29 March 2018

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Dear Parents and the St James Catholic College Community,

The Liturgical Year 2018 has been identified by the Australian Bishops as the National Year of Youth. The Year of Youth invites the Church to join in dialogue about the importance and the life-giving presence of young people in the Church community. During Lent our students have been fundraising for a number of causes, including projects for Caritas. Caritas is a Catholic aid agency that works to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. It is hoped that students, staff and their families will be active in the Easter celebrations offered at our Parish or their local Parish. These special times in the Church’s calendar involve the re-enactment of the events central to our Faith and represent a way for us to strengthen our relationship with God.

Huon Valley Catholic Parish Easter Mass times:

Good Friday:

11:00am Stations of the Cross (Cygnet)
3:00pm Good Friday Service (Ranelagh)

Holy Saturday:

7:00pm Easter Vigil (Ranelagh)

Easter Sunday:

9:30am Easter Sunday (Cygnet)

May Ball

Please see information detailed in this newsletter about the upcoming May Ball celebrations. It has been wonderful to see our students learning and getting involved in the dance practice sessions.

P&F

The College has been working on establishing a new Parents and Friends Committee. Last week the first meeting for the year was held. The meeting was very constructive and positive and it is great to have parent representatives involved. At the meeting the Executive Team was elected:

President:          Katie Griffiths
Vice President:  Audrey Holland
Secretaries:       Roula Jennings and Sophie Fraser
Treasurer:          Kelly Du Bois

We encourage new members to join the team! The next meeting will be held at the College on 10 April at 7pm. See more details in this newsletter.

College Advisory Board

Other ways to get involved in the College community can be as a member of our College Advisory Board. Several Board members have served their term and we look forward to having new parents join. If you are interested please see details below.

All Parent/Caregivers of students currently enrolled at the College and members of the local parish/school community are eligible to be considered for Board membership. The principle focus of Board members is to work to improve the capacity of the College as a Catholic school to deliver quality educational outcomes for our students. At the close of nominations, consultation with Fr Deva, Parish Administrator, prioritised recommendations will be submitted to the Director of Catholic Education for decision. The intent is for vacant positions to be filled prior to the Annual General Meeting scheduled for 7 May 2018.

The inclusion of different voices, experiences and perspectives that support the Catholic ethos of the school bring an energy and richness to the College. Please consider approaching those within our community that you believe have skills that would be valued on the Board. Self-nominations are acceptable.

Please complete the Board Nomination form available via the following link: https://goo.gl/forms/iTGbzrXnNlhVVmlC3

or collect a paper copy from the College Office. Forms must be submitted by Wednesday 11 April 2018, 3pm.

If you would like to discuss a nomination please call me on 6295 1541 or email: allan.clark@catholic.tas.edu.au 

Student / Parent / Teacher Learning Conferences 10-11 April 2018

The Learning Conferences involve students participating in a discussion about their learning with their parents/guardians and their homeroom/class teachers. Students from P-10 will be issued their Interim Report at these conferences. Meeting with specialist subject teachers is not part of this initial process; however, this can be organised later if it is deemed necessary.

The Conference allows for homeroom/class teachers to discuss progress in key learning areas, as well as work habits, such as organisation. Goals will be developed and set so that students can work towards achieving them during the remainder of the year. Please note that this conference will facilitate the construction of their Personalised Learning Plan (PLP). A similar process in the middle of the year will allow for reviewing progress towards their goals.

Each conference is scheduled for 15 minutes, so if you could stick to this time it would be greatly appreciated. If you need more time, teachers will be happy to make follow up appointments. This process is a positive way of building relationships and ensuring commitment to the individualised learning outcomes your son or daughter requires.

It is an expectation that learning conferences are conducted for every student from Prep to Year 10 and that the student is present for all or part of the conference. Appointments can be made ONLINE or by contacting the College office. The online booking process is done through a system called Session Keeper. To book click on the following link:https://sjcccygnet.sessionkeeper.com.au  

Staffing Announcement

I would like to welcome to our College Community Mrs Asha Buchanan-Wright and Mrs Lindy Cordwell who will be working in Teacher Assistant capacities for the remainder of 2018. Both Asha and Lindy have commenced and they are great assets to our College.

God Bless and have a Happy Easter with your families.

