22 February 2023

Newsletter Articles

Our Mission @ SJM

St James’ Primary School community excel in education through living and learning in Christ.

Quote

'Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up'.

Pope Francis reflecting on St Paul's epistle to the Galatians (6:9-10) 

Principal’s Message

Term 1 is well underway and the children have settled back into school life well. It is wonderful to see the smiles each day as they enter the school.

Thank you to those that attended the Parent Information Night last Tuesday in the Library. These night’s are an opportunity to share what is happening at school and, more importantly, a chance for you to meet and chat with your child’s teacher.

On Tuesday Mr Moon shared pikelets with all of the student and staff community as part of Shrove Tuesday. Historically, it was the last chance for people to indulge before 40 days of fasting in Lent and it was also an opportunity to use up food that couldn’t be eaten during Lent. This included eggs, fat and milk, which were made into pancakes and eaten on that day.

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday – the beginning of Lent.

Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at Holy Thursday.

Fasting

As Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days, we, too, are called to forgo something for the same period when observing Lent. It is during this time we can deepen our awareness of his sacrifice on the Cross, as well as Jesus’ daily forgiveness of our sins and unconditional love for us.

Almsgiving

Stressing the importance of recognising those in need while demonstrating the model of selflessness that Jesus embodied on earth, Lent offers us an opportunity to further concentrate on displaying acts of charity within our communities.

Whether it be through the giving of time, money, clothing or food, volunteer service provides us a perfect occasion to improve society by living out Jesus’ teaching of helping him through helping his people.

Prayer

Another avenue for self-growth during Lent that can lead to closer relationship with God is prayer.

Lent can also provide us a chance to pray in ways beyond simply asking things from God for ourselves. Praising him for his glory and wonder, acknowledging and thanking him for our many blessings and calling on God to intercede and aid in the lives of others are all examples of how we can appreciate God’s presence and works.

I hope this Lent you become closer to God through Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.

MS AWARENESS MONTH – THIS MARCH

I want to share a story of Corrina, a mum aged 27, and valued member of our SJM community.

“I was diagnosed with MS in October 2022. I have been very open, raw and honest with my journey so far. I have multiple lesions down my spine, 3 in my neck and a lesion on the right side of my brain. I have been hospitalised 6 times since then, I’ve had 14 MRIs, multiple tubes and bottles of blood taken which gets sent to Switzerland, infusions of Methylprednisolone to stop my lesion flares, I’m on two types of nerve medication to help with my chronic pains.

Having MS has completely changed my life; it’s crippling and horrible, my children’s lives and everyone around me lives have changed. 

My children have become carers which isn’t something you ever want. They help out so much, the responsibility they have taken on and maturity they have is beyond anything! They get breakfast organised, they get the younger girls ready everyday. They help tidy up, they really have taken on so much! They’re never asked to do it they just do!

I’m no longer an independent person and rely on so much help from those around me!”

Did you get a tear in your eye reading this? I certainly did!

DID YOU KNOW

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is on the rise with new estimations showing 25,600 Australians now live with the condition which is an increase of 4,400 over the past 8 years, with on average about 10 Australians being diagnosed with MS every week. MS affects everyone differently and in multiple ways. Everyone’s MS journey is different.

SO WHAT IS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS? 

To put it simply, it is a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves. This results in nerve damage that disrupts communication between the brain and the body.

MS is crippling and there is currently no cure. 

SO WHAT CAN WE DO AT SJM?

The SRC are already running their ‘Footy Fever Day’ and raffle which will occur on 1st March. The SRC have unanimously agreed to donate all money raised from the out of uniform day and the raffle to MS Australia to help find a cure for this insidious disease.

Also, we ask that each Friday in March our community wear something orange to raise further awareness of MS in our community. Children and staff might like to wear orange shorts, or socks, or a hat. I do hope you can support SJM and MS Awareness month by wearing something orange.

Corrina has a long road ahead of her and I know I can say this honestly, that we are with her in her journey. We will help in any way we can. That is what makes our SJM community so amazing.

Mr Aaron Moon
Principal

Assistant Principal

Assistant Principal – Newsletter

I would like to introduce myself to the St James community. My name is Mrs Helen Feeney and I am the new Assistant Principal here at St James.’ I have thoroughly enjoyed the first few weeks of Term 1- seeing the students coming and going from school happily each day. The playground is awash with activity and fun – a great atmosphere to see and hear each day.

