Dear Community of St Columba’s,
It has been a busy and positive week across the school, with students demonstrating strong engagement in both their learning and co-curricular opportunities. A highlight was the Sacrament of Reconciliation held last Friday evening. Congratulations to our students who made their First Reconciliation. This is a significant step in their faith journey, and we hope it was a meaningful and reflective experience for both the students and their families as they continue to deepen their understanding of God’s love, forgiveness and mercy.
Thank you to our Year 2 students, who have helped to enrich our understanding of Reconciliation, particularly as we mark National Reconciliation Week. Their learning and reflections remind us of the importance of truth-telling, respect and building strong relationships within our community. This week provides an opportunity for all of us to reflect on how we can contribute to a more just, inclusive and united future for all Australians.
This term, we have been using data gathered through our assessment schedule to strengthen reading fluency across the school. Developing fluency is key to building confident, capable readers. You can support your child at home by encouraging regular reading and engaging in conversations about what they are reading.
We continue to emphasise kindness and respectful behaviour, especially in the playground. Our two-minute warning signals to students that it is time to finish their play, acknowledge others for the games they have enjoyed together, and resolve any minor issues that may have arisen. It also provides an opportunity to attend to personal needs, such as using the bathroom and refilling water bottles, helping to ensure a calm and settled transition back into the classroom for learning.
Next week, we look forward to celebrating a very special milestone, 90 years of our school community, with a commemorative Mass alongside invited guests. Throughout the week, we will also acknowledge our rich heritage, celebrating the vision of the Sisters of Mercy and our patron saint, St Columba, whose values continue to guide us today.
Upcoming Events
- Thursday 28 May: School Cross Country
- Friday 29 May: Pupil Free Day
- Monday 1 June: WA Day Public Holiday
- Wednesday 3 June: St Columba’s 90 Anniversary Mass @ 9.00 am
- Thursday 4 June: Dress for a Decade (honouring 90 years at St Columba’s)
- Friday 5 June: Mercy Mission / St Columba’s Day
Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership; it is through our shared commitment that our community continues to thrive.
In gratitude
Gina Burns
Principal
Assistant Principal's Updates
CELEBRATING 90 YEARS
Next week we celebrate 90 years of Mercy education at St Columba’s School, Bayswater. Our celebration days are as follows –
Wednesday 3 June
Mass at 9am: Years 3 – 6 and special guests, families welcome
Thursday 4 June
Dress for the Decade + Cupcake Day
Students dressing as per their allocated year level and all students receiving a St Columba’s cupcake! (Yes – gluten free options available)
Friday 5 June
Mercy Mission Day
Stalls running between 10.50 – 12.20
P&F Sausage Sizzle
Friday Fun afternoon – classses/year levels will participate in fun games and activities, not regular class lessons.
Free Dress for a Gold coin donation.
UR STRONG – FREE PARENT MEMBERSHIP
URSTRONG’s whole-school friendship strategy has improved the social climate in schools around the world, connecting over a million kids, parents, and teachers with a common language of friendship. We are proud to be a URSTRONG School and are committed to empowering your children with friendship skills.
You are invited to take advantage of a FREE Parent Membership to access hundreds of resources – including an 8 session video series. This will allow you to learn the same language & strategies being taught in the classroom through the Friendology 101 curriculum. We hope that, as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.
As a next step, we would recommend:
- Click here to view an overview of URSTRONG.
- Activate your FREE Parent Membership and explore all the resources available to your family.
- Explore the hundreds of resources available to you!
We believe that empowering our students with these skills will create a culture of kindness at our school and we hope that, together, we can support your children to have healthy, feel-good friendships
Mrs Leesa Vinciullo
APRE and Inclusive Education Coordinator
P & F News
Mercy Mission Day Sausage Sizzle:
A reminder that sausage sizzle orders for Mercy Mission Day close this Thursday, 28 May. Don’t miss out on lunch for the day!
Thank you to those who have already put their hand up to volunteer.
🌭 Sausage Sizzle Orders (close 28 May):
https://www.cognitoforms.com/StColumbasPrimarySchool/_2026MercyMissionDayPFSausageSizzle or scan the QR code below by 9pm on Thursday 28 May.
St Columba’s 90th Anniversary Whole School Tea Towel Fundraiser
90th Celebrations:
As we continue celebrating 90 years of St Columba’s, there is so much happening across the school community, including the Mercy Mission stalls, Dress Through the Decades, anniversary celebrations. It’s shaping up to be a very special time for our students and families.
We’d also like to remind families that orders for our St Columba’s 90th Anniversary Tea Towel Fundraiser close on 7 June, with no late orders able to be accepted.
Each tea towel features self-portraits created by every student in the school, making it a beautiful keepsake of this milestone year and a wonderful gift for family and friends. Funds raised will support future P&F projects and initiatives within our school community.
