Dear Community of St Columba’s,
I want to extend a huge thank you to all the students who participated in this year’s Book Week Parade. The response was nothing short of outstanding, with students, teachers, and even some parents joining in the fun by dressing up as their favourite book characters. Your creativity and enthusiasm truly brought the theme of “Reading is Magic” to life.
This year’s theme celebrated the power of stories to transport us to fantastical worlds and ignite our curiosity about the wonders of our world. We were thrilled to see everything from literary heroes to charming magicians.
A special thanks goes to Mrs Rita Cuthbert for her organisation of the event and to Mr Banks for his lively and engaging role as our MC. Let’s keep the spirit of reading alive and continue exploring the incredible stories that enrich our lives.
Pre-Kindergarten Class for the 2025
If you know any families who might be interested in joining our vibrant learning environment, we encourage you to direct them to our School Website and School Facebook page for more information.
Our Pre-Kindergarten Program operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays, offering a nurturing and engaging experience for our youngest learners. With a daily rate of approximately $75, our program provides an excellent opportunity for early childhood development in a supportive and stimulating setting.
For more details about our Pre-Kindergarten Program and to apply, please visit our School Website and check out our School Facebook page.
Performing Arts Festival
Congratulations and well done to our combined choir for their stellar performance at this year’s Performing Arts Festival. Our dedicated choir gave it their all, leaving an impression on the judges with their heartfelt singing.
A special thank you goes to our new Music Teacher, Mrs Karen Gonsalves, who seamlessly continued the excellent work of Mrs Masmanian. Her dedication and expertise were key in delivering an exceptional performance that truly shone.
We are incredibly proud of our choir and grateful for their hard work to represent our school.
School Photographs
School photographs will be taking place next week. Please refer to the details provided in this edition of the Donegal for further information and sibling photo sessions. Teachers have advised class times through seesaw.
Students are required to wear full winter uniform, including jumpers. School shorts are permitted. As always, please adhere to our school uniform guidelines to ensure a polished and consistent presentation in their photographs. Thank you for your cooperation and attention to detail.
Father’s Day Breakfast and Mass
Our much-anticipated Annual Father’s Day Breakfast is coming up next week. Don’t forget to purchase your tickets and mark your calendars for a special morning.
Breakfast will start at 7:15 am, and this year’s event promises to be extra special with live entertainment and a fun plane-making activity for dads to showcase their skills.
If you are available to help, please let our enthusiastic Parents and Friends Executives know. Your support is appreciated.
Our Pastoral Care Team have also organised an exciting raffle.
As always, you are warmly invited to celebrate Mass with us at 9.00 am.
Don’t forget on this day we are encouraging students to “Dress Like Dad” for a gold coin donation to support the Archbishop’s LifeLink Appeal.
School Improvements
This week, we installed a new drainage system to help manage flooding issues on the oval and in the Pre-Kindergarten area. While heavy rain does not occur often, when it does, it causes significant disruption around our playgrounds.
We are continuing to address a few remaining areas within the school that also need drainage improvements. Please be assured that we are working diligently to resolve these issues within our available budget.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we make these important enhancements to our school grounds.
Parent Seminar
I would like to thank Paul Young, Planting Pastor at Providence Bayswater for inviting us to an upcoming parenting seminar.
Dr Jenny Brown is coming to Perth and is running an event for a new organisation she has just started called the Parent Hope Project. The evening aims to build parent confidence in being the best resource for their child’s wellbeing. It aims to make a project out of the caregiver instead of anxiously worrying about the child.
Dr Brown is the author of the bestselling book Growing Yourself Up and director of The Parent Hope Project, an organisation seeking to empower parents and caregivers in today’s complex world. Jenny draws from over 35 years of clinical experience and has a research interest in how parents can support their children’s mental health. Her PhD research was into the parent’s and child’s experience of mental health treatment.
EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Thursday 5 September 2024
Time: 7.30pm
Place: Bayswater Bowling Club
Cost: $10 per person
Purchase tickets here : https://providencechurch.org.au/bayswater/the-parent-hope-project/
More information about the organisation can be found on their website:
https://parenthopeproject.com.au/
Upcoming Events
- School Photographs are happening during Week 7. Please check class seesaw for times.
- Friday 30 August: Father’s Day Breakfast, served from 7.15 am, Mass at 9.00 am.
- Friday 30 August: Dress Like Dad. Gold coin donation for LifeLink Appeal.
- Monday 2 September: Confirmation Family Workshops.
- 6 White, 4.30 pm – 5.45 pm
- 6 Green, 6.00 pm – 7.15 pm
Tip from Pre-Primary URSTRONG – Don’t Yuk Someone Else’s Yum. Our students can be incredibly honest and sometimes their honest opinion hurts. They have not yet learnt to be Kind on Purpose. Pre-Primary Students practised kind reactions to lunch box ideas that are either new or different to those they prefer by responding positively and adding what they like. “Cool. I like …”
In gratitude,
Gina Burns
Principal
P & F News
NEWS
Father’s Day Breakfast – ORDERS CLOSE THIS FRIDAY AT MIDNIGHT!
The Father’s Day Breakfast event is STILL open for your kids to invite all the awesome dads, grandads and father-figures in our community. This year, we have a special guest performing (Parent — Stacey-Ann Duff) who we are so grateful to have volunteering her talents and time. Get involved on the day and take part in our family paper plane competition with the chance for Dad to win a $100 Bunnings Voucher — hurry, get to brekky early to start folding! Your digital invitation is attached to order from otherwise visit the menu to pre-order breakfast for you and your family now: https://www.cognitoforms.com/StColumbasPrimarySchool/PFFathersDayBreakfast2024.
Our Pastoral Care team are running their Father’s Day raffle again with prizes being drawn at brekky — SEE the flyer attached to this newsletter for more details.
We STILL need some more Volunteers to roll out the brekky — volunteer with us to help us celebrate the wonderful Dads of the St Columba’s School community at the Father’s Day Breakfast on Friday 30th August.
Please visit the link to sign up now: https://volunteersignup.org/W4L74
TERM 3 FUNDRAISING FOCUS
School Athletics Carnival Bake Stall-A reminder that due to a change in location there will be no sausage sizzle on the day
The carnival is just around the corner (Tuesday 10th September) and we would love your donated baked goods for our annual bake stall. Everyone can contribute to make this a successful bake stall OR a volunteer sheet will be available soon to assist with sales on the day. Thank you for your support.
To help things run smoothly, please:
- no meat or fresh dairy (cream etc)
- ensure all items are nut free
- provide a full list of ingredients
- label your container clearly
- deliver to the office by 8am ON THE DAY
Car Space Auction – The annual car spot auction is back up for grabs! Your family will go into the running to win 1 x car space at School for Term 4 and the Edu-Dance Concert evening. Tickets are $5.00 each and will be available soon to purchase, with the prize being drawn on the last day of Term 3. Goodluck everyone!
Gingerberry Offer
Rob and Jayne Jagger have been a part of the St Columba’s community since 2015 and want to give back. Rob designs baby & children’s feeding products and has been in the industry for 20+ years. His brand gingerberry, affectionately named after his girls Sophie and Lilah with their ginger & strawberry hair, focuses on ergonomics and provides young families with all they need when introducing a sippy cup, starting solids for the first time & teaching their little ones how to hold cutlery correctly. Rob is offering 20% off with part proceeds going to the School. Simply head to the website www.gingerberry.com.au and enter these two discount codes at the checkout (STCOLS20 + FREE) – all orders can either be collected from their home in Bayswater or the school and this offer will be on for the remainder of 2024. We understand you may be past this point or there may be another little bundle on the way, however they make great gifts and this offer can be passed onto friends. See flyer attached to this newsletter.
Entertainment Book Offer
20% of every Membership purchased is donated to supporting our fundraising efforts. Join today and help us make a difference.
