Term 1 Week 3 (21/02/2025)
What is On?
Monday 24th February - Zone Swimming Carnival- Maclean
Monday 3rd March - Welcome BBQ
Tuesday 4th March - DIO Swimming Carnival- Murwillumbah
Tuesday 4th March - Shrove Tuesday - Details below
Wednesday 5th March - Ash Wednesday Mass at St James Church Yamba, 10:00 – 11:00am
Thursday 6th March - Awards Assembly 9:00 – 10:00am
Monday 24th March - School Photos
Friday 4th April - School Cross Country
Thursday 10th April - School Awards Assembly 9:00 – 10:00am
Thursday 10th April - Last Day Term 1 for students
Friday 11th April - Staff Professional Learning Day - On Country - Pupil Free Day
Term 2 2025
Monday 28th April - Staff Professional Learning Day - Learning Collaborative - Pupil Free Day
Tuesday 29th April - First Day Term 2 for Students
May 2025 - Confirmation- (Date TBC)
Friday 20th June - School Athletics Carnival
Thursday 3rd July - Last Day Term 2 for Students
Friday 4th July - Staff Professional Learning Day - Foundation Day- Pupil Free Day
Term 3 2025
Monday 21st July - First Day Term 3 for Students and Staff
Friday 25th July- Foundation Day - Feast of Saint James
Tuesday 29th July - Reconciliation - St James Church, Yamba
Saturday 30th August - First Holy Communion-St James Church, Yamba
Thursday 25th September - Last Day Term 3 for Students
Friday 26th September - Staff Professional Learning Day - Curriculum - Pupil Free Day
Term 4 2025
Monday 13th October - First Day Term 4 for Students and Staff
Monday 3rd – Friday 7th November - Stage 3 Camp- Canberra
End of Year Final Awards Assembly - Thursday 11th December - Yamba Bowling Club 10:00 – 11:00am
Wednesday 17th December - Last Day Term 4 for Students and Staff
Dear parents and Carers
As we settle into the new school year, it has been wonderful to see our students embracing their learning with enthusiasm and positivity. They have quickly adapted to their routines, and the sense of community and excitement at school is inspiring.
On Tuesday, our school came together at St James Catholic Church for a truly beautiful Beginning Year Mass, celebrated by Fr Roland. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect, pray, and ask for blessings as we embark on this new year.
A highlight of the Mass was the celebration of our Year 6 leaders. It was a special moment as they were presented with their leadership badges, recognising their role as role models and guiding figures for our school. We are incredibly proud of them and look forward to seeing them lead with kindness, responsibility, and integrity throughout the year.
A few reminders…
We would also like to inform parents that Parent-Teacher Interviews will be scheduled later this term. This will allow us time to gather valuable data on students and gain a clear understanding of how they are progressing as learners. More details on booking interviews will be shared in the coming weeks.
Please ensure you carefully read the traffic map below to ensure you are parking safely and not obstructing buses arriving and departing through the bus bay. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated in keeping our school community safe.
A reminder for students travelling home on bikes: they must wait with the bus travel students under the Big Top and walk down to the bike area with the teacher. Students are not to meet parents at their bike before the bus group and teacher have walked down together. This process ensures the safety of all students and helps maintain an orderly dismissal.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, and thank you for your ongoing support!
Renee Howland
Assistant Principal Mission
RE News
Sacrament Dates
Confirmation- May 2025 (Date TBC)
Reconciliation- Tuesday 29th July, St James Church, Yamba
First Holy Communion- Saturday 30th August, St James Church, Yamba
The order of Sacraments in the Lismore Diocese is:
Baptism, Confirmation (Year 3), Reconciliation (Year 4), First Eucharist (Year 4)
If you need more information about Baptism for your child, please contact the Parish Office in Maclean at 6645 1188 (open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm).
For any other Sacraments, please reach out to Mrs. Howland at school. Please note that your child must be Baptised before receiving any other Sacraments.
If your child was Confirmed last year, they will be invited to receive Reconciliation and First Communion this year. To arrange this, please email yamp@lism.catholic.edu.au. We will be holding a meeting for parents regarding Sacraments, as part of the preparation. Parish Priest, Fr Roland will be facilitating this meeting at school. The date will be advised. All other preparation will be completed at school during Religion lessons.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at school.
Renee Howland
Assistant Principal - Mission
Sport News
Winter Sport Trials
This week the Clarence Zone has been holding selection trials for teams to compete at the Diocesan Carnival in a fortnight's time in Grafton. A number of St James students have attended these trials and acquitted themselves well against students from the rest of our Zone. Well done to the following students who were selected to represent Clarence at the upcoming Diocesan Carnival in their chosen sport.
Soccer
Boys - Jake, Joe, Ashton
Girls - Sol
Netball
Remi, Poppy, Sunny, Iyla
AFL
Good luck to Ashton, Jake and Harlan who are today competing at the Diocesan AFL carnival in Grafton. The boys will be playing against students from across the Lismore Diocese with a team to be selected from this carnival to represent the Lismore Diocese at the Polding AFL Carnival later in the year.
Swimming
Our school swimming team is heading to Maclean on Monday to race at the Clarence Zone swimming carnival. We have a big team competing on the day and look forward to hearing their results. The first 3 placegetters in each individual event will qualify for the Diocesan carnival which is being held in Murwillumbah on Tuesday 4th March.
