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Welcome Back to the School Year

It has been a tremendous start to the year. Our students are settled and engaged with their learning. What has been most pleasing is the welcome experienced by our new students. I have spoken with many Year 7 students over the past week and this story echoes in every encounter – how kind the older students are in helping with the navigation around the College. Thank you to all students who demonstrate hospitality, compassion and kindness in their daily interactions. This welcome was extended to all new students and their families at our recent House Welcomes – a special ceremony formally welcoming each new student to their House and to the College, listening to the inspiring stories of the women who have shaped our tradition. Thank you to Mr Lance Jilbert, Head of Faith and Mission, the House Leaders and the House Captains for embracing the spirit and passion of the Sisters of Charity, and Mary Aikenhead Ministries.

We have been pleased with the response to our “Learner Toolkit”, introduced to all students on 5 February. These evidence-based strategies will support students in their studies, and also reinforce their approaches to learning into the future. We look forward to rolling out the remainder of the program across Semester One.

We are also pleased to announce our new 30/60/90 timetable from 2027. If you have not already seen our announcement, you can watch the video here. I would like to acknowledge the work of the implementation team who have supported us to reach this point, developing a model to respond to the various needs presenting in a contemporary and innovative school context.

Thank you to all families for supporting our consistent, firm and fair uniform expectations. One element of our consistent behaviour routines is that students are aware of the consequences when they cannot follow College expectations. It’s been pleasing to see the vast majority of students following our uniform and grooming guidelines.

Leave

Ms Rita Grima will be on long service leave for the remainder of Term One. Ms Brigitte McDonald will be the Acting Principal during this time.

Hungry Soul’s Hub (Canteen) 

We thank you for your patience as we have been working together with our new canteen provider, Culinary Canteens, to review the existing school systems and determine the best ways to provide a high quality canteen service at St Columba’s. 

From Tuesday 17 February, we are excited to announce the canteen providers will be opening up online ordering via a new app called Spriggy Schools.  This replaces your current online ordering from the Hungry Souls canteen via the College shop. 

Please download the Spriggy Schools software from Google Play or Apple Store – see the flyer here to set up your student account. Online orders can be made for lunch each day before 9am. Please note that Spriggy charges a 29 cent processing fee with each online order.

The College Shop will remain the platform for ordering additional College items, such as lab coats, and for loading funds onto your child’s ID card for printing and canteen purchases made at break times. The canteen also accepts cash and card payments.

Payments by student phones at the canteen are not accepted, in keeping with the school’s phone usage policies.   

We are confident this change to the payment systems will improve the overall canteen experience for all. 

Please feel free to contact Culinary Canteens with any questions on canteen@columba.vic.ed.au.

 Student Executive Team Leadership Day

On 30 January, our 2026 Student Executive Team gathered for a Leadership Day focused on formation, connection and planning for the year ahead. The day provided an important opportunity for students to step into their leadership roles with intention, reflecting on the responsibility and privilege of serving the College community.

Team-building activities throughout the day fostered trust, collaboration and plenty of laughter, helping to strengthen relationships and build a strong sense of unity among the group.

A significant part of the day was dedicated to planning for 2026, with students sharing ideas, setting priorities and beginning to shape initiatives that will enrich student life and strengthen community spirit across the College.

The energy, enthusiasm and generosity of spirit shown by the Executive Team were inspiring, and we look forward to seeing their leadership come to life throughout the year ahead.

College Assembly – 3 February

Our College community gathered on 3 February for the first whole-school assembly of the year, an occasion marked by energy, humour and a strong sense of shared purpose.

College Co-Captains Charlize and Tiana addressed students with confidence and warmth, continuing a much-loved College tradition of offering tailored words of wisdom to each year level. Their reflections were thoughtful, encouraging and often humorous, providing practical advice while reminding students of the importance of kindness, courage and making the most of the opportunities that lie ahead this year.

A highlight of the assembly was a brilliant and highly creative video produced by the Student Executive Team, focusing on the College’s uniform expectations. Combining humour, innovation and clear messaging, the video engaged students while reinforcing the importance of pride in presentation and belonging to the College community. The audience response reflected both appreciation for the students’ creativity and a shared understanding of the standards that unite us.

The assembly set a positive and inspiring tone for the year ahead, showcasing the leadership, initiative and spirit of our student leaders. Thank you to all the parents who took the time to be with us on this day – your presence is always appreciated.

Opening College Mass and High Achievers’ Assembly – Thursday 12 February

Our College community gathered recently to celebrate the Opening College Mass, a joyful and prayerful beginning to the year that brought students, staff and guests together in gratitude and hope.

