IONA 4

END OF TERM

As we come to the end of a busy and rewarding term, we thank all members of our College community for their ongoing commitment and support. We wish our students, staff and families a joyful and peaceful Easter, and a safe and restful holiday break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for the term ahead.. A reminder that the final day for students is Wednesday 1 April. College staff will be involved in a Faith Professional Learning Day on Thursday 2 April. The College will close at 2:45pm on this day.

Staff will also be involved in a Learning and Teaching professional development day on Monday 20 April. Students will commence term 2 on Tuesday 21 April.

MOTHERS’ DAY BREAKFAST – Wednesday 6 May

We look forward to celebrating the important women in our community at our upcoming Mother’s Day Breakfast. This special event provides a wonderful opportunity for students and their mothers or significant female figures to come together in appreciation and gratitude. We warmly invite families to join us for this meaningful and joyful occasion. 

The invitation to our breakfast was sent to families on Monday 30 March.

CHILD SAFE COMMITTEE UPDATE

The College and its Child Safe Committee continues to strengthen its commitment to student wellbeing and child safety through ongoing staff learning, policy review, and student support initiatives.

Members of the committee include:

Rita Grima (Principal)

Brigitte McDonald (Deputy Principal)

Sophia M (SWAT Captain)

Janelle Hurley (Parent)

Gael Prior (Parent)

Rachel Lang (Head of Students)

David Arthurson (House Leader)

Karen Fitzpatrick (Social Worker)

Our committee meets once per term throughout the year. The first meeting was held on 17 March and the following is a summary of the discussions held there.

• Staff participated in a range of professional learning sessions at the beginning of the year, including inclusive learning practices for neurodiverse students, wellbeing, and mandatory health training. A series of workshops, focused on trauma-informed practice, family engagement, behaviour routines, difficult conversations, and child safety were also well received, with further sessions planned for Term 2.
• Key policies, including the Engaging Families in Child Safety and Duty of Care policies, are currently under review, with updates to reporting processes endorsed by the committee.
• Families have been supported through a series of webinars and resources addressing topics such as smartphone use, social media, and building resilience in young people. The College will continue to share relevant resources with parents throughout the year.
• The Pastoral Care Program is underway across all year levels, with a focus on effective learning for most year levels as well as, responsible technology use, and a guest speaker for Year 7s about appropriate behaviour and safety on public transport. 
• The Peer Support Leader program has been particularly successful, with student leaders actively supporting Year 7 students through key transition experiences.
• As part of system-wide initiatives, the College is engaging with the “11 Months, 11 Standards” program, focusing on embedding the Child Safe Standards across the year, raising awareness and providing professional learning for staff.
• Looking ahead, new student-focused resources are being developed by the Student Wellbeing Action Team, including a short video highlighting wellbeing supports available at the College, to ensure students understand where and how to seek help.

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

Our recent Athletics Carnival was a wonderful success, filled with energy, enthusiasm and strong House spirit. Congratulations to Williams House on their well-deserved victory, and thank you to all students for their outstanding participation and encouragement of one another throughout the day. We are also grateful to our staff for their organisation and support in making the event run so smoothly. Days like this are an important part of College life, providing opportunities for connection, teamwork and celebration beyond the classroom.

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 meeting dates are as follows:

Tuesday 28 April

Tuesday 9 June

Tuesday 28 July

Tuesday 18 August

Tuesday 15 September

Tuesday 20 October

Tuesday 17 November                  

Parents Invited to Support 2026 School Raffle 

The Parent Engagement Committee is pleased to announce that the school raffle will return in 2026, following a pause over the last few years, and we’re inviting our parent community to be part of making it a success. 

Funds raised through the raffle will go towards supporting a range of school and community initiatives that strengthen connection, wellbeing and engagement across St Columba’s. These initiatives play an important role in nurturing a positive, inclusive school environment and ensuring our community continues to thrive. 

As we begin coordinating the raffle, we would love the support of families who may be able to donate a good, item or service. These generous donations will form the raffle prizes and play a vital role in helping us reach our fundraising goal. Whether it’s a voucher, experience, handmade item or professional service, every contribution is sincerely appreciated. 

