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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.
Principal Message 29th November 2024
Dear Parents and guardians,
Exciting News: A New Era of Student Leadership
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are thrilled to announce an exciting new direction for student leadership at Columba Catholic Primary School. We believe this new structure will empower our students to embody our school values of generosity, inspiration, respect, perseverance, and fairness.
Our Vision for Student Leadership
Our goal is to foster a culture of leadership that extends beyond traditional roles. We aim to identify and nurture students who exemplify our values and inspire their peers. This new structure will provide opportunities for students to take on leadership roles that align with their interests and passions.
The New Leadership Structure
In 2025, we will have the following leadership positions:
- 2 School Captains: These students will represent the entire school community and embody our core values.
- 4 House Captains: These leaders will represent their respective houses and foster a sense of belonging and pride.
- 4 Vinnies Social Justice Leaders: These students will champion social justice initiatives and inspire acts of kindness and compassion.
- 2 Tech Leaders: These leaders will promote digital literacy and support the effective use of technology within our school.
Additionally, we recognise the valuable leadership role that our Grade 6 students play as they mentor their Prep buddies. This one-on-one relationship provides an opportunity for our older students to set a positive example and model our school values.
The Selection Process
To ensure a fair and transparent selection process, we will follow these steps:
- Application and Speech: Students will submit a written application and deliver a speech to their Grade 5 peers.
- Shortlisting: A panel of teachers will review the written applications and speeches to shortlist candidates.
- Interviews: Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by the Principal and Deputy Principal.
- Announcement of Leaders: The newly elected leaders will be announced on Monday, 16th-18th December 2025.
Timeline
- Friday, 29th November 2024: Students will be briefed on the new leadership structure and application process.
- Tuesday, 3rd December 2024: Students will deliver their speeches to the Grade 5 students.
- Wednesday, 4th December 2024: Shortlisting of candidates based on written applications and speeches.
- Thursday, 5th December 2024: Interviews with the Principal and Deputy Principal.
We are excited about the potential of this new leadership structure and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our school community.
In this video message, Catholic Bishop of Sale Most Reverend Greg Bennet invites us to embrace the spirit of Advent 2024, a time of reflection, hope and preparation for the coming of Christ.
Sincerely,
Andrew Greco
Principal
Operations Accountant
The Diocese of Sale is seeking a qualified Accountant to assist the Diocesan Business Manager in the day-to-day financial operations of the Diocese and its associated entities. This is a permanent part time role of 30 hours per week with flexible days to be negotiated. The salary for the successful candidate will be based on experience, education and skill level. Applications will be open until 5pm Monday 25 November 2024.
For further information please see the Positions Vacant section of our website https://www.cdsale.org.au/job-vacancies or contact Mary Winter (Diocesan Business Manager) by email at maryw@sale.catholic.org.au
SHOE-BOX-2024
DUE FRIDAY 6th Dec.
Christmas will soon be upon us, yet again! Every year Columba families have helped bring joy and hope to less fortunate children and families within our local community, through our Catholic Social Justice initiative, “Christmas in a Shoe-box Appeal”.
We are seeking to assist families through donations of gifts for children and adults. Last year’s contribution was incredibly successful with over 100 gifts donated to this most worthy cause and we are again asking families to be involved in this simple, hands-on project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. This is a real opportunity to encourage our children to reach out to others.
If your family would like to be involved in this thoughtful and generous project, simply shop for a gift and place it in a box or gift bag. Then label the gift with the age and gender of the person you think it would suit.
If you are unable to assist, you might consider donating some festive non-perishable goods for Christmas hampers.
I thank you for considering this hope filled project as a way of giving thanks for what we have and keeping in mind Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift.
Step 1
Shoe Box/Christmas box
Use an empty shoe box/Christmas box or bag.
Step 2
Fill With Gifts
Fill the box with a variety of gifts or single gift. Please note: we have been asked to secure the box with a ribbon or elastic band rather than wrapping them as St Vincent de Paul often add donated vouchers to the boxes.