This year, we launched our College value of Justice, reflecting on our call to live with compassion, courage and a commitment to the dignity of all. 

We were delighted to welcome many special guests, including several Sisters of Charity, whose presence reminded us of the rich tradition and spirit that continues to shape our College. Their ongoing witness to faith and service remains an inspiration to our students and staff.

We welcomed back our high-achieving 2025 graduates and their families. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate their persistence, dedication and sustained effort throughout their years at the College. Their achievements stand as a testament not only to academic success, but also to resilience and commitment. We were privileged to hear from College Dux Zara Cheel and VCE Vocational Major Dux Gabriella Krasulak, whose reflections captured both gratitude and wisdom gained through their journeys. Their words inspire our current students as they begin their own year of learning.

As these young women continue their journeys beyond the College, we look forward to hearing of their future successes and the many ways they will contribute to the world with confidence, and purpose.

The High Achievers’ Assembly also provided a meaningful opportunity to acknowledge and congratulate the 35 students who have recently been elected as House Representatives. By stepping forward to serve their peers, these young people have embraced an important leadership role within the College, and we thank them for their willingness to contribute to the life and spirit of their Houses and the wider community.

BRUTON

Year 7 – Scarlett F

Year 8 – Ava N

Year 9 – Maya A

Year 10 – Emily H

Year 11 – Analeigh V

CAHILL

Year 7 – Giordana C

Year 8 – Molly D

Year 9 – Mimi D

Year 10 – Sapphira R

Year 11 – Indiana A

CATER

Year 7 – Mia S

Year 8 – Evie O

Year 9 – Cleo J

Year 10 – Camilla M

Year 11 – Lukia M

CUNNINGHAM

Year 7 – Olivia P

Year 8 – Gyan K

Year 9 – Emily M

Year 10 – Megan P

Year 11 – Ava S

DE LACY

Year 7 – Penny S

Year 8 – Emma F

Year 9 – Dulara D

Year 10 – Emily W

Year 11 – Claudia F

O’BRIEN

Year 7 – Alyssia B

Year 8 – Hannah 

Year 9 – Maya F

Year 10 – Harriet C

Year 11 – Ava V

WILLIAMS

Year 7 – Stella G

Year 8 – Scarlett G

Year 9 – Chelsea R

Year 10 – Loredana D

Year 11 – Lily S

Prayer read at the College Assembly 3 February

We thank you, loving God,

for the gift of justice that lies at the heart of your vision for the world,

a justice grounded in love,

that calls us beyond intention

and into action for others.

For the witness of Mary Aikenhead

and the Sisters of Charity,

who remind us that the love of Christ impels us,

not to comfort, but to courage,

and not to distance, but to service.

For those who live justice each day,

standing with those on the margins,

restoring dignity where it has been denied,

and showing us that compassion

is justice made visible.

Form us, we pray,

so that justice shapes our words,

our decisions, and our relationships,

and love is reflected

in all that we say and do

May we learn to see more clearly,

to listen more deeply,

and to act more bravely,

so that justice is lived

in our classrooms and our community.

God of justice, God of Jesus,

for the love that calls us forward

and the courage to respond with action,

we praise your holy name.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

PARENT ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE (PEC)

Every parent in our community is a member of the PEC and we welcome your involvement. If anyone is interested in joining the PEC or learning more about what we do you can join us in person or online – 7.30pm – meet.google.com/fij-hziu-ymk). 

Our first meeting is Tuesday 17 February. Hope to see you there!                           

If you have any questions or feedback for the PEC, please contact us at parents@columba.vic.edu.au

ALUMNAE COMMITTEE

Our Alumnae Committee meets once each term on a Wednesday evening from 7:00–8:00pm, working to strengthen and celebrate the lifelong connection between the College and our former students. Through their dedication, the Committee supports opportunities for alumnae to stay connected with one another and with the College community, fostering meaningful engagement with current staff and students and nurturing a lasting sense of belonging.

If you are an alumna and would like to become a member of the Alumnae Committee, please contact alumnae@columba.vic.edu.au.

On Thursday 5 February, we introduced a very exciting new program called Developing your Learning Toolkit. Just like athletes use different tools to train and musicians use different techniques to improve, successful learners use specific strategies to help them learn more effectively. This program is designed to help the students at St Columba’s College build those tools. The Developing your Learning Toolkit program focuses on how to learn, not just what students learn. The strategies students explore are based on research and are useful for every student from Year 7 to Year 12.

During the sessions, students are introduced to practical learning and study strategies that they can use straight away in their schoolwork. Students will have the opportunity to try a strategy, reflect on how it worked, and refine their approach using clear success criteria.

