28 June 2023

Our Mission @ SJM

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

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We thank you Lord, for this term. For our challenges, our successes, and the mistakes from which we have learnt. Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends. Amen.

Principal’s Message

Wow! We have come to the end of another term. I would like to thank you for your support of the school this term, and also me personally as I farewelled by dear grandmother.

I have had the privilege of having interviews with our prospective Kindergarten families. I love talking about our community. We are so blessed to have such a beautiful community, with incredible staff, awesome students and fantastic parents. The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” is so true and I believe we do this well at SJM. So thank you again.

We have had another busy term at SJM. Events have included:

• ANZAC Day
• Athletics with Dennis
• Sporting Trials
• Didgeridoo boys Stage 2 & Stage 3 Crest Crew
• Mother’s Day @ SJM
• Year 5 Mine Tour
• Catholic Schools Week
• Incursions
• Our new Bishop visiting
• Middle Schools Day @ SJA
• Wellbeing Week
• Dio Sounds for Stage 3
• Online Chess Tournament for Chess Club members
• Virtual Debating
• Athletics Carnival
• Golf for Stage 3

This does not include all the quality teaching and learning taking place in each class on a daily basis. Keep an eye out on the COMPASS Calendar for more events happening next term.

Respectful and considerate feedback provision for our school and school community

As a school, we have formal processes for communicating with our community (such as this newsletter), however we are conscious that groups or cohorts may also generate ways of sharing information through the use of social media platforms, email chains or even informal catch ups.  Through these informal processes, there are often opinions and views exchanged about the school, staff, students or other community members.  These are normal, however they are just opinions and recounting of interactions, and always carry with them an element of “Chinese whispers” with the truth being somewhere in the detail and the perception of the conveying party.

When these matters are posted on social media platforms, especially where the school, staff member, student or other community member can be identified, they become much more damaging, with the potential for injury and slander to be caused.  As a service provider, it is imperative that we receive concerns in a manner which allows us to investigate and the right to reply.  The Diocese, Catholic Schools Office and St James’ Primary School view feedback as an essential element of our continuous improvement processes, and we are eager to engage with our stakeholders about their concerns. 

Social media platforms provide a valuable chance to share information and gain input from others, but when people use them as a means of airing their grievances with the perception that they are “confidential” this is not productive.  Further, it can have a detrimental impact on staff members who, without the opportunity to respond or explain, may be made aware of such portrayal of them, professionally and personally.  There is an unrealistic perception of anonymity with social media interactions and this is the purpose for guides such as our:

• Social Media Acceptable Community Use and Content policy 

• Complaints Resolution Framework

• Community Code of Conduct

to support the appropriate use of such mediums. 

We encourage all community members to reacquaint themselves with these resources and consider the need and context of interactions with others which constitute feedback or complaints and consider the opportunity to register these via the mediums provided by the CSO and school to ensure they have the potential to bring about change, and are treated with the importance that your advocacy for your child represents.

Mrs Dengate – Long Service Leave

We farewell Mrs Dengate for the remainder of the year as she heads off on Long Service Leave. We hope you have a great break Jane and we will see you back at SJM next year.

Miss Caitlin Maher will take 3M for the remainder of the year. Welcome Caitlin.

End of Term Reward

As discussed at assembly last week, I think Obstacool may have closed down as I have not been able to make contact with them. However, I have found another company that will be bringing some inflatable courses to SJM next Term – Week 2 – Tuesday 25^th July.

Enjoy your holiday break and we will see you back and ready for action on Monday 17^th July.

Mr Aaron Moon
Principal

Assistant Principal

We have made it to the end of a very busy Term Two. Thank you to everyone who has been part of our amazing community this term. We can’t wait to see what excitement and joy the last couple of days bring.

Semester 1 Reports

All students have received their Semester 1 reports available for you to view via the Compass App. Please contact the front office if you are unable to access your child’s report via Compass.

I encourage you to have a look and speak with your child about how they are going and what they need to do to keep improving. It is important to set achievable goals and go for personal bests.

Life is about continually learning, and we all learn differently. Make sure your child knows where they are at and where they are headed, enjoying the learning along the way.

I would like to say thank you to the teachers for the time and effort they have put into these reports. These reports are written using their professional judgement from observations, tasks, presentations and interactions throughout the last two terms. Our teachers know each one of our students, and we have a plan for improvement.

Thank you also to Mr Moon, who has read every one of the 303 reports and has a clear plan for improvement for the school. Mr Moon, you are a great leader, who knows each student and cares for them. We are lucky to have you leading our school community and everyone you meet is better for having done so! That is a rare quality to have in this world.

