14 February 2019

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Dear Members of the St James Catholic College Community,

Welcome to the 2019 School Year at SJCC

It was wonderful to witness the excitement and enthusiasm of the Prep-Year 10 children as they arrived at school last week and our new Kindergarten students on Tuesday.

2019 will be another great year of learning, activities, spirit and community and judging by the first week, it promises to be excellent. It is very pleasing to see our students and staff have returned and commenced work seamlessly. A truly amazing effort, given the recent bushfires.

This smooth start to the year is due to the work of many people and in no small part to the students themselves for their eagerness to commence a new year of learning challenges and letting their light shine.

We welcome the following staff who have joined our St James family this year:

This year our College focus is “Every Day Counts”. Attending school every day has been shown to have a very big impact on improving both long and short term outcomes. As parents, it can be a struggle at times to get children motivated in the morning but it is important to keep persisting. Thank you for your efforts in getting our students here every day.

As we start the year, I would also encourage all students to set solid goals for their learning and ensure they form a plan of specific actions to realise their goals. As parents, we can support them in this process by discussing the habits and behaviours that lead to successful learning. We must not take for granted that our young people automatically know how to break a goal down into smaller parts and place specific actions around each part to make it happen. For example, if a child were to set a goal of being more organised they may need help to label books, colour code their timetable and to set up their bag and locker so they always have what they need. They may need reminders each night before bed to do a five-minute check on tomorrow and if they have everything they need. By supporting our young people and explicitly teaching them how to achieve their goals we not only help them get there but we also communicate our support and care for them.

The fire situation over the last few weeks has presented many challenges for families and staff but it has highlighted the strength and compassion of the whole of the Huon Valley community. A great thanks to the firefighters and the volunteers (many of whom are parents and family members) for all the work they have done in keeping us safe.

I warmly welcome our returning families, new families and staff, I hope that this will be the start of a very strong and successful partnership throughout our students’ journey with us at the College.

God Bless,

Allan Clark
Principal

General Information

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.

Student Information Packages

Please return and complete the student information forms that were sent home last week. 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.

Fee Payments

Invoices for 2019 fees will be sent home in the next few weeks with a due date of 31 March 2019. Any accounts paid in full prior to 31 March are eligible for a 5% discount on the fees. Please discuss discounts with the office at the time of payment.

If you are not able to make full payment by 31 March and you do not have a payment arrangement in place and/or are experiencing financial difficulty which is impacting your ability to pay, you are required to contact the College Business Manager prior to 31 March 2019.

The College appreciates the sacrifices our families make for quality education and is here to support our families with these financial commitments, all conversations and payment arrangements are held in the strictest confidence. For a confidential discussion please contact Kelly Du Bois (Business Manager) via 62 951 541 or email: kelly.dubois@catholic.tas.edu.au

College Facebook Page

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

Schoolzine / SZ App

Schoolzine is an online communication platform that the College uses to distribute and coordinate: newsletters, e-forms, absentees, calendar and online parent teacher bookings. The information can be accessed on any device, at any time, but you will need an internet connection. Follow the instructions below and install the app to keep up-to-date.

Happening at SJCC

Back to School 2019

Save the Date:

Week 3: starting 18 February 2019

SJCC Swimming Carnival

If you can volunteer on the day, please contact Ms Davies at the College via phone: 6295 1541 or email: lynnette.davies@catholic.tas.edu.au for more information

Week 4: starting 25 February 2019

Year 7 & 8 Camp: 25 February 2019 – 27 February 2019
VET Information Evening 7pm - 8:30pm GYC Glenorchy: 28 February 2019

Week 5: starting 4 March 2019

Evonne Goolagong Crawley Tennis Day (Indigenous students): 4 March 2019
Ash Wednesday: 6 March 2019

Dates subject to change. Access our public calendar and important dates via the following link:

Music Lessons

Music Tutoring starts on Monday 18 February for Keyboard/Percussion and Tuesday 19 February for Guitar and Ukelele. There is one available space for Keyboard or Percussion (drums). If you are interested, please contact Ms Kemmis via bronwen.kemmis@cathstu.tas.edu.au or call the front office. Classes are $20 for 1/2 hour and if you have a friend you are welcome to share and split the cost.

Evonne Goolagong Cawley Indigenous Tennis Day

If you can volunteer on the day, please contact Ms Cooper at the College via phone: 6295 1541 or email: stacey.cooper@catholic.tas.edu.au for more information.