Term 4 Week 9 Monday 2nd December 2024

Acknowledgement of Country

From the Principal

Important Dates:

Term 4

Friday December 6th: 9am- 11am Kinder Transition Session 4

Monday December 9th- Year 6 Fun Day

Tuesday December 10th: Whole school Move Up Day/ Orientation Day

Thursday December 12th: Whole school Aberlea Christmas visit

Friday December 13th: Parent Support Group (PSG) meetings

                                       6pm: Mortlake Community Christmas Carols 

Saturday 14th December: Bunnings BBQ

Monday 16th December: PJ and Bed-hair Day

End of Year dates:

Tuesday 17th December: End of Year Mass, Awards and Picnic

Wednesday 18th December: Final day for students

Thursday 19th December: Student Free Day- Final day for staff (2025 Planning Day)

Friday 20th December: Student Free Day- DOBCEL Approved TIL acquittal day

Start of Year dates:

Monday 27th January: Australia Day Public Holiday

Tuesday 28th January: Staff return to school

Wednesday 29th January: All students in Yrs F-6 return to school.

 Sunday, 1st December, is the First Sunday of Advent.

What is Advent about?

Have you ever sat completely still by the waters edge? By a river, creek or ocean at dawn? Watching and listening? In this time you may have noticed sounds, movements, flora and fauna, or changes in the light. Sitting there in peace, you may have noticed numerous things that happen each and every day, unnoticed, year in and year out. Extraordinary beauty, an exquisite scene before you. This is the unfolding story of creation each day. In the stillness we notice, we are aware. Advent is an invitation for Christians to be still and notice, to be still and to be aware. In this time of noticing there may be an opportunity to see God moments unfold before our very eyes. Possibility for the Emmanuel  “God with us” being revealed. Moments of when God is consistently being birthed. Advent is an opportunity for Christians to experience a dawn time like the scene by the waters edge in the early morn.

Aunty Elizabeth Pike expresses it in the following way while also reflecting upon the role of Mary of Nazareth, Mary who birthed the Face of God. 

Down through the ages and throughout biblical history, the Creator has always chosen ordinary people to show us the way to a fuller life. These ordinary people become extraordinary because they listen to a call from the creator deep within their heart and follow it in trust. For Christians, Mary, mother of Jesus, is the classic example. This special listening can only be achieved by living close to the law that the Creator placed in the hearts of all people. Be still and know that I am God.

Aboriginal people were very aware of their strong connectedness with the Spirit world through “listening”  to creation. Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr from Daly River points out: “It is a quality my people call Dadirri - an inner deep listening, a quiet stillness and awareness.” 

The other part of Dadirri is waiting. Our culture tells us not to hurry things up; we let things follow their natural course, like watching the moon in each of its phases, or waiting for the rain to fill our rivers and waterholes and water our thirsty earth. We wait for bush foods to ripen and we wait for a long time when someone dies, owning our grief, allowing our hearts to heal slowly in the proper way. There is nothing more important than attending to the present moment. p.23 24

Woman of Summer!

Help us have strength and courage

To overcome our fears and confusion

As we move out of darkness into light

And give birth to this new life of love

 Taken from: In the Jesus Dreaming.  p.172

Pike, E (2011) The Power of Story: Spirit of the Dreaming 

 John Garratt Publishing: Mulgrave

The DOBCEL Board invites any interested members of our school community to nominate for one of six consultative committees commencing in 2025.

Further information is available in the flyer  below. Applications close 19th January 2025.

Student Safety: Our New End-of-Day Procedure

We're updating our system to ensure every student gets home safely after school. Here's what parents need to know:

How It Works

• When the final bell rings, students will line up in two groups:
  1. Bus travellers
  2. Students exiting through Dunlop Street door

Important Changes

• EVERY student will now be marked on our end-of-day roll
• Parents MUST notify the school if their child's usual going-home plan changes
• This applies to ALL students, not just bus travellers

How to Notify the School

We prefer you use these methods:

1. First choice: PAM app (Parent Access Module)
   • Easily change bus route
   • Select "Dunlop Street Exit" if needed
2. If app isn't working: Call the school directly

Current Limitations

• The app does not have a specific field for detailed collection instructions
• We are actively working with our technology provider to improve this feature

Interim Solution

If your child has a unique after-school arrangement, please:

1. Use the PAM app to mark standard transport changes (like bus routes)
2. Contact the school directly with specific collection details
3. Provide information about alternative arrangements

Example Scenario

Samantha Student's situation:

• Can be marked off the bus on PAM
• Additional notification that she is walking to tennis training needs to be communicated to school
  

What Happens If No Notification

• Your child will follow their usual going-home routine
• We'll ensure they're directed to their standard method of transport
  

We appreciate your patience as we work to enhance our communication systems to make student safety tracking more comprehensive and user-friendly.

