Dear God,

Thank you for looking after our school and our children.

Thank you that you love each and everyone of us here.

Help us to learn, play and share together,

So that the wonderful world you have created

Becomes more beautiful everyday.

Amen

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the 2025 school year. I hope that you had a safe and relaxing holiday enjoying special times with family and friends. It has been wonderful to welcome back the children and staff. We particularly welcome our new families and teachers who have joined the St James’ community. We know that you will find the school welcoming and inclusive and will very quickly feel an important part of our wonderful community. All of the children have commenced the school year with enthusiasm and energy and are to be congratulated on transitioning with ease into their learning and routines in the classrooms and across the playground. I am grateful to the very dedicated and highly professional staff who invest so much care and enthusiasm into their students - they are truly amazing! A warm welcome to our newly appointed Learning Support Assistants over the holidays for Term 1, Shannon Bromilow, Natalie Filo, Ellie Hibbert and Donna McRae. We hope they enjoy their time at St James’.

Welcome to our new students across the grades; Harry Year 6, Alex Year 5,  Evie Year 4 and Emma and Alexander Year 3. We particularly welcome and recognise our newest students to St James’, our 2025 Kindergarten cohort.

I commend and thank the Kindergarten parents for doing such an outstanding job preparing your little ones for their first days at school. We look forward to sharing many happy moments with you over the course of this year. Throughout this year we look forward to encouraging our students by providing quality learning, witnessing our Catholic faith through liturgy and action and by growing as a faith filled school. I particularly look forward to this amazing year ahead where we all strive to be the best that we can be and remember that Christ is central to all that we do living our school motto of, “In Faith we Learn”. Our priority is always to collaborate with our parents as you are the primary educators of your children, and it is only in partnership with you that we can achieve great outcomes for your children.

Over the holiday period, significant progress has been made on our building works. Demolition of the Library block has been successfully completed, clearing the way for the new Learning Hub and classroom spaces. A new drainage system has been installed, ensuring improved infrastructure and efficiency for the site. Inside, fresh wall coverings and new carpets have been fitted, in many of our classrooms. Painting works were completed on the Admin building and new PB4L signage has been installed throughout the school. These improvements mark a major step forward in our ongoing school improvement and development.

St James has adopted a Whole School Approach to bring about positive behaviour; Positive Behaviour for Learning [PB4L]. This approach has a strong emphasis on teaching appropriate behaviours and providing systems of support to bring about these positive behaviours. 

PBL is focused on proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviours to create positive school environment. The aim of Positive Behaviour for Learning is to actively teach and reinforce desired behaviour while implementing consistent, reasonable, mostly positive intervention to address challenging behaviours. Preserving and building child’s self-esteem and image as well as encouraging self-monitoring of behaviour are vital components of the positive approach.

Attention is focused on creating and sustaining primary (Tier 1 school-wide), secondary (Tier 2 classroom), and tertiary (Tier 3 individual) systems of support that are focused on improving academic and behaviour results for all students.

The following diagram illustrates the multi-level approach offered to all students in the school. These group depictions represent systems of support offered for children:

This year we will be focusing on refining and improving our PB4L framework and procedures. You will receive more information on our changes and inclusions this year. Exciting times ahead!

Some exciting events happening this term. On Wednesday 19^th February 5:00pm-7:00pm we will holding our Welcome BBQ for all our families. Please see the below flyer.

On Thursday, 6^th March 4:30pm-6:30pm we invite all new enrolling families and students to an Open Night at our school. This is a good opportunity for families considering enrolling at St James’ to meet the staff and student leaders. More information will be available in our next Newsletter.

Wishing you a wonderful start to the school year,

Mrs Sonya Boslem
Principal

Prayer for the Beginning of the school Year 

God of wisdom and might, 

We praise you for the wonders of our being, 

for mind, body and spirit. 

Be with our children as we begin the new school year. 

Bless them, their parents and their teachers and staff. 

Give them strength and grace as their bodies grow;  

Wisdom and knowledge to their minds as they search for understanding:  

And peace and zeal to their spirits. 

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.  

Amen 

This week’s Gospel comes from Luke 5: 1-11.

“Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst. So they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all who were with him were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.”

The real message here is in the last few words: ‘they left everything and followed him’. They left behind them their great catch, because they had been captivated instead by the person of Jesus. We too are to ‘seek first the kingdom of God’ – we are to live in God’s world and judge the world’s affairs from that vantage point.

Friday Parish Mass will begin next week with Year 5 attending the 9:15am mass at the church. All grades will be rostered to attend this mass once a term. You are welcome to join with your children when they are rostered for mass.

