Filter Content
Dear Friends of St James Catholic College,
Last week we celebrated the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross Mackillop. We have much to thank this first Australian saint and her sisters for, especially in regards to education in Australia, and for us, especially, in Cygnet.
Do you know the story of the early beginnings of the Sisters of St Joseph in Cygnet? If not, have a read of our website to know more.
AJASS - Association of Josephite Affiliated Secondary Schools
Our College is part of an association of Secondary Josephite Catholic Schools. All the Colleges in the association have their college foundations linked to Joseph, Mary MacKillop and Julian Tennison Woods. Each year Secondary colleges are invited to record a short video to celebrate Mary MacKillop Feast Day. Please see the video attached which includes messages from Colleges in the Australian South East Cluster which we are a part of - it includes our own message from our 2025 Captains Heidi and Jess.
MacKillop Feast Day - AJASS SE Cluster School Messages.mp4
2026 ENROLMENTS
Year 7: If you know of any families who have children in Year 6 and are contemplating where to send their child next year for secondary school, please have them get in touch with us directly at the Front Office. Alternatively they can look to our website where we have plenty of information about the college as well as a portal to book a tour.
Kindergarten: In just over a month's time, we will shift our enrolment focus to our Kindergarten enrolments! This early indication of enrolment numbers allows us to plan effectively for the year ahead, so at any stage if you know of any families who have children about to begin the wonderful journey of education please have them get in touch with us. WE would love the opportunity to show them our College in person.
Your support in attracting enrolments and the positive comments you make about our vibrant College can make all the difference!
St James is:
- High expectations and high regard of students: St James received recognition from the state Minister for Education and the Executive Director of Catholic Schools for being the highest performing College in the Catholic system on NAPLAN and well as being in the top 25 performing schools. This is not by accident, we have a very deliberate and planned literacy program that extends into high school as well as specific numeracy blocks for support. Such a deliberate literacy and numeracy strategy sees our student flourish. We have high standards in education and have a high regard for our students.
- A small catholic school. St James is a community where everyone knows your child’s name and is committed to their personal growth and individual learning achievement.
- Affordable. Our fees and levies are kept low, and financial needs are treated confidentially. Please arrange a discussion with me and I will endeavor to respond to any financial needs you may have.
- Accessible. Bus services from St James operate across the Huon Valley. Just look at the website map of bus routes to see how easy it is for your child to travel to St James!
- Supportive. A core teacher in Year 7 is timetabled to your child for Homeroom and a significant number of classes, and they are your first point of contact.
- Engaging. Students experience a wide selection of subjects over the course of Year 7 and 8, enabling them to choose specific ‘elective’ subject areas in Years 9 and 10.
There are many things that go together to make the vibrant catholic community that we are. I hope that each family sees in action these five elements played out in the way we operate.
SCHOOL CLOSURE
From time to time, due to extreme weather or other unforeseen circumstances, school may need to be cancelled for the day. Please be aware of how this happened and how it is communicated:
In a nutshell, Mrs Elizabeth Radnidge and Mr Joe Sandric call the weather/incident by 7am, Joe makes the decision then contacts other colleges in our region, Mr Brett Tanner contacts staff via email and text by 7.15am, Mrs Sharlene Duggan contacts families via compass and text by 7.15am and Joe contacts buses.
Joe Sandric
Principal
Important Dates
|
Book Week Parade |
|
Book Week |
|
Book Fair |
|
Year 7 attend Shroud of Turin Exhibition |
|
Selected Year 5/6 Students attend Volleyball Competion |
|
Outdoor Education Group 1 - Fishing at Kettering Outdoor Education Group 2 students - Kings Hill Hike |
|
Year 1 visit Channel History Museum |
|
Year 10 - RYDA Driving Safety Course |
Catholic Education Week
Our College Captains, Heidi Turnbull and Jess Drysdale, joined Mr Sandric and a group of Year 6 students in representing our school at a special Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, Hobart, as part of Catholic Education Week. They gathered alongside students and staff from Catholic schools across the Hobart region to celebrate this important occasion.
During the Mass, Heidi delivered the First Reading, Jess led the Prayers of the Faithful, and Karl Jacobi presented the gifts to Archbishops Anthony and Julian.
Year 8 Food Thechnology
In Term 3, our Year 8 Food Technology class is cooking with ingredients from the St James garden, grown by our students. This week we made vegetable soup, using tomatoes, zucchini, corn, leek, cauliflower and broccolini which were all planted and harvested during Design & Technology Garden classes.
Book Week 2025
This year's book week theme is: Book an Adventure!
Students are invited to dress up as a book character. A parade will be held in the MPC at 9:30 on Wednesday 20th August. Families are welcome to attend.
Prep Class visited The Channel History Museum
Visiting St Mary’s for the Installation of Archbishop Anthony Ireland
Following the ceremony, our students had the opportunity to reconnect with our Parish Priest, Fr Warren.
The College community extends our warmest congratulations to Archbishop Anthony and wishes him every blessing in his new role as our pastoral leader. He can be assured of our ongoing support and prayers.
Social Media
New Uniform Price List
Contact and communication during the school day
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.
