Principal's Update - 24th January

Welcome

Dear Families,

Welcome back to St Columba’s for the 2025 school year! We hope this letter finds you well and that the summer holidays have been filled with joyful moments, sunny days, and special times spent with loved ones. The beautiful weather has provided a perfect backdrop for relaxation and re-energising as we embark on another exciting year of learning and growth.

To our new families, a warm and heartfelt welcome to our school community. We are delighted to have you join us and look forward to partnering with you in your child’s educational journey. Transitioning to a new school is a significant milestone, and we are here to support you every step of the way.

Our dedicated staff have been busy preparing classrooms and learning spaces to ensure that every student feels happy, safe, and ready to thrive. The buzz of activity throughout the school is a testament to our shared commitment to providing a nurturing and inspiring environment where all children can flourish academically, socially, and spiritually.

We welcome  our new staff members also this year who are also joining our St Columba’s team. We know they will be made to feel very welcome.

As we come together to begin this new chapter, let us continue to foster a sense of belonging and community that makes St Columba’s so special. We encourage you to get involved in the life of the school, whether through attending events, or simply connecting with other families.

We are looking forward to welcoming all our students back on 29th January, refreshed and eager to learn. Let’s make 2025 a year of achievements, friendships, and joyful moments.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Back to school - Staff - Tuesday 28th January

We are excited to welcome staff back to school on Tuesday, 28th January. On this day, our staff will attend Mass at the Cathedral alongside all Central Zone Schools to commence the year with prayer and community. The School Office will open from 11:30 am, providing an opportunity for parents to purchase uniforms, bags, and hats or to make fee payments in preparation for the new school year. We look forward to seeing you and supporting your family as we begin another wonderful year together.

Back to school -Students -Wednesday 29th January

We are delighted to welcome all our students back for the start of another exciting school year! To help make the first morning smooth and positive, we encourage a quick drop-off, a cheerful kiss-and-go, and a reassuring word that you'll see them at the end of the day. To help parents settle in, a coffee van will be located on Howard Street, and there will be an opportunity to meet other parents on the Hall decking. Students will be supervised from 8:35 am, with gates opening at 8:20 am on the first day. Upon arrival, all students will gather under the new shade sail and remain seated until dismissed at 8:40 am. They will then enter classrooms, take their bags in, and settle until the bell rings at 8:45 am to officially begin the day. We can’t wait to see everyone and look forward to a wonderful start to the year!

Sports Uniform 2025

Please note that students will be required to wear sports uniform on the following days. Hats will be required to be worn every day in terms one and four and when UV index levels hit 3-5 as a minimum. Students will be given a grace period of a week to ensure they are in the correct uniform. This includes hats, no brand socks and summer uniform. If children do not have a hat, they will be requested to sit under the Foundation Verandah for their break.

Timetable Changes for 2025

We will return to a shared timetable, no longer having a split Junior/Senior break after regaining more space in our yard, continuing to have 3 breaks throughout the day. 

The introduction of a third break last year saw a significant decrease in the number of injury and conflict issues at breaks, whilst also increasing the ability for students to have regular “brain breaks” to reduce learning fatigue. 

We noticed that the students often get hungry later in the day and therefore we have moved one of the eating times. Please note that the start and end of day times remain the same. The changes to the timetable are below:

Supervision before and after school

Children are supervised from 8:35 am and until 3:30 pm. If, for some reason, your child/children need to arrive slightly earlier on a particular day, please speak directly with the Shaun or myself to ensure this can be accommodated and adequate supervision can be ensured. If arriving later than 8:45 am, children need to be brought into the office and signed in by parents/guardians.

The Howard Street Gates (bike and pedestrian) are the only gates opened prior to 8:30 am. We encourage the Foundation children to enter and exit via the Armstrong Street Gate. 

Communication

For all other information including which days to wear academic uniform and which to wear Sports, please keep an eye on Seesaw and PAM in late January. A reminder that the majority of our school information sharing is electronic. Our main form of communication with parents is via the SchoolZine App. This includes regular Principal Updates containing the most recent information. You can access many of our other platforms from this app, including reporting an absence when your child is away from school. The code 5900 will be required when selecting St. Columba’s School. Throughout the year information directly related to your child’s learning will be shared via their journal on the Seesaw App. Your Parent Access Module (PAM) can be used to access permission forms, student reports, attendance records, parent-teacher bookings, and update medical information, among other things. If you are having any issues connecting to one of these platforms please reach out to our Office staff who will be more than happy to assist you. 

Medication

We ask all parents to bring all relevant medication, along with the attached form and medical plans on the first day of school.

If your child requires any medication throughout the day, it will be stored at the school office. If you have noted on your child's PAM that they have asthma or another allergy, we will require a plan for all Medication left onsite.

Uniform Orders

As many parents have been placing your orders on Quickcliq over the holidays, we will fill these orders first thing on Tuesday. We will send out a text message once filled.

Parents who wish to come and purchase other uniforms we will be open from 11.30am.

If you purchase uniforms via Quickcliq this would be easier and much appreciated.

The new Sports Polo's (Blue) haven't arrived yet. We will send these home with students who have ordered once they arrive. Please wear yellow polo's for sport in the meantime. 

Icy Poles

Icy Poles will be back every Friday this term. Icy Poles are $1 each and will be available at 12.35pm.

Parent Volunteers will be notified next week with their allocated times.

Important Dates - 2025