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Term 2 - Week 7

Pentecost Sunday, 8th June - Prayer

Father, in glorifying Christ and sending us your Spirit, you open the way to eternal life. May our sharing in this gift increase our love and make our faith grow stronger. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Sacraments - 2025

Dates are currently being approved by Fr Carl for the Sacraments of Reconciliation (Year 2) and First Holy Communion (Year 3). Bishop Michael McKenna will preside over the Sacrament of Confirmation in Yeoval at Our Lady Catholic Church at 10:00 am on Sunday, 26th October.

It is an expectation from Fr Carl that families attend weekend Mass in either Yeoval or Wellington six weeks leading up to the Sacrament.

We look forward to walking this journey of faith with you and your family.

E.M.M.Y. Athletics Carnival

We are looking forward to seeing you all at the EMMY Carnival Tomorrow!

Thank you to all parents who are driving children to the event. We can’t do this without you! It looks like tomorrow is going to be cloudy with a top of 14 degrees. When students are not competing, students and spectators will be sitting in the grandstand. I have been informed that this can be cold, so bring blankets and towels to sit on.

Where: Jack Huxley Recreation Ground, Manildra.

Time: Commencing 9.30 am, Finished approx. 3.00 pm.

Bring: a hat, sunscreen, blanket, towel to sit on, healthy snacks and plenty of drinks.

Lunch: BBQ Sausage on a roll and juice popper/water will be provided on the day.
Morning Tea (cakes, slices, tea and coffee) can be purchased on the day.

Uniform: Sports uniform (Sports jumper and sports track pants)

Diocesan Religious Education Test

On Wednesday, 18th June, the Year 6 students will participate in the Diocesan Year 6 Religious Education Test.

The Year 6 Religious Education test is administered to the Year 6 students in all Catholic Primary Schools
in the Diocese. The test consists of 40 multiple-choice questions focusing on 5 different strands
(Beliefs, Church, Sacraments, Scripture, Prayer and Liturgy). Questions are derived from the Diocesan Religious Education 3-6 Curriculum. The children complete the test through a Google Form.

We wish our Year 6 students good luck!

Pupil Free Day

'Staff Spirituality Day'

Week 8 - Friday, 20th June

3-Way Athletics Carnival

Week 9 - Friday, 27th June

Information to come next week

Semester Reports

Teachers are currently working on student reports for the semester. These will be available to parents on Compass on July 4.

Learning Statements are used to report on student achievement relevant to Focus Areas, Outcomes, skills and knowledge. In Years 1-6, these Learning Statements are reported using the grading A-E lettering. The definitions of these letters, taken from the Common Grade Scale, are located on the front page of the report for parents and carers and included below. In Kindergarten, the three-point scale of Working Towards, Working At and Working Beyond is used.

Common Grade Scale

The scale describes performance at each of the five grade levels.

A - The student has an extensive knowledge and understanding of the content and can readily apply this knowledge. In addition, the student has achieved a very high level of competence in the processes and skills and can apply these skills to new situations.

B - The student has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content and a high level of competence in the processes and skills. In addition, the student is able to apply this knowledge and these skills to most situations.

C - The student has a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of content and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills.

D - The student has a basic knowledge and understanding of the content and has achieved a limited level of competence in the processes and skills.

E - The student has an elementary knowledge and understanding in few areas of the content and has achieved very limited competence in some of the processes and skills.

To provide further information for parents and carers, teachers identify a student’s Learning Strengths and Learning Goals through the provision of report comments. These comments are designed to supplement the Learning Statements and areas of achievement and support all stakeholders to understand where their child’s learning is now and what they need to do to move their learning forward.

Effort and Application

Staff draw upon various pieces of evidence and observation throughout the semester to determine the consistency of student effort in each Learning Area.

Outstanding - the student demonstrates outstanding effort and application to all aspects of this Learning Area.
Commendable - the student displays very good effort and application to most aspects of this Learning Area.
Satisfactory - the student displays satisfactory effort and application in some aspects of this Learning Area.
Inconsistent - the student displays an inconsistent application.

Behaviours for Learning - the categories for this area are:

Consistently
Developing
Needs Improvement

NSW Department of Health Winter Campaign

As part of the Winter Health campaign, the NSW health department has asked if we wouldn’t mind sharing the below information with schools.

NSW Health Department Information:

Call health direct campaign – campaign resources found here

NSW Health is pleased to share with you the new call health direct Campaign toolkit. The campaign aims to promote the health direct number as the first step to access health advice, care and treatment for non-life threatening conditions.

When you call health direct, you’ll speak to a registered nurse who will help you get the care you need. They can find you a nearby doctor, pharmacist, urgent care service, or even connect you to specialist virtual care. We’re encouraging people to save this number, 1800 022 222, for free, easy access to health advice and care whenever they need it.

