Term 3 - Week 7

Prayer

Fathers Day

ST COLUMBA’S RELAY TEAM SHINES!

A huge congratulations to our Relay Team, who finished in 2nd place at the Diocesan Athletics Carnival! This outstanding effort means they will now progress to the Polding Athletics Carnival. We are so proud of you all!

Friday Sport - Tennis

This term, St Columba’s students are enjoying tennis lessons as part of their school sport program. Through these sessions, students strengthen their movement and coordination skills, work together as a team, and build confidence in physical activity. The curriculum encourages students to develop fundamental movement skills and recognise the importance of an active and healthy lifestyle. Most importantly, they are having plenty of fun on the court!

Playground Update

With Spring upon us, we are taking the opportunity to give our school grounds some extra care. The top playground will be temporarily closed to allow the grass to grow and strengthen after the winter months. The area has been fertilised and will be regularly watered during this time.

This short break from use will ensure the space is healthy, safe, and ready for students to enjoy throughout the warmer seasons.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we continue to look after our school environment for the benefit of all.

Term 3 - School Lunch Orders

Week 7
Nuggets & Chips

Week 8
Pizza & Garlic Bread

Week 9
Pin Wheels

Week 10
Chicken Burgers

Important Dates - Term 3

2026 Kindergarten Enrolments

If you are looking to enrol your son or daughter into Kindergarten at
St Columba's Catholic Primary School, Yeoval for 2026,
please contact the office for an enrolment package. 

Curriculum Information

LEARNING TO READ AND IMPROVING READING

HOW STUDENTS LEARN TO READ

• Many complex skills work together in proficient reading.
• Decoding is referred to as word recognition, the ability to recognise printed words accurately and quickly, to efficiently gain access to the appropriate word meanings.
• Language comprehension is the ability to extract and construct literal and inferred meaning from speech.
• Reading comprehension is the combined ability to extract and construct meaning from language represented in print.
• It is important that children start with learning letter sounds, rather than letter names, when learning to read. Being able to pronounce the 44 sounds of English correctly is important.
• Decodable readers in the early years are essential. Decodable readers are books specifically designed to align with phonics instruction, matching a progressive sequence and developing phonics knowledge, word complexity and word count. Decodable readers consist of words that follow the phonetic rules and patterns that students have been explicitly taught, allowing them to apply their decoding skills systematically and successfully. These books are written using a controlled vocabulary that emphasises specific phonetic sounds, making it easier for beginning readers to decode and read the text independently. 
• Home readers (early years) are at the independent level for the child. This means that they are familiar with the phonemes (sounds) and are confident to read with little or no help. This allows the child to practise their reading to build fluency (and expression) and their comprehension skills.

WHAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME TO HELP YOUR CHILD

• It is important to read high-quality texts to children and ask 'queries' throughout, to check for understanding. Ongoing opportunities for talking after reading to your children, such as five-finger retells or changing the characters' names or setting to create a new version of the story. 
• The first step in tackling an unknown word is by segmenting (breaking a word into sounds) and blending graphemes (letters) and phonemes (sounds).
• An important part of comprehension is understanding the words. Students with a vast vocabulary have an advantage over students with limited word knowledge when it comes to comprehending what they read. Talking about the meaning of new words and modelling and encouraging the use of extensive vocabulary is helpful. Building general knowledge through podcasts, documentaries, visits to museums and talking to children about a range of topics and experiences can help to build and develop vocabulary and comprehension.

Healthy Harold Visiting St Columba's

The Life Education Van will be visiting St Columba’s on Wednesday, 17th September (Week 9).

This year, the updated program for students when they work with Healthy Harold and friends in a scenario story, and the educator about a situation, is as follows:

Attendance

RISE Youth Festival (Year 6-9)

RISE Youth Festival (Year 6-9) – Thursday 2 to Friday 3 October 2025

RISE Youth Festival is for young people in Years 6 to 9, with those in Years 10 to 12 invited to participate as youth team members. Led by the Diocesan Youth Ministers, the festival is packed with fun, friendship, small group challenges, workshops, games, music, and plenty of opportunities to encounter Jesus. It will take place at Ridgecrest Christian Education & Convention Centre

Parent Engagement Newsletter

Please find below a link to the first edition of the Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst (CEDB) Parent Engagement (PEN) Newsletter for 2025. This newsletter aims to share information with Principals, parents, carers, and families within the Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst schools and will be published twice a year.

Please take some time to read the interesting information contained within the publication.

Council of Catholic School Parents

The Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) have recently updated the Our Catholic Faith handbook for 2026.
This resource is for all parents and carers. It is a popular guide to the Catholic traditions, celebrations, symbols and prayers. This resource will continue to explore the depths of the Catholic faith, that is, the very foundation of our schools and find within it the heart of a God who has loved you and your children from the beginning of time.

School Uniform List

Community News

Orange CYMS Cricket Club runs two Blasters programs in Molong:
Junior Blasters: Fun drills and games to build basic skills. Aimed at kids aged 4-6.-Master Blasters: Modified and safe matches for kids who have the ability to bowl with a straight arm and hit a moving ball. Aimed at kids aged 7-9.
Both programs will be held at 3.30pm on Thursday afternoons. The programs run for 5 weeks in term 4 of the 2025 school year, and 5 weeks in term 1 of the 2026 school year. Blasters programs are priced at $110, which includes all required clothing and equipment, as well as insurance coverage. The first 100 players registered this season will receive a $50 registration refund, thanks to McDonald's Orange and Cowra. NSW Government Active Kids Vouchers (valued at $50) can also be used when registering..