St Columbkille's Corrimal
A Catholic Parish Primary School
Please find below, some frequently asked questions to assist our parents and carers, as well as prospective families.
Our Parent Information Handbook also provides a range of important information about school life and structures at St Columbkille's.
View our Parent Information Handbook
You can also see more about what we offer students and families at St Columbkille's. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our school office.
Looking for more parent and carer resources to support your child through their Catholic education journey? Visit the CEDoW Parent & Carer Resources site.
Enrolments are accepted all year round, but the best time to enrol your child is at the beginning of the year (Term 1) – the year before your child is due to commence school.
Enrolment interviews are held in in May and June (Term 2). You will receive a letter or phone call informing you of a time for you and your child to come in and meet with the principal or member of the school leadership team. Written offers of placement will follow in July.
St Columbkille’s Catholic Primary School is a vibrant Catholic co-educational primary school committed to every student finding meaning and purpose through continual growth in faith and improvement in learning.
Our vision and core values always remain at the forefront of our decisions. We ensure our students are provided with learning that is child-centred, contemporary and innovative – catering for the needs of each individual in a supportive and inclusive environment that challenges them to reach their full potential.
At St Columbkille's, you and your child can expect a school community focused on:
Please see our What We Offer page or Contact Us for more information.
Our school is proud to provide 21st century learning environments for our children.
We have air conditioned learning spaces, with learning technology resources available for students including access to iPads, desktop and laptop computers, and SMART Boards and LCD TVs in our classrooms. Read more about Learning Technologies at St Columbkille's.
Our recently refurbished school library and spacious school hall are equipped with modern technologies to support student learning and school events.
Our school garden, 'The Patch' as well as our refurbished paddock playground and infants playground also provide beautiful open spaces for children to play and learn outdoors.
You are most welcome! Please contact our office to make an appointment to meet with the principal and tour the school grounds and facilities.
Our office opening hours are Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8:30am and 3:30pm.
Our school bell times are as follows:
|
Morning Bell |
8:50am |
|
Recess |
Year 4 - Year 6: 10:30am – 11:00am |
|
Lunch |
Kinder - Year 3: 12:45pm – 1:30pm |
|
Dismissal |
3:10pm |
Morning:
Supervision of students in the school grounds begins at 8:15am each morning. It is an expectation that children do not arrive at school prior to this time.
Afternoon:
The school day concludes at 3:10 pm and parents are expected to collect their children as soon as possible after this time.
Car Line Drop-Off/Pickup:
Please note, our staff offer families a car line service to drop off their child/ren before 8:50am at start of the school day, without having to turn off their car. We also offer this service in the afternoon for parents and carers to pick up their child/ren from 3:10pm in a similar manner.
Please see our Term Dates and Bell Times page for more information.
There are many co-curricular activities on offer at St Columbkille's!
Children have the opportunity to try out for MacKillop and Diocesan representative teams in several different sports, numerous Diocesan Gala Days and locally based sporting events.
St Columbkille’s competes in the Da Vinci Decathlon, public speaking and Wollongong Diocesan Christmas Art competitions and Wollongong University Science Fair. We have Environmental Ninjas, a Student Representative Council, Mini Vinnies and a school choir.
Students also have opportunities to engaged in Enrichment Learning Teams from K-6, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and coding. Biannually we hold a school music and drama production.
Find out more about the co-curricular activities available for students at our Co-Curricular Opportunities page.
St Columbkille's is a Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L) school and an eSmart School.
At St Columbkille's, we believe that all members of the community have the right to a learning and working environment free from intimidation, humiliation and harm. We all share a responsibility to create a culture of caring which will not tolerate bullying. We believe that bullying must be taken seriously and is not acceptable in any form. In witnessing Christian values we reject ideas, beliefs and behaviours, which marginalise or victimise people.
Our Behaviour Management Policy and Anti-Bullying Procedures, ensures clear processes are followed and that all members of our school community are aware of the school behaviour expectations. Please also refer to the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) Student Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Policy.
You can also find further anti-bullying, wellbeing and online safety resources on our Resources page.
Students are able to catch one of the Premier Illawarra school buses operating in Corrimal, Balgownie, Tarrawanna, Bellambi and Towradgi. See our school bus routes and timetables here (under 'St. Columbkilles').
Note: The School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) gives eligible school students free or subsidised travel between home and school on NSW public transport, including buses and trains.
Free travel is available for children attending Kindergarten to Year 2, irrespective of the distance from home to school. For children in Years 3–6, they must live 1.6 km or more from the school to receive a free Opal bus pass. Parents are required to complete the bus application form and it will be verified by the school office before your child can be issued with an Opal Card. Those students not eligible for free travel are able to purchase an Opal Card directly. Please refer to the Opal website.