We have had a great start to the school year, and I have felt warmly welcomed by everyone. Thank you, St James! I have been a teacher since 1997 in the UK Catholic system, then emigrated to Australia in 2006 teaching for the last 8 years at St Catherine’s Catholic K-12 College. My husband and I have settled in NSW and love calling Australia home. I have enjoyed teaching students of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. I have a Master's in Education specialising in Gifted Education and look forward to extending and enriching the curriculum with lots of opportunities to stretch and challenge our students.

We are lucky to have great staff and great students and families here. I feel blessed to come to work each day where everyone is respectful and helps one another to grow and learn to be the best they can be. It will be great to work with you and your family over the year and remember you can call into school, speak with me via phone or send me an email if you have any concerns or questions.

Behaviour expectations at SJM

As we move into the second half of term one, we would like to continue with high expectations of behaviour and reduce any negative behaviours. I would like to reinforce our four baseline behaviours, so that you can use the same language at home with your child when you are encouraging a renewed strengthening of behaviour for the remainder of the term.

1. Respect yourself, each other, and the environment.
2. Right place. Right time. Right task.
3. Stop. Think. Act.
4. Kind words. Kind actions.

At this stage, our reward at the end of Term 1 is a Laser Skirmish for those students who are displaying the appropriate behaviour this term. Your child will not be eligible for this reward if they receive the following throughout the term:

1 x Base 4
2 x Base 3
3 x Base 2
9 x Base 1 or a total of 18 demerits.

Please have a chat to your child’s teacher if you require any more information about the behaviour system here at SJM.

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills. Students in Year 3 and Year 5 participate in the annual tests in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar, and punctuation) and numeracy. All NSW schools will sit NAPLAN online in 2023 (apart from Year 3 writing).

Our school will be participating in NAPLAN between 15th March to 27th March 2023.

In preparation for NAPLAN, our school will also be participating in practice tests between 6th March and 10th March. The practice test is a trial run and key preparation activity for NAPLAN. It is not an assessment of student ability, and the tests will not be marked they are used to test our system and check we can all log in.

Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not recommended. Students can use the public demonstration site ( https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site ) to familiarise themselves with the types of questions and tools available in NAPLAN.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact me – helen.feeney@mn.catholic.edu.au

SCHOOL UNIFORM

The following information about school uniform is straight from our school’s Parent Handbook. Please read it carefully and make a big effort to ensure your child is in the correct uniform each day. Please send in a note to Mr Moon or your child’s teacher if there is a reason that your child is not wearing the correct uniform. If you require any items to ensure your child is in the correct uniform, please send in a uniform order form to the school’s office, and we will arrange for the item to be sent home with your child or collected from the office. Please note – the uniform shop is not open every day. We will be awarding a trophy to the best dressed class each Monday with accumulative points resulting in a reward at the end of the term and mini reward each week for the winning class.

TOYS AND SPORTS EQUIPMENT AT SCHOOL

We ask that you speak with your child about keeping their toys and sports equipment at home. We are lucky here at SJM to have so much equipment for the students to use in the playground. There is no need to be bringing toys or sporting equipment to school. We ask that you keep it at home, as we cannot guarantee its safety here at school … you could look at the roof tops to see how much equipment ends up on the roof and we are unable to get it down easily. I would encourage you to contact the school if you believe we are lacking any equipment and we will endeavour to purchase it.

WHOLE DAY ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL

It is important that your child is at school as many days as possible. Here is a friendly reminder that you are required to provide a reason for any whole days that your child is absent from school.

This can be done in several ways:

1. Add an attendance note in Compass app
2. Email your child’s teacher
3. Write a note and send it to school when your child returns to school
4. Call the office.

If you are choosing to let us know of the absence using the Compass app, we ask that you add absences for whole days into Compass as soon as you can. You can even do this on the day that they are away. If your child is arriving to school late, or leaving school early, please do not add this as an attendance note in Compass. Late arrivals and early departures are added using the Compass Kiosk in the front office. See the message below for any absences related to COVID.

ABSENCES DUE TO COVID

Just a reminder that you are asked to contact the school to let us know when your child is absent because of COVID. We are legally required to ensure our class rolls are up to date, and we can only do this if you let us know why your child is away. If your child is absent because they have tested positive to COVID, or they are absent because they are a household contact and you have let the school know via email or phone call, there is no need for you to use the Compass app to add an attendance note. We will do this for you to ensure we are using the correct roll marking code.

GOING AWAY ON HOLIDAYS?

If you are planning an extended holiday during the year (more than 10 school days), you are required to apply for the leave and have it approved by the principal. You will need to contact the office for the appropriate form to be sent home. The approval of this leave usually is not an issue, but we need to follow the process and keep your approval on file. Once the leave is approved, we then supply you with a certificate for that leave, that you can produce if asked why your child is not at school. If your holiday is less than 10 school days, please just email your child's teacher to let them know when you will be away.

