This Sunday is The Second Sunday of Advent. 

 

The gospel is from Luke 3:1-6

 

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

 

In this reading, John quotes the prophet Isaiah, "Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight." The image John uses is that of a road engineer, shouting out orders for the construction of the 'royal road' of the Lord. In Advent, we are called upon to open up the royal road to our own heart so that Jesus may be re-birthed in us.

The second Sunday of Advent’s theme is PEACE.  Peace: This theme reflects on the peace Christ brings into the world, reminding believers to seek inner peace and foster peace with other people.

 

 St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

Well done St James! Once again you have been extremely generous with your contributions for the Christmas appeal. The Social justice team were able to put together 30 wonderful hampers to bring the spirit of Christmas to those in need.

Year 6 Religious Literacy

Each year the Year 6 students sit a Religious Literacy test. Congratulations Year 6! The results have been shared with us and as a cohort, our average was above the diocesan average, so as a school we did very well.  The following students achieved above the recommended pass mark: Lexi N , Zahli C, Sophia J, Connor M, Santino D, Indriel J, Addison G, Aurora M, Jack H, Cruz M, Sam P, Layla R, Evelyn M, Mae M, Lexie M. Well done to all our Year 6 students.

Mrs Patricia Miller
Religious Coordinator

Mrs Debra Petersen
Assistant Principal

School TV

I encourage all families to have a look at our SchoolTV site. In particular you may find reports such as School Transitions worthwhile, this can be found at School Transitions | St James' Primary School - Kotara South. Articles and videos will include; Transition to the Next School Year: Support the transition of Kinder students into the school environment, Year 6 students preparing for high school or students moving into Stage 6.

The other edition and reports that families may find informative involve ‘Holiday Safety’: Modules on digital safety, personal safety, and mental health during school holidays can support students and parents over the holidays.

SchoolTV site https://kotarasouth.catholic.schooltv.me/.

Semester Reports

Below is some information regarding your child’s school Reports. Reports will be sent via Compass to families after 3:00pm on Thursday the 12th December, Week 9. Should you require a meeting with your child’s teacher, please contact them directly.

KEY LEARNING AREAS

• Descriptors for all Key Learning Areas (Years 3-6)

Detailed descriptors within the strands of each Key Learning Area have been included to provide parents with more information about what their child is learning and what the teacher is reporting against. They include content and/or skills within the strands, and when read with the grade given by the teacher, provide a clear picture for parents on how their child is tracking.

• Overall Achievement Grade

The Overall Achievement Grade is no longer part of the Key Learning Area grading. Grades are given against the more detailed descriptors within each Key learning Area. This change provides parents with a clear picture of their child’s achievement against the outcomes within each Key Learning Area.

Achievement against the standards in each Key Learning Area is now recorded using a five-point scale of words, rather than letters (A-E).

• Limited
• Basic
• Sound
• Thorough
• Extensive

An explanation of the five-point scale can be found in the ‘Information for Parents/carers section of the report.

• Areas of Strength and Development

Teacher comments on ‘Areas of Strength’ and ‘Areas for Development’ in Religious Education, English and Mathematics are an important aspect of student progress in these Key Learning Areas. Teachers will focus on two areas of strength and one area for development in each report. These comments provide an opportunity to celebrate what a student is doing well and to identify goals for the following semester of learning.

Comments have been developed from the outcomes of the NSW syllabus documents. Religious Education comments have been developed from Diocesan syllabus documents. These comments are selected by teachers to provide consistency of feedback and language across Diocesan schools and are tailored to the strengths and areas for development for each student.

These changes provide a comprehensive and holistic view of your child’s academic journey, promoting communication and collaboration between schools, parents, and students to enhance future learning and development.

Virtual Academy

Santino D presented his Adaptations project on fuel-powered cars, highlighting their advantages over electric vehicles. During his presentation, he argued that fuel-powered cars excel in longevity, fuel efficiency, and avoid reliance on lithium. Sunny showcased his work through a podcast and audio recording, using our school's state-of-the-art sound mixing equipment and the software Audacity. The presentation took place last Thursday at the NUspace building on Hunter Street. We are incredibly proud of Sunny's achievements in the Virtual Academy program and his ability to share his work creatively with his peers.

