Newsletter 11 June 2025
Principal's Message
Dear Families,
When the community of Maryknoll was established in the 1950's, it was under the leadership of a dedicated team of Catholic families and Father Bill Pooley. At St James, we continue this tradition by banding together to support our small community school. As a small Catholic school, we face challenges, the biggest of these being resourcing and man power. I honestly feel that as a community united in what is best for our children that we can overcome these. Hence my following requests for help:
We need a huge amount of support with our working bee on Sunday. At the current time, we only have 5 parents willing to help out. The purpose of our working bee is to beautify our grounds before our 50th Birthday celebrations on July 25. Without parent support we will need to employ contractors which could move thousands of dollars away from resources for our children, including literature and playground updates. Please consider this request.. added bonus, I'm catering morning tea and lunch! Please respond to this form https://forms.gle/ZDis2VYCSaD74JrG7 the P&F can't do this without you!
P&F- Parents and Friends committee - They need our support, this small team of dedicated parents run our community and fundraising events, and again, can not do this alone. They meet twice a term and would love some new families to join their group to, again, help support the school with equipment such as playgrounds and technology. If you are interested, please see Tara (Scarlett and Sienna's Mum)
Thanks in advance for your support of these incredibly important initiatives.
Have a good week, Bec
Upcoming events
| Friday 13 June | Year 4 - Year 6 Mass (no morning tea) |
| Sunday 15 June | Working Bee |
| Friday 20 June | Parents and Friends Meeting (2pm) |
| Friday 4 July | Last Day of Term 2 |
RE News
Pentecost Reflection by Mike Hansen
First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11;
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13;
Gospel: John 20:19-23
We all know the account of that Pentecost day. The apostles were all seated in the one room… there was the noise of a powerful wind that “filled the entire house”… “something’ that seemed like tongues of fire came to rest on their heads… and they were filled with the Holy Spirit who gifted them with foreign languages. They burst from the house and begin to preach “about the marvels of God” in a language that everyone gathered that day heard in their own tongue.
Reading the account again today in Acts 2:1-11 still leaves me open mouthed and breathless with wonderment. What an extraordinary event! What an extraordinary time for these first disciples and what an emotional rollercoaster they have endured in the previous weeks: Jesus’ final days, his arrest & torment, death on the cross, their fear, His resurrection & appearance through locked doors, His assurances, His ascension and promise to send The Comforter.
It is interesting to focus on some of the Pentecost details and overlay them on our own lives. It appears from the Scriptural account that the apostles were sitting in one room of the house… not lounging around mind you but, I suspect, with a sense of expectation. Jesus had promised The Comforter and the disciples were waiting for the fulfillment of the promise. And when The Comforter comes it is with a power that shakes the whole house and lights a grace filled fire in everyone present.
Is this not similar to some of our own life situations? Do we not have to learn to wait patiently for our prayers to be answered, for promises to be fulfilled, for “something” to come to rest on us to fill our emptiness and need? Oftentimes we find ourselves waiting in expectation for something life giving to occur: the birth of a child, an exam result, illness to pass, a letter to arrive, a word to be said, a plane to land, the sun to break through. It can be a delicious time of waiting… a chance to rehearse the very moment of fulfillment and completion… a time that stretches forward and energises and gives us life and meaning .
And when a few experience the joy of life beyond what could be hoped for is not “the entire house” charged by the life giving experience of hope fulfilled? This is a Pentecost moment!
But Pentecost is not just an event that happened at the birth of the church and has echoes in our own life’s experience. For the descent of the Holy Spirit is an ongoing event activating the motivation and intensions of The People of God, drawing us forward into a future plump with possibilities and rich with the divine presence.
The “something” that broke apart and rested on the heads of the apostles at the first Pentecost continues its whirlwind way into the hearts and minds of the faithful followers of Jesus, transforming our lives.
Sacrament Dates 2025
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Commitment Mass
| Date | Place | Time |
| Saturday 18 October 2025 | St James Nar Nar Goon | 5.00pm |
| Sunday 19 October 2025 | St John's Koo Wee Rup | 9.30am |
| Sunday 19 October 2025 | St Joseph's Iona | 11.00am |
Parent/Child Workshop
| Date | Place | Time |
| Wednesday 29 October 2025 | St James PS Nar Nar Goon | 5.30pm |
| Thursday 30 October 2025 | St John's PS Koo Wee Rup | 5.30pm |
Sacrament of Reconciliation
| Date | Place | Time |
| Thursday 13 November 2025 | St John's Koo Wee Rup | 5.30pm |
Wellbeing Leader
Parents & Friends News
Scholastic Book Club
Issue 4 will be coming home with your children this week!
Orders close on June 20 2025
(Please note: all orders are to be processed through LOOP online)
Important Information
Both the PAM and Schoolzine Calendars have been updated with new information.
To access the Schoolzine calendar through the app you will be prompted to enter a password - James4011
This year St James will be using two main platforms of communication with our families - PAM and Schoolzine.
To ensure that you keep up to date with what is happening with your children and within the school please ensure that you have access to these platforms and are familiar with their uses.
If you require assistance with accessing or setting up these platforms, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.
From time to time it will also be necessary for emails and text messages to be sent.
Schoolzine App Installation Instructions:
This is an app that you have on your phone and allows for easy reading of the newsletter, as it customises to the screen and translates into many languages if required.
Please click the link below for the instructions on installing the app on your phone.
https://www.schoolzine.com/
As part of the installation, you will be required to enter the following 4 digit passcode -
4011
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions or queries.
Accessing PAM Instructions:
Please use the below link to access your PAM account.
https://pam.stjamesnng.catholic.edu.au
The user name is the email you have provided to the school and if you have not logged on previously, you will be able to set a password.
If you require your password to be reset, please contact the school office.
DS Sports
From the Community
