This Week's Updates

Dear Families, 

Welcome back to the 2023 School Year. We are anticipating an exciting year of onsite school and community involvement in many St James events, celebrations and activities.

Our two assessment days are great ways for the students to ease back into the school environment and spend some time with their new teachers in their new classroom. They also have the opportunity to catch up with some classmates.

Our Preps start tomorrow, Tuesday and will be at school 9am - 12pm.

We had a delivery of new chairs to our Prep classrooms over the holidays so we now have approximately 50 old chairs available to any families who would like to use them at home (they fit nicely into cubby houses). Feel free to come and collect one or a few throughout the week. They are located outside the staffroom near the bike shed on the west side of the school property.

All students will be in their new classes from Wednesday to Friday this week. Please remember that arrival is 8.30am - 8.45am, when music plays and students move into their classrooms, unpack ready for meditation to commence at 8.50am. If your child arrives at school after 8.50am you must accompany them to the office to sign them in as late. It is a requirement that parents MUST sign late students in to school. Likewise parents must sign out early leavers at the office too.

Online Music Solutions will be presenting at our Assembly on Friday afternoon in the Community Centre to the students. Families who wish to enrol their children in these music lessons will be able to do so after this presentation.

On Monday morning 6 February we will be holding our assembly in the Community Centre, presenting our Leadership badges to our Year Six students and welcoming our new Preps to our community. All parents are welcome to attend this assembly.

Our School photos are on Monday 13 February. Information regarding the ordering of photos will be sent home this week. All photos will be taken with students in Summer Uniform.

School Fees 2023

Please find attached St James Fee Structure and Parent Handbook for 2023.

Statements and Direct Debit arrangement forms will be sent home in the following weeks. Please note any previous direct debit arrangements are null and void, as new arrangements need to be signed each year as per MACS policy.

Important First Aid and Medication Information

This year we will be consolidating our communication platforms through greater use of Operoo.  We have been using it to send emails to parents and will also be using it to send out push notifications.  It is important that you allow push notifications in your settings for these to come through to your phone.  On an Apple phone go to settings then Notifications, scroll down to find Operoo App then click on Allow Notifications.  On an Android phone go to settings, tap tun notifications on, tap notifications, tap show notifications.

This year we will also be using Operoo for First Aid and for Medication Usage.

In regards to First Aid, if a student comes to the First Aid room, a staff member will now fill out a first aid eForm within Operoo to record all of the details.  Once completed a copy of this eForm will be sent directly to the parents email address. 

As per our First Aid policy we will always contact you if there is a head knock or a serious injury has occurred.

In regards to medication that is required to be administered by a staff member during school hours, parents will now need to access a self service eForm in Operoo.  To do this you will go into the form library and see a Medical Authority Form.  You will need to fill out this form as often as required.  We will then be alerted that you have completed the form and will be able to access the information.  This information will also be kept on the student's log.  

We hope this process will make things easier for you and for our staff. If you have any queries please don't hesitate to contact Nadine Jones nadine.jones@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au

A few more updates:

• We will let you know when our order of small sizes of sports tops arrive (especially for those students in grade 1, 2023) - stay tuned. 
• Farm Duty volunteers - please note that Vic is looking for some helpers in the farm for Term 1. If you are interested please email Vic -victoire.gibson@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au. For those new to Farm Duty, please advise Vic so she can provide you with a run through session.
• A message from The Ringwood Level Crossing Removal Team.Ringwood East Station – southern gravel car park closed from Tuesday 7 February. 

Looking forward to having everyone back this week.

Dave