Week 9, Term 1 - 2024
Welcome
Dear St James Community,
As we enter Holy Week, we embark on a profound journey of reflection and spiritual renewal, commemorating the final days of Jesus Christ leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection. This sacred time invites us to contemplate the depth of Christ's sacrifice, the humility of his service, and the boundless love that defines his teachings. As we walk alongside Jesus through his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, his crucifixion on Good Friday, and ultimately his glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday, let us embrace the transformative power of faith, hope, and redemption.
Thank you to the parents and friends who shared a lovely litrugy with us today for Holy Week; the children retold the Easter story through prayer, music and action beautifully, and together we have raised $1835.45 for project compassion - wonderful faith in action.
Holy Week Liturgy
2025 Enrolments
Enrolments for Kindergarten 2025 are now open via the online enrolment portal on the school's website; enrolments close on Friday, April 5th.
Staffing news
Please note the following staffing news:
- Mrs. Ann Ricketts informed me of her intention to resign at the end of Term 1. Ann has been a part of the St James community since the school's inception in 1994. On behalf of our community, I sincerely thank Ann for her years of dedicated service to St James and Catholic education in the Diocese of Lismore; I wish Ann and her family peace and happiness in the future.
- Mrs. Jaelee Reynolds, current Year 3 teacher will conclude her time with us at the end of Term 1. Jaelee has two preschool-aged children and she has decided to uptake emergency teaching work so she can balance being a Mother and a Teacher. A new Year 3 teacher will be appointed soon.
- Mr. Lewis Capellari, current Year 1 teacher will be taking Term 3 off work; he is planning an extended overseas trip with his partner. A replacement teacher will be appointed soon.
- Mrs. Lisa Fitzhugh, current Stage 3 learning support and art teacher (3 days per week) will be taking Terms 2 & 3 off work; she is planning an extended overseas trip with her husband. A replacement teacher will be appointed soon.
The advertisements for the positions vacant are located on the Diocese of Lismore website, please share these accordingly: https://careers.lism.catholic.edu.au/cw/en/listing/?page=2&page-items=5
Cross Country
Congratulations to all students who participated in the School Cross Country last Friday, 22nd March; it was a terrific day of participation, skill, and good sportsmanship.
The house results were:
1st: Polding
2nd: MacKillop
3rd: Hanly
4th: Ryland
Individual winners of each race were:
Kinder: Luca .S. and Aqulia .M.
7 years: Blair .C. and Brooklyn .S.
8 years: Matteo .D.S. and Victoria .T.
9 years: Lennox .C. and Emi .D.
10 years: Cruze .A. and Jessica .V.
11 years: Hype .G. and Tahlia .F.
12 years: Billy .D. and Ava .W.
Well done Polding House and congratulations to each age group victor.
Cross Country Photos
Code of Conduct
We have created a Parent and Community Code of Conduct Standard Operating Procedure and visual. This is now on our website and posters will be in all areas of our school, which act as a reminder for everyone of the values we aspire to. Whilst we don't have big issues in the space [thank you], it is best to be salutogenic [meaning proactive]! We sincerely thank our community for generally treating our staff with kindness and care.
Whole School Spirituality Retreat
Yandihndi – accompany – go with – take along.
We are looking forward to the St James 2024 whole school student retreat; set to take place on the final day of Term 1, Friday 12th April.
Our theme, accompany, go with, take along; echoes our school motto Family in Christ, as we journey together to ignite a faith-filled community through student discipleship and spiritual formation. Students will engage in activities, such as meditation, craft and drama, to build connections across the school community with self, others, and Jesus in multi-aged groupings.
We welcome families to join us in the MPC for a Liturgy on Friday 12th April at 2pm to celebrate our retreat. This year's retreat theme is: Service.
Anzac Day March
All St James Primary students have the opportunity to participate in the Anzac Day March (Thursday 25th April - Week 2 of the school holidays) co-ordinated by the RSL Tweed Heads & Coolangatta Sub-Branch.
Students will gather at the Coral Street end of Jack Evans Boat Harbour, Tweed Heads, wearing their full school uniform, including their hat. We are requested to be in position by 10:15am am so we ask that all students be dropped off and left with St James staff by 10.00am. It will take us about 15 minutes to organise students into heights and lines. The march is set to start at 10:30am, with the ceremony at the Epitaph starting at 11am. Families can share a light refreshment by the RSL Tweed Heads & Coolangatta Sub-Branch at the conclusion of the ceremony at the Twin Towns club.
Thank you in advance for supporting your child's participation in this march to honour the spirit of soldiers past and present.
Tell Them From Me Survey
Early next term (in Weeks 2 - 4), our school will be taking part in the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) student survey. The survey will provide us with valuable feedback on what our students think about school life, how engaged they are with school and the different ways that teachers interact with them.
