Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome back to school for Term 2 and I hope all our families had a happy and Holy Easter! I hope the break provided you with time to rest, recharge, and enjoy special moments with family and friends.  The students have settled back quite well into their classes and are engaging in some wonderful learning opportunities.

Last week we farewelled Ella Pappalardo as she went to be married on Saturday.  We wish Ella and Brenton every happiness for a wonderful future together and we look forward to welcoming her back as Mrs Gibson.  In the meantime, we welcome Miss Acret who will be teaching Year 6 in Ella’s absence.

Have a lovely weekend. A very happy Mother’s Day for Sunday!

Jenny Howard

Please be advised you are not permitted to park in the Medical Suites carpark accross from Kiss and Drop in Lockyer Street, we have had several complaints from the owners, this is private property for their patients only and is causing a negative impact for their clients and their appointments.

We wish all mothers and special women in the lives of our students a very special day this Sunday and thank you for your loving commitment to your children. On Friday we will celebrate with a beautiful liturgy.

I would like to thank our helpers that make our celebrations possible.  Thank you to the staff for organising our celebration. We also had a group of mums prepare and run the Mother’s Day stall today. We are very appreciative of the contributions that our families make to the life of the school. 

Week 6 Term 2 Friday 6^th June – Grow Your Mind

Week 10 Term 2 Monday 30^th June - Formation

We welcome Mrs Caitlin Leal to our staff.  Caitlin will be job sharing with Emma McCulloch and is teaching Year 1 on Mondays and alternate Fridays.

I hope the Easter break gave your family a chance to rest and recharge. I’m really looking forward to working with students, staff and the community in supporting learning and wellbeing across the school this term.

This week, as part of our Positive Behaviour for Learning focus, we are highlighting respectful language and manners in all settings. At St Columba’s, we hold high expectations for how our students show respect. You can help reinforce this at home by asking your child:

“What’s one polite word or phrase you used today?”

I’ve also had the pleasure of working with our Year 6 learning and sporting committees this past week. The students have shared some wonderful ideas for promoting and celebrating these areas of school life. Keep an eye on our social media and upcoming newsletters to see the exciting student-led initiatives in action!

Walk Safely to School Day will be held on Friday 16 May 2025.

Now in its 26th year, National Walk Safely to School Day (WSTSD) is an annual event when all Primary School children will be encouraged to walk and commute safely to school. This day is a great opportunity for families to walk to school together and have conversations about being a safe road user. WSTSD promotes safety first and encourages parents to hold their child’s hand until they are at least 8 years old.

Taylor Stokes

Assistant Principal (Acting)

Welcome back to another Term. I hope everyone had a restful break.

I would like to take this opportunity to send our thoughts and prayers to Father Jospeh who has recently lost him mother.

We pray for him in this time or sorrow...

Heavenly Father,
Please keep Father Joseph in our prayers as he mourns the loss of his beloved mother. Grant him comfort in his grief, strength in his journey, and peace in knowing she rests in Your eternal care. May he feel surrounded by love—both near and far—and return to us with renewed hope and healing. Amen.

In our Church tradition.... Remembering Pope Francis and Parish Mass

REMEMBERING POPE FRANCIS:

We remember Pope Francis with deep gratitude for his unwavering compassion, humility, and commitment to justice and peace. His legacy of mercy and care for the poor will continue to inspire generations to come. As a school community, we offer our heartfelt prayers for the repose of his soul and ask God to comfort all who mourn his passing. May he rest in eternal peace.

CLASS MASS: Please see dates below for Class Mass for Term 2. Parents are very welcome to attend. Children will be participating in readings and the offertory during these Masses.

WEEKEND MASS TIMES FOR ST COLUMBA’S: It is always lovely for children and their families to attend Mass in our Parish. Currently Mass is celebrated each Sunday at 8:00am.

In our Community.... Dates for the Term 2 Calendar  

In our Curriculum.... Unit in Focus: Year 1
Last term, in Religious Education, students learnt about relationships, focusing on God's love and how we connect with others. They explored friendship, family, and the importance of helping those in need during Lent. The term concluded with an exploration of Jesus' journey through Holy Week, helping students understand its significance for Christians and their faith.
This term, the focus shifts to belonging to God’s family. Students will learn about God’s love, forgiveness, and the importance of community, exploring Jesus’ family and the key people in his life. They will also reflect on how the Church is like a family and the special role of their parish in God’s family. This term will deepen their understanding of their place in God's family.

Building Faith Together: Conversations for Parents and Kids

A new addition to RE News, this section provides conversation starters to help parents engage with their child’s Religious Education and deepen their understanding together.

What does it mean to be part of God’s family, and how can we show love and kindness to others?
How to lead the discussion: Start by asking your child what they think it means to be part of a family and how families care for each other. Then, connect it to God’s family by asking how we can show love to others in our daily lives, just like God loves and forgives us. Encourage them to share examples of times they’ve felt loved or helped someone else.

Can you think of a time when you helped someone or showed kindness, like how Jesus cared for others?
How to lead the discussion: Ask your child to reflect on a moment when they helped a friend or family member. Relate this to how Jesus showed kindness and love to everyone, especially those in need. Encourage them to think about how they can continue to help others and show God’s love in their own actions.

