Dear Parents and Carers

Thank you for another wonderful, although busy term.  So often, we’re all commenting on how quickly our year is passing us by.  Hopefully, we’ll all get time to slow things down a bit during the upcoming break from school.

I will be taking leave from the end of October in Term 4 to spend some time with family and do a little bit of travel.  Lisa Matzanke will be returning from the beginning of Term 4 and will be returning to the principal role from the beginning of November when I go on leave.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back to a refreshed school after the break.

Jenny Howard

Thank You for Your Support!

As we wrap up the term, I’d like to thank all families for supporting our PB4L and Grow Your Mind initiatives at home. These programs help create a safe, respectful, and inclusive school environment where every student can thrive. By reinforcing these values at home, you’re helping us build a strong foundation for learning and wellbeing across our school community.

I hope you all enjoy some extra family time over the next two weeks.

Taylor Stokes
Acting Assistant Principal

Lisa Matzanke will return for Term 4.  She will work with Year 5 and share the Assistant Principal Role with Taylor Stokes.

Jenny Howard will be taking leave and Lisa Matzanke will step up to the principal role from the beginning of November until the end of the school year.

Staffing for 2026 is currently in planning.  With our reduction back to 7 classes over the last 2 years we have had to ask teachers in permanent positions to volunteer for redeployment.  This has meant that we have lost Damian Hartigan and Kate Willis, who have both taken opportunities for change of schools that are closer to home.

In our Church tradition.... Parish Mass, Children’s Liturgy and Opening Doors Program to become Catholic 

CLASS MASS: Please see dates below for Class Mass for Term 4. 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. 

CHILDREN’S LITURGY: We have Children's Liturgy at St Columba’s Church in Adamstown at the 8:00AM Mass and Kotara at the 5:00PM Mass. You are encouraged to bring your children along each week to help strengthen their faith. 

OPENING DOORS: Welcoming you into the Catholic Family 

The Catholic Church welcomes people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life – anyone who has a desire to learn about and enter into a life of faith in Jesus Christ can become a Catholic. The process of becoming a Catholic is a journey of faith and conversion. It is a time to learn about the teachings of the Church, to grow in one’s relationship with God, and to make a commitment to live a Christian life. 

Adults who are interested in how to become Catholic can enrol in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) program through a local parish. The RCIA program provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of the Catholic faith, including its teachings, history, and traditions and culminates in the individual receiving the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. St Columba’s Primary School is part of the All Saints Blackbutt South Parish Community. Adults who wish to become Catholic can after a period of preparation receive Baptism, Communion & Confirmation at the same time. Please contact our Parish Priest, Father Joseph Figurado for more information via the Parish Office on 02 4954 0977. 

In our parish Baptisms are celebrated on celebrated on the first, second and third Sundays of the month, 11:30AM at St Philip’s Kotara, except for January. Application forms are available from the Parish Office. Bookings and preparation are essential. Baptism enquiries may be made via the Parish Office on Tuesdays and Thursdays on 02 4954 0977. The Baptism Preparation program is held at 10:30AM every 4th Sunday of the month except December. 

More information can be found on the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle website by following the link below. How do I become Catholic? Our Catholic community welcomes those who are searching. 

If you have any questions or require support, please contact Amie Harry, our school Religious Education Coordinator on amie.harry@mn.catholic.edu.au 

In our Community.... Save the Date! Grandparent's Day Liturgy and Morning Tea 

GRANDPARENT’S DAY LITURGY: Friday 24th October 9:15am. Our Grandparents Day Celebration will begin with a Liturgy, followed by some fun in open classrooms and a morning tea on the playground with the children. All grandparents or those who are like our grandparents are invited to celebrate this morning. Thank you to our Year 3 and 5 teachers for helping to organise this special day.   

In our Curriculum.... Module in Focus: Year 4 – Called to be People of Justice 

This term in Religious Education, Year 4 have been learning about what it means to live justly and how this connects to building a better world, inspired by Christian values. Through stories from the Bible, Church teachings, and real-life examples, students have explored how Christians respond to injustice and care for others. They’ve learned about the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and how to use the See, Judge, Act model to make thoughtful choices. Most importantly, students have been encouraged to reflect on how they can recognise unfairness and take small but meaningful actions to help others in their everyday lives. 

It was so lovely to visit Year 4 for a lesson this term and to hear their thoughtful contributions to discussions. Their ability to recognise how blessed they were was so humbling. Well done Year 4!  

Personal Reflection: Catholic Social Teaching 

Ivy White 

Catholic Social Teaching is about working together for the good of everyone. We all deserve to be happy and have what we need. It means everyone is special to God and no one is better than anyone else.  

It makes me feel good about my actions. Everyone should put an effort in to help, so people can also feel good too. We are all good enough! 

I experience love, justice and kindness with my family and friends through support, compassion, fairness and understanding of me and what I do and what they do. 

When people give up their time for others and meet their needs. God is calling me to love and help others no matter what. To treat everyone how I want to be treated. Treating the Earth with respect and caring for nature. Everyone has an equal right to life. Everyone gets a say in how the world runs, no matter what they believe in. 

Anthea Kesby 

Catholic Social teaching means to me that everyone is treated with respect and love. It is making sure everyone has what they need, that we are one big family and we all should get a say in decisions. 

It reminds me that there are people out there that need my help. 

I experienced kindness when I had my netball Grand finals, and my friends came down to cheer me on. 

God is calling me to be a person of justice, love and kindness. I want to put human dignity, the common good, solidarity and subsidiarity into action! 

Building Faith Together: Conversations for Parents and Kids 

This section provides conversation starters to help parents engage with their child’s Religious Education and deepen their understanding together.  