Parent Teacher Interviews

An important way to help us and work in partnership with our school making an appointment to speak with your class teacher is essential at this point in the academic year. Discussing the reports and ways to improve can help to set these achievable goals for our students to help guide and target their progression. We hope you have found the process and engagement in your child’s learning of benefit to you and your child or children.

Virtual Debating Competition 2023

St James are taking part in the ANVDC Virtual Debating competition in 2023. This sees a team of four speakers who volunteered to be a part of the contest. The first speaker introduces and defines the topic for the other team. They begin the match and set the scene for the debate. The second speaker continues the argument by introducing more information and discussion points which are rebutted by the opposition team. The third and final speaker is responsible for summarising the debate and completes the discussion. The silent fourth speaker rebuts by passing comments to the other speakers during the live debate. The debate happens via zoom links. The first team went against an all-girl team from the Australian International Academy in Sydney. The first debate we were debating the negative side to the debate so had to negate or redefine the statement. “That every school should have an exercise class every morning.”

The team consisted of

Team 1
Speaker 1 Grace Lawley
Speaker 2 Bronte Sullivan
Speaker 3 Bradley Watt.
Speaker 4 Nicholas James

The team worked very well together to prepare their discussion and spoke very well during the live contest. Congratulations to the team – the result was a loss, but they debated valiantly and for their first time together as a team they put their point of view across strongly on the day. Brilliant work team!

Team 2
Speaker 1 Bronte Sullivan
Speaker 2 Abi Large
Speaker 3 Justus Matheson
Speaker 4 Hannah Tranate (PREP) / Nicholas James.

The second debate vs Dubbo Public School was “That every school should have a vegetable garden”. We were the Affirmative side this time. Arguments included the reasons why having a garden would benefit student’s health and self-sufficiency in the world especially considering rising costs and use of pesticides. We will await our third debate in term 3 before seeing if we qualify for the knock-out section of the contest. Good luck and well done to the teams.

Look at the contest.

Competitions

WriteOn 2023

WriteOn is an annual writing competition open to all NSW primary students in Years 1 to 6. Students compose an imaginative text of up to 500 words, using an image as the stimulus.

This competition provides students with the opportunity to become published authors and showcase their creativity. To maximise the purpose of the competition, teachers considered the stimulus image for discussion across learning areas. Each year, winning entries are published in The Best of WriteOn anthology.

Students from across the stages had a go at the voluntary competition. Here are some of the top entries:

Students composed an imaginative text of up to 500 words using the image below.

This competition is held in association with the State Library of NSW. Winning entrants will be notified via their schools by mid-term 3.

Assessment criteria

When assessing entries, judges use the following criteria:

• makes connections to the stimulus image
• engages the audience in imaginative, interpretive, emotive and/or creative ways
• maintains a consistent structure appropriate for the type of text selected
• uses a range of strategies to engage the intended audience
• uses a variety of language forms and features, vocabulary and punctuation
• considers the context, purpose and audience
• includes age-appropriate content
• is within the 500 word limit.

Only one entry could be chosen per stage.

Nicholas James’ piece of writing was the winning entry for Stage 3. Eli Jackson for Stage 1. Special mentions go to Maliah Magistrado 2G, Rafiela Alverez and Jaykob Doran 5M, Bronte Sullivan, Justus Matheson and Daniela Finnan 6M. Congratulations to these budding writers.

Challenges and Competitions

We have completed two rounds of the Maths Olympiad 2023 - Years. 5 and 6.
This competition consists of three separate contests for years 3,4, 5 and 6.
Maths Explorer Years 3 and 4
Maths Olympiad for Year 5 and 6
Maths Games Years 5 and 6.

How many kids is this? More than 100 students in 3 teams and across age ranges. 

Round 3 is in July, with round 4 ending the contest.
Top scorers and most improved will be awarded a prize.

All participants receive a certificate and the chance to improve their problem-solving skills.

• Competition One - Wednesday, 3rd May 2023
• Competition Two - Wednesday, 14th June 2023
• Competition Three - Wednesday, 26th July 2023
• Competition Four - Wednesday, 6th September 2023 (TO BE COMPLETED AFTER CANBERRA)

The Junior Division Olympiad (Division J) is specifically designed to stimulate and challenge students at primary school level. It teaches major problem-solving strategies and strengthens students’ mathematical intuition prior to starting high school.

