It is my privilege to welcome you to St Columba’s Primary
School, Wilston. Our school has been proudly serving the Wilston community for
over one hundred years. Operating in partnership with our parish priest Fr Leonard Uzuegbu and the wider parish community, St Columba’s is recognised for proudly offering a quality, inclusive,
Catholic Education.
St Columba’s was founded by the Good Samaritan Sisters and
opened on 7th January 1917, with the first classes beginning on 22nd January.
During the first week, the roll call amounted to 106 and by the end of 1917,
the school’s enrolment was 250. While over the past 100 years the school has
grown and changed it has continued to build on the traditions established by
the Good Samaritan Sisters. Their spirit of compassion and justice still flows
through our school community today and is further strengthened by the
traditions established by the parents, staff and children. St Columba’s is a
school where God is
named and recognised. We recognise that each and every member of our community
is the face of God to all that they meet.
St Columba’s is proud of
its history of providing high quality education in an environment of the
Catholic tradition. Our school is committed to meeting the challenges of
education today and in the future in order to provide students with the skills
necessary to progress further along their life-long journey of education and
learning.
Currently enrolments are approximately 620 students, catering
for the primary years from Prep to Year 6 in 24 class groups. We believe that
every child can learn and we wish to ensure that all children have an inbuilt
love of learning and that this continues for a lifetime. Whilst our school has
a heavy emphasis on the teaching of Numeracy and Literacy and ensuring all
children have the foundational knowledge preparing them for a wide scope of
learning, we also wish to have children develop culturally, physically,
emotionally and spirituality so they are prepared to meet the challenges of the
21st century. Our schoolwide
1 to 1 iPad/ laptop program ensures that our children have the necessary
information technology and communication skills to allow them to be active
technical citizens.
Physically, St. Columba’s has significantly changed in the
last few years with almost eight million dollars of new buildings and
facilities. These projects are part of a long-term strategy to meet enrolment
demand and to continue to develop modern first-class educational facilities to
meet all the challenges that the 21st century brings.
This Handbook attempts to capture some of the beliefs and
practices of the school, which have their origins within the school’s story.
While it covers key areas, it does not attempt to cover all possibilities.
Rather it is meant as a guide to allow you, to gain a sense of what St. Columba’s
Primary School is about. The handbook also complements our official school
website; www.stcolumbaswilston.qld.edu.au
I welcome and encourage you
to allow us the opportunity to show you our wonderful school. I look forward to you being
part of the story of St Columba’s and contribute to the school’s ongoing
development.
John O'Connor
Principal
