Term 3 Week 4 Monday 5th August 2024

Acknowledgement of Country

From the Principal

Important Dates:

Term 3

Monday 5th August- 150th anniversary of the Diocese of Ballarat Message Stick stops at St Colman's

Tuesday 6th August- Parent Teacher Interviews

Thursday 8, 15, 22 and 29th August- Gymnastics in Warrnambool

Monday 12th August- Seniors to visit Aberlea

Tuesday 13th August- Kinder Visit to St Colman's

Wednesday 14th August- Dental Van examinations commence

Thursday 15th August- Bullying No Way Day

Friday 16th August- 5/6 Hooptime in Terang

Monday 26th August- Book Week at St Colman's

                                             - MRC Discovery Day

Wednesday 28th August- Father's Day Breakfast

Thursday 29th August- Book Fair and Parade 

Friday 30th August- 3/4 Hooptime in Terang

Mon-Tues Sept 2^nd-3^rd- Year 3/4 to Warrnambool

Thursday  5th September- Major Raffle Drawn

Monday 9th September- Middles to visit Aberlea

Friday 13th September- Grade 5/6 Excursion to Budj Bim

16th - 20th September - Meals on Wheels

Tuesday 17th September - Bell's Shakespeare at Mortlake College

Friday 20th September - Footy Colours Day 

                                                  - Term 3 ends

2024 School Camps (with St Thomas’ Terang)

Sept 2^nd-3^rd: Year 3/4 Warra Gnan Coastal Camp, Warrnambool

Nov 13^th-15^th: Year 5/6 Dunkeld Adventure Camp

There are five message sticks.

 The Mother Stick, likened to God’s Word, is always central to our  journey and will be kept in the DOBCEL main office. It is the constant to which each of the other four Message Sticks is connected.  Through the Mother Stick we acknowledge our Creator God for our connections to country, our connections to people, and our   connections to all living things.

 Each of the smaller Message Sticks represents the connections of each of our school communities across the diverse geography of the Diocese; from the Murray to the sea.

For all who walk this land:     

  May we always stand as tall as a tree

  Be as gentle as the morning mist, and

  as strong as the earth under our feet.

  May the warmth of the campfire be in each of us,

  And may the Creator Spirit, Source of all Life, always watch over us.

  Amen.  (Betty Pyke)

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

Frequency of Newsletter

At our most recent School Advisory Council meeting, I asked them to consider the value of sending out the Newsletter fortnightly instead of each week. Many other primary schools in our diocese do this and report the following benefits:

Fortnightly newsletters allow schools to send home more meaningful content, gather significant updates, achievements and events ensuring that each newsletter is packed with valuable information rather than filler content. This approach can lead to higher engagement rates, as families are more likely to read newsletters that are rich in substance rather than those that feel repetitive or sparse in content.

Frequent communication can sometimes lead to information overload. By spacing newsletters out, families have more time to digest the information provided, making it less likely that important messages will be missed. This is particularly important in busy households where parents juggle multiple responsibilities.

We will commence a trial of fortnightly newsletters for the next few months and then seek your feedback. 

Uniform Update

After discussions with our student body and consultation with our School Advisory Council, we are going to introduce a new uniform item, a navy blue puffer vest with our school logo in gold on it. These vests are selling for $50 each and are completely optional, however, children will only be able to wear these vests and not other puffer vests that they may have.

If you would like to order one for your children please place your order via the link below. The cost will be invoiced to your school account. If you have difficulty accessing this order form, please ring the office to place your order.
Knox is wearing one below, however, the sample doesn't have the logo on it. 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 order.

Our first bulk order will be placed next Monday, August 12th, so please place your order by Friday August 9th.

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!!

Dental Van Visit

We have had a few inquiries about when the Dental Van will be visiting our school. And I can understand the confusion, as the date has been changed a couple of times. Barwon Health have confirmed that the Dental Van will be moving here on the 13th August with examinations commencing on Wednesday August 14th. It is anticipated that they will be here for one week.

St Colman's Footy Tipping

With the AFL Footy season almost over, it is a timely reminder to pay your entry fee. Only paid up members will be eligible for the prizes. $20 for adults and $10 for primary school aged children.

Angela Absalom is narrowly holding onto her lead with 121 points. Joshj6 had a great round of tipping and is now only 1 point on 120. Third place on 119 points are ESPNFAN832874...(rumoured to be the Wardlaw family) and TassieDevils. 

St Colman's Olympic Games

As we are all caught up in Olympic Fever, we will be celebrating the end of two weeks of elite competition and sportsmanship by holding our very own Mini Olympic Games THIS Friday starting at 11:30am. Children are invited to come dressed in the national colours of their favourite country and will participate in some fun 'non-Olympic' events.

Family and friends are invited to come along and join in the fun!