Step 3
Drop Off
Write a gender and age label on each shoe box lid and drop off at Columba before Friday December 6th when we will present our gifts to a representative of our local St Vincent de Paul chapter.
What is Advent?
Advent is a four-week season dedicated to reflective preparation for the arrival, "advent", of Jesus Christ's Nativity at Christmas time as well and Christ's expected return in the Second Coming. During this important event on the church calendar, each week of Advent focuses on a different theme - hope, peace, joy, and love. Christians from all denominations and backgrounds celebrate Advent in different ways but all focus on the anticipation of waiting for the arrival of Jesus.
Why Advent Calanders?
The Advent calendar, a popular Christmas tradition, has its roots in Germany. It originated in the 19th century as a simple way to mark the days of Advent, either by burning candles or drawing chalk marks. Later, devotional images were added, leading to the creation of the first handmade Advent calendar in 1851.
In the early 20th century, printed calendars with small doors appeared, popularized by Gerhard Lang in the 1920s. These calendars often included short Bible verses behind the doors. However, due to World War II and subsequent paper shortages, Advent calendars became scarce.
After the war, Richard Sellmar revived the tradition, and his company, Sellmar-Verlag, remains a major producer of Advent calendars today. Chocolate-filled calendars gained popularity in the late 1950s and contributed to their global spread.
Despite its evolution, the Advent calendar continues to embody the essence of counting down the days to Christmas, a tradition that began with simple chalk marks on a wall.
Important Information for this Fortnight
Lunch Orders
The last day for lunch orders in 2024 will be Thursday 12th December.
Lunch orders will be back for 2025!
The first day for lunch orders in 2025 will be
Monday 3rd February.
Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much to Alimentos catering for all their work making sure our little people get their lunch orders on Monday and Thursdays each week. I know it is a highlight for many and our lunch order team often goes above and beyond to make sure everyone is happy!
???? DO YOU QUALIFY FOR A SCHOOL FEE DISCOUNT ????
For 2025, the annual amount to be charged to eligible CCC holders remains at $520 per family.
For any families that have recently received a Government means-tested health care concession card, please forward a copy of your card to the office to check your eligibility, as a fee concession may apply. The card must be in the name of the parent/fee payer for a fee concession to apply.
If you qualify for this, please contact the school as school fees will be considerably less for your family.
If any families would like to set up a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly direct debit schedule for school fees, please complete the Direct Debit Form below and return it to the school office. For any assistance regarding calculations of payments, please contact us via email at: finance@bunyip.catholic.edu.au
If your current Health Care card is due to expire this year and your card is re-issued, please send a copy of your new card details to the office as soon as possible for the concession to be checked and applied for next year's fees, if not already done so.
For more FEE INFORMATION please visit our website
https://bunyip.catholic.edu.au/school-fees-and-levies
Level of Concession: School office staff can advise applicants of the concessional fee to be charged. This concessional fee is fixed annually by Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited. Approved applicants will be charged only the concessional fee which will cover all standard school fees and levies including any charges remaining for camps, sports and excursions after the application of the Camps, Sports, Excursion Fund (CSEF) benefit.
Eligible Concession Cards: Centrelink issues a number of concession cards for a variety of reasons. Some cards have a generous or no income test and therefore holders of these cards are ineligible for a fee concession under Category One. Only CCC’s that are eligible for CSEF are eligible for the School Fees Concession Program.
The following CCC’s are the most common cards that are eligible for CSEF. The CCC type is specified as a two or three letter code printed on the concession card.
- YA or YAL – Youth Allowance
- PPS – Parenting Payment Single
- PPP – Parenting Payment Partnered
- DSP – Disability Support Pension
- NSA – New Start Allowance
- LI – Low Income
- FA – Family Tax Benefit
- SA or SKA - Sickness Allowance
- CAR - Carer Allowance
- ABA or ABY - Schooling Applicant
- AGE - Age Pension
- AUS - Austudy
- HCC - Health Care Card
- PTA - Partnered Allowance
- SPL - Special Benefit
- WID or WFD or WFA – Widow Allowance/Pension
- The CCC must be issued in the name of the fee payer and list the students for which the concession is to be applied.
