26 September 2025

Our Mission @ SJM

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

Quote

"Never see a need without doing something about it."
— St Mary of the Cross MacKillop

Principal’s Message

As we wrap up Term 3, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our students, staff, and families for making it such a vibrant and successful term. It’s been a busy few months filled with learning, growth, and memorable experiences. Some of the highlights include:

• Launching Top Blokes for the first time in the Upper Hunter
• Leadership visits to Vinnies
• CPR training for all Stage 3 students
• The Mini Vinnies Sleep Out and PJ Day
• Our fun-filled Wacky Wednesdays
• Beautiful liturgies and celebrations like Father’s Day
• Excursions that enriched our learning
• Expanding links with the local council
• Continuation of Taekwondo
• And of course, the everyday teaching and learning that happens in every classroom

These moments reflect the strength and spirit of our school community.

Community Code of Conduct

A strong and respectful school community is built on clear communication, mutual respect, and shared values. We remind all families of our Community Code of Conduct. If you have concerns or questions about school matters, please direct them to the school staff.

Approaching students or other parents directly can lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary tension. Our staff are here to listen, support, and respond appropriately and we are best placed to address any issues constructively.

We also ask that all interactions with school staff, whether in person, over the phone, or via email, remain positive, respectful, and solution-focused. Our team works hard every day to support your children and create a safe, inclusive learning environment. Kindness and professionalism go a long way in building a strong partnership between home and school.

Let’s continue to work together in a spirit of respect, trust, and collaboration.

A School of Choice

We are proud to be a school of choice in the Upper Hunter. Our commitment to nurturing every child academically, socially, and spiritually continues to guide everything we do. Thank you for choosing to be part of our community.

New Mission and Vision

We are excited to share that our new Mission and Vision is nearly ready to be unveiled. These statements will reflect our values and aspirations as a school and will guide us into the future. We look forward to sharing them with you next term.

Wishing everyone a safe and restful break. We look forward to seeing you all refreshed and ready for Term 4!

Warm regards,

Mr Aaron Moon
Principal

Religion

We’re excited to kick off Term 4 with Mission Day on Friday 17th October! This special day will be filled with fun activities that bring our school community together in support of Catholic Mission. Students will enjoy games, stalls, creative challenges, and opportunities to reflect on our mission to serve others. Families are warmly invited to join us in celebrating the spirit of giving and community, don’t forget plenty of gold coins! Our afternoon of fun will begin at 12noon and conclude at 2.00pm.

Also, many thanks to those students and families who were able to join us for our Children’s Parish Mass on Saturday 20^th September. It was a lovely celebration with our parish and school communities together.

Stage 2 students led a beautiful and reverent liturgy in honour of St Catherine McAuley, marking the first time our school has formally celebrated one of the saints of our charism. With thoughtful readings, reflective prayers, the students helped our community connect deeply with the life and legacy of St Catherine, whose compassion and commitment to serving others continue to inspire us today. This special celebration was a meaningful step in nurturing our Mercy tradition and deepening our understanding of the values that shape our school identity.

As we wrap up the term, we hope you all enjoy a safe, fun, and relaxing holiday. Take time to rest, spend time with family and friends, and come back refreshed and ready for another great term ahead!

Mrs Lauren Gehrig
Religious Education Coordinator

Merit Awards

Class News

ES1

Wow – what a term! Can you believe there’s only one more term before our Kindergarten students become Year 1s?

It has been incredibly rewarding to watch our young learners grow. Many are now reading fluently, confidently recalling the sounds and tricky words we’ve learned, and reading and writing two-digit numbers. Their enthusiasm and progress have been a joy to witness.

Throughout the term, it’s been lovely to see the children using the gifts of the Holy Spirit—courage, reverence, wisdom, awe, judgement, understanding, and knowledge—in their play and daily interactions. We’re learning to recognise these gifts in ourselves and in others.

Last week’s excursion to Hunter Valley Wildlife Park was another highlight. The children’s behaviour was exceptional, and their excitement was truly palpable. What a beautiful way to end the term!

Mrs Smith (KG) & Miss Maher (KM)

Stage 1

Term 3 has been a huge term! We are all very excited for a well-earned break before our little legends embark on their last Term in Year 1 and in Year 2.

As we wrap up an incredible Term 3, we want to reflect on the hard work, growth and exciting achievements of our Stage One students. From mastering new maths concepts, reading exciting new stories and building the confidence to speak in front of their peers, every student has made remarkable progress towards their own individual learning goals. We are so proud of how much they have accomplished.

We hope all our Stage One students enjoy a well-deserved break filled with fun, rest and quality time with family. We look forward to seeing them back refreshed and ready to continue their learning journey in Term 4.

Thanking you for your continued support.

Kind Regards,

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

Stage 2

Term 3 has been a busy and rewarding time for our Stage 2 students.

They showed great spirit and respect during the Catherine McAuley Feast Day Liturgy, and their participation was truly commendable.

Our Rewards Day Task Master Challenge brought plenty of laughter and excitement, with students enthusiastically embracing each challenge.

Looking ahead next term, we’re excited for our Stage 2 excursion and our Drama Night in week 6.

Wishing all our families a safe, restful break. We can’t wait to see everyone back, ready to make the most of our final term of 2025!

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

Stage 3

Last fortnight for Term 3. We're looking forward to the school holidays!

Stage 3 have been learning about Simple Machines in Science and were able to design and build their own Rube Goldberg Machines. They had to think about what simple machines they could incorporate into their Rube Goldberg and how they could make it do a simple task, such as ringing a bell. They had a very busy, but great time creating these.

Students are well underway with their practice for our 2025 Drama Night. It will take place in our St James Hall at 12:00pm and 6:00pm. Please only attend one scheduled performance, however students must perform in both. Students should start looking for/creating their costumes. Please contact your student’s classroom teacher if you have any questions.

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

What’s on in the Library

SAVE THE DATE:

Scholastic Book Fair will take place from 21^st - 29th October. More details early next term.

Lisa Wilson 
Teacher Librarian

Nadene Douglas
Library Assistant

Community Notices