It is my honour to welcome you to St Columba’s Primary School, Wilston. Our school has been proudly serving the Wilston community since 1917. Operating in partnership with our parish priest Fr Ihemelandu and the wider parish community, St Columba’s is recognised for providing high quality, inclusive education in the Catholic tradition.
St Columba’s was founded by the Good Samaritan Sisters and 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.
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. We believe that for a student’s education to be successful there needs to be productive and harmonious relationships between parents and teachers, built on the principles of TRUST, COLLABORATION and ENQUIRY. We should trust each other to fulfil our obligations, work together and ask questions if issues arise. Together we will provide every student with the high quality education they seek.
We cater for students in the primary years from Prep to Year 6. 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 spiritually 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. More new buildings are planned for 2022/2023.
Our 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.
Andrew Oberthur
Principal
©Brisbane Catholic Education, St Columba's Primary School Wilston (2023)