Week 1, Term 1 - 2024
Welcome
Dear St James Community,
Welcome to the 2024 school year! Our students have returned to school happily over the week to complete their Mathematical Assessment Interview and it's been tremendous to see them reconnect with their friends and teachers.
We are grateful that our holiday break was peaceful and safe for our families and community and we pray that 2024 is joyful, safe, and healthy for us all.
Gracious God, we come to you at the beginning of this academic year
with our many feelings, expectations, and hopes.
Help us to remember that we have the comforting
assurance from you as you told us: "I will always be with you."
Give us a new perspective to see persons, events, and academic work as an
invitation to develop the many gifts you have given us to be used in service for others.
Grant us peace, joy, safety, and great learning opportunities as we journey together through the 2024 school year.
Amen.
We especially welcome Scarlett Y2, Ruby Y3, Ashton Y3, Archer Y3, Bella Y3, Cruze Y4, Mason Y4, Jovan Y4, Grace Y5 and Van Y6 who have joined the St James 'Family in Christ' new students in Years 1-6 and we welcome our new teachers and staff: Mrs. Jaelee Reynolds [Grade 3], Mr. Josh Sudiro [Grade 4], Miss. Alison McClymont [Grade 5] & Miss. Neisha Sharp [Grade 6].
On Monday, February 5th our students in Grades 1-6 commence full classes, then we welcome our 56 new Kindergarten children who will start their 13-year journey of Catholic education; may their beginning of school be fun-filled as they make many new friends and explore their new surroundings.
2024 Shared Goals
We have set new goals for our 2024 school improvement journey, which are:
- Support everyone’s engagement with the Mission of Jesus Christ, so that all will experience a deeper relationship with God, self, and others.
- Develop learning and teaching practices, so that all students will achieve a minimum of a year’s growth in literacy and numeracy.
- Build purposeful and strategic partnerships with families to enhance connections between school and home.
Our school improvement sign with these long-term goals and our regular short-term goals has been updated to reflect our hopes and aspirations for this year. We look forward to partnering with families to bring these goals to life in 2024. To commence the year, our short-term goal is: Together we will make each other feel welcome, especially staff, students, and parents new to our school community, as we bravely begin a new year.
Parent Handbook
Our 2024 parent handbook can be found on the school’s website. This booklet contains all the information families require to understand the policies, procedures, and structures of St James Primary. Please take the time to familiarise yourself with this information and refer to the booklet as required.
Welcome to Grade meetings
In 2024, we will be holding Grade meetings for parents in Week 4. These gatherings will enable teachers to provide important information about the Grade structures and enable you to meet your child’s teachers and ask questions. The date and times of each meeting are as follows:
- Kindergarten - Thursday, February 22nd
- Session 1: 8:10am
- Session 2: 2:30pm
- Year 1 - Thursday, February 22nd
- Session 1: 8:10am
- Session 2: 2:30pm
- Year 2 - Thursday, February 22nd
- Session 1: 8:10am
- Session 2: 2:30pm
- Year 3 – Wednesday, February 21st
- Session 1: 8:10am
- Session 2: 2:30pm
- Year 4 – Wednesday, February 21st
- Session 1: 8:10am
- Session 2: 2:30pm
- Year 5 – Tuesday, February 20th
- Session 1: 8:10am
- Session 2: 2:30pm
- Year 6 – Tuesday, February 20th
- Session 1: 8:10am
- Session 2: 2:30pm
Each Grade will also video and distribute the event to families if they are unable to attend one of the sessions.
Supporting Home-School Communication
To support the continuation of communication from school-home/home-school classrooms will now be open from 8:10 am [Monday-Thursday], which enables students and parents greater opportunities to network with teachers.
In addition, the Grade Letters have been replaced with a live website/blog from each classroom/Grade, which will be updated each Friday. The weekly Grade Blogs will have:
- A blog that shows prior learning, with information about why this occurred and photos and/or videos.
