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Dear Members of the St James Catholic College Community,
Sacrament of Confirmation
Congratulations to our nine students who received the Sacrament of Confirmation last Sunday. Thank you to Mr Jeorge Wigan, Mrs Connie Thomas, Ms Kathy Cane and the Parish Sacramental team for their assistance in preparing our students for this very special occasion. Thank you also to all the parents and special visitors who came along to join in the celebration.
The end of the term is the lead up to assessment and assignments and some students can feel more pressured and anxious. While some degree of stress and anxiety are part of our everyday life sometimes additional support at times might be needed. We now have counsellors at College four days a week. Ms Karen Tyler will continue working with our students on Monday and Thursday and Mr Phil Smithers will be here on Tuesday and Wednesday. We are very fortunate to have such a committed and professional counselling team to help support all our students.
Beyond Blue also has great advice for parents and students on dealing with mental health. Below is just one section of advice for parents about supporting your child to become more resilient. Information can be found at:
When we talk about resilience, we are describing a person’s ability to cope with the ups and downs and bounce back from the challenges that life can throw at us.
Resilient young people are better able to make sense of the world around them, build strong relationships, and seek out support when they experience difficulties. Good problem-solving skills and the ability to work towards realistic goals also give children a greater feeling of control over their lives and a sense of positive self-worth.
Effective problem solving is one of life’s most useful skills – we use it every day to deal with challenges at school, work, home, and in our relationships. The ability to break issues down into manageable chunks and find a way through is also good for our mental health, helping to reduce our risk of developing anxiety or depression.
Solving problems
The best way to demonstrate problem-solving strategies to your young person is by working through real-life challenges together.
When your child is faced with a problem:
- Ask them what they need from you – do they just want you to listen or are they after advice?
- Give your child time to talk through the problem before offering to discuss solutions. Don’t try to solve all their problems for them.
- Help them identify the specific problem and why it is an issue. They can then break down potential challenges into smaller steps that are more manageable.
- Once you have discussed the issues, explore some options about how they could approach it – you might suggest some solutions and they come up with their own. Then talk with them about the pros and cons of each solution.
- Encourage them to implement their chosen solution, reminding them that if it is not successful, there are other options to try.
- Encourage your child by reminding them of times in the past when they have overcome challenges.
- Give them plenty of feedback when they deal well with problems.
- Recognise and encourage the way they approach the problem, rather than focusing on the outcomes.
Remember that children learn best through active experience. Feeling uncomfortable and working through a difficult situation is part of learning.
God Bless,
Allan Clark Principal
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.
College Facebook Page / Instagram
Join our College Facebook page just click below or type in: @StJamesCatholicCollege in the Facebook search bar.
Seeking Donations:
If you have any old Lego that could be donated for use in the STEM classes please leave at the College Office for Ms Lory - thank you.
Little Lights
Congratulations
The College is thrilled to congratulate our Music Teacher, Mr Wayne Neilson, who is featured in last week's Mercury as the winner of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra's inaugural Heyward Prize! Mr Neilson was awarded the prize for his winning composition "From Valley to Summit".
Christmas Twilight Fair
Year 8 Aboriginal Camp
Some of the Year 8 Aboriginal students from St James Catholic College attended a cultural camp with three SETAC staff members and Ms Lackey last week.
We caught the ferry across to Bruny Island after food shopping in Huonville on Monday morning. We stopped into Murrayfield to say hi to the dogs and get a photo of us with the Aboriginal Flag. Brad from SETAC then took us to another special place, along a beach, where stone tools have been made for hundreds of generations. On the way to our lodge, we ran up Truganini's steps at The Neck for another photo.
