Principal Report

Principal Message – Week 2 Term 4

Welcome back everyone! I trust you all had a wonderful holiday. We wrapped up Term Three on a high note with the sensational performance of "Shrek Junior" and the always exciting Footy Colours Day. The holidays were indeed a well-deserved break, coming at just the right time.

I know that many of our families took the opportunity to explore warmer destinations, either overseas or interstate. I hope you enjoyed this quality time with your children, and that they have returned to school with renewed energy, ready to tackle the challenges of Term Four.

As we delve into Term Four, it's important to highlight that this is a particularly busy period. From an academic perspective, it's a time of consolidation and assessment as we gear up for semester 2 reports. We are excited about what lies ahead, and there will be more to share over the next ten weeks.

We are immensely proud to recognize the remarkable achievements of our 24 student-athletes who represented the school at the District Finals. Congratulations to Scarlett, who secured 1st place in shot put, and Olivia, who claimed 1st place in high jump. They will now be moving on to the Regionals. Kudos to the entire team, and our appreciation goes out to Sharelle Braithwaite, Jane Dixon, and Ruby Elkins for their exceptional coaching efforts that contributed to this outstanding accomplishment.

Looking forward, we eagerly anticipate supporting our Year 6 girls' basketball team as they compete at the next level during the District Finals next week.

In other exciting news, enrolments for Prep 2024 have reached capacity, and we've established a waitlist due to the strong interest in our IB PYP program. We extend a warm welcome to the new families who have joined our school this term and those in other year levels joining in 2024. Furthermore, it's exciting to see strong interest and enrolments for Prep 2025 and 2026.

At St. Columba's, there is never a dull moment, and this term is no exception. We have an array of special events, engaging incursions, inspiring excursions, and enriching activities planned for your children. One of the highlights will be the Art Walk, scheduled for Sunday, November 12. This event will showcase the stunning artworks crafted by our children throughout the year. The theme, "In differences we unite," has added a unique layer of depth to each piece, allowing our children to gain valuable insights into the creative process and the inspiration that drives artists and designers. I hope you will join us for this community celebration and fundraiser.

This term, our Year 6 children will present the culmination of their seven years at St. Columba’s with the Exhibition. The Exhibition is the concluding, collaborative experience of the Primary Years Programme. In this event, our children demonstrate their understanding of an issue or opportunity they have chosen to explore, showcasing their capacity for self-directed learning and their commitment to taking action. We invite our community to join in celebrating our Year 6s at the Exhibition and their growth as internationally minded young people eager to make a positive impact. The Exhibition will take place on Thursday, November 16, at 6:30 pm. I strongly encourage all families to attend.

With the weather getting better and the end of the year within sight, we have an exciting line-up of special events and community gatherings ahead. I kindly ask that you take a moment to review the dates in this newsletter and update your calendars. We are looking forward to seeing you at these and many more events throughout the term.