Guitar Concert 

We warmly invite all families to our Semester 2, ‘Ricky’s Guitar concert’ to be held in Week 9, on Monday 9^th December at 2:00pm. This will be held in the school hall.

Basketball Selections 

Congratulations to Wil M for being selected into the Diocesen team for Basketball in 2025. Wil attended the diocesan trials last Friday and was selected alongside 7 other boys from around our region. A great effort! 

Swimming Carnival Information

The following overview includes timeframes that are approximate only. Please be aware that it is very likely that the events will not run as tightly as planned.

Program of Events 

 9:30 – Opening of the carnival, Prayer, Anthem, Acknowledgement:

 

9:40	100m Freestyle (open)	Girls  Boys
9.50	50m Freestyle    (Crunch and sip)	Girls/Boys 8yrs Girls/Boys 9yrs Girls/Boys 10yrs Girls/Boys 11yrs Girls/Boys 12+yrs
10:30	Kickboard 25 metre swim	Volunteer Break
11:00	50m Breaststroke	Girls/Boys Jnr Girls/Boys 11yrs Girls/Boys Snr
11:30	50m backstroke	Girls/Boys Jnr Girls/Boys 11yrs Girls/Boys Snr
12:00	10 Minute Break
12:10	50m butterfly	Girls/Boys Jnr Girls/Boys 11yrs Girls/Boys Snr
12.30	Open medley	Girls Boys
1:00	Teachers & Parents Novelty Relay
1:30	Pack up ready to be on the bus by 2pm

In events, the children who complete the fastest times will be selected for representation; there will be no finals.  

Carnival details are as follows: 

Date: Friday 13th December 2024

Venue: The Forum Swim Centre, Newcastle University 

Time: Children should meet at school by 8:45am. Buses will leave at 9:00am sharp and arrive back at school by 2:30pm.

Uniform: Children need to wear a colour house t-shirt with their sport uniform, over the top of their appropriate swimwear to the carnival. Girls are to wear a full one-piece swimsuit. (Regional and Diocesan requirement)

Important things to note: 
  

• Children should bring a packed lunch with a variety of nutritious treats and water. There will be no canteen available on the day. There is a café at the Forum for parents.
• Remember to pack a towel, swimmers, goggles and swimming cap (if required.) Please label everything.
• Crepe paper, confetti, or similar items are allowed in the aquatics centre.
• A $3.00 spectator's fee will apply to all visitors, exclusive of teachers and carnival volunteers. This fee must be paid to Reception staff by visitors on arrival.
• ALL adults are to use the toilets located outside the swimming vicinity. Male, Female, Disabled and Family toilets can be found upon first entering the building in the main reception (near the café). ONLY students will be permitted to use the toilets inside the swimming vicinity.   
• Volunteers have already been contacted by email if required on the day. Thank you to all the other parents who offered to support the carnival.
• Written permission must be provided for students travelling home with alternate carers.
• If you wish to sign your child out early, you can sign them out with their colour house manager.

Green: Mrs Carr and Nancy A

Blue: Mr Coleman and Mrs Larke

Red: Mrs Wallington and Mrs Gibson

Yellow: Mrs Pittman and Nicola H

• Parents, we ask that you please sit above the stands and not with the children.  
• Please remember that you can only take a photo of your own child.   
• Parking and Transport- All parking is controlled by the University of Newcastle, not NUsport. University parking regulations apply to all vehicles between the hours of 8:00am to 5:30pm weekdays throughout the year, even during University holidays. All NUsport car parks have a two-hour parking restriction; Free all day parking is available in car parks P14 and P16 only (check signage). All vehicles must display a parking ticket, which can be purchased from ticket machines at the entry to all car parks. All vehicles must be parked in designated parking bays. Parking infringements will be issued by the University of Newcastle.

We are looking forward to this opportunity to come together as a school community. What a fabulous way to end the school year! 

