Term 4 Week 9 Monday 30th November
Our Prayer This Week
From the Principal
Dear parents and members of our community,
The whirlwind that is the final few weeks of school is beginning. The 5/6 camp is this week and the 3/4 camp is next week. It is a great chance to celebrate the navigation of a very difficult year with some fun and adventure now that we are allowed to move about more freely.
Welcome Back
Welcome back to our parents who are now permitted into the school. We look forward to seeing you onsite and rebuilding the important relationships that are beneficial to the children's learning. A mask will still be needed by visiting adults when they are inside the school.
End of year and Beginning 2021
End of Year
The final day of school for the children this term will be Tuesday the 15th of December at 3:15pm with our end of year celebration at 6:30pm that evening.
Beginning of the Year
The 2021 school year begins on Wednesday 27th of January for staff only and the children will begin classes on Thursday 28th of January. Our normal testing days will happen the week after this on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th of February.
Transition Opportunities
Our new foundation children are coming to school tomorrow for a meet and greet with staff and students at 9:30am to 10:30am. If you are in the school at that time, please take the opportunity to introduce yourself and help us welcome our 5 new families to St Colman's.
All students will move to their new groups for 2021 on Tuesday 8th of December. We wish our Grade 6's every success at secondary school and welcome our foundation students for the whole day.
End of Year Celebration
Thankfully the new school guidelines have provided us with the opportunity to hold a full end of year celebration at 6:30pm Tuesday 15th of December in the St Colman's church. All families are welcome to attend and we look forward to the opportunity to do the following:-
- Graduation of our Grade 6 students
- Announce our school leaders for 2021
- Farewell families leaving our school
- Welcome our new foundation students
- Farewell staff leaving us
- Sing some Christmas carols
School Advisory Council
Last Wednesday we held the AGM of our School Advisory Council. We have three parents finishing their time on the council and we thank Jacinta Jubb, Rachael Krepp and Jenna Wardlaw for their valued contribution to the fruitful discussions and vital role of providing advice and direction to many school decisions. We welcome Brianna Barr and Tammy Camplin to the council for next year. Our executive of the council is as follows:-
Chairperson Lily Convery-Oborne
Secretary Nicola Herry
HCSN Rep Nicola Herry
School Governance Transfer
As mentioned for some time now, the transfer of governance of all Ballarat diocese schools from a local parish level to Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL) is taking place before the beginning of 2021. Our formal transfer will happen as a joint ceremony for the four schools in the Hampden Catholic Schools network on Thursday the 10th of December.
5/6 School Camp
Our 5/6 school camp to Grampians Retreat is this Wednesday 2nd, December to Friday 4th of December. We will be onsite with St Thomas' but both schools will operate independently of one another to comply with the current guidelines. It is great to see one of our important events able to take place now that the health status of the state has improved.
3/4 School Camp
The 3/4 school camp is on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th of December. The children will be involved in an excursion to Warrnambool on Wednesday where they will visit minigolf and participate in a surf lesson. They will then return to school for dinner and will sleep in their classrooms in swags or sleeping bags. The next morning they will travel to Live Wire Park near Lorne for a zipline adventure and a trampoline session. After lunch on the Lorne foreshore they will return to school by bell time. Friday attendance is optional.
Junior School Excursion
Our Foundation, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students will be going on their major excursion on Friday the 11th of December. They will travel by bus to Port Fairy and Warrnambool for a day of fun and learning.
Buses
The school coordinators and Coles have decided that on days when Mortlake college have closure days and we are open, the buses will operate as normal. In 2021 the college do not return until Monday 1st of February so we will have buses running on the 28th and 29th of January just for St Colman's. I would like to thank the coordinating team and the college for making this significant change to the service.
Our Award Winners This Week
Maddi C, Alex L, Zoe F, Isabella P, Ashlee K, Ava W, Charlotte O,
Remy H, Mason B, Lacey K, Arlo H, Mason D, Zac D
Birthdays
Indi Wardlaw 30th November
Layla Wardlaw 30th November
Millie Camplin 3rd December
Charlotte Allen 3rd December
Noah Anderson 5th December