The goal of the program is to help students become more confident, independent, and effective learners — both now and into the future.

Throughout Semester 1, students will engage with four evidence-based modules during extended House Group sessions on Thursday mornings. These sessions will be held within Year Level House groups. 

The developing your learning toolkit program will work as follows:

Week 1: ACTIVATE  an introduction to the focus of the Module

• Students will listen to a lecture, and will then be asked to try one or more strategies over the next two weeks in regular classes.

Weeks 2-3: CURIOUS APPLICATION of the Strategies

• Students will focus on the strategies in their regular classes and discuss how they have applied a strategy in a specific class.

Week 4: REFLECTIVE PRACTICE – Review of the strategies

• Students will reflect on and evaluate the use of the strategies. Students will share with their peers the strategies used to reflect on what was effective and consider where to next.

What are the benefits for your child?

They will learn how to approach their learning and study more effectively. Students will further develop revision and study skills. Students will learn the most effective mindset for studying and their own learning. Students are expected to attend and actively engage in all of the Developing your Learning Toolkit sessions.

We are excited to see students expanding their learning toolkit and taking ownership of these new strategies.

It has been a very positive start to the school year, and we are delighted with how settled and engaged students have been across the College. Classrooms have been calm and purposeful, with students approaching their learning with focus, enthusiasm, and a willingness to give their best.

We have also been pleased to see students wearing their uniform with pride and meeting our College expectations so consistently. These small but important routines help set the tone for learning and reflect the high standards we value as a community.

With the summer break bringing changes to routines, the beginning of the academic year can be a great opportunity for families to reflect together on technology use and time spent online, particularly in light of recent changes to social media access.

Below is a Family Device Agreement, designed to support positive, age-appropriate conversations at home about boundaries and expectations for technology use:

View the Family Device Agreement

Yesterday afternoon we held the Nunan Cup Tennis Tournament for our Juniors.  It was a windy cool afternoon but we had a great turn out of year 7 & 8 students.  Our 2026 Junior Champion was Arya and the runner up was Emily.  Congratulations to both girls for their amazing effort in the round robin competition.

This tournament assists us with selecting our Junior team for the CGSAV Tennis Competition being held on Tuesday, 24 February.

Term 1: CAREER NEWS – Newsletter 4, Monday 16 – 20 February

Please find the link to this week’s Career News. The link will now be published in the IONA newsletter every fortnight:

4. 16 – 20 Frbruary

In this edition:

– Save the dates:

• Victorian Careers & Employment Expo 2026
• VCE and Careers Expo 2026
• Trades & Tech Career Expo: 2 – 3 June
• Melbourne Career Expo: 17 – 19 July
• Victorian Careers Show 2026

– Melbourne University

• • Hansen Scholarship Program
  • Useful links

Bachelor of Science 

• New SheCommerce: Year 9 Applications now open!
• Programs available for your year 9 and 10 students

– Elevate Education: Free Parent Webinar: Helping Your Child Manage Their Time

– Deakin University

• • Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence
  • Deakin Campus Tours 2026

Open Day 2026

–  A Career in Non-Emergency Patient Transport

– Monash University

• Bachelor of Criminology and Policing
• Monash Campus Tours 
• Monash Information Evening 
• Discover Monash Events    

– A Career in Veterinary Nursing

– Bond University: Connect with Bond in Melbourne

– Federation University: Open Day Dates

– Australian Catholic University: Discover ACU

• Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy
• Teaching and Education
• Nursing and Paramedicine
• Allied Health, Biomedical Science and Sports Science
• Law, Criminology and Business
• Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine

– La Trobe Uni

• Business & Commerce
• Diploma in Business
• Diploma of Elite Sports Business

– RMIT

• Trade Experience
• Pathways

– Swinburne University: Holiday Programs: A Day in the Life of a Swinburne Student

– Torrens University

• • Diploma of Design
  • Advanced Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration
  • Key Points to remember about Torrens University

If you have any questions, please reach out to a member of the Pathways team: pathways@columba.vic.edu.au

We congratulate Bryher S in Year 12, on her outstanding selection to the Australian Under 18 Women’s Ice Hockey Team. Bryher proudly represented Australia at the IIHF Division I Group B World Championships in Poland in January 2026, competing on the international stage with distinction.

Bryher’s exceptional talent and dedication were recognised when she was named Player of the Game in Australia’s second match against Poland. Her remarkable year in the sport was further affirmed at state level, where she was awarded Tournament MVP while representing Team Victoria.

