Principal's News 

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

School improvement continues to evolve at St James.  Despite the interruption and turbulance of the school year, plans are in place for 2021.  

Today the Leadership Team met with an external facilitator to assist us in the planning for an exciting educational year in 2021.  

Next Friday 27th November, the staff will carry on in this planning phase, to ensure that we continue to offer outstanding Catholic education.  We look forward to expressing our vision and process with you in the coming weeks.

Schools and education continue to evolve.  In the recent years St James has changed from it's previous model.  This has also been evident in the transformation of the Tilley space. 

The update below is evidence of the changing nature to ensure that schools are vibrant and exciting places for children, teachers and parents to learn.

An update on the Tilley Garden 

Journal of works to date:

Stage 1 - The Sensory and sustainable garden project using raw materials and lots of imagination.  As the soil was severely compacted around and underneath the mature trees, we started with:

A) - Soil preparation

- tilling the compacted soil

- removing the weeds

- added organic compost consisting of 3 manures and mountain soil

- mixing in pea straw and turning over the soil to help aerate

B) Tree pruning of a large limb of the willow myrtle that was damaged in a storm.

- recycled by milling the timber into slabs and turning them into seats and a Tilley playground campsite sign and fireplace

- we used the branches to construct a bush cubby house

C) We recycled sugar gum logwood and off cuts

- we made logwood seats and a table

- creating an outdoor teaching space underneath a mature bottlebrush tree. We call it friendship circle

D) Tree pruning and deadwooding of a queensland box

- we recycled some of the deadwood and turned them into a fairy house and garden

- we made steps and fencing leading to the fairy house out of branches and sea shells

E) Creating a dry creek river bed

- we brought in several large granite rocks and river pebbles

- we also added some small native animal toys so as to ignite the imaginations of everyone who plays here and hid them amongst the rocks

- everyone is encouraged to pick up and explore the different rocks and pebbles and feel the different textures

- this space will also become a natural habitat for maybe lizards

F) Building a farmyard

- we used recycled sugar gum posts to build a small fenced area to house our toy farm animals

- we also used pea straw as a base around the farmyard

- we hid native fury toys inside the crown of several trees to help build a connection for everyone recognising native habitats

- we also focused on creating a warm welcome for anxious students after returning from home schooling

G) Building a herb/kitchen garden in a raised garden bed

- due to the concrete slab underneath the load bearing pillar, we realised we could not plant here

- so we recycled some wine barrels and placed them around the pillar

- we used the same compost, manures and added some potting mix before planting

- we planted strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and passionfruit and we are already seeing fruit

- we planted several different herbs as an understory

- the herbs are growing like crazy of which the teachers are particularly excited

H) Planter boxes

- we introduced 10 planter boxes alongside existing fruit trees

- they are now planted with 10 different varieties of tomatoes

- underneath each tomato is several companion plants, so as to work together with nutrition and fighting off the pests

- each box has its own watering can

I) Recycling ironbark by making timber steps

- we used timber steps linking each of the play areas

- we created an imaginary adventure trail out of these steps

- we call it the Crocodile creek adventure trail- along the trail you will find signs with further instructions, linking the next area

J) The adventure trail links up the main sensory garden to the kitchen garden

- we continued the timber steps across the yard to the planter boxes

- we have named this area snapper point games area, although it is still under construction

- the ironbark timber steps than wind around and in and out of the planter boxes, this is named the crazy maze

- as the tomatoes and other vegetables grow higher above the planter boxes, this will form a little forest and make it more fun to hide there and get lost- our trail comes out and the end of the planter boxes and links back up to the raised herb/kitchen garden

K) Grade 6 students growing tomatoes from seed- approximately 3-4 weeks ago we planted tomato seeds into a pot of composted soil

- 99% of those seeds have germinated

- we plan to take our seedlings home to grow over the summer months

L) Tree removal directly outside of school

- our parents collected some logwood left behind from a tree removal

- we have begun to mill some of that timber up and use it as natural garden borders and edging

- it will also serve as natural habitats to insects and geckos

M) Recycling a narrow leaved black peppermint- our parents organised a crane truck to lift and carry several large barrels and logwood of a narrow leaved peppermint tree that was removed in Sandringham and was about to be cut into firewood

- this timber will be milled and used mainly for building raised garden beds and natural garden edging

- and to create part of the games area

N) Building of Farmer Charlie and the two school children

- our parents built a farmer to watch over the farm animals out of recyclable materials, including a silver birch that was removed

- and two school children that welcome everyone to the garden with lovely big smiles at the gate

- our wonderful Art teacher, Ms Cooper, has also begun making animals out of pine cones

Please keep a look out on the Parent Portal for the amazing presentation our Sustainable Leaders presented at this year's Sustainable Festival.  Also get excited about Stage 2.

Basketball Backboards

Due to the deterioration of the old backboards we are replacing the boards with 18mm new marine ply.  I have just been informed they have had it's fifth coat of paint with the last two coats to go on this afternoon.  The black stripes will be painted on tomorrow and we hope to have them installed by the weekend..

We had received a quotation $2700 by the contractors for all 4 boards, however we have asked one of our fathers to replace the boards.  He is juggling his own work and we have reduced the cost significantly.

Regards,

Brendan Flanagan

Principal