Newsletter 20 August 2025
Principal's Message
Dear Families,
On Friday we continue to celebrate Book Week with our parade at 9am Friday in the hall. Please extend a warm welcome to extended family as I know lots of preparation has gone into costumes for both students and staff! This year's theme is "Book and Adventure", so please come along for our adventurous parade!
Next week (week 6) student progress meetings will be taking place on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Students are also invited to these meetings with their teacher/s to discuss and celebrate their learning. We ask that you be mindful of your allocated time as we have a very tight timetable for both afternoons. Supervision for students will not be available at this time as staff will be in meetings.
During week 6 we are also celebrating our Grandparents and Special Friends. Mass will be at 11am followed by a shared lunch and then winter sports. As in the past, we are asking for families bring the following according to class for each student:
Foundation and 1/2JD - cold savoury
2/3 LB - sweets
4/5 and 5/6- warm savoury
We will also need parent helpers to set up for our shared lunch, help serve and then pack away. If you are able to help from 11am onwards, please contact office@stjamesnng.catholic.
Loren Bertoncello continues to participate in the Diocese of Sale Leadership Program this week. This is a tremendous opportunity for Loren and we look forward to her continuing to share her learnings with us as Religious Education Leader. Kathy Zandona will be on leave for the remainder of the term commencing next Monday August 25. We look forward to Kathy's return in Term 4. Mr M is continuing with his teaching degree placement for three weeks, also commencing next Monday. We wish Zac well and look forward to him sharing his learning with us also when he returns for the final week of term.
On September 5, we will celebrate our Dad's and important people in our lives with breakfast and Mass. Please complete the Google form if you are able to help with cooking and serving a yummy breakfast, While the P&F are more than happy to coordinate breakfast, they can not run this event alone.
It's that time of year where we need to reconvene our School Advisory Committee (SAC). At our next Annual General Meeting, all positions will be declared empty.
The purpose of this committee is to discuss things such as continued school improvement, school fees and class structures. This committee operates in an advisory component to the Principal and Leadership Team, it is not a School Board as in other systems.
The committee meets once a term at 5pm on a Tuesday. (usually mid to later term) Criteria for two year commitment is as follows-
- Parent of an enrolled student
- Staff representative
- Parishioner representative
We need at least 3 parent reps with one willing to take on the chairperson position. Please complete the attached form.
Have a good week, Bec
Upcoming events
| Friday 22/08 | Book Week Parade - 9am - 10am |
| Tuesday 26/08 | Lamont Book Fair - St James Hall - (8.30am - 9.00am & 3.30 - 5.30pm) Student Progress Meetings (3.40pm - 6pm) |
| Wednesday 27/08 | Lamont Book Fair - St James Hall - (8.30am - 9.00am) |
| Thursday 28/08 | Lamont Book Fair - St James Hall - (8.30am - 9.00am & 3.00pm - 4.30pm) Vicspell Zone Finals Student Progress Meetings (3pm - 5pm) |
| Friday 29/08 | NO Lunch Orders on this day Lamont Book Fair - St James Hall - (1pm - 3pm) Grandparents Day Mass - 11am (parent helpers required) Shared Lunch - 12pm - 1pm (F/1/2 - Cold Savoury Items, 2/3 - Sweet Items and 4/5/6 - Hot Savoury Items) Winter Sport - St James vs St Brigid's commencing at 1pm |
RE News
Explore Your Faith Journey. Join RCIA.
Are you curious about the Catholic faith? Do you feel a calling to deepen your spiritual life, or perhaps discover what it means to be part of our Catholic community?
Our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program is a welcoming journey for adults exploring the Catholic Church. Whether you are unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or a Catholic seeking to complete your Sacraments of Initiation (Eucharist and Confirmation), RCIA offers a supportive environment to learn, ask questions, and grow in faith.
Discover God's love and discern your path with us.
For more information, please contact Fr Avinash or Loren Bertoncello
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
The Resilience Project - Parent Hub & TRP@Home
TRP@Home - Scan the QR code below to access
Student Progress Meetings
Term 3 Student Progress Meetings are being held on Tuesday 26 August from 3.40pm - 6pm and on Thursday 28 August from 3pm - 5pm. To book your 10 minute appointment with your child/ren's teacher please log into your PAM account.
St James Lamont Book Fair
| Day | Opening Times |
| Tuesday 26/08/2025 | 8.30am - 9.00am 3.30pm - 5.30pm |
| Wednesday 27/08/2025 | 8.30am - 9.00am |
| Thursday 28/08/2025 | 8.30am - 9.00am 3.00pm - 4.30pm |
| Friday 29/08/2025 | 1.00pm - 3.00pm |
Scholastic Book Club
Issue 6 of Scholastic Book Club is due by Monday 8 September
School Uniform Update
We invite families to review the below uniform options and email rkollaris@stjamesnng.catholic.edu.au with any feedback you may have.
Parents & Friends News
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
