Principal's Update - 14th March

Welcome

Dear Families,

I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful long weekend and had a chance to relax and recharge under those perfect blue skies. It’s hard to believe we are already in March, with the school buzzing with activity!

Over the past week, our dedicated staff have been engaging in Professional Learning focused on Daily Review, a powerful strategy that supports students in consolidating their learning. It’s exciting to see the positive impact this is having in classrooms, with students growing in confidence as they revisit and strengthen key concepts.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended our Parent Teacher Interviews last week. The nights were a wonderful opportunity to connect, celebrate student successes, and set goals for the term ahead. We truly value the partnership we share with our families in supporting each child's learning journey.

This week, we also commenced NAPLAN for our Year 3 and Year 5 students. We are so proud of the way they are approaching this experience, and we’re reminding them that these assessments are just one way we get to see their learning progress.

And finally, there’s plenty of excitement building as our Year 3/4 students prepare for their upcoming camp at Creswick Log Cabin. It promises to be a fantastic adventure, with opportunities for new experiences, friendships, and lots of fun in the great outdoors!

Reconciliation

The preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation continues, with students completing their further sessions along their faith journey. We encourage families to actively support their children by engaging in follow-up activities at home after each session, reinforcing their learning and reflection. To further deepen their understanding and connection to this sacrament, we warmly invite students and their families to attend Sunday Mass at 10:00 am throughout the Lenten period. This will provide a meaningful opportunity for prayer, reflection, and spiritual growth as they prepare to receive God’s loving forgiveness. Please note the following important dates for students preparing for their First Reconciliation. Candidates will receive a Prayer card this coming Sunday to peruse and learn more about the traditional Catholic prayers.

Presentation of Candidates at Mass

 -  Sunday, 16th March at 10:00 am

 -  Sunday, 23rd March at 10:00 am

Sacrament of Reconciliation Celebration

Thursday, 3rd April 5:30 pm at St Columba’s Church

Caritas K’s

During the Lenten season, St Columba’s Primary School is proud to once again participate in Project Compassion, Caritas Australia’s annual fundraising and awareness campaign. This initiative unites thousands of Australians in solidarity with the world’s poor, working to end poverty, promote justice, and uphold human dignity. Running throughout the six weeks of Lent, Project Compassion is a powerful expression of faith, love, and generosity, driven by a shared commitment to justice and peace.

The theme for Project Compassion 2025 is "Unite Against Poverty", inspiring us to come together to make a meaningful difference.

To support this initiative, our school will be hosting two special fundraising events during Lent. More details will be shared soon, and we encourage our community to get involved in this important cause.

Our Lenten Liturgy and ‘Caritas K’s Walk’ will take place on Friday, 21st March, from 9:15 am to 10:30 am. The students will participate in a Lenten Liturgy at 9.15 at St Columba’s Church. Families are most welcome to join with the school community. The students will then return to school to participate in the ‘Caritas K’s Walk’. The walk takes place around our school perimeter. Caritas K’s is an opportunity to fundraise and educate people in social justice, aiming to move our compassion into action for now and for all future generations. 

The walk will commence at 9.45 and conclude at 10.15. There will be various collection tins on each street corner for your donation. Donating your icy pole money is a powerful action. Additional family members and prams are most welcome. However, we are unable to accommodate pets due to the safety of our students.

Looking forward to seeing you all at this event. Don’t forget your gold coins for a worthy cause. 

Please note that all children are invited to wear their full sports uniform if they wish to walk in runners. 

Colour Fun Run

Our Colour Fun Run is fast approaching, taking place on Sunday, March 30th, at C E Brown (Laker’s) Reserve.  This will be a fantastic opportunity for our school community to come together and enjoy an afternoon filled with fun, laughter, and physical activity for all abilities. We are incredibly grateful for the efforts of our dedicated volunteers who have already begun preparations, especially those stepping forward for the first time. We look forward to seeing as many families as possible join us for this exciting and colourful celebration!  Please note there will be a BBQ and a number of Food Trucks attending to provide a range of food and beverage items for the event. The current organising Committee consists of Shae Molloy, Serena Nicolson, Laura Fryar, Hannah Moroney, Louise Rossi & Natasha Snare.

We are still in need of some parent volunteers on the day. So if you would like to throw paint and join in the colour fun please let us know!  If you would like to volunteer on the day, please contact the committee members via the School Office.

Date: Sunday 30th March 

Time: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm 

Location: C E Brown Reserve (Lakers’ Oval) Behind Selkirk Stadium

Remember to create a profile page at www.myprofilepage.au and share your profile to family & friends to receive online donations.