If you’re able to donate or would like more information, please contact the Parent Engagement Committee at parents@columba.vic.edu.au  

As a committee, we feel privileged to support important initiatives and events that bring our community together, including:

Father/Male Mentor Evening – Tuesday 19 May

The invite for this event will be sent to families on the first few days of term 2. Places are limited so families with children in Years 7, 8 or 9, are encouraged to RSVP early.

Mother/Daughter Movie Night (The Devil Wears Prada 2) – Tuesday 2 June

A ‘Save the Date’ has already been sent to families and an invitation will go out in May.

We thank our families for their continued generosity and support, and we look forward to another community raffle in 2026.

We encourage all parents and carers to make use of this resource whenever needed.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 7:00–8:30pm, 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. Our next meeting for the 2026 is scheduled for Wednesday 12 May.

Project Compassion: Living Justice Together

Throughout this term, our school community has embraced Project Compassion with generosity, creativity, and a deep commitment to justice. What has been most striking is not simply the funds raised, but the spirit in which they were given. A reminder that justice is not just something we speak about, but something we live.

Our Fruits of Justice House competition brought energy and enthusiasm, with students finding meaningful and often imaginative ways to support those most in need. This same spirit was evident on Athletics Day, where fundraising efforts reflected both house pride and a shared desire to make a difference beyond ourselves.

In the Mary Aikenhead tradition, we are called to be “extensively useful”, to go to the margins with compassion and courage. This term, our students have embodied that call through acts of service that reflect the love of Christ in action.

We extend our sincere thanks to Daniella Vella, our Youth and Justice Minister, for her leadership and guidance, and to our dedicated Caritas Ambassadors who have inspired and supported their peers throughout the term. We also gratefully acknowledge the generous support of local businesses, including Woolworths Metro Union Rd, Woolworths Moonee Ponds, Essendon North Coles and Bakers Delight Highpoint, whose donations helped make our fundraising efforts possible.

The final fundraising total will be calculated and shared at the beginning of next term. In the meantime, we thank all students, staff, and families for your generosity and commitment to building a more just world.

Prayer

Loving God,
You call us to live with compassion and to act with justice.

We thank You for the generosity of our school community,
for the ways we have supported others through Project Compassion,
and for the reminder that even small actions can make a great difference.

Help us to continue to go to the margins,
to see the dignity in every person,
and to serve with open hearts.

May we always be people of hope,
who bring Your love into the world through what we do each day.

We ask this in Your name,
Amen.

Students have recently been participating in the Developing Your Learning Toolkit Program, a series of sessions designed to strengthen the way they approach their learning.

The program introduces students to evidence-based learning strategies that are known to improve understanding, memory and long-term academic success. Throughout the sessions, students explore practical ways to apply these strategies across their subjects and begin building a personalised “learning toolkit” that they can use throughout their studies.

A central focus of the program has recently been dual coding, a strategy that combines verbal and visual information to support deeper learning. Students have been learning how to use diagrams, flowcharts, timelines and other visual representations alongside written explanations to organise their thinking and strengthen their understanding of key concepts.

During the extended House Group session on 26 March, students engaged in the reflective practice phase of this module. This session provided an opportunity for students to review dual coding strategies and evaluate their effectiveness in supporting their learning. Students shared examples of how they had represented their thinking visually and reflected on how these approaches helped them to clarify ideas, identify gaps in their understanding, and improve recall.

The session also highlighted the importance of selecting appropriate visual representations to match the content being learned. Through discussion and peer sharing, students were able to see a range of approaches and consider how they might adapt these strategies for different subjects.

The Developing Your Learning Toolkit Program empowers students with practical strategies that support deeper learning and greater confidence in their studies. By embedding these approaches into their everyday learning, students are developing skills that will benefit them not only throughout their time at St Columba’s College but also in their future pathways.

YEAR 7-12 VIRTUAL PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS 

The Year 7–12 Virtual Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on the following dates:

• Thursday 23 April, 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm
  
• Friday 24 April, 9:00 am – 3:10 pm
  
• Thursday 30 April, 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm
  
• Friday 1 May, 9:00 am – 3:10 pm

We strongly value the learning partnership between parents, students and teachers, and recognise the importance of ongoing communication. These interviews provide an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and explore ways to best support their learning at home.

Information about the interview process was shared with parents on Friday 27 March, along with the Learning Dispositions Report.

We look forward to meeting with you and your child online.

