Filter Content
Dear Parents and Carers,
I can’t believe that it has been nearly three (3) weeks since I arrived here at St James. To say that St James is a beautiful school is an understatement, and what makes it such a vibrant and happy school is without doubt the children and staff. The way the children have welcomed me and how they greet me each day is a credit to you and to the staff. The staff have been warm and welcoming, I’ve noticed just how hard they work and how caring and loving they are of the children. Hopefully I’ll get to know you, the parents, grandparents and carers over the coming weeks.
Just to update you on what is happening in relation to the appointment of a new principal. An ad was placed in the relevant media and the timeframe for shortlisting and interviews is shortly after the 19th of November. We should have word well before the end of the year about the new appointment.
This week we had another transition day for our new kinder children. In 2024 we will have some 56 children starting and it looks like a great group of children and parents, my thanks to the staff for the work they put into making these transitions such a success. We look forward to getting to know the children and their families.
Special Event Don’t forget that Friday 24th November you are welcome to our Christmas Celebration commencing at 12noon in the hall, it’s shaping up to be a fun time for the children.
Mr Duilio Rufo
Acting Principal
“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. At once the one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Focus on all those servants who did a fine job for their master. What was their reward? To enter into the joy of their master. You can imagine all sorts of celebrations, gifts, sense of fulfilment and general happiness all around. A “talent” was a huge amount at the time of the Gospels, so the master was entrusting a great deal to his servants. He must have been delighted with their work. Except for the one who only received one talent. There’s no reason to believe that he was a bad man. But he opts for security and not for risk.
As Pope Francis puts it: "Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy of evangelisation! Disillusioned with reality, with the Church and with themselves, they experience a constant temptation to cling to a faint melancholy, lacking in hope, which seizes the heart like “the most precious of the devil’s potions”. Called to radiate light and communicate life, in the end they are caught up in things that generate only darkness and inner weariness, and slowly consume all zeal for the apostolate. For all this, I repeat: Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy of evangelisation!" (Evangelii Gaudium I, 3; II, 83)
End of year Celebrations
Tuesday 12th December, 11:00am: Year 6/ End of year Liturgy (encompassing Year 6 Awards)
Wednesday 13th December, 9:30am: Whole School Awards Ceremony
Sacramental Program 2024
The 2024 sacramental program begins with Reconciliation will run from February to September, encompassing the 3 sacraments: Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Eucharist, in one calendar year. Baptised students from Year 4 are able to enrol in the program. The Sacramental Plan with specific dates for 2024 is attached.
Parish Mass change of dates:
Year 3 will now attend the Parish Mass on Friday 24th November (next week).
Patricia Miller
Religious Coordinator
Hello families, the end of year is fast approaching, please take the time to slow down and be grateful for the little things that actually mean the most. I wanted to let the community know the date for the 2024 Christmas Band Concert that Mr Darren Ward has organised, will be held on Monday 4th December at 9:15am. We will begin the morning with our school assembly (please note there will not be an afternoon assembly on this day). This will also be the last school assembly for the year. After our morning assembly the school band will showcase their talents to the community. All are very welcome!!
End of Year Awards
To recap previously advertised dates in Week 10 on Tuesday 12th December we will hold the Year 6 and Whole school End of Year Liturgy at 11am. This will be followed by awards for Year 6 only.
On the next day, Wednesday 13th December we will come together to celebrate the end of year awards for Kindergarten to Year 5. This will be held at 9:30am. Both events will be held in the school hall.
This year each class teacher/s will choose 4 students to receive the below awards from each class. Parents of these recipients will be phoned by the classroom teacher before the end of year award ceremony. We ask that should your child receive an award and you are notified to please keep this a secret so that it is a surprise to the child on the award day. Any questions please contact the school.
The awards are:
Award | When | Who | Description |
School Spirit Award |
End of year award ceremony | Classroom teacher | Representing /displaying/demonstrating the charism of our Mercy values throughout the school year. |
Academic Award |
End of year award ceremony | Classroom teacher | Academic achievement award. Across KLA’s and data used to determine. |
Endeavour Award |
End of year award ceremony | Classroom teacher | Grit and determination to always offer their best in all tasks. Students tries consistently to do their best. |
McMahon Medal for Critical and Creative thinking |
End of year award ceremony | Classroom teacher /Creative Arts Teacher | Out of the box thinker - the ability to come up with new ideas or solutions. Excels in creative and critical thinking and actions. |
Have a wonderful weekend and smile! It’s free and contagious.
Take care.
Mrs Debra Petersen
Assistant Principal
Gifted Education – Virtual Academy Presentations
A big congratulations to the following students who completed their major Virtual Academy presentations today:
- April H (6B)
April’s project ‘from stigma to strength’ focused on PTSD in war veterans; the challenges people in the armed forces face, the impact on their families and the responsibility we all have for their well-being.