Mrs Tegan Fry & Miss Renee Pettet
Sports Organisers

Throughout Term 4 we are reviewing each of our pillars-RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE, RESILIENT. For weeks 7-9 we are looking at the pillar of RESILIENT and continuing to learn how each of us can meet these expectations. At St James we are resilient when we consistently display the following expectations in our daily interactions with others:

• Ask for help when you need it
• Be honest
• Have a go
• Celebrate others
• Be a problem solver.

PBL is for all people, all places, all the time.

There has been Food Safety Changes for all school canteens. If you are a volunteer in the school canteen the below online course needs to be completed, can you please follow the below link to ensure compliance of the new NSW Government Food Authority Standard 3.2.2A. Once this has been completed, can you please email your certificate through to admin@kotarasouth.catholic.edu.au 

https://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/training/food-handler-basics-training 

Playgroup

A big thank you Teigan and Ginny from Story Dogs for the time that you spent with students at St James, everyone loved your visit's.

You would've been so proud of the singing group this morning. They sang beautifully, yes, but the thing that made me proud was the way the children went and mingled with the elderly residents and shared their pictures and craft with them, wishing them a Merry Christmas. It was the sweetest thing ever. If ever I was in the presence of God, that was it! 

They all enjoyed Zooper doopers after the concert, young and old alike. 

Mrs Kim Carr

Music Teacher

Next Friday 13th December is our school swimming carnival for Year's 1 - Year 5. This is a normal school day and children are expected to be in attendance. 

Thank you to our parents for the support and value that you place on your child being at school each day. Regular school attendance plays a critical role in ensuring that every student has access to the same learning opportunities. When students are not at school, are late to school or leave school early, they are missing out on so much that can impact on their future learning.

The following Attendance Guidelines are based on current legislative requirements, research on attendance and best practice.

✔ Attendance affects a child’s academic achievement and their overall wellbeing.

✔ There is NO safe threshold of absence – everyday counts.

✔ School attendance patterns are established early in a child’s schooling

 ✔ The effects of school absenteeism accumulate over time and affect children’s development now and into the future.

✔ Daily punctuality is important. The early part of each day is critical. Important learning is scheduled during this time when children are rested and receptive. Key concepts are built up in the time.

✔ Sporadic absences can affect academic achievement as much as absences over consecutive days.

✔ We ALL need to work together with our children’s best interest in mind to ensure that students are at school every day that they are well enough to attend.

Compass Unexplained Absences

Unexplained absences are required to be explained within 7 days of the absence on Compass. A weekly email will be sent to parents to alert of any unexplained absences that can be updated on Compass. Please note that if the absence is longer than 7 days, the absence is then unable to be explained by parents or school.

Next year’s Open Evenings for prospective enrolments into Trinity Catholic College for Year 7 2026 will be held on two Enrolment Evenings, Tuesday 25th February and Thursday 6th March from 6:00pm to 7:15pm.  A tour of the school including brief subject talks & exhibitions will be included. Please note that although these evenings will be of most interest to Year 6 2025 students, all pathway families are invited to attend regardless of Year.

Update Information

If you have changed your address or phone number recently, can you please update this information with the school office.

Attendance

Late Arrival

Students that arrive at school after 8:50am (official school start time) must be signed in at the office through the Compass Kiosk. If they are unaccompanied by an adult, the office will sign students into school as unexplained. 

Early Departure

If you are collecting your child early, can you please buzz at the gate and proceed to the office to sign out through the Compass Kiosk. The office will call the classroom for your child to come to the office to meet you. 

Whole Day

For students that are absent for the whole day, please add the absence note through your Compass app. Whole day absences can be explained through the Compass app for 7 days. 

Unexplained

For all unexplained absences an attendance email will be sent home every week with dates and times of the late arrival(s) and/or unexplained whole day absence. This can then be explained through the Compass app within the 7 days.

Extended Leave 

A Travel Exemption form is required to be completed by a parent/caregiver for leave of 10 or more days for the purpose of travel within Australia and/or overseas. The form is in Compass under "School Documentation" see below.

School Information and Documents

Did you know that you can access school information & documents on Compass? To access click on the school documents tile.

8:50am - 10:50am - Session 1

10:50am - 11:30am - Lunch

11:30am - 1:30pm - Session 2

1:30pm - 2:00pm - Recess

2:00pm - 2:50pm - Session 3