Newsletter 21 May 2025
Principal's Message
Dear Families,
Yesterday, as a Diocese reaching from Cranbourne in the West to Orbost in the East, we formally launched Catholic Education Week, led by Bishop Greg at Mass at St Francis Xavier College in Beaconsfield. Mrs Bertoncello, Mr McMenamin and our school leaders attended Mass and had a wonderful day celebrating as Pilgrims of Hope. We gathered as 39 Primary Schools and 5 Secondary schools, with every school represented. In Bishop Greg's Homily, he spoke about Pope Leo being a much needed voice of peace and reconciliation in our world. Returning from the Vatican City as the world welcomed our new Pope, the Bishop personally thanked me for our school's participation and acknowledged the beautiful way in which our six school leaders participated in the events of the day.
CONGRATULATIONS to Mrs Bertoncello who was commissioned by Bishop Greg as our Religious Education Leader. Loren will be replacing Julie Veldman in this role. We value and deeply appreciate the work Loren has done and will continue to do as a dedicated and authentic leader of faith for our community. Not only that, but Loren's daughter Eva, was also selected by Andrew Chinn as a vocalist for our "Pilgrims of Hope" theme song which she performed yesterday with St Clare's, St Francis Xavier and Marist Sion Choirs. Well done Eva!
On Monday, we joined with St John's and Columba as Parishes in Partnerships. Our professional learning was workshop based, beginning with a keynote speaker. The focus was on Inclusive Education. We were fortunate to not only be supported in the facilitation of this learning by allied health professionals who have worked with us for many, many years, but also members of the DOSCEL learning and teaching team. It was an amazing day, sharing wells of deep knowledge and focusing on our work with our children and catering for their needs.
As Pilgrim's of Hope, we journey to St John's today to celebrate Mass and then tomorrow, we join at St James. We invite you all to attend these Masses.
As a faith community, we joyfully welcome Pope Leo as our Leader in Faith and pray...
We pray that Pope Leo XIV be strengthened in his ministry. May he continue building bridges that connect us to one another. May he be an example of faith, hope and love. We pray that you give him joy in his work and a renewed fervor for your Gospel message. May he never lose sight of Christ who walks before us and among us — particularly in the most vulnerable, the forgotten and the outcast.
Christ Jesus, bless Pope Leo XIV — and bless us, your holy people, as together we strive to be your Body in our wounded world.
We also extend our Prayers to the Columba Community as they grieve the loss of their beloved staff member, known not only to them, but also our Parish and broader school communities. Rose was a woman of faith and love, who also loved a splash of red in daily dress presentation. Eternal rest, Grant to Rose O Lord.
Next Wednesday, 4 of our students (Jay J, Lachlan C, Holly S and Sonny H) will be representing St James at the Division Cross Country Event. We wish them all the best at this event.
Have a great week, Bec
Upcoming events
| Wednesday 21 May | Catholic Education Week Leaders Mass at SFX |
| Thursday 22 May | Catholic Education Week Mass at St John's Koo Wee Rup - Year 4/5/6 students |
| Friday 23 May | Catholic Educaiton Week Mass at St James - F - Year 3 students |
RE News
From the 16th - 23rd May St James will be celebrating Catholic Education Week. During this week, we will be sharing opportunites to see our faith come alive in our learning! Students will participate in rotational activities, explore more deeply the Jubilee Year, and celebrate our community through shared masses with our Parish in Partnership Schools. It's a week to see, feel and understand the heart of our Catholic education.
Sacrament Dates 2025
Sacrament of Confirmation
Sacrament of Confirmation
| Date | Place | Time |
| Wednesday 4 June 2025 | St John's Koo Wee Rup | 5.00pm |
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Commitment Mass
| Date | Place | Time |
| Saturday 18 October 2025 | St James Nar Nar Goon | 5.00pm |
| Sunday 19 October 2025 | St John's Koo Wee Rup | 9.30am |
| Sunday 19 October 2025 | St Joseph's Iona | 11.00am |
Parent/Child Workshop
| Date | Place | Time |
| Wednesday 29 October 2025 | St James PS Nar Nar Goon | 5.30pm |
| Thursday 30 October 2025 | St John's PS Koo Wee Rup | 5.30pm |
Sacrament of Reconciliation
| Date | Place | Time |
| Thursday 13 November 2025 | St John's Koo Wee Rup | 5.30pm |
Wellbeing Leader
Parents & Friends News
Scholastic Book Club
Issue 4 will be coming home with your children this week!
Orders close on June 20 2025
(Please note: all orders are to be processed through LOOP online)
Important Information
Both the PAM and Schoolzine Calendars have been updated with new information.
To access the Schoolzine calendar through the app you will be prompted to enter a password - James4011
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 -
4011
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.
Further RE Information
DS Sports
