Dear Parents and Carers

Our Catholic schools Week Liturgy was a lovely celebration of our school with the theme Pilgrims of Hope. It was lovely to have children and parents share their own hopes during and after the liturgy.  With so many busy things happening we appreciated those who were able to visit their child’s classroom after the liturgy.  Catholic Schools Week is a time to honour the vibrant communities within our Catholic schools in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. This week highlights the dedication of staff, the growth of students, and the shared mission to nurture each child spiritually, intellectually, socially, and physically. Catholic education is about helping every student flourish and become the person God calls them to be, through learning that inspires both the heart and mind.

On Friday we had a fantastic day at our annual athletics carnival. The weather was perfect- no rain! It was wonderful to see such great school spirit and smiles on everyone’s face. The support and encouragement our students gave each other was beautiful to witness. Watching our Kinders in their first races, cheering them on as they crossed the finish line in their first ever school athletics race, is always a highlight. I am very proud of each and every one of our students.

A huge thank you to Mrs Bryant for an exceptionally well organised carnival. A great deal of time and effort goes into these days to ensure its smooth running. Thank you to our parent volunteers for your time and assistance and many thanks to the staff for their tireless work leading up to, during and after the carnival. 

Enjoy your extra long long weekend!

Jenny Howard

Kindergarten enrolment offers for 2026 will be sent out on Friday June 13.  We still have space if you know anyone looking to join our beautiful little school.

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

Week 10 Term 2 Monday 30^th June - Formation

As the end of the term draws closer, the staff are busy completing assessments and writing Semester 1 reports. The reports will be made accessible to parents on your child’s Compass profile on Friday 4^th July.  While, we don’t offer formal interview sessions at this point, please get in touch to make an appointment with your child’s teacher if you wish to discuss his/her report.  You are welcome to do this at any time.

PB4L

At St Columba’s, our Positive Behaviour for Learning focus at the moment is:

Whole School: We follow instructions from adults in the school community.
Classroom Focus: We show active listening to others.

These behaviours are essential in building a respectful, safe and productive learning environment for all students. Following instructions helps children to stay on task, take responsibility, and engage in their learning. Active listening shows respect, helps us understand others better, and builds positive relationships.

Here are some simple strategies to help reinforce this focus at home:

• Model Active Listening
• Give Clear Instructions
• Praise Effort
• Play Listening Games
• Set Routines

By working together, we can support our students in developing strong communication, responsibility and respect for others. Thank you for all you do to support your child’s learning and wellbeing!

Learning Committee

Last week, our Year 6 Learning Committee began interviewing members of our school community about their learning. The first two interviewees were Sasha Martin from Year 1 and Miss Acret. If you’d like to see the full interview, you can find it on our Facebook page. Here are some quotes:

“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Making mistakes is actually a great way to learn.” 

• Miss Acret

“My friends, family and my teacher help me learn. They help me sound out words and read books.” 

• Sasha

 Taylor Stokes

Acting Assistant Principal

Orders to be placed the day before (9/6/25) including family photo requests.

Next week, we will be celebrating Book Week on Wednesday, 11 June (Week 7.) Please join us at 9 am for the Parade of Characters. The CBCA theme for 2025 is Book an Adventure!  I am looking forward to seeing all our students dressed up on the day. We will be hosting the Scholastic Book Fair on this day

Children will preview the books and merchandise at the Fair on Tuesday and will take home a payment a Scholastic Parent Payment Form to take home.  After discussing what amount you wish your child to spend, there are a few options for payment.   Please read…this is important!

1. Cash Payment is welcome but if sending cash please put in an envelope with your child’s name in case it gets misplaced.

2. Online payments can be made by logging onto to scholastic.com.au/payment OR scan the QR code on the form.

Choose our school, St Columbas School, Adamstown -no apostrophe. Pay the amount you wish for your child to spend at the fair. If you cannot print off the

receipt, please write down the receipt number and the amount you have spent on a piece of paper or on the Payment Form.  The child then returns this sheet to school the next day, Wednesday and will take this to the library when they come to the Fair.   This paper receipt is their currency!

3. An eftpos machine will be available should you wish to send a bank card with your child – also best if you put it in an envelope with your child’s name. 

If the book is already sold by the time their class gets to the fair, we can reorder.  Items usually arrive within five days.  Otherwise, your child can spend that amount on something else.    

We are really looking forward to this special day in the world of school libraries. 
 

Premiers Reading Challenge

Well done and congratulations to the following children who have completed the Premiers Reading Challenge in the last fortnight: Mia Fallon (Year 2) and Penelope Bowes (Year 4).

The challenge continues until the end of August so there is plenty of time to participate. Keep reading and recording your books.

