Dear Families,

Father Dispin's final words to me on Saturday afternoon as he departed our St James First Eucharist celebration to head off to preside over Our Lady's Ringwood's celebration were "Dave this was a wonderful celebration and you should be so proud of today," and I was!

Indeed it was a reverent, meaningful, community minded and special celebration of the Sacrament of First Eucharist for our students. As Dispin said, parents are the first and most important educators in your child's faith and clearly many of you have done a wonderful job in this. As a staff at St James, we have the privilege of partnering on this journey with you for seven years.

The commitment of so many staff to the students was indicated by the large attendance (especially when their footy team may have been playing ). I'd like to acknowledge the staff who attended and especially Tim Flintoff, Nikki Lamendola and Josh Crowe, our Education In Faith Leader for their specific work in preparing the students and organisation for the day.

Thank You for Completing the ECSI Survey

A big thank you to all families who took the time to complete the Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) Survey. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and plays an important role in shaping the future of our school community.

We hope your children enjoyed the additional play on Friday afternoon as a small token of our thanks. Congratulations to the Barrie family, who were the lucky winners of the $100 voucher—well done!

Walk to school Day

Our Walk to School Day on Friday was a great success, and it was so lovely to see so many families getting involved. A big thank you to all the students and parents who took the time to walk together—it was a fantastic way to start the day with some fresh air, exercise, and a strong sense of community. We appreciate your enthusiasm and support in making it such an enjoyable morning for everyone.

Congratulations to Dillon who had the highest number of students walking to school. The results are below

Dillon: 59 students

Lyons: 56 students

Coughlan: 55 students

Durkin: 51 students

That totals 221 students of our 350 which is 63% of our student population who walked to school on Friday!

Prep 2026 intake

We have commenced our Meet and Greet sessions for the Prep 2026 intake – and I have to say, it’s one of the highlights of my role as Principal. It’s such a joy meeting the young faces who will soon begin their primary school journey with us, and spending time with the families who will become a special part of our school community.

If you’re a current family with a child starting Prep in 2026 and haven’t yet booked your Meet and Greet session, please click here to choose a time that suits you. I’m really looking forward to connecting with you and your child.

Whole School Emergency Drill – Wednesday Afternoon

This Wednesday afternoon, we have our Emergency Management Training that all schools are expected to complete. This includes a planned emergency drill for staff and students to practice. These drills are an important part of keeping our school community safe and ensuring everyone knows what to do in an emergency.

If you think your child might feel a bit anxious about it, we encourage you to have a gentle chat with them beforehand to help ease any concerns. As always, our staff will guide the students through the process calmly and supportively.

St James School Bus

Some families may be aware of the daily School Bus service that students can take to arrive at school in the morning and take home in the afternoon. If families are interested and would like to know more about the service, please refer to the link below and reach out to the school's administration for further details.

St James Ventura Bus

Winter Uniform

With the cooler weather settling in after an unseasonably warm (but lovely!) autumn, we ask that all students now come to school in their full winter uniform. Thank you for helping ensure everyone is dressed appropriately for the season.

While coats and beanies help keep students warm in the morning, please remind your children, as we will, that these remain in their bags and are not to be worn in class. We have excellent heaters in the rooms. We will be holding our second hand uniform pop up shop on Friday 30th May from 3:15 - 3:45pm if you need any items.

Hope you all have a great week ahead,

Dave

St James News

'St James School Community is committed to the Victorian Child Safe Standards.'

Update Sheet - Week 5 - Term 1 · 19 May 2025

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