Principal's Update - 13th February

Welcome

Dear Families,

A Joyful Start to the Year

It has been a wonderful and uplifting start to the school year at St Columba’s, with several key events bringing our community together.

Our Opening School Mass was a beautiful celebration that set a positive tone for the year ahead. The theme, “You are the Light of the World,” reminded us all of our role in bringing hope, kindness, and faith into our school and beyond. Seeing our students, staff, and families come together in prayer and reflection was heartening.  A special thank you to our Priests, Fr Ed and Fr Francis and our amazing musicians. Our Foundation students were warmly welcomed and supported by their caring Year 5 buddies, while our Year 6 Leaders proudly received their Student Leader badges—an enduring and cherished tradition at St Columba’s. Mass is always a special time for reflection, gratitude, and unity. It offers us a moment to pause, embrace the year ahead with hope, and appreciate the wonderful community we share. It is not about performance but about coming together in faith, celebrating as one, and strengthening the bonds that connect us.

Our Parent Information Night was also well attended, and we sincerely thank families for engaging with us as we outlined key updates, including our refined pedagogical approach, timetable adjustments, and focus on Cognitive Load Theory. Our commitment to the Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) model ensures a structured and effective learning environment for all students.

The Open Classrooms and School Picnic were another highlight, providing families with a chance to step inside the learning spaces, meet teachers, and enjoy a relaxed evening together. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and conversation, and the delicious gelato from Il Piccolo was certainly a crowd favourite!

Looking ahead, we invite families with children starting school in 2026 to our 2026 Foundation Enrolment Evening on Monday, 24th February, at 6:30 pm. This is a significant opportunity for prospective families to learn more about life at St Columba’s. Current families with siblings starting in 2026 are most welcome to attend. Please spread the word.

Thank you for your ongoing support—we look forward to many more opportunities to connect and grow together as a community.

Foundation Enrolments for Foundation 2026 - Key 2025 Dates

Foundation (Prep) enrolment expressions of interest open Monday 10th February at 9:00 am

Expression of interest forms close Thursday, 22nd May at 4:00 pm

Placement Offers sent Friday, 13th June at 12:00 pm

The list of schools with vacancies will published on Friday 13th June at 12.00 pm

Placement acceptance closes Friday 20th June at 4.00 pm

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 here.  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).

Sacrament of Reconciliation -Yr 4 Students

A reminder that our Reconciliation Parent Meeting will be held this Friday, 14th February, at 9:00 am. We are pleased to have Fr Ed and Fr Francis join us as we prepare for this important step in our students’ faith journey. If you are unable to attend this meeting, you are warmly invited to attend a Parent Information Night at the Cathedral - Glowery Rooms, Dawson Street Ballarat,  on Thursday, 20th February, at 5:30 pm. The Cathedral Parish representatives will run this.

Reconciliation sessions will occur during school hours, commencing on Monday, 24th February. Each session will take place on Mondays (except long weekends) over a 4-week period. This will give students the time and guidance to deepen their understanding of this sacrament. As part of their preparation, families must attend Mass on the designated Sundays leading up to the celebration of Reconciliation. Please note the following dates. 

• Sunday 2nd March 10:00 am

• Sunday 16th March 10:00 am

• Sunday 23rd March 10:00 am

The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated on Thursday, 3rd April, at 5:30 pm at St Columba’s Parish Church.

We look forward to sharing this journey with you and supporting our students as they grow in faith and understanding.

Literacy Info Night

We invite you to our Literacy Information Night next Wednesday, 19th February, 5:30 pm- 6 pm in the Year 6 Learning Space to learn more about our structured, evidence-based approach to teaching Literacy.

Introduced last year and continuing to evolve, this approach is grounded in best practices to support all students in developing strong reading and writing skills. Learn about what we do, why we’ve made this important shift, and how you can help at home. This session will provide valuable insights, practical strategies to support your child’s literacy journey, and an opportunity to ask any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you there! 

To help with an indication of numbers, please complete the Google Form below if you are thinking of attending. Also, if you would like any specific questions answered, you can place these into the form, and we will tailor our presentation to suit. 

