Newsletter 18 October 2023
Principal's Message
Prayer of St Francis – Feast Day October 4
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
Our world is experiencing much turmoil, anguish and conflict. We are in unprecedented times where the access and exposure to images and footage of human despair and suffering are having significant impacts on anxiety and mental health, not just in adults but also our children. If we struggle to cope with what is happening in our world, how do children process this information? Adding to the ensuing is a host of false and misleading information, including historical videos and photographs as well as fabricated assertions, which together add even greater confusion to which our children may innocently be exposed to.
The Office of eSafety recommends Schools avoid raising the issue with students explicitly, unless it becomes apparent that students are already aware of or have been exposed to the content. If you or child is struggling to navigate this landscape, please do not hesitate to reach out or access support from the Office of eSafety resources regarding Distressing Content.
Yesterday, our Year One and Two students ventured out to the Camino Garden for some outdoor learning fun, using the small pebbles as counters for their maths activity. It is great to see our children learning in different areas of the school and making the connections that learning is not just for the classroom.
Kind Regards, Bec Kollaris
Religious Education News
All Saints Day
The Feast of All Saints, or All Saints' Day, commemorates all those who have died and are now in Heaven. November 1, The Solemnity of All Saints, is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic Church.
All Hollows' Eve
The day before All Saints' Day is Halloween. Is there a connection between these two celebrations? Actually, there is but the religious origings of Halloween have largely been forgotten. Halloween is derived from Hallows' Eve or Hallowmas, which means The Eve of All Saints. Vigils begin the night before Sundays and major feasts. The modern term of Halloween was derived from a way of saying All Saints Eve - just as we say Christmas Eve. In the later half of the nineteenth century, Halloween became known as a more secular holiday and began to develop into what it is today.
We Are All Called To Holiness
- The lives of the saints are nothing but the gospel put into practice - Saint Francis de Sales
November 1 is an excellent time for us all to remember the universal call to holiness. We are all made to become saints! The Saints were human too, ordinary men and women who loved God more than they loved themselves. Throughout their daily lives they placed themselves at the service of God and others. They passed through many trials, remained faithful, and as a result they now see God face-to-face.
The Coronation of the Virgin Mary and the Glory of all the Saints, (w/c on paper), Wang, Elizabeth (Contemporary Artist)/Bridgeman Images
Emergency Management
With the predication of a long hot summer, it is important that we inform our community of our Emergency Management Procedures should we need to enact our Emergency Management Plan at any time.
Our onsite evacuation point is the Red Roof on the south side of the school. Our offiste evacuation point is the Nar Nar Goon Hotel. As a part of our Management Procedures we will be conducting drills to ensure that all students have an understanding of the Plan. Further details on our Emergency Mangement will be shared with our community in the coming weeks.
Car Park Safety and Management
To ensure the safety of all students and families, at the beginning and end of each day we will be implementing the following over the coming days:
- Bollards will be put up to close off access to the staff carpark between 8.30am - 9.00am and 3.15pm - 3.45pm
We ask that parents follow the path when walking with their children and to encourage students to walk whilst moving around the car park.
Fun Food Friday
Term 4 Reminders
SCHOOL HATS
Please ensure your child has a school hat. It is a requirement in Term 1 and 4 of the school year that students are being sun smart. If your child does not have a hat, they will be directed by staff to play in undercover areas when outside.
PE
This term PE has changed from Wednesday to Thursday. Please ensure you child comes to school each Thursday in their sport uniform.
Parents & Friends News
Volunteers required!
Call out for volunteers!
We haven't had a big response to volunteer in timeslots to assist with our Family Fun Night. This event cannot proceed without the help of volunteers. We are asking each family to donate just 1 hour of their time (or more, if possible!)
Remember - MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK!!
We appreciate our families giving a little bit of their time so that we can ensure the day/evening runs as smoothly as possible.
Please click on the link below to select your preferences of time slots.
Family Fun Night
The St James Family Fun Night will be held on Friday 27 October. This is the major fundraiser for the year, being organised by the hardworking Parents and Friends committee. We are asking all of our families for their support to make this a successful event!
Schoolastic Book Club
Issue 7 close off date - Monday 23 October
There are some fantastic Christmas gift options throughout this issue, and in anticipation of lots of gift orders, the Gift Function on LOOP has been activated. If you would like to order as Christmas gifts, please select GIFT when ordering and we will call you to arrange pick up "secretly".
From the Office
School Fees
Final Fee Statements for 2023 have been issued to all families this week. Thankyou to those who have made payment towards their school fees.
As we are approaching the end of the school year, please ensure finalising your fee account is a matter of priority. Any unpaid fees will be carried over and added to your 2024 fee account.
Payment of fees can be made directly into the school account, via EFTPOS in the office, or via Direct Debit. Direct Debit arrangements can be set up at any time and include options for fortnightly, monthly or per term payments. Please contact the office to obtain a Direct Debit form.
If you are experiencing financial hardship please contact rkollaris@stjamesnng.catholic.edu.au to have a confidential discussion.
If you hold a Pension or Health Care card, please contact the office to obtain the relevant paperwork to be completed and returned. Eligibility will then be assessed and an application for assistance to reduce your school fees will be applied for.
Updating Details
Please ensure your contact details are current and up to date. This includes contact numbers, email address, home/postal addresses and emergency contact details. If you need to update your information, please email office@stjamesnng.catholic.edu.au
Schoolzine App
This is an app that you have on your phone and allows for easy reading of the newsletter, as it customises to the screen and translates into many languages if required.
Please click the link below for the instructions on installing the app on your phone.
https://www.schoolzine.com/
As part of the installation, you will be required to enter the following 4 digit passcode -
3675
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions or queries.
DS Sports
DS Sports has a new contact phone number! Please call 0466 733 407 if you need to contact the service.