Our goal is simple: Get every child home safely, every single day.

$ 400 School Saving bonus

The Allan Labor Government’s $400 School Saving Bonus is rolling out this week for 2025.  Catholic school students who will be in Prep through to Year 12 in 2025, and who are receiving the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF), are eligible for the School Saving Bonus.  

Catholic school students receiving the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) in 2025 are eligible for additional support through the School Saving Bonus (SSB). The $400 bonus will be provided directly to each school and the school will apply it directly to your fee account.  The $400 School Saving Bonus is available for each child. That means an eligible family with three school-aged children will receive a total reduction of $1,200 to school fees. 

Families who have had their circumstances change (including new healthcare and concession card holders) and who may be eligible for the Camps, Sports and Excursion are encouraged to discuss this with the school.  These are real cost-of-living supports. 

For more information please contact Janet or Jane.

Our Lady of Mercy Parish News

WEEKEND MASS TIMES
ST THOMAS’ TERANG
Saturday 6.00 pm
Sunday 10.30 am
ST COLMAN’S MORTLAKE
Sunday 9.00 am

We have almost finalised our staff for 2025. We are still seeking an LSO 3 days per week and a young person to complete a Cert 3 in Education Support Traineeship to join our team in the new year. So if you know anyone who might just be the perfect candidate, please ask them to contact the school ASAP.

Our class structures for 2025 will be:

Junior Room: Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 (teacher: Shandell Moloney)-14 students

Middle Room: Year 3 and Year 4 (teacher: Rosie O'Connor)- 12 students

Senior Room: Year 5 and Year 6 (teacher: Anna Bourke)- 12 students

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader: Narelle Marsden

STEAM: Nicole Moulden

Health/Phys Ed: Nicole Moulden

LOTE (Auslan): Janet Cain

Learning Support Officers: Jenny Stapleton, Brianna Barr, Angela Absalom

Admin Officer: Jane Lee

As you can see, we have changed the structure of our Junior room to a F-2 classroom. This decision was not made lightly and was based upon ensuring we had a more even distribution of students across our three classrooms. We have fought hard to maintain the three classrooms in our school this year and have long promoted our ability to have small classes which allows us to offer increased individualised attention and tailor instruction to individual learning styles. This change to an F-2 Junior room ensures that all three learning areas have lovely, small class sizes.

As we near the end of a very busy year, we need to congratulate the elected members of our very first Student Representative Council (SRC). Mason, Ivy, Charlotte, Alex, Zoe F, Archie, Layla and Patrick have all represented their respective classrooms with great pride and have injected a passionate student voice and lots of new ideas into the fundraising we have as at St Colman's. Toastie Tuesday, the sale of Zooper Doopers and our Pizza Day have seen the student body raise $633, with 50% of that going towards The Smith Family and the other half being spent on upgrading our sports equipment. The Senior students planned and ran our first Fun Day which was hugely successful and resulted in just over $400 being donated to the Anairo Hospital. This was a very meaningful fundraiser for our students thanks to the background information provided by Ann-Maree Convery who is a regular volunteer in Timor Leste. Ann Maree has purchased on our behalf two blood pressure cuffs and two stethoscopes. These have all been provided to the Hospital and they are aware that a small catholic primary school in South West Victoria worked hard to raise the funds for these much-needed items. This is our school living out its true Catholic social teachings. We are always trying to do as Jesus would have, and helping those less fortunate than us is one of His enduring messages for us all.

We are now in the process of electing our student leaders for 2025. The students are enthusiastically writing their letters of application and have done an amazing job. They will now present their speeches to the school community, this Friday in our weekly assembly. Unfortunately, some children will be disappointed when they are not elected into the role they are applying for. Please speak to your child about the chances of 'missing out' and start to develop some strategies with them around coping with that disappointment. Links to useful articles are below.

