Dear Parents and Guardians,

A very warm welcome back to Term 2! I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable break, and that your children are feeling refreshed and ready for another exciting term of learning and growth here at Columba.

Holidays are always a wonderful opportunity to make new memories, regardless of whether you were able to travel or stay at home. Spending time with family is very precious, so I am hopeful most families had time to enjoy each other away from the routine and pressures of organised sports, activities, and school.

It was wonderful to see the students' smiling faces returning this week, full of enthusiasm for the term ahead. Term 2 promises to be a busy and engaging one, filled with a variety of academic, sporting, and cultural opportunities.

Here are some important dates and updates for the term:

• Cross Country: Get your running shoes ready! Our school cross country will be held next week on Wednesday, May 7th (NOTE change of date). We encourage all students to participate and show their school spirit. More information is included in this newsletter below.
• Grade 6 Confirmation: Some of our Grade 6 students will be taking a significant step in their faith journey as they celebrate their Confirmation. Commitment Masses will be starting this weekend. Please keep our candidates in your thoughts and prayers during this special time.
• Mother's Day Event: We are eagerly anticipating our annual Mother's Day event on Thursday, May 8th. To show our sincere appreciation for all the wonderful mothers and special women in our Columba community, we will have a coffee van on site, and all drinks will be on us! We look forward to celebrating with you.
• School Disco: Get ready to dance! DJ GJay will be making his return for our school disco later this term. More details regarding the date and time will be shared soon.
• St Columba's Day: We always look forward to celebrating our patron saint, St Columba, on June 9th. We will have special activities and celebrations planned for this week.
• Prayers for Pope Francis: We ask that you keep Pope Francis in your prayers following his passing. In this Jubilee Year, let us continue to hold onto the hope that he so often promoted.

Our teachers have been working hard to prepare engaging learning experiences across all year levels. The well-being of our students remains a top priority, and this term, we will be focusing on students standing up for each other and themselves. We will encourage students to make good choices and teach them what it means to be a good friend and peer. All Grade levels will be publishing a newsletter in the coming days to be sent home to families which will outline the learning priorities for the students in Term 2.

As always, we value the partnership between home and school, and we encourage you to stay connected with your child's learning and school life. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher or the school office if you have any questions, positive feedback, or concerns.

We are looking forward to a productive and rewarding term together.

Sincerely,

Andrew Greco

Principal