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Columba Catholic Primary School Acknowledges the Bunurong Peoples’ of the Kulin Nation as Traditional Owners and Custodians and pay respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging.
Columba acknowledges the Bunurong’s continuing relationship to the land and waterways and respects that their connection and spiritual identity are maintained through ancient ceremonies, songlines, dance, art, and living culture.
We pay tribute to the invaluable contributions of the Bunurong and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Elders who have guided and continue to guide our work.
Dear Parents and guardians,
Term 3 is almost half way done!
I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere thanks to all of you for making our recent Book Week Dress Up Day such a tremendous success! The creativity and enthusiasm shown by the students were truly inspiring, and it was wonderful to see the school come alive with such vibrant and imaginative costumes. Your efforts in getting the children ready were evident and greatly appreciated.
As we look forward to the rest of the term, we have several exciting events on the horizon:
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School Concert – A wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their talents. The date is fast approaching, and we are eagerly preparing for a memorable performance. Please see the communication below regarding costumes for each grade.
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Crazy Hair Day – A fun-filled day where students can let their imaginations run wild with wacky and colorful hairstyles. This event always brings a lot of joy and laughter to the school community. Food donations are requested for this day.
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Pyjama Day – A cozy and comfortable day at school where students can wear their favorite pyjamas. It’s a great way to build school spirit and have a little fun. Food donations are requested for this day.
In addition to these events, I would like to remind you of our ongoing St. Vincent De Paul Food Appeal. This initiative is incredibly important as it allows us to give back to those in need within our community. I encourage you to donate whatever you can, as every contribution makes a difference.
Research shows that helping others is not only beneficial to those receiving the help, but it also positively impacts our own wellbeing. Acts of kindness and generosity can reduce stress, increase feelings of happiness, and create a sense of belonging. When we give to others, we foster a sense of community and strengthen the bonds that hold us together. This is why our food appeal is so much more than just a donation drive—it’s an opportunity for us to grow as individuals and as a community.
Thank you once again for your continued support and for encouraging your children to participate in these important events. Your involvement plays a crucial role in creating a positive and nurturing environment for our students.
Warm regards,
Andrew Greco
Principal
Isaac Cornell
Nicholas Giblin
Harry Herra
Axel Jean-Pierre
Olivia Merrigan
Daisy O’Loughlin
Sevanna Reid
Isabelle Taylor
Jaxon Templeton
Andrew was a teacher for 20 years in Catholic schools in Sydney. He taught all grades from kindergarten to Year 6. Andrew has been songwriting since 1993 and has released 14 albums, 6 picture books, and 5 DVDs and provides online resources for teachers: www.butterflyhouse.online.
His best-known songs are These Hands, Rainbow, An African Blessing, and Rise Up! Andrew’s music is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Solidarity
This term our Catholic Social Teaching focus is Solidarity. This video gives a great definition of solidarity and why, as follows of the Catholic Faith, we hold this close to our hearts.
This month the Social Justice leaders are running a winter appeal for the local St Vincent de Paul Society, known as Vinnies. The Society aspires to be recognised as a caring Catholic charity offering "a hand up" to people in need. We do this by respecting every person's human dignity, sharing hope, and encouraging people to take control of their own destiny.
We ask all of Columba to live out the catholic social teaching of solidarity by standing with those in need in our local community and donating to the tinnies for vinnies winter appeal.
Both teams were very successful and represented the school in a terrific manner.
Friday 16th August: Junior 1M
Theme: Perseverance - Alcott blue house value
inspired by the life of Dylan Alcott.
Grade 1M will host and lead our assembly.
Assembly begins at 2:45 PM (please arrive from 2.30 pm)
in the Multi-Purpose Room.
Parents & families are welcome!
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UPDATE FOR COSTUMES!
Get the kids READY!
Dear performers and families,
RE: UPDATED School concert and costumes
The purpose of this letter is to inform families about any updates to the costume items that will need to be supplied for the school concert. These items are needed by the end of August.
We are very excited to share that our school concert will be next term, on Tuesday 17th September. Tickets will go on sale on Monday 19th August through the West Gippsland Arts Centre. There will be a 1pm and 7pm performance. Tickets are limited to 4 per family (not including children already in the performance).
The name of the concert is ‘The Antiques Roadshow’ and will see each class perform to music from different decades. Some costume items will be supplied by the school and some we ask families to supply. Below is a list of what families are asked to supply.
More information will be available soon. Watch this space to stay updated.
If you need any help or have any questions please reach out klucas@bunyip.catholic.edu.au
Thanks,
Kelly Lucas
On behalf of the concert planning team.
Father's Day Liturgy - all welcome
SAVE THE DATE
Thursday 29th August,
9:15am Columba Basketball courts.
Coffee Van available before and after the liturgy.
Classrooms open after the liturgy.
The SSBI is an Australian Government initiative to provide free home internet until
31/12/2025 for up to 30,000 unconnected families with school age students.
Families can contact the SSBI National Referral Centre (NRC) to check their eligibility.
Once eligibility has been confirmed, NRC will support the family to get connected.
Increasing Pertussis
(Whooping Cough) Cases
The key messages are:
- cases of pertussis are increasing in Victoria, mostly affecting children aged 10-12 years
- pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness known for causing a cough and can lead to life-threatening infections in babies
- symptoms of pertussis may be very similar to other respiratory infections, especially in the early stages, meaning diagnosis by a doctor as soon as possible is important.
I am reminding the school community about the importance of seeing their General Practitioner if their children exhibit any of the symptoms listed.
If a student at our school is diagnosed with pertussis, the diagnosing doctor will be
responsible for notifying the Department of Health.
The below exclusion periods apply to diagnosed cases and contacts:
For diagnosed cases:
- students diagnosed with pertussis should be excluded from primary schools for a
minimum period of 21 days after the onset of cough, or until they have completed five (5) days of a course of effective antibiotic treatment
- the treating doctor will complete the required notifications to the Department of Health
For contacts of diagnosed cases:
The exclusion requirement only applies to contacts who meet all three (3) of the below criteria:
- aged less than 7 years;
- in the same class as the student with the diagnosed case; and have not received three (3) effective doses of pertussis vaccine.
Students meeting these criteria should be excluded for 14 days after the last exposure to the infectious case, or until they have taken five (5) days of a course of effective antibiotic treatment.
Please advise the school admin if your child is diagnosed with pertussis by a GP as soon as possible.
2024 Dates
Pupil Free Days - NO STUDENTS 2024