The main aims of the program are to:

• Introduce students to important mathematical concepts.
• Teach major strategies and develop flexibility for problem solving.
• Foster creativity and ingenuity and strengthen intuition.
• Stimulate enthusiasm and enjoyment of mathematics.
• Provide for the satisfaction, joy and thrill of meeting challenges.

There are some very challenging questions – have a look at some sample questions below and see how you go- email your answers to me have a go at some similar questions taken from the competition.

Maths Games

Maths Explorer

Other competitions our students have taken part in THIS TERM are:

NAIDOC poetry

Guess the lollies jar to raise awareness for Kids Cancer, Giggle Day

Rations Challenge and Vinnies Sleep Out TO COME...

There is an art competition in connection to World Children’s Week 2023.

If you have any ideas for competitions let us know and we will try to facilitate them.

#livelaughlearn at SJM.

Holidays

Have a good rest ready for Term 3 where we will be attending excursions galore!

God bless, stay safe, healthy and look after your family over the holidays,

Mrs Helen Feeney
Assistant Principal

Religion

Last week the students from Stage 2, visited the St James Church in Brook Street to participate in the midday Mass and look around the church. The Stage 2 teachers were extremely proud of the students who read a scripture passage during Mass. Mrs Jacobs had many wonderful comments about the student’s confidence while reading and their participation in the prayers during Mass. Next term we look forward to Stage 3 travelling to the church to participate in midday Mass.

What a wonderful celebration that we had on Sunday with our Children’s Mass and our Parish community. Thank you to those families that attended. It is always wonderful to see and hear the children participating during Mass and I had many wonderful comments about how lovely it was to see the children from St James at Sunday Mass. We also shared an amazing morning tea with our Parish community and then the students played table tennis in the convent.

We look forward to celebrating another Children’s Mass next term.

The students who are completing the Sacramental Program have been working hard in their preparation. Please continue to keep these students and their families in your prayers as they continue into next term.

Mrs Jane Jacobs
Religious Education Coordinator

Awards

Class News

ES1

In Kindergarten this term we have been exploring the weather and seasons in Science and Technology. Students have learnt to consider how seasonal changes impact directly on people and how they respond to seasonal changes in the environment. 

We have looked at how Aboriginal people across Australia have different seasons as they rely on the seasons and the weather to know when food is available. Students have explored how weather can affect their mood, clothing, food and activities in everyday life.

We are learning to identify daily and seasonal changes. We have drawn our own symbols to represent what the weather is on each day. Students have discussed what to wear in different weather situations to keep us safe, healthy and comfortable. Kindergarten investigated the effects on plants due to the weather, learning about what drought, flooding and extreme weather can have on people and the environment.

Mrs Donna Smith and Mrs Trishelle Threadgate

Stage 1

On behalf of stage 1, we hope you enjoyed a well-rested break on the King’s Public Holiday and were able to spend some time with family and friends. As we approach the last few days of term 2, students continue to show their strong work ethic and Christian values both within and external to the classroom. Students continue to manipulate, mix and turn materials in science, using their skills to create slime. We were able to demonstrate some scientific skills towards the end of this unit, by mixing an array of liquids to explore their reactions. Some bubbled, some fizzed and some smelt terrible!

In PDHPE we have continued to explore some gross motor skills, with students developing how they catch, throw and kick a ball. Students have enjoyed exploring an array of physical activities, questioning if they’re safe, healthy and active.

During creative arts, students are exploring the effects of music on emotions, and how music can change how we think during different scenarios. We saw the power of love when a soft piano tune was played or felt rage when we listened to some heavy metal. Students thoroughly enjoyed viewing Koomurri’s Aboriginal Kangaroo dance, and representing what they heard through art.

Wednesday night students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 gathered to dance, laugh and have fun at the school disco! We saw many bright Fluro outfits, and just as many bright smiles as students danced their way through Taylor Swift, George Ezra and of course the Macarena. It was wonderful to see the students demonstrating their confidence as they rocked out on stage along with their friends.

Reports and parent teacher interviews are in week 10. We are looking forward to meeting you all and discussing your child’s learning journey with you. Have a safe and blessed holiday break with your loved ones, before your return in Term 3!

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

Stage 2

Dear parents/carers,

We’ve made it! It is Week 10 and it’s almost time for another 2-week break from school. It has been a massive term, and we’re so proud of our Stage 2 students who have put a lot of effort into their schoolwork over the 10-week period. As always, we also appreciate your support and involvement with your child’s education.

This week is parent teacher interview week. For those who have booked an interview in with your child’s teacher, it is a great opportunity to discuss your child’s overall achievement and classroom work habits this semester and see what we can do to continually improve their educational outcomes next semester. If you were unable to book an interview this week, please discuss with your child’s teacher an alternative time for an interview e.g., first/second week of Term 3.

