Week 5, Term 2

Welcome to the Week 5 Newsletter! It's truly astonishing how quickly we've reached the midway point of the term. Once again, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all those who contributed to the overwhelming success of our grand opening last week. Your support has been invaluable.

National Reconciliation Week takes place this week from 27 May to 3 June. It is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The dates commemorate two significant milestones towards reconciliation; the successful referendum for aboriginal peoples to vote in 1967 and the High Court Mabo decision about Native Title. The Year 1/2 Class have created artworks to celebrate the week.

Regrettably, the Year 3/4 Camp, originally planned for last Thursday and Friday, had to be postponed due to two reasons. Firstly, the camp school providers fell ill with COVID, and secondly, the weather conditions were unsuitable for the planned outdoor activities. We have rescheduled the camp to take place on Thursday, June 22nd, and Friday, June 23rd.

On Sunday, we celebrated Pentecost. On this day, we celebrated the gift of the Holy Spirit. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his followers to wait in peace for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would bring them understanding, unity, love and wisdom.

The Year 1 & 2 Class led us in a special Pentecost Mass on Friday morning to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Catholic Education Week

In Week 3 of this term, we had Catholic Education Week. During this week we celebrated all the wonderful things about our school, and across all our Catholic Schools in South Australia.

Students also participated in a Simultaneous Prayer Time within the Port Pirie Diocese. The students wore blue for a gold coin donation and raised $94 for the Vinnies Winter Appeal. Students participated in a joint initiative across the Port Pirie Diocese by switching off the power for a large portion of a school day to show our commitment to care for the environment. Students also planted a new tree in the nature play area as a sign of commitment to caring for God’s creation and nurturing it.

Altar Serving

On Wednesday in Week 4, students in Year 3 who were interested in learning more about Altar Serving in Mass completed a training session with Fr Harold. Students were given this opportunity earlier this year due to the change of celebrating First Holy Communion every second year within our school and parish. Thank you to Fr Harold who continues to encourage and welcome our young people into the church and we wish these children well as they learn to altar serve and assist during masses.

Parents & Friends Meeting - Tuesday 30th May - 6:30pm

Please feel very welcome to join us for the Parent and Friends Meeting tomorrow evening. If you have new ideas for our school or would like something changed this is a great place to voice your ideas. Our parent community is a big part of what makes our school great. Meetings are now only once a term. We would love new faces and ideas on how to build an even better community and to support our families. See you there.

Science Competition 

We have decided to hold a science competition at school during Tuesday & Wednesday lunch times for the next 4 weeks to celebrate Science Week in August.

Police Visit - Cyber Safety and Police Work

Next Monday 5th June, Constable Ashlee Bowman will visit our school next week. Ashlee will meet the Reception to Year 2 students to talk about the work of a police officer. Year 3-6 students will listen to a presentation about cyber safety, including the safe use of the internet and social media platforms.

School Closure Day

Our next School Closure Day is on the last day of Term 2, Friday 7^th July. Our staff will be taking part in training. Please mark this in your diaries.

In 2023 St James will be offering mid year enrolments. If your child turns 5 before 31st October 2023, they can start school at St James in Term 3, 2023 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 2024. 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 2024.

Throughout 2023, we continue to work closely with The Resilience Project to support the wellbeing of our school community. The Resilience Project delivers emotionally engaging programs and provides evidence-based, practical strategies to build resilience. Our Partnership Program consists of online presentations and weekly lessons for students, professional development for staff, and Parent & Carer Hub (inc. digital presentations) for our parent and carer community. 

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing the Parent & Carer Hub with you. The videos are 5-10 minutes long and will walk through the key pillars of resilience: Gratitude, Empathy & Mindfulness. You’ll hear stories and be introduced to activities to show how these strategies can support our kids' learning and development, and also support you as parents and carers. 

This program is an important part of our school’s effort to look after the mental health of our community.

View the first presentation of the series here: Part 1: Meet Martin and learn about The Resilience Project.