- Charlie D (6B)
Charlie’s project investigated the impact of space junk on our planet and the responsibilities global citizens have to ensure this does not affect our future generations.
- Santino D (5W)
Santino’s project explored climate change and he developed a website to explain the affects of weather events particularly food loss and possible solutions to this problem.
The presentations were the culmination of weeks of research. dedication and creative thinking. We are very proud of their achievements particularly the way they took on the challenge of presenting in front of peers with confidence and enthusiasm. Well done, Charlie, April and Santino!
I’d also like to acknowledge the work of Flynn S this who has dedicated himself through all Virtual Academy task this year but was unable to present a project due to a family holiday. Congratulations on all your effort and hard work, Flynn.
Newcastle Permanent Mathematics Competition
This year St James ran the Newcastle Permanent Mathematics Competition across Stage 3. This is a very challenging test, involving 331 schools and 20 791 students in the region. We would like to acknowledge the following students who have received a Distinction which is the top 15% of the total students sitting the test.
Congratulations to:
Year 5 | Year 6 |
Xavier C | Thomas G |
Indriel J | Spencer M |
Soren R | Flynn S |
Jack H | Lachlan A |
Evelyn M | Charlie D |
Ruby P | Xavier H |
Riley D | April H |
Amelia C | Isaac D |
Sofia D | Ryder H |
Bella A | |
Ethan M |
Mr Joseph Hamilton
Primary Coordinator
St James’ Swimming Carnival
St James’ Swimming Carnival will be holding their annual 2024 School Swimming Carnival for students who will be in Years 2 – 6 NEXT YEAR 2024 on Friday 8th December 2023. Therefore, we will be taking all students currently in Years 1-5. Kindergarten and Year 6 will remain at school.
Carnival details are as follows:
Date: Friday 8th December 2023
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 their school sport uniform over the top of their appropriate swimwear to the carnival. Girls are to wear a full piece swimsuit (Regional and Diocesan requirement).
Please Access the compass link below to select your child’s events and give permission for them to attend.
To view the details of upcoming events please click here:https://kotarasouth-nsw.compass.education/Organise/Activities/Events/
Students are to pre-select the events they will swim in through Compass. Please discuss with your child which events they are capable of entering. If your child is unable to swim butterfly or breaststroke using the correct technique, please do not enter this particular event.
The 25 metre and kickboard races are non-competitive events to provide an opportunity for the less serious swimmers to participate in the carnival. If your child elects to compete in either of these events, they CAN NOT compete in other races on the day. This is due to time restrictions and ensuring the carnival runs on time.
Additional event details:
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.
- 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.
- Written permission must be provided for students travelling home with alternate carers.
- 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.
What you will need to do:
Please respond to the questions to give your child permission to attend the carnival. You will also need to nominate which events your child would like to compete in. Please indicate whether or not you would like to volunteer as a parent helper on the day (volunteer clearance essential.)
TROUBLESHOOTING: If you have difficulty responding to the questions on Compass, try opening the compass event in a browser (not on your phone.)
Nominations and permission must be entered no later than FRIDAY 24th of November (week 7). This will allow time for entering the whole school data in order to run a successful event.
We are looking forward to this opportunity to come together as a school community. What a fabulous way to end the school year!
Tegan Fry
Sports Organiser
Book Club News
Issue 8 of Book Club went home last week. The due date for orders is Sunday 26th November. All orders must be placed through LOOP online; no orders are to be sent into the school. Below is a link explaining how to use LOOP.
Value Books in Issue 8:
· #012 Where’s Santa? $3
· #101 What Do They Do with All the Poo from all the Animals at the Zoo? $5
· #201 Tiny Timmy – Soccer Superstar! $3
· #232 Riding Academy Race $3
· #304 Tom Gates – Best Book Day Ever! (so far) $3
· #401 Stories to Share at Christmas $3
If you are wanting to purchase books for Christmas presents, you can tick the ‘Gift’ option when ordering, if you have not ‘ticked’ this option and you would like your order to be a gift, could you please email me at: sueanne.churches@mn.catholic.edu.au.
If anyone has questions or concerns about the ordering process, please do not hesitate to contact me.
This is the last order for the year and would like to thank everyone for their orders. The ‘Rewards’ from your orders go towards maintaining/ replacing popular/ new books/ STEM items for the Learning Hub.
Sue-Anne Churches
sueanne.churches@mn.catholic.edu.au
Library Assistant and Book Club Co-ordinator
The Following message was sent to parents through Compass at the end of last term.