We are thrilled to announce that St Columba’s has officially earned its second star in the ResourceSmart School’s program. This milestone recognises our ongoing commitment to sustainability and our collective efforts to protect the environment for future generations.

To earn our second star, our dedicated students, staff, and environment teams worked tirelessly to complete two rigorous pillars of the program:

• The Core Module lays the foundation for our sustainability journey, involving the creation of a long-term environmental management plan and processes to embed sustainability into our school’s operations and culture.
• The Biodiversity Module created a pathway to transform our campus into a more vibrant ecosystem. By focusing on local flora and fauna, we are increasing our green spaces and providing habitats for local wildlife.

Year 12 Environment Captain, Gemma, secures our 2nd star

Our success reflects the visionary leadership of our former Environment Steward, Adele Roeder, and the commitment of the community that rallied around her. We are incredibly grateful for the years of dedication Adele brought to St Columba’s, and for the way our students and families worked alongside her to bring these projects to life. This second star is a shared victory, it’s a testament to what we can achieve when a vision is met with community passion.

Next Steps: The Quest for the Third Star

While we take a moment to celebrate this milestone, the journey doesn’t stop here. Throughout 2026, our focus will include working towards our third star by completing the Waste Module.

Our goal is to significantly reduce the amount of waste we send to landfills. This will involve:

1. Auditing our current waste streams to see where we can improve.
2. Enhancing our recycling systems across the entire campus.
3. Reducing single-use plastics within our school community.
4. Educating and empowering every student to be a conscious consumer.

Keep an eye out for upcoming “Waste-Reduction” initiatives and workshops as we aim for that third star!

Excitingly Term 2 will also see the re-introduction of our Environment Group, held on alternate Thursday lunchtimes for the remainder of the year.. Keep an eye on Student Notices, or speak with Gemma or Debbie for more information.

Have you ever passed a Big Issue vendor on a street corner and wondered about the story behind the magazine? For a group of Year 9 Design Technologies students, that curiosity became a powerful real-world lesson.

On Tuesday 17th March, students made their way into the city for an experience that went far beyond the classroom. Their visit to The Big Issue was part of a broader design project — one that challenges them to create accommodation solutions for people experiencing homelessness, using 3D printing, laser cutting, and digital modelling tools. But before they could design with empathy, they needed to truly understand the people they were designing for.

The Big Issue is more than a magazine. It’s a social enterprise that empowers people facing homelessness, long-term unemployment, disability, mental illness, and other hardships by giving them a low-barrier way to earn a meaningful income — buying and selling the magazine themselves. Their work extends to women’s employment programs, street soccer, and The Big Issue Classroom, all built on a simple but powerful belief: help people help themselves.

During the visit, students took part in activities that placed them in situations where the rules weren’t in their favour — a small but eye-opening taste of what marginalisation feels like. Then they heard from Kelly, a Big Issue vendor who shared his personal experience of homelessness. His story challenged assumptions, prompted thoughtful questions, and left a lasting impression.

That empathy now sits at the heart of their design work.

So next time you spot a vendor selling The Big Issue, consider picking up a copy — or simply stop and say hello. It costs very little, but it means a great deal.

This year, all year nine French classes at St Columba’s College are participating in the French Pen Pal Programme, exchanging letters with students from Lycée Elie Faure (in Bordeaux in the South-West of France) and Saint-François de Sales (in Troyes, located in North-Eastern France). Both schools are
co-educational and offer a range of clubs and learning pathways, with Saint-François de Sales also providing boarding opportunities for the students.

This exchange gives us the opportunity to connect with French teenagers who are roughly the same age, forming a valuable intercultural experience. Writing to our pen pals allows us to practice French authentically while learning about everyday life in France.

It has been fun discovering things, such as their bell times, holidays, hobbies, and daily routines. We look forward to continuing the program and building deeper friendships with our Pen Pals.

The St Columba’s Year 11 and 12 VCE VM students recently attended a day camp at Lake Dewar, where they took part in an Amazing Race challenge. The activity was designed to meet several learning outcomes from the Personal Development Skills subjects.

Throughout the day, the students worked in teams to navigate a series of checkpoints and complete a variety of tasks and challenges. These activities required them to demonstrate skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and adaptability.

The students reported that the Amazing Race was an engaging and rewarding experience. They enjoyed the opportunity to work collaboratively with their peers, think creatively, and step outside their comfort zones. Many noted that the challenge helped them develop greater self-awareness, confidence, and the ability to respond effectively to unexpected situations.