Conversation Starter 1:  

What does being fair mean to you? 

• Prompt: Ask your child to share a time when they saw something unfair happen at school, in the news, or in a story and talk about how they felt and what they might do to help. 

Conversation Starter 2: 

How did Jesus show justice and kindness? 

• Prompt: Read or recall a story about Jesus helping someone in need. Chat about what that teaches us today and how your child might follow His example in their own life. 

Have a lovely holiday break and may God bless you always,  

Amie Harry and Emma McCulloch  

Religious Education Coordinators 

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is now over for 2025. Congratulations to the following students who have recently completed the challenge: Luca Ricca (Year 1), Millie Kachur (Year 5) and Freddie McMahon (Year 2).

Enjoy the school holidays ahead.

Janet Carmichael (Teacher Librarian)

What a busy term we have had. I have loved working with different classes each week!

Recently I led Kindergarten on an exploration of different environments in Australia and how these environments influenced the way First Nations peoples hunted and lived.

It was fascinating to compare the environment and climate of our local Awabakal Country with Yilka Country in the central desert region of WA. We also explored the environment and climate of Waibene (Thursday Island) in the Torres Strait. Kindergarten thinks the traditional owners of Waibene would have been very good at fishing and making nets and canoes!

It was great fun thinking about the places we love to visit on Awabakal Country and what resources our local environment provided for the Awabakal people long ago when it was only Aboriginal people living here in Australia.

Significant Cultural Events

4th September: Indigenous Literacy Day

Indigenous Literacy Day is a national celebration of Indigenous culture, stories, language and literacy. This year’s theme was Strength In Our Stories: For Now & Future Generations.

By getting involved in activities we focus our attention on the disadvantages experienced in remote communities and other places in Australia.

Click HERE for more information

13th September: Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

This is the anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 13 September 2007.

The Declaration is the most comprehensive international commitment in addressing the rights of Indigenous peoples.

It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the Indigenous peoples of the world.

Click HERE for more information.

25th September : Cathy Freeman Gold

On 15 September 2000 First Nations athlete Cathy Freeman from Kuku Yalanji people of far north Queensland and the Birri Gubba people of central Queensland lit the Olympic flame in the spectacular opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games.

Ten days later she won the gold medal in the women’s 400-metre race, achieving her greatest goal.

Click HERE for more information.

Danielle Shaw

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Education Teacher

What a big Term this has been for sport!

Congratulations to all students for their amazing achievements during term 3 with sport. We look forward to all that term 4 has to bring us in sport.

A big thank you to Ella Gibson and Therese Bryant for their hard work and organisation this term.

Volunteers Needed!

For our Swimming Carnival to run smoothly on Friday 12th December, we need parent volunteers. If you can assist on the day, please email ella.pappalardo@mn.catholic.edu.au.

Please note: To volunteer, you must be cleared by the Diocese (a Working With Children Check alone is not sufficient). To begin the clearance process (allow a few weeks), visit: https://www.mn.catholic.edu.au/families-communities/volunteers/

Great news on Public Speaking from Charlie Thomson and Evelyn Leard who both represented Central Region at the Diocesan Finals in Lochinvar on Monday.  They both did a great job and Charlie was even able to take out 2^nd place for Early Stage 1.

Action is required for students with BYOD Windows 10 devices as Windows 10 will soon no longer be supported by Microsoft.

To ensure your student device security you should upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as possible.

Microsoft has announced that support for Windows 10 will end on 14 October 2025, meaning it will no longer receive critical security updates.

Ways to install Windows 11 - Microsoft Support

Upgrade to Windows 11: FAQ - Microsoft Support

Kim McDonald has been busily working with all classes on a Christmas performance to be held at Trinity College on the afternoon of December 8, the same day as our End of Year Liturgy.

It was wonderful to have an evening with our 2026 Kindergarten parent on Monday night.  Louise Walsh and Justine Owens prepared a presentation and information session and the rest of the evening was an informal gathering with the staff.  Many thanks to our amazing staff for staying for the evening to welcome our new and returning families.

I am reaching out to invite parents and caregivers to take part in our Children’s University program, an initiative designed to provide our students with diverse learning experiences beyond the classroom.

We know that within our school community, there is a wealth of knowledge, skills, and experience across a range of industries and interests. We would love to invite parents and caregivers to share their expertise with our students in a short lunchtime session (1:00 pm – 1:30 pm) at any stage throughout 2025.

The session would involve a group of 20 students aged 9 to 12, where you would have the chance to:

• Talk about your job, industry, or area of expertise.
• Share insights into the skills involved.
• Engage with students and possibly lead a short hands-on activity.

If you would be interested in participating, please reach out to me via email at ella.pappalardo@mn.catholic.edu.au. Your involvement would not only enrich our students’ learning but also help strengthen the connection between school and home, showing students the many pathways available to them in the future.

Next Friday, 3 October, Young Space Explorers will open its doors at the International Convention Centre Sydney. Thousands of students and families are expected to attend this once-in-a-generation event – but they need to register to secure their place.

Space Day is a free, hands-on STEM experience featuring:

• Astronaut meet-and-greets
• VR space cadet training and rover driving challenges
• Live science shows and demonstrations
• LEGO® build zones and interactive experiments

When: Friday 3 October 2025 (school holidays)

Where: International Convention Centre Sydney

Cost: Free – registration required

Registration: Registration Link

IAC 2025 Space Day is delivered in partnership with International Astronautical Federation (IAF), Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA), The Australian Space Agency, The NSW Department of Education and the Powerhouse Museum. Space day is Powered by Lego Play.

Parent Handbook 

https://www.adamstownsc.catholic.edu.au/for-parents/parent-handbook/

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.