Term 4 Week 8

Principal’s Update 

As I say to the children each Monday morning we have arrived at Week…. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7…..8! 

It’s been a week of reflection as we cast one eye towards 2022, while keeping one eye firmly planted on 2021. 

Graduation 

Last night we celebrated with the Graduating Class of 2021 and what a beautiful night we had. It was a pleasure to sit, reflect and chat to the children, their families and the staff who had been part of their educational journey.  

We presented some tongue in cheek awards last night which paid tribute to the gifts of each child. 

Upon leaving my first teaching appointment in Murray Bridge, my Principal at the time was an Irish man and offered me this traditional Irish blessing in a farewell card. It now sits in my office. I thought I’d share it with our departing graduates: 

May the road rise up to meet you 

May the wind be always at your back 

May the sunshine warm upon your face 

The rains fall soft upon your fields 

And Until we meet again 

May God hold you in the Palm of his hand 

Presentation Night Reminder 

Presentation night is next Tuesday at 7pm. This year due to COVID‐19 restrictions we will be holding the event outside on the courts. 

Presentation night is a night where we celebrate with our whole community the year as a whole. It will feature a selection of carols from our students as well as a celebration of the year that has been. The event will be a picnic style event so feel free to arrive anytime from 6:15pm, set up a rug or deck chairs and enjoy BYO food.  

Students will be required to be in full school uniform.  

The night will also feature the traditional Year 7 awards and our ‘St Columba’s Awards’.  

These awards will be presented to students in our school who best live our values of Love, Respect, Justice, Honesty, Gratitude, Empathy and Resilience. These awards are open to all students in our community. This night is a compulsory night for all students of our school.  

Please let Nicole know if your child is unable to attend. 

Book Day or not Book Day 

Traditionally our school has had a ‘Book Day’. This has been a day where families come in and pick up the student books, before returning them to school the following week with our students. 

When reviewing this process this year we have decided that this day has become an unnecessary part of the schedule. I was hearing anecdotes from parents that families were basing holidays around when they needed to come in to pick up the books! This year especially with Australia Day falling on a Wednesday in the middle of the week before holidays, asking families to come in to pick up books either side of that public holiday is unnecessary.  

We also found that there were discrepancies in parent understandings of what to do with the books at home, and often the task of covering and labelling was laborious or ended up being frivolous after the teacher’s applied their own subject book covers.  

Some parents would hold stationery at home for when their students needed it, while others sent the majority to school for it to be stored at school. 

This has led us to the decision of not holding a Book Day in 2022.  

This year the books and associated stationery will be delivered to each classroom at the start of the year. This enables the teachers to store spare stationery and books for later in the year when they will be needed. It will also allow us to properly assess how much stationery is required for each child each year. The teachers will assist students in labelling the appropriate books and stationery for the year ahead. 

A reminder that our school fees encompass all booklists and associated stationery. 

Reflection 

Over the weekend I will be finalising a reflection piece that sums up 2021 as a whole for SCMS and provides our community an overview of what 2022 and beyond will look for our school.  

The theme of this piece will be about opportunity. The opportunities that we were able to offer in 2021, what we will be offering in 2022, and more details about our Capital Works project that will begin next year.

Scott

Hello!

And we are nearly done for the year… wow!

Last night we held our Graduation mass for our Year 7 graduates and their families. It was, like every year, a beautiful moment to sit and reflect on the students and how far they have all come. Some we have known since reception, others starting with us a little later, but all finishing part of our St Columba’s Memorial School family. It is my hope that as these students leave our little school and start their journey to the big wide world, that they are able to take something with them to help guide them in their lives. That they know just how much they are loved by God and that He will never let them down. That Jesus will always be with them, cheering them on, helping them, supporting them and loving them. I hope that they know that St Columba’s will always be here for them, that they are always welcome back to say hello and that we will be cheering them on as they grow and achieve their dreams. Good luck and Nukkunya Abby, Brock, Mitchell, Joe, Kate, Kaleb, Kaitlin, Emily, and Sarah!

Thank you to all the families and friends for another wonderful year. Thank you for all your support and kindness and I pray that you have a beautiful Christmas filled with love, peace and joy.

See you in 2022!

Miriam Honner

Merry Christmas from the Junior Primary classes and teachers. The students have been busy learning about Advent and the Nativity. They were very excited that Advent started on Sunday.

This term the Year 3/4 Class has been working on book reviews. As a class we reviewed some of the class texts before each student selected one of their favourite books to review. 

It was such a valuable experience for the students to analyse various books from different perspectives. From this, each of the students have expanded their reading repertoire because of the recommendations given by their peers. 

They have been proudly been on display in our school library for the past two weeks.

Congratulations to Jade Player in Year Five!

Jade has become an Awardee in The Governor of South Australia’s Civics Award for Schools in 2021!

The South Australian judging panel, consisting of State Representatives and School Reference Groups, awarded Jade this recognition of her outstanding work submission that presented a historical and contemporary viewpoint of childhood life in South Australia.

Jade will be presented with her certificate and medallion by Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC at the Proclamation Ceremony at the Old Gum Tree on the 28^th of December, 2021.

It has been my pleasure to work with Jade throughout the year and observe her research, plan and present this assignment!

Angela Grigoras-Oates

Last Thursday the Year 6 students prepared an amazing lunch for the departing Year 7’s, staff and Indigenous Artists from Carclew. The 3 course meal was of an impressive standard and with the help of Jo Minks, the Year 6 students prepared an experience that was both memorable and delicious. Thank you to Jo and the Year 6 students!

At the end of each academic year, teachers have a time together at school, after students have left for their summer holidays. During this time, teachers exchange very valuable insights which they have gained over the year, from teaching their pupils.

I would like to say a big Thank you for supporting our  Book Club and Fairs this year. The children have really enjoyed all the new books purchased from the proceeds.

Please don’t forget to return all library books by Monday.

Merry Christmas 

Julie Anderson

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