Principal's Update - 19th May 2022

Intro

Dear Families,

The month of May is traditionally our month to remember Mary the Mother of Jesus, and celebrate our own Mothers and the precious gift of life that they have given us. We thank our Mothers and those who are mother figures to us. We recognise that whilst Mothers Day is often a day of celebration, it can also evoke some sadness and memories for those who have lost their own mothers or for those who mothers are no longer with us.

Mother's Day Stall & Liturgy

Thank you to our band of Dad’s who organised and facilitated this year's Mother’s Day Stall. The students were most delighted with their gifts for their Mum’s, and it was wonderful for families to attend the stall together to choose gifts.

Our Mother’s Day Liturgy was a beautiful celebration and tribute to our Mother’s and the special women in our lives. Thank you to all who attended this special celebration and for the feedback received around the success of the day. Each year we spend many hours preparing a special Liturgy or Mass. There isn’t a specific format for the celebration, and we hope there are no preconceived notions or expectations around this. We encourage alternate options and we feel blessed to have such creative leaders in Torie and Lucy. 

The special occasion also marked an opportunity for many of you to gather in the Church with the children after such a long absence. St Columba’s is a strong and supportive community of people who relish the opportunity to celebrate significant events together. The scripture passages and message for our Mother’s Day celebration were carefully chosen.  The Liturgy was designed for people to encounter the sacred in a prayerful and meaningful way. The four key elements in the liturgy of the Word are; Gather, Listen, Respond and Go Forth. Each Learning Community was responsible for preparing one of those elements. You may have noticed the intentionality of each Learning Group to engage with the key elements of scripture and what it means in the world today. We look forward to gathering together for Catholic Education Week on Friday 27th May. 

Transition to Winter Uniform

Thank you for your support in the transition to Winter Uniform this term. With the fluctuating change in weather these past weeks, the children will certainly be glad of the extra layers to keep them warm!

Changes to the Uniform Order process

Our online portal for uniform orders is up and running!

Orders are now being processed online via Quickcliq. Please sign into your Quickcliq account (via the SZapp as would for lunch orders or via www.quickcliq.com.au). Once logged in, navigate to 'Uniforms' (via the 3 line icon at the top left of the screen) and follow the prompts to place and pay for your order. You will be given the option to collect the uniform from the office or have it sent home with your child.

Hard copies of the order form are still available from the office if required. Please note that we are unable to fill orders on the spot at the office. Orders are generally ready within 24 hours.

Quickcliq charges a transparent $0.25 booking fee per order. Prices have been decreased slightly on the majority of uniform items purchased online, in order to absorb this fee. Hard copy form orders will still incur current pricing. 

Should you require any assistance navigating the online ordering system, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Book Fair

Our 2022 Book Fair has been scheduled for Term Two this year, a little earlier than previous years. Classes have already participated in viewing sessions where they have written their wish lists in anticipation of purchasing. Purchase times are set for Friday 20th May & Tuesday 24th May, with allocated access times for students during the school day and the opportunity for parents to view and purchase after school from 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm.

As in previous years, students will have a ‘Wish List’, which is completely up to parental discretion as to what items are purchased.

It is preferable for students to purchase their own items. Please send your child with their wish list, receipt number for online purchases or a cash payment and a named carry bag to carry the items in.

Option 1: Pay online directly to the Scholastic Book Fair, scholastic.com.au/payment record your receipt number and then send your child to school with a copy of the receipt, their list and a named bag. Please note, when searching for our school, the easiest option is to search via suburb using 'Soldiers Hill' (with no apostrophe in Soldiers).

Option 2: Send your child to school with the correct amount in cash (where possible), their list and a named bag. 

Teachers will endeavour to keep all of the items safe until the end of day, until your child brings home the items. The money we make will go towards books for our school.

Bunnings BBQ - Helpers Required

Our school has been fortunate to secure once again a spot for the highly sought after Bunnings BBQ fundraiser, and we need your assistance to help make it a success! The BBQ will be held on Saturday, 28th May, commencing at 8:30 am and finishing at 4:30 pm. There are quite a few shifts yet to be covered - particularly in the afternoon.

Please complete the simple form here to indicate if you are able to assist on the day. Organisers will be in contact with you closer to the date to confirm.

Please note volunteers are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID.

Should you have any queries, please contact the school office or Serena Nicholson on 0418 107 261.

School Review

Last week our school participated in the final component of the School Review process, hosting a panel of external reviewers who met across two days with a variety of focus groups from across the school community.

This was a wonderful opportunity for our school staff to be validated for their work over the past five years and to celebrate and be proud of all that has been achieved. The panel members also reviewed the goals staff had collaborated together to set and form the school's strategic direction for the next five years.

Thank you to the parents who joined us on Monday 8th May, to participate in the consultation process and feedback session. The panel were delighted to hear about our community and were extremely complimentary about the students who also participated in the sessions. We look forward to receiving a report to encapsulate the journey and plan moving forward. Thanks to our amazing staff and community for your support in the process.

Sacramental Preparation for Term 2

Our Years 3 /4 Community continue their preparations for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. Please note that the preparation sessions take place at the School.

Thanks to our parent volunteers for leading our Family groups. It has been a wonderful experience to date for all participants.

Final Preparation evening - Tuesday 24th May, 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Celebration of the Sacrament - Sunday 29th May & Sunday 5th June, 10:00am Mass at St Columba’s Church.

Upcoming Closure Day

A reminder regarding the upcoming School Closure Days Monday 23rd May for a Professional Development Day for Staff on Assessment & Reporting.

Please also note that due to circumstances out of our control, our school closure day set for the beginning of Term 3 has now been shifted to Thursday, 21st July.

Staffing Update

LG3

Due to continued physical ill health, Tom Hogan has decided to resign from his full-time teaching position in LG 3 and take on a reduced teaching workload, taking on the STEAM Specialist Role,  under doctors' advice, to focus on his health. 

After numerous attempts to employ a full-time teacher and the difficulties we face with the current teacher shortage across Victoria and other states, we have decided to redeploy an existing staff member and employ another part-time teacher.

Mrs Alison Thorpe, who has been in the boost role has graciously stepped in to support LG 3 this term. We are delighted to announce that Alison will continue in this role, teaching LG 3 alongside Mrs Louise Burke in a job share arrangement.

SHAC - Soldiers Hill Art Collective - ARTWALK 20- 29 May 2022

St Columba’s School Community is excited to participate in the local exhibition organised by the Soldiers Hill Art Collective (SHAC). Artwork will be displayed on the fence along Lydiard Street commencing this Friday 20th May, as part of the Ballarat Heritage Weekend.

We encourage you to stroll the streets and see the amazing artwork. A big thank you to Maree Cooper for coordinating the artwork for our community.

Important Dates Term 2

Kind regards,

Bambi Afford & Shaun Mohr
Co-Principals