Dear Parents and Carers,

As the new term begins, I want to extend a warm welcome back to school. I hope you all enjoyed a restful break, spending time with loved ones. Term 2 is brimming with opportunities to learn, grow, and connect as a community, and we are excited to embark on this journey together.

Reflecting on the Easter season, we are reminded of the values of renewal, hope, and compassion. Easter not only celebrates the resurrection but also offers us a moment to contemplate the beauty of new beginnings. It is a time to reflect on love and selflessness, qualities that inspire us to support one another and shine light on the world around us.

As we step into this new term, let us carry forward the spirit of Easter. May we embrace kindness in our interactions, patience in our challenges, and gratitude for the opportunities to grow and learn. Together, we can nurture a community that uplifts and inspires one another.

On Easter Monday we heard of the passing of Pope Francis. As a Catholic community, together we reflect on the life and legacy of Pope Francis, whose life was dedicated to serving all people, especially the poor. Pope Francis’ message to care for our common home, to continue to show dignity to all people and to spread the message of peace throughout the whole world. This morning, we awoke to the news that there is a new Pope, Pope Leo XIV. He is a Chicago-born cleric with extensive missionary experience in Peru. We pray for the new Pope and as he begins his leadership of the world-wide Catholic Church.

During the holidays we commemorated Anzac Day on Friday 25th April. This year marked the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, as well as commemorating all Australians who have served in times of peace and war. Thank you to the students and staff who represented our school so reverently as the Adamstown RSL Sub-branch. As a school community the staff and students also gathered last week, to reflect on the sacrifices made by our servicemen and servicewomen so that we can enjoy our freedom today.  Thank you to Year 5 for coordinating this event. We would also like to acknowledge Eli M who passed on a donation of books by the Newcastle Hunter British Veterans. Eli laid these as tribute on behalf of the veterans at the Civic Park Service. 

Yesterday we celebrated Mother’s Day as a school community. Our liturgy provided an opportunity for reflection and gratitude, as we celebrated the cherished role of mothers, grandmothers, aunts and significant females within our community. Following the liturgy, all visitors enjoyed a delightful morning tea. A big thank you to Year 1 teachers and students for the organisation of the Liturgy and to all the staff for their assistance in making the morning such a memorable occasion. Much appreciation to our volunteers who coordinated the Mother’s Day Stall. The children loved purchasing items to give on Mother’s Day.  

Due to the unfavourable weather forecast we have had to postpone the Athletics carnival to 12^th June. Please note this change in your calendar. A reminder that it is a normal school day where all children are expected to attend. We look forward to this day together as a community and to a fulfilling and inspiring Term 2.

Kind regards,

Mrs Sonya Boslem
Principal

Fourth Sunday of Easter

This week’s Gospel is from John 6: 41-51

^‘Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”’

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)

We are all invited daily to the Eucharistic table, to eat the bread of eternal life. Do I approach that table with apathy or with a quickening heart? When were my eyes last opened and when did I last recognise Christ in the breaking of the bread?

Mother’s Day

It was wonderful to see so many “mums” at our liturgy this morning. Year 1 did a great job in preparing and leading our liturgy. We hope that you all have a happy Mother’s Day on Sunday. Below is  a Mother’s Day Blessing for you.

Term 2 Liturgies and Celebrations:

Congratulations Isabel 

At the end of last term, our super talented Izzy swam at PSSA swimming. She managed to come away with third in the junior girls 200IM and third in the junior girls 50 fly!!  

As she has come in the top 3 she now progresses to the National Australian All School Swimming Championships in October! She will be swimming for Team NSW, in Ballarat.  

It was a massive program and she gave her everything! She made it into the finals for all the strokes except for the 50 back.  

Go Izzy, your family and school community are so proud of you!! 

Polding Winter Sports Trials 

Last week, Anna D, Ace H and Maisie E represented St James at the Polding Winter Sports Trials in Bathurst. Congratulations to these students for making it to this high level in their respective sport.  

Maisie E was selected into the Polding Netball Team and will travel to Coffs Harbour later this year for the NSWPSSA Netball Championships.  

Touch Football Trials 

After heavy rain around the region, the Regional Touch Trials were held in Wallsend last this week. Congratulations to Lachlan T, Jaxson K, Blainey O, Harper H and Hazel S for representing St James at the touch trials. 

Harper was selected into the regional girls touch team and will trial at the dio trials in Week 4 in Newcastle. Best of luck Harper! 

Seasons for Growth - Learning to live with change and loss.

Everyone is affected by change and loss at some time in our lives. At St James we recognise that when changes occur such as separation, divorce, death, school transitions and natural disasters children may benefit from learning the skills to manage these changes effectively. We have various staff members trained to facilitate the Seasons for Growth program and are pleased to be able to offer this to students.

This program is facilitated in small groups of up to 7 participants and is based on research which highlights the importance of social support and the need to practise new skills to cope effectively with change and loss. Seasons for Growth focuses on building skills such as how to manage feelings, problem-solving, decision-making, effective communication and develops peer support networks. Participation in the program can promote improved self-esteem and self-confidence as well as giving children the opportunity to find their own voice amid change.

If you think your child would benefit from joining Seasons for Growth, we encourage you to talk to them about it.  We are confident that it will be a valuable learning experience for those involved.

If you require further information visit Children and Young People's Program | MacKillop Seasons or if you would like your child to be considered for a group, please email amy.gibson@mn.catholic.edu.au

This week Yr 2 and Yr3 students have been exploring numbers using our multisensory blocks. These blocks help students develop automatic recall of number relations by seeing, feeling and working with numbers. The blocks are a component of a new programme the school has purchased, called Maths U See. Starting with place value and the vocabulary of maths, which underpins maths understanding. 

Mrs Cate Larke & Mrs Amy Gibson

Learning Support Teachers

Canteen

Thank you and kind regards
Rachael Lakin 

St James’ Primary School is committed to providing a positive, safe environment for all staff and students. There are occasions, however, when members of our school and wider community are concerned about something happening at the school that may appear to be unsatisfactory or unreasonable.

In the first instance, please contact the school to discuss any types of grievance resolution as the first point of contact to help with these matters.

Additionally, the Catholic Schools Office has formal written protocols in place to address complaints and grievances. These protocols are in line with the Diocesan Complaints Resolution Policy, developed to provide a consistent approach for all diocesan schools. The complaints policy aims to address the concerns of parents and carers and the wider community. These concerns may include children’s learning, behaviour and welfare, school organisation and management, student health and safety issues.

To lodge a complaint with the Catholic Schools Office please click here.

You can access the Catholic Schools Office Complaints and Resolutions Policy and resources here.

These links and resources are also available on our website under the Parent Information/Complaints Resolution tab.

We ask that parents and carers follow these guidelines and take the appropriate steps in resolving any issues.  All members of the St James’ community are asked to remember that using other channels such as social media to voice complaints and grievances is not the appropriate method when issues arise.

Please see attached uniform requirements. It has come to my attention that some students are not wearing correct black leather school shoes and other non-uniform items on Full School Uniform days. Please ensure that your child is wearing correct items of uniform each day.