St James School | Newsletter

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Welcome to the last newsletter for Term 1. So much has happened in the past fortnight and it has been a privilege to be here to share these experiences with you as your Acting Principal.

We had two very special visitors come to St. James last Wednesday with Mr. John Neates (Chairperson of the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools – SACCS) and Mrs. Nichii Mardon (Director of Catholic Education in the Port Pirie Archdiocese) coming for a school visit. I had the honour of taking these visitors on a school tour whereby I was able to show and highlight a number of aspects of the school which we should all be extremely proud of, especially how we utilise our indoor and outdoor learning spaces to allow our students to thrive and flourish. John enjoyed getting into classes and speaking with different students about their learning and was impressed with the student's ability to share and talk about what they were learning.

As a staff, our Week 8 School Closure Day was spent looking at ways to make learning visible to students as part of the professional learning in the Clarity Learning Suite – a CESA wide initiative that all schools are working through. Here at St James – we are continually developing our teaching skills and pedagogy for the benefits of our students and we are working co-constructively with our students to identify learning intentions for each subject and identifying how we know we are being successful (developing success criteria). This will continue to be an ongoing focus on learning and we look forward to sharing our learning in this space across the school year.

This week we have Orienteering SA with us on Monday and Tuesday working with all students to learn map skills and following instructions to find hidden items around the school. We have been fortunate to be able to use some grant money through the Sporting Schools scheme to have Zika and Algis from Orienteering SA to come out and work with us. This has involved developing maps of the St James grounds, and then teaching us how to orientate these maps and then following instructions to find locations around the school. Our outside play spaces were a hive of activity as students raced around the school trying to be the quickest to solve different maps.

On Thursday – our students will also be involved in the First Aid in Schools program which is run by St John’s and teaches vital lifesaving skills to primary school children that will equip them with the knowledge and confidence to respond to an emergency situation. Sessions are tailored and targeted for the different age groups, and our students will be learning a mixture of skills which could include:

How to call for an ambulance
How to assess danger and personal safety
Dealing with an unconscious person
Placing someone in the recovery position
Managing injuries (bleed / fractures)
How to treat bites and stings
CPR (Year 5/6s)

The students will receive a “First Aid in Schools show bag” which will support their learning, and I invite you to discuss what your child has learnt by having them share the contents of the show bag.

End of Term 1

As we draw close to the end of term, and my stint as your Acting Principal, I just want to take a moment to thank everyone for making me feel welcome and allowing me the opportunity to lead your school community over the past fortnight. Whilst my time with you will be brief, I couldn’t have asked for a better school for my first foray into Principalship, and I will always look back fondly on this experience as I continue to grow and develop as a Catholic School leader.

As we finish off this week, it is time to turn our attention to rest, rejuvenation, and the joy of spending time with our families and loved ones. The break is a time to recharge and reflect on our achievements. I encourage each of you to take this time to relax and enjoy the activities that bring you happiness and peace.

Whether you are traveling or staying local, please prioritise your safety and the safety of those around you to ensure a safe holiday experience. Connect with loved ones, holidays offer a precious opportunity to strengthen our bonds with family and friends. Cherish these moments, share stories, and build memories that will last a lifetime.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time within the St James Community, and seeing the students thrive and flourish in their learning and having fun playing and engaging in your amazing outside play spaces. I wish everyone a safe, and happy holiday break, and continued success in the future. Best wishes for your musical production of “The Wizard of Oz” in Term 3 – I look forward to keeping in touch and hearing all about it.

Staffing Update

I am pleased to announce that Tammi Kitschke has been appointed as an Education Support Officer (ESO): Class Support. She commences on Tuesday 9th April and will work each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Tammi is familiar with the school community, as 3 of her eldest children attended St James and she now has Ava in Year 1. We look forward to welcoming Tammi as a staff member.

Next term we welcome Shona Simpson as our Arts Teacher for Terms 2 and 3 – she will be working with our students on Thursdays. In Term 2 she will focus on Visual Arts, and in Term 3 she will focus on Performing Arts supporting Judy Lewis, Choreographer and Director, of the school musical production of “The Wizard of Oz”. Please join me in congratulating Shona on her appointment, and making her feel welcome as a member of the St James School Community.

This week we farewell two members of staff -

Jed Sutter – Our Health and PE teacher is finishing up at the end of this week as he takes up a new position from next term as a Year 4/5 teacher at Booleroo Centre. We thank Jed for his work in organising our Sports Day, coordinating students for our SACPSSA and SAPSASA carnivals, and taking PE lessons.

Paul Gibson – Our Music Specialist teacher is also finishing up at the end of this week, and we have appreciated the work Paul has done this term as he has shared his knowledge and musical talents with our students throughout this term. We wish Paul all the best and thank him for his dedication and the musical expertise that he has shared with us.

CATHOLIC IDENTITY

First Communion

Children in Year 4 have received a letter from Fr Harold about First Communion and its preparation. The letter outlined the process for families wanting their children to receive their First Holy Communion. Families have been asked to attend Mass before April 28th to collect an enrolment form and then on April 28th at 9am (last Sunday in the school holidays), children will make a commitment and receive a blessing from the parish. Further dates for the preparation are outlined below:

Thursday 16th May – Student Retreat
Tuesday 21st May 6:00pm Learning Centre – Parent Workshop
Sunday June 2nd 9:00am – Celebration of the Sacrament
Friday 7th June 9:30am (School Mass) or Sunday 9th June – Blessing and Commissioning

R/1 Mass

In the church, the Easter season goes for five weeks. On Friday we will celebrate Easter with the R/1 class leading Mass at 9:30am with the parish. All parents, family and friends are welcome to join us.

