St James Executive Leadership 

Principal News

Dear Parents and Carers,

First and foremost, I extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you as we embark on the new school year together. As Principal, I am deeply honoured to begin and continue this journey alongside you all. Over the past two weeks, it has been a joy to reconnect with all our families following the school holidays.  

On the first day of school the cameras were onsite to capture students’ first day at St James’, very exciting indeed.  The above link was shared via MACS - Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools.

Earlier in the week I was invited to attend a Principal commissioning Mass at the Catholic Leadership Centre, where I received a blessing for my role in leading the school community.  It was lovely to gather with other newly appointed Principals and receive this special blessing.  

The words of our school prayer came to mind as I sat and reflected on the important role I have undertaken in leading a faith filled and educational community.  It is timely that I include this prayer here for you to pray together as a family.

In this my second year of Principalship I have many wishes for this new school year but of greatest importance are the following...

My first wish is for the students.  May you come to school each day filled with energy and excitement as though it were your first day of school.  For the students in Prep, may you never lose this energy and excitement for learning.  Enjoy each day making new friends and working with the teachers and other students.  May you learn that there will be times that you have lots of fun and you will learn, and that there will be times where you feel challenged and you will learn.  Fun and challenging times are all a part of the learning journey. May you continue to grow as individuals, trusting one another and creating treasured memories together.  

My second wish is for the parents.   As the first educators in your child’s life may you continue to encourage your child to do their very best each day. May you celebrate their successes and support and encourage the times where they feel challenged.

I look forward to working with you and your child this year and further strengthening home school partnerships at St James.

Tonight we will have our first Parents Association meeting for the year.  Thank you to Maryallan and John for taking on the role as Co-chairs.  There are many exciting plans set for the year which will be communicated soon.  Thank you in advance for  the dedication, enthusiasm and positive energy you all bring to the school, I have no doubt in my mind that this year will be an amazing year.

2024 Staffing

Parish Priest

Fr Ian Ranson

Executive Leadership Team

Principal - Carmelina Corio

Deputy Principals - Emma Herbert and Georgia McNamara

Learning and Teaching Leadership Team

Literacy Leader- Amanda Joplin

Intervention Leader - Antoinette Ferrari

Numeracy Leader - Bridie Slater

Student Wellbeing Leader - Georgia McNamara

Teaching and Learning/ REL/ Learning Diversity - Emma Herbert

STEM Leader - Bridie Slater

ICT Leader - Carmelina Corio

Secretary/ Bursar - Imelda Cuaresma

Administrative Support - Ange Franich and Iris Webster

Classroom Teachers

Year 6 - Aidan Niarros

Year 5 - Maree Fatouros

Year 4 - Bec Taylor

Year 3 - Jess Conway and Celeste Marinelli

Year 2 - Cathy Busch

Year 1 - Maria Carpino and  Sharon Broeren

Prep - Bridie Slater and Amanda Joplin

Classroom Support  - Alexandra Rayner

Specialist Teaching Staff

Visual Arts - Caroline Egan

Physical Education - Chris Kidman and Georgia McNamara

L.O.T.E Italian - Celeste Marinelli

Performing Arts - Michaela Pace

Teacher Librarian - Amanda Joplin

Learning Support Officers

Kate Buzza, Tracey McCord, Emily Busch, Jamie Hanson, Frances Corrie

Allied Health Team

Ashley Whitelaw (Occupational Therapist) and Adele McGaffin (Speech Pathologist

School Chaplain - Corey Payton

Centorrino Technician - Eldon D’Souza

On Tuesday it was Safer Internet Day.  Classroom teachers spoke to the students about make safe use of the internet and using devices at an age appropriate level.  This year your child may ask about having a personal device at home, or they may already have one which they use in a controlled environment.  As the Principal of St James, I wish to emphasise the importance of cyber safety for our children, especially in today's digital age where technology plays such a significant role in their lives. 

The internet offers incredible opportunities for learning, communication, and entertainment. However, it also presents certain risks, particularly for young and impressionable minds. As our children navigate the online world, it is imperative that we, as parents and educators, equip them with the knowledge and skills to stay safe and make responsible choices.  Recently you will have received via Operoo an Acceptable use agreement that all families were asked to sign.  Signing off on this agreement is a school requirement prior to students being able to work online.  All classroom teachers have or will talk to the students regarding acceptable use of devices and online tools prior to utilising them.

With this in mind, I urge you to have open and honest conversations with your children about the importance of cyber safety. Encourage them to:

1. Protect their personal information: Remind them never to share personal details such as their full name, address, phone number, or school name with strangers online.
2. Think before they post: Encourage them to be mindful of what they share online, including photos, videos, and comments. Remind them that once something is posted online, it can be difficult to remove and may have long-term consequences.
3. Be cautious when interacting with others: Teach them to be skeptical of online friends they haven't met in person and to never arrange to meet someone they've only met online without your permission.
4. Practice good digital citizenship: Emphasize the importance of treating others with respect and kindness online, just as they would in person. Remind them that their online actions can have real-world consequences.
5. Use age appropriate Apps.  (Attached is a link to age appropriate Apps) the eSafety Guide 

Additionally, I encourage you to set clear rules and boundaries for your child's online activities, such as limiting screen time, monitoring their internet usage, and installing parental control software when necessary.

At St James, we are committed to supporting our students in becoming responsible digital citizens. In addition to integrating cyber safety education into our curriculum, we also provide resources and support to help parents navigate the challenges of raising children in the digital age. Together, we can empower our children to make safe and informed choices online and ensure that they have positive and enriching experiences in the digital world.