For more information on the School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) and to apply for a school travel pass for your child, click here.
Yes, we offer high-quality organised before and after school care for our students through two local OOSH Care services:
All services offer a safe learning environment to build students' social, emotional and life skills and offer a range of learning experiences and activities. All services drop off and pick up students to and from our school.
The school canteen is available four days a week – Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Students can order their lunch as well as purchase recess and other food at lunchtime. Lunch orders can be placed via QuickCliq.
The canteen is staffed by volunteer parents. New volunteers are very welcome!
See our canteen menu and find out more information about our canteen operations on our Canteen page.
School uniform items are available for purchase from Poppets Direct (1/31 Montague Street, Fairy Meadow). Uniforms are also available to order online at Poppets.
For more information on the St Columbkille's school uniform, visit our Uniform page.
School fees are set by the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) and signed off on by the Bishop. These will change slightly each year. There is also a Resource Fee per child, which covers books, stationery, excursions and incursions. This varies from year to year depending on the needs of the grade.
School fee statements are sent to parents at the beginning of Terms 1, 2 and 3. Payments can be made in full or part using eftpos, BPAY, direct debit, cash, cheque, money order or via Compass.
If you are experiencing financial hardship and are unable to pay fees, please discuss the situation with our principal. Your situation will be treated with care and confidentiality, and an appropriate arrangement may be made for you. No student will be refused enrolment because of a family’s genuine inability to pay fees.
Please see our Fees Information page for more information.
Parents and carers are encouraged to become actively engaged in their children’s education and many aspects of parish and school life at St Columbkille’s. We strive to be a connected and welcoming community and we value the engagement of parents and families in the school life in any way they can.
This could be as simple as being interested and informed about school events and activities, supporting and/or participating in community events, school assemblies and school liturgies.
If you are able, we also welcome and value your involvement in school activities. Parents (and grandparents!) can participate and contribute by:
Please note: Given our commitment to safeguarding children, volunteers will first need to complete our Working With Children Check (WWCC) process – information and forms can be found on the CEDoW website. The school can assist parent volunteers with this process.
All parents and families are also invited to become involved with our Parents and Friends (P&F) Association, who work collaboratively with the school and parish about matters that affect your child at school, as well as general issues about school life including social events, fundraising and community building.
For more information, please visit our Parent Engagement page.
Yes! Each grade will be different, but parents often participate and contribute in the classroom. This could include helping with reading and literacy programs, mathematics groups, technology, craft, or by offering expertise in a particular area of interest, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education or Music.
Volunteers are a valued support base for our school, assisting staff to provide a range of high-quality opportunities to promote the learning, wellbeing and growth of students. As partners in the education of your child, we encourage parents and carers to play an active part in the school life of their children and appreciate that you will consider volunteering when the school asks for assistance.
Please Note: Given our commitment to safeguarding children, volunteers will first need to complete our Working With Children Check (WWCC) process – information and forms can be found on the CEDoW website. The school can assist parent volunteers with this process.
All volunteers are also required to enter the school via the school office and sign in and to denote their presence within the school.
If you have a concern or would like to raise any issue regarding your child’s learning and wellbeing, our staff welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your child.
We ask that you contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. The best way to do this is by:
If the matter is urgent please, contact the school office on (02) 4284 7987.
We ask for your patience in response to your request as schools are busy places and the main priority of staff is the education, safety and wellbeing of the students in their care during school hours. Requests by parents for information and meetings will be responded to as quickly as possible.
If you need to speak to your child’s teacher, we ask that you do this by:
If the matter is urgent please, contact the school office on (02) 4284 7987.
We ask for your patience in response to your request as schools are busy places and the main priority of staff is the education, safety and wellbeing of the students in their care during school hours. Requests by parents for information and meetings will be responded to as quickly as possible.
The Lighting the Way Together Parent-School Partnership Framework outlines for parents and the school, the principles and expectations of the partnership that is formed when a child is enrolled in a Catholic systemic school in the Diocese of Wollongong such as St Columbkille's. It will be introduced and implemented in schools throughout the school year.
Download a copy of the Parent-School Partnership Framework and read more about this important partnership at www.dow.catholic.edu.au/partnershipframework
Parents and carers can access the St Columbkille's Compass Parent Portal here and log in using their login details.
For more information on Compass, view our Parent Information document.
For further information or enquiries, please contact the school office.
Interested in enrolling at St Columbkille's? We'd love to welcome you to our school!