St James News

Principal's News

Holy Spirit, grant us the ability to understand the signs of the times,

May our hearts be open to the Word of God

May our hearts be open to all that is good

May our hearts be open to the beauty of God

To each person you send across our paths

Help us to see clearly and to act justly

Help us to read the signs of the times, and to respond with wisdom and generosity.

Come, Holy spirit.

End of the School Year

As we enter the final 6-7 weeks there is a great amount of planning required to ensure that we are in place for the 2019 year.

As you are aware we have appointed three new staff members for 2019. Ms Carmelina Corio as Deputy Principal and Leader of Teaching and Learning, Ms Bridie Slater and Ms Sarah Contin as class teachers. In appointing these teachers we were extremely fortunate to have had a strong field of applicants.  Carmelina will complement and bring a sound teaching and learning approach and our new graduates, an energy and dedicated approach coupled with freshness and youth.

 

In addition St James recently advertised for a Visual Arts 0.4 (2 days) and Performing Arts teacher 0.2 (1 day) for 2019 on the Catholic Education Victorian site.  Kate Kennedy has had her teaching allocation increased at Lauriston, however Kate will continue in directing the school musical at St James.

Mrs Antoinette Ferrari will be returning to St James after a period of time away on family leave.

In further news, Ms Meg Stewart after three years of teaching at St James will be taking 12 months leave of her position to teach overseas and travel.  This is a wonderful professional experience for Meg and one that will further increase her teaching repertoire.

Mrs Dominique Crawley is also departing and will be heading north to Darwin to teach and be with her family.  

 

Building Update

The pace is also on in the completion of the Building Project, ‘the school in the sky.’  In racing terms, there is still a distance to travel and I feel as though we are either boxed in on the fence looking for a run,  travelling four wide, or even into a stiff breeze and up a slope with the post in sight.

Last week Gabriella Muto from Baldasso Cortese led members of the staff and a few parents through a furniture presentation.

 

The furniture selection will be designed to allow flexibility and movement, a diversity of furniture and talking points to be line with the interior design.  The colour selections will match the decor and will be a mix of soft and hard furniture.

The school is grateful for the generosity of the Parent Association who have committed $150000 to the furniture and equipment budget.  These funds have been gained through the extremely solid investment of parents over the past few years and will be a visible sign of the hard work of fundraising for our children.

 

This is an exciting time as we create a learning environment that is conducive to a contemporary learning pedagogy, something that will be quite different from the spaces that our children and staff were teaching and learning in the first half of this year.  

The orders were confirmed yesterday and a letter of intent has been submitted to the relevant suppliers.  

Further site meetings for the remainder of the year will provide us with a clear completion date.  At this stage, we are intending that there will be some handover of rooms before the end of the year and the phase one (which is the original building) in mid-January.  A detailed list of works will be available to us next week as we are still awaiting a clearance from Bayside Council. The air bridge will not commence until January/ February as well as the two rooms and staffroom on the ground floor.

 

Parent End of Year Function

Could I draw to your attention the end of year event for parents, which will be held on Friday 7th December at West Bathers Beach Pavilion.  There has been an enormous effort invested by two of our Foundation Mums in Kat Cheshire and Kate Korber to ensure that the night is a wonderful celebration for our parent community.  Kat and Kate’s persistence in ensuring that parents can enjoy the evening has taken many hours of energy. It is always a challenge in accommodating all needs and these two beaut Mums deserve your support in what they have planned. Please mark this event in your calendar and get along to what will be a sensational night. If the annual fundraiser is any indication it will be a ripper!

 

School Board departure and applications

After many years of service Jo Small and Mel Williams are departing the School Board.  Jo as Chairperson and Mel as a fellow Board member have served the Board for six years and have led the St James School Board through a period of challenge and development.  Their tenure has now expired and they will leave the Board position with the knowledge that their contributions have had a strong effect on the growth phase of the school.  

 

As a result, there are two positions open to the St James community.

 

Current Board members are:

Fr Martin Dixon, Donna Anderson, Melinda Harrington,

Tria Lynch, Liam Buckley (staff  member to be elected),

Peter Hodgson, Samm Meagher and Brendan Flanagan

I have attached the sections of the Parish Board Education Advisory Board Constitution that explain the role and purpose of the Board.

 

The Governing Principles for the Parish Education Board

Governance and Authority

Parish

The parish school education advisory education board (PSEAB) provides advice to the parish priest within the context of this Constitution and the vision statement of the parish.

 

PSEAB purposes

The purposes of the PSEAB are to:

  • act as a confidential  advisory body to the parish priest and principal, on matters concerning education in the parish
  • act as a forum for discussion, provide feedback, and assist in developing strategy on matters concerning education in the parish primary school
  • provide a link between the parish priest, principal, CEOM, principal, teachers and parishioners in relation to the provision of Catholic education in the parish community
  • promote outward-focused community development by fostering a strong interrelationship between parish and the parish primary school, local Catholic secondary colleges, pre-schools and community groups.

PSEAB responsibilities

The responsibilities of the PSEAB are to:

  • promote the Catholic ethos of each school and to support the Religious Education programs
  • provide advice on the development and review of school policies
  • plan for the future of the parish primary school, including its ability to accommodate future enrolments and strategies for the retention of existing students
  • provide advice on finance related matters and explore avenues for additional funding for the school (eg grant schemes through government & community organisations)
  • contribute to the selection process for school principal
  • investigate the appropriate provision of faith development and RE programs for children attending Government schools
  • foster adult education in faith, in conjunction with the Religious Education programs of the school.

Appointment of PSEAB Members

  • The parish priest, in consultation with the Principal, will appoint PSEAB members nominated under clauses 11.3 and 11.4. When vacancies arise, parents are welcome to nominate for positions on the PSEAB to the Principal who will forward recommendations to the Parish Priest who appoints members.

A complete copy of the Constitution is available from me if intending applicants require a more detailed copy of the PSEAB Constitution.

 

Applications can be addressed to Fr Martin Dixon and myself. Applications close Friday 7th December.

 

News for Catholic school parents

Please find a link to the term 4 edition of the Catholic School Parents Victoria (CSPV ) newsletter for your information. CSPV will be sending an online newsletter each term in 2019.

If parents would like to subscribe to the newsletter or provide CSPV with feedback on State advocacy issues they are most welcome to do so via the subscribe or feedback button on our newsletter or send an email to secretary@cspv.catholic.edu.au.

We look forward to staying in touch and in sharing information with you regarding advocacy for parents of children in Catholic schools in Victoria.

Visit the link below to view your newsletter:

https://vcspb.schoolzineplus.com/streamnews?nid=5

 

JUST and SIMPLE FAIR

Our students have been invited to attend the

Just and Simple Fair which is to be held on the 28th of November.  This is an annual event held by Star of the Sea, which supports charities such as BASP, Sacred Heart Mission and St Vincent de Paul.  Class teachers will escort students over to the fair between 12 @ 2pm on the day.  It is a great opportunity for the children to purchase small Christmas gifts knowing that they are helping a