Attached is a link to the eSafetyCommissioner Parent site.  I encourage all families to bookmark this site and use the information to assist with setting up or reinforcing safe and acceptable internet protocols at home eSafetyCommisioner - Parent information

We are currently planning a parent information night focusing on Cybersafety. Once confirmed these details will be shared with the school community.

Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our children safe.

Drop Off / Pick Up Zones

Our drop off and pick up areas will remain in place. St James and Osbourne Close will be kiss and go areas for drop off and a quick pick up at school dismissal. However, we now ask that you park within the bays allocated in St James Close and supervise your children entering the school grounds.  Please be aware that this parking is a 2min parking zone. There is ample parking on North Road if you wish to enter the school at drop off and pick up times. Please be mindful of our neighbours when parking. 

I am aware that a number of families have expressed safety concerns with the current situation in dropping off and picking up in St James Close.  Some of you may be aware that parents have received parking infringements for dropping off students in St James Closes and not adhering to the signage.  I am well aware of these concerns and can assure you that I am actively working on a solution.

School Marketing 2024 / 2025

A friendly reminder that if you would like to enrol your child into Prep 2025 please let the school know and we will then send you an enrolment form.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school directly on ph 03 9596-4766 or via email: info@stjamesbrighton.catholic.edu.au

Thanks in advance!

Covid-19 Safety at School (Updated protocols)

St James Catholic Primary School (School Portal) 

Please click here to access the School Portal  https://sites.google.com/stjamesbrighton.catholic.edu.au/stjamescatholicprimaryschool-r/school-portal-home-page

Social Media - Please follow, like and share our school Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Feeds. 

School Website:  www.stjamesbrighton.catholic.edu.au

Twitter:  St James Catholic Primary School, 3186

Instagram:  stjamesbrighton3186

Facebook: @stjamesbrighton3186

Please stay safe and healthy.

Carmelina Corio

(Principal)

Deputy Principal News

Hello Everyone, 

Welcome back to what we are sure will be another busy and exciting year at St James. The year has started well with students taking part in our “Getting Ready to Learn” unit which gives students and teachers the opportunity to establish relationships and expectations for the semester ahead. 

Our calendar is full of exciting events planned by the staff, students and our PA. So you are able to keep up to date with all the information in our calendar please ensure you sync your calendar with your calendar. Instructions on how to do so can be found below. 

Also please see listed below 

Key Dates for Term 1

This evening:

Thursday 8th February -Parent Information Evenings

                                                Prep / Year 1 / Year 2 at 5:00 pm upstairs in the Year 5 & 6 space

                                                Year 3 & 4 at 5:30 pm in the school hall

                                                Year 5 & 6 at 6:00 pm upstairs in the Year 5 & 6 space

          "        8th February -PA Meeting #1  7.30pm

Friday 9th February -Whole School Assembly #1

Monday 12th February -School Tours

Tuesday 13th February -School Tours 

                      "                        -Shrove Tuesday (Pancakes Tuesday-please respond to Operoo)

Wednesday 14th February -Ash Wednesday Liturgy 10:30am in the Hall

Thursday 15th February - Holt District Tennis Competition (Selected students only). 

                        "                           - Meet the Teacher-Students finish at 1pm. 

                                                    N.B. Meet the teacher interviews begin at 1.30pm (Please book)

Friday 16th February -Holt District Swimming Competition-selected swimmers only. 

                  "                          -Welcome Disco 5.30pm (See Community News page)

Monday 19th to Friday 23rd February -Year 5/6 Camp

Thursday 7th March -School Photos

Friday 8th March -Beachside Swimming competition-selected students only

Monday 11th March -Labour Day Holiday

Tuesday 12th March -Reconciliation Evening 5.30-6.30pm

Wednesday 13th March -NAPLAN testing window opens (Years 3 and 5)

Thursday 14th March -PA meeting #2 7.30pm

Monday 18th March to Friday 22nd March -Neurodiversity Week

      "          18th March to Thursday 21st March- Bodyworks program Years 4-6 only

Thursday 21st March -Palm Sunday Paraliturgy 3.15pm

                    "                     -Harmony Day

Friday 22nd March -Staff Planning Day for Term 2. School Closure Day

                  "                     -Sunday 24th March Dad’s Camp

Monday 25th March -Holy Thursday Paraliturgy 3.10pm

                  "                       -School Tours

Tuesday 26th March -St James House Athletics Carnival

Wednesday 27th March -Good Friday Paraliturgy 3.10pm

Thursday 28th March -End of Term 1 school will finish at 3.30pm

Subscribing to the St James Calendar

Step One: Open your calendar and click on Calendars in the bottom middle of the screen. 

Step Two: Click on Add Calendar in the bottom left corner of the screen. 

Step Three: Click on “Add Subscription Calendar”

Step Four: Enter the following: URL: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/stjamesbrighton.catholic.edu.au_tb4g0rlhla3aavgttb1v7outbk%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

The “Add” button in the top right corner should now allow you to add the calendar to your phone. 

Adding relevant events to your calendar

If you would like to however just add the key dates that are relevant to your child/children please use the following steps:

Step One: On your iphone please go to the St James website. https://www.stjamesbrighton.catholic.edu.au/ then click on the three lines in the top right hand corner. 

Step Two: Click on the calendar icon in red. 

Step Three: Once you have clicked on the calendar events will appear individually. You can click on the add to calendar button to add each individual event to your calendar. 

Emma Herbert and Georgia McNamara

Deputy Principals