Easter Raffle and Donations

Our Easter Raffle is back!! You are able to purchase tickets, on behalf of students, family, neighbours and friends. Tickets are now available to purchase via the following link. Ticket sales will be online only this year through rafflelink.

Please finalise your ticket purchases no later than Tuesday 1st April 2025.

Families are also asked to please leave a donation for the Easter raffle prizes at the school office by Tuesday 1st April 2025

Thank you in advance for your kind support of our school fundraising efforts.

Hot Cross Bun Drive Fundraiser

We are excited to announce our Hot Cross Bun drive will be back this year. Order forms from Bakers Delight will be sent home this week. Many different flavours to choose from with $2 from every 6 pack purchased to go back into the school.

Orders close on Monday 24th March and Hot Cross Buns will be sent home with students on Monday 31st March.

2026 Foundation Enrolments

Reminder to families that Enrolment Applications are now open for Foundation 2026 Students.

Register your interest in enrolling your child at a Catholic school in the City of Ballarat by completing an online “City of Ballarat Expression of Interest for Enrolment” form found below.  At this stage, you will be able to nominate St Columba’s Primary School as your first preference.

When completing the Expression of Interest form, you must indicate your first preference school and upload your child’s birth certificate  and baptism certificate (if applicable).

If you have a sibling starting, you must complete the form also.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS - Term 2, Week 1

As we approach the start of Term Two, we’d like to remind families that Week One will look quite different to a typical school week. This unique week is bookended by two public holidays—Easter Monday on Monday 21st April and ANZAC Day on Friday 25th April. In between, our school will be closed for three days as staff engage in important professional learning alongside other schools in our Central Zone. On Tuesday 22nd April, our leadership team will attend the launch of the DOBCEL Strategy, featuring renowned guest speakers Pasi Sahlberg and David Runge. Wednesday 23rd April will see staff participating in the "Teach Like A Champion" professional learning with colleagues from Lumen Christi. On Thursday 24th April, our team will spend the day working with Sr Veronica and Sr Carmel Setford, focusing on reigniting the Mercy Charism that lies at the heart of St Columba’s. We thank you for your understanding and support as we invest in these valuable learning opportunities to strengthen and enrich our school community.

Term 2 Week 1 -  

• Monday 21st April - Easter Monday Public Holiday
• Tuesday 22nd April - DOBCEL Strategy Launch - All Central Zone Staff
• Wednesday 23rd April - Teach Like a Champion - St Columba’s & Lumen Christi
• Thursday 24th April - Professional Learning with Sr Veronica Lawson & Sr Carmel Setford around Mercy Charism
• Friday 25th April - ANZAC Day Public Holiday

Important Information- Concussion

If your child has experienced concussion outside of the school setting it is important that they rest for a period of 24 to 48 hours and then gradually return to activities after this time. Returning to school can be a graduated approach with the aim of increasing tolerance to a full day, the same situation could occur with sporting activities. It is always important to check with your doctor and seek medical treatment after a child sustains a concussion.

It is important to inform the school if your child has sustained a concussion outside of school; this is to ensure the school can monitor your child’s wellbeing and adapt activities as required.

This factsheet link below from the Royal Children’s Hospital is valuable to read and understand.

https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Head_injury_return_to_school_and_sport/

There is also a great evidence-based app from the Murdoch children’s research institute that walks you through what to do in the result of a concussion.

https://www.headcheck.com.au/

Mother’s Day Stall

To celebrate our Mother’s and the Special women in our lives, we will hold a Mother’s Day Stall on Monday 5th May. Gifts will be $5 each, and families will be invited to attend the stall together to purchase the perfect gift for their mum. Children have the option of cash on the day or the option of paying via QuickCliq. Please sign in to your QuickCliq account (via the SZapp as you would for Lunch Orders). Scroll to events, and you will note the Mother’s Day Gift Stall, where you can place your order. Gifts are limited to one per child. Cash purchases will be accepted on the day.

SAVE THE DATE - Mother’s Day Liturgy Friday 9th May

This year we are excited to celebrate our Mother’s and the special women in our lives with a Mass at St Columba’s Church at 9:15 am. More details to follow.

School Athletics Carnival

Our students are busily practising in preparation for our School Athletics Carnival, set for Thursday, 8th May, at Llanberris Reserve. Students will be bussed to the event, parents are encouraged to pick their child/ren up prior to 3 pm. Please accept the permission sent out on PAM and indicate if your child needs to be bussed back to school, as we need to finalise bus numbers ASAP. This event will be a wonderful opportunity for our students to gather in their house groups and participate in various events. Thanks to those parents who have registered their intent to support the day. Please note that due to some changes in arrangements at Llanberris, the podium is no longer available to schools.

Community

Important Dates - 2025