- Information on what the students are learning in the week ahead and why, along with how you can support this at home.
- Celebration of awards and birthdays.
- Information about the Play is the Way life raft that students are focussing on for the week ahead.
- An overview of the learning for the Term in all Key learning areas.
The blogs can be accessed from the link below or via the school website under the Parents & Families - Grade Blogs section. During Week 2 teachers will be organising their first Grade pages (at the moment they're under construction), and then families will receive a Compass alert each Friday stating that the updated site is available for viewing. The first publication of the Grade pages will occur on Friday, February 9th.
An evening with the Principal
In 2024 we are hosting some out-of-hours workshops for parents and families [without students]. The topics will vary over the year, with the first one being a wine and cheese 'Evening with the Principal' on Tuesday, February 27th at 7pm, and is titled 'The St James Way'. At the end of the presentation, there will be an anonymous Q&A time available with the Principal, then time to mingle and chat. Save the date!
Road Safety Message
Approximately 1200 students and 150 staff need to move in and around the College and Primary School each morning and afternoon, and as you're aware the traffic can be congested. To this end, safety must be the number 1 priority for everyone, so please be kind and patient with one another and at all times promote safe practices and follow all rules for the sake of our children. To support traffic flow the College and Primary have co-created a traffic management plan (see link below); please be familiar with this and enact it at all times. From this year Leadership staff will be providing crossing guard duties in the afternoon to support the safe crosswalk of pedesdrians.
Here are some safety tips:
- Be alert and aware by travelling distraction-free. Ask children to take off their headphones when walking.
- Keep safe getting in and out of the car. Always use the door closest to the kerb.
- Keep safe getting on and off the bus.
- Wait at the bus stop and stand at least one step back from the edge of the road.
- Always meet your child at the bus stop. Never meet them on the opposite side of the road and call them across.
- Wait until the bus has gone, before you cross the road.
- Wear a helmet. Children must wear a helmet when riding a bike in any public place – it’s the law. Foot scooter, skateboard and rollerblade riders should wear helmets and protective gear such as knee and elbow pads.
Hold a grown-up’s hand (Kinder to Year 2) when:
- you cross the road
- you’re on the footpath
- you’re in a car park
- Use a safe place to cross the road. The fastest way, may not be the safest way.
- Stop! Look! Listen! Think! Every time you cross the road and keep checking until you safely across
Cross the road safely by enacting stop, look, listen and think:
- STOP! one step back from the kerb
- LOOK! continuously both ways
- LISTEN! for the sounds of approaching traffic
- THINK! whether it is safe to cross and keep checking until safely across
If your child travels independently to school, please talk to them about the route they take to ensure they are making safe decisions.
Be a positive role model when you are a pedestrian, passenger and driver. Children learn from what they see, as well as what we say. Never sacrifice safety for convenience.
Road Crossing - Greenway Drive
In mid-2023, we asked the Tweed Council & Transport NSW to provide a crossing guard for the pedestrian crossing on Greenway Drive. We have received news that this request has been granted and that a crossing guard will be stationed there each morning and afternoon during the school Terms, which will provide safe passage for students and families around this area. We thank the Tweed Council & Transport NSW for granting this to us and we acknowledge the parents who lobbied for this cause.
Term 1 Events/Dates
Please note the following events/dates scheduled for Term 1.
