Principal's Post

PUPIL FREE DAY

Monday the 14th October is a pupil free day.  Students return to school for term 4 on Tuesday 15th October.

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The Faction Athletics carnival was held at Noranda Athletics track, September 20^th, 2019. It was a fabulous day and the weather was perfect.

There were, once again, so many amazing performances by so many students on the track and the team games were enjoyed by everyone.

At the end of the day the winning faction was Pascal with 3113 points, followed by Russell with 2834 points, Columbanus with 2715 points and McAuley with 2669.

Congratulations to the following students who were champions in their year level achieving the most points for track and field events:

Thank you to all the staff who assisted on the day. Thanks also to Jen Debono who helped with marshalling and to all the parents who helped with the lunches and in the canteen.

Big Thanks to Greg McKeaig for doing a wonderful job with announcing.

The carnival could not run as smoothly as it did without everyone’s help.

Those children from Years 3-6 who are selected for the interschool team will receive information this week.

Jo McCluskey
PE Teacher

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St Columba’s School Bayswater – Taking the Pulse Survey

PRIORITY SURVEY

As you know, we love feedback here at St Columba’s School. We are about being the best we can be for our children, our families and our staff. A survey is now available for any parents who wish to give feedback on where we are at as a school and a community. The focus is on finding out about our school and what we stand for. Please note the following:

• The survey is an opportunity for you, our parents, to let us know how things are going for you and your children.
• We value your feedback and will work with the information that is provided.
• Your feedback does not include the data of individuals; rather, feedback involves a graph based on feedback from all parents. To ensure anonymity, aggregated scores are not provided for groups of less than four parents.
• There are no right or wrong answers. We are open to whatever comes our way. We are realistic about the need to celebrate what we do well, but also to look at how we continue to improve things for our students.
• The response format requires parents to consider how often each statement takes place in terms of: Almost Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often and Almost Always.

The survey is available from today.  Please refer to the attachment to this newsletter for further details.

Please note the survey will close at 12.00pm Friday 27th September.

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Here is another survey below from CEWA, if you are interested. The survey below is system based.

CECWA Policy Development Process

An Invitation to Have Your Say

The Catholic Education Commission of Western Australia (CECWA) is reviewing our system policies supporting our 75,000 students and 12,000 staff in 162 schools. We invite all students, parents, CEWA staff and members of the community to help by telling us:

What makes a good Catholic school?

Facilitated sessions will take place at our Leederville office. You can book your preferred session time online and choose from:

* Early Years LOFT Sessions (for Pre K – Year 4 Students and their Family)

* Open LOFT Sessions (Years 4 – 12 Students, Families, Staff and Community)

During the school holiday sessions, participants will also help to create a mural alongside local artist Linzi Carter. This is an evolving creation, whose form will develop with each session. We welcome you to participate in this unique opportunity to have your say on the future of our schools.

For more information and to register for a session, see: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/loft-catholic-education-western-australia-20262532767

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SCHOOL BANKING

Thank you to Ariane Mazurak for volunteering to take on the role of School Banking Co-ordinator. Ariane will now conduct school banking on a Thursday morning, in the canteen.

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CONGRATULATIONS

Nate Cooper (5W) competed in the WA State Swimming Championships last weekend.  Nate won a silver medal in the 100m breastroke and a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke.  Congratulations Nate, great effort.

School Counsellor News

Conquering kids’ self-consciousness

by Michael Grose

Self-consciousness can be awful. It’s the feeling you get that everyone is looking at you. It makes kids feel anxious about going into new situations, and impacts negatively on their quality of life.

Self-consciousness tends to come and go over the years.

Often eldest boys extremely shy and self-conscious as early as pre-school. It can make them do silly things. The trait may fade for a while then revisit in early adolescence.

Early teen girls often suffer from self-consciousness too, particularly if they are early or late maturers.

Some kids just hate to do anything in public for fear of being noticed…….or laughed at. They think that everyone is looking at them. In a school concert, for example, most parents have eyes only for their own children. They won’t really take too much notice of any other children, unless of course, they fluff their lines or muck-up big time..

However, no matter how logical you are in your coaching, self-consciousness can still hold many kids back. Here are four ideas to help your child conquer self-consciousness:

1. Help them prepare for public performances:They can practise a talk, or even rehearse an opening line, to help them break the ice in social situations. Practice leads to competence, which often alleviates self-consciousness.
2. Use baby steps in social situations:If they feel uncomfortable meeting a whole bunch of new people, then perhaps they can meet just one new friend at a party. That can make it easier than trying to meet too many people at once, which can be overwhelming.
3. Practise strong self-talk:Self-conscious kids often have atrocious self-talk. They say everyone is watching them enter a room, when the reality if quite different. Help them develop some realistic and more assertive messages they can say to themselves.
4. Catch kids being brave:What you focus on expands ,so make sure you highlight instances of kids being brave and overcoming possibly embarrassing situations. Also let them know that even though they may have stumbled, or fluffed a line or two, the room didn’t cave in. It wasn’t so bad.

Kids often grow out of their self-consciousness as they gain the confidence that comes from spreading their wings and enjoying new experiences. In the meantime, encourage them to try new experiences; coach them for social success and give them the tools to manage their anxiousness, which can be debilitating for many.

