9 May 2025

Our Mission @ SJM

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

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Principal’s Message

Welcome back to Term 2! I hope you had a restful and enjoyable break, filled with quality time with loved ones and moments of relaxation. As we step into this new term, we are excited to continue our journey of learning and growth together.

This term, we have a variety of enriching experiences planned for our students. From engaging classroom activities to extracurricular opportunities, our goal is to foster a supportive and dynamic learning environment where every student can thrive.

We also extend a warm welcome to our new students and their families. We are thrilled to have you join our school community and look forward to getting to know you better.

MOVING TO PB4L - What is the Mega Token?

The Mega Token is a special recognition awarded by RFF (Release from Face-to-Face) and casual teachers to classes that demonstrate exceptional behaviour and engagement during their sessions. Each Mega Token is equivalent to five standard tokens, which students can place in the school token box.

How Does It Work?

• Awarding Mega Tokens: At the end of each RFF or casual teaching session, the teacher will assess the class's behaviour and award a Mega Token if they meet the established expectations.
• Accumulating Tokens: Students will continue to collect their standard tokens as usual. Each Mega Token received will count as five additional tokens towards the school total.
• Special Draws: At the end of Week 5 and Week 10, all Mega Tokens will be entered into a special draw with me. The winning class will have the opportunity to choose between a trip to Highbrook Park or a visit to the Pump Track, providing a fun and rewarding experience for their collective efforts.

We believe this initiative will further encourage our students to consistently demonstrate positive behaviours and work collaboratively to achieve shared goals. It also reinforces our commitment to recognising and celebrating the efforts of our students in a meaningful way.

Thank you for your continued support in making our school a place where positive behaviours are recognised and celebrated. We look forward to a term filled with growth, learning, and exciting opportunities.

Don’t forget the Term 2 End of Term Reward is Laser Skirmish.

Mother’s Day

As we approach Mother’s Day this Sunday, I would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt appreciation for all the mothers and significant women in our students' lives. Your unwavering support, love, and guidance play an integral role in shaping the future of our children.

Whether you're a mother, grandmother, aunt, or a cherished family friend, your influence is immeasurable. You inspire our students to reach their full potential and create a nurturing environment where they can thrive.

On behalf of the entire school community, I wish you a joyful and restful Mother’s Day. May it be filled with love, happiness, and the recognition you truly deserve.

P & F

I wish to inform you of a significant change in our approach to family and community engagement.

In alignment with diocesan guidelines, we have transitioned from the traditional Parents & Friends (P&F) Association to the Family and Community Engagement (FACE) model. This shift reflects our dedication to creating a more inclusive, collaborative, and flexible framework that better serves the diverse needs of our school community.

What is FACE?

FACE is a model that emphasises authentic family engagement in student learning and strengthens the partnership between home and school. It moves away from a formal executive structure, allowing all parents and carers to actively participate in shaping the school experience. Meetings are held each term, focusing on areas such as Catholic Identity, engagement in learning, social gatherings, and some fundraising opportunities, though the latter is not a primary focus .

Acknowledging the Contributions of the P&F

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the members of the P&F for their tireless dedication and invaluable contributions over the years. Their efforts have significantly enriched our school community, and we are deeply appreciative of the time and energy they have invested in supporting our students and staff.

Looking Ahead

The transition to the FACE model marks the beginning of a new era in how we engage with families and the broader community. We are excited about the opportunities this change brings to enhance collaboration, communication, and involvement in our school activities.

We invite all families to join us in this new chapter, contributing to a dynamic and supportive environment where every voice is heard, and every individual is valued.

Thank you for your continued support as we embark on this exciting journey together.

QKR!

To ensure all canteen orders & fundraising purchases are sent to the correct class, can you please ensure your child's profile on the QKR! App is up to date.

Steps are –

• Select St James School
• Select profiles
• Select Students name
• Select class

Any issues please contact Virgina or Tahnee in the office.

BYOD Survey

As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the learning experience for our students, we are considering the introduction of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program for Year 4 in the upcoming school year/s. This initiative aims to integrate technology into our classrooms, fostering digital literacy and providing students with tools to engage more deeply with their learning.

To ensure that this program aligns with the needs and expectations of our school community, we kindly ask all Kinder – Year 3 families to participate in a brief survey. Your feedback is invaluable in guiding our decision-making process.

Please complete the survey by Friday 16^th May.

We appreciate your time and input as we strive to provide the best educational experience for our students.

Swimming – Learn to Swim Program

We are thrilled to announce that Bengalla has approved our application for sponsorship of our Learn to Swim program! This generous support will enable us to offer all our children the opportunity to develop essential swimming skills in a safe and encouraging environment.

Mr Aaron Moon

Assistant Principal

Our transition from Summer to Winter uniform has come to an end of Week 2. From Week 3 all students are required to wear their Winter uniform. Please see below for details.

