Dear St Columba’s Community,
Mr Hubbard and his Year 5 Students this morning enriched Staff Prayer as each of them posted some Lenten challenges for us. Some of the suggestions included giving more compliments, telling 3 jokes a day, donations to charity or, my favourite, giving up coffee or chocolate.
It’s during the time that we go without, give up our time or be hungry that we can experience the suffering of others and this encourages us to be more for those in need. Thank you to Mr Hubbard and his Year 5 students.
Parents and Friends Association
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the parents who were able to attend our Parents and Friends Association Information Meeting last night. Your presence and engagement are greatly appreciated as we work together to strengthen our school community.
At last year’s Annual Community Meeting (ACM), we faced challenges in filling all the P&F positions. However, I am pleased to announce that we have successfully filled the executive roles for 2024, thanks to the dedication and commitment of the following parents:
Co-Chairperson: Davina Goh and Nikki Stavely
Co-Vice Chairperson: Bea Humphreys and Skye Zachar
Co-Secretary: Courtney Eden and Sarah Sorgiovanni
Leston De Mello will continue in the role as Treasurer after his nomination and acceptance at the 2023 ACM.
Our newly formed P&F Team is enthusiastic and ready to make a positive impact. We have exciting plans ahead, and your continued support is vital to our success.
Please stay tuned for information about the upcoming Sausage Sizzle for the Swimming Carnival, which will be held for Years 4-6 on Wednesday 27 March. We would greatly appreciate as many helpers as possible to assist in feeding our students on this day. If you are available to lend a hand, please contact the front office and leave your name at 9208 2700.
Once again, thank you for your ongoing support and involvement.
NAPLAN
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an assessment conducted annually in Australian schools. It provides valuable insights into the literacy and numeracy skills of students across the country.
The results of the assessment help us identify areas of strength and areas for improvement, both at an individual level and within our school community.
It’s important to note that while NAPLAN provides valuable data, it is just one measure of a student’s abilities, and it does not encompass the full range of skills and talents that our students possess. Therefore, it’s essential to approach NAPLAN with a balanced perspective, emphasising the importance of doing one’s best while also maintaining a positive attitude towards learning and growth.
The assessment schedule is as below for both Year 3 and Year 5 Students:
Wednesday 13 March: Writing
Thursday 14 March: Reading Comprehension
Friday 15 March: Conventions of Language
Monday 18 March: Numeracy
Thursday 21 March: Catch up testing
Leading up to NAPLAN, students will have an opportunity to complete a practice test to familiarise themselves with the layout of the assessment and time constraints.
Here are a few tips to support your child in preparing for the NAPLAN assessment:
- Encourage regular attendance at school and punctuality.
- Ensure your child gets plenty of rest each night before school.
- Provide a nutritious breakfast.
- Students complete assessments everyday as part of the class and school procedures. Please encourage your child to approach this assessment with a positive mindset, focusing on their abilities and efforts rather than feeling pressured by the test.
Upcoming Events
Best of luck to Year 5 and 6 Students selected to participate in the 5/6 Girls’ Dockers Cup (Thursday 29 February) and 5/6 Boys’ Dockers Cup (Thursday 7 March).
In gratitude,
Gina Burns
Principal
Library News
The library is open every morning before school:
PreKindy & Kindy : 8:15am – 8:45am
(accompanied by Parent/Carers)
The library is open every morning before school:
PreKindy & Kindy : 8:15am – 8:45am
(accompanied by Parent/Carers)
The library is a calming and quiet place, making it the perfect spot for students to have a smooth and calming transition in the morning.
Students may also like to return and borrow books before school.
Looking forward to seeing you the library.
Homework/Library Bag
Just a reminder that students require the school green
‘Homework and Library Bag’ in order to borrow from the Library.
Many students will already have the green school
‘’Homework and Library Bag’ from previous years.
‘Homework and Library Bags’ can be purchased
from the Uniform Shop.
Rita Cuthbert – Library Officer – Library - the original search engine
Pastoral Care
Happy Birthday to:
To the following students who will be celebrating this coming week:
Kai Loong PPW
Ella Aldworth 2G
Samuel Kootje 2W
Tristan Goh 3G
Jude Allison 4G
Xavier Balm 4W
Luca Scagnetti 5G
PASTORAL CARE RAFFLE
Tickets are 3 for $1 (maximum of 3 tickets per child).
