Dear St Columba’s Community,
Last week, our Year 6 students were thrilled to receive their Leaver’s Polo Shirts. The designs for these shirts were created by the students themselves late last year, with guidance from their Year 5 teachers, Matthew Hubbard and Amanda Xavier. All the designs were presented to the Year 5 teachers and me, and we faced a tough decision in choosing the final design. We ended up combining elements from three different group designs to create the finished product.
Each year, students choose symbols, signs, and artistic features that reflect their experiences and values. This year, it was clear that the students took great pride in their Factions, as most wanted their faction colours to be incorporated into the design. In previous years, gradients have been a popular choice, but this year, the students were very keen on bold, block colours.
You will notice that “2025” is displayed in Roman Numerals on the sleeve. This was a meaningful choice, symbolising the learning the students were engaged in at the time. Great to see them integrating their learning in a practical and meaningful way.
Lastly, the Mercy Cross, which is a symbol always chosen by the students, is featured on the back of the shirts. This year, having the cross alongside all the students’ names represents the idea that, no matter what challenges they face, Jesus always has our back.
A big congratulations to all the students, and to their previous teachers, for their collaborative effort in bringing these shirts to life.
A big thank you to the P&F for their generous contribution, which helped reduce the cost of the shirts for families. This is part of their ongoing support to give back to both the families and Year 6 students for their involvement and dedication throughout the years at our school.
Staffing
Mr Jacob O’Reilly has been absent on personal leave. Mr Matthew Hubbard has been the Relief Teacher for Mr O’Reilly’s classes, Technologies Specialist and Year 5W Teacher (on Fridays).
We look forward to Mr O’Reilly’s return shortly.
2025 Tuition Statements
All families should have received their 2025 Tuition Fee Statement via email.
Every family is required to complete and submit a new Payment Option form each year. Please complete this and return via email finance@stcolsbays.wa.edu.au or via the School Office. Payment options are due 17 February 2025.
Please note, without a payment plan in place, fees are due on 21 February 2025.
Families with existing direct debits, please email finance@stcolsbays.wa.edu.au to amend your direct debit payment amount to ensure that your tuition fees are paid in full by 20 November 2025.
If you have any queries regarding your fees or the payment schedule, please contact our Finance Officer, Janine on 9208 2712.
If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please make a time to discuss your circumstance with me.
Morning Supervision
A friendly reminder that supervision for students begins at 8.15 am.
We have heard from several families who need to drop their children off a bit earlier, and we want to make sure we’re meeting everyone’s needs. While we have always had the flexibility to drop off from 8.00 am, please remind your children that they should wait outside the library until the staff member in the bright orange vest arrives to begin supervision at 8.15 am.
We have noticed an increase in students moving around in various parts of the school before supervision starts, which can be a safety concern. So, we ask for your support in reminding your child to wait in the right area until the designated time. We really appreciate your help with this.
P&F Meeting – You are Invited!
We’d love for you to join us at our first Parents and Friends Meeting of the year, coming up on Tuesday, February 18th at 6.30 pm in the School Library. The P&F plays a key role in helping to build our school community, both through fundraising and creating connections among families. Whether you are new to the school or a long-time member, this is a fantastic way to get involved and contribute to the life of St Columba’s. We can’t wait to see you there!
Uniforms
Our uniform policy is designed to help all students feel a part of the St Columba’s community as soon as they arrive. It is part of making sure they have the best possible start to their school day. We know that students sometimes enjoy expressing their individuality, but we ask for your support in ensuring that non-uniform items (like extra jewellery or elaborate hairstyles) stay for special occasions, not school days. It is all about keeping our focus on learning and fostering a sense of belonging.
Starting next week, Mr Kehoe and our teachers will be checking uniforms, so please help us by making sure your child’s uniform is complete and correct. Thank you for your support!
Parking and Road Safety at Drop-Off and Pick-Up
We understand that the beginning of the school year can bring a little extra traffic around the school, and we appreciate your patience during these busy times. Our Kiss ‘n’ Drive zone is supervised before school from 8.15 am – 8.40 am and after school from 2.50 pm – 3.20 pm.
If you can, we encourage you to arrive around 3.10 pm as this can help ease the congestion.
If you display your family name on the dashboard, it makes it much easier for staff to ensure your child is ready and waiting when you arrive. We really appreciate everyone’s cooperation in making pick-up and drop-off as smooth and safe as possible.
Parent Teacher Information Evening
Our annual Parent Teacher Information Evening will take place tonight, starting at 6:00 pm. Each teacher will run their information session twice, giving you the opportunity to connect with more than one of your child’s teachers. Session 1 begins at 6:00 pm, and Session 2 will start shortly after at 6.35pm
All sessions will be held in the classroom. We look forward to seeing you there!