The next day we went on the Pennicot Cruise from Adventure Bay. We saw Aunty Verna, Sheldon Thomas and Dewayne Everettsmiths' Tasmanian Aboriginal installation at the Restaurant/Cafe/cruise start. It was beautiful. The cruise was so good; it sometimes felt like a rollercoaster. Most of us, near the front of the boat, got wet from the massive blowhole. The rest of the day was a walk to spend time at Truganini's Lagoon. It was the place where she was born and spent her childhood. It was really quiet and peaceful to some of us... and haunting for others. We all shared a phrase or words with Ms Lackey about how we felt there and then Jocelyn wrote a poem with all of these words and phrases.
As a thank you to Julie, Jocelyn and Brad from SETAC. Tom read this poem out loud, around the fire with all of us when we got back to the lodge for our final evening.
We were happy, proud and tired when we got back to school the following afternoon. It was an awesome trip. Year 8 students.
VET Hospitality
Last Tuesday the Year 9/10 VET Hospitality students completed a major assessment which focused on teamwork. The assessment was to work together to plan and cater for a function. Students designed and set a table and provided a menu which consisted of kebabs, potato salad, greek salad and roasted vegetables.
Year 6 Canberra Camp
This week our Year 6 students embarked on a week-long Canberra adventure. The students will be learning all about Australian History, Politics, Science and much more. Here is an update about Day 2!
Our students visited and participated in a range of activities at the following venues:
- Australian Institute of Sport
- National Museum of Australia
- Questacon (science)
There was lots of hands-on and interactive learning happening!
Year 5 and 6 Volleyball
Yesterday, three teams of Year 5 and 6 students participated in a Volleyball Carnival. All teams had a lot of fun and showed great teamwork and sportsmanship. Out of the 24 teams, the two Year 6 teams placed second and third, and the Year 5 team won their division. Well done to all of our teams!
PINK Day
On Friday, our College hosted a Pink Day to help raise funds to support the McGrath Foundation. The McGrath Foundation raises money to fund McGrath Breast Care Nurses who provide invaluable support and care to women and men experiencing breast cancer. To support the cause our students dressed up in pink and purchased cupcakes, cookies, and hot chocolates. It was an excellent day, the College raised over $375 for this great community foundation.
A special thanks to the following girls for the coordination of the day: Mia Radnidge, Rosa Tyler-Cahill, Shaelyn Melia and Emelda Bowden you did great job girls! A big thank you to all the people who donated cooked goods for us to sell and to the members of the Student Council for helping out on the day.
HaSS: Vikings visited St James!
Last Friday the Year 8 classes gathered together for HaSS. Mr Cheney set up a Viking display for us to explore. He showed us imitations of old artefacts that were made by Mr Cheney and his friends. He had an old harp and played us a song in Old English. He passed around a fox skin, a helmet and a shield, they were very interesting to look at and feel. He told us about what Vikings used to wear and about their armour. He showed us all his swords and explained to us how the chain amour will prevent you from getting stabbed. Mr Cheney allowed us to try the armour on. Dakota put the armour on first and Mr Cheney showed us how you can’t be easily slain. A few other people tried on the armour and Mr Cheney mentioned how usually armour is covered in pig fat to keep it from rusting. It was very fun and interesting to learn more about and visualise Viking artefacts.
By Paige Charlesworth and Ella Burgess from 8 Blue.
Catholic Parish of the Huon Valley Announcements:
Flute Tuition for Band starting in Term 4
I teach fun and stimulating classes that are especially tailored for each student, and can focus on classical technique, exam preparation, or exploring a variety of styles. Lessons incorporate a mix of musical games, creative exploration and in-depth musical knowledge, which assist in the development of valuable skills such as memory, coordination, critical listening, self-expression and multi-tasking.
As a flautist, I enjoy performing classical, contemporary, jazz, improvisation, world and folk styles. I love the challenge of playing anything on my instrument! I have taught flute privately and in schools for over a decade, and enjoy working with children of all musical interests. I hold a bachelor of music from the Royal College of Music in London, England, and I have performed on a casual basis with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Please be in touch if you are interested in flute lessons.