Allan Clark
Principal

General Notices

Save the Date – May Ball information

The May Ball is a school community event for our students and families to celebrate Mary and our mothers. Attire for the event should not be a financial burden on any family. We encourage you to look at some of the options below:

• Wanting a nice dress, shirt, dress pants or shoes? Target, Best & Less and Big W have you sorted.
• The perfect dress is hard to find... why not try these local stores who stock unique, stunning, new and used dresses at affordable prices... why not make it a girl’s day out?
  - https://www.facebook.com/Hello-Gorgeous-Vintage-107033342673026/
  - https://www.vinnies.org.au/shops/view/467
  - https://www.opshop.org/details/Kingston-Red-Cross

• Still looking... never fear, don't waste money on a gown you might only wear once, consider hiring!
  - https://www.glamcorner.com.au/hobart
  - https://yourcloset.com.au/

We look forward to seeing you at the Ball!

SMS Absence Notification

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.

School Fees

Thank you to those families who have made fee payment arrangements and/or paid upfront for 2018. 2018 Fees must be paid by 31/3/2018 to qualify for the early payment discount. Families who do not have a payment arrangement in place are encouraged to contact College Business Manager Kelly Du Bois for a confidential discussion.

Student Details Update

Please return and complete the package of forms that were sent home in Week 1. These forms include vital student information including emergency contacts, student and medical details. To help us update our records the office requires these forms returned at your earliest convenience. If you need a copy of the forms, please contact the College office.

Uniform

The College Uniform is valued as a means of developing in our students, a sense of pride and dignity and a feeling of belonging, thus minimising the notions of status and inequality.

A full set of Uniform Expectations is available on the College website:

Summary of expectations for students:

• to wear the College uniform in full, and in the correct manner as outlined in the Uniform Expectations document;
• to wear the College bucket hat during designated times and in the correct manner;
• to wear their ties knotted correctly with their top collar button fastened (winter uniform);
• to have their hair groomed neatly – extreme styles or dyeing of hair are not permitted, e.g. undercuts, dreadlocks, rat-tails, less than no. 3 cut and unnatural colours;
• to tie back hair that is longer than shoulder length and ensure that it does not cover the eyes or face;
• to wear regulation school shoes and sport shoes;
• Girls are permitted to wear a simple ring; and are not permitted to wear make-up; coloured nail polish. Shorts/skirts/tunics are to be of a reasonable length;
• Boys – must be clean shaven at all times;
• No visible piercing is permitted except for one in each ear-lobe;
• No additional items of clothing or accessories;
• To use a school back pack which is not to be graffitied in any way.

It is the expectation of the College that parents will:

• provide their child with the correct uniform;
• ensure that their child wears the uniform correctly;
• provide a note of explanation when their child is unable to wear the correct uniform.

The College Uniform shop is open each Monday and Wednesday (term time only) between 2:30pm and 3:30pm. If you wish to order over the phone please contact the College Office: 6295 1541. A copy of the 2018 Uniform price list is attached for your reference.

Canteen Pricelist

Entertainment Books

Pre-order your 2018 | 2019 Entertainment Books and at the same time support our College. Books are $70 each and can be ordered online, order now and you can access some great bonus offers! Visit the link below for more information.

Little Lights – Birth to Four Program

College Facebook page

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

SJCC P& F News

The first SJCC P & F meeting of the year was a great success. Our second meeting is scheduled for 10 April 18, 7pm. We have some wonderful parents on board who could use your help, especially at the upcoming Mother’s Day stall. We are still looking for new members. To be a part of the team sign up via the link below or pick up a hardcopy form from the office.

We hope to see you at the meeting. Don’t forget to join our SJCC P&F Facebook page, just type in: @SJCCPandF in the Facebook search bar.

What’s been happening at SJCC?

Catholic Education Week 2018

Last week, our Year 6 students attended the Catholic Education Week Mass held at St Mary’s Cathedral, Hobart. This Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Julian Porteous and attended by all Year 6 students from Southern Tasmanian Catholic Schools.

National Day of Action Against Bullying

On Friday 16 March, the Student Leaders organised different activities designed to raise awareness about multiculturalism and provide strategies and help say NO! to Bullying.

Harmony Day

Last Wednesday the College community dressed in their finest orange outfits to raise awareness and celebrate Harmony Day while raising vital funds for Caritas projects.

