The Coracle - Term 3, Week 7

JUNIOR SCHOOL

This term, our Year 3 students have undertaken their retreat experiences over in the Chapel and school grounds at the Middle School. They have been given the opportunity to explore their thoughts about God and their relationship with something bigger than themselves. They took part in Godly Play, art and craft activities, prayer and meditation, and made prayer jars to support them with praying for ourselves and our world.

We were also privileged to celebrate Father’s Day with our ‘Bless the Blokes’ Liturgy and breakfast, when we could honour those men who are father figures in our lives. It was a lovely occasion and wonderful to be able to have a time for the students and their special carers to spend together at school. Thanks to all who were able to attend.

Mrs Jane Bailey
Director of Spirituality R-5

MIDDLE AND SENIOR SCHOOL

Year 6 and Year 10 Reflection Afternoon

During Week 5 the Year 6s came together for the ‘Connect, Inspire, Celebrate’ program.  The theme for the Reflection was ‘Showing Friendship and Respect to Others’. The students were split into groups and lead by St Columba staff members in team building activities. They also discussed the importance of showing kindness and respect to those around us, especially our family, friends and the school community.

The theme for the Year 10 Reflection Afternoon was ‘Ecological Conversion’. This time of discussion and getting to know others in their year level was an introduction to the second unit in the SACE Religious Education Curriculum. As part of the afternoon, the Year 10s walked around the lake to spend time in nature and appreciate the surrounding beauty.

Catholic Sacramental Program

We have several students who will be celebrating their Confirmation on Thursday 12 September. The celebrant will be Archbishop Pat O’Regan. On the following weekend they will celebrate their First Holy Communion. These students and their families have been going to St Thomas More Parish for instruction during the year. We pray for and welcome these students as they complete their initiation into the Catholic Church.

Miss Eugenia Stopyra
Director of Spirituality 6-12

Student Life at St Columba College can be summarised by the myriad of learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom, offering our young people opportunities to excel and flourish across a diverse range of activities. Guided by our strategic goal of providing a ‘vibrant student life’, the College has hosted and participated in a variety of key events and activities this year, reflecting our commitment to holistic student development. These notable events and achievements have included:

• SCC SALA Arts Competition:
  Celebrating student creativity and artistic talents across various mediums.
• Open Girls Soccer Team:
  Achieving a Grand Final victory against Trinity College.
• Balaklava Eisteddfod Choral Competition:
  Featuring our Junior School vocal prowess with ‘Dynamics Choir’ and ‘Vocalrumba’ groups.
• Catholic Schools Choir Competition:
  Hosting the Choir Hub assessment with other schools.
• R-5 Performing Arts Showcase:
  Showcasing the talents of our youngest members of the St Columba community.
• 6-12 Celebration of Music:
  An event dedicated to celebrating the musical talents of our Middle and Senior School students.
• Debating Semi-Finals:
  Our Year 8 Debating Team, Purple, competing in the state semi-finals and narrowly missed progressing to the final round.
• F1 in Schools Championships at the Adelaide Royal Show:
  Engaging students in STEM and engineering challenges, with Team Thrust Racing winning State Champions for F1 in Schools - Professional Class.
• Upcoming College Musical – Frozen Junior:
  Excitement is building as rehearsals continue for this much-anticipated production later in Week 10.

The launch of the inaugral INTERCOL between St Columba College and Thomas More College was a significant milestone, with students excelling in a wide array of events beyond the ‘traditional’ athletic events. These included STEM, Cooking, Arts, Choir, Debating, Theatre Sports, and eSports, as well as a variety of sports such as Soccer, AFL, Netball, and Basketball, for both boys and girls. This event demonstrated our commitment to providing students with every opportunity to showcase their passions and talents.

So far this year, over 850 students and 56 staff members have actively participated in these diverse activities, underscoring our dedication to fostering a vibrant culture of participation and celebration. Student Life at St Columba College is about offering a dynamic range of experiences that enhance learning and personal growth beyond the confines of the traditional classroom.

Mr Oliver Harms
Director of Student Life

At the start of this Term 3, our Junior School expanded with the additional of two Mid-Year Reception classes. This has presented a tremendous opportunity for eligible children in our community to engage with formal schooling for an additional two terms before starting Reception at the start of 2025. The Mid-Year Reception program focuses heavily on developing the connection between sounds and letters, letter and word formation, pattern recognition, number recognition and counting. Our young students are also learning about the faith dimensions of the College. I have personally spent time down in the Mid-Year Reception classrooms this term and have been impressed by the significant growth all students have shown in such a short period of time.

Elsewhere in the College, the Junior School has recently concluded their second round of Learning Progress Meetings in Week 6 and the Middle and Senior School will undertake theirs in Week 8. The College values working in partnership with families and significant research shows that a strong relationship between both can positively contribute to a child’s overall educational experience and success. These Learning Progress Meetings present a good opportunity to learn about your children’s overall academic achievement and habits, their social interactions and their emotional development, and how to best support their overall growth and success both at school and at home.

With our NAPLAN results were recently released, and I would like to recognise the excellent achievements of our students in Literacy and Numeracy this year through the testing that occurred in Term 1. A summary of the results includes:

• 75% of all year level results were at the ‘Strong’ proficiency level.
• All Year 7 and 9 results were at the ‘Strong’ proficiency level.
• All year levels were at the ‘Strong' proficiency for the Writing component.

These are results we are very proud to showcase. They demonstrate how our teaching and learning programs in the Junior and Middle School are supporting student understanding and achievement in Literacy and Numeracy. Congratulations to our students on these outstanding results.

Mr Jack Griguol
Head of Curriculum and Learning