LABELLING ALL SCHOOL ITEMS

Do not forget to label everything! This is the only way that lost items will be returned to your child. Now is a suitable time to make sure all school items have your child’s name in permanent marker or a label that will not peel off easily. Do not forget to show your child their labelled items … this will help them when they come to ask us for help finding lost items.

SCHOOL HATS

Please ensure your child comes to school with a school hat every day. We do not have spare hats at school for students to use. Any student who does not have a hat will be asked to sit on the veranda for lunch breaks. Labelled school hats will be returned to your child if they are found in the playground. We ask that you regularly check your child’s hat for their name, as the name wears off easily when they are used every day.

God bless and I look forward to getting to know you and your family this term.

Mrs. Helen Feeney Assistant Principal

Mrs Helen Feeney
Assistant Principal

Religion

Reflection

Our Ash Wednesday liturgy was held today and was led by Stage 2. Thank you to Fr Victor and our SJM community for joining us at the beginning of the Lenten season. Ash Wednesday is the first day of the season of Lent. It is a wonderful way to remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us and prepare us for the Easter season.

Yesterday was Shrove Tuesday. The students of SJM enjoyed sharing pancakes. Traditional pancakes were eaten the day before the Lenten season started so that they could use up all the fat, dairy and sugar before the Lenten fasting started. A big thank you to Mr Moon for providing pancakes for all the students at SJM.

Shrove Tuesday is the official launch of project compassion for 2023. Each family has been given a project compassion box for any donation that you are able to give. Australia this Lenten season and help support vulnerable people around the world, now and For All Future Generations.With your support, Caritas Australia has been able to support communities around the world to tackle poverty, food security, education, water and sanitation and disaster risk reduction. Project Compassion 2023 reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come.

As St Pope John Paul II said, “The future starts today, not tomorrow.”

Dates for the calendar: Opening School Liturgy on Thursday 9 March at 9.15am in the school hall. All student leaders will be receiving their badges

Mrs Jane Jacobs
Religious Education Coordinator

Awards

Class News

ES1

The children have now been at school for 2 weeks and are well and truly settling in to the rules and routines of St James’. Each morning the kinder students participate in Successful Foundations. We open both the rooms and the children are free to play at whichever provocation takes their fancy. It is certainly our favourite time of the day! The introduction of Successful Foundations allows the children to build positive relationships with others that they didn’t know before starting school.

It is wonderful to see the children branching out and playing with different friends as they feel safe and secure in the play environment. Both Mrs Threadgate and Mrs Smith are enjoying this time as a way of making connections with the children and also finding out their strengths and interests. We look forward to observing how their play deepens as we develop the play spaces to suit the self-determined play. 

We were very happy to meet so many parents at the Parent Information session on Tuesday and we look forward to building partnerships with each of you throughout the year. 

Mrs Donna Smith and Mrs Trishelle Threadgate

Stage 1

It is full steam ahead in stage one with students diving deep into our learning sequences. Throughout the last couple of weeks students have become historians examining past family artefacts and family photos. Students dialled up their noticing skills and examined similarities and differences between toys, technology and items from the past and present. Students will continue to explore differences in families and how they have changed and evolved into the diverse modern family structures we see today.

Students have also discovered their inner artist recreating Peter Taylor Tjutjatja’s Uluru.

Some students have been fortunate enough to visit Uluru and shared their personal experience with the class. Students have also learnt about the cultural significance of Uluru and have demonstrated great respect for the sacred site when recreating their own interpretation of the artwork.

Miss Annerley Fitzsimmons, Mr Bradley Sabotic, Miss Rachel Cooper, Miss Claudia Becus

Stage 2

Stage 2 who been very busy working within their classrooms. They have been looking at a variety of strategies on solving addition and subtraction problems.

In their rotations they have enjoyed our learning. In Creative Arts the students have been doing a variety of painting to create our character strength posters.

In Science the students completed the popcorn experiment to observe how heat changes an object.

In Sport the students have been developing their proficiency in sprinting and catching. The skills level of every student has shown improvement over the two sporting sessions. All of Stage 2 are preparing for the school cross country by increasing their stamina each week.

Mr Cody Somerville, Mrs Jane Dengate, Miss Gabrielle Dafter, Mrs Jane Jacobs, Mrs Mary Ballard

Stage 3

After a great start to 2023, Year 5 and 6 have continued to act as leaders of our primary school. Many opportunities are happening for all Stage 3 students. Didgeridoo lessons with Uncle Richie (Budbudda dreaming) have been very successful and are introducing students to aspects of our culture.