Bryher’s achievements are a testament to her discipline, perseverance, and commitment to excellence, and we are immensely proud of her as she continues to pursue her sporting ambitions while representing both her state and her country.

Dear Parents and Carers

As part of our ongoing commitment to student safety, we would like to remind families that all medical management plans provided to the College MUST include a current photograph of the student.

This requirement applies to all medical management plans, including (but not limited to):

• Anaphylaxis Action Plans
• Asthma Action Plans
• Allergy Management Plans
• Diabetes Management Plans

Including a clear, up-to-date photograph is a requirement under College policy and is essential to ensure students can be quickly and accurately identified, particularly in first aid or emergency situations.

When submitting new or updated management plans, please ensure the student photo is:

• Current and clearly identifiable
• Attached to or included within the management plan

Plans submitted without a current photograph may need to be returned for completion.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us maintain a safe environment for all students. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the First Aid office.

As outlined in the Principal’s Start of Year Communication, the College has introduced a joint consent process for student photography and videography.

This means that students and families are required to make this decision together at the beginning of each school year.

How it works:

• Consent must be submitted via the Student Photo Consent Google Form.
• Your selection will remain in place for the entire 2026 school year.
• If the form is not completed, consent will automatically default to ‘YES’ for the full year.
• Please note that once submitted, this decision cannot be changed, and the College is unable to remove photographs or videos after they have been published.

To review the information and complete the Student Photo Consent 2026 Form, please click here.

The form will close on Friday, 20 February.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.

At the beginning of each school year, we encourage all parents and carers to review their child’s profile in Consent2Go to ensure all information is current and accurate.

If you have recently changed your:

• Email address
• Home address
• Phone number

Please log in to Consent2Go and update these details at your earliest convenience.

We also ask that you carefully review your child’s medical information. If there have been any updates to medical conditions, allergies, medications, action plans, or emergency contacts, please ensure these are updated promptly within Consent2Go. Up to date medical information is essential to help us provide appropriate care and respond effectively if required.

If there have been any other changes to your family circumstances, please contact Front Reception on 9337 5311 so we can assist you.

Back-to-School: What Kids Actually Need for a Strong Start

The new school year brings fresh beginnings, sharpened pencils, and—for many families—some predictable stress. Parents are told to focus on the “important things”: stationery lists, new shoes, labelled containers, and the perfect lunchbox. While these matter, they have very little to do with how well a child settles, learns, or feels in those early weeks of school. After sending six children through school (four now graduated, two still in the system), changing schools more times than we’d like to admit due to moves and life shifts, and experiencing no fewer than 60+ first days between them, here’s what we’ve learned: The most important back-to-school preparation isn’t found in a shopping aisle. It’s found in the emotional, social, and relational worlds of our children.

Read the full article here via the link.

When Should Kids Get a Smartphone? The Research, the Risks, & a Better Way Forward

As a new school year begins, many parents find themselves facing a familiar dilemma: “Is it time to give my child a phone?” The pressure can feel enormous — socially, logistically, and emotionally. Children insist that “everyone has one,” other parents reassure us “it’s what happens in Year (X)”, and we wonder whether refusing is unreasonable or outdated. But before making the jump; pause. While smartphones are part of modern childhood, the age a child receives one matters — a lot.

Read the full article here via the link.

Anti-Fragile: Building Resilient Kids Through Life’s Challenges

LIVE on Wednesday 25 February — 7pm AEST // 8pm AEDT

In Anti-Fragile, a presentation on building resilience in children, Dr Justin Coulson challenges the idea that childhood should be free from stress and struggle. He argues that challenges are essential for growth and that parents can empower their children by allowing them to experience developmentally appropriate adversity while providing the right kind of support to help them overcome it.

How do we help children build resilience and equip them to handle life’s inevitable volatility, challenges, and setbacks?

In this presentation, Dr Coulson will explore:

• What resilience truly means and why it matters
• Why resilience is declining in our screen-focused world
• Why risky play and face-to-face connections support life skills and resilience
• How the current resilience deficit damages our children’s present wellbeing and future adult life
• Practical strategies to reverse this trend by helping your child forge a strong sense of identity, develop genuine competence, and build lasting hope

Anti-Fragile presents Dr Coulson’s groundbreaking approach to building resilience in children, equipping them to not just cope with life’s challenges but to thrive because of them.

Register to receive the webinar link as well as email reminders HERE.

18 February – Ash Wednesday

2 March – Year 7 Reflection Day

3 March – Multi-Sports Day

6 March – International Women’s Day Assembly

9 March – Labour Day Public Holiday

10 March – Cross Country

11 March – NAPLAN Testing