Dear friends of St James Catholic College,

THANKS FOR THE MAY BALL!

In the last newsletter I spoke of the unique community nature of the May Ball. May I extend on behalf of the whole college, a thank you to all those that attended. As so many people said to me on the night, the 2024 May Ball was an exceptional community event, filled with joy, energy, fun, dancing by all and, of course, a very prayerful devotion to Mary, our mother.

Thank you in particular to those staff members who took key roles in the organising of the event: 

• To Ms Katie McNamara for all the decorations, technical support and soundtrack. 
• To Mrs Donna Duggan for the well crafted and prayerful reflection to Mary that started our whole evening. 
• To Mrs Elizabeth Radnidge for overall organisation of everyone and everything. 
• To Mrs Sharlene Duggan for all the catering and logistics that happened behind the scenes. 

GOOD FEEDBACK, GIVEN POSITIVELY, PRODUCES GOOD RESULTS

Whilst on the topic of such a successful May Ball, I cannot help but reflect that this year's event is so very much due not only to the quality staff that helped to organise it, but also to the feedback that these staff have received from the broader community.

There is much said about feedback in an educational setting. I know that in my Year 10 Religious Education class I sit down with each person individually, after every major assessment, to give them feedback as to the things that they did well, as well as the things that they could improve. It's all about improving the performance of the children in the tasks that they are given.

This applies to the broader college community. When, as a staff member I receive feedback from either students or family members, about any issue or idea that they may have, that feedback can only lead to better performance on my part.

I encourage all members of our community to pass on feedback to staff. Of course it is always important to be respectful in the manner that you go about it. But can I assure you good feedback, given positively, always produces good results.

ST JAMES CATHOLIC COLLEGE ATTENDANCE POLICY 

It is a legal requirement in Tasmania for every child between the ages of five (5) and eighteen (18) to attend school on a full-time basis unless otherwise exempted. Schools are required to maintain an accurate record of student attendance. 

The St James Catholic College Attendance Policy aims to ensure students and parents/guardians have a clear understanding of the importance of regular attendance. It is important that students, staff and parents/guardians have a shared understanding of the importance of attending school. 

At St James Catholic College, we believe:

• all students should be enrolled at school and attend school all day, every school day. 
• attendance at school is the responsibility of everyone in the community.
  
• non-attendance or truancy can place students in unsafe situations and impact on their future employability and life choices.
• in holistic support that includes monitoring, communicating and implementing strategies to improve regular school attendance. 

The PURPOSE of the policy

To maximise student learning opportunities and performance by ensuring that students attend school and do so regularly, without unnecessary absences. 

The RESPONSIBILITIES of the policy

School Responsibilities 

• Provide a safe and supportive learning environment and an engaging and relevant curriculum. 
• Clear communication of expected dates of attendance.
• Notify parent/guardian of student absence.
• Develop support structures to enable students to re-engage with their schooling, if/as applicable.

Student Responsibilities 

• Punctual, regular school attendance.
• Remaining at school for a full day.
• Commitment to learning. 

Parent Responsibilities 

• Ensure the child attends school on time each day and that school attendance is seen as a priority. 
• Only permit a child to remain at home for an authorised reason.
• Notify school promptly of student absence and the reason for the absence.
• Ensure a safe and reliable mode of transport to and from school. 

PRAYER GARDEN

Between the main office and the early years classrooms is a little narrow cavity which is our college prayer garden. It was built some 15 years ago initially by a class that I taught life skills in. Over the years it's been added to and one very special way that it's been added to is by plaques placed at the back of the prayer garden to remember individuals that were important to our college that have passed away.

My invitation to the community is to ask if there are any people who are dear to you and were members of our college community that you would like added to our prayer garden. If so please e-mail me on sjcc.principal@catholic.tas.edu.au

MASTER PLAN

Three weeks ago Mrs Radnidge had the pleasure a convening the second meeting of a select group of students to talk to Adam Martin from the Catholic Education Office and Miriam Rose from a landscaping consultancy company around our masterplan for the college. As I mentioned in an earlier newsletter, the master plan focused on the development of our grounds leveraging off the wonderful work that Mrs. Ann Foale, one of my predecessors, had done several years ago in refurbishing all the classrooms throughout the whole school.

Now the insight of the students has been mapped by Miriam and I’m pleased to share the plans so far, which can be viewed in the display cabinet outside the office.  If you have any suggestions, please forward them to sjcc.principal@catholic.tas.edu.au 

Regards,

Joe Sandric

Principal

Important Dates

May Ball 2024

In perfect Cross Country conditions all students from Kindergarten to Year 10 participated in our College Cross Country event on Wednesday at our new venue, Burtons Reserve.

There were many great individual performances and all students displayed great sportsmanship during their races.

Early Years Literacy Parent Information Session

You are warmly invited to morning tea and an information session: Literacy in the Early Years at SJCC. The session will cover how students are learning literacy in the classroom and how to support your child at home. The home reading program will be discussed in detail. 

Please register at the following email address: emma.mcafee@catholic.tas.edu.au

• 29th May
• SJCC Library
• 9:00 - 10:00 AM

Eddie Rice and Live LIfe Whole programs (Years 7 and 8)

Last week, our Year 7 and 8 students attended workshop sessions focused on their well-being. They gained valuable insights and tools to nourish and nurture their physical, mental, and emotional health. The students would like to thank their respective instructors from Eddie Rice Boys Retreats and Live Life Whole, for providing such informative workshops. 

Little Lights Calendar -  Term two

There are lots of wonderful things to see, make, explore and do this term at Little Lights.

HUON VALLEY CATHOLIC PARISH

Houn Valley Youth Writers' Group

This evening, discover exciting umpiring opportunities within our community! Whether you're passionate about netball or seeking leadership roles, this event is perfect for you. Learn more about umpiring, gain valuable skills, and contribute to our community—all while earning some pocket money. All ages, including adults, are welcome!

Circus across Tasmania - Rooke

CAT_Poster.pdf

CAT_Poster _pdf 3.04 MB

Senior Course information Night

Parent / Student Communication

Our mobile phone policy is 'off and away all day'. That is, students are to keep their phones switched off and out of sight during school hours. If students are seen using their phones, the phone is sent to the office.

To support your child uphold the policy, please do not call or text them directly during school hours. Should you need to contact your child through the school day, please do so via the school office and your message will be passed on. 

SMS Absence Notifications

The College accepts SMS absentee notifications. Please SMS: 0488 863 246 with your child's name, grade and absent reason. Please save this number in your phone for future reference.

Drink Bottles

Please make sure your child brings a drink bottle to school each day.  

College Facebook Page / Instagram

Join our College Facebook page just click below or type in: @StJamesCatholicCollege in the Facebook search bar.

Have your childs medical details changed?

A gentle reminder to advise the school if your child's medical details have recently changed. Please contact the College office to ensure your childs details are current.