The SRC's final event for 2024, is a PJ and Bad (bed) hair day, on Monday December 16th. A gold coin donation will go to the Vinnies Christmas Appeal.

Little Artists

Congratulations to Tomas and Leo, who took out prizes for the wonderful pieces of art in they entered in the recent Noorat Show.

Tomas won 1st prize for his portrait of a boy on a horse. Leo received third place for his painting of Spongebob Squarepants!

Fantastic artwork, boys!!

Our nine Year 6 students will celebrate the end of their primary school days with an outing to Warrnambool next Monday, December 9th. The children will enjoy a movie, a special lunch and then a play at Lake Pertobe before returning to school. Children are asked to wear casual clothes and bring a towel in case thy get wet at Lake Pertobe.

Permission needs to be granted via PAM.

Please join as for our end of year Mass and celebration on Tuesday 17th December at St Colman's Parish Church from 5:30pm

Christmas Carols

The children have began practising the Christmas carols they will be performing at two community engagements. All of our students will visit Aberlea Inc after lunch on Thursday December 12th to sing and dance for the residents up there.

The students will wear their school uniform for the Aberlea Inc visit, but they can add a touch of Christmas (a Christmas hat, headband etc) if they wish. 

Then on Friday December 13th, our students will once again WOW the community of Mortlake Christmas Carols evening at the Market Square commencing at 6pm.

Children do not need to wear their school uniform on Friday night, however, they are asked to wear a pair of shorts (boardies if they have them) as well as something Christmassy.

Last Wednesday the St Colman's School Advisory Council met for the final time for 2024.  I wish to pass on my gratitude to this wonderful parent body, and all the work they have done for our school community this year.  Their participation in events, support for school initiatives, and the many hours they have volunteered their time is invaluable. They provide invaluable insight into the current context of our parents and families and they are most definitely a voice in the ear of school leadership. Their partnership with the school enhances the educational experience and strengthens our community bonds.  Personally, I am especially thankful for the ongoing support they have shown to me throughout the year.

A special thanks to Michelle Lehmann who concludes her time on the SAC at the end of this year when her youngest child, Alex, graduates. We thank both Michelle and Adam, for the ongoing support they have shown our school over the many years their children have attended here.

We welcome Georgie Price to our SAC and look forward to her contributions to this vital group; a “voice of our school”.

Attached are the Annual Reports provided by the Chair, Jo Wallis and the principal, Janet Cain at the AGM.

Bunnings BBQ

Saturday December 14th: Bunnings BBQ at Warrnambool. We have been offered a spot in the hotly contested Bunnings BBQ  fundraising calendar. This is the first time our school has had the opportunity to run the BBQ at Bunnings and being so close to Christmas it should be an incredibly busy day!

We have been reliable informed that this will be a VERY busy day at Bunnings, so we need as many volunteers as possible to lighten the load of those few people who have already agreed to give of their time. Please contact Jane ASAP to offer your help.

Second hand Uniforms

We have collected a selection of 'pre-loved' school uniforms that are available to ALL members of our school community. These items are free of charge, but it really is the 'luck of the draw' if the item you want is there or not! You are always welcome to come into the office to have a look at what is available.

Also, if you have any unused uniform items that you no longer need and are in good condition, please consider donating them to the second hand pile. All pre-loved items can be left at the office. Thank you!!

Playgroup at St Colman's

Our highly successful, Little Colman's Playtime will have one more session for the 2024 school year. It will be a Christmas celebration on this Friday December 6th from 9am.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD WITH YOUR FRIENDS WHO HAVE PRE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!! AND IT IS COMPLETELY FREE!

SchoolTV - Confidence & Motivation

Building confidence and motivation in young people is essential for their overall wellbeing and is a key aspect of their development. These qualities can have a lasting impact on their success and happiness. Confidence helps children believe in their abilities and face challenges with a positive attitude, while motivation drives their desire to learn, explore, and achieve their goals.

Fostering these traits involves creating an environment that encourages children to take risks, learn from their mistakes, and celebrate their achievements. Confidence is built when children feel capable and valued, while motivation is fuelled by the belief that their efforts will lead to growth and success. By actively supporting both, we can help young people thrive in the academic, social, and personal areas of their life.