Last week, Stage 2 ventured out to the Catholic Church of Muswellbrook, for Mass with Fr Victor. Firstly, we would like to commend the students for their excellent behaviour, with even a couple of people attending church commenting on how well the students engaged with the Mass. Fr Victor asked many questions to the children during the Homily, it was great to see lots of responses. At conclusion of the Mass, Stage 2 were given the opportunity to walk around the church and count the number of crosses displayed. One student reported that they saw almost 100 crosses! Overall, the experience was beneficial for the students.

Finally, on behalf of the students and staff of Stage 2, we would like to wish 3M classroom teacher Mrs Jane Dengate all the best during her leave for the remainder of 2023. Mrs Dengate has been at St James’ for many years and has decided to use Term 3 and 4 to spend more time with family. Her dedication to physical education and sport is palpable and will be missed by all of us in Stage 2. As advised already, Miss Caitlin Maher will teach 3M for the reminder of 3M. If you have an interview booked with Mrs Dengate, you will also get to meet Miss Maher.

Have a happy and safe 2-week break from learning and we look forward to Term 3 at St James’.

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

Stage 3

Stage 3 have been incredibly busy – where do we find all the time to do what we do? Reports are coming out this week and hopefully you will have had the chance to meet with your child’s / children’s teachers to discuss their progress. We are very proud of the immense achievements and constructive attitudes to learning that we have witnessed this term and across Semester One. Here are some of the highlights over the last few weeks of Term 2:

Dio Sounds – a long trip to Newcastle but worth the visit to the Civic Theatre to see our diocesan students perform. 

Virtual Debating – 8 students went up against 3 other schools to debate diverse topics such as “Schools should have an exercise class every morning” and “That schools should have a vegetable garden”.

Writing competitions – NAIDOC poetry, Write On 2023 – several students entered their works for these competitions with many receiving commendations and prizes for their efforts – see newsletter for some examples.

Curriculum – “Alice in Wonderland” – Fantasy story writing, Sport, Science, Geography – lots of fun with our learning in Stage 3.

Passion Projects – many students have become experts in their chosen passion field – creating projects that they love – adding to their strengths of Love of Learning.

Chess tournament – an online tournament where students across Australia went up against our students – we came 3^rd in the tournament.

Glee Club – Ukelele Performance “Somewhere over the Rainbow” sung and played by our groups.

School Disco – Glowing night! Year 6 sold glow sticks for the night and raised funds for our P&F.

Ration challenge – teachers and students learnt what it is like for displaced people surviving on minimal food rations – this leads us into our sleep out where we learn how difficult life can be for the homeless in our communities.

Vinnies Sleep Out – Term 3 – soup and rations challenge.              

Aspire excursion – Term 3 – we get to be a pirate to watch “The Pirate Code” Arrggghhhhh.         

Canberra – coming in Term 3- virtual and in real time! We can’t wait! Have a well-deserved rest over the holidays!

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

Leader of Wellbeing

As part of our school wellbeing and Physical Development and Health curriculum students participate in lessons each fortnight to learn how to be the best version of themselves.  SJM utilises the ‘Grow Your Mind’ program to support student wellbeing in these lessons and in the classroom. ‘Grow Your Mind’ is an engaging evidence-based positive mental health strategies for educators, children and families.  This program has free resources, songs, podcasts and information for children, families, and schools. You may also wise to subscribe for even more benefits.

This year students have been refreshing their knowledge of brain awareness. Listen out for your child talking about shrinking their Guard Dog, or growing their Wise Owl, their Elephant and their Sifting Sooty. 

We invite parents and families to grow their brain awareness with the children.

Stay healthy & safe,

Mrs Trishelle Threadgate
Leader of Wellbeing

What’s on in the Library

Book Week Competition

To celebrate Book Week there will be two competitions running, as outlined below. All entries are due by Friday 25^th August.

Infants Classes:

Two of the CBCA Book Week Shortlisted books, My Strange Shrinking Parents and The Best Hiding Place feature a house. Students can design and build a miniature house.

Primary Classes:

Based on A is for Australian Reefs, students create their own mini reef diorama.

Shared Reading:

On Thursday 24th August, students will share a book with a friend, in the courtyard. All students must bring a book from home, to share during this time.

Happy reading
Mrs Lisa Wilson

Community Notices

Missing File- HPFC

St. James’ P & F Association

P&F Committee Contacts