Term 2 Week 8 Monday 9th June 2025

Acknowledgement of Country

From the Principal

AFL 9's, Tri-Sports and Network Day

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Key Dates:

Term 2 2025

Monday 9th June- King's Birthday Public Holiday

Wednesday 11th June- SAC Meeting

Monday 30th June- MRC Taster Day @ Noorat

Tuesday 1st July- Mid-year reports delivered via PAM

Friday 4th July- SRC Event: St Colman's Talent Show

                                   Term 2 finishes at 2:15

Term 3 2025

Monday 21st July- Term 3 commences

School Closure Days for 2025
8 August – Student-free day- Catholic Social Teaching
31 October – Student-free day- Structured Literacy
3 November – Student-free day- Compliance Training and Assessments
19 December – Student-free day; last day of term four

The Catholic Church celebrated Pentecost on Sunday, June 8th. Pentecost marks the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, fulfilling the promise of Jesus and marking the beginning of the Church.

Pentecost is a major Christian festival that occurs fifty days after Easter, celebrating the moment described in the Bible when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus’ followers. For those who may not be familiar with Christian tradition, it marks a turning point: the group of Jesus’ disciples, previously uncertain and fearful, were suddenly inspired to speak boldly and share their message with people from different backgrounds and languages.

In many schools and communities, Pentecost is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of working together, supporting one another, and embracing diversity. The event is sometimes symbolised by images of wind and fire, representing new energy, fresh ideas, and the spark that can bring people together for a common purpose. Even for those who do not observe religious traditions, Pentecost can serve as a reminder of the strength that comes from community, understanding, and shared vision. 

2026 Enrolments

It’s that time again—we’re starting to plan ahead for the 2026 school year! If you’re thinking of joining our school community next year, please send back your Enrolment Form as soon as you can.

Know someone who’s still making their mind up? Encourage them to get in touch and book a tour! We’re always happy to show off our classrooms and share all the great things happening here. We’re proud of what we offer, and we’d love to welcome you and your friends for a look around anytime.

A huge thank you!

Once again I would like to pass on our gratitude to the wonderful parents who worked so hard to replace the boundary fence in record time. If anyone is looking for a local tradie, I can highly recommend any of the following! Great job Grant Cameron, Trav Greig, Tom Dale and Charles Kenny!

The fence looks great.  

Winter School Uniform

The weather has turned, and the long-anticipated rain has brought a burst of cold weather with it. This is a timely reminder that we expect all children to wear the correct school uniform. We believe our uniform—and how we wear it—reflects our school and demonstrates our pride and sense of belonging to the St Colman’s community.  There are also quite a few second-hand jumpers and jackets available if you need them.

Boys’ Winter Uniform:

Navy blue rugby school jumper or navy-blue school jacket

Navy blue polo shirt (short or long sleeved)

Grey cotton drill trousers or shorts

Navy blue socks (Crew length)

Girls' Winter Uniform: 

As above with the inclusion of the option to wear;

Navy skirt and navy tights

Navy cotton drill trousers

School vest for Winter

Last year we introduced a new uniform item; the puffer vest. We have a few available in the office for purchasing. They cost $60 each and the cost will be invoiced to your school account. Sizes seem to be fairly accurate, so if you child is regularly a size 10, I would suggest that, or one size up, is the size you need to buy. 

Welcome Malia: Pre-Service Teacher

We are delighted to welcome Malia Callaghan to our school community as a Pre-Service Teacher. Malia is completing her second-year placement (in old terms, she’s on her teaching rounds!) and is working alongside Mrs. Moloney in our Junior Room. Malia brings with her all the enthusiasm, compassion, and passion for learning that we love to see in our beginning teachers.

Changes to the Reporting of Numeracy

This year we are reporting on the new numeracy curriculum; Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0. The staff have been teaching to this in 2025 and will be reporting on this too. One of the changes to our reporting is that instead of reporting to several strands - Number and Algebra, Measurement, Space - we will now report to 'Mathematics' which will include all of the strands. Look out for this when our new look reports come home later in the term.

