Principal's News

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Jesus, help me to break away from my old patterns. Open my heart to your Spirit of freedom and love. Enliven and enlarge our hearts to encounter your presence anew. Jesus, help me face the fear that you faced, so that I may live as you lived

This week is Catholic Education week and a time to acknowledge all that occurs currently and what has occurred historically in Catholic Education.

It was the Presentation sisters that arrived in Gardenvale in 1885 from Ireland, who commenced Catholic Education here at St James. Today we are the beneficiaries of our early sisters pioneering vision who had the courage and foresight to come to our beautiful part of the world and open a school.

There are many families who have been fortunate to have had this opportunity and through what they have experienced, I am sure have had a profound impact on their family, their community, their places of work and recreation.

Yesterday we had a lovely paraliturgy led by the Year 5 students, Mr McMahon and our Religious Education Leader, Mrs Herbert. This year's theme ‘Open new horizons by spreading joy’ calls us to continue to explore and find ways to engage our children, parents and staff to express our faith in more explicit ways. This Sunday at 9am we have the Year 2 Mass and a chance to share the joy with our Year 2 families and parish.

Pope Francis highlights the ‘great flexibility’ to have as a parish and school, to be open to new horizons. Currently it is an interesting time in the Church. A time to reform and bring life to what it is to be church. Pope Francis mentions that as faith communities we, the Church “ can assume quite different contours depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community.’ We are well placed with Fr Martin and Fr Barry to ensure this.

Catholic Education continues to evolve. Our identity continues to evolve. Times are different from the time our Presentation sisters stepped off the boat in 1886, and from the time we as parents were educated in Catholic schools. As a Catholic school we must move with the social and cultural currents at play. The Jesus story does not change, however the need to recontextualize the message today is the new horizon challenge.

In the words of Callan who read a prayer of the faithful yesterday:

‘For those involved in Catholic Education - students, staff and parents. May they continue to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Lord Hear us’.

‘And for all in Catholic Education. May we continue to show wisdom and may the spirit guide us on our educational journey. Lord hear us’.

We are challenged to know the story, our Catholic Social Justice teachings and embed the Jesus message.

What does it mean to be in a community?

There are times in our lives when the value of being a part of a community expresses its love and care in a obvious manner. We often talk of St James and the strength of how our group is a unique collection of parents, children and staff.

Even this morning I mentioned to a prospective Mum with a Prep child the qualities and relational aspect of our school. It is a huge plus and an attraction to be at St James. I have had this experience first hand recently.

As you would know from the time that you step into our school we have the ever bright and helpful Ange and Imelda at the front line, to greet and welcome people of all persuasions and solve the challenges that prop up from time to time. This would not happen as it does as well in other settings. Our staff, parents and children have a welcome gift, a generosity of spirit that is special.

A fortnight ago today my brother died after a long battle with cancer. I come from a large family, 4 brothers and 4 sisters, and our time together over the past months has been unifying and realigns the strength of not only our immediate family, but also our generational connections with others, whether it be through our education at Primary and Secondary schools, sport and the different faith communities over time. Funerals are a celebration of a life and also a celebration of all who have shared parts of the journey.

It is interesting that as I was grieving and feeling our loss as a family, I became upset and touched not just by the passing of our younger brother but also by the support that was extended to our family. The prayers, words, cards and flowers reminded our family of what it means to be part of a human family, our St James family. It wasn't as if I was not feeling the loss, I was. It was the compassion and love that was extended that brought up again the emotions.

Schools are special places. Catholic education is a special place and has been a large part of my family’s life. St James is a special place. These are gifts that we need to value.

I know that I have a deep sense of gratefulness for the past few weeks. Thank you.

We warmly welcome back our Year 4N Teacher / Wellbeing Leader who celebrated her wedding on the 3rd of March, which from all accounts, was a huge success.

I am happy to announce that Miss Nelson will now be known as Mrs Clingan, and we wish both Stacey and Tas every happiness in their married life together.

Funding for the future

I have included in today’s newsletter an extract from the Director of Catholic Education, Mr Stephen Elder. As you will be aware the Birmingham Quality School Package would have huge impact on Catholic Education if it is delivered in its current form. I have attached it for your information.

Director's news March 3 - March 9

Catholic education's battle for fair funding has received a major boost this week with a formal commitment from the Australian Labor Party to offer Catholic schools more than $250 million in additional funds in its first two years of office, should a Labor Government be elected,and further billions of dollars over a decade.

