Newsletter 27 August 2025
Principal's Message
Dear Families,
Thank you for your participation in student progress meetings. These meetings are crucial for our children as it continues the partnerships between home and school in their educational journey.
This week we have been rocked by the tragic loss of two Victorian Police Officers. We keep them and their families in our prayers, as we do their entire community. When tragedy like this strikes, it is hard to shield our children from this. I encourage all parents to point to the helpers during these times- the First Responders supporting the community of Porepunkah and surrounds, the teachers and staff who kept their students safe during long lockdowns and the people of the town who are rallying together. We pray for these members, their families and their colleagues~
Blessed are you, Lord, God of mercy,
who through your Son
gave us a marvelous example of charity
and the great commandment of love for one another.
Send down your blessings on these your servants,
who so generously devote themselves to helping others.Grant them courage when they are afraid,wisdom when they must make quick decisions,strength when they are weary,and compassion in all their work.When the alarm soundsand they are called to aid both friend and stranger,let them faithfully serve you in their neighbor.We pray that they return home safely to their families.We pray for the fallen that they are welcomed into your loving embraceWe ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Tomorrow we look forward to sharing in a wonderful day with our Grandparents and special friends commencing with Mass at 11am, followed by a shared lunch. A reminder that there will be NO assembly tomorrow morning, Fun food Friday or Lunch Orders.
We also look forward to hearing how Georgie, Kobie, Scarlette and Georgia went in today's VicSpell Competition. We thank these students for the dedication they have put into preparing for today and their families for supporting them.
Please complete the below RSVP for the Father's Day Breakfast, for catering purposes.
UNIFORM UPDATE - The bottle green soft shell jackets are now in store at Beleza.
Have a good week, stay warm! Bec
Upcoming events
| Thursday 28/08 | Lamont Book Fair - St James Hall - (8.30am - 9.30am & 3.00pm - 4.30pm) Vicspell Zone Finals Student Progress Meetings (3pm - 5pm) |
| Friday 29/08 | NO Lunch Orders on this day Grandparents Day Mass - 11am (parent helpers required) Shared Lunch - 12pm - 1pm (F/1/2 - Cold Savoury Items, 2/3 - Sweet Items and 4/5/6 - Hot Savoury Items) Winter Sport - St James vs St Brigid's commencing at 1pm Lamont Book Fair - St James Hall (1pm - 3pm) |
| Friday 05/09 | Father's Day Breakfast (8am - 9am) and Mass (9.30am - 10.15am) Winter Sport - St James vs St Catherine's Silver commencing at 1pm Parents and Friends Meeting - 2.30pm |
| Tuesday 09/09 - Wednesday 10/09 | Year 5 & 6 ForestEdge Camp |
| Thursday 11/09 | Year 5 & 6 Rest Day |
| Wednesday 17/09 | Division Athletics Footy Colours Day |
| Friday 19/09 | Last Day of Term |
RE News
Explore Your Faith Journey. Join RCIA.
Are you curious about the Catholic faith? Do you feel a calling to deepen your spiritual life, or perhaps discover what it means to be part of our Catholic community?
Our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program is a welcoming journey for adults exploring the Catholic Church. Whether you are unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or a Catholic seeking to complete your Sacraments of Initiation (Eucharist and Confirmation), RCIA offers a supportive environment to learn, ask questions, and grow in faith.
Discover God's love and discern your path with us.
For more information, please contact Fr Avinash or Loren Bertoncello
Sacrament Dates 2025
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Commitment Mass
| Date | Place | Time |
| Saturday 18 October 2025 | St James Nar Nar Goon | 5.00pm |
| Sunday 19 October 2025 | St John's Koo Wee Rup | 9.30am |
| Sunday 19 October 2025 | St Joseph's Iona | 11.00am |
Parent/Child Workshop
| Date | Place | Time |
| Wednesday 29 October 2025 | St James PS Nar Nar Goon | 5.30pm |
| Thursday 30 October 2025 | St John's PS Koo Wee Rup | 5.30pm |
Sacrament of Reconciliation
| Date | Place | Time |
| Thursday 13 November 2025 | St John's Koo Wee Rup | 5.30pm |
Wellbeing Leader
The Resilience Project - Parent Hub & TRP@Home
TRP@Home - Scan the QR code below to access
St James Lamont Book Fair
| Day | Opening Times |
| Tuesday 26/08/2025 | 8.30am - 9.00am 3.30pm - 5.30pm |
| Wednesday 27/08/2025 | 8.30am - 9.00am |
| Thursday 28/08/2025 | 8.30am - 9.00am 3.00pm - 4.30pm |
| Friday 29/08/2025 | 1.00pm - 3.00pm |
Scholastic Book Club
Issue 6 of Scholastic Book Club is due by Monday 8 September
School Uniform Update
We invite families to review the below uniform options and email rkollaris@stjamesnng.catholic.edu.au with any feedback you may have.
Parents & Friends News
Important Information
Both the PAM and Schoolzine Calendars have been updated with new information.
To access the Schoolzine calendar through the app you will be prompted to enter a password - James4011
This year St James will be using two main platforms of communication with our families - PAM and Schoolzine.
To ensure that you keep up to date with what is happening with your children and within the school please ensure that you have access to these platforms and are familiar with their uses.
If you require assistance with accessing or setting up these platforms, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.
From time to time it will also be necessary for emails and text messages to be sent.
Schoolzine App Installation Instructions:
This is an app that you have on your phone and allows for easy reading of the newsletter, as it customises to the screen and translates into many languages if required.
Please click the link below for the instructions on installing the app on your phone.
https://www.schoolzine.com/
As part of the installation, you will be required to enter the following 4 digit passcode -
4011
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions or queries.
Accessing PAM Instructions:
Please use the below link to access your PAM account.
https://pam.stjamesnng.catholic.edu.au
The user name is the email you have provided to the school and if you have not logged on previously, you will be able to set a password.
If you require your password to be reset, please contact the school office.
DS Sports
From the Community