Overall, the Lake Dewar day camp and the Amazing Race activity aligned well with the learning objectives of the Personal Development Skills subjects. The students gained valuable practical experience in applying the knowledge and skills they have been developing throughout their VCE VM studies.

After nine weeks of a busy term filled with assessments, tests, co-curricular activities, reflection days, and social commitments, it is natural for students to feel tired. By this stage of the term, many young people are simply running low on emotional and physical energy.

As the term draws to a close, families may notice changes in their daughters — increased irritability, tearfulness, withdrawal, or emotional overwhelm. This is not a sign of failure or poor coping. More often, it reflects accumulated fatigue after weeks of sustained effort.

Teenage girls work hard to meet academic expectations, navigate friendships, manage social pressures, and regulate strong emotions — often quietly and internally. By the end of term, their emotional reserves can be depleted, even if they appear “fine” on the surface.

At this time of year, it can be helpful to remember that behaviour is often communication rather than defiance.

How parents can support their daughters

Lower the temperature, not the standards
Emotional safety matters more than pushing through exhaustion. A calmer home environment helps young people reset.

Name what you see
Simple observations can help girls feel understood:
“You seem really tired — this term has been a lot.”

Maintain gentle routines
While rest is important, keeping some structure can help students stay regulated. This might include:

• Maintaining bedtimes within about one to two hours of the usual routine
• Encouraging regular meals and daily movement or exercise
• Supporting balanced screen and social media use
• Making time for healthy social interaction and connection

Create calm evenings
Reducing pressure, planning quieter evenings, and prioritising sleep can support recovery after a long term.

Listen before fixing
Often teenagers are not looking for solutions — they are looking to be heard.

As a Catholic community, we are reminded that rest is not weakness. Caring for the whole person — mind, body, and spirit — allows young people to recover and return stronger, steadier, and more grounded.

Sometimes the most powerful support we can offer is simply presence.

Reminder for Parents

If your daughter seems more emotional or withdrawn:

• She is not “going backwards”
• She is likely tired, not failing
• Connection matters more than correction

A calm adult nervous system helps a tired adolescent nervous system settle.

If you have ongoing concerns about your daughter’s wellbeing, it can be helpful to speak with your GP or a qualified health professional for advice and support.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28

Rest, compassion, and patience are acts of strength — for parents and young people alike.

Term 1: CAREER NEWS – Newsletter 7, Monday 30 March – 3 April

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

Careers Newsletter

In this edition:

April School Holidays Tertiary Institution Activities

Career Newsletter summary:

1. VCE and Careers Expo 2026
2. Victorian Careers Show 2026
3. Melbourne Career Expo: 17 – 19 July
4. Trade and Tech Fit Career Expo 2026
5. Monash University

– Discover sessions about a variety of courses

– Campus Tours

6. Victoria Police:Become a Police Custody Officer
7. Australian Catholic University:sessions about a variety of courses
8. Bendigo TAFE:Careers Expo 2026
9. SAE: Information Night
10. Swinburne

– A day in the life of a Swinburne student

– School Holiday Program

– Bachelor of Laws program

– Synchrotron workshops: April School Holidays

11. RMIT

– Studying the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

– RMIT April School Holiday Campus Tours

– Snapshot of RMIT

12. Bond University:Virtual Open Day
13. Torrens University:Virtual Open Day
14. William Angliss: Study to become a Cabin Crew Member
15. Career as a Dental Technician
16. Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Osteopath and Myotherapist
17. Charles Sturt University

– Charles Sturt Advantage: Applications now open

– Medicine Information Night

18.  Choosing Your Uni
19. Box Hill Institute:Cookery Bootcamps
20. Elevate Education:Free Parent Webinar: Helping Your Child Improve Their Memory
21. School Holidays Tertiary Events & Programs
22. Go behind the scenes at the World Surf League Rip Curl Pro
23. Federation Uni: Science: Turn your Passion into a Rewarding Career                                                  
24. Deakin University

– Studying Forensic Science

– Tour Dates & Times                                                                                                                      

25. Where Biology can take you

26. Collarts:

– Course Information Evening                                                                                                                                           

– Campus Tours 15th & 16^th April School Holidays                                                                                                    

27. University of Melbourne: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander high school students                                       

28. Medicine & University: What to do in high school if you want to study medicine

29. 8 popular university degrees that don’t need Advanced Maths

30: Skills for Work

If you require any further assistance, please DM a member of the Pathways team at  pathways@columba.vic.edu.au

At the College, we are committed to supporting all students in meeting our uniform and grooming expectations. One of the ways we do this is through restoratives, which provide an opportunity for students to meet with staff, reflect on the policy, and receive any support needed to address concerns.

