Principal's Post

Dear Community of St Columba’s,

Holy Week 

A group of Year 6 students, along with staff, have generously been giving their own time during lunch breaks to prepare for leading the Stations of the Cross at St Columba’s Parish this coming Friday at 7.00 pm. Their preparation is especially meaningful as this weekend marks the beginning of Holy Week, which starts with Palm Sunday. 

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ joyful entry into Jerusalem, when crowds welcomed him by waving palm branches and praising him as king. It reminds us of both the celebration and the journey of faith that leads us through Holy Week to Easter. 

The students will also lead the Stations of the Cross for the school community on Holy Thursday next week at 1.45 pm, for students in Years 2–6, in the Church. 

Parents are most welcome to attend either or both of these prayer opportunities. We thank the students and staff for their commitment, generosity, and reverence as we journey together through this sacred time.

Project Compassion in 2G 

In 2G, we have been learning about Project Compassion and discussing how the money raised can help people in need. Through our conversations, students reflected on their own lives and recognised how fortunate we are to live in Australia with families who provide for us, knowing that this is not the case for everyone. 

We talked about Lent and why Project Compassion boxes are shared during this time, learning that Lent is a period when people give up things or choose to do kind acts for others. Many people support this by donating money to help those in need, and this message truly resonated with the students. 

Following our class discussions, several students took it upon themselves to show incredible generosity. Margot joyfully donated money she received from the tooth fairy and later raised additional funds by collecting cans for cash. Milly and Marie organised a stall at home selling slushies and lolly bags, proudly donating $106 to Project Compassion. Liam also quietly showed kindness by donating $8 of his own pocket money. 

I am extremely proud of the compassion, initiative, and thoughtfulness shown by the students of 2G. Their actions truly reflect the spirit of Lent and our shared commitment to helping others. 

Families are encouraged to continue contributing to Project Compassion where possible and to please return all Project Compassion boxes by Wednesday, 2 April. Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a meaningful difference.

NAPLAN 2026  

Students in Years 3 and 5 approached the 2026 NAPLAN assessments with confidence and focus, demonstrating strong engagement and a positive attitude toward the testing process. Teachers supported the implementation effectively through thorough preparation, calm supervision, and consistent adherence to NAPLAN procedures, ensuring a smooth and well managed experience for all involved. 

Swimming Carnival 

Congratulations to Team Pascal, who were the overall winners of the 2026 Swimming Carnival. Well done also to Columbanus, recipients of the Spirit Shield. This was a particularly difficult decision, as students from all teams were consistently seen and heard encouraging and supporting one another throughout the day. 

Congratulations also to all individual event winners and to the students selected to progress to the Interschool Swimming Carnival. We wish them all the very best as they represent our school early next term. 

Although the weather was warm once again, it was a wonderful day filled with enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and school spirit. A sincere thank you to the parents who assisted with timing events and distributing lunch orders, and to all families who were able to attend. We greatly appreciate your flexibility and understanding with the change of date.

2026 Ride to School Day 

Thank you to parents Brad and Kate for their outstanding efforts in promoting St Columba’s participation in the 2026 Annual Ride to School Day. Once again, there was strong involvement, with many students enjoying the activities hosted at Bayswater Primary School. 

I would also like to acknowledge the significant behind the scenes work undertaken by Brad and Kate in securing grants to support this initiative. Their efforts were clearly reflected in the wonderful prizes awarded to students and the fresh fruit provided for all participants on the day. 

Thank you, Brad and Kate, for your dedication and commitment to encouraging healthy, active lifestyles within our school community.

Harmony Day and Neurodiversity Day 

Thank you to all who were able to show their support for Harmony Day and Neurodiversity Day last Friday by wearing orange or yellow accessories with the school uniform. It was also wonderful to see some beautiful traditional dress worn throughout the school. 

These days are important opportunities to build empathy and understanding for one another, helping to grow the care, courage, and strong sense of community that we strive to nurture at St Columba’s.

Winter Uniform

A reminder that students will wear the Winter Uniform during Terms 2 and 3. Students are permitted to wear the Summer Uniform for the first two weeks of Term 2 as a transition period.

Our school uniform policy can be found on the school website. Orders can be placed online through jfe-Uniform Concepts. All on-line orders are delivered to the school each Wednesday for distribution to students.

Sample sizes are available at the school office on a Wednesday afternoon from 2.30pm to 3.15pm.

Chisholm Catholic College – 2028 Enrolments 

A reminder that enrolment applications for students currently in Year 5 have closed, however please contact Chisholm College if you have not yet submitted an application.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Annette Pratt, Education Assistant from PPG on the recent arrival of her first grandchild! Wishing you and your family every joy during this special time.

Upcoming Events   

• Friday 27 March 7.00 pm: Stations of the Cross led by Year 6 students 

• Monday 30 March: Lockdown Drill 

• Tuesday 31 March: Year 3 Assembly 

• Tuesday 31 March: Evacuation Drill 

• Thursday 2 April (Holy Thursday): 1.45 pm Stations of the Cross for Years 2-6 

• Thursday 2 April: Last Day of Term 1 

• Friday 3 April: Good Friday 

• Monday 6 April: Easter Monday) 

• Tuesday 7 April: OSHC open for Vacation Care from this date.

School resumes for Term 2 on Monday 20 April. 

Wishing you every blessing for the week ahead. 

In gratitude

Gina Burns

Principal

Assistant Principal's Updates

Lockdown Drill – Parent Information

Next week, our school will be conducting a Lockdown drill as part of our regular safety and emergency preparedness procedures.

A Lockdown drill is designed to help students and staff practise what to do if there is a situation where it is safer to remain inside classrooms and secure the school environment. These drills form part of our responsibility to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone on site and are recommended as best practice for schools.

During the drill:

• Students will remain with their classroom teacher.
• Teachers will guide students through the process in a calm and age-appropriate way.
• No external emergency services will be involved.
• The drill will be treated as a practice activity only.

Evacuation Drill – Parent Information

Next week, our school will be conducting an Evacuation drill as part of our regular safety and emergency preparedness procedures. Evacuation drills are a vital part of our school’s emergency preparedness. They help ensure that students and staff know how to respond quickly and safely in situations such as fire, gas leaks, or other emergencies that require us to leave the building. Regular practice builds familiarity with procedures, reduces panic, and helps us maintain a calm and orderly response to keep everyone safe.

We take care to ensure that drills are conducted sensitively, with reassurance provided to students at all times. The purpose is not to alarm students, but to help them feel confident and prepared.

We encourage parents to speak positively with their child about the drills, reinforcing that it is simply a way for everyone to practise staying safe.

Thanks,

Niall Kehoe

Assistant Principal

Holy Week Information

Friday 27 March – Stations of the Cross at 7pm (Yr 6 presentation)

Holy Thursday 2 April –  Yr 6 Stations of the Cross 1.50pm/ 7pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Good Friday 3 April – 10am Stations of the Cross/ 3pm Solemn Liturgy of the Lord

Holy Saturday 4 April – 7pm Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday 5 April – 7.30am Mass / 9.30am Family Easter Mass

IEP Information

Thank you to those families who have signed and returned IEPs. If you have received your IEP and not yet returned it, please do so at your earliest convenience.

If you have not yet received your IEP – you will do so by the end of this week.

Any questions or concerns, please contact Leesa.Vinciullo@cewa.edu.au

Children’s Crossing King William Street near Hill Street

Please find attached information regarding the overview of the children’s crossing on King William Street near Hill Street.

2026 Review Survey 1 ChildernsCrossing_King William St near Hill St 00373 94 F5 STCPS
2026 1st AM & PM Surveys_BAYSWATER_00373 94 F5
2025_Review- Site Assessment_BAYSWATER_00373 94 F5

Mrs Leesa Vinciullo

APRE and Inclusive Education Coordinator

Leesa.Vinciullo@cewa.edu.au

P & F News

P&F Meeting Summary – March

Thank you to everyone who attended our first P&F meeting for 2026—it was great to see such strong support for our school community. Minutes are attached to this newsletter.

We confirmed our key priorities for the year, along with funding for classroom support, teacher appreciation, and end-of-year celebrations. We’re also looking forward to upcoming events including our Mother’s Day celebration plans.

As always, all parents and friends are always welcome at our meetings.

Save the date: 

Thursday 2nd April: Last day of term

Tuesday 28th April: Next P&F meeting

Friday May 8th: Mother’s Day Breakfast

Ride To School Day 

This year’s WA Ride to School Day had a real sense of momentum, with more students and families taking part than ever before. Even with the warm, slightly sticky weather, spirits stayed high as riders arrived from all directions and filled the school with colour, noise and plenty of excitement. It was great to once again share the day with Bayswater Primary and see the growing enthusiasm for riding across both communities.

Once everyone had arrived, the focus quickly shifted to the activities, with the slow bike race testing balance (and patience!) and the best wheelie competition drawing a crowd in every year group. There was plenty happening off the track too, with local MP Dan Bull in attendance, alongside Bill from the WA Historical Cycle Club—whose penny farthing drew plenty of attention—and Envirohouse with a unique Cycling Without Age mobility trike. We’re very grateful to Your Move, Speedlite Bikes and Dan Bull for providing prizes, and to Mr Dooney and the Bayswater Primary team for keeping everyone fuelled with fresh fruit and running such a smooth set of events. A big thank you as well to the many staff from both St Columba’s and Bayswater Primary who helped out on the day—it wouldn’t have come together without you. A fantastic morning all round.

If you’re interested in joining future bike bus it operates on Tuesday & Friday along 3 routes –  join the fb  group for more info  https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1M2nrGGF6Q/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Not on fb – we have a what’s app (which is how you track the progress of the bus) https://chat.whatsapp.com/K5J3CR4E4rkJ0nhLaY4syX?mode=gi_t

Just One Thing

Our P&F is built on sharing the load. If everyone does Just One Thing, it makes a big difference to our school community. Whether it’s helping at an event, lending a skill, or supporting behind the scenes, every contribution counts. Please take a minute to complete our short Volunteer Interest Survey and let us know how you’d feel most comfortable helping this year.
St Columba’s Primary School P&F – Volunteer Interest Survey – https://forms.office.com/r/N62gQFLgDh 

Call for P&F Agenda items Meeting #2

We encourage all parents and friends within our community to be actively involved in the St Columba’s P&F. Our team is looking forward to hearing your new ideas or feedback on present and future events that support our School.

Please communicate with your Class Reps if you wish for these to be discussed at the next meeting.

Items are required for the agenda by Thursday 2nd April (compressed timeframe due to Good Friday and School Holidays).

Next P&F meeting will be held on Tuesday 28th April at 630pm in the School Library.

We hope to see as many new faces as possible

With thanks from the P&F team!

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, Thursday & Friday)

Pastoral Care

Class News

From our Year 1 Classes

This week, Year 1 has jumped into a hands‑on exploration of patterns! From identifying and continuing patterns to creating their own pattern snakes with Unifix cubes, students have enjoyed recognising the many patterns that appear in our everyday world.

Community Notices