Columba Day

Thursday 9th June 2022

Our Columba day was a very exciting day as students headed out to St Jospeh's Iona church. For many junior students, this was their first time on a bus or in a church since being at our school, due to the pandemic. 

It was wonderful to have a school mass at the church, since it had been a long time since we had all been there together. It was very interesting to see just how much we filled the church, despite many students being away absent for various reasons. Staff have never seen so many Columba students in the church, and it was fantastic to have such a presence. The students held themselves very respectfully; we were impressed and proud of their participation. 

We returned to school, and students spent the next session with their year levels and teachers taking part in various activities to celebrate Columba day and our faith. 

The day concluded with "Columba's Got Talent!", with entertainment provided in the form of comedy, dance, and acting courtesy of the grade fives and sixes. 

A thank you to Ms Lucas and teachers for organising our Columba day, as it was evident that the kids enjoyed it. 

STEM News

The Social Justice Team is advertising a crazy hair and sock day for students on Friday the 17th of June, to promote Tinnies for Vinnies. Non-perishable food items such as tins, rice, pasta, and other various items packaged and sealed by the manufacturer will be gratefully accepted. Please remember to check the use-by dates so that the items may go to good use for those in our community that really need a helping hand. Dress your hair and socks up to raise awareness for this great cause! Come to school and show your crazy style! No money donations required, only a food item. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing some great colour and creativity!! 

Rapid Antigen Test Surveillance Program

The ongoing supply of RATs to families in our school this term will ensure that parents, guardians and carers will have them should they need them if their child(ren) is a household or household-like contact or if their child(ren) has COVID-19 symptoms.

Students who are identified as household or household-like contacts will continue to be required to adhere to additional safety measures, including wearing a face mask when outside of the home and receiving a negative result using a RAT on at least five (5) days out of the seven (7) day close contact period, to attend school.

Families must continue to notify the Department of Health and the school if their child(ren) returns a positive RAT result. Additionally, you should inform the school if any of your children are household or household-like contacts.

First Eucharist

Please keep the following children in your prayers as they prepare to celebrate their First Holy Communion on Sunday 19th June, 11am at St Joseph's Iona.

Our Sacramental Church

Each term we have a whole school scripture that each class focuses on. This term, as part of the Sacramental Church Strand, we have been looking at the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15:11. Students have been invited into a deep reading of the text, they've looked at the writing style of a parable and worked to uncover the message of the story. Much of the focus has been on the celebration at the end of the story, the party to celebrate the son's return. The challenge for us all is to see how this story invites, inspires or challenges us in the way we live our lives today. How would you answer this? 

Gospel

Lk 15:1-3. 11-32

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Your brother here was dead and has come to life.

The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he spoke this parable to them:

‘A man had two sons. The younger said to his father, “Father, let me have the share of the estate that would come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.

‘When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch, so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled his belly with the husks the pigs were eating but no one offered him anything. Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.” So he left the place and went back to his father.

‘While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly. Then his son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.

‘Now the elder son was out in the fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and dancing. Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about. “Your brother has come” replied the servant “and your father has killed the calf we had fattened because he has got him back safe and sound.” He was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out to plead with him; but he answered his father, “Look, all these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed your orders, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends. But for this son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property – he and his women – you kill the calf we had been fattening.”

‘The father said, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours. But it is only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.”

School Prayer

SCHOOL CLOSURE - NO STUDENTS 2022

School Closure Day - Monday 11th July

School Closure Day - Thursday 28th July 

School Closure Day - Monday 31st October

School Closure Day - Wednesday 9th November

Queen's Birthday - Monday 13th June

Crazy Socks and/or Hair Day - Friday 17th June (Vinnies Food Raiser)

First Communion Sacrament -  Sunday 19th June

Free Dress Day - Friday 24th June (Vinnies Food Raiser)

End of Term 2 (Early finish 2:15 pm) - Friday 24th June 

School Closure Day - Monday 11th July

First Day Back Term 3 - Tuesday 12th July

100 Days of Prep - Thursday 21st July

School Closure Day - Thursday 28th July 

Book Week Dress Up Day - Thursday 11th August

Community Event- Men's/Dads Footy Night - Friday 2nd September

Confirmation Commitment Mass - Saturday 10th September or Sunday 11th September

End of Term 3 (Early finish 2:15 pm) - Friday 16th September

First Day Back Term 4 - Monday 3rd October

Confirmation Workshop - Wednesday 19th October

Confirmation Sacrament - Saturday 29th October

School Closure Day - Monday 31st October

Cup Day - Tuesday 1st November

School Closure Day - Wednesday 9th November

Community Event Bunyip Comedy Night - Saturday 19th October

School Concert - Wednesday 7th December

Last Day 2022 - Friday 16th December

Grade 6 Graduation - Tuesday 13th December