Term 4 Week 1 Monday 2nd October 2023

From the Principal

Key dates for the Diary

Term 3

Term 4 Commences on Monday 2nd October

Week 1 - Janet on LSL

Friday 13th October- MRC PEAK Students working with our Senior students 

Tuesday October 24th- Grandparent's Day

November 22-24 - Year 5/6 Camp to Melbourne 

Sunday November 26th- Sacrament of Eucharist

2023 Meals on Wheels Roster

Week beginning;  30th October

School Closure Dates 2023

Term 4: Friday 10th November (Catholic Social Teaching) 

School Camps 2023

Year 5/6 Camp to Melbourne November 22-24 

Term 4 Sun Smart Policy

Children are required to wear their St Colman's school hat for all outdoor activities during Term 4. This first week is a 'grace period', however, as of next week we will be implementing our No Hat No Outdoor Play policy.

Please take the time to find your child's hat and check that it is in clean and presentable condition.

Year 3/4 Camp to Sovereign Hill

The last week of term saw our 3/4 students enjoy an overnight camp at Sovereign Hill. The weather was perfect and allowed our students to experience all that Sovereign Hill has to offer. We were so proud of our students' behaviour and the respect they showed throughout their time away with us. They were a pleasure to take on camp!!

Panning for Gold

School-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS)

At St Colman's we want everyone in our community to be Respectful, Responsible and Safe. Our school wants us to develop these values so that they become a part of how we live our life at school each day. This will lead to a safer, kinder and more considerate school community and will help everyone to be able to learn and grow to their full potential. 

As a Catholic School, the example of Jesus is at the heart of all that we do. This is how Jesus lived his life and we encourage everyone to be the best versions of themselves each day and contribute to our school in a positive way.  

Our school has developed a School Wide Positive Behaviour Matrix which outlines our core values of Welcome, Learn and Care and how they can be transferred into respectful, responsible & safe behaviours that we would like to see everyone doing. 

Currently we are having a few focusses or what we call blitzes from our Matrix to ensure students are following those expected behaviours.  These blitzes are focussing on the core value of WELCOME:

Wk 1-3: We welcome all visitors to our school

Wk 4-6: We treat all teachers and visitors with RESPECT

Wk 7-9: We use a respectful tone to all staff, students and visitors

When staff see these behaviours being demonstrated children will be acknowledged and receive Double Dojo points.

Grandparent's Day

We are also excited to welcome Grandparents into our school when we celebrate Grandparent's Day on Tuesday October 24th. 

Homework at St Colman's

We have recently had a few parents ask about our 'no homework' policy at our school. Several years ago the school investigated the efficacy of homework in primary schools and also surveyed the parent group at that time. The school used the evidence from renowned researcher in education, John Hattie, to support their thinking.

“Research by John Hattie, Professor of Education at the University of Melbourne, has found that homework in primary school has an effect of around zero, as students are completing separate and unrelated projects rather than reinforcing learnt knowledge”.

It was decided that at St Colman’s our homework would prioritise the importance of daily home reading. That being said, we have noticed a decline in the number of students who are reading at home daily and who are getting their diary signed by an adult to indicate that they have been listened to when reading.

We are having a school-wide blitz on this and all children who read at home and have their diary signed by an adult will receive a Dojo point as a reward.

Parents that are wanting to provide opportunities to reinforce their child’s learning at home, are encouraged to utilise the Reading Eggs and Mathletics websites (links below).

Login details for your child can be found in their diary.

Weekly Award Winners

Congratulations to all of our students for completing another term of hard work.

We especially acknowledge the students who received an award during the final assembly for the term Well done!!

Charlotte A, Rocky K, Zac D, Thoren P, Xavier C, Patrick G, Cooper F, Noah M, Jack A.

Playgroup at St Colman's

We have been delighted by the success of Little Colman's Playtime and we are extremely grateful to Lily Convery-Oborne for her passion and commitment in getting this little initiative up and running. Due to the popularity of this playgroup, we have decided to make this a fortnightly event, and the next session is  this FRIDAY- 6th October.

The ongoing commitment to this project will require support from other members of the school community. If you are willing to help out by going on a roster to help organise Little Colman’s, please contact either the school or Lily. 

WE WILL NEED TO PURCHASE SOME GAMES AND EQUIPMENT FOR OUR PLAYGROUP. HOWEVER, WE WONDERED IF YOU HAD ANY OLD TOYS AND GAMES THAT YOUR CHILDREN HAVE GROWN OUT OF AND THAT YOU NO LONGER NEED. IF SO, WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THE DONATION OF ANY PRE-SCHOOL TOYS AND GAMES, INDOOR OR OUTDOOR, THAT ARE IN EXCELLENT USED CONDITION.