Martin Dougherty
Sports Coordinator
Curriculum News Reminder!
2025 Digital Technology Student User Agreement
For your child to use technology at St James, You are required to complete the linked jot form below.
At St James, we prioritise responsible and safe digital citizenship. To foster this, we use a variety of digital technologies to support and enhance engagement and creativity within learning.
To ensure a shared understanding of our expectations, all students and their parents must sign a Digital Technology Student User Agreement each year. This agreement outlines the expectations for using digital technologies within our school and informs parents how digital technologies are managed and supported within our school and across the Diocese.
Please take the time to read through and sign the attached Digital Technologies User Agreement for 2025 with your child by Friday, 7th March.
Please note: A new form is to be submitted for each child at our school. We ask that you use your child’s name as per Compass - first and last name only.
To further support this, teachers will be exploring each of the dot points over the first term with students in class.
We appreciate your continued support in guiding your child towards responsible digital citizenship.
The agreement is available here:
https://dlcsl.jotform.com/team/digital-techologies-for-learning/yamp-dtsua2025
Kind Regards
Alanna Cason
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
SHROVE TUESDAY
Tuesday 4th March is Shrove Tuesday. Traditionally during Lent, Christians would give up rich, tasty foods such as butter, eggs, sugar and fat (some Christians continue to do so, in fact). Shrove Tuesday was the last chance to eat them – and what better way to do so than with a delicious pancake!
All students are invited to come to school dressed in mufti casual clothing and bring a gold coin donation to raise awareness for those living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the country.
Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, marks the day before Lent begins. Breakfast Club will be serving pancakes from the canteen before school (8:30am- 9am). So come along, dressed in mufti, and enjoy a delicious pancake for breakfast!
YUM!
Child Protection
Under Child Protection Legislation any parent or community member undertaking volunteer work or working with children must complete a Working With Children Check. Please consult the principal to ascertain that you have a current WWCC before you seek to work with children. This also applies to any music teacher or therapist who is engaged by a family to support a student on school grounds. While we do monitor these, the legislation also places an onus on families to maintain this information as you are the contractors in this sense not the school.
All parents must sign in using the " Whose on Location?" in the office or using the QR code. The Child Protection Policy and Procedures and the DLCSL Code of Conduct is fully implemented across the diocese. Please take time to review this document and this is available at the front office, on our website for your review and is available upon request through email.
Traffic Management
Afternoon pick up at St James, is often a very busy time.
Please be aware that no cars should park opposite the bus gates in the afternoon as the buses are unable to turn. No cars should park between the bus gate and the tree. The accompanying map has these spots marked with 
Please also be aware that children should always be under the care of a parent e.g. holding a hand if they are crossing the road to the western side of Carrs Drive.
Can I just once again thank all those parents have chosen to come through kiss and drop at 3:20pm which does two things… Saves the rush at 3:10pm and allows parents to come straight through and straight out again. Thank you for your care at this time. We are committed to keeping all children safe.
School Supervision starts at 8:30am
Children must not be dropped off at school prior to 8:20am of a morning. Staff are not working prior to this time even if they are on site. Supervision begins at 8:30am, which is when staff begin work. If children require supervision prior to this time, the OSHC service is available.
I do understand that it is difficult at times but I find it difficult to watch staff sit in their cars with their own children until this time, while families who wish to get to work drop off early.
I would rather not have to contact families about this but there is a duty of care for children. I respectfully seek your support in ensuring the appropriate and timely arrival of all children.
Dogs on site
Please be aware that as an "enclosed site" dogs are not allowed on site within the playground. We are aware that families walk in with dogs and as such our decision last year was the following.
1. On leash and on the western side of the hall walkway
2. Dogs under control of owners and children of other families NOT allowed to pat or engage with them (even if they are known to the children or families)
3. Any dogs that the school staff feel is unsafe will need to be removed immediately upon request of the staff (staff have a duty of care)
If we can not manage this as a school we will have a blanket ban on any dogs on the site. NB.
This of course could change if the diocesan regulations are tightened.
Thank you in anticipation of your support.
School Zones operational again
https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/schools/flashinglights/index.html
School Zones are back in force for 2025. Please check the link above if you are not sure of the guidelines. At 40km an hour around Saint James when the zones are in force you could potentially read the signs as you drive but that would be terrible advice. Can I instead encourage you to hit the link and check the times and days for NSW schools.
Dream Big - Webinar
Attendance
Stage 2 News
We have had a great start to the year so far in Stage 2. We spent the first week learning the expectations of Stage 2, getting familiar with the space and getting to know our peers and teachers. We participated in a STEM challenge to fit our bodies inside of postcard sized paper and we created artworks all about us to decorate the classroom. We are now excited to settle into a routine and start learning!
Religion
In Religion, we are learning that we are created in the image and likeness of God and are loved by God. We are coming to appreciate that we have been created by God to be free and creative and to engage with all of creation. We participated in a task where we had the opportunity to create an animal that has never been in existence, using air dry clay. We reflected upon; what it was like to create something new, how we felt about our creations, and how creation reflected us. We enjoyed the creativity of the task and were proud of our creations.
