Principal's Post

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome Back to Week 1!

How are you all going after the busyness of your mornings? You are doing a fabulous job in getting your kids organised and being here at school, especially with everything you have going on in your world. The joy your kids run into school with is a credit to everyone here at St Col’s. It has been a wonderful start to the term. Now, the quote above is something I came across when we were looking through some archives from the days of when the Sisters of Mercy were present in our school. It is the quote above. No more needs to be said does it. It is a cornerstone to being a Mercy school. Embrace it. How good is it when we have these values as a part of who we can be and who are as a community? Just saying!

Enthusiasm galore and plenty of energy from the kids this week. They are well rested and enjoying being back in their classrooms and the playground. I mean, talk about active in the playgrounds. They are having a such a good time. So much laughter and so much noise. Have to say, their excitement of being back with each other is what the following quote connects with.

Another one of my quotes I try to live by. Fail at times, but that is cool. This Greek word, ‘entheos’, is a game changer when you think about what we see in our kids, and when we see their love for life, their energy, their enthusiasm. Like, really, the thought that they have God within them, this celebration of who they are. It is a nice thing to think when we get to stop and realise just what specialness there is.

If you have noticed the ‘danger tape’ in the play area near the admin, then this is a symbol of the enthusiasm, entheos, that I am speaking about. This is a project that some Year 6 girls have engaged in where they are paving sections of the playground to level off areas for the mud kitchens and to allow for a more level area. They have started investigating a sunken lounge area as well. Love their creativity. Best part, they know how to use a spirit level, rubber mallets and are asking for more brickies sand and paving bricks to be brought up. They wanted the danger tape to mark off the area for safety reasons and let the little guys knew this is an area under construction. This is just one example of the enthusiasm and creativity of our kids. They might be starting their own business. We have a belief as Catholics, as Christians, that we are made in the image of God. Joseph, well, he was a carpenter, and Jesus did work in his workshop as a little kid, before he headed out on the public speaker circuit, so maybe this entheos has something to it. These girls definitely get it.

We have another group of students looking at promoting ‘Wheelchairs for Kids’. They have me on my toes organising a guest speaker. They have already looked up the website and are planning for how we can collect the aluminium ring-tops to assist in the manufacturing of the wheelchairs. The team of volunteers are based in Wangara, so this brings a real-life connection to our kids. You will hear more about this from our kids in the next couple of weeks.

The impressive thing about our St Col’s kids is that they are always thinking of what we can do for others. It is what this spirit of justice is all about for 2020. The theme of justice is focused on how we make things better for other people. It is about the little things we do, small acts. It is never about being a hero or about looking for recognition. This is what our kids are driven by, and when they fully embrace the good for the other, things happen that do transform our world. We know this momentum, or thing we call ‘being in flow’, comes from being connected in ways of service for others, for the good of others, where it feels effortless and feels the right thing to be doing. We start small, we are relentless in our efforts to see something through to the end, and we find others are led by our actions and are drawn to do the same. St Col’s kids do this all the time.

Staffing Update

We welcome Candy McKay to St Columba’s School. Candy is our newly appointed Transforming Lives Engagement Officer, who will be working across four Catholic schools to build connections to our Aboriginal culture within our schools and broader community. Candy will be working with OLA in Dianella, Mary’s Mount, Gooseberry Hill and Matthew Gibney in High Wycombe. As you know, I love to notice the little things. When Candy started here on Tuesday morning, the first thing Candy did was pop out to Kiss and Drive and walk some of our little guys down to Pre-Primary. Immediate connection with the kids. It is all about these moments that make things happen. Candy is here with us this week, and then away working in the other schools over the next three weeks. I know you will make Candy feel a part of our school community.

We have appointed Nicole Leach as our social worker. Nicole will commence in Week 4 of this term. Nicole will be here at St Columba’s School on Wednesday and Thursdays, working with our children and their families. We very much look forward to welcoming Nicole to our school community.

Deepest Sympathy

During the holiday break, we had the sad news of Megan Dwyer’s brother, Jamie, passing away. Megan is one of our Assistant Principals at St Columba’s. On the same morning of Jamie’s passing, Trish Dawson’s brother, Neville, passed away. Many of you will know Trish as a previous teacher at St Columba’s and current relief teacher. We offer our prayers and thoughts to both Megan and Trish, and their families, during these times of great sadness.

Kiss and Drive:

• We encourage our Kindergarten children with siblings to continue to use the Kiss and Drive for drop-off in the morning if they wish. We encourage these families to arrive around the 8.30 am-8.40 am time to allow us to provide supervision for the children from 8.30 am. These are only Kindergarten children with older siblings in the school.
• Please note this is only for drop-off in the morning. In the afternoon, all Kindy children need to be collected from their classrooms. This is purely because of the need to manage the afternoon pick-up in the Kiss and Drive and the safety for our younger students.
• Pre-Primary children can continue to use the Kiss and Drive in the morning and in the afternoon, but this must be communicated to your classroom teachers.
• A big thanks to all our parents and grandparents for your patience when traffic does build up. We have over 300 cars coming through the area in a very short time frame. What I would remind parents of, is that the end of the day is 2.55 pm, and being here at 2.45 pm does cause traffic congestion initially. May I suggest that coming through at between 3.05 pm and 3.20 pm alleviates much of the traffic congestion. We remain on duty until 3.20 pm each day. Hopefully this takes some pressure off you as parents to not feel you have to be here right on 2.55 pm. As kids are leaving their classrooms at 2.55 pm, it may be more beneficial to put 3.00 pm in our minds as the start of pick-up at Kiss and Drive.
• The reason is, there are many times when parents are here at 2.50 or 2.55 pm, and the students have not left their classrooms. It does cause parents an extra stress.
• What is the absolute blockbusting success is the patience and care of our parents. If there is one thing I am learning more and more each day during the Roberts Street after school pick-up is your support for each other as parents and for your understanding, even when you may be feeling a little frustrated with the traffic congestion. TBH this is like one of my prouder moments of us as a community. You know it is quality!
• Again, also thank you to parents who have stopped doing U-Turns at the Roberts Street K and D. It is extremely dangerous and we have had official warnings about this practice in the past. Each time I have spoken to a parent about this over the last few weeks, you have been so supportive and accommodating.
• PS: Morning drop-off in the K and D on both Milne and Roberts Streets is seen by our staff as a highlight of their day. We love these mornings and cannot wait to see your precious kids running into school with joy. Credit to you all.

Now, I am sure there is much happening this week as we all get back into routine, so make sure gentleness is on your mind. As I continue to say, gentleness on self is priority one, as it allows for us to be gentle on others. Nothing like it. If we cannot cut ourselves some slack, then we have no chance of cutting others slack when things do not go to plan. It is the truth. We all know it. I talk to my own daughters about this all the time. Be gentle, to self and others. It goes back to the quote about transforming the world. This transforms it.

Anyhow, philosophy session complete. As for the football, all I can say is thank goodness I love the NRL and my Penrith Panthers. They are having a cracking season. Let’s not talk about the Mighty North Melbourne. As for the Coasters, well, back in town. Flag fancies again in just a few weeks. Freo, thanks for keeping us Kangas supporters company on the ladder.

Enjoy your week everyone and thanks again for getting who and what we stand for at St Col’s.

Take care and look after yourself and all those you love.

Art

P & F News

Library News

A warm invitation is extended to all families to visit the library 8:15am  – 8:30am Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings.  

(Please note, when Mrs. Cuthbert is unavailable, the library is closed)
Kindy & Pre-Kindy families take advantage to come and read all our fabulous picture books with your little ones till 8:30am.  

YES! Library is now open at lunch times

Monday 12:40 – 1:00  &  Thursday 1:15 – 1:35

If any families have Children’s Magazines that they no longer need, the students would enjoy reading them.

Please note:

 ALL students require a 

‘St Columba’s Homework/Library bag’ 

to borrow library books.

Students without the St Columba’s bag will be unable to borrow from the beginning of Term 3

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 at a cost of $10.

Parents please order via the link on the Uniform Shop page of the school website.

Rita Cuthbert – Library Officer – Library - the original search engine

Pastoral Care

School Banking

School Banking is back.

School Banking is back.  School Banking Day will be THURSDAY 8:15-8:30AM, in the CANTEEN commencing on 6^TH AUGUST 2020.

All school banking contacts will be run in line with WA Government regulations regarding COVID19 including cleaning of all surfaces prior to banking starting, hand sanitising for all students and parents, and social distancing for all students. All prizes are individually wrapped and sealed.

School Banking is a fun, interactive and engaging way to help young Australians learn about money and practice good savings habits. For each weekly deposit made at school, students will receive a token. Once they collect 10 tokens, they can redeem them for a School Banking reward.

Exciting news for TERM 3 is that CommBank will be rewarding all bankers who deposited in Term 1 with the option of an EXTRA prize. Come down and speak with your School Banking Coordinator Ariane Mazurak on Thursday morning about what is on offer.

If your child has lost their deposit wallet, please contact your School Banking Co-ordinator Ariane Mazurak for a replacement via the school office.

If you would like to know more about School Banking, please ask for a 2020 School Banking program parent guide from the school office or visit www.commbank.com.au/schoolbanking

Community Notices

MERCEDES COLLEGE – ENROLMENT INFORMATION

Early in 2020, Mercedes College will commence interviewing Year 4 & Year 5 students who are due to start Year 7 in 2022 & 2023 respectively. If you are considering enrolling your daughter and have not yet requested a Prospectus, please contact Mrs Julie Lamb on 9323 1340 as soon as possible. Enquiries are also welcome for places in Year 7 for 2020 and 2021. For more information please refer to the College website, www.mercedes.wa.edu.au.

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Trinity College warmly invites you to attend our Twilight Tour on Wednesday, 5 August 2020 to learn more about the unique TC Spirit and the vast curricular and co-curricular opportunities that the College has to offer. Our Twilight Tour will include an address from the Principal and Junior/Senior Head Prefects, student-led tours (including a sneak peek behind the scenes of the College’s production of The Mikado), light refreshments and a Q&A with key staff, teachers and the admissions team.

The tour will commence at 4:00pm. Please register your details at: https://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/enrolments/college-twilight-tour/

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Classifieds