School Parent Handbook
Our Parent Handbook for Parents has now been updated and is available on the School Website for current and prospective families. It can be accessed by following the link below:
2026 St Columba’s Enrolments
We are now accepting enrolment applications for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten 2026. Siblings are still required to submit applications now as places are limited.
2027 Year 7 Chisholm College Enrolments
Enrolment applications are now due for year 7, 2027. Interviews will take place in Terms 1 & 2.
Here is the link to the Chisholm College Website – Enrolments:
Upcoming Events
- Wednesday 12 February: Parent Information Evening commencing in classrooms from 6.00pm.
- Tuesday 18 February: Pre Kindy & Kindy 2026 Enrolment Information Morning.
- Tuesday 18 February: P&F Meeting commencing at 6.30pm
Thank you all for your continued support as we start the school year together. We are looking forward to a wonderful term ahead.
In gratitude
Gina Burns
Principal
P & F News
Hi Families,
Agenda — Meeting #1 (18.02.025)
Please find attached the Agenda for the first P&F meeting of 2025 on Tuesday 18th February, 6:30pm in the School Library. We encourage all individuals within our community to be actively involved in the St Columba’s P&F, welcoming any new or old volunteers, parents or friends at monthly team meetings.
ST COLS P&F AGENDA_M1 18.02.25
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
- 12 February — Parent Information Evening
- 18 February —P&F Meeting #1 at 6:30pm, School Library
- March/April — Wine Drive Fundraiser
- 10 April — Swimming Carnival Sausage Sizzle Fundraiser
- 10 April — Free dress gold coin Fundraiser
Pastoral Care
Happy Birthday to:
The following students who will celebrate birthday’s in the coming week:
Greta Williams PPG
Ned Moore 1G
Nicholas Hofmann 2G
Harry Whelan 3G
Matilda Stahl 3W
Ezekiel Byrde 3W
Ayden Shabani 4G
Shaan Tah 5W
Kathleen Vaccari 6G
Pastoral Care is up and running again. As a group we support and assist families and individuals in our school community during both difficult times and more joyous occasions, such as the birth of a child.
The WEDNESDAY class raffles are starting up again today!
Three Chances to Win for $1
To participate we ask that each child bring in $1 which gives them 3 chances to win the weekly prize.
Rosters for the Weekly Prize
Term rosters are placed on the classroom door and printed in the weekly newsletter for you to check when your child/children are due to donate the prize (one prize donated per child a year) for their class. The idea is to provide a small gift (eg book, puzzle, pencils etc) to the approx. value of $5.
The child rostered to donate a prize is kindly asked to hand the prize to the class teacher before the morning of their roster.
Would you like to Volunteer with us?
We are always looking for Volunteers to join the Pastoral Care Team. If you can spare a little time on a Wednesday morning after drop off, you can find us in the Church meeting room just as you enter from the basketball court entrance. Come say Hi on the 12th and see what we are all about or please feel free to reach out to us at by leaving a message with Lisa or Kylie in Administration and one of our amazing volunteers will talk you through volunteering with us.
WEEKLY RAFFLE ROSTER
TERM 1
Week 3 – 19 February
Week 4 – 26 February
| Kindy Green | Week 3 – Hank Brindle Week 4 – Allegra Cameron |
| Kindy White | Week 3 – Zariah Byrde Week 4 – Levon Caruana |
| PP Green | Week 3 – Matilda Arfuso Week 4 – James Blake |
| PP White | Week 3 – Madison Aung Than Week 4 – George Capellini |
| Year 1 Green | Week 3 – Remington Bennett Week 4 – Theodore Billington |
| Year 1 White | Week 3 – Max Bateman Week 4 – Beatrix Beros |
| Year 2 Green | Week 3 – Paige Booth Week 4 – Juliette Cahill |
| Year 2 White | Week 3 – Ayla Bennett Week 4 – Jake Bouteloup |
| Year 3 Green | Week 3 – Charlie Bateman Week 4 – Aurora Cameron |
| Year 3 White | Week 3 – Elliott Bonnett Week 4 – Olive Caruana |
| Year 4 Green | Week 3 – Savannah Aung Than Week 4 – Alessandra Cahill |
| Year 4 White | Week 3 – Amelia Booth Week 4 – Tessa Cavalli |
| Year 5 Green | Week 3 – Luke Magee Week 4 – Jude Allison |
| Year 5 White | Week 3 – Sajad Aljabry Week 4 – Thomas Armstrong |
| Year 6 Green | Week 3 – Shishir Berigai Week 4 – Aaliyah Brandis |
| Year 6 White | Week 3 – Isla Bentley Week 4 – Alfie allison |
Religious Education and Curriculum News
Year 3’s working hard during their first week back at school.
School Counsellor News
Susan will be one of the guest speakers for the Neurodivergent Seminar coming up in May (Term 2). Here is her website address https://susanhughes.com.au/
Nicole Leach
School Counsellor