Have a lovely week and may God bless you always,

Amie Harry and Emma McCulloch

Religious Education Coordinators

It was a great occasion to see so many St Columba’s students and parents come to the Adamstown service for ANZAC Day. Our children and school leaders were exceptional representatives of our school.

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been running our class and school competitions for the Maths and Spelling Bees.  Next Thursday, the regional finals will be held with Maths at St Patrick’s Wallsend and Spelling at St Joseph’s Merewether.  We congratulate all of our finalists and wish them the very best of luck.

What a lovely start we have had to Term 2.

Planning for our NAIDOC day celebration next term is well underway. We are very excited for another awesome day full of cultural workshops! Providing such amazing experiences for our students requires a large budget. To contribute to the cost, we have a couple of fundraising initiatives.

• Students are invited to buy zoopa doopas each Tuesday for $1.
• We have our McDonalds Family Fun Night next Wednesday night, 14^th May at Broadmeadow McDonalds. 10% of profits from purchases made between 6pm and 7pm will be donated to our school.
• Watch this space for a NAIDOC raffle with many awesome prizes!

We thank you for your support with these fundraising initiatives.

Significant Cultural Events

5^th April: Bringing Them Home Report

The Bringing Them Home Stolen Generations report was released in 1997. It reported on the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families. This report raised awareness to the Australia Public of historical policies of forced removal, as well as on the ongoing impacts.

Click HERE for more information about The Bringing Them Home Report

25^th April: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans’ Diggers March (ANZAC day celebration)

The diggers march is a key commemorative event on ANZAC Day that recognises all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and servicewomen who have served, or continue to serve, Australia.

Click HERE for more information about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ‘Veteran’ Diggers

Danielle Shaw

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Education Teacher

Welcome back to Term 2 in the library.  As mentioned last term on the Facebook page, we will celebrate my favourite day of the school year, Book Week on Wednesday, 11 June (Week 7). The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) theme for 2025 is Book an Adventure!  I will be discussing costume ideas with the students for this special day but please, keep it simple and reuse some of the dress-ups you already have in your home.    We will host a Scholastic Book Fair on the day along with some fun, interactive activities for the children. 

The Premiers Reading Challenge is ticking along.  Congratulations to Ivy White and Ellie Tranter from Year 4 who have both completed the challenge for 2025.  The challenge is open until the end of August so there is plenty of time to get to read and recording those titles. 

Janet Carmichael

Teacher Librarian

Kinder 2026 Enrolment

Online enrolments are now open for Kinder 2026 and round 1 offers have been sent. Please see the link below to complete enrolment if you have a child attending in 2026.

https://www.adamstownsc.catholic.edu.au/enrolment-information/enrolment-information/

Volunteering

Please see the link below if you wish to complete the process to volunteer at St Columba's, please note this can take 2-6 weeks. You still need to complete this process if you are the holder of a working with children check.

https://www.mn.catholic.edu.au/families-communities/volunteers/

Uniform ordering

Below is due to transitioning from BME Uniforms to Yeronga

BME - 1st option 

https://scpsuniformshop.bigcartel.com/?fbclid=IwAR2fp08x9txkjn_M_gojY1clV-EFrH80Wuj9_JUrUzbqcxd-a6Au9gHCuMw

If there are items that are no longer available through BME you can visit the Yeronga Uniforms web site. We are in the process of moving over to this supplier. Link below. Some items not yet available.

Yeronga Uniforms

https://www.yerongauniforms.com/product-category/schools/st-columbas-adamstown/

Application for leave

If your child is going to be away for more than 10 school days (consecutive) the leave needs to be applied for and approved by the school principal. This form is available on Compass under School Documentation.

Adding attendance note to Compass

Full day absence can be added via Compass but partial abesence is to be entered by the parent/carer at the school office on the Compass Kiosk (late arrival/early leave). You can also put in a date range for more than one day.

A reminder that if there is a change to arrangements for your child in the afternoon, please contact the office prior to 1.30pm when possible so the note can go via the note basket, this way we are not interrupting the class learning time with phone calls.

Parents and carers are the most important educators in their child’s life. To assist you in this important role, a list of upcoming webinars provided by reputable providers, free of charge, has been compiled and is available on the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s Catholic Schools webpage.

A snapshot of Term 2 webinars featured on the webpage is included below.

Online safety-focused sessions:

• Understanding and using parental controls to help protect your child online, hosted by the eSafety Commissioner
• eSafety 101, hosted by the eSafety Commissioner
• Exploring the online experiences of boys and young men, hosted by the eSafety Commissioner
• Sexual extortion: What parents and carers need to know, hosted by the eSafety Commissioner
• The Social Media Guide: What Every Parent Needs to Know in 2025, hosted by The Cyber Safety Project

Mental health-focused sessions:

• Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents, hosted by Learning Links
• Teen Mental Health Matters, hosted by The BlackDog Institute

 Parenting sessions

• What kids need now, before the teenage years, hosted by CCSP NSW/ACT and Michelle Mitchell

More information about these webinars, including registration links, can be found on the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s Catholic Schools webpage www.mn.catholic.edu.au/our-community/supporting-parents-and-carers/upcoming-parent-and-carer-information-sessions/

Please note that the webpage will be updated regularly with news of additional webinars, and you can visit the site at any time.