Term 1 Liturgies and Celebrations:

2025 Diocesan Launch of the Jubilee Year

 Sunday 2 March

This year has been designated as a jubilee Year by Pope Francis as a time to renew ourselves as “Pilgrims of Hope”.

“We must fan the flame of hope that has been given to us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision.”​

Pope Francis, For the Jubilee, 2024

​

You are invited to celebrate the Jubilee Year with a Diocesan pilgrimage from Nobby’s Beach (8:00am) to Sacred Heart Cathedral, culminating in Mass (10:00am) and a Festival (11:00am) in the Cathedral precinct grounds. The festival will feature an official Launch of Project Compassion 2025. All corners of the Diocese are encouraged to have representation and involvement as we mark Pope Francis’ theme -Pilgrims of Hope. Attached is an outline of some planned events for the jubilee year. We hope to have some families join our St James group at this event. More details will follow in the coming weeks.

2025_Jubilee_Key_dates_poster_P.pdf

2025_Jubilee_Key_dates_poster_P _pdf 666.64 KB

Sacramental Program 2025

The Sacramental Program for All Saints Parish will begin with the Enrolment Mass on March 1^st at 5:30pm at St Phillips. The Sacramental Program is for children in Year 4 or above who have been baptised in the Catholic Church and wish to complete their initiation into the Church. Attached is the program outline for 2025 with all the dates and times. An email will be sent to the parents and carers of all students in Years 4, 5 and 6 with the forms that need to be completed and other relevant information within the next week.

Mrs Patricia Miller
Religious Coordinator

2025 Meet and Greet Conversations 

We are excited to announce our upcoming 2025 Meet and Greet Conversations in Week 5 of this term. These meetings will involve teachers, parents, and students coming together to discuss each child's learning journey.

During these Three-way conversations, your child will have the opportunity to express how they learn best and share their personal learning goals. This is a valuable time for students to take ownership of their education and for us to work together to support their growth.

These meetings can be booked via Compass from Monday 10^th February until Thursday 20^th February.

The dates for the 2025 Meet and Greet conversations is Week 5, 24^th – 28^th February.

We look forward to your participation in these meaningful discussions!

The guide below can be used to help navigate Compass and book the Conversations in.

https://www.compass.education/guide/

SchoolTV

SchoolTV is a digital wellbeing resource designed to help you understand some of the more complex issues associated with youth wellbeing. I hope this resource becomes a trusted go-to for supporting your child in the year ahead. You can find our SchoolTV link below:

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

What a great surprise to start the school year with our new PB4L signage across the school. It looks great and is a constant reminder of our PB4L expectations.

This year we will continue our PB4L journey focusing on the three pillars of behaviour.  Respect, Responsible, Resilient. The focus of our PB4L lessons will be on being respectful, responsible and resilient in all places, at all times. Each week we will look at what positive behaviour looks like in areas across the school. In Week 3 we will look at respectful, responsible and resilient behaviour in the classroom, including Library and Music lesson and in the toilets. We will continue to use the language of our matrix above, while outlining what this looks like in each area. We would encourage you to also use this language at home.

8:20am - Supervision of children commences

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

A friendly reminder for our kiss and drop. Teachers will be at the Kiss and Drop each morning from 8:15am until 8:45am as they will then return to school for class. If you are after this time, can you please park your car and walk your children to school.
Kiss and Drop also operates for afternoon dismissal. Can you please ensure that you follow our normal Kiss and Drop safety procedures below. Please also have your name card displayed on your dashboard. For our new families we will be sending these home early next week.

We ask that parents do the following:

• You stay in the order you arrive at the Kiss and Drop Zone.
• There is no cutting in front of other vehicles.
• You will not leave until the vehicle in front has left the zone.
• There will be no reversing of vehicles.
• You do not get out of the car – unless your child requires assistance to be restrained in a
car seat.
• When using the Kiss and Drop Zone you display your family name label.

Thank you to all parents and carers for using this option. Please remember to follow
the rules of the zone. A reminder for all drivers to not u turn on the crest. Please drive up the street and turn around at the end of the road.

In the coming weeks, various pathway sport trials will be taking place. If your child is interested in attending Dio trials for a pathways sport that does not have a regional trial, please wait for approval from the School Sport Coordinator. If eligible, they will receive a form with instructions on how to register on the Dio website. 

Next Monday the 10th of February, a team of 40 students from St James’ will be competing at the Regional Swimming Carnival. The carnival will be held at Wallsend Swimming Pool, accompanied by Miss Pettet, Mrs Fry and Mrs Petersen.

Mrs Tegan Fry & Miss Renee Pettet
Sports Organisers

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.

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.

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

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. Please contact Trinity College if you require any further information.