Week 1 Term 1, 2025

“We must teach more by example than by word” – Mary MacKillop

Dear St. James Families,

Happy New Year and welcome back! We hope you all had a restful and joyful holiday season. We are excited to begin another year of growth, learning, and community at St. James.

As we step into this new year, we are filled with gratitude for the opportunity to continue nurturing the faith, hearts, and minds of our wonderful students.

Together, with the support of our dedicated staff, families, and parish community, we are ready to embark on another year of exciting learning adventures, spiritual growth, and shared joy.

We look forward to working closely with you as partners in your child’s education. Let’s make 2025 a year filled with faith, friendship, and endless possibilities.

Martin Hayes

Preparations are underway for our annual Pop-Up Op Shop! It will be held on the weekend on March 21^st. We will have sorting sessions every Wednesday from 9–11am and evenings from 6:30pm. If these times don’t suit you, feel free to come by at another time, pick up the key from the front office, and spend some time sorting. There’s no wrong way to do it—just group similar items together.

We are now happily accepting donations at any time. Please leave them on the front veranda of the hall. A big thank you to Jemma and Debbie for making a fantastic start in sorting the already donated items!

The Parent and Friends AGM will be held on Tuesday, February 11^th at 6:30pm in the Learning Centre.  Everyone is welcome.

A big part of what makes St. James such a special place is the community of families coming together to support one another. Let’s keep that spirit alive! Please join us at a meeting or volunteer your time to help contribute to our wonderful little school.

This term, Ms Annie O’Reilley and Mrs Ally Kelly will be sharing the Sports Coordinator role at St James School. Please don’t hesitate to see either of us if you have any questions in relation to SAPSASA, SACPSSA or Sports Day events.

SPORTS DAY

This year Sports Day will be held on the morning of Friday 7^th of March.  This is the Friday before the long weekend.

On Sports Day students will wear their school sports uniform shorts and will require their school hat. Students will wear a POLO SHIRT in their team colour. A polo shirt style is required (not a round neck T shirt) as this offers more sun protection (longer sleeves and collar) and follows the style of our school polo shirt.

Although sports day is a few weeks away still, this is worth mentioning now as many stores currently have back to school specials and sales and it is an ideal opportunity to purchase a polo shirt at a very reasonable cost.

There are varying shades of Red, Gold and Blue so following is an indication of the colours required. If you purchased a polo shirt last year and it is a different shade please do not go and buy a new one for this year unless your child specifically requires a new one.

In particular, we have found blue to have varying shades, if you are unable to get the shade indicated, please let the front office know. We do keep a few shirts here at school that may be borrowed for the day. Thank you.

SAPSASA

How to register your child:

Please use the QR code or link to register your child to trial to represent North Eastern District in State Carnivals/Championships in 2025.  They will not be able to trial without this completed. Students MUST play team sports for a local club to be considered within the last year or be in the process of registering, except swimming, athletics, cross country, boys netball, hockey, golf, softball.

Adelaide Carnival dates

Term 1

Swimming – MON 7/4/25 at Marion Aquatic Centre

Term 2

AFL boys – MON-WED 26^th May-28^th May at Barratt Reserve, West Beach

Cross Country – THURS 5^th June at Oakbank Racecourse

Netball (girls & boys) – MON-WED 23^rd  June – 25^th June at Netball SA

Term 3

Soccer – MON-WED 11^th August-13^th August at Services FM Stadium, Mile End

Hockey – MON-WED 8^th Sept – 10^th Sept at Adelaide University Playing fields, West Beach

Golf – THURS 11^th and FRI 12^th of Sept at West Beach Parks Golf

Track and Field – MON 22^nd Sept at Athletics SA Stadium

Term 4

AFL girls – MON-WED 27^th Oct-29^th Oct at Barratt Reserve, West Beach

Tennis – MON-WED 10^th Nov to 12^th Nov at venue TBC

Cricket – MON-WED 24^th Nov- 26^th Nov at multiple venues in ADL.

Important Dates

Please see important 2025 dates below for the North Eastern SAPSASA District.

