St Colman's School Mortlake eNewsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

St Colman’s acknowledges the Girai wurung people as the traditional owners of the land on which our school stands and we respectfully recognise elders both past and present.

From the Principal

Dear St Colman's community,

Welcome to Week 4! I hope all the mums and special female role models in our students’ lives enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing Mother’s Day yesterday. It was fantastic to come together last Friday for St Colman’s traditional Mother’s Day Breakfast. Thank you once again to our dedicated staff for their willingness to come in early and help make the morning such a success.

Last Monday, our students thoroughly enjoyed taking part in a whole school Wellbeing Day. Throughout the day, children engaged in a variety of activities aimed at helping them regulate their emotions, boost creativity, and foster positive social interactions. Students created beautifully decorated worry stones and meditation stones to use at school, and participated in yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, and mindful eating; making important connections between their physical and mental health. They also explored our new classroom sensory toolboxes and made use of the outdoor exercise circuit.

We are extremely grateful to our Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, Narelle Marsden, for her dedication in planning this special day and for her ongoing passion in supporting the wellbeing of both staff and students through identification, promotion, and prevention. We are truly fortunate to have Mrs Marsden as part of our school community

The start of this term has certainly been busy, with several school closure days and events packed into the first three weeks. From this week, we look forward to settling back into our usual routines and making the most of the wonderful learning opportunities ahead.

Please read on to discover what else is happening in our school community. Remember to check the key dates section of the newsletter to stay up to date. As always, feel free to contact me at any time with any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Kind regards,

Janet

Key Dates:

Term 2 2025

Friday 16th May- Division Cross Country @ Warrnambool

Monday 26th May- Regional Cross Country

Friday 30th May- Tri Sports

Tuesday 3rd June- 20th June- Junior Excursion to Warrnambool

Wednesday 4th June- AFL 9's

Friday 6th June- HCSN Network Day

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

Friday 4th July- Term 2 finishes at 2:15

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

Catholic School Culture

We are delighted to share the joyful news of the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first Pope from the United States of America — a historic and hope-filled moment for the Catholic Church and for people of goodwill around the world.

Formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV has dedicated his life to serving those on the margins. As a missionary in Peru, he worked closely with vulnerable communities, championing dignity, compassion, and justice.

His chosen name connects powerfully with the legacy of Pope Leo XIII, whose 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum laid the foundations of modern Catholic Social Teaching. In Pope Leo XIV, we see a continuation of that tradition—an emphasis on mercy, inclusivity, and a Church that walks alongside those most in need.

As we celebrate this new chapter, we also remember with deep gratitude the extraordinary leadership of Pope Francis. His example of humility and unwavering focus on the poor has shaped the Church in profound ways. May he rest in peace, and may his legacy continue to inspire Pope Leo XIV and all of us working for a more just and compassionate world.

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.

Mother's Day Breakfast

Thank you to all of the mums, friends and grandmas that attended our annual Mother's Day Breakfast last Friday. It was a wonderful community celebration!

Mother's Day 2025

On Tuesday, April 29th, our school's Senior Leadership group travelled to Geelong with Anna Bourke and Janaet Cain to participate in the GRIP Student Leadership Day.

The GRIP Student Leadership Conference is unique in that it focuses specifically on training students for their roles as school leaders. The style, topics, and content of this conference are all designed to equip students with practical strategies they can use right now in their roles.

Imogen, Charlotte, and Steff participated in the day with great enthusiasm and left the conference with a clear vision, a solid understanding, and dozens of ideas for their time as leaders at our school.

Swimming State Championships

We are extremely proud of Year 6 student Imogen Barr, who recently competed at the State Championships in the 12/13-year-old 50m Breaststroke event. It is a wonderful achievement to qualify for this level of competition, and even more impressive that Imogen placed 8th in the state, shaving a remarkable 2 seconds off her previous personal best time. Well done, Immy!

Cross Country

Congratulations to Eloise Draffen and Hayley Hannabury on qualifying to compete in the School Sport Victoria (SSV) Division Cross Country event. This competition will be held in Warrnambool on Friday, May 16th. We wish them all the very best in their races!

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.

