Principal's Message

Principal Message Week 2 - Term 4

At St Columba’s, we often talk about community, but it is in our everyday connections and partnerships that its true value comes to life. Our school is a vibrant hub shaped by people from all walks of life, each bringing unique skills, stories and perspectives. It is this rich diversity and our collective commitment to supporting our children academically, socially and emotionally, that creates such a strong foundation for our school. 

When we build genuine partnerships both within our school environment and across the wider community, we create a network of support that directly benefits our students. A wonderful example of this was attending the Bendigo Bank Celebration alongside Ms Rachael last week. Crossing paths and linking up with local organisations and volunteers reminded me of the incredible spirit that surrounds us here in Elwood. When our community works together, our children gain a deeper sense of belonging, safety and trust in the world around them. 

Our community is fed directly through the everyday generosity of the many different teams and groups with have within our own school and parish, including our: Student Leaders, Student Representative Council, Parents and Friends class reps, School Advisory Council, School Leadership Team, Teaching Teams, Parish team, Parish Leadership Development Team our Children’s Market Team and even our Year 3 School Disco Committee. Each of these groups plays a vital role in nurturing the warm, supportive environment our students thrive in. 

Term 4 is a wonderful time for us to continue to come together in many different ways, whether celebrating milestones, gathering for events, or simply connecting at the school gate. I look forward to sharing this final term of the year with you all and continuing to build on these strong partnerships that make St Columba’s such a special place to belong.

Year 6 PYP Exhibition

This term, our Year 6 students reach an important milestone in their Primary Years Programme (PYP) journey as they present their Exhibition. This event marks the culmination of their learning at St Columba’s and offers a wonderful chance to see how far they have come. The Exhibition gives students the opportunity to explore issues they care about deeply, demonstrating the IB Learner Profile in action through critical thinking, clear communication, compassion and integrity. It’s also a wonderful reflection of how ready they are for secondary school,

We look forward to celebrating with you on Thursday, 19th November at 5:00 pm as we acknowledge their achievement. 

5-Star Best Schools Award

We are thrilled to share that St Columba’s Primary School has been named in The Educator’s 2026 5-Star Best Schools Awards. 

This award highlights our commitment to innovation beyond technology, partnerships with Sacred Heart Mission Age Care, student wellbeing and academic excellence. It’s a celebration of                                                   our school wide collaboration and so wonderful to see our shared                                               vision for education recognised on a national level.

Attendance

Regular attendance is vital for your child’s learning and wellbeing and as part of our legal requirements, we mark the student roll twice daily. 

To help us keep our records accurate, please submit an attendance note via Compass if your child is absent due to illness, appointments or other reasons. If an absence remains unapproved, you will receive an SMS reminder for you to update your child's attendance, followed by a call from our administration if required. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and support. 

YEAR 4 PARENTS- Year 7 2029- Key Secondary Enrolment Dates

Parents of our Year 4 cohort, please see the important dates below for you to begin the applications to Catholic Secondary schools.

Applications for students starting Year 7 in 2029 will open on Wednesday 27 January 2027 and close on Friday 13 August 2027.

Offers will be posted to 2029 prospective Year 7 applicants on Friday 15 October 2027.

Parents/carers will be required to accept an offer by Friday 5 November 2027

WhatsApp Groups & Parent Communication

WhatsApp groups can be a great way for families to connect, but a gentle reminder that they aren't the right place to raise individual school concerns. If you ever have a question or concern about your child or another child, please reach out directly to their classroom teacher. They are always happy to work with you or guide you to another member of staff. 

To help maintain a positive, supportive environment for everyone, here are two quick reminders from our Parent/Carer Code of Conduct: 

• Please avoid communication, including on social media, that could undermine the positive reputation of our school, staff, or students. 
• Please direct any student concerns to school staff rather than approaching other parents or carers directly. 

Thank you for helping us keep our school community respectful and supportive for all our families!