Trial dates

Term 1

• Softball trials – WED 5/2 4:00pm-5:30pm at CBPS, others TBC

• Swimming trial – WED 26/2, 10:00am-11:30am at Crystal Brook Swimming Pool.

• Cricket trials – WED 5/3 10:00am-2:00pm at Jamestown Big Shed.

• Tennis trials - WED 5/3 10:00am-2:00pm at Jamestown Tennis Courts.

• Netball trials (girls & boys) – TUES 25/3 10:00am-2:00pm at Jamestown Big Shed, then selected squad TUES 6/5 4:00pm-5:00pm venue TBA.

• Netball trials (boys) – combined with other Districts - TBA

• AFL trials (boys) - TUES 25/3 10:00am-2:00pm at Jamestown Football Oval, then selected squad TUES 1/4 4:00pm-5:00pm venue TBA.

School Cards applications are open for 2025!

Last week staff met with Lisa Burman – a Literacy Consultant who will be working with our school over the next two years to build an authentic Writing program for our school.  Last year we had Lisa’s colleague visit our school and run an ‘in-action day’ where she worked in a Junior Primary class and an Upper Primary class to model the structure of a Writers Workshop Session.  All staff – and students – found the day beneficial and engaging and it gave Lisa and her team an opportunity to understand our school setting and our students needs.  Lisa is passionate about working with students to build a love of reading and writing and to work with staff to learn how to conference, engage and challenge each student individually.  Lisa’s approach will provide clear structure and guidance during our Literacy blocks and aim to ensure Literacy growth in every student in every class. The Literacy block incorporates explicit teaching of sounds, grammar and punctuation which will still follow our Little Learners Love Literacy (Year R-2) and PLD (Year 3-6) Spelling Programs. We look forward to working with Lisa and her team this year.

An essential part of being a Catholic school and our school organisation and development is providing opportunities for staff to meet. Our meeting times are as follows, at times this may change to access guest speakers and other opportunities

· Wednesday 8.15am Staff meet for Prayer

· Wednesday 3.45-5pm Teaching staff will be involved in staff meetings

8.55am                          Morning Assembly

9.00 – 11.00am             Lessons

11.00 – 11.20am            Recess

11.20am – 1.00pm        Lessons

1.00 – 1.10pm               Supervised Eating

1.10 – 1.40pm                Lunch Play

1.40 – 1.45pm                End of Lunch – Pack Up / Line Up

1.45-3.15pm                   Lessons

3.15pm                           Dismissal

As well as recess and lunch times, teachers are on duty at the beginning and the end of the day. Yard duty in the morning begins at 8.30am. We ask that students are not at school before this time. Sometimes there is an emergency or extraordinary circumstances and it is necessary to drop your child/children at school earlier, or you may be running late to pick them up. Please notify the class teacher via Seesaw or the school office if this need arises and children can be well supervised in these circumstances.

On days temperature over 35° C students will usually remain under verandas and inside at recess or lunch time. Alternative sport lessons will be put in place (inside). We encourage application of 50+SPF sunscreen, drinking water and compulsory wearing of hats. All inside learning areas are air-conditioned. Parents do have the choice of collecting their children on days of extreme heat or other extreme weather (wind, rain, thunderstorms).

We share and celebrate the students’ learning in many different ways. Class Assemblies are one of the platforms for sharing. This year each class will have one assembly per semester. The students share their learning and experiences through reading, dancing, singing, presenting plays, photostories and showing examples. We always begin with Acknowledgment of Country prayer, and include student awards and sing our National Anthem. Assemblies will usually be held 2.40pm on a Friday afternoon in the Learning Centre and will be advertised in our Newsletters. Family and friends are invited, and welcome to attend.

The Newsletter is published on our website on Mondays, with a link in an email being sent out to the school community to notify you (there may be a few exceptions due to public holidays or pupil free days)

Parents are asked to notify the school when their child/children are absent from school. For Pastoral Care and legal reasons, we require an explanation for all student absence. When children are absent from school, the school should be notified by 9.15am via phone call (08 8637 9100)

In the case of planned absence, a message via Seesaw, personal notification to the teacher or front office or phone call, prior to the absence is required. Absence of more than 5 school days must be discussed by the parent with the Principal.