The Keep School Funding Fair Campaign

The Keep School Funding Fair campaign aims to explain the Australian school funding system to all Australians. 

Both state and commonwealth governments contribute funds to support school choice and to ensure that every Australian child gets a high-quality education.

In Australia, school choice ensures that parents can choose a school that best suits the needs of their child and their values as a family.

We believe the current means-tested school funding system is the fairest way to provide opportunities for all children and choice for all families. That’s why the campaign is seeking the support of the Australian community to keep school funding fair.

Please find resources below about The Keep School Funding Fair Campaign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdykBU_GMqw

https://www.keepfundingfair.org.au/#signup

https://www.csnsw.catholic.edu.au/explore-our-community/how-catholic-schools-are-funded

ARTC – Australian Rail Track Corporation Visit

All students of St James were able to participate in a visit from Natasha, Marty and Hamish from ARTC on Wednesday 30 May. Students were spoken to about rail safety. Students were informed about how they can stay safe near railways, including level crossings.

Students were able to ask questions to Natasha and Hamish that ranged from how you fix a train, to what happens when a train breaks down on the track and given explanations on how the track signals work and what we need to do to stay safe while the train is passing and the level crossings.

 PB4L Focus: Kind Words, Kind Actions

The first two weeks of Term 2 students at SJM have been working on using Kind Words, Kind Actions. We can See, Hear and Feel our Kind Words, Kind Actions.

Kindness falls under the virtue category of Humanity. Humanity describes strengths that manifest in caring relationships with others. These strengths are interpersonal and are mostly relevant in one-to-one relationships.

If Kindness is one of your top strengths –

Kind individuals believe that others are worthy of attention and affirmation for their own sake as human beings, not out of a sense of duty or principle. Kind for its own sake, rather than for any personal gain. You love knowing that your actions have positively impacted people and feel good brightening someone else’s day.

If someone is using the strength of Kindness, you will:

See: expressions/body language/actions

I see in your body language that you are using your strength of kindness when you care for your friend/family member/teacher.

Hear: volume/word choice/para-language

I hear you using your strength of kindness when you choose kind words when talking to others.

Feel: temperature/pressure/other sensations

I feel grateful when you surprise me with a random act of kindness.

Practising Kindness:

• Say kinder and softer words to people when interacting through email, writing letters, talking on the phone. Smile when answering the phone and sound happy to hear from the person on the other end of the line.
• Perform a random act of kindness each day (example: slowing to allow a car in front of you, complimenting a co-worker, buying a treat for your partner)

Continue to shine your light brightly for others to see.

Mrs Jane Jacobs

Religion

Welcome back to Term 2 and hoping everyone had a restful break.

On Tuesday 29^th April our community gathered to pay respects and give thanks at our ANZAC Day Liturgy. Stage 3 presented showing great reverence and respect for those who fought in battles of war as well as those that made the ultimate sacrifice. Many thanks to Miss Fitzsimmons for playing the cornet during this ceremony.

As all would know on the 21^{st of} April (Easter Monday) the Catholic Church’s leader Pope Francis passed away. Last Friday we held a liturgy giving thanks for his life and leadership of our church. Pope Francis was known for his kindness, humility, and dedication to helping those in need. Since his election as pope in 2013, he has emphasized the importance of peace, care for the environment, and the need for love and respect towards others, especially the poor and marginalized. Pope Francis continued to inspire people around the world with his messages of hope, unity, and understanding. His teachings reminded us all to treat one another with compassion and to care for God's creation, encouraging us to live out our faith in everyday actions. As the conclave of Cardinals embark on their journey to electing a new Pope we pray for a smooth transition and election.

This week students have been sharing their thoughts and reflections on our school Vision and Mission statements. Student voice is an integral part of revising and updating these cornerstones of our school community. The ideas put forward have been extremely valuable. Keeping this in mind the voice of our parents and families is also of upmost importance. Below is the link to answer 3 short questions to assist us in this process. Any contributions and ideas would be greatly appreciated.

https://forms.office.com/r/xr47Xng3r5?origin=lprLink

In the next couple of weeks Sacramental program will be commencing. If you have a child in year 3-6 who would like to take part please contact myself via email: lauren.osborne@mn.catholic.edu.au. We would love to see some more students taking part in the sacraments of reconciliation, eucharist and confirmation.

