Dear Community of St Columba’s,
This week, I would like to take a moment to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all our Year 6 students who are generously volunteering their time to referee soccer and basketball games for our Year 3 and Year 4 students. Your willingness to step up and offer your time not only provides valuable service but also fosters meaningful friendships with our younger students. Through your actions, you are embodying our MERCY values in the most powerful way—showing kindness, respect, and leadership while having fun at play. Your efforts are truly appreciated!
This Friday also marks National Ride to School Day, and I strongly encourage all those who are able to join the Bike Bus on this exciting day. The ride will conclude at the Bayswater PS Oval, where there will be a slow bike race across the oval. What is this you may ask? The slowest rider, without putting their foot on the ground, will win. Mr Banks and I will be there, cheering on all our students, and we are sure it is going to be a lot of fun. It is a wonderful opportunity to promote healthy habits and enjoy a bit of friendly competition.
In another exciting milestone for St Columba’s School, next week we will hold our first Junior School Liturgy for our Pre-Primary to Year 2 students in the Church. Led by Fr Andrew and our Year 2 students, this liturgy will be tailored to engage our youngest learners, helping them to form a meaningful connection with the Church. The liturgy will take place at 10:45 am, and we warmly invite all parents to attend and share in this special occasion with us.
Next Friday 28 March will be a Pupil Free Day for the School. Outside of School Hours Care will also be closed to allow our OSHC Staff time for their own professional learning. Staff at St Columba’s will be engaged in Professional Development on the CEWA Aboriginal Education Improvement Map (AEIM). This is a framework for schools to enhance their Aboriginal education practices by focusing on cultural competence, inclusive teaching practices, and engagement with Aboriginal families and communities. The AEIM is required by all CEWA Schools and is designed to guide educators, school leaders, and support staff in creating a culturally responsive and inclusive learning environment.
It is shaping up to be a week full of joy, connection, and meaningful experiences. Let’s make the most of it!
Upcoming Events:
- Friday 21 March: Harmony Day
- Friday 21 March: Ride to School Day
- Tuesday 25 March: PP – Year 2 Liturgy
- Wednesday 26 March: Final day uniforms will be available for purchase onsite.
- Friday 28 March: Pupil Free Day for School. OSHC is closed.
- Saturday 30 March: Community Baptism Event
Uniform shop opening days:
March 26th WEEK 8 – from 2.30pm – 3.15pm.
In gratitude,
Gina Burns
Principal
Assistant Principal Updates
NEURODIVERSITY WEEK
Many parents at St Columba’s have experienced neurodiversity in their lives. Parents have found to feel isolated and unsure where to turn for advice. Our School Counsellor, Nicole Leach and Mia Lowry (St Columba’s Parent) have joined together to create a Parent Support Group for Neurodiverse Children.
Why We’re Creating a Parent Support Group for Neurodiverse Children
Parenting a neurodiverse child is a unique journey—one filled with joys, challenges, and moments that can feel both rewarding and overwhelming. Many parents find themselves searching for guidance, connection, and a sense of community. That’s why we are setting up this support group.
Our goal is to create a safe, understanding space where parents and caregivers can:
✅ Share experiences, challenges, and successes
✅ Gain insights and practical strategies for supporting their children
✅ Connect with others who truly understand the journey
✅ Access resources, expert advice, and advocacy support
By coming together, we can empower each other, celebrate our children’s strengths, and navigate the challenges with greater confidence. Whether your child has autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or other neurodivergent traits, this group is here to support you.
You are not alone. Let’s build a strong, supportive community together!
Please join our Facebook page, you will find us under ‘St Columba’s Neurodivergence Support Group’.
In Term 2, a Neurodivergence Seminar will be held at the Bayswater Tennis Club on Wednesday 14 May @ 6.30pm. More information will be sent out closer to the date. Please keep the date free.
PERSONAL VALUABLES
A reminder to parents that students should not be bringing toys, valuables, money, etc to school. This applies to Minecraft Cubies as they are being misplaced and are leaving rubbish around the school and outside the church and at Kiss and Drive. If your child has a personal news item they can please leave it on the teachers desk for the day.
Leesa Vinciullo
Assistant Principal Religious Education
P & F News
Hi Families,
Current Fundraising
Easter Wine Drive (Please see form attached to this newsletter)
Support Our School with Hay Shed Hill Wines! We’re thrilled to continue our successful partnership with Hay Shed Hill Wines, a 5-star winery from Margaret River! For every dozen sold, they’ll donate $30 to our P&F, directly benefiting our school! Every bottle counts toward funding classroom resources, library books, playground equipment, and much more!
- Purchase by 28 March: Enjoy delicious wines while supporting our school! Place your order via the attached form.
- Share the Love: Tell your family and friends! More sales = more funds raised!