This year we will hold our meetings Wednesday of week 3 and week 8 each term starting at 6:30pm. Please note that we have cancelled this Wednesday's SAC Meeting as we put all of our efforts into promoting our Open Night/ Bush Dance.

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)

Notes from meeting held on May 7th

Little Colman’s Playtime:

Little Colman’s Playtime is our valued fortnightly community event, which has been coordinated by one of our passionate parents, Lily Convery-Allen, for the past two years. Due to Lily’s work commitments, she is no longer able to assist with Little Colman’s. We are now seeking other parents to support this important community engagement initiative for our school.

Volunteers are needed for just two hours every second Friday to supervise, welcome families, and help ensure that all parents and their children feel included and engaged in the activities. If you are interested in helping out, please contact the office.

Your support will help us continue offering this wonderful opportunity for local pre-schoolers and their families to connect, play, and experience the welcoming environment of St Colman’s.

Fundraising for 2025:

We will hold our Major Raffle again, with the prizes being Local Loot, as was the case last year.
There has been interest expressed in bringing back the Trivia Night, so this will likely go ahead if we can source enough volunteers to help run the event.
The Great Australian Bike Ride is coming to Mortlake in late November. We will investigate opportunities to be involved in this event. If we participate, we may not need to hold the Bunnings BBQ again.

Whole School Assemblies:

Feedback suggests that assemblies should be more community-focused and serve as a celebration of the children’s learning and achievements.
Staff have decided to commence fortnightly assemblies, with students showcasing their work.
Parents will be notified in advance if their child is to receive an award, so they have the opportunity to attend.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing Newsletter by Mrs Marsden

Wellbeing Day

Last Monday we held our very first Student Wellbeing Day at St. Colmans and what an amazing day it was!

The children began the day by learning about how their brain works, before being paired with a buddy who they would work closely with throughout the day. Students enjoyed making connections through their learning and collaborating with those from different classes. The children participated in a range of activities designed to develop their ability to regulate their emotions, enhance creativity and promote social interaction.

Students made some beautifully decorated worry stones and meditation stones to use at school.

They practised yoga, meditation, breathing exercises and mindful eating, whilst making connections between their physical and mental health. They also explored our new classroom sensory toolboxes and used the outdoor exercise circuit.

After sampling a range of activities, students reflected on those that they found to be most beneficial for them, and developed a regulation plan to follow when they feel that they are no longer in the green zone. Students will display these in the classroom to refer to when they need assistance with regulating their emotions.

All children approached the activities with a positive attitude and an open mind, ensuring an engaging and enjoyable day for all. Please encourage your child to share with you their favourite activities from the day and how they might use them to help get them back to the green zone.

I sincerely apologise for the need to reschedule our wellbeing parent information session. The session will now be held at 2.15pm on Tuesday 27th May. Please ensure that a representative of each family is present. Alternatively, email nmarsden@scmortlake.catholic.edu.au to request a link to join in online. I look forward to meeting many of you on the day.

Thank you in advance for your support in taking a collaborative approach in fostering the wellbeing of our children, ensuring they feel safe, valued, and supported both at school and at home.

Narelle Marsden
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader

Wellbeing Day at St Colman's

"If we want to disrupt the grip of harmful influencers, we need to offer real alternatives - positive male role models, emotionally intelligent educators, and school environments that promote respect and diversity."

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg

Shaping Healthy Masculinity

Michael Grose Parenting Toolbox; Expert Tools for Successfully Managing Boys' Behaviour: A Guide for Parents

Find disciplining boys a challenge?

These 7 expert tips will have them eating out of the palm of your hand......well, almost!

Successfully Managing Boys' Behaviour

Our Weekly Award Winners

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:

Staff members will distribute RAFFLE TICKETS to students demonstrating the targeted positive behaviour.
These tickets will be collected in a large jar and counted weekly.
Progress will be tracked on a barometer displayed in our school foyer and pictured above.
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 and have earned a well-deserved hot chip lunch, which we will enjoy together this 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

The 11 Child Safe Standards

CCYP for Parents and Cares

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 2nd May.

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.

NCCD Information.pdf

Term 2 Week 4 Monday 12th May 2025