RSVP Google Form

Right to Disconnect

Changes to legislation have emphasised the importance of the right to disconnect, underscoring the need for employees to have uninterrupted personal time outside of work hours. In light of these changes, and in line with our already existing policy around this, our school is committed to supporting this initiative for the well-being of our staff and parents. While we understand that emails/SeeSaw may be sent at any time, we ask for your support in scheduling messages to be sent within standard working hours, and refraining from sending them outside of these hours whenever possible. This practice ensures that everyone can maintain a healthy work-life balance and respond to communications within the designated 48-hour response time during working days. Please be assured that teachers will get back to you in a timely manner. Teachers also are unable to check emails / Seesaw during classtime, if you have an urgent request or message, please contact the school office to pass this on.

Census

Our February Census date is fast approaching. Please take a moment to ensure that your address and contact details are up to date. This information is essential for accurate school records and reporting. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your ongoing support. Any questions please contact office@scballarat.catholic.edu.au 

NAPLAN

NAPLAN is fast approaching for our Year 3 & 5 students. For those participating for the first time, NAPLAN is a national assessment program looking at the Literacy and Numeracy skills of students. It provides a benchmark of student achievement against National Standards. Students participate in 4 assessments over two weeks, looking at writing, grammar and punctuation, spelling, reading and numeracy. We encourage all students to participate in this but also recognise that this can be a stressful or negative experience for some students. If you do not wish for your child to participate in any or all of the NAPLAN assessments, please contact their homeroom teacher to make arrangements for this. Should you have any questions or queries related to NAPLAN or your child's involvement in this, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Please ensure your child has headphones at school to facilitate these assessments.

NAPLAN Testing schedule (assessments will typically take place in the morning of the day allocated)

Wednesday 12th March -  Writing

Wednesday 12th March - Reading (only after writing)

Thursday 13th March - Conventions of Language

Thursday 13th March - Numeracy (Year 3)

Thursday 13th March- Numeracy (Year 5)

Friday 14th March - Catch Ups where allowed

Parent Teacher Interviews

Our upcoming Parent-Teacher Interviews in week 6 on Tuesday 4th & Wednesday 5th March, provide a valuable opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher, discuss their progress, and set goals for the year ahead. These meetings are an important part of fostering strong home-school partnerships and ensuring the best possible outcomes for our students. 

If your child has a Program Support Group meeting (PSG), a separate meeting time has been arranged, and they will not require a Parent-Teacher Interview. 

We look forward to these conversations and working together to support your child’s learning journey.

Bookings are now open via PAM.

School Wide Positive Behaviours & Behaviour Management

Our updated Student Behaviour Management Policy (available via the school website and the attached PDF) reflects the school community’s shared expectations in relation to student engagement and behaviour. This policy sets out the clear processes to be followed to help teach and maintain a calm, safe and dignified learning environment for all through the explicit teaching of School Wide Positive Behaviours (SWPBs). Building such an environment shows a belief in the underlying Gospel message that all are made in the image and likeness of God and, as such, should be treated with dignity and respect. 

In our commitment to fostering a calm, safe, and dignified environment for all members of the school community, by teaching and expecting students to Be Respectful, Be Safe, and Be Learners, we recognise that the growth and development of each child is a shared responsibility, built on a strong partnership between teachers, parents, and children. Our Behaviour Management Policy reflects this commitment by acknowledging that all members of the school community have both rights and corresponding responsibilities to respect and uphold the rights of others. 

The two posters below (Positive Behaviour Matrix and Behaviour Management Flowchart) are referred to frequently in the classroom as part of our explicit teaching of school wide positive behaviours. NB. Larger copies of these can be obtained from school.

School TV

Physical activity and exercise is not only vital to a child’s overall development but it has so many other benefits. With children spending more time on computers being sedentary, it is even more important to get kids moving more. As well as maintaining a healthy weight, it also improves concentration by helping to establish connections between different parts of the brain

Community

Important Dates - 2025