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 8—the second last week of the term and our final newsletter for Term 3!

I hope all families had a chance to celebrate Father’s Day over the weekend. It’s such a special time to appreciate all fathers and father figures for the love, guidance, and support they offer our children and families. In the Catholic tradition, Father’s Day also invites us to reflect on the example of St Joseph, the loving and faithful father of Jesus, who reminds us of the importance of care, faith, and protection within our families.

On Friday, it’s time for our Local Loot Raffle draw—and someone’s going to walk away $3,000 richer! As predicted, ticket sales have been a bit slower this year, with many locals doing it tough. But the good news is we’ll still end the fundraiser with a profit, which is fantastic for our school.

A huge thank you to everyone who’s already supported the raffle. If you haven’t grabbed a ticket yet, there’s still time—get in quick for your chance to win!

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 3 2025

Friday 12th September- Little Colman's from 9am

- Assembly @ 2:45pm

Raffle Drawn at 7pm

Wednesday 17th September- Footy Colours Day

Thursday 18th September- Senior Room excursion to Warrnambool

Thursday 18/Friday 19th September- Yr 3/4 Sovereign Hill Camp

Friday 19th September- Term 3 ends at 2:15pm

Monday 6th October- Term 4 commences

- Dental Van here for the week

Wednesday October 8th- Middle Room Excursion to Warrnambool

Wednesday October 8th - Friday October 10th- Yr 5/6 Melbourne City Camp

Monday October 13th - Friday October 17th- Meals on Wheels

Friday October 17th- St Colman's Trivia Night

School Closure Days for 2025
31 October – Student-free day- Structured Literacy
3 November – Student-free day- First Aid Training and Assessments
19 December – Student-free day; last day of term four

Catholic School Culture

Link to Our Diocesan Community magazine

Local Loot Raffle- Last Chance!!

The raffle will be drawn this Friday September 12th at 7pm.

Once again, we’re proud to present the ever-popular Local Loot Draw, featuring fantastic prizes generously supplied by a wide range of Mortlake businesses in the form of vouchers and gift cards.

Thank you to all of our families who have bought or sold tickets in this major fundraiser. If you haven't already purchased a ticket please click on the link below.

Buy the WINNING ticket here!

Thank you to our Major Sponsors

Celebrating our Students

Congratulations to Year 2 student Patrick Grieg, who recently competed in the Motor Cross Grass Track Event in Portland. Paddy finished third on the day, moving him up to 3rd overall in the Championship. Well done, Paddy!

Footy Colours Day

All children are invited to wear the colours of their favourite footy team on Wednesday, September 17th. For lunch, children can also pre-order a hot dog and flavoured milk—orders are essential.

Please complete and return the order form by Monday, September 15th.

Book Fair 2025

Thank you once again to all the families that supported the annual Scholastic Book Fair. Due to your purchases and generous donations, we have secured $645 worth of new books for our library.

A special thank you to the following people who donated one of the CBCA Shortlisted books to add to our library.

Baulch family, Palmer family, Bassett family, Eloise Draffen, Angela Absalom, Kerrie and Rob Jewell, Janet Cain, Charlotte and Jack Allen, Graganza family, Mavrommatis family, Smeaton family, Kenny family, Weatherly family, Imogen Barr, Zoe Francis, Price family, Cameron family, Dale family, Belinda, Gabby and Nyla Atkins, Vanessa and Tony Binns.

Thank you to Miss Stape for all her hard work in organising the fair once again this year!

Trivia Night

Awesome Award Winners

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support

During the first half of the year, we have been working to enhance our implementation of the SWPBS program.

School-wide positive behaviour support (SWPBS) is a framework that helps schools create positive, safe, and supportive learning environments. It's an evidence-based approach that focuses on preventing behavioural issues by teaching and reinforcing positive behaviours in all students.

SWPBS helps schools to:

increase respectful and positive behaviour
strengthen social and emotional wellbeing
reduce classroom disruptions and increase learning time
build positive, respectful relationships between students and staff
create safe, orderly, and supportive school environments.

A major component of this has been to develop a matrix outlining the positive behaviours that we expect to see in different areas of our school. This is on display in the foyer for everyone’s reference. Different aspects of it are displayed in different learning environments as a reminder of student expectations. It has been wonderful to have students, staff and parent representatives contribute to its development. Please take the time to discuss the matrix with your child/ren.

We are grateful for the huge amount of work our MHWL, Narelle Marsden has done over the last six months to really invigorate and strengthen the positive behaviour support structures we have in place at St Colman's.

Michael Grose Parenting Toolbox

St Colman's is proud to offer this insightful newsletter supporting your role as parents free of charge. We have subscribed, so you do not need to sign up to read the articles.

Kids, We Need to Talk About Dopamine.

This newsletter examines the profound influence of dopamine on children's brains and their screen time habits. Learn how digital devices create a feedback loop that can lead to compulsive use. Get actionable strategies to help your child develop a healthier relationship with screens, grounded in a deeper understanding of brain science.

Kids, we need to talk about Dopamine

SchoolTV SPECIAL REPORT: R U OK? Day

Understanding the growing challenges related to mental health among young people is an important consideration. Anxiety, depression and self-harm - are all causes for concern. Factors like academic pressure, social media, family dynamics, and societal expectations, are contributing to these issues. It's therefore crucial for parents and caregivers to take action early, remove the stigma around discussing mental health, and offer accessible support to address these issues and the wellbeing of their children.

R U OK?Day is an initiative that focuses on preventing suicide by encouraging meaningful personal connections and helping informal support networks to help recognise the signs of distress. We urge all families to take part, emphasising the value of genuine human relationships and reminding everyone to ask the important question, "Are you OK?"

Engaging in R U OK?Day activities goes beyond the classroom; it's a commitment to our students' overall development. By talking openly about mental health, schools create safe spaces where students feel understood, valued, and supported. As parents and caregivers, you can contribute by fostering open conversations, normalising feelings and breaking down mental health stigmas. Participating in R U OK?Day promotes compassion and shows our dedication to the wellbeing of the entire school community, reaffirming that together, we can truly make a difference.

This Special Report provides guidance on how to talk to your child about mental health and engage in meaningful discussions.

Here is the link to your Special Report

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 August 1st, 9:30am to 11am. Morning Tea provided

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD WITH YOUR FRIENDS WHO HAVE PRESCHOOL AGED CHILDREN. EVERYONE IS WELCOME AND IT IS FREE!!!

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.

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 3 Week 8 Monday 8th September 2025