Principal's Update - 25th February 2022

Intro

We were delighted to commence our week with our student body gathering outside to celebrate our beginning School Liturgy for 2022. We were indeed blessed to have beautiful weather to be able to gather and reflect on the readings and the Gospel and sing together with gusto, the school song, ‘We have Spirit’. 

As part of the celebration, we distributed the Leadership Badges to our wonderful group of Year 6’s and prayed a special blessing over them. We ask that they wear their badges with pride and as a reminder of their role as leaders of our school. We look forward to them leading the way in our community for the 2022 school year.

With the easing of some restrictions, we have also been fortunate to host many of our ‘Meet & Greet Parent Interviews’ onsite. These were valuable opportunities for teachers and parents alike to get to know each other and gain valuable insight, which will assist teachers to support students to reach their full potential as learners. It was so wonderful to welcome visitors into our school, some for the first time. We have been delighted with the feedback that we received regarding our vibrant learning environments and just being on school grounds once again.

School Closure Day - Monday 28th February

A gentle reminder that next Monday, 28th February, is a School Closure Day for our staff to continue to work together to prepare for the School Review, which has now been set for 9th & 10th of May. We will welcome Mr Lee Schlooz from Catholic Education Ballarat in his role as Education Consultant, to support the facilitation of the day, with a focus on using data collected from various surveys over the last two years to help us set goals for our community moving forward.

School Advisory Council Nominations (SAC)

We invite any interested party to complete an expression of interest to join our valuable team for the next two years. Please complete the form found here if you are interested in becoming a member of this important committee. Our first meeting will be in Week 8, Wednesday 16th March.

COVID Updates

Please continue to check PAM for daily updates on COVID 19 statistics for our school community. We continue to keep high levels of cleaning and sanitisation across our school.

We ask students in years 3-6 to wear masks, along with physical distancing to help keep our community safe and ensure our school remains open and continuity of learning is maintained.

Rapid Antigen Tests

The use of Rapid antigen tests will continue as a precautionary measure to screen students until the end of Term 1. These will be made available for all students at St Columba’s. Rapid antigen testing, while strongly recommended, will be voluntary for all students. Students will continue to be requested to test twice weekly. Test kits will be distributed directly to families in your child’s school bag. Our next shipment is yet to arrive. We will keep you informed as to when you should expect to receive them.

Foundation 2023 Information Night and School Tours

We will hold our 2023 Foundation Information Night this coming Monday 28th February at  6:30 pm in our School Hall. Please be aware that COVID safety measures, including sanitising and social distancing are in place and mask-wearing is recommended. We look forward to welcoming prospective families to our school to learn more about who we are and what we offer here at St Columba’s. Next week, we will commence ‘School Alive Tours’ to see our communities in action.

Ash Wednesday Liturgy

Next Wednesday our school community will gather together for an Ash Wednesday Liturgy to mark the commencement of our 6-week journey through Lent in preparation for Easter.

Fr Marcello will lead our Liturgy. We thank Torie and Lucy for their planning and organisation.

The Sacrament of Senior Reconciliation

Year 6 children will have the opportunity to celebrate their Senior Reconciliation. As Senior Reconciliation is the final Sacrament that is typically celebrated during the primary school years, in the Ballarat Diocese, we ask that you ensure your child has completed their Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation and First Eucharist before enrolling for the Sacrament of Senior Reconciliation. 

Two sessions will take place at the St Columba’s Church foyer as follows:

The Parish and School share the responsibility with parents and carers, together in partnership, of the spiritual development of each child in the faith of the Catholic Church. Please note this year; the Sacramental program is family-based, school coordinated and parish supported. 

New Wooden Spools for Loose Parts Play

WANTED        WANTED       WANTED 
We are looking for a volunteer with a large ute or trailer to collect some large wooden spools from Middy’s Electrical in Mair Street Ballarat, to be used as part of our loose parts playground. If you are able to help, please contact the office to discuss and arrange a mutually convenient time for delivery. Thank you in anticipation.

Student Census

Each year schools are required to participate in a student census. The February Census data required for submission to the Department of Education and Training is the school’s census of students. The information collected is necessary for accountability to the government and for planning purposes relating to the provision of Catholic schooling in Victoria. Please see the attached ‘Collection Notice for Parents/Guardians’ regarding the collection of information.

Kind regards,

Bambi Afford & Shaun Mohr
Co-Principals