🛍 Tea Towel Orders (close 7 June):
https://www.expressions.com.au/fundraising-schools/XKOvQF9z0I7NQfU5iSLn
Next P&F Meeting
Tuesday 16 June 2026
6:30pm – School Library
All parents and carers are warmly welcome to attend.
Thanks,
The P&F team x
Library News
The challenge runs from 23 March to 12 June 2026
Join the reading challenge for your chance to win!
Each week, students who log their reading will automatically go in the draw to win a prize. We have more than 200 weekly prizes, which include tech gadgets, book vouchers and e-gift cards.
The weekly prizes celebrate students’ efforts in the challenge and encourage them to continue to improve their literacy skills and enjoyment of reading. The weekly prizes are drawn at random from students who have logged their books.
Some of the 2026 weekly prizes include:
Book vouchers
Kmart vouchers
Cotton On vouchers
Yeti water bottles
Kobos
Australian Geographic vouchers
Rebel Sports vouchers
Ultimate Teen and Kid vouchers
To be in the draw to win weekly prizes:
1. read a book
2. log a book each week
3. go in the draw to win!
It is that easy, and with 12 weeks of the challenge there are plenty of chances to win.
Click the link below to register:
https://www.premiersreadingchallenge.wa.edu.au/
Rita Cuthbert – Library
(Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday)
Pastoral Care
Happy Birthday to:
The following students who will celebrate birthday’s in the coming week.
Rumi Duff PPG
Jack Payne PPW
Isabelle Glare 1G
Luca Lo Surdo 1W
Ciara Carruthers 4G
Celeste Mulherin 4W
Otis Knox 4W
Lily Vernon 5G
Simeon Alugbin 6W
WEEKLY RAFFLE ROSTER
TERM 2
Week 7 – 3 June
Week 8 – 10 June
| Kindy Green | Week 7 – Luca Epps Week 8 – Will Franich |
| Kindy White | Week 7 – Georgia Fisher Week 8 – Ruby Hetherton |
| PP Green | Week 7 – Banksia Graham Week 8 – Ezra Halls |
| PP White | Week 7 – Charlotte Hawke Week 8 – Giorgia Holmes |
| Year 1 Green | Week 7 – Angus Fort Week 8 – Jack Franich |
| Year 1 White | Week 7 – William Giblett Week 8 – Kailesh Jeganathan |
| Year 2 Green | Week 7 – Ethan Harris Week 8 – Liam Chipperfield |
| Year 2 White | Week 7 – Abigail Lumsden Week 8 – Evelyn Halls |
| Year 3 Green | Week 7 – Odin Dupont Week 8 – Indianna Gray |
| Year 3 White | Week 7 – Oliver Hawke Week 8 – Bodhi Chipperfield |
| Year 4 Green | Week 7 – Jax Fermanis Week 8 – Hudson Fernandez |
| Year 4 White | Week 7 – Oscar Harris Week 8 – Bodhi Laffrey |
| Year 5 Green | Week 7 – Brooklyn Hamilton Week 8 – Harrison Macpherson |
| Year 5 White | Week 7 – Elliott Lumsden Week 8 – Megan Hutton |
| Year 6 Green | Week 7 – Senumitha Ratanayake Week 8 – Davern laffrey |
| Year 6 White | Week 7 – Eve Hamilton Week 8 – Rosabelle Juma |
Award Winners
MERIT CERTIFICATES – Term 2, Week 6
Congratulations to all the recipients of this week’s Merit Certifcates:
PP Green – Ezra Halls, Rosie Moore, Logan Salt, Meabh Stafford
PP White – Xavier Bosley, Austin Kent, Evelyn Pearson, Louis Vu, Sophia Ward
1 Green – Luke Coniglio, Milly Easton, Eliyah Kaler, Ivaan Kaushal
1 White – Lilly Fannin, William Giblett, Addison Kain, Hamish Linke
2 Green – Max Bateman, Beatrix Beros, Aletheia Charles
2 White – Remington Bennett, Evelyn Halls, Zahlia Phillips, Ava Sanders, Jayden Win
3 Green – Indi Gray, Vy Hoang, Edie Parks,
3 White – Aldred Eden, Maxeen Li, Francis Masek
4 Green – Ella Aldworth, Elliott Bonnett, Hudson Fernandez, Hazel Scarvaci
4 White – Charlie Bateman, Hugo Garrett, Pearse McIntyre, Celeste Mulherin
5 Green – Isaiah Chong, Brooky Hamilton, Jude Stubbs, Lily Vernon
5 White – Marcus Chong, Jack Michael, Oaklyn Payne, Amelia Pierre
6 Green – Huw Humphries, Maya Katich, Wyatt Palmer, Cherubim Vu
6 White – Connor Campbell, Isabella Goh, Cohen Lee, Sera McDougall
Community Notices