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.
Thank you greatly from the Pastoral Care Team!
WEEKLY RAFFLE ROSTER
TERM 1
Week 5 – 28 February
Week 6 – 6 March
| Kindy Green | Week 5 – James Blake Week 6 – Indigo Chin |
| Kindy White | Week 5 – Mercy Alugbin Week 6 – Luke Coniglio |
| PP Green | Week 5 – Harper Bradley Week 6 – Lyla Bradley |
| PP White | Week 5 – Remington Bennett Week 6 – Theodore Billington |
| Year 1 Green | Week 5 – Darcy Blake Week 6 – Asher Borich |
| Year 1 White | Week 5 – Paige Booth Week 6 – Zoe Chin |
| Year 2 Green | Week 5 – Ciara Carruthers Week 6 – Elliott Bonnett |
| Year 2 White | Week 5 – Ava-Marie Bova Week 6 – Olive Caruana |
| Year 3 Green | Week 5 – Mathea Co Week 6 – Tessa Cavalli |
| Year 3 White | Week 5 – Amelia Booth Week 6 – Ethan Borich |
| Year 4 Green | Week 5 – Simeon Alugbin Week 6 – Tom Armstrong |
| Year 4 White | Week 5 – Raghav Bhutani Week 6 – Leo Cameron |
| Year 5 Green | Week 5 – Isla Bentley Week 6 – Elliot Dorozenko |
| Year 5 White | Week 5 – Zoe Algubin Week 6 – Miranda Ahn |
| Year 6 Green | Week 5 – Harry Blake Week 6 – Edmond Cavalli |
| Year 6 White | Week 5 – Braelyn Carruthers Week 6 – William Armstrong |
Religious Education and Curriculum News
FROM OUR PRE-PRIMARY CLASSES:
Ash Wednesday
In Religious Education, the Pre-Primaries are preparing for Easter. The children learned that Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of our “getting ready” for this special time. We discussed the cross being a symbol of Easter and it reminds us of Jesus’ love for us. The children made their own cross and were reverent when receiving their ashes on Ash Wednesday.
Community Notices
2024 SACRAMENTS
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
In 2024, Father Andrew and I are keen to assist those families wanting to receive Sacraments here at St Columba’s. For any of the examples below, or if you would just like to ask a question about the Sacraments, please contact me at Leesa.Vinciullo@cewa.edu.au
BAPTISM – In 2023, we were thrilled to facilitate over 20 Baptisms of St Columba’s students and their siblings at the St Columba’s Parish. During Term 1, 2024, there will be another opportunity for those families wishing to have a child, or children, Baptised into the Catholic faith to do so. We have set a tentative date of Sunday 17 March, but will confirm this based on the expressions of interest we receive.
RECONCILIATION / FIRST COMMUNION – If for some reason your child, or children, did not make their Reconciliation or First Communion with the rest of their class, and now wishes to do so, can you please make us aware of this as soon as possible so that we can include them in our preparations for this year.
ADULT SACRAMENTS – If you have teenage children who have not made their Sacraments, or if parents and other family members are interested in becoming members of the Catholic family, we are also keen to hear from you. With some preparation, adults can undertake a special service where they receive all three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation) at once.
Father Andrew and I are looking forward to hearing from you and assisting you and your family on your faith journey.
Leesa Vinciullo
Assistant Principal
__
A warm invitation is extended to our school community to attend the upcoming Open Day for Mercedes College.
The event is tailored for families who may be considering a Catholic secondary education for their daughters.
Event Details
Date: Tuesday 12 March
Sessions: 8:30am – 10:30am or
11:00am – 1:00pm
What to Expect
During the Open Day, families will have the opportunity to:
Explore our facilities though guided tours
Meet our dedicated staff
Engage with our talented students
Gain valuable insights into our academic programs and co-curricular activities.
Registration
Families are encouraged to register their attendance as soon as possible, using this link on our website: https://www.mercedes.wa.edu.au/enrolments/open-day/
If you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact our Marketing team on marketing@mercedes.wa.edu.au
Classifieds
School Counsellor News
Nicole Leach
School Counsellor