"O, Jesus.

We adore you and we know you love us too.

We leave our school in your hands.

Here we shall create and discover with your grace.

Teach us how to love and respect.

Bless our teachers, administrators, and our classmates.

Amen."

Dear Parents and Carers,

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent and thus begins the lead into Christmas and our celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Our school will celebrate the Season of Advent in classes in a variety of ways.

Our year has flown by and we now have only a week of school left. The last newsletter of the year will be emailed home on Thursday, 5 December. Staffing and some 2025 information will be outlined in this newsletter.

Reports will be available online from Wednesday afternoon 4 December. If you have any concerns about your child’s report please see the classroom teacher.

A reminder, students will finish this term on Friday, 6 December 2024 and return to school on Wednesday, 5 February 2025.

Please see tentative staffing for 2025. Positions are still subject to change.

Principal - Allen McMahon

Assistant Principal - Jesse Yock

Pre Kindergarten - Jessica Cullen / Dee Page

Pre Kindergarten - Kate Wilkes / Dee Page

Pre Kindergarten - Jillian French / Dee Page

Kindergarten - Jillian French / Dee Page, Abbey Page, Donna Timmermans, Shannon Kelly

Kindergarten - Ranelle Dixon / Tash Spiewak, Abbey Page, Lara Marsden, Sharon Burnett

Pre - Primary - Jodie Budiselik / Renee King / Suja Jayadev

Pre - Primary - Monica Italiano / Jenny McCollam

Year 1 - Lisa Burnett / Sharon Burnett / Alice Komorowski, Ellen Duhig

Year 1 - Madison Hunter / Lisa La Rosa

Year 2 - Lucy Ferrante and Kate McFarland

Year 2 - Kellie Dibben / Ciara Walsh, Lydia Neuman-Veitch

Year 3 - Fran Poole and Kate Wilkes / Shannon Kelly

Year 3 - Isabelle Mercer / Lydia Neuman-Veitch, Shannon Kelly

Year 4 - Brianna Bechelli / Sharon Burnett, Alice Komorowski

Year 4 - Julie Pilatti

Year 5 - Susan Manfredi / Sarah Cramp

Year 5 - Jescinta Vuckovic and Orna O’Brien / Sarah Cramp

Year 6 - Maria Daniele

Year 6 - Allison Crugnale / Ellen Duhig, Ciara Walsh

Support - Kristie Sadowski, Nadia Dundas, Venesa Comito

Library - Lisa La Rosa

Science - Steve Popadynec

Phys Ed /IT - Leigh Chatt

Music - Louise McDonald

Korean - Min Kang

PMP - Kate McFarland

Art/Dott Support - Melissa Govorko

LEAP - Tessa Van Der Bijl

Junior Sport - TBA

Groundsman - Phil Timmermans

Canteen - Justine Palandri

God bless and keep safe.

Allen McMahon

Principal

Friday 29 November

• Carols Evening 5.45pm

Wednesday 4 December

• Adventure World Excursion - Y6

Thursday 5 December

• Thanksgiving Mass - 9am
• Instrumental Concert - 11.10am

Friday 6 December

• Christmas Free Dress Day
• Final Day for Students

The 2025 term and student-free dates are now on our website, should you require them.

The Carols Evening will be held on Friday 29th November (Week 8) on the school bottom oval. It is a requirement that students from PP - Year 6 attend, as each class will be singing a carol.

It is optional for Kindy to attend. They will have the option of singing a class carol, and at the end of their carol will be allowed to sit with their family. The carol singing for all classes should take approximately an hour.

• The evening will begin with the Choir singing from 5:45pm and the classes from 6:00pm.
• PP- Year 6 students are required to meet their classroom teacher in their classroom at 5:20pm. Kindy students need to meet their class teacher on the bottom oval at this time.
• PP – Y6 classes will commence walking down to the bottom oval from 5:30pm.

Students are encouraged to wear a Christmas t-shirt / clothing in the Christmas colours. Christmas headpieces are optional. Footwear must be worn.

Families are able to bring a picnic if they wish.

Please note, at the end of the Carols, children will be dismissed to families by their class teachers and the school will not be responsible for supervising the students.

Father Nino would like to extend an invitation to the children who live in the area, but all are welcome, to come dressed up as various parts of the Nativity, the more angels, and shepherds the better.

If you would like to nominate, to be Mary or Joseph then you must let the school know by the end Term 4. Names will then be drawn ‘from a hat’ and students will be notified.

Semester 2 Reports for Pre-Primary to Year 6 students will be made available on Wednesday, 4 December at 3:30 pm. Reports will be provisioned online this semester through the SEQTA Engage portal.

Reports for Kindergarten students only will be sent home as a hard copy on Wednesday, 4 December.

All parents with children in Pre-Primary to Year 6, who have received their child’s report online previously, have been provisioned with a SEQTA Engage account.

The SEQTA Engage web address is https://stcolumbassp.coneqt-p.cathednet.wa.edu.au/

Please note there is also a ‘Reports – SEQTA Engage’ tab on the FAMILIES page of the school website that links directly to the above link.

Please ensure you can log into your account so that you can receive your child's Semester 2 report.

If you are unable to locate your login information, please follow these steps:

• Click on the Forgot your password? link
• Enter your email address into the relevant box and click on Reset my password
• Go to your email box and reset your password according to the instructions in the email.
• The password reset email will expire after 1 hour of being generated.

Parents who are new to St Columba’s this semester or who have not previously been provisioned with a SEQTA Engage account will receive an email shortly inviting them to create one.

Please contact the front office if you have any issues logging into your SEQTA Engage account.

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.

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

Term 4: Monday 7 October - Friday 6 December