“For the last two and a half years at St James’ we have been working on introducing, modifying, and embedding Positive Behaviour for Learning. As a community, we have created our Matrix of Expectations and have identified the immediate, minor, and major behaviours that are explicit on our Behaviour Consequences Chart. After working on these, and with feedback from staff, students, and parents, modifications were made, and we now have put together the Behaviour Management Procedures. This document sits side by side the Catholic Schools Office’s Student Wellbeing and Pastoral Care Policy, Student Anti-bullying Policy and the School Community Code of Conduct. As a school community, from the beginning of Term 4, we will be following all the procedures outlined in this document: The St James’ Positive Behaviour for Learning Matrix, Behaviour Consequences flowchart and the Recognition of Positive Behaviour Flowchart. The students have been introduced to these procedures and we have now aligned the behaviour Chronicles in Compass to match the procedures. Please take some time to read the Behaviour Management procedures so that you are aware for the processes to be able to support positive behaviour at St James’.”
There have been some questions regarding the process, so the procedure document is attached here and is available through the compass news feed until the end of the year. If you have any questions about the Behaviour Management Procedures or would just like to clarify something, please email Mrs Miller through the admin email.
The St James’ PBL Team
Many children have already received a Kiara sticker for their positive behaviour. This is an important recognition of their positive choices at school. Each time a child receives one of these stickers there will be an email automatically sent out to parents so that you can also acknowledge and celebrate with your child.
Tuesday 21st November | Motiv8Sports K-2 |
Friday 24th November |
Year 3 Parish Mass 9:15am St James Christmas Celebration 12:00pm Diocesan Summer Sport Trials - Tennis & Basketball |
Friday 1st December |
Kindergarten Parish Mass 9:15am Grade 5 Networld Excursion |
Monday 4th December |
School Assembly / Band Concert in hall 9:15am |
Friday 8th December |
School Swimming Carnival Motiv8 Sports - Year 6 |
Tuesday 12th December |
Year 6/ End of Year Liturgy 11:00am |
Wednesday 13th December |
Whole School Awards Celebration 9:30am |
Thursday 14th December |
Ricky's Guitar Concert 10:00am |
Friday 15th December |
Last Day for Students |
To OOSH Families,
Our OOSH centre at St James has a new lock system on the door.
Upon arrival there will be a silver button on the left of the door on a black box. This box has a camera so we can let you in via a device. Once we let you in, the speaker will let you know when the door is opened. Please ensure when you enter the OOSH hall, to sign your child out first before collection. If you are having any troubles signing your child out, please see one of the educators for assistance. There is a green button to press on the right of the door to exit the hall. Please ensure that the door is fully closed upon entering and exiting.
Thank you and have a great weekend.
Canteen News
Birthday Zooper Dooper Buckets
When ordering a birthday bucket for your child, please know that the ice blocks are given to the students in the same class as the child having the birthday. If siblings take an ice block, then a student in the class will miss out. Thank you, families, for your understanding.
Helpers Needed
We are in need of volunteers to help in the canteen. If you have been cleared to volunteer at St James and are able to help out please contact Kirsten on 0404 846 674. Any time and help you can give would be greatly appreciated. The below spaces in red are needing to be filled until the end of the year, thank you.
Monday 20th November | Wednesday 22nd November | Friday 24th November |
12:45pm - 2:00pm | 12:45pm - 2:00pm | 12:30pm - 2:00pm |
1:00pm - 2:00pm / Teigan | 1:00pm - 2:00pm | |
1:00pm - 2:00pm / Katie | ||
Monday 27th November | Wednesday 29th November | Friday 1st December |
12:45pm - 2:00pm / Kaz | 12:45pm - 2:00pm / Dee | 12:30pm - 2:00pm / Skye |
1:00pm - 2:00pm / Chris | 1:00pm - 2:00pm / Erin | |
1:00pm - 2:00pm / Katie | ||
Monday 4th December | Wednesday 6th December Last day of canteen for 2023 | Friday 8th December |
12:45pm - 2:00pm | 12:45pm - 2:00pm | Closed - swimming carnival |
1:00pm - 2:00pm / Teigan |
School Fees
School Fees Statements were emailed this week. A reminder that school fees are due to be finalised by 30 November 2023 unless there is an alternate fee arrangement in place.
If you are paying by instalments, can you please check your balance to ensure your payments will finalise your account by this date.
Year 6 parents are reminded to check their fees are up to date to ensure a fee clearance for their new high school.
Please contact the office if you wish to discuss.
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. As per precovid procedures, you are not required to email or telephone ahead.
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 note will be sent home every fortnight with dates and times of the late arrival(s) and/or unexplained whole day absence. Can this note please be signed and returned to school.
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. Please contact the office for the form.
Kind regards
Carolyn Hanley