Newsletter 6 December 2023
Principal's Message
This term has flown by!
Tonight we begin celebrating all we have accomplished this year with Carols on the Green. We have once again ordered the perfect weather for such an outdoor event. We will begin at 4pm and aim to finish around 5pm.
Further to our staffing announcements, we welcome Miss Alison Broomhall to our Education Support Team.
Single subject teachers 2024:
Japanese- Elise O'Shannassy
PE- Daniel Hellyer
Visual Arts- Lisa Banjac
STEM - Julie Veldman
Digi Tech - to be appointed
We are also in the process of appointing a suitable junior teacher to work in year 1/2 on Fridays.
School Uniform:
Our uniform standards have been slowly dropping and different alternatives have slowly edged into what is acceptable uniform. We will review our uniform policy, however moving forward into 2024, please ensure children wear correct uniform and on the correct days. Attached are the current uniform expectations.
School Fees:
We fully appreciate the cost of living and interest rates are a struggle for families at the moment, however there are several outstanding school fees which need to be addressed before the end of the school year. Oftern, like other expenses, these can be overlooked. Please refer to your most recent fee statement for a balance of your account. Please be assured that there are many ways that we can support families who are finding school fees difficult to manage; please contact me for a completley confidential conversation.
Next week will be our last Whole School Assembly. At this assembly the Year 5 students will be presented with their Year 6 Polo tops
Please ensure you check for any email or text message updates over the next week as there will be reminders about events coming through.
Kind Regards, Bec Kollaris
Religious Education News
In Religion the year 5/6 students have been learning to 'Let their light shine' by helping others with acts of kindness with no expectation of repayment. The students have created amazing christmas cards and stained glass windows which will be delivered to Bunyip Aged Care Facility as part of our social justice learning in Religious Education.
Parenting Matters
Supporting our children with respiratory needs.
Summer holidays are an important time for kids with asthma.
During all the festivities, please don’t forget to keep up your child's asthma management and medicine as prescribed. Good asthma management over the holidays means less time off school when kids return in the new year, and less time off work for you.
To make sure your child stays as healthy as possible over the break and into 2024, you can take the following steps:
Check your child’s medication to make sure they’re still in date.
Keep using your child’s preventer medicine as directed over the summer holidays, even if they’re feeling well.
If you’re leaving the house or going on holiday, make sure you pack your child’s asthma medicine(s) and a spacer.
Book an Asthma Review with your doctor to get an updated written Asthma Action Plan during the holidays - you'll need this for Term 1 2024