Newsletter 21 February 2024
Principal's Message
We are so fortunate at St James to have such a supportive community!
Last Friday we officially thanked Meagan Rogers for her work as outgoing President of our Parents and Friends group. As a collective, they have achieved so much from social events, supporting school initiatives such as ride to school day and fundraising for new playgrounds and resources. They're a very friendly bunch and love to see new faces - Come one, come all, many hands make light work!
Central to our community are our children. They have been so supportive of each other, caring for those who are tired or hurt, offering assistance to our staff, harvesting fruit to share, coming up with initiatives to support the school and the wider community (keep reading to see what two Year 6 students are organising!). Our children are simply wonderful and our staff value every one of them!
Parents are invited to visit classrooms before and after school each day to say hi to their child's teacher and share in their learning. If you need to speak directly to your child's teacher, we ask that you make a time with them for this. This is to ensure the teacher has the time to discuss your concerns and also respect the dignity of your child, avoiding the conversation being heard.
Kind Regards, Bec Kollaris
Naplan Information
Religious Education
Kind Regards, Julie Veldman
Whole School Athletics Day
Wednesday 20 March 2024
Please note change of date for our Whole School Athletics Day!
Please log into your PAM account to acknowledge the change of date.
If you are able to assist on the day please complete the below link -
Parents & Friends News
On behalf of our school community we would like to thank Meagan Rogers for her time as President of the parent and friends committee over the last few years.
Meagan has led many projects within our school that have made a significant difference for students and families and our school as a whole.
Thank you so much Meagan!
We held our AGM last week and are so happy with the amount of families who came along and joined our P&F for 2024!
This year our executive committee consists of;
President- Tarryn Priest
Vice President- Abby Scanlon
Secretary- Karen Lawlor
Treasurer Liason- Emma Spoard
And welcome to our general committee members- Alanna Scanlon, Tracey Miles, Brody Fa’oliu, Carli Galante, Kristen Hilder, Tara Fisher, Sarra Ruys, Nuay Alan
P & F is open to anyone within our community who would like to connect to other parents and/or support our school with upcoming projects. We would love to see you join us! Stay tuned for our next meeting date!
Important Information
This year St James will be using two main platforms of communication with our families - PAM and Schoolzine.
To ensure that you keep up to date with what is happening with your children and within the school please ensure that you have access to these platforms and are familiar with their uses.
If you require assistance with accessing or setting up these platforms, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.
From time to time it will also be necessary for emails and text messages to be sent.
Schoolzine App Installation Instructions:
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.
Accessing PAM Instructions:
Please use the below link to access your PAM account.
https://pam.stjamesnng.catholic.edu.au
The user name is the email you have provided to the school and if you have not logged on previously, you will be able to set a password.
If you require your password to be reset, please contact the school office.
Fun Food Friday
Year 6 JD News
From the Office
School Fees
2024 School Fees have been raised to all family accounts and statements have been emailed (please check your junk/spam folder if not received).
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.
Please ensure any outstanding fees are brought up to date or a payment arrangement is in place.
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
Parenting Matters
"My son won’t talk when he comes home from school. I ask him how his day was and he just says, “Fine.” I ask him what he did and he says “Nothing”. I ask him who he spent time with and he shrugs or mentions a friend or two. That’s it. Why won’t he talk? Is he being bullied? How can I get him to open up? He’s 9 years old."
Parents have been complaining about this problem for at least 50 years! Kids come home from school and won’t talk.
Let’s spin the question around for a moment. When you come home after a long day and someone asks you how your day was, how talkative are you? Most adults acknowledge that they’re pretty uninterested in talking when they walk in the door. They want some time to decompress, relax, gather their thoughts, and get back into the feeling of being at home.
Instead of asking kids "how was school" the minute we see them, I suggest welcoming your child home with “I’m glad to see you.” You might not ask about their day, but instead reassure them, “I hope you had a really nice day today.” You are just as likely to get conversation from that statement as the question, “How was your day?” But the conversation will be less forced. Your child will be choosing to elaborate rather than feeling he must answer a question.
Think about the times your child is most communicative. Is it while doing homework? In front of the TV? In the yard playing? In the car on the way to an activity? Bed time or dinner time?
Most parents suggest that their kids are more likely to be chatty when they’re in the car, eating a meal (no screens at the table!), or going to bed. Alternatively, some parents find that if they sit quietly in the living room, their kids will gravitate to them and want to talk because mum’s not busy.
Take advantage of these times to find out about how things are going with your child. Ask questions that encourage curiosity and conversation. When you say “how was your day?” there are usually only a few answers. It’s a relatively closed question. “Fine. Ok. Not bad.” By changing the question just a little, you can open up a conversation that is entirely different:
“Tell me about what you did today.”
“What did you do that was fun?”
Ask questions like: “What was the most unexpected thing that happened in the playground today?” Try “did anything happen today that made you laugh?” “Was anyone extra kind today?"
Think about some characteristics and virtues that you would like to encourage in your children. Ask questions about those attributes. It could be anything from honesty and loyalty through to friendship or something to do with a great work ethic and a growth mindset. Then ask some questions about how they developed those attributes during the day or how they witnessed someone else doing it.
For example:
“Who did you help today and how?”
“Tell me about something you did that was really hard and required your determination.”
“What was something you saw or experienced at school today that made you grateful?”
Instead of the usual boring questions that leave us with the usual boring answers, here are some other suggestions:
What was the best thing that happened at school today? Did anything happen today that made you laugh? Did anything happen today that left you feeling upset? Teach me one thing that you learned today.
What challenged you today – in class, in a relationship, or something personal? What was the most interesting thing your teacher said today? Who did you play with today? What did you play? What did you eat for lunch today? When did you feel most proud of yourself today?
These questions ensure that we stay connected to our kids. They help us to know what’s going on in their lives, identify anything amiss, and instil in them the values we wish to encourage.
Remember, though, that sometimes children don’t feel like talking. And that’s ok. Be near them, let them know they’re safe and loved, and that they can talk with you later if they feel like it. No pressure. Finally, there is one question that matters most. This is the question I like to ask my children as they settle into bed. It’s a question that helps us know that everything is ok in their lives.
“What are you looking forward to tomorrow?”
If they're not looking forward to anything, we can discuss why and uncover difficulties and challenges we may not have realised existed. We can listen, understand, and help.
Hopefully they are looking forward to something though. When our children have something they’re looking forward to, they’re less at risk of depression and anxiety. It shows that they have good things in their lives. And it gives us reassurance that things are going ok after all. Even if the kids don’t feel like talking sometimes.
More of Justin's parenting articles are available at Happy Families
Community News