Clubs have started – Chess club, Ukelele club, Choir and Dance have all got underway for students to have a go at. Mrs Thompson gave a very interesting talk on Papua New Guinea – she told us of the stories when she taught there – what the culture is like, and the difficulties faced in everyday life compared to life in Australia. Thank you for sharing these stories and insights. Many students responded saying they would like to visit Papua New Guinea which we are studying in Geography but were unsure of living there because of its turbulent past.

In Visual Arts we have been learning to “Figure it Out” sketching, making foil sculptures and other techniques. Alberto Giacometti was a famous artist who created figures out of clay and metal. Have a look at his work “City Square” which we studied and replicated.

We would like to remind students that it essential that their diaries come to and from each day to ensure any additional information can be noted. Also, home reading diaries are to be filled out each night and brought to school each Friday.

Homework started in Stage 3 – given on a Monday and back on a Friday. Please continue to read daily and practice Maths skills in “Matific” our maths website – all students have a log in.

Miss Isabelle Lamont, Mrs Melissa McLennan, Mrs Lauren Gehrig, Mrs Helen Feeney, Miss Alyssa Pritchard

Sport News

Sport Report

Regional Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to the 25 students who attended the Regional Swimming Carnival on Wednesday 8th February. We had 10 students progress to the Diocesan Swimming Carnival which will be held at the The Forum Aquatic Centre 130 University Drive Callaghan on Tuesday 21st February.

Regional Touch Football Trials

On Monday 13th February 8 boys and 1 girl travelled to Singleton for the Regional Touch trials to vie for the opportunity to attend the Diocesan Touch Trials on Wednesday 1st March. The students who attended the trials are Mitchell Chapman, Sonny Ward, Quade Whitehead, Tanner Hann, Lachlan Fulloon, Darcy Edmonds, Tylo Gitzel and Logan McFawn. A big congratulations to Mitchell Chapman, Sonny Ward, Tanner Hann and Abi Large who will represent the Upper Hunter Region at the Diocesan Touch Trials.

Regional Soccer Trials

On Friday 24th February, 4 students will attend the Regional Soccer Trials to gain selection to the Diocesan Trials. We wish Tylo Gitzel, Logan McFawn, Darcy Edmonds and James Clement good luck at these trials.

Mrs Jane Dengate
Sports Co-ordinator

Wellbeing

The students have completed the Via Character strengths survey at school. When we work with student’s character strengths this helps them and us see their true potential, build on what they are good at and how to best help them learn. I recently completed the VIA character strengths survey. My top strength was Love of Learning, this is part of the reason I am a teacher and am the Leader of Wellbeing this year. We can always learn something new every day. I encourage you all to take the survey and see your strengths. Give the survey a go at

Friday 17th of February was Random Acts of Kindness Day. The students were provided an in-class activity of making a handprint to add to a kindness tree to show they are here to help kindness grow. You will see the kindness tree begin to grow in the Office foyer. I have attached a copy of ways you can spread random acts of kindness. It would be great see kindness spread in families and the community.

For those who are new to the school each term in Week 6 SJM celebrates wellbeing. We encourage you to take a break from homework and spend quality time together looking after your wellbeing. I have included some ideas for self-care from https://www.selfloverainbow.com/30-summer-self-care-ideas for you to try as a family or take some alone time.

Please look out for wellbeing, kindness, gratitude and mindfulness events happening at SJM throughout the term in the school Newsletter, on Facebook and on Compass.

If there is any way I can help your family's wellbeing please reach out. Remember there is always someone here to help.

Mrs Trishelle Threadgate
Leader of Wellbeing

What’s on in the Library

Borrowing Days

Please encourage your children to return their library books, on their borrowing days. If possible, please put a weekly reminder on your phone or calendar.

Monday: Years 3 and 4
Tuesday: Kinder and Year 2
Wednesday: Years 5 and 6
Thursday: Year 1

Premier’s Reading Challenge

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is optional but I urge all Years 3 – 6 students to participate. The books are available during their borrowing times. At the end of the year the children are awarded a certificate from the Premier of NSW. The primary students, who wish to participate, will be given a record sheet next week, to start recording their books. They then need to visit the PRC website to locate the ID number for each book.

Please feel free to contact the library if any problems/concerns arise during the year.

lisa.wilson@mn.catholic.edu.au or 65433094

Happy Reading!

Lisa Wilson
Teacher Librarian

Nadene Douglas
Library Assistant

St. James’ P & F Association

P&F Committee Contacts