Dear Community of St Columba’s,
Welcome Back to School Picnic
Thank you to the many families who joined us for our Welcome Back to School Picnic, made extra special this year as we celebrate our 90th Anniversary. It was wonderful to see our community come together in such a relaxed and joyful environment, reconnecting after the holidays, sharing stories, and welcoming our new families into the St Columba’s community.
A special thank you to our 2025 P&F for generously supporting this event so families could attend at no cost (apart from a treat or two from Lady Bee!). We also extend our gratitude to our Subcommittee Coordinators -Annie, Marina and Bec, for their work behind the scenes to ensure the day ran smoothly.
Parent Information Evening
Thank you to all parents who attended Tuesday’s Parent Information Evening. We appreciated the opportunity to share key messages from our leadership team, connect with families, and provide an overview of the year ahead.
This Friday, all classes will receive their Term Overviews, giving parents a clear picture of the learning planned for the term.
This year, our process will look slightly different. On 16 March, we will hold Interim Meetings, where teachers will share recent assessments completed as part of our School Assessment Schedule. These meetings and the sharing of recent assessments completed as part of our Assessment Schedule will replace the general interim report. Families will continue to receive regular updates through SEESAW, followed by our usual midyear and end-of-year reports. All our Individual Education Plan (IEP) procedures, remain the same.
Parent Handbook / CEWA and School Policies
Our Parent Handbook for 2026 has been updated and is on our Website. I encourage you to refer to our Parent Handbook on our website for key procedures including:
- Dropoff and pickup
- Behaviour management
- Attendance expectations
- Uniform guidelines
You can also find CEWA and school-based policies online.
Closing the Gate at the Almondbury Way Entrance
Kiss and Drive Duty in the morning concludes at 8.30 am. Whilst the gate remains unlocked for parents to exit the school until 9.00 am, there have been times the gate has been left unlocked. This is a particular safety concern to us as no staff are in this area to actively supervise either children or other members of the community arriving or leaving. Please ensure this gate closes after you.
Condolences
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Blake family on the passing of their father and grandfather, Tim Somers, during the school holidays. Tim was a valued member of our Pastoral Care Team and generously offered his support to our community in many ways.
May the Lord grant him eternal rest, and may perpetual light shine upon him.
Upcoming Events
- Tuesday 17 February: Pancake Tuesday
- Wednesday 18 February: Ash Wednesday Mass for Years 3-6 @9.00 am
- Tuesday 24 February: Pre Kindy & Kindy 2027 Enrolment Information Morning.
DATES now confirmed and added onto the Online Parent Calendar:
- School Cross Country (Years 1-6): Thursday 28 May
- School Athletics Carnival (Years 1-6): Tuesday 15 September
Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead as we continue to settle into the new school year. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership.
In gratitude
Gina Burns
Principal
Late to School
Students who arrive at school after the commencement of the school day, 8.50am (Kindergarten), 8.30am (PP – Year 6) must be signed in by a parent at the front office on the iPad and collect a pass. The pass must be presented to the class teacher as the student enters the classroom. The school assumes duty of care for that student from the time recorded on the iPad. Children in Pre-Primary and Kindergarten classes who arrive late for school are to be taken to the classroom by their accompanying adult after signing in at the office.
Mobile Phones / Smart Watches
St Columba’s School aims to foster a safe, respectful, and focused learning environment by limiting the use of mobile phones and smart watches during the school day. This supports student engagement, wellbeing, and safety.
Mobile phones or smart watches are not to be brought to school by students unless permission is given by one of the Assistant Principals. We understand mobile phones may be requested to be at school due to students commuting to and from school on bikes, walking or via public transport. Permission will be granted in this situation, and devices are required to be switched off and handed to the class teacher or kept in the child’s school bag at their own risk.
Assistant Principal's Updates
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION COORDINATOR
A reminder that I coordinate all things to do with Inclusive Education at St Columba’s. Inclusive Education includes any SWD, NCCD, GATE etc requirements. Any diagnoses, testing etc needs to be forwarded to me so that necessary adjustments can be made and documentation completed. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me at Leesa.Vinciullo@cewa.edu.au
IEP Meetings
Parent meetings for those students who are currently on an IEP will commence tomorrow.
Thank you to those parents who attended the IEP meeting after the Parent Information Sessions on Tuesday night. A reminder that you are welcome to contact me at any stage with any questions you may have.
Service Providers / Therapists
A reminder that the school needs to be aware of all therapies taking place in school hours (both on-site and off). Requests for on-site therapists must come through me – and those occurring off-site but during school hours, need to be approved by the principal. Again, any questions or concerns about this, please contact me.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Sacramental Program
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Sacramental Program here at St Columba’s, please contact me so I can provide you with the appropriate information.
ASH WEDNESDAY – Students in Years 3 – 6 will attend Ash Wednesday Mass from 9am on Wednesday 18 February. Students in the other year levels will have a member of leadership visit their classroom to distribute the ashes.
With thanks and best wishes.
BOOK CLUB
Dear Parents,
The best gift any parent can give a child is the love of books and the joy and benefits of independent reading for fun. Children who read at home, or are read to, have a head start on reading success in school.
