratulations to:

Iris for placing 2nd in the Year 4 competition.

Marielle for placing 1st in the Year 5 competition

In the Year 6 competition Giorgio placed 2nd and Francesca won 1st place.

Sessions will take place on the bottom oval at lunchtime and cover a range of sports and skills. Funded by P&F.

• Tuesday Lunchtime: Years 1-3
• Wednesday Lunchtime: Years 4-6

• Location: Bottom School Oval
• Duration (number of weeks): Eight
• Cost: P&F Funded Initiative
• Method to register / join: No action required. Students choice to participate on the day

Extra-curricular technology club kindly arranged by our P&F:

• Year groups: Year 4 - Year 6
  
• Location: School Library
• Days and times: Monday's after school
• Start date: Monday 14 October (except 21 Oct pupil-free day)
• Duration (number of weeks): Seven
• End date: Monday 2 December
• Cost: Full cost to parents $175.00
• Method to register / join: Join via the link below

Extra-curricular soccer club kindly arranged by our P&F:

• Provider / Organisation: Pro Football Training
• Year groups: Year 1 to Year 6
• Location: Weeks 2 - 3: on the tennis courts and Weeks 4 - 9: on the oval
• Days and times: Wednesday and Friday Mornings at 7:30am
• Start date: Wednesday 16 October and Friday 18 October
• Duration (number of weeks): Eight
• End date: Wednesday 4 December and Friday 6 December
• Cost: Full cost to parents $149.00
• Method to register / join: Join via the link below

Bricks 4 Kidz has been running after school from our library for a number of years:

• Provider / Organisation: Bricks 4 Kidz
• Contact person from provider: Rachel Koo / 0415 829 511 / rachel.koo@bricks4kidz.au
• Year groups: Various classes, starting from 5 years and up
• Location: St Columba's Library
• Days and times: Fridays after school
• Start date: Friday 18 October
• Duration (number of weeks): 8 weeks
• End date: Friday 6 December
• Cost: See further information in link below
• Method to register / join: Join via link below

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone is having a lovely week and enjoying this nice change in weather.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to our superstar parents for organising a fantastic Enchanted Forrest disco. The children had an absolute blast and it is because of the amazing volunteers giving up their time to ensure this evening was a huge success.

I also want to call out our amazing Kindy and PP families for the hard work they have put into making Grandparents day a success. We are very lucky to have so many committed and dedicated members of our school community.

A couple of very important reminders and deadlines coming up:

Tickets for A Night in White must be purchased by no later than Friday, 1 November 2024. This is so I can lock in numbers for the evening and arrange the right amount of food. You will be given a wrist band on the evening with your proof of purchase.

The last day to purchase tea towels is also Friday, 1 November 2024. We will not be able to process any late purchases due to fees and logistics, so please make sure you get your tea towel purchases in.

I hope you have a wonderful week everyone!

Hayley Mitchell

P&F President

Cash payments are no longer accepted. Payments can be made by credit card - Visit scholastic.com.au/LOOP or download the LOOP app. Your order will be electronically linked to the rest of your school's order. You do not need to complete the order form.

As the end of year approaches, Miss Simpson our School Counsellor has shared some upcoming workshops below to assist students transitioning to Kindergarten or Highschool.

Transitioning to Kindergarten:

Thursday, 24 October - Thornlie Park Centre - Free session with an Occupational Therapist and Speech Pathologist to explore children transitioning into Kindy.

Booking details on attachment below.

Wednesday, 23 October - Friday, 6 December - Free 7 week education course at Maddington Child and Parent Centre for children 3 to 5 years old and their parents to transition into Kindy.

Booking details on attachment below.

Monday, 9 December - Free webinar organised by Camp Australia with Dr Kaylene Henderson, discussing tips for children transitioning to fulltime school.

Booking details on attachment below.

Transitioning to Highschool:

Wednesday, 6 November - Transition to Highschool online program for parents.

Booking details on attachment below.

Term 4: Monday 7 October - Friday 6 December

Reconciliation: Saturday, 9 November at 10am