The survey is run by an independent research company, The Learning Bar, which specialises in school-based surveys. Find our more about The Learning Bar and the TTFM survey here - https://thelearningbar.com/ourschool-survey/?lang=aue
In addition to the student survey (for students from Year 4 to Year 12), parents and carers and teaching staff will have the opportunity to participate in the TTFM survey.
The TTFM student survey is confidential, and staff in schools will not be able to identify individual students from their responses. To ensure confidentiality, participating students will receive a unique username and password. All information will be handled according to relevant privacy legislation.
Students’ personal information will not be disclosed by the school to any other person or body other than as required by law. Individual students will not be identified in any publications. The survey is conducted online, takes 15 to 30 minutes, and will take place at school during school hours.
We will receive a report on our school’s survey results shortly after our students complete the survey. The school will share with parents and carers key aspects of the survey results in a timely manner.
Participating in the survey is voluntary. If any survey questions make your child uncomfortable, your child can skip the question or can choose to stop the survey at any time. If you do not want your child/children to take part in the survey, please email the school by Monday, April 29th.
School Improvement Goals: Fortnightly update
Short Term Goals
Our recent short-term goal was "Families will complete the parent feedback from the learning conferences, using the insights template." We had 33% of families action this and it is lovely to read how proud and delighted parents are about their children's efforts and results. We thank those who completed this important step in the process.
Our new short-term goal is "Together, students, families and staff will reflect upon the events of Holy Week; remembering the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ [His life, death & resurrection], so that we can build a stronger connection with our Catholic Faith."
Long Term Goals
One of the longer-term goals is to give students opportunities to develop a deeper relationship with God, self, and others. This was certainly achieved through our Holy Week liturgy that students witnessed and engaged in today.
Term 1 & 2 Calendar
Please note the following events/dates scheduled for the remainder of Term 1.
- April 1st: Easter Monday Public Holiday
- April 3rd: School Photos
- April 12th: Whole School Retreat [Yandihndi] / Final Day of Term 1.
Please note the following events/dates scheduled for Term 2.
- April 29th: First day of Term 2 for students.
- May 3rd: St James Feast Day.
- May 9th: Mother's Day Stall. - (If you are able to assist with helping please email bpp@lism.catholic.edu.au)
- May 9th: Catholic School Mission Review
- May 10th: Mother's Day Breakfast. - (Dad volunteers if you are able to assist with helping please email bpp@lism.catholic.edu.au)
- May 10th: Zone Cross Country.
- May 14th-16th: School Review.
- May 20th-23rd: Year 6 Camp
- May 24th: Mr. McTaggart commences 6 weeks leave.
- May 28th: Proclaim Lismore (Pupil Free Day).
- June 2nd: First Holy Communion.
- June 3rd-5th: Term 2 Learning Conferences.
- June 12th & 13th: Murwillumbah Eisteddfod.
- June 14th: Atheltics Carnival.
- June 17th-20: Murwillumbah Eisteddfod.
- June 28th: Atheltics Carnival Back-up Date.
- July 3rd: 100 days of Kindergarten Celebration.
- July 4th: PiTW Championships Day/Final Day of Term 2.
- July 5th: Pupil Free Day.
Thumbs-up
- Students for their participation in the School Cross Country.
- Everyone for their support and fundraising efforts for Project Compassion.
- Families and students for engaging so reverently in the Holy Week liturgy.
- The Sanderson and Olsen families for caring for our chickens over the past two weekends.
- All families for donating chocolate and buying tickets for our Easter raffle.
- The Turley Family for donating a toy play kitchen and reversible shop/theatre for our Kindergarten yard.
To conclude
May this Holy Week be a time of prayer and profound gratitude for the gift of Christ as we celebrate Easter, the pinnacle of our Catholic faith. I wish you a safe and Holy Easter; enjoy the break and the time with your family and friends. School returns on Tuesday, April 2nd, and we will hold our Easter Resurection liturgy at 8:40am on this day; all are welcome.
Happy Easter.
Nic.
Upcoming events
Please note the following upcoming events......
Parenting supporting & learning
Please note the following parenting supporting & learning items.....
Healthy sleep, exercise and diet can make a difference.
Healthy sleep, exercise, and diet play critical roles in a student's overall wellbeing, impacting not only their physical health but also their cognitive function, emotional regulation and ability to focus.
Encouraging healthy habits early on sets the foundation for a lifetime of wellbeing. Children who learn the importance of sleep, exercise and a balanced diet are more likely to carry these habits into adolescence and adulthood, impacting their overall attendance and success in school.
Hard to Have Conversations
esafety provides advice for families about talking with your child or young person about tricky personal subjects. This could be online bullying, sending or receiving an intimate image, or coming across pornography online. Conversations about experiences like these can be difficult.
To read about tips on how to start the chat, whatever the subject go to The hard to have conversations.
Other information
Please note the following additional information.....