In the case of unplanned absence, on the day, a phone call or written note sent with a sibling prior to 9.15am is required.

In the event that a student’s absence has not been notified, an SMS message will be sent to parents asking for an explanation. We appreciate parent’s prompt reply.

We have several students who have allergies; for your awareness this includes nuts, eggs. You would notice that we ask that when cooking cakes for Tuck there are no nuts or nut products, we also ask that students do not bring anything to school for recess, lunch or shared meals that contain nuts or nut products. Thank you for your understanding and help with this.

A reminder that school fees have not changed for 2025.

Statements will be sent out in Week 3.

St James is a school community that prides itself on providing a safe learning environment and work place for all. All Visitors and Volunteers to the school site must sign in at the Front Office. We endorse personal responsibility and people keeping safe and taking care that all of their behaviour and practices are safe. If at any time you have concerns relating to this area (e.g. reporting accidents: trips, falls, near misses, dangerous or unsafe situations), please notify our WH & S Officer: Helen Latham or the Principal.

Dismissal time at the end of the day is very busy, between 3.15pm and 3.40pm. Class teachers need to dismiss students promptly on the bell; Yard Duty teachers need to get to their areas very quickly and the students need to meet their parents and catch buses.

Teachers are on yard duty are in two places at the end of the school day: King Edward Terrace and the Bus Zone. These are the two exit points from our school yard for students at the end of the day, unless students are directly supervised by a parent or carer.

BUS ZONE

Bus students are to line up at the fence and wait for the yard duty teacher to indicate when to board their bus.

To reduce congestion in the bus zone, parents or carers picking up students at the end of the school day are asked to use King Edward Terrace.

The Bus Zone Exit is to be used by students: catching the bus; walking or riding home requiring leaving in that direction.

The car parks opposite the Church are only to be used at the end of the day if you will not be picking up and leaving during the time that buses are picking up and leaving as well – between 3.20pm and 3.30pm.

At all times there is ‘No Entry’ driving from King Edward Terrace onto the road that runs in front of the Church (the Bus Zone road).

KING EDWARD TERRACE ZONE

King Edward Terrace Exit is to be used by students: walking or riding home requiring leaving in that direction; being picked up by parents or carer; waiting to be taken to the Children’s Centre for OSHC. Students who need to cross King Edward Terrace are required to wait and be directed across by the yard duty teacher and the crossing monitors, using our school crossing. The yard duty teacher will walk students to OSHC once all students have been collected at the King Edward exit.

U TURNS IN SCHOOL ZONE

Please do not do U Turns within the school zones (King Edward Terrace).

PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO ANYONE WHO PICKS UP YOUR CHILD/CHILDREN –

GRANDPARENTS, FAMILY, FRIENDS, CARERS.

As many of you may be aware, Jamestown is hosting a “Paint the Town Red – Cystic Fibrosis” Fundraiser on Friday evening, 14^th February. To join in the festivities, we have decided to paint Saint James Red that day too and will be having a “Red Casual Day” for a Gold Coin Donation. The money collected will go towards this worthy cause which is close to many families hearts here at St James.

DEEPEST SYMPATHY

Our deepest sympathy is extended to Rebecca and Millie Home and Ben, Sophie, Finn, Hugo and Alfie Home and their family on the passing of Peter, Rebecca and Ben’s Pa. Our prayers and thoughts are with them. The Mini Vinnies always loved chatting about footy and having a laugh with Peter.  He was always welcoming and inclusive in our visits to the Symonds Wing.

We would like to congratulate two of our teachers, Zac and Georgia who were married during the holidays and are now Mr and Mrs Taylor.

The JPNC and NANA are starting to plan the 2025 season. We ask that all potential 2025 senior and junior players complete the attached survey by 31st of January. This is not 2025 player registrations rather your intentions to help NANA and JPNC plan. Please forward to any new community members. Keep an eye on social media and your emails for information about pre-season, coaches application and player registration in the coming weeks. 

Any questions please contact us on jpnetball@gmail.com. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hY8sXMEsmsFgsztcsSwaD3eTFt4J_IVlcd2huvSpXqw/edit