Lunch Orders

LUNCH ORDERS are only available twice a week on Monday and Friday.

St. Colman's Enrolments

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday to Imogen Barr who is celebrating a birthday this week.

We wish her, and any other members of our community who are celebrating their birthday this week, a very happy day!

Many blessings to you on your special day and throughout the year. 

School Advisory Council

We would like to introduce you to our SAC members for 2022-2023.  Lily Convery-Oborne (Chair), Jo Wallis, Alison Greig, Michelle Lehmann, Jo Dolling, Zion Palmer, Sophie and Nick Allen, Rachel Baulch, Rosie O’Connor (School rep), Janet Cain (Principal) and Fr. Gary Jones (Parish Rep)

These people are the voice of the parish and parents in the school. If you have any questions or anything that you would like raised please contact one of these people.

The SAC meets twice a term and we thank these people for agreeing to be a part of this group that provides an essential link between the school and its families.

Term 4 Meeting Dates:

Thursday 19th October @ 6:30 (staffroom at school)

Thursday 30th November AGM Dinner Meeting  @6pm (Macs Hotel)

Our Lady of Mercy Parish Newsletter

St. Colman's School is a Child Safe Community

Child Safety Officers

Janet Cain and Rosie O'Connor are our Child Safety Officers.

Contact them on:

Phone: 55992285 or 0490539167

Email: jcain@scmortlake.catholic.edu.au or roconnor@scmortlake.catholic.edu.au

Child Safe Standards (eleven in total) came into effect in July 2022 and are a vital part of what we do here at St Colman’s. But what do these standards look like in practice? Each week, we will look at a standard in closer detail

Standard 3 - Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.

At St Colman’s we can see this standard in action in a variety of ways. Our three classroom groups hold Class Meetings each term discuss what is happening in their school and contribute their ideas. The class teacher's then feed this back to the rest of our staff. Each area is given the chance to express what they have enjoyed about the term, any worries they may have and what their hopes for the next term are. St Colman's is investigating the creation of a Student Representative Council in 2024.

We also conduct Wellbeing surveys twice a year to check in with how the children are feeling. As a staff we analyse this data and make plans moving forward as to how we can address any concerns that the children may have.

More information about these standards can be found by clicking on the link below.

Out of School Care

A reminder that during 2023 we have access to Out of School Care, supplied by TheirCare, at Mortlake College. Registration is made via the TheirCare website. https://theircare.com.au/

Search for Mortlake College P-12

Community News

MRC 50th Jubilee Celebrations

Mercy Regional College is celebrating 50 years of Catholic education in our community. If you are a past student you may wish to attend one of the events they have planned.

Jubilee Day

We would love our past students, families and staff to join us in this celebration on Saturday 25 November from 11:30 to 3:30 in Camperdown. School tours, roll calls and displays for each decade, food trucks and music, tree planting, free family portraits, afternoon tea and more. This event is free.

Jubilee Dinner 

On Saturday evening (25 November) we will gather for dinner and the presentation of the inaugural Spirit of Mercy Awards, and the Annual Car Raffle. Then you are invited to kick up your heels to the lively music of The People’s Poets. 

Click on the link below for more information and to secure your spot!

Cricket Blast

NCCD

Please read the attached information sheet for parents regarding NCCD.

Covid Information

As we have had quite a few reported cases of Covid 19 within our community, it is timely to remind ourselves of COVID Safe arrangements. We will be encouraging greater vigilance with our hand washing procedures at school.

Although there are no mandated isolation arrangements, the following is strongly recommended:

It is strongly recommended that students:

●  Who test positive for COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for five days.

●  Should not attend school after five days if still symptomatic.

●  Who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school.

Where students become symptomatic at school, they should:

●  Be collected by their parents/carers.

●  Undergo testing for COVID-19.

It is strongly recommended that staff:

●  Who test positive for COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for five days.

●  Should not attend school after five days if still symptomatic.

●  Who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school.

If families require RAT kits, please contact the school office.

COVID-19 reporting requirements.

The Department of Health recommends that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 should inform those with whom they have recently been in contact, including their workplace, school and household.

Schools no longer have to alert their school community of positive cases, however we will continue to do this informally.

Face masks.

Staff and students who wish to wear a face mask should be supported to do so, and schools should continue to make face masks available for staff, students and visitors.

The Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who is a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 when leaving home.

Additionally, the department recommends that masks should be worn by a person who has COVID-19 for 10 days after a positive test when they need to leave home.