Dear Parents and Carers,

First and foremost I wish to welcome each and every one of you to the new school year. I feel so honoured to be commencing the school year with you all as Acting Principal. It has been lovely to reconnect with all families over the last two weeks following the school holidays.

As you may have seen on our school socials, we have been busy during the school holidays upgrading facilities and a general school tidy up and maintenance to ensure that our students are provided with a clean and safe school environment in which to learn and flourish.

Here are some of the items attended to:

Windows cleaned and cracked glass replaced
Carpets steam cleaned
Reorganising the First Aid room
Softfall dispersed into play areas, including the Tilley (Heritage) Garden
Sandpits cleaned and replenished
Planter boxes filled with plants and the school entrance garden transformed
A new office space in the upstairs photocopy room is currently being refurbished for staff to use as an additional office space
The OSH Club room has been tidied up
School logos placed on entrances and doors
Restructuring Learning spaces so that all specialist classes are now held downstairs and classrooms upstairs
And the much awaited upgrade of the School Hall toilets.

Please check out our school socials for photos of some of the work completed, or pop into say hello and see it first hand.

I have many wishes for the 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 when they feel challenged.

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

Last night we held our first Parents Association meeting for the year. 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.

A Prayer for Turkey and Syria and St James Families

In the midst of the death and trauma caused by the recent Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria let us take a moment to join in prayer.

During the holidays, sadly two of our families have lost grandparents. We keep The Glowaski and Saunders families in our thoughts and prayers.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, we pray for the people of Turkey and Syria, for the victims, the injured, and all those affected by the devastating earthquake.

We pray for first-responders, and all those working tirelessly to rescue survivors from beneath the rubble. May God’s peace sustain their efforts.

We pray that the God of Life will comfort the grieving families and friends, and give them the strength and courage they need during this very difficult time.

We pray for families within our school community who have recently lost a dear family member.

May God’s love and compassion comfort them all.

Amen.

2023 Staffing

Parish Priests

Father David Carthwright

Father Dean Matheison

Fr Andrew Choi

Executive Leadership Team

Acting Principal - Carmelina Corio

Acting Deputy Principals - Emma Herbert and Georgia McNamara

Learning and Teaching Leadership Team

Junior Literacy / Intervention Leader - Amanda Joplin

Senior Literacy / Intervention Leader - Antoinette Ferrari

Junior Numeracy Leader - Bridie Slater

Senior Numeracy Leader - Jess Conway

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 and Georgia McNamara

Year 5 - Maree Fatouros

Year 4 - Bec Taylor

Year 3 - Jess Conway and Antoinette Ferrari

Year 2 - Cathy Busch

Year 1 - Maria Carpino and Amanda Joplin

Prep - Bridie Slater and Sharon Broeren

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 - Aidan Niarros

Teacher Librarian - Amanda Joplin

Learning Support Officers

Ann Nicola, Kate Buzza, Tracey MCCord, Lachie Doquille, Emily Busch and Mary Sarailis

Allied Health Team

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

School Chaplain - Corey Payton

Centorrino Technician - Eldon D’Souza

STAR Enrolments for Year 7, 2025

As you are aware we are located next to STAR of the Sea College. We have a great partnership with STAR and will often have their students work with our students. Every year a high percentage of our families choose to enrol their daughters into STAR.

Applications for Year 7, 2025 at Star of the Sea College are now open. Please refer to the ‘What's On and Worth Noting’ section of the Newsletter for further information.

School Marketing 2023 / 2024

A friendly reminder that if you would like to enrol your child into Prep 2024 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!

WE ARE ACCEPTING PREP 2024 ENROLMENTS

School Enrolments for Prep 2024 close on

Friday 24th March, 2023.

St James Principal Appointment Process

The St James Principal role has and will be readvertised on the weekends of February 4 and 11. Please keep the panel in your prayers as they are guided by the Spirit throughout this process.

Beginning of the School Year Liturgy

This morning the students in Year 5 along with Mrs Fatouros and Mrs Herbert led us in prayer for our beginning of the school year liturgy. Each class received a candle to place on their classroom Prayer tables. It was so lovely to see the school community come together and sing and pray in our school hall.

Covid-19 Safety at School (Updated protocols)

Working With Children Checks

St James is a Child Safe School. As part of our Child Safe practices and processes we are required to maintain up to date information of parents and volunteers who hold a current (Working With Children Check) and would like to assist with a school activity.

If you currently hold a WWCC and intend on helping out with school activities in the near or not too distant future, can you please fill in the attached Google Form.

Should you have any queries, please feel free to contact School Admin on info@stjamesbrighton.catholic.edu.au

Please update your information on the following WWCC Google Form if you have renewed or attained your WWCC.

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: ww.stjamesbrighton.catholic.edu.au

Twitter: St James Catholic Primary School, 3186

Instagram: stjamesbrighton3186

Facebook: @stjamesbrighton3186

Please stay safe and healthy.

Carmelina Corio (Acting Principal)

Class News

Prep