International Visitors for Year 2

Year 2 students had an exciting day last Tuesday when two students from Switzerland joined their class for the day. Sophie and Lilly Martin live in Switzerland but are travelling around the world for a year visiting the UK, Oman, Sri Lanka, Borneo, Bali, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada. The Kemmis-Cole family were fortunate to meet and travel with them whilst in Borneo, and as Tasmania was on their itinerary, invited them to stay and visit St James Catholic College for a day to experience the differences between an Australian and Swiss school.

Both girls had a fantastic day meeting new friends, experiencing how the school day runs in Australia, participating in music and sports lessons and even catching the school bus home. The biggest surprise was eating lunch at school instead of going home to eat and then returning to school for the afternoon. Wearing a uniform was a new experience, both girls deciding that a uniform was much easier than wearing free dress and thanks to Ms Connor, ‘Farmer Sam’ has now been exported to Switzerland.

Thank you to all those at the College who made Sophie and Lilly feel so welcome. It was a lovely day of sharing Swiss and Australian culture, learning about how other school children experience school and gaining new perspectives on our own school. The girls both said that it was an experience they would remember for the rest of their lives.

From the Sports Desk

In the Spotlight…

Each issue of the Sports Desk will place a spotlight on Sporting achievements from our students.

Congratulations to our students who received a trophy at the recent Slab Road Juniors Cricket Club awards.

Huon & Channel Swimming Carnival

On Tuesday 20 March student representatives from Years 3-6 participated in the 2018 Huon and Channel Swimming Carnival at Huonville Pool. This event allows our students to compete against other local schools including: Sacred Heart School, Cygnet Primary, Sung Primary, Calvin Christian School and Southern Christian School.

The representative team consisted of the following students:

Charlotte Direen, Harry Brereton, Maiya Jones, Lachlan Kemmis-Cole, Anika Jones, Kallen Lovell, Heidi Turnbull, Alex Sandric, Indiana Coulson, Fraser Clark, Laura Flakemore, Hunter Thorpe, Myla Lee, Benjamin Carter, Coral Lovell, Bailey Harris, Lochlan Turnbull, Darcy Direen, Lawson Lovell, Jack Hunter, Thomas Jones. Well done for your participation and efforts at this great event!

Congratulations to the following students who received a placing in their respective events:

Relay:

AFL 9’s competition

On Friday 16 March, some of our Secondary students participated in the AFL 9s competition. AFL 9s is the AFL's official social version of the game. It's a fast, fun, free-flowing game that involves 9 players on each team playing on a smaller field. Best of all, it's 'touch football' with no tackling or bumping, making it suitable for everyone.

T20 Cricket

On Friday 16 March, some of our Year 5/6 students participated in a T20 Cricket round robin at the Twin Ovals. Our students had a great time playing against other local schools.

If you have any sporting achievements we can share in our College Newsletter please contact the College Promotions Officer Miss Armstrong via email: jaimi.armstrong@catholic.tas.edu.au

What’s on in our community

Coming up this term:

• Huon Valley Soccer Club
• Football – various activities
• Cygnet Sea Dragons Soccer
• Silhouette Dance

Huon Valley Soccer Club

Huon Valley Soccer Club is looking forward to another action packed season and has begun training for Juniors and Youth teams on Thursday afternoons. Registration forms are available and players and coaches from Under 6 through to Under 15 will be warmly welcomed. No previous experience is needed and it is a great way to keep fit, make friends and have fun through the winter months. Anyone interested in wearing the Orange and Black for the HVSC should come along to the Huonville Soccer ground (Cnr Tennis Court Rd and Heron St, behind Woolworths) from 3:30pm. For inquiries please phone Tanya Robbie on 62660262.

Other Activities include:

Coles Sports for Schools

Coles Sports for Schools is back to help Aussie kids stay fit and healthy. If you shop at Coles, you'll receive Sports for Schools vouchers that the College can exchange for sports gear. The more vouchers collected, the more sports equipment we receive. If you have any Coles vouchers please send along to the office. Thank you.

Community Notices

Parenting Ideas flyers

School Banking

Dollarmites information

Bendigo Bank Information

Huon Valley Theatre announcements!

THE TALENTS.

Bookings are now being taken for on-stage rehearsal times in the lead-up to the heats and Gala Performance for THE TALENTS - Huon Valley Theatre's celebration of performing arts. Entries are open to all ages and all types of performance. Prizes will be awarded. Rehearsals will take place on 2nd and 8th April. Call 0427186593 for more information.

Bricks4Kidz

IAM Music Holiday program

Huon Valley Grandparents & Relatives Raising Children Group

St Mary’s College