Jennifer Maughan
Social Worker
Tuesday & Wednesday
9208 2703
jenny.maughan@cewa.edu.au

P & F News

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

Thank you to all those who volunteered to bake, man the cake stall, cook the bbq, assemble hotdogs and run the drinks and hotdogs to the kids. It was a hugely successful event with the cake stall raising $656.20.

We assembled 394 hotdogs, and this couldn’t have been done without the help of Leston De Mello, Tanya Kealley, Nic Lange, Pippa Harris, Rebecca Scott, Amanda Salt, Bea Humphreys Sarah Guiffre, Jeannie Germano, Donna Taylor and Dianne Murnane. Thank you to Karen Bedell, Haylee O’Shea, Monica Fuentes and Jennifer Bache for running the hotdogs out to the kids. Thank you also to Larissia De Mello, Nyssa Bull, Jayne Jagger, Jennifer Hurst, Emily Hamilton, Rachel Cameron, Kelly Chaloner, Gina Falzon and Pippa Harris for running the cake stall. A fantastic team effort that we can all be proud of.

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COLOUR RUN

October 25^th is our school’s colour run, and it will be commencing at 8.45 in the morning on the school oval. Parents are encouraged to come and cheer the kids on. Information packs will be going home this week, so please keep an eye out for them.

Children are allowed to come to school in free dress, preferably a white t-shirt, and please bring a change of clothes for them to change into afterwards. A sausage sizzle will be provided for lunch as an additional fundraiser.  No Chisholm College canteen will be available on this day.

Pre-kindy have the option to participate with the kindy children if they wish to.

A timetable of the year group events will be released shortly.

We will require volunteers to help squirt the coloured powder onto the kids during the day. If you are able to help out please email me rachel@galleriapodiatry.com.au

Colour Powder

The colour powder used in our event has been sourced direct from India, the home of Holi Powder. It is made of high quality corn starch and permitted food colours. It’s non-toxic, biodegradable, skin safe and environmentally friendly. Toxicological Risk Assessment and ingredient listings can be obtained from the School Office upon request. Students with asthma are advised to be careful in their decision to participate.

How Does My Child Fundraise?

Students have now received a Sponsorship Form with instructions on how to raise money and order prizes. Students obtain donations in cash using the Sponsorship Form together with online fundraising.

Students who raise as little as $10 or more will receive an incentive prize for their efforts. But why not aim higher? You have the option to choose up to five (5) prizes and this will set your fundraising goal. Family and friends are your greatest supporters, so ask them first for your support. You will reach your fundraising goal in no time.

Student Profile Page

Create a Student Profile Page at www.myprofilepage.com.au which is unique to you. There are also some great features like recording your sponsorships and selecting your prize goal.

You can also register for online fundraising. It’s the easiest way to help your child raise money and to reach your fundraising goal sooner.

WIN A SHARE OF $200,000 WORTH OF FREE SPONSORSHIP DONATIONS. Create a Student Profile Page at www.myprofilepage.com.au and enter your unique code found on page five (5) of your Sponsorship Form to see if you’re an instant winner. Give your fundraising goal a kick start!

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777 Pharmacy 

Don’t forget to mention that you are a St Columba’s family if you are shopping at the Maylands or Bayswater 777 Pharmacy. 10% of all retail sales goes towards the P&F.

Rachel Lange
P&F President
rachel@galleriapodiatry.com.au

Pastoral Care

Community Notices

Redhage Basketball school program is back in Term 4.  Please refer to the flyer attached to this newsletter.

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The Council for Australian Catholic Women (Perth) invite you to hear New Testament lecturer, Dr Michele Connolly RSJ at two free events in Perth.

Michele is a Sister of St Joseph of Lochinvar NSW and has studied in Melbourne, Chicago and Berkeley. She has taught at the Catholic Institute of Sydney since 2001.

Friday 25 October 6-9pm – WOMEN in the CHURCH: REFLECTIONS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT – men and women invited. Light refreshments served from 5.30pm.

Saturday 26 October 9.30 – 4pm – WOMEN and the GOSPEL OF MARK: INSIGHTS FOR TODAY – a day for women. Light refreshments served from 9am. Light lunch included.

Both events will be held at James Nestor Hall, Catholic Education Office 50 Ruislip St Leederville. 

RSVP by 21 October. Email: kerrymacfarlane2@gmail.com; Phone: 08 9397 5988; SMS: 0400 886 835.

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Chisholm Swim Academy

Lots of opportunities for local students to be involved in the Chisholm Swim Academy leading into Summer:

Learn to Swim & Junior Swim Squads

The Chisholm Swim Academy will again continue in term 4 with learn to swim, private lessons as well at junior swim squads. All sessions will run out of the Chisholm College Indoor heated pool.

Contact Jasmine Webber for more information – Phone: 9471 2100. Email: jasmine.webber@pc.wa.edu.au

Future Chisholm Students in 2020 (Current year 6’s)

Any future year 7’s in 2020 are invited to come along to a Tuesday morning swim session from 7am – 8am in the Chisholm College Pool. Sessions will commence on Tuesday October 15^th running for 8 weeks (last session on Tuesday December 3^rd)

Note, these are not learn to swim sessions, swimmers are expected to have a reasonable swimming ability. Contact Alicia Anderson for more information – Phone: 92082673. Email: a.anderson@chisholmcc.wa.edu.au

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