Principal's Post
Dear Families,
Last Wednesday evening we welcomed twenty two new families who joined twenty two of our current families at the Prep 2026 Information Evening. With two sets of twins, we currently have 46 students enrolled for our Prep classes. Miss Darvell, Mrs Butler and Mrs Broderick will once again form our formidable Prep teaching team.
On Wednesday morning we will welcome the new students for the first of their four transition sessions.
As this occurs, we also commenced planning for our current Year Six Graduation celebration; how time flies!
Our School Fete is fast approaching. Please consider putting your hand up to help out, run a stall, bake some goodies, donate some toys or clothing. It is an expectation that all families have a representative on one of the shifts throughout the fete. 90 minutes of your time is all that is required.
The fete committee are also looking for an electrician or two to support the current electrician who has been the lone volunteer in this department for the past many years. Teamwork makes the dream work. Please contact our school office of you may be able to assist with this.
As you are aware, we have assigned each year level to a stall so when volunteering please consider this. Obviously if you have a child in more than one year level you only need to sign up for one stall. The links are in the fete newsletter below.
Prep - Popcorn and Fairy Floss
Year One - Coffee
Year Two - Snowcones
Year Three - Lolly
Year Four - Donuts
Year Five - Cakes
Year Six - JJ’s cafe
P & F Bunnings BBQ Fundraiser
This is on Saturday 25 October. Thank you to the many parents who have volunteered to support Dan Savoia on Saturday at Bunnings. Feel free to call in, purchase a sausage and help us raise funds for our P & F.
Please consider signing up for a shift via this link
Twilight Sports
Our annual twilight sports will take place on Thursday 6 November from 4.15pm - 6.45pm at the Bill Sewart Athletics Track in East Burwood.
We encourage all families to take advantage of our early dismissal time of 2.00pm so that students may get home by 2.30 and rest up, have something to eat and get changed ready to be at the track by 4pm. Of course families who cannot arrange for the early pick up of their children may leave them here until 3.20pm.
Our Twilight Sports are a compulsory school event (unless students are away on a family holiday or away ill).
Mrs Catherine Wall has been busy organising the event and preparing students for events they will be participating in.
Our wonderful organising committee of P & F parents have commenced planning for the catering (BBQ, soft drinks, etc) and will soon put a call out for volunteers to assist on the night. Our Year Six House Leaders have commenced preparations from their end and will commence lunchtime chant practice in the next week or two.
Stay tuned for further information including an operoo form indicating early dismissal.
School Advisory Council
Our next meeting is on this Tuesday and will be held in the back meeting room of our new Administration Building 6.15 - 8.00pm
Marathon Club 2026
We are looking for a few parents to take on the role of Marathon Club breakfast coordinators for 2026. Katrina and Belinda have done a wonderful job in sharing this role over the past few years. The Wednesday mornings can be supported by parent volunteers to set up, serve and pack up. The coordinators role is to purchase the breakfast items and communicate with the school office regarding dates, times and payment. A form has been shared with parents outlining further details. Please contact the school office if you have any questions regarding this.
Operoo Update
Operoo will be concluding as a platform for us to use at the end of this year. I understand this will be good news for some and not for others. MACS have been negotiating and fine tuning another platform for us to use. Fortunately for us at St James, this platform is nForma which all families are familiar with because of our attendance and school reports. We will pass on any information regarding our migration to this new platform when it becomes available. For the remainder of the 2025 school year we will be using Operoo as usual.
Book Club 2026
Bronwyn, our wonderful Book Club Coordinator will be stepping down at the end of Term 4 as her son is in Grade 6. We are looking for a book lover who would enjoy taking on this role for 2026. If you are interested, please contact the office.
Summer School Uniform
From today, Monday 20 October, all students should be dressed in Summer Uniform.
Sun Smart Policy
With warmer weather and high UV rays over the coming months, please ensure that your child has their hat at school to wear at all times when outside. To protect our student's beautiful faces, will be enforcing the NO HAT NO PLAY policy.
Swimming Program
This term all students in Prep to Year Four will be participating in our annual Swimming Program for two weeks starting Monday 17 November and ending on Friday 28 November. Students will transported by bus to daily swimming lessons at Knox Leisureworks. Further details will be sent out over the coming weeks via Operoo.
Out of Hours School Care -
Please register your children here if you require this service.
Please note - you must walk your children to the door of Before School Care and sign them in.
If you have any questions you can email MACSEYE
directly at enrolments@macseye.vic.edu.au
School Closure Dates Term Four
Monday 3 & Tuesday 4th November - Cup Day holidays
Friday 14 November - Parish Pre fete day - Staff will participate in an RE Professional Learning Day (MACSEYE day care available)
Friday 5th December - 2026 Staff Planning day (MACSEYE day care available)
News from our Fete Committee
You should all have received Raffle tickets via your child's school bag. It is an expectation that each family sells their allotment of tickets. The parish fete raffle committee has decided to donate 75% of the money raised via our St James raffle tickets back to our St James P & F. Therefore if all 250 families sell their allotment of 10 tickets at $2.00 each, we will receive
$3 750.
Obviously, families who ask for additional books will be provided with them!
Please return all books by Friday 31 October.
We have a sellers prize voucher to be drawn on Friday 24th and another one on Friday 31st October.
Due to the time demand and use of the Main Stage there will not be a talent quest at the fete this year. Our school Choir and Ukulele band will be performing at a time to be decided.
Please find attached the latest Fete news along with links
Talitha K from Grade 6 stars in School Of Rock - The Musical in November. The limited season will run at the National Theatre in St Kilda from November 1 to 9. Tickets are now on sale for SCHOOL OF ROCK THE MUSICAL at https://booktickets.com.au/schoolofrock/
Have a great week ahead!
Dave