Principal Report

Principal’s Message Week 10 Term 4 2019

What an incredible year we have had! I am finding it hard to believe that this is the last newsletter for 2019.

This year has seen our school achieve some remarkable milestones. As I reflect back over the year many moments come to mind. Our school musical Seussical certainly is a stand out, as was our selection for one of three schools nominated for Sustainable School of the Year. Our students have continued to reflect and personify our school vision and have represented our school with pride throughout the year: at sporting events, on our Canberra tour, on excursions and camps, during our work with Port Phillip Eco Centre and at local events such as ANZAC day, Sustainable Schools, Port Phillip Youth Council, and Remembrance Day. It has been wonderful to see them flourish academically, physically and socially emotionally.

As a community, we have had the opportunity this year to reflect on our school and its future. The feedback received from not only the survey put out by the Parish Education Board earlier in the year but also though the CEMSIS survey in August both highlighted that the strength of our school lies in the fact that we care. We care about our students, each other, the planet and the most vulnerable. The wellbeing of our students has always been central and at the heart of all that we do. It is without a doubt the deep sense of connectedness and belonging that goes a long way in assisting our students to succeed whilst at school.

This sense of connectedness of course extends to our community. We are very fortunate to have the level of support that we do from our parent community. The school could not operate nearly as effectively without the assistance of our parents and on behalf of the staff and students, I thank you very much for your time, expertise and effort. I would like to thank the Parish Education Board and Parents and Friends Association and the Green Team for the work they do in assisting the school. We are very lucky to have such a committed group of parents who work tirelessly for the school to improve the environments and learning opportunities for the children here at St. Columba’s.

We are very excited about 2020. We have so many wonderful initiatives planned for the year. Staff have already spent considerable time planning and developing units of work that will maximise the learning opportunities for children next year. During 2019 we were very fortunate to work with renowned literacy experts: Matt Glover (writing) and Dr Misty Adoniou (Grammar in context) and Professor of Mathematics Jo Boaler. We have seen wonderful growth across all year levels especially in literacy (reading comprehension and writing) and in numeracy with many of our children working well above the standard in each of these domains. We will continue to focus our professional learning for teachers on Literacy, Maths and high-quality instruction and teaching throughout next year, along with student voice, agency and feedback to students that will specifically drive learning forward.

We are extremely fortunate to be able to provide extra support to classrooms with our Differentiation Support Teachers P-6 and Curriculum Leaders. We are looking to really strengthen our commitment to personalising and differentiating our learning programs for students at our school in literacy and numeracy. So, by having extra teachers working alongside classroom teachers, we feel we are more able to target individuals at their point of need.

Our school has a strong emphasis on music and the performing arts and we will continue to provide the children with a vast array of experiences throughout each term, our wellbeing weeks and especially during Term 3 when we will run our Community Arts Program. Our Physical Education Program provides students with the opportunity to participate and learn about a range of sports. In 2020, we will be extending the Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) to include both Prep and Year 1. We will also continue to engage with community sports programs for schools and our involvement with inter school sports and district events.

Our extracurricular programs will include lunchtime clubs, instrumental music lessons, the re-establishment of a school choir, opportunities for classes to perform at assemblies, incursions and excursions. All of the above factors contribute to the development of the whole child here at St Columba’s which is strongly supported by our emphasis and commitment to Social Emotional Learning and wellbeing.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff for their care, professionalism and nurturing of the children. I know that each staff member has worked resolutely to provide the best education for each of your children. It is not by luck that we have such a committed group of teachers.

To the families and staff who are leaving the school community at the conclusion of this year, we thank you for your contribution over the time you have been here. We wish you all the best in the future. On behalf of the staff I would like to thank you, the parents, for your continued support of the staff here at St. Columba’s.

Enjoy the holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Carols Night 2019

What a wonderful evening – and a wonderful way to celebrate the end of the year. The children all sang their hearts out and it was Christmas cheer all round. Thank you to Chris Lazzaro, all the staff and children for making this such a special night for our community.