As outlined in the Student Management Guidelines, any student who has an outstanding restorative (lunchtime or afterschool) session will be required to attend a make-up session on this week’s Student Free Day, Thursday 2 April.

Please note that failure to attend on this day will result in an internal suspension at the beginning of Term 2, issued by your child’s House Leader.

If you have any questions, please feel free to DM your child’s House Leader or contact me directly.

This is just a friendly reminder that you must be 16 years of age to ride an e-scooter, and that e-bikes must be pedal assisted and follow the same rules as a non-powered bicycle.  Children of primary school age and the adult accompanying them can ride their bikes or regular unpowered scooters on the footpath.  Anyone over the age of 12 (not including an adult accompanying a child) must ride on the side of the road or on a bike path.  Helmets must be worn at all times while riding a bike or scooter.

Click on the link to view the Fact Sheets below:

• Youth Road Safety Fact Sheet 
• E-scooter Fact Sheet

Whose Cup Are You Filling? 

Writer Derek Thompson recently shared a metaphor via his Substack… and it won’t leave me alone. It wasn’t about parenting – but it’s something every parent needs to hear. Thompson described a game where we have a pitcher of water. On the table in front of the pitcher are dozens of cups that want water. The game is to pour the water into the cups in a way that is satisfying to us but that also gives the right cups the right amount of water. Why would the cups want or need water? Those cups each have labels: work, children, partner, screens, dishes, regret, worry, and so on. And the water? It represents something we only have so much of: attention. It’s a simple idea, but with devastating implications. As parents, we know which cups matter most. It’s obvious. We’re “supposed” to put our attention into our children. They’re our priority. We’re “supposed” to fill our partners’ cup, our health cup. Plus there’s our work (because the rent or mortgage has to be paid. We need food on the table).

Read the full article here via the link.

Valley Youth and Moonee Valley Libraries are excited to be hosting a range of engaging school holiday activities for young people aged 12-25 across Moonee Valley!

Young people can sign up for the activities via our website https://mvcc.vic.gov.au/youth/youth-events/ OR by clicking on the links below. Places are limited so we encourage early signups!

• Anime Drawing Workshop: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/anime-drawing-workshop-for-young-people-aged-12-18-tickets-1984096017599?aff=oddtdtcreator
• Op Shop Hop: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/op-shop-hop-for-young-people-aged-12-18-tickets-1984105279301?aff=oddtdtcreator
• Intro to Coffee Course: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/intro-to-coffee-course-for-young-people-aged-17-25-tickets-1984094893236?aff=oddtdtcreator
• Move, Munch & Vibe: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/move-munch-vibe-for-young-people-aged-12-18-tickets-1984103368586?aff=oddtdtcreator

View the VY April 2026 School Holiday Calendar here.

At St Columba’s College, Millie plays a special role in supporting the wellbeing of our students and staff. Keeping her happy, healthy and ready for her important work is made possible through the generous support of our friends at Houndz Paradise.

Houndz Paradise in Maribyrnong provides Millie with complimentary grooming and daycare, ensuring she is always looking her best and enjoying plenty of enrichment, exercise and social time with other dogs. Their expert team understands the needs of working dogs and takes wonderful care of Millie, helping her stay calm, confident and full of energy for her days at the College.

As a special offer for St Columba’s families, Houndz Paradise is welcoming dogs new to daycare with a complimentary first session and temperament test, plus your next daycare visit free! Simply use the code STCOLUMBAS when booking online to redeem.

We are incredibly grateful for their support of Millie and our community. Partnerships like this help ensure our wellbeing initiatives continue to flourish, while giving Millie the very best care both on and off campus.

1 April – End of Term 1

2 April – Staff Professional Learning Day

3 April – Good Friday

5 April – Easter Sunday

6 April – Easer Monday

21 April – Term 2 Commences

25 April – ANZAC Day