Order yours today: https://subscribe.entertainment.com.au/fundraiser/83589g
Containers for Change deposits
Love to contribute to our schools fundraising efforts? Consider the St Columba’s P&F at your next Containers for Change deposit. Simply scan the QR code, download the app and add the member number to your profile. The P&F fund would be so grateful for your contribution to further aid in the students resources and equipment.
EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY
- 30 August – Father’s Day Breakfast 7.15am -8.00am
- 10 September – Faction Athletics Carnival Bakesale
- 20 September – Whole School Subway Order Lunch Day
- 20 September – Annual Car Space Auction Draw
- 18 October – School Disco
NEXT P&F MEETING
The next P&F meeting will be held on Tuesday 3 September at 7pm in the Sr Irena Library. We hope to see as many new faces as possible at the next meeting.
Library News
It’s not too late to join your child for the Premier’s Reading Challenge 2024. Challenge closes 6 September. Let’s see if we can be the top school and win a school performance for St Columba’s.
Unlock the magic of reading. There are prizes to be won, fun to be had, and stories to uncover.
Details at:
https://www.premiersreadingchallenge.wa.edu.au/parents-and-families
Make sure you join: ST COLUMBA’S SCHOOL
KEEP UP THE GREAT READING, AND LOG THOSE BOOKS!
USED BOOKS
Used Books (from the Library) for students and families. These books are now FREE!
On display outside the library – Before school, recess, lunchtime and after school.
The library is open every morning before school:
All students are welcome from 8:15am
Pre-Kindy and Kindy students must be accompanied by Parent/Carer until 8.45am
The library is a calming and quiet place, making it the perfect spot for students to have a smooth and calming transition in the morning.
Students may also like to return and borrow books before school.
Looking forward to seeing you the library.
2024 CBCA Book Week – Reading is MAGIC
17 – 23 August, 2024
Rita Cuthbert – Library Officer – Library - the original search engine
Pastoral Care
Happy Birthday to:
The following students who will celebrate birthday’s in the coming week:
George Capellini KW
Eliza McGlue 1G
Alessia Cullura 1G
Hugo Allison 1W
Spencer Landis 3W
Elizabeth Kennewell 4G
Havarna Bova 5W
Chloe Bouteloup 6W
PASTORAL CARE WEEKLY RAFFLE
Tickets are 3 for $1 (maximum of 3 tickets per child).
We are always looking for Volunteers to join the Pastoral Care Team. If you can spare a little time on a Wednesday morning after drop off, you can find us in the Church meeting room just as you enter from the basketball court.
WEEKLY RAFFLE ROSTER
TERM 3
Week 7 – 28 August
Week 8 – 4 September – NO RAFFLE
Week 9 – 11 September
Week 10 – 18 September – NO RAFFLE
| Kindy Green | Week 7 – Harrison White Week 9 – Isaabelle Glare |
| Kindy White | Week 7 – Finn Patten Week 9 – Greta Williams |
| PP Green | Week 7 – Ezra Smart Week 9 – Ned Moore |
| PP White | Week 7 – Florence Stazzonelli Week 9 – Lily Sinfield |
| Year 1 Green | Week 7 – Elise Villamar Week 9 – Eliza McGlue |
| Year 1 White | Week 7 – Ffion Humphreys Week 9 – Francis Masek |
| Year 2 Green | Week 7 – Heaven White Week 9 – Harriet Stazzonelli |
| Year 2 White | Week 7 – Caiden Thompson Mewburn Week 9 – Ella Phillips |
| Year 3 Green | Week 7 – Hugo Zachar Week 9 – Reuben Williams |
| Year 3 White | Week 7 – Lachlan Stewart Week 9 – Lily Vernon |
| Year 4 Green | Week 7 – Emma North Week 9 – Henry Webb |
| Year 4 White | Week 7 – Huw Humphreys Week 9 – Abigail Vernon |
| Year 5 Green | Week 7 – Theo Smart Week 9 – Harriet Webb |
| Year 5 White | Week 7 – Alessia Marrapodi Week 9 – Estelle Pirone |
| Year 6 Green | Week 7 – Maya Thompson Mewburn Week 9 – Giorgia Trevenen |
| Year 6 White | Week 7 – Sam Villamar Week 9 – Tony Masek |
Religious Education and Curriculum News
From our Pre-Kindergarten Classes :
When we welcome new Pre-Kindy children to our class, they add their family photo to our PK family wall. At times, our PKs miss their families, our family photo wall reminds them that their loved ones are not far away.