Thank you,

J Carmichael (Mrs C)

Teacher Librarian

In our Church tradition.... Sacramental Program Information / Parish Mass

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM FOR THOSE INVOLVED: As your children prepare to receive Confirmation and Eucharist next term, we invite them to attend at least three weekend Masses between May 17/18 and July 26 to prepare for the Sacramental Program, which will start this weekend. It provides an opportunity for children to prepare and learn about Liturgical Solemnity.

Father Joseph would be pleased to greet your child. Please greet Father Joseph as you arrive for Mass or after Mass. He also would like to introduce you to the congregation. Please be informed that he may do so following the final prayer.

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.... SVDP Winter Appeal and St Columba’s Feast Day

ST VINCENT DE PAUL WINTER APPEAL: To help those who are disadvantaged and in need of extra assistance this winter, we are asking for donations to the St Columba’s Primary School Winter Appeal throughout Term 2. Again, this year we are asking for warm winter blankets in new condition and warm beanies, suitable for babies, children and adults.  All donations will be distributed in June by our St Columba’s Adamstown conference of the St Vincent de Paul to support local families, couples and singles this winter. The Student Mercy Group will also be working on a special PJ and hot chocolate day to be held in Week 10 to raise extra money for this worthy cause. Details to come!

ST COLUMABA’S FEAST DAY: Next Monday, 9th June, marks the Feast Day of St Columba, the patron saint of our school. St Columba was a great missionary who helped spread Christianity throughout Scotland and is known for his wisdom and kindness. As Monday is a public holiday, we will celebrate this special day on Tuesday, 10th June. We will begin our day with a prayer for St Columba at morning assembly, followed by class activities to learn more about his life and remember his contributions.

In our Curriculum.... Module in Focus: Kindergarten – Knowing God the Son

In this module, students will learn about Jesus Christ and how He connects us to God the Father. Through stories from the Gospels, they will discover that Jesus is God's Son, who loves us, seeks out those who are lost, and serves others with humility. Students will also gain an understanding of God's plan of love and care for everyone through Jesus' teachings and actions.

This is some of the fabulous work our Kindergarten children are doing to show Jesus Calming the Storm and the Parable of the Lost Sheep: 

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.

Q1.        What did you learn about Jesus today? What kind of person was He?

• Jesus is always kind and loving. Can you think of a time when you showed love to someone else like Jesus did?
• Jesus helped a lot of people. How do you think we can help others the way Jesus helped people in the stories?

Q2.        Can you tell me a story from the Bible about Jesus helping someone? How did He show His         love?

• Do you remember the story where Jesus healed the sick or helped someone in need? How did He make them feel better?
• Jesus spent time with people who were lonely or left out. Can you think of someone you could spend time with to show them you care?

Have a lovely week and may God bless you always,

Amie Harry and Emma McCulloch

Religious Education Coordinators

We have certainly been very busy at school with important cultural events occurring amongst a deluge of rain!!

Last week our school held a beautiful Liturgy of remembrance and healing to recognise National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week. It was lovely having family members join us for this special Liturgy as well.

Following our liturgy, I guided students through grade-based lessons around the importance and significance of recognising National Sorry Day. We learnt there were specific laws that discriminated against First nations peoples as well as government policies that facilitated the forced removal of Aboriginal children as part of the stolen generations. At the heart of this, we explored the notion of healing and how the continued resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has enabled First Nation cultures to thrive despite immense hardships faced since 1788.

In our lessons, we also explored this year’s Reconciliation theme, ‘Bridging Now to Next’. Within this theme we learnt about the importance of using past events to help guide us towards a fair and harmonious future as we all journey together. We looked at the official Reconciliation artwork completed by Bree Buttenshaw-  a proud Kalkadoon woman and a talented digital artist who lives on Quandamooka Country. Bree uses Australian Native plants in this artwork as they exemplify resilience. Thriving in one of the harshest climates on Earth, these Australian native plants demonstrate the power of endurance and regeneration.

Students loved the chance to connect with this artwork by decorating their own copy of it.

SAVE THE DATE: Our next cultural celebration is NAIDOC day. We would love family and community members to join us for yet another amazing celebration!! Please save the date Wednesday 23^rd July and join us for our Morning Ceremony and / or Afternoon Ceremony on NAIDOC day.

Significant Cultural Events

Monday 26^th May: National Sorry Day

Every year on 26 May, National Sorry Day remembers and acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as ‘The Stolen Generations’.

Click HERE for more information about National Sorry Day

Tuesday 27^th May – Tuesday 3^rd June: Reconciliation Week

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The 2025 Reconciliation theme-  ‘Bridging Now to Next’, reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future.

Bridging Now to Next calls on all Australians to step forward together, to look ahead and continue the push forward as past lessons guide us.

Click HERE for more information about Reconciliation Week

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Education Teacher

Tickets available on QKR!