- Collect on 4 April: From the School
Swimming Carnival Sausage Sizzle Fundraiser
Swimming is hungry work – and what a better way to fill the kids up than to pre-order your sausage sizzle for the Year 4-6 Swimming Carnival on 10th April. Head to the link to place your family order now: cognitoforms.com NOTE: Orders must be submitted and paid for by 9pm Friday 4th of April. Late orders will not be taken. Volunteer your prepping skills, cook a few snags or help pack down — sign up now to support this special sports day for the kids: https://volunteersignup.org/AXAHQ
Reminders
THE ATHLETE’S FOOT Morley Galleria — School Rewards Program
With $5 from every pair of shoes purchased being donated back to our School, This applies to the whole family across their fantastic range of school, sports, work and casual shoes. Make sure you mention St Col’s!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
- Open NOW — Wine Drive Fundraiser
- 10thApril — Swimming Carnival Sausage Sizzle Fundraiser
- 10thApril — Free dress gold coin Fundraiser (PK to Year 3)
Pastoral Care
Happy Birthday to:
The following students who will celebrate birthday’s in the coming week:
Isla Rintoul KW
Ivaan Kaushal PPW
Norah Cregan Y2G
Zoe Chin Y2G
Tom Ross Y5G
Imogen Halls Y5W
Henry Garrett Y6G
Jack Wilson Y6G
Hunter Sardelich Y6W
EASTER RAFFLE
With Easter around the corner, the Pastoral Care team will be holding their annual Easter Raffle. Tickets will go on sale from Week 9, Thursday 3 April until Week 10, Wednesday 9 April, before school outside the library. Winners will be drawn and prizes delivered to winning families on Week 10, Wednesday 9 April. Tickets are 50c each or three for $1. Cash only please. Donations towards prizes are greatly appreciated and can be dropped to the basket in the library or to the front office from today. As always thank you for your support of the Pastoral Care Team.
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 and see what we are all about or please feel free to reach out to us 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 8 – 26 Mar
Week 9 – 2 Apr
| Kindy Green | Week 8 – Teddy Field Week 9 – Ezra Halls |
| Kindy White | Week 8 – Izak De Vries Week 9 – Rumi Duff |
| PP Green | Week 8 – Hugo Di Giallonardo Week 9 – Amelia Easton |
| PP White | Week 8 – Jack Franich Week 9 – William Giblett |
| Year 1 Green | Week 8 – Elena Di Giallonardo Week 9 – Alexander de Courcier |
| Year 1 White | Week 8 – Lyla Bradley Week 9 – Aletheia Charles |
| Year 2 Green | Week 8 – Annabel Paulus Week 9 – Alessia Cullura |
| Year 2 White | Week 8 – Maxeen Li Week 9 – Leo Duff |
| Year 3 Green | Week 8 – Hudson Fernandez Week 9 – Faye Gallagher |
| Year 3 White | Week 8 – Riley Goulding Week 9 – Felix Halls |
| Year 4 Green | Week 8 – Mia Paulus Week 9 – Charlotte de Courcier |
| Year 4 White | Week 8 – Parker Connell Week 9 – Xander De Souza |
| Year 5 Green | Week 8 – Teodor Dimitrijevic Week 9 – Ava Gallagher |
| Year 5 White | Week 8 – Rosie Juma Week 9 – Imogen Halls |
| Year 6 Green | Week 8 – Zozie Higgs Week 9 – Christian Cullura |
| Year 6 White | Week 8 – Charlotte Eaglesham Week 9 – Lachlan Eaton |
Religious Education and Curriculum News
From our Year 3 Classes:
In Religious Education the Year Three classes have started to learn about Lent and Easter. We are exploring how people relate to, and connect with others. We brainstormed the qualities of a good friend and then created a wanted poster for a good friend, including some of these qualities. I don’t know whether you wanted the individual photos, or just a group. So you can choose.
From our Year 2 classes:
In Year 2 Green, we’ve been diving into the wonderful world of portraits during Visual Arts! A portrait is a special kind of artwork that captures a person — often showing their face and personality. For our first masterpiece, we took on the delightfully horrendous Mr Twit from Roald Dahl’s book Mr Twit. Inspired by Quentin Blake’s playful illustrations, the students let their creativity run wild, putting their own fun and imaginative twists on this unforgettable, hairy and rather horrid character. Each portrait is bursting with personality — just like Mr Twit himself!
School Counsellor News
Dear Community
The Government currently has a School Student Broadband Initiative providing up to 30,000 qualifying families with school aged children, free access to NBN until June 2028.
Just thought it might be a good idea to share this information in our next Newsletter for families who are struggling to afford the internet at home.
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/internet/national-broadband-network/school-student-broadband-initiative-ssbi
Nicole Leach
School Counsellor