- February 5th: First day of school for Grade 1-6 students
- February 5th & 6th: Beststart and MAI assessment for Kindergarten students
- February 7th: First day of school for Kindergarten students
- February 9th: Beginning of the Year Liturgy [Year 6 Leader's Induction]
- February 13th: Welcome Breakfast [Shrove Tuesday]
- February 14th: Ash Wednesday Mass
- February 16th: Show your colours day
- February 27th: An Evening with the Principal: The St James Way
- March 5th, 6th & 7th: Term 1 Learning Conferences
- March 22nd: Cross Country
- March 28th: Holy Week Liturgy & Easter Raffle
- March 29th: Good Friday Public Holiday
- April 1st: Easter Monday Public Holiday
- April 3rd: School Photos
- April 12th: Whole School Retreat [Yandihndi]
Please note our pupil-free days for 2024:
- May 28th (Week 5, Term 2 [Tuesday])
- July 5th (Week 10, Term 2 [Friday])
- July 22nd (Week 1, Term 3 [Monday])
- September 27th (Week 10, Term 3 [Friday])
- November 7th (Week 4, Term 4 [Thursday])
- November 8th (Week 4, Term 4 [Friday])
- December 19th (Week 11, Term 4 [Monday)]
- December 20th (Week 11, Term 4 [Tuesday])
Please note the 3 public holidays that fall in this year's school calendar:
- Good Friday: Friday, March 29th (Week 9, Term 1 [Friday])
- Easter Monday: Monday, April 1st (Week 10, Term 1 [Monday])
- King’s Birthday: Monday, June 10th (Week 7, Term 2 [Monday])
To support future planning for families, our yearly planner is below; the dates are firmly set but are subject to change if required.
Chicken Roster - Term 1 and Holidays
Our school chickens (Rosalind, Henrietta, Marigold & Petunia) need care over Term 1 and the end of Term holiday break. So, we invite families to go on the roster as explained below.
Weekend roster:
- Attend school on Saturday and Sunday and feed the chickens food scraps from home and give them some seed (provided). Check the eggs and take them home to enjoy some yummy scrambled, poached, or fried eggs!
Holiday roster:
- Attend school for a period of days during the holiday break (according to the roster) and feed the chickens food scraps from home and give them some seed (provided). Check their water and feeder. Check the eggs and take them home to enjoy some yummy scrambled, poached, or fried eggs!
Families who join the roster will have access to the school with a key for the side gate and an outline of what to do. If you'd like to join the upcoming Term 1 and holiday roster, please email the school by Friday, February 9th (bpp@lism.catholic.edu.au). In advance, thank you for helping us take care of our little chicks!
Thumbs-up
- To all families and students for returning to school happily.
- To our students for their work with the MAI (Math) assessments.
- To our maintenance crew who have ensured the school is clean and tidy for us to enjoy!
- To the following families who helped care for our school chickens over the Christmas holidays: Manouk, Smith, Reynolds, McDonald, Petrie, Moad, and Elineau families.
To conclude
We look forward to working with you and our students to promote academic, social, and spiritual growth throughout the 2024 school year. We sincerely thank our staff for their work in preparing for the year ahead, and we congratulate all students and parents for the positive and joy-filled way we have returned to school. Welcome everyone; may 2024 be a faith-filled year of safety, joy, learning, and good health.
With blessings,
Nic.
Safer Internet Day 2024
Tuesday 6th February is Safer Internet Day, a global campaign dedicated to creating a safer online world for everyone.
This Safer Internet Day promotes three simple actions when approaching online safety:Connect. Reflect. Protect.
Find out more at esafety
Help your child to have a positive start to the year by building the habit of good attendance.
Building the habit of good attendance is crucial for a positive and successful school year. Here are some tips to help your child develop this habit:
- Establish a Routine. Set a consistent daily routine for your child, including wake-up times, breakfast, and a specific time to leave for school. Having a predictable schedule helps your child understand the importance of punctuality.
- Create a Positive Morning Environment. Make mornings enjoyable by creating a positive atmosphere at home. Encourage open communication and express your enthusiasm for the day ahead.
- Establish Clear Expectations. Clearly communicate your expectations regarding attendance and emphasise the importance of being present at school every day unless there's a valid reason for absence.
Help your child establish a positive and consistent attendance habit, setting the foundation for a successful 2024 school year.
Watch this clip by Michael Hawker for strategies to help an anxious child return to school.
