Newsletter 30 July 2025
Principal's Message
Dear Families,
Thank you for sharing in a wonderful day of celebrations with us last Friday. It was a wonderful day honouring the past, celebrating our present and looking towards the future. Bishop Greg and Paul Velten were so impressed with our children and their wonderful participation during Mass. Past Principals Cath Briant, Wynn Dortmans and Andy McDermott were really thankful to be part of the day. Andy in particular was really touched by the extension of the Camino Garden being extended to include the olive tree. The olive tree is a link to the Camino trail in Spain. Thank you to:
- Our P&F for their support in preparing for the day, support with commissioning our school Cross and individual student crosses
- Mrs Bertoncello for preparing a beautiful Mass and Felicity and Eva for altar serving
- Mrs Herman for her work on the bunting, incorporating past and present students
- DS Sports for cooking lunch
- Sky Maintenance (our Cleaners) for preparing the school and Church for the day
- Our staff for preparing the hall display
- Our staff and students for their preparation and participation
In term four we will have a family afternoon where we will create our time capsule. Please keep a look out for those details.
Fr Michael Willemsen who is a former Parish Priest is unwell. Please keep him in your prayers as he begins his recovery.
Uniform update: Yesterday I met parents at Beleza to review the practicality of our uniform, particularly around warmth. As a result we are introducing a few new items that are optional. Long navy pants for both girls and boys, bottle green sport shorts for girls as an alternative to the skort, bottle green soft shell jacket and rugby top as an alternative to the v neck jumper. Cuffed all bottle green fleece lined track pants for PE. We intentionally chose navy for the pants as it blends with the blue in the winter skort and navy winter socks. We are also alert to the cost of living and are confident that navy is accessible at other major retailers.
The girls pants are available at Beleza, however they have limited stock: girls poly cotton bootleg pants code BP925IMP - 3. Boys fleece lined non-cuffed pants are also available at Beleza BP458IMP 41. Long pants can be worn as of Monday, we are waiting on samples of the other items. Samples of pants are available in the office.
Winter sport: All games are home games and this week we play St John's. Please note that all spectators must sign in at the pedestrian gate and acknowledge that they have read the code of conduct. We are also in desperate need of footy and netball umpires. Please contact the office if you are able to help out.
Have a great week! Bec
Upcoming events
| Friday 01/08 | Whole School Assembly - 9am Winter Sport - St James vs St John's commening at 1pm |
| Monday 04/08 | Year 3 and 4 Long Day Excursion - Camp Manyung (8am - 6pm) |
| Thursday 07/08 | School Disco 4.30pm - 6.30pm |
| Friday 08/08 | Pyjama and Movie Day Winter Sport - BYE |
| Monday 11/08 - Wed 13/08 | F - 2 Swimming Program (Splash's Berwick) |
| Friday 15/08 | 100 Days of Foundation Whole School Assembly - 9am Winter Sport - St James vs Don Bosco commencing at 1pm |
RE News
Explore Your Faith Journey. Join RCIA.
Are you curious about the Catholic faith? Do you feel a calling to deepen your spiritual life, or perhaps discover what it means to be part of our Catholic community?
Our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program is a welcoming journey for adults exploring the Catholic Church. Whether you are unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or a Catholic seeking to complete your Sacraments of Initiation (Eucharist and Confirmation), RCIA offers a supportive environment to learn, ask questions, and grow in faith.
Discover God's love and discern your path with us.
For more information, please contact Fr Avinash or Loren Bertoncello
Sacrament Dates 2025
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
The Resilience Project - Parent Hub & TRP@Home
TRP@Home - Scan the QR code below to access
Parents & Friends News
The parents and friends committee require some parent helpers on the night. If you are able to assist, please complete the below link:
Winter Sport
As our Year 4 - 6 Winter Sport rounds are approaching we are putting a call out to our parent community for Football and Netball umpires and scorers each week. All volunteers will be required to have provided their WWC to the school office. If you are able to assist, even for 1 week, please complete the attached link.
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.
DS Sports
From the Community
