Dear Community of St Columba’s,
Thank you to our Grandparents
Last Sunday, the Church celebrated the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. Currently Catholic World Day for Grandparents is also celebrated. This special occasion provides us with an opportunity to pause and give thanks for the important role grandparents play in the lives of our children, families and community.
Grandparents are often the keepers of family stories, traditions and values. They offer wisdom gained through experience, unconditional love, encouragement and support. Their presence helps connect younger generations to their family history.
In our Catholic tradition, Saints Joachim and Anne remind us of the vital role grandparents have in nurturing faith and passing it on to future generations. Through their example, we see how love, patience and faithfulness can shape the lives of children and strengthen families.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all grandparents and grandparent figures in our community. Your guidance, generosity and care enrich the lives of our students in countless ways. We see you often helping our students with daily routines here at school, offering words of wisdom and being a loving presence at our assemblies and other celebrations. Thank you for the love, faith and wisdom you share so generously.
May we continue to honour and cherish our grandparents, not only on Grandparents Day but throughout the year, recognising the invaluable contribution they make to the life of our school and wider community.
Interschool Cross Country
Congratulations to our students who proudly represented St Columba’s at the Catholic Schools Sports Association Cross Country Carnival this week.
Competing against a very strong and competitive field of schools, our team delivered an outstanding performance to finish third overall. A special congratulations to the following students on their outstanding individual achievements:
| 1st Place | Thea O’Reilly | Joana Gunawan | ||
| 2nd Place | Digby Weaire | Paige Booth | Mason Meenan | Jacob Hofmann |
| 3rd Place | Thea Setzinger | Alexander Lilleyman | ||
| 4th Place | Alliah Parker | Jude Hoogland | Jude Allison | Henry Webb |
| 5th Place | Oscar Harstrom | Alfred Eden | Vaughan O’Reilly | |
| 6th Place | Mason Sardelich | |||
| 7th Place | Harriet Stazzonelli | Andrea Gunawan | Madelyn Markowski | |
| 8th Place | Norah Cregan |
We are so proud of their efforts, sportsmanship and the way they represented our school community. Well done to all involved and special thanks to Dylan Banks our PE Specialist.
NAPLAN 2026
Congratulations to our Year 3 and Year 5 students on their efforts in this year’s NAPLAN assessments. These assessments provide valuable information about student progress in literacy and numeracy and help guide future teaching and learning for the school.
We can see the school average continues to sit above the national average for Year 3 and Year 5. We celebrate both growth and achievements and will be able to provide further insights when information becomes available on CEWA’s assessment platform next week.
NAPLAN is just one measure of progress and should be considered alongside classroom assessments, teacher observations and student work throughout the year.
Upcoming events:
- Thursday 30 July: Religious Education Assessment (REA) practice for Year 3 & Year 5 students only.
- Thursday 30 July: URSTRONG International Day of Friendship
- Tuesday 4 August: Assembly @2pm.
- Tuesday 4 August: Confirmation Workshops
- Thursday 6 August: Confirmation Reflection Day to Schoenstatt Shrine
- Friday 7 August: Census Day
- Friday 7 August: Principal Appreciation Day
As Principal Appreciation Day approaches, I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to our wonderful school community.
It is both a privilege and a blessing to serve as Principal of St Columba’s. Every day, I am inspired by the enthusiasm and curiosity of our students, the dedication and passion of our staff, and the generosity and support of our families. Together, we create a community where faith, learning and belonging flourish.
While this day recognises the role of principals, I believe it is also an opportunity to acknowledge that leadership is never the work of one person alone. Any success we celebrate as a school is the result of a collective commitment to our shared mission of nurturing every child academically, spiritually, socially and emotionally.
I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in me by our families, the professionalism and care shown by our staff, and the joy and energy our students bring to each day. Your encouragement, partnership and support make my role rewarding and meaningful.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve this community. It is an honour to walk alongside you as we continue to grow, learn and live our faith together.
In gratitude,
Gina Burns
UNIFORM SHOP MOVING TO INGLEWOOD
Assistant Principal's Updates
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
SEMESTER TWO IEPs
A reminder that revised IEPs are currently being sent home for families to read, sign and return to either the classroom teacher or reception. Your prompt response to this is very much appreciated. Please don’t hesitate to contact the classroom teacher, or myself, if you have any questions or concerns about the IEP.
THE CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY – please see eligibility criteria
The annual Perth Children’s Christmas Party will take place on Saturday 14 November at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre.
To be eligible to attend this party, children must
- Be aged between 3 and 12 (inclusive)
- Be eligible for NDIS funding and / or
- Have additional needs
Vital information regarding this event is in the flyer attached to this newsletter – including how to register your interest in your child attending. If you have questions after having read the document, please email me directly.
UR STRONG – FREE PARENT MEMBERSHIP
Dear Parents,
URSTRONG’s whole-school friendship strategy has improved the social climate in schools around the world, connecting over a million kids, parents, and teachers with a common language of friendship. We are proud to be a URSTRONG School and are committed to empowering your children with friendship skills.
You are invited to take advantage of a FREE Parent Membership to access hundreds of resources – including an 8 session video series. This will allow you to learn the same language & strategies being taught in the classroom through the Friendology 101 curriculum. We hope that, as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.
As a next step, we would recommend:
- Click here to view an overview of URSTRONG.
- Activate your FREE Parent Membership and explore all the resources available to your family.
Explore the hundreds of resources available to you!
We believe that empowering our students with these skills will create a culture of kindness at our school and we hope that, together, we can support your children to have healthy, feel-good friendships
Mrs Leesa Vinciullo
APRE and Inclusive Education Coordinator
P & F News
St Col’s P&F Mid-Year Raffle
Tickets for our Mid-Year Raffle are now on sale!
Our volunteers are selling kids’ raffle tickets before school on the basketball court every morning this week, as well as Monday and Tuesday mornings next week.
There are 8 amazing prize bundles up for grabs, thanks to the incredible generosity of our local sponsors. See the Mid Year Raffle poster for more information attached to this week’s newsletter.
Details:
- Kids’ raffle ticket sales: Before school from Monday 27 July – Tuesday 4 August
- Where: Basketball Court before school
- Prize draw: Tuesday 4 August (Week 3) at the first assembly for Term 3.
NEW for 2026!
We’re trialling an Adults Online Raffle this year which will be available exclusively online! The link is below, however it won’t be active until tomorrow morning when ticket sales officially open.
This raffle is just for our St Columba’s school community, so we kindly ask that the link isn’t shared outside of our school community.
Thank you for supporting the St Col’s P&F. Every ticket purchased helps us continue to provide opportunities, resources and experiences for our students.
90th Anniversary Tea Towel Re-Order
Our 90th anniversary tea towels were so popular, we had to order more!! We have some busy bee helpers hard at work sorting and organising them this week. If you placed an order, please keep an eye out in your child’s bag for yours coming home soon. This was a huge success and we are so thankful for your continued support.
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
Thanks,
The P&F team
Library News
2026 CBCA
Book Week
Symphony of Stories
Dates: 22 – 28 August 2026
Dress Up Day (Kindy-Year 6)
Friday 28 August 2026
All students Kindy to Year 6 are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character. The purpose of this event is to celebrate Book Week; therefore the focus is on participation rather than the costume.
Why not recycle a costume or put together something from home!
Please keep it simple and stress free.
Please note: Costumes are not restricted to the theme.
Rita Cuthbert – Library
(Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday)
Pastoral Care
Happy Birthday to:
The following students who will celebrate birthday’s in the coming week.
Henry Brennan KW
Georgia Fisher KW
Olivia Walker PKW
Hank Brindle PPG
Austin Kent PPW
Violet Mulherin 1W
Ayla Christie 2G
Pearse McIntyre 4W
Savannah Ceric 6G
Rosie Juma 6W
Teodor Dimitrijevic 6W
WEEKLY RAFFLE ROSTER
TERM 3
Week 3 – 5 August
Week 4 – 12 August
| Kindy Green | Week 3 – Evie Jaworski Week 4 – Bela Kunte |
| Kindy White | Week 3 – Bailey Kain Week 4 – Asher Linke |
| PP Green | Week 3 – Fiadh Jennings Week 4 – Hendricks Kaler |
| PP White | Week 3 – Edward Kourtesis Week 4 – Joe McIntyre |
| Year 1 Green | Week 3 – Jennifer Hart Week 4 – Eliyah Kaler |
| Year 1 White | Week 3 – Addison Kain Week 4 – Hamish Linke |
| Year 2 Green | Week 3 – Margot Juniper Week 4 – Arden O’Reilly |
| Year 2 White | Week 3 – Akira Romeo Week 4 – Luke Molony |
| Year 3 Green | Week 3 – Oliver Howard Week 4 – Scarlett Little |
| Year 3 White | Week 3 – Maxeen Li Week 4 – Francis Masek |
| Year 4 Green | Week 3 – Riley Goulding week 4 – Annabel Harper |
| Year 4 White | Week 3 – Ivan Masnyk Week 4 – Pearse McIntyre |
| Year 5 Green | Week 3 – Felix Juniper Week 4 – Olivia Molony |
| Year 5 White | Week 3 – Arthur Oliveira Week 4 – Amelia Pierre |
| Year 6 Green | Week 3 – Grace Howard Week 4 – Tom Ross |
| Year 6 White | Week 3 – Alexander Lilleyman Week 4 – Vaughan O’Reilly |
Class News
From our Year 6 Classes:
Year 6 English – Debating
As part of our English writing program, the Year 6 students have been developing their debating and persuasive writing skills. Students were divided into groups and given a debate topic, with each group assigned either the affirmative or negative position.
Students have been learning the do’s and don’ts of debating, including how to develop strong arguments, provide supporting reasons and evidence, speak clearly and confidently, listen respectfully to opposing viewpoints and respond to counterarguments. They have also been working collaboratively to plan and organise their ideas before presenting their arguments.
Student Achievements
At the end of last term, Maya, from Year 6 held a Bake Sale to raise money for Perth’s Telethon.
This was very successful and raised $1231.00.
We’d like to say a HUGE Thank You to Maya, her family and her Year 6 helpers.
You can still donate to Telethon on behalf of Maya’s Bake Sale using the following link, just search for St Columba’s School, Bayswater:
Community Notices