Free SPELD Parent Sessions

SPELD Victoria (Specific Learning Difficulties Association of Victoria), is the peak professional body for Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs) in Victoria. They are hosting FOUR free online information sessions for parents and educators. A fabulous opportunity to learn more about how best to support our children with learning challenges.

School Advisory Council

We are grateful to our SAC members for 2025 for their ongoing support of our school.

Jo Wallis (Chair), Alison Greig, Zion Palmer, Sophie Allen, Rachel Baulch, Danielle Kenny, Georgie Price, Rosie O’Connor (School rep), Janet Cain (Principal).

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.

The dates are;

Term 2; May 7th and June 11th

Term 3; Aug 6th and Sept 10th

Term 4; Oct 22nd and Nov 26th (AGM)

Cyber Safety and Digital Responsibility

As highlighted in previous newsletters, we continue to address school-related issues that arise from students’ online activities—such as gaming or chatting—outside of school hours. If you become aware of any online incident involving your child that may impact their school experience, please let us know.

We encourage you to remain vigilant about your child’s online activities, including what they access, play, say, and hear. By fostering digital literacy, parents can help protect children from risks like cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and online predators, while also promoting healthy digital habits and open conversations about online experiences.

In the coming weeks, I will be sharing valuable information and resources to support you in this area. These will include key online safety messages, practical tips, and links to eSafety tools and resources designed to help young people stay safe and thrive online.

We look forward to working together with our families to ensure a safe and positive digital environment for all our students.

SchoolTV Presents a free Digital Safety webinar.

This exclusive, one-off event is fast approaching and we’d love to see your families benefit from the insights of two of Australia’s leading experts, Susan McLean and Dr Michael Carr-Gregg. They will share invaluable insights on how to empower young people to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

WEBINAR: Digital Media Literacy & Safety (Part II)
DATE: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
                                                              TIME: 7:30 pm

Topics in this webinar include:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Misinformation & Algorithms
• Sexting and Sextortion
• Online Grooming

**** IMPORTANT ****

This webinar will not be available to replay later, so we encourage you to register and join in on June 18th. You can click on the link below to register.

Participants MUST REGISTER PRIOR to the commencement of the webinar to gain access.

We look forward to having you join us for this insightful and engaging session.

From the SchoolTV Team

Michael Grose Parenting Toolbox

Discipline.

It’s one of those parenting words that can send a shiver down our spines.

For many, it conjures images of raised voices, naughty corners, or lectures that fall on deaf ears.

But true discipline isn’t about punishment—it's about teaching—helping kids learn right from wrong, developing self-control, and nurturing responsible behaviour.

Over the years, we’ve seen parenting advice swing from one extreme to another—authoritarian, permissive, and everything in between.

Discipline fads, like diet trends, have come and gone, offering quick fixes but no lasting change.

Click on the link below to discover twelve evidence-backed discipline tools every parent should have in their parenting toolbox—each one practical, effective, and built on solid research.

Each discipline tool is linked to one of the five major discipline approaches (more information on these approaches is provided at the end of this article) for today’s parents.

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.

250 tickets= Movie and popcorn afternoon

500 tickets= Hot chip lunch at the playground

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

1000 tickets = Day trip to Lake Pertobe.

Congratulations to our students who have achieved the milestone of earning 500 tickets. All students enjoyed a hot chip lunch in the sun at Market Square last Thursday.

Our new Behaviour Blitz focuses on recognising and rewarding children who demonstrate respect by following adult instructions.

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

COMMUNITY NEWS

Lunch Orders

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

Menu and 2025 price list below 

Playgroup at St Colman's

Our fortnightly Playgroup is ready to start again. We look forward to welcoming back our local pre-schoolers every second Friday. Our next session will be this Friday 13th June.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD WITH YOUR FRIENDS WHO HAVE PRESCHOOL AGED CHILDREN. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!!

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  the school.

Birthday Wishes

Out of School Care

A reminder that during 2025 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

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.