In a letter to the chair of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten pledged Labor would stand 'shoulder to shoulder' with the Catholic school system.

'When it comes to school funding, my party stands shoulder to shoulder with the Church', Mr Shorten said in his letter. 'We are committed to funding all schools based on a proper assessment of their need, while also supporting parental choice.'

'Based on the information we have from the Parliamentary Budget Office and the National Catholic Education Commission, our current calculations confirm Catholic schools would be more than $250 million better off in our first two years of government alone,and billions of dollars better off over the decade as we restore the whole of the $17bn cut by the Turnbull Government from schools.'

The letter puts the issue of fair funding for education front and centre in the lead-up to the next election – which some observers believe could be held as early as this coming spring – with major policy differences between the Government and the Opposition.

Federal funding for Catholic schools has been bipartisan policy in this nation for half a century. Malcolm Turnbull and Simon Birmingham have undermined this bipartisanship – and trashed one of the greatest legacies of their party's founder, Sir Robert Menzies.

Their new arrangements have already cut the amount of funding attracted by over 600 Catholic schools nationally and some 180 here in Victoria between this year and 2017 and threatened to make low-fee, inclusive, non-government schools unviable in many parts of Australia.

Secret Education Department modelling leaked during the Gonski debate last year showed the Turnbull– Birmingham package will leave Catholic schools $4.6 billion worse off over a decade.

As you are more than aware, Catholic schools operate from a sense of mission, not to make a profit, and seek to provide a quality, low-fee, open and inclusive faith-and values-based education to all who want one.

In Mr Shorten's letter, Labor has not only-committed to ensuring the type of education parents chose for their children is supported by government, but acknowledged the importance of the future survival of low-fee, inclusive non-government school systems in Australia.

Labor has recognised that Catholic education has legitimate concerns over the fairness of the Turnbull Government's funding arrangements with Mr Shorten's statements that his party is 'concerned about the impact of the existing SES score methodology on Catholic parish primary schools and that Labor supports 'the Catholic education sector in advocating for alternative arrangements to better support these schools'.

The Opposition Leader's further remark, 'in government, we will implement changes to the role of "capacity to contribute" in school funding, including the SES scoring methodology' – along with his pledge to work with Catholic education 'to respond to the findings of the SES review currently underway' – again acknowledges our deep concerns about both the policy and the process followed by Prime Minister Turnbull and Senator Birmingham.

I am awaiting the Government's detailed response with great interest.

Stephen Elder

Walk for Justice for Refugees

Unfortunately Australia’s sad treatment of Asylum Seekers continues, and so once again we find ourselves needing to make a public witness to “WELCOME THE STRANGER!”

Please find attached flyer on the What's On page, with details of:

the Public Rally at 2.00pm - Palm Sunday (Sunday 25th March 2018) at the State Library
A Liturgy of Welcome to be held in St Patricks Cathedral from 1.00pm – 1.30pm – also on Palm Sunday.

Pope Francis has challenged all of us with his action plan for Asylum Seekers and Refugees: to Welcome, to Protect, to Promote and to Integrate.

Following the Liturgy, we will walk as one Faith Community (down Lonsdale street) to join the larger Public Rally. ALL WELCOME .

UBUNTU Choir

The Grammy nominated choir Ubuntu will be touring Australia with 'Make the Change' Concerts from April to June this year. This group of inspirational young men and women from Uganda will perform two concerts at Star of the Sea on Friday April 27th 7pm and Saturday 28th @ 2pm. Please go to the following link to book tickets:

http://www.kwaya.org/UBUNTUCONCERTS2018.html

Next term on Monday 23rd April, St James is very lucky to have Ubuntu conduct a workshop with the St James students at Star of the Sea. Our school attended a similar workshop two years ago and it was an amazing experience for all involved.

We can support the Ubuntu Choir by donating old laptops, mobiles, ipads, tablets etc. together with associated chargers.

This support will help the graduates of the choir to fulfill their promise of making a difference in their own villages, by attending university and becoming future leaders of Uganda.

Please see below.

LITERACY PARENT HELPERS SESSION for Parents of Foundation to Year 2 Students

Tuesday 27th of March at 9am in the the Foundation classroom For F-2 parents who would like to help during the Literacy block. Please

refer to the CareMonkey form for more details.

School Fees

A reminder that the first instalment of school fees is due next Friday 23 March.

Brendan