By offering positive reinforcement, setting realistic expectations, and celebrating their efforts, we can model a positive mindset that can go a long way in helping young people develop both confidence and motivation. Nurturing these qualities, will help them grow into self-assured individuals who believe in their ability to succeed, setting the foundation for a fulfilling future.

In this edition of SchoolTV, discover how to provide opportunities for autonomy and support your child in persevering through challenges.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Confidence & Motivation edition of SchoolTV

Michael Grose Parenting Toolbox

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support

At St Colman's, we are excited to be using a  positive behaviour acknowledgement system, inspired by the School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework. This evidence-based approach helps schools improve social, emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes for students from Foundation to Year 12. Our new system will focus on promoting and rewarding specific behaviour expectations within our school community.

Here's how it works:

1. Staff members will distribute RAFFLE TICKETS to students demonstrating the targeted positive behaviour.
2. These tickets will be collected in a large jar and counted weekly.
3. Progress will be tracked on a barometer displayed in our school foyer and pictured above.
4. School-wide rewards will be offered at various milestones, with a grand prize when we reach 1000 tickets.

To ensure student engagement, our Student Representative Council will help determine the focus behaviours and rewards for our "BEHAVIOUR BLITZ" initiative. At their most recent meeting the Junior SRC decided on the following rewards;

250 tickets= Movie and popcorn afternoon

500 tickets= Hot chip lunch at Tea Tree Lake

750 tickets= Casual clothes and free time afternoon/ rotation games 

1000 tickets = Day trip to Lake Pertobe.

Congratulations to our students for reaching their first milestone of 250 tickets. All students enjoyed a movie and some popcorn last Monday. Well done everyone......keep making those POSITIVE CHOICES!

We continue to focus on our new Behaviour Blitz. We will be rewarding students each time we see them 'Make a positive (thumbs up) behaviour choice'.

St. Colman's School is a Child Safe Community

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 Safety Officers

The Child Safe Standards

St Colman's has an ongoing commitment to implementing all 11 of the Child Safe Standards.

Standard 10 asks schools to ensure:

Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.

Watch the clip below if you would like to see an overview of this standard. If you have any suggestions about how we could better in bed this standard into our school community please let us know.

Our Student Representative Council will be co ordinating our partnership with Cooinda Terang to become a collection point for Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic).

We will be collecting all eligible empty drink containers and then returning them to the CDS collection point at Cooinda. The 10c raised from each return will go back to the SRC. They will nominate various charities to support as well as using 50% of the funds to upgrade school resources.

So please start collecting and sending in your empties. 

Most aluminium, glass, plastic and liquid paperboard (carton) drink containers between 150mL and 3 litres are eligible. You can keep the lids on, we recycle them too. The easiest way to know if your drink container can be returned is to look for the 10c mark on the label, often located near the barcode.

You can help in two ways:

1. The first is by far the simplest. Just return your empty eligible containers to the tubs in the corridors at school.
2. If you have a large amount of containers to deposit, you may wish to take them to a Container Deposit Depot and return them yourself. Please download the CDS Vic West App (instructions below). When you return your containers, nominate St Colman's School Mortlake as the charity you want to donate the money to.

Please note, that as we are in partnership with Cooinda Terang, our preferred deposit depot is their Reverse Vending Machine located at 49 Dow St Terang.

Toastie Tuesday

Lunch Orders

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

Menu and price list below

Out of School Care

A reminder that we continue to have access to Out of School Care in 2024, supplied by TheirCare, at Mortlake College. Registration is made via the TheirCare website. https://theircare.com.au/

Search for Mortlake College P-12

AngliCare Energy Assistance

As part of Anglicare Victoria’s FREE Energy Assistance Program, they provide assistance with energy bills to support Victorians to:

• Talk to their energy retailer and get help with debt
• Access extra financial support
• Check they are receiving eligible concessions on their bill
• Find and move to an affordable energy plan
• Understand bills and fix any possible errors
• Support your child's education with free internet at home

They can provide immediate assistance for clients who are struggling to pay for their gas or electricity bills to prevent disconnection to their property!

The follower two flyers provide further details.

NCCD

Please read the attached information sheet for parents regarding NCCD.