Our class is participating in Scholastic Book Club this year. Up to twice a term, during the school year, I will send home a Club catalogue with a different selection of books offered for all ages.
You’ll find award-winning books and bestsellers, as well as old and new favourites. I recommend them because the books span a wide range of children’s reading levels and interests and because they are inexpensive (some books cost as little as $3).
It is easy to order. The Book Club LOOP platform for parents allows you to pay by credit card. Your child’s order is submitted directly to school safe and sound and the books will be delivered to class. You can place your child’s order at scholastic.com.au/LOOP or using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
Owning your own books is something special! I hope that you will encourage your child to order books this year. Each order helps earn free books and teaching materials for our classroom, however there is never any obligation to order. I know of no better way to encourage reading than to allow children to choose the books they want to read.
Please see Book Club Flyers attached to this newsletter for how to order.
Mrs Leesa Vinciullo
Assistant Principal
P & F News
Picnic on the Grass
What a wonderful Friday we had! The atmosphere was so chilled, with great chilled vibes . It was lovely seeing the children having so much fun, kicking the ball, playing cricket, Outdoor games, enjoying the playground, singing happy birthday with you Mrs Burns ( a moment that was really special), and just being together while we shared cake. It was wonderful to see parents that were happily chatting away all while music was being played in the background, and the whole afternoon felt relaxed.
Thank you to all the families that join us at this event.
We are Seeking New Members for our P&F Group & Catholic School Advisory Council
If you would like to nominate for a role on the Parents and Friends Association. Our P&F is vital for allowing our community to engage in both fundraising and friendraising events. Please contact the office to speak with the Principal if you would like further information. (Nomination form attached to this newsletter).
Also One Position remains vacant on the Catholic School Advisory Council (CSAC). The CSAC’s role is to advise and support the Principal in the effective governance and future direction of the school. Please contact the office to speak with the Principal if you would like further information.(Nomination form attached to this newsletter).
Second Hand Uniforms Facebook Group
A new private facebook group has been setup exclusively to buying, selling and swapping second-hand school uniforms online. Please note, this group is separate from the main school community group and is purely for uniform-related posts. Search ‘St Columba’s Bayswater | Second Hand Uniforms’ and join now heading into uniform-selling-season!
Pastoral Care
Happy Birthday to:
The following students who will celebrate birthday’s in the coming week.
Remi Andrus KG
Nylah Ta KW
Greta Williams 1W
Margot Juniper 2G
Ned Moore 2W
Nicholas Hofmann 3G
Harry Whelan 4G
Matilda Stahl 4W
Ezekiel Byrde 4W
Ayden Shabani 5G
Shaan Tah 6G
Pastoral Care Wednesday Raffle – Starting Week 5
We are pleased to share that our Pastoral Care Wednesday Raffle will begin in Week 5 of Term 1 – Wednesday 4 March. The weekly class raffle is a simple but meaningful way to support the wellbeing of our students, families, and wider school community.
Funds raised through the raffle allow our Pastoral Care team to offer assistance during times of need and to celebrate special moments within our community. Your support through providing a weekly prize when rostered and purchasing tickets on a Wednesday directly contributes to the care we provide for your children and the families around them.
Raffle is $1 for 3 chances to win.
Pastoral Care is also seeking parent volunteers to help on Wednesday mornings. If you are able to spare 30 to 45 mins after drop-off, we would love to welcome you. It’s a great way to meet other parents and be part of a supportive school initiative.
You can find us in the Church meeting room just following the open doors to the church from the basketball court. Come say hi from Week 5.
Thank you for your ongoing generosity and community spirit.
We cannot do what we do without you!
St Columba’s Pastoral Care Team
Class News
Commissioning Mass
Community Notices
HEALTH NURSE TIPS AND INFORMATION
- Immunisation information for parents
Immunisation helps to protect your children and the community from serious infectious diseases.
Children can receive free immunisations at GP clinics, local immunisation clinics, Aboriginal community health services or the Central Immunisation Clinic. Each immunisation is recorded in the Australian Immunisation Register. You can obtain your child’s immunisation history statement through your online Medicare account via myGov, the Medicare Express Plus app, at a Medicare Service Centre, by calling on 1800 653 809, or contacting their immunisation provider. This record is needed for school enrolment.
Please ensure your school-aged child is fully immunised. An up-to-date immunisation status is required to be eligible for family assistance payments and kindergarten enrolment.
For more details, read through Immunisation in childhood and Immunisation for teenagers provided by Raising Children Network.
If your child misses immunisations, or you have concerns, please talk with the General Practitioner or Paediatrician.
- Colour blindness
It’s good to know if a child is colour blind, as they may struggle in school with activities that use colours, such as drawing and sorting blocks.
Colour blindness might become obvious after the age of 4 years and is more common among boys. Children who are colour-blind can see as clearly as other children but cannot tell the difference between some colours or see colours differently from other children. This usually happens with reds and greens, and sometimes with blues and yellows.
If your child is colour blind, it’s good to inform their teacher about the condition. This will allow the teacher to choose activities that don’t involve spotting colour differences.
For further details, please see Raising Children Network.
If you have any concerns, colour vision testing can be performed by some General Practitioners (GP), eye specialists or optometrists.