The key links are:

For more information about health direct: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Hospitals/Pages/healthdirect.aspx
Campaign launch Ministerial media release: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/20250521_01.aspx

Thank you for your support to help protect the NSW community.

Vaccination education campaign – campaign resources found here

NSW Health is pleased to share with you the 2025 Vaccination Campaign toolkit. This campaign aims to raise awareness, support and encourage proactive information-seeking so individuals can make informed decisions about immunisation. These materials are evergreen and can be used throughout winter and beyond.

The key links are:

For more information about vaccinations: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/vaccinationinfo
Translated information about vaccinations: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/vaccinationinfo#translations

Thank you for your ongoing support to help protect the NSW community.

2025 Influenza Vaccination campaign – campaign resources found here

NSW Health is pleased to share with you the 2025 Influenza Vaccination Campaign toolkit. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of flu vaccination during winter, to help increase uptake of the flu vaccine among all of population in NSW, particularly at-risk audiences. The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and over and offers the best protection from getting really sick.

The key links are:

Book a flu vaccine: www.healthdirect.gov.au/nswfluvaccine
For more information about influenza: www.health.nsw.gov.au/flu
For more information about respiratory illness: www.health.nsw.gov.au/respiratory

Thank you for your ongoing support to help protect the NSW community.

2025 Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) campaign – campaign resources found here

NSW Health is pleased to share with you the 2025 Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Campaign toolkit. This campaign, which runs until the end of winter, includes budget-friendly and accessible ways for families to:

Eat healthily – tips to eat healthily and drink water, including free low-cost winter recipes and lunchbox ideas

Get active – ideas and tips to help you stay active during winter such as at-home exercises or connecting with nature

Support – free programs to help you and your family keep up healthy habits.

The key links are:

NSW Healthy Eating Active Living website: Healthy Eating Active Living - Getting healthy starts with small steps

Important Dates - Term 2

Term 2	Date	Event
Week 8	Wednesday, 18th June	Year 6 Religious Education Test
Week 8	Thursday, 19th June	Year 6 Religious Education Test – Catch-up day Sport - Gymnastics
Week 8	Friday, 20th June	Pupil Free Day Staff attending ‘Staff Spirituality Day’
Week 9	Thursday, 26th June	School Assembly
Week 9	Friday, 27th June	3-Way Athletics Carnival
Week 10	Tuesday, 1st July	Wellington Eisteddfod - Verse Speaking (TBC)
Week 10	Wednesday, 2nd July	Sport - Gymnastics at Wellington PCYC
Week 10	Friday, 4th July	Last day of Term 1 Reports go home

Important Dates - Term 3

Term 3	Date	Event
Week 1	Monday, 21st July	Students return to school - Term 3
Week 1	Friday, 25th July	School Assembly (NAIDOC theme) (2:40 pm - School Library)
Week 2	Monday, 28th July	P&F Meeting (5 pm)
Week 2	Friday, 1st August	Southern Region Athletics (Canowindra)
Week 3	Thursday, 7th August	Feast of Mary of the Cross MacKillop (2:30 pm Liturgy followed by School Assembly)
Week 3	Friday, 8th August	Infants/Primary Soccer Gala Day (Dubbo)
Week 4	Friday, 15th August	Feast of the Assumption (2:30 pm Liturgy followed by School Assembly)
Week 5	Wellbeing Week (No Homework and student Wellbeing activities)
Week 5	Tuesday, 19th August	Praise & Worship (St John’s Dubbo) Primary
Week 5	Friday, 22nd August - TBC	Book Week Parade – ‘Book an Adventure’
Week 5	Friday, 22nd August	Diocesan Athletics Carnival
Week 7	Friday, 5th September	School Assembly (2:40 pm - School Library)
Week 8	Friday, 12th September	Christmas Art Exhibition (Bathurst)
Week 9	Friday, 19th September	Primary ‘Confirmation Retreat’

Mrs Angell is on leave from Week 1 to Week 5. Mrs Hunter will teach Infants during this time.

St Columba’s Feast Day Celebration

This week, our school community came together to celebrate the Feast Day of our patron saint, St Columba. The day began with a beautiful liturgy, where students, staff, and families gathered in reflection and prayer to honour the life and legacy of St Columba. Following the service, everyone returned to the school grounds to share in warm conversation over tea and coffee.

In keeping with tradition, the students were treated to a delicious celebratory cake aA heartfelt thank you goes to Mrs Angell and Mrs Crean for their expert baking – your efforts were greatly appreciated and certainly enjoyed by all!

Throughout the day, students explored the rich history of St Columba’s School in Yeoval and deepened their understanding of St Columba’s inspiring life. The celebrations concluded with a lively trivia session, where students had the chance to showcase what they had learned in a fun and engaging way.

It was a joyful and meaningful day for our school community, honouring our roots and celebrating the values that continue to guide us.