Mini Vinnies

Mini Vinnies would like to hold their first fundraiser on the last day of term. They will be selling milkshakes for $2 at lunch time. The money raised will go towards homelessness in Australia. Later in the year we are planning to hold a ‘Sleep Out’ to further support the cause.

Easter Plays

Each of the classes did a wonderful job retelling the Easter story for us during Holy Week. We thank them for their preparation and the reflective and prayerful way they presented them.

SCHOOL NEWS

Working Bee

A Working Bee is scheduled for Sunday 28th April, the day before school resumes for Term 2. It will run from 10am to 12pm and it for Year 3-6 families. The list of jobs to be completed include spreading bark chips in the playgrounds and garden beds, pressure washing outdoor furniture, pruning roses and the native garden bed near the basketball court and cleaning up garden beds. It would be great if many families attend – many hands make light work.

Wood Cut Fundraiser – Saturday 13th April

The annual Wood Cut fundraiser will be held at Pete Kitschke's Farm between 8:30am and 2:30pm on Saturday 13th April. Lunch will be provided on the day. Please bring along your chainsaw, gloves, ear and eye protection (if you have it, otherwise it will be made available) and any other equipment that may be useful. This is a wonderful fundraiser for our school, and we hope to have plenty of helpers to make the day a success. Please contact Ryan Simpson on 0408 642 413 for any questions. Thank you to Ryan Simpson for organising this fundraiser. If you are able to attend, please respond via the invite on Operoo or contact the office staff.

If you would like to order wood, please contact Judy or Peta in the office.

Uniforms – Transition Period

For the last two weeks of each term and the first two weeks of next term, we have a transition period for uniforms. Therefore, after Easter students can wear summer or winter uniform depending on the weather forecast for the day. From Week 3, Term 2 all students will be asked to wear the winter uniform. Wearing the school hat is compulsory for Term 1, 3 and 4. Please make sure that your child’s hat and jumpers are named.

Please take the time to check your child’s winter uniform for sizing and place orders through the Flexi Schools App. Uniform orders are collated on Wednesday’s and sent home on Thursday’s.

Mid Year and 2024 Enrolments

In 2024 St James will be offering mid year enrolments. If your child turns 5 before 31st October 2024, they can start school at St James in Term 3 2024 and the school fees are free. Children starting in Reception mid-year will have a minimum of 6 terms in Reception. Interest and enrolments are also open for the beginning of 2025. Please contact the school and register your interest and book a discovery school tour. Children who turn 5 on or before 30th April can begin school in Term 1 of 2025.

Second Hand Uniforms Available

St James has a great range of 2nd Hand Uniform items available for families to purchase at significantly reduced prices. Please see staff at the front office for assistance with this.

SPORTS NEWS

SAPSASA Basketball

This Wednesday we have two teams travelling to Crystal Brook to participate in the Year 5/6 SAPSASA Knockout Basketball Competition against other schools in our region. We wish the following students, Indy, Sophie, Alayla, Lottie, Rosie, Harriet, Pippa, Patrick, Sid, Eddie, Bentley, James, Hugh S, Hamish, Ethan, Tom and Hugh T, all the best as they represent St James, and we hope they have a great experience.

Thank you to the families who are able to support with travel, coaching, umpiring and supervision on the day – without all your support these days are unable to go ahead.

SAPSASA Football and Netball

Last week we had a number of our students tryout for the North Eastern SAPSASA representative teams for Aussie Rules Football and Netball. As a strong sporting district with many schools these teams are competitive and difficult to be selected in, and we are incredibly proud of all of our students for being brave and going out and trying their best to be chosen.

We congratulate Ethan, Hamish and Hugh for being selected in the Aussie Rules Football team who will participate in the carnival during Week 4, of Term 2. We congratulate Indy, Alayla and Harriet for being selected in the Netball team who will participate in the carnival in Week 9, of Term 2. Both carnivals will be held in Adelaide, and we wish them all safe travels and every success.

Sports Day Results

Last Friday we held our Annual Sports Day and we were blessed with a glorious Autumn day for our sporting festivities. It was wonderful to see so many family members joining with us as a St James Community to support your children and grandchildren as they tried their best to achieve success in all the events. I was honoured to be able to share this day with the community whilst I am here as Acting Principal.

These days do not happen without much time and effort behind the scenes from many people, and I would like to thank all involved who help out in any way to ensure that the day ran smoothly. I particularly thank Bernie Kelly who repainted the oval, assisting to setup and pack up on the day, and allowed us to borrow any equipment that we needed – his support was vital for the day to be a success. I also thank Jed Sutter, and Annie O’Reilley for their work at school in the lead up to the day, and for all our staff for their commitment in supporting their students to have an exciting day.

The results of the day were as follows:

The Health Hustle trophy went to ST JOSEPH’S - GOLD

The Team Spirit Award went to ST JAMES – RED

The Sports Cup Trophy went to:

3rd Place ST JAMES – RED with 511 points

2nd Place ST JOSEPH’S - GOLD with 514 points

1st Place ST MARY’S – BLUE with 521 points

Congratulations to the St Mary’s Team, for winning back to back Sports Days after their groundbreaking win in 2023. As you can see only 10 points separated the three teams from first through to third and this order continued to change throughout the day after each event. Equally the Team Spirit Award was equally tough to judge as all three teams displayed a high level of teamwork, encouragement and sportspersonship.