Mrs Lauren Gehrig
Religious Education Coordinator

Merit Awards

Class News

Kindergarten

Welcome to Term 2 of Kindergarten! We hope you had a lovely school holidays and Easter holiday with your family. The children have settled back in beautifully to the routines of school and seem to remember plenty from last Term! We have had a very busy first week back. On Tuesday, we celebrated a beautiful ANZAC liturgy run by Stage 3. On Wednesday, we were visited by Natasha, Marty and Hamish from ARTC who taught us about rail safety, how to be safe near trains and answered any questions we had about trains and railways. On Thursday, Infants took part in their Infants Athletics Carnival. We competed in 70m running races, sack races, egg and spoon races, three legged races and parachutes. We would like to say a big thankyou to the wonderful Year 6 Sports Captains who helped run the event – we couldn’t have done it without them! We sure had some tired children by the end of the day. On Friday, we celebrated End of Term Reward with Movies and M & M’s. As always, the weeks at school are always busy with lots of learning and exciting things, so it is no wonder by the end of the week the children are exhausted!

Two important things for parents to remember:

1. Library books are returned each Tuesday
2. Sport uniform each Wednesday 

Kind Regards,  
Mrs Smith (KG) & Miss Maher (KM)

Stage 1

Hello, and welcome back to all our wonderful stage 1 families! We hope you all had a safe and restful break, where you could take the time to relish in the company of friends and family. Stage 1 have moved straight into the work for term 2, eager to learn and grow from one another. Year 1 and 2 have been busy working with one another on the Mother’s Day liturgy and should be proud of their effort and commitment. We look forward to seeing you all during the liturgy on May the 9th.  

We had a great morning with running, fun and games at the infant's athletics carnival. It was great to see students cheering each other on, working together in the three-legged race and having a laugh when we fell over in the sack race. We have also been preparing for the Primary athletics carnival, practicing running, and developing the skills for long jump and shot put.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher. We look forward to an exciting term!

Kind Regards,
Mrs Mitchell (1G), Mr Sabotic (1M), Mrs Ballard/Mrs Marco (2G) & Mrs Threadgate (2M)

Stage 2

Welcome back to Term 2! We've hit the ground running with a reflective ANZAC Day liturgy and a special whole-school liturgy connected to Pope Francis' teachings. Our students thoroughly enjoyed their movie reward day, a fantastic celebration of their hard work last term.

Looking ahead, we're excited for this term's Creative Arts program; Musica Viva! Students will be exploring and listening to the stories of our neighbours and sharing their own stories through the common language of music!

The buzz is already building as we get ready for our annual Athletics Carnival. The students have been practicing their shot put and long jump skills during their PE lessons. Please note that winter uniforms will be required from next week.

Mrs Sylvester (3G), Mrs McLennan (3M), Mrs Gavin/Mrs Jacobs (4G) & Miss Cooper (4M)

Stage 3

Stage 3 have been very busy this fortnight as they have jumped headfirst into Term 2. Students started the term off by presenting a wonderful liturgy for ANZAC Day acknowledging the hardship, mateship and loss experienced by the ANZACs. Students have also been treated to an incursion by ARTC as they discussed the importance of rail safety. Next week on the 13^th of May, students in Year 5 will go on an excursion to Mount pleasant Coal Mine to explore the machinery and rehabilitation process of the mining community.

Students in Year 5 and 6 have started a new component of the Creative Arts unit – this term with a focus on music. Students will explore the musical concepts of different songs, and explore three different songs in Turkish/Kurdish, Welsh and Macedonian. This ties in well with the Musica Viva incursion later in the term, which will explore these songs in more detail.

In Science students have the chance to explore what matters...states of matter! Students will explore the similarities and differences between solids, liquids and gases, and the relationship between them both when they are heated or cooled. Students have received a project flyer earlier in Week 2 outlining an at-home project for students to complete, showing their knowledge in this area. The video will be due on the 29^th of May and can either be brought in on a USB or emailed to your child’s classroom teacher.

Mulitplication is a big focus on Stage 3, as it underpins so many other elements within maths. Students have been working hard on the times table fluency and are encouraged to continue to practice this at home also. Homework is an important element of Stage 3, and students are commended for their efforts so far this term. Each class has incentives for homework and library borrowing, so please check in with your child to ensure they are following through with this. If you would like your child to have access to some at home learning platforms, such as Maths Online or Read Theory, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher.

Mr Sweeney (5G), Miss Becus (5M), Mrs Gehrig/Mrs Somerville (6G) & Miss Dafter (6M)

Worls Of Maths

HANDS ON MATHS WORKSHOPS

As part of this Term’s work, we have invited World of Maths (a travelling, interactive Maths Workshop) to visit our school.

World of Maths offers an ideal opportunity for students to see how maths is applied to everyday life situations, explore Maths in a hands-on environment. Students are encouraged to communicate their Maths ideas and answers with other students in small teams, working together.

Students will gain insight into problem solving, working in teams, and explore various mathematic strains which are part of their curriculum this term.

It is a highly engaging session which will show that Maths is everywhere and is important and of course that Maths can be fun!

Community Notices