- The expiry date of the card must be on or after 1 January of the year (2025) for which the concession is to be applied.
- If an eligible concession card expires after the start of the year, the concessional fee rate will still be applied for the entire year.
- If a family becomes eligible during the course of a school year, then a pro-rata concession may be granted.
The following application forms must be completed and are available from the school office:
- Complete the school’s application form & the Direct Debit Request (DDR) Service Agreement (or Centrepay application form)
- Submit the completed forms and present a valid CCC for verifying and copying.
- Complete and return the CSEF application form immediately after receiving it from the school.
Important Notes:
- The concession is automatic for a parent/guardian responsible for the school fees, who holds an eligible CCC.
- Any offer of a concession is subject to the applicant entering into a DDR Service Agreement or CentrePay arrangement for a regular payment plan of remaining fees (either weekly or fortnightly payments preferred). Any default in payment may result in the concession being withdrawn.
- The Direct Debit form is available from the school office or alternatively the CentrePay application form is available online at https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/forms/sa325.
- A CSEF application must be submitted for a concession to be granted.
- A new application must be made for each school year.
- Where the fee account is split, the concession applies to only that portion payable by the eligible card holder.
- All families requesting, or receiving, a fee concession must notify the school should their financial circumstances change sufficiently to affect the level of concession offered or if cards are cancelled.
CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE
Eligibility:
An application on behalf of a student may be submitted if the student is:
- a Victorian resident;
- school aged and enrolled (3) three or more days per week at a school; and
A student who meets the above requirements may be eligible if they:
- attend their nearest appropriate non-government school/campus
- reside 4.8km or more by the shortest practicable route from the school attended
Note: Eligibility is assessed when the School completes your child’s application on the Student Conveyance Allowance System
(SCAS). If approved, the allowance payable is based on the one-way distance to make the journey to and from school.
If you are eligible and wish to apply for this allowance, please click the link to the Conveyance Allowance Application Form, which must be printed and completed and returned to the school office by early March, 2023. Late claims cannot be accepted.
Conveyance allowance rates - Money You Get Back
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/conveyance-allowance/guidance/conveyance-allowance-rates
Calling All Helpers! Join the Bunyip Catholic Parents & Friends Group in 2025!
Dear Bunyip Catholic School Families,
We're already looking ahead to an exciting 2025 school year! The Bunyip Catholic Parents & Friends Group (P&F) plays a vital role in supporting our school community by organizing events, fundraising activities, and volunteering for projects that benefit our students.
This year, we'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our dedicated P&F members who contributed their time and talents in [2024]. Your efforts made a significant difference in enriching our school environment and fostering a strong sense of community.
Looking Forward to 2025!
We're gearing up for another fantastic year and would love for you to join us!
Here are just a few ways the P&F supports Bunyip Catholic:
- Organizing Fun Events: limited by creativity!
- Fundraising Activities: This helps fund school resources, equipment, and special programs.
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Building Community: We provide opportunities for parents and teachers to connect and build lasting relationships.
Are you interested in giving back and making a difference? Every bit of help makes a huge impact! If you'd like to be involved in the P&F for the 2025 school year, please don't hesitate to reach out to Andrew by replying to this email or sending him a message at principal@bunyip.catholic.edu.au.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Bunyip Catholic P&F team in 2025!
2024 Dates
Pupil Free Days - NO STUDENTS 2024
Columba provides all families with access to before and after school care through DS Sports.
Our Before and After school care program is facilitated on site in our Multi-purpose Room before and after school
DS Sports are now taking Before and After School care enrolments for 2025!
ALL THE INFO YOU NEED IS IN THE FLYER BELOW!
Below is a downloadeable flyer with all the information you need to know regarding DS Sports Before & After School Care