Week 8, Term 2

Welcome to the Week 8 Newsletter. This Thursday we will welcome two Mid-Year Intake Reception students, Ava and Macy, for their first of three transition visits. We can’t wait to see them here. We look forward to welcoming Kindy Class 2 from JCCC, who will visit our Reception / Year 1 Class this Thursday after lunch for story time and to explore our investigation play based learning area. Our building project has been progressing well with all the steel framing now in place. During the next two weeks, we should see the wooden framing go up.

Today each family will receive a printed parent satisfaction survey, which forms part of the school’s ongoing improvement agenda.  The survey provides an opportunity to provide positive feedback or suggestions for improvement. I ask that each family completes the three minute survey. Please return the surveys by this Friday 24th June.

Below are the dates for our School Closure Days for the remainder of the year.

Friday 8th July – Term 2, Week 10 - Staff Faith Formation Day
Friday 9th September – Term 3, Week 7 - Staff First Aid Training Day
Friday 16th December – Term 4, Week 9 - Curriculum Day

St. James School is open for 2023 enrolments and beyond. Recently we have welcomed potential new families to the school for tours to showcase what the school offers. I ask that our school families spread the word that enrolment tours can be booked at anytime. A further Open Day is planned for Wednesday 24th August – Term 3 Week 5, during Catholic Schools Open Week.

An exciting employment opportunity is available. We are seeking a Finance Officer to work between two schools, St. James School and St. Joseph’s School, Peterborough for 28 hours / 4 days per week. For further details click on the link below, which contains the selection criteria and the position description document (PID) for the job vacancy. The position closes on Friday 8^th July at 4pm. Please spread the word.

https://www.cesa.catholic.edu.au/working-with-us/positions-vacant

We are very blessed to have such a dedicated collection of volunteers associated with the St James Parents and Friends. Our volunteers contribute to so much around the school including mowing the grounds, sustainability practises, running the tuckshop, organising uniforms, the creation and running of the Pop-Up Op Shop and catering for community events. The efforts of the volunteers have been outstanding, and we can't thank them enough.

Recently the P & F funded the purchase of $2500 worth of readers for the Junior Primary and Middle Primary classes and earlier in the year the purchase of more equipment for the MiniLit Literacy Intervention Program, an irrigation system for the vegetable garden and Tonka trucks for the sandpits.

P & F decided at the beginning of the year that they wanted to raise funds for a specific project that would enhance the school facilities as well as provide enjoyment for the students. It was decided that the committee would fund additional play equipment for our nature playground. The school will also be making a contribution of funds to the project.

After consultation with the students, there is a plan to install more swings, monkey bars and a slide. The addition is planned to take place at the beginning of next year.  

The school and our students are very appreciative of the generosity and dedication of the P&F.

Spirit of God, grant me:

the gift of wisdom to see the world through your eyes,

the gift of right judgement to make difficult decisions,

the gifts of knowledge and understanding

to use my mind to know you and to love you,

the gift of courage to have the bravery to live in the faith

despite the difficulties and disappointments,

the gift of reverence to be able to express my special love

and commitment to you,

and the wonder and awe that makes me pause to

marvel and revere God’s Love.

Amen.

GOSPEL VALUE- Respect

The final Gospel Value focus for the last 3 weeks of this term is RESPECT. ‘Respect’ can be a big concept for children to grasp. Having respect for someone means you think good things about who a person is or how they act. You can have respect for others, and you can have respect for yourself. Showing respect to someone means you act in a way that shows you care about their feelings and well-being. Showing respect for others includes things like not calling people mean names, treating people with courtesy and caring enough about yourself that you don't do things you know can hurt you.

Parents and role models have a lot of responsibility when it comes to respect, as most children learn respect through observation. They learn how to honour their parents by observing how their parents respect one another, and by seeing how their parents treat their grandparents. They learn how to honour teachers by the way their parents respect and talk about teachers. They learn how to honour government by observing how their parents respect the law. They learn how to honour their employers by observing how their parents respect theirs and, they learn to honour God by observing how their parents do the same. What are your children observing?

Refugee Week- (2022 Theme - Healing)

This week we celebrate National Refugee Week (19/6 – 25/6). The Refugee Week theme has a number of important purposes. It raises awareness of the issues affecting refugees, helps broaden our understanding of what it is like to be a refugee, helps to make Refugee Week a national celebration and most importantly, it promotes harmony and togetherness. The theme this year of HEALING, unites individuals, communities and organisations from many different backgrounds behind a common cause. The common theme is a reminder that, regardless of our differences, we all share a common humanity. The theme provides a common, cohesive message which can be promoted across the country, helping to maximise the effectiveness of awareness-raising activities.

CONFIRMATION

Next Friday night we have 13 students completing their Confirmation. Confirmation completes our Baptism, by which in the laying on of hands and the anointing with Chrism Oil, which first happened at Baptism, we are confirmed with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We wish all our candidates the best of luck and everyone involved in this process for the support shown to our students’ faith journey.

Please keep the following students in your prayers-

Gus Lange, Archer Home, Hazel Hyland, Alexis Farr, Will Pammenter, Ned Clark, Zoe Rattley, Tamika Leesong, Maggie Redden, Annabelle Duke, Eliza Richmond, Sienna Wells and Cooper Moss.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit strengthen you, making you a witness of Christ’s love.

May you always live your faith with joy.

CLASS MASSES

This Friday 24^th June at 9.30am, we look forward to our R/1 Class leading our Mass to celebrate the feast day of the ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus’. This feast day helps us to celebrate how much divine love Jesus’ heart has for us all and also how much hurt it has for the way people have turned away from Him. Everyone is welcome to come and share in this celebration.

                                                                                              Many Thanks, Jed Sutter   (REC)

Jamestown Community School has advised of their School Closure Day for this Friday 24^th June. Therefore, no school buses will be operating this Friday.