We thank God for giving us a family to love, care and protect us always. 🥰❤️😍
From our Year 3 classes :
This is what the Year Threes had to say:
The Friendology UR Strong Program teaches kids how to deal with friendship fires, how to make new friends and what we do when our friendship is in the unhealthy zone. There are four friendship facts to remember when dealing with a friendship fire. Every friendship is different and that’s ok. Trust and respect are the two most important words in friendship. No friendship is perfect. Friendships can change and that’s okay.
JOANNA
We are learning to make friends and to do that is to trust and respect your friends. Be honest and be kind.
JACOB
I learnt from UR Strong about friendship fires and being mean on purpose. When we do UR Strong, I love it. It is my favourite thing to do.
XANDER
We have been learning about friendship ninjas and friendship fires. We have also made a Friend-o-meter.
ELLIOT
This term we have been learning how to be a friendship ninja with the help of the UR Strong program. It tells us how to put out a friendship fire and the difference between mean on purpose and a friendship fire. In groups of three and four we made our own friend-o-meter. We have had a fun time learning with the UR Strong program.
MONICA
Community Notices
SCHOOL PHOTO DAY IS COMING!
Monday 26 August, Tuesday 27 August and Thursday 29 August
School photo day is coming! Every student will have received a personalised flyer that was sent home yesterday from Kapture Photography containing your child’s unique codes for ordering school photos online.
KEEP YOUR FLYER SECURE!
The unique codes contained on the flyer will be issued only once.
Order EARLY for sibling photography
Sibling photos can ONLY be ordered online. Once you receive the personalised flyers for your children, it is imperative that you order your sibling photo early to avoid missing out! There is a physical limit in the school schedule to how many sibling photos can be taken. Once the maximum capacity of sibling orders has been reached, no more sibling orders can be placed.
If maximum capacity is not reached, sibling orders close 12pm midday sharp, one business day prior to the first photo day.
The school or the photographers cannot accept late orders for sibling photography. Please do not ask as your request simply cannot be accommodated.
Order EARLY for discount photo day prices
Order your photos up to 10 calendar days after photo day to receive discount photo day prices. Late orders are handled separately to the school delivery and incur a $30 custom service charge.
Other information
Kapture offer a money back guarantee for any parent who is not fully satisfied with their photo package. Should you have any queries before or after photo day, please check the FAQ’s on the Kapture website.
We request that students who are displaying signs of respiratory and / or gastrointestinal illnesses do not attend school specifically to be included in their class photo. Having students with communicable illnesses attend the photography venues puts other students, school staff and Kapture staff at risk – especially those that are already immunocompromised. Students who are unable to attend school photo day can book a studio appointment at our Malaga office to be photographed during school holidays. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.
Your school will notify you in a few weeks when team and special group photos are available to view and purchase on the Kapture website. Please note; class, individual and sibling portraits are not available to view online prior to purchase.
All students will be photographed individually on photo day for school administration records AS WELL as included in their class group presentation available for purchase to all families. Should there be any reason why your child should NOT be included in the photo shoot –please contact the school office.
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School Holiday Athletics Clinic for boys and girls aged 8 to 16 years. Tuesday 1st & Wednesday 2nd of October 2024. WA Athletics Stadium. 8.30am-3pm. $125 per day. Or $240 for both days. Includes a personised certificate. Choose ANY 4 events per day. More Info: http://sprintingfast.com/