St Colman's Annual Major Raffle

Our major fundraiser for the year, our school raffle, has got off to a flying start and sales are going along well.. 

Thank you to our parents Jo Van Den Heuvel, Alison Grieg and Deb Moloney who have already braved the cold to sit at Clarks and Bates' and sell tickets to the community

The "Local Loot Draw" will take place at school on Thursday 5th September 2024.

First Prize        $3000 in vouchers supplied by Mortlake businesses

Second Prize   $1000 Neighbourhood Benefit EFTPOS card supplied by Acciona                         

Third Prize       $500 voucher supplied by Bates IGA Supermarket Mortlake

Last year the raffle raised almost $10,000 for our school and we would love to do the same again this year. All money raised will go into upgrading our current playground.

This year all families will be rostered on to sell tickets at community ‘hot spots’. It is anticipated that you will be able to commit to at least one ticket selling session, however, if you can't make the time you have been rostered for please arrange a swap with someone else or let the office know so that someone can be arranged to go in your place. Thank you.

Tickets are available to be purchased from the Try Booking link below.

Clarke’s Café - Fridays 11-2pm

Bate’s Supermarket - Saturdays 10-2pm

WVLX (Mortlake Saleyards)- 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of most months (1st and 15th August and 5th September) 9am -1pm

The success of the raffle relies upon the support of everyone within our school community.

Tickets are available to be purchased from the Try Booking link below.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent Teacher Interviews are scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday, August 6th. Appointment times can still be made via the PAM app. If you have any difficulty scheduling an appointment, please contact us.

Sporting Schools-Gymnastics Sessions

We have received a grant from Sporting Schools that will allow us to participate in 4 weekly gymnastic sessions at Strive Gymnastics in Warrnambool. Starting on Thursday August 8th, all students will be taken by bus to Warrnambool, leaving school at 11:30am, and will participate in a 45 minute, qualified coach delivered, gymnastic skills session. There will be no cost to families for these 4 sessions. Children will need to wear their sports uniform for these 4 Thursdays in August. Please look out for the permission notification on the PAM app.

Story Time

Mrs Moloney and our Junior Class will be walking down to the Library this Wednesday to join in on Story Time. Parents and carers are welcome to join us!

Playgroup at St Colman's

We look forward to welcoming back our local pre-schoolers every second Friday, with our next session being held next Friday August 16th.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD WITH YOUR FRIENDS WHO HAVE PRE SCHOOL 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 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.

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support is: A multi-tiered framework for establishing the social culture and behavioural supports needed for a school to achieve behavioural and academic outcomes for all students. For the next two weeks at St Colman’s we are working with our students on developing effective learning habits that will set them up for success throughout the year ahead. During that time, all staff will be reinforcing the behaviour expectations as set out in our Behavior Matrix (below).

SchoolTV Wellbeing Platform

Sleep Edition

This week's link is to a selection of articles that aim to help support parents to better understand the impact that sleep deprivation can have on our children.

Children these days seem to be going to bed later and later. Distractions such as TV, computer games, internet, texting friends and social media are all having a negative impact on a child’s sleep time. Sleep is vital to a child’s wellbeing. When children sleep well, they are more settled, happier and ready for school the next day. Sleep also strengthens their immune systems, supports overall development and their ability to function properly on a daily basis. Children who do not get enough sleep show increased levels of aggressive behaviour, are less attentive and are much less active. Trying to catch up on sleep on weekends is not the answer and can still lead to severe sleep deprivation. Recent studies have shown than many children, especially teenagers, are missing out on vital REM sleep, which is particularly important for memory and learning.

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

The Child Safe Standards

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

In order to support Standard 1; Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued, our staff have been encouraged to complete a FREE online training module on INDIGENOUS CULTURAL AWARENESS TRAINING. The course encourages us to embrace cultural diversity, promote inclusivity, and contribute to building a respectful working environment by integrating a broader understanding of different cultures.

If you are interested in developing a better understanding of Australia's rich indigenous heritage, you can also access this free training via the link below.

Our students will soon experience a cultural immersion session with Dr Wang Zheng-Ting. Ting will entertain the children whilst they learn all about Chinese culture and music on the 16th August.

You also have an opportunity to spend some time with Ting at his upcoming cultural experience at Keeyang Maar on August 17th.

Dining Room Tales is offering you 50% off your tickets. Simply enter the code COLMAN when booking through the TryBooking link below.

Moyne Shire and Warrnambool City Council are joining forces to create a shared Youth Strategy. This exciting collaboration will guide our activities with young people over the next five years. We invite all community members, particularly young people to participate in the development of the Youth Strategy. Your input is crucial in creating a plan that benefits everyone. Stay tuned for updates on how you can contribute to this important initiative.

Together, we can create a brighter future for our young people! If you would like to have some input intot he future direction of this strategy, click on the QR Code  below.

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.