Dear Community of St Columba’s,
Bendigo Bank Grant
You would all be so proud of our Year 5 student, Zara, who represented our school at the Bendigo Community Grant Pitch last Monday evening.
In collaboration with our Parents & Friends Association, the Grants Team led by Bec Vernon and Teresa Fantoni, has been working to secure funding to support items from our school wish list. Upgrading our classroom screens has been a key priority.
Eight other community organisations also explained their needs and were successful in their application of $5,000 for various needs across the community. There were some very worthwhile causes.
Zara spoke confidently and passionately on behalf of our school, successfully convincing the panel to award $5,000 towards the purchase of an Edutouch 75‑inch interactive screen.
Please be sure to congratulate and thank Zara, Teresa and Bec when you see them. A special thank you once again to our P&F representatives, Davina, Nikki and Annie, who have been instrumental in setting this up and in continuing this valuable legacy of support for our school.
We also extend our sincere thanks to Bendigo Bank Bayswater for their generosity and ongoing commitment to supporting local schools and community groups. Opportunities such as this make a meaningful difference to our students and learning spaces.
Mother’s Day
We warmly invite our school community to join us for our Mother’s Day Breakfast, a special morning to gather, connect and give thanks for the people who nurture and care for us in so many ways.
We recognise that Mother’s Day can be a day of mixed emotions. We hold in our hearts anyone in our community for whom this time may bring sadness or quiet reflection, and we hope this gathering feels gentle, welcoming and inclusive for all.
As a faith community, we also reflect on Mary, the Mother of Jesus, whose love, faith and quiet strength continue to inspire us. May her example remind us of the many ways care, compassion and motherhood are lived out in our lives and community.
During the breakfast, we will be holding a Pastoral Care Raffle, with all proceeds supporting the wellbeing and care of our students and families. Purchasing tickets is a meaningful way to contribute to this important work, and we thank you sincerely for your generosity and support.
Families are warmly invited to remain after breakfast for Mass, which will be led by our staff. This will be a meaningful opportunity to come together in prayer and thanksgiving as a faith community. We kindly ask that families be mindful of the sacred space within the church and keep conversations to a minimum to allow all present to participate prayerfully.
I wish all our mothers, and all those who care for us as a mother does, a wonderful Mother’s Day this coming Sunday. We look forward to sharing this special morning with you and appreciate the compassion, kindness and care that define our community.
Upcoming Events
- Friday 8 May: Mother’s Day Breakfast (Gates open at 7.15 am)
- Friday 8 May: Mother’s Day Mass commencing at 9.00 am.
- Thursday 7 May: Reconciliation Family Workshop
- Thursday 14 May: Reconciliation Reflection Day
- Friday 15 May: Italian Day
In gratitude
Gina Burns
Principal
Assistant Principal's Updates
MILNE STREET AFTERNOON COLLECTION
Parents a reminder any students still waiting to be collected from Milne St at 3.05pm, will be directed to the Roberts St Kiss and Drive. It has been observed that there are very few students at Milne St at this time, but if there is the potential for you to be arriving after 3.05, please remember to collect your child/ren from the Roberts St Kiss and Drive, which is operational until 3.20pm.
Review for a Type A Children’s crossing at BAYSWATER: King William St near Hill St
2026_Review_Type A_Survey – 1 set only_BAYSWATER_00373 94 F5 SCS
2025_Review – Site Assessment_BAYSWATER_00373 94 F5
2026 1st AM & PM Surveys_BAYSWATER_00373 94 F5
Mrs Leesa Vinciullo
APRE and Inclusive Education Coordinator
P & F News
Dads: We Need You.
We’re all set to celebrate the amazing mums, step-mums, grandmas, aunties, and other wonderful women in our community this Friday…but we’re a little short on helpers.
Calling all dads, step dads, uncles, pops, and other legends of the male variety! We need you to help make the morning run smoothly, so the beautiful mums can relax and enjoy their well deserved time with their minis.
Without the help needed – we are going to have to cancel the event so please, check out the link here: https://volunteersignup.org/37CBJ
And don’t worry …in September, the favour will be returned for Father’s Day!
Thanks,
The P&F team x
Library News
Newsletter Notice – Book Covering
The library has lots of new and exciting books needing covering so that our students can read them before the end of the year. If you can help by taking a small number of books home to cover, please call into the library Monday, Tuesday,Thursday or Friday. Precut covering for books is supplied. Your help is greatly appreciated by students and staff.
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
Happy Birthday to:
The following students who will celebrate birthday’s in the coming week.
Macey Co KG
Izak De Vries PPG
Edward Kourtesis PPW
Declan McGowan 2G
Zara Campbell 3G
Francis Masek 3W
Felix Halls 4W
Savannah Aung Than 5G
Darcey Poulsen 5G
Bianca Milhinch 6G
Henry Webb 6W
Pastoral Care will be holding the annual Mother’s Day Raffle this term.
Tickets on sale from Monday 4 May in front of the library from 8am until the Mother’s Day Muffin with Mum event!
Donations are not necessary this year but are welcomed. You can drop them to our Raffle table.
As always a big thank you for always supporting our raffles. All money raised goes towards supporting those families that need it at this time.
WEEKLY RAFFLE ROSTER
TERM 2
Week 4 – 13 May
Week 5 – 20 May – NO RAFFLE
| Kindy Green | Week 4 – Macey Co Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Kindy White | Week 4 – Imogen Eden Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| PP Green | Week 4 – Theo Fagionato Dezajacomo Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| PP White | Week 4 – Clementine Espie Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 1 Green | Week 4 – Amelia Easton Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 1 White | Week 4 – Hugo Di Giallonardo Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 2 Green | Week 4 – Amelia Congdon Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 2 White | Week 4 – Elena Di Giallonardo Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 3 Green | Week 4 – Alessia Cullura Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 3 White | Week 4 – Alfred Eden Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 4 Green | Week 4 – Max Dessauvagie Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 4 White | Week 4 – Millie Gibson Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 5 Green | Week 4 – Michael Congdon Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 5 White | Week 4 – Mathea Co Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 6 Green | Week 4 – Maya Katich Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
| Year 6 White | Week 4 – Tommy Gibson Week 5 – NO RAFFLE |
Class News
From our Pre Kindy Classes
In Pre-Kindy we have been sharing the love. 🥰
We made ‘Smoochy Lips” to remind us to always give our mummy and daddy a ‘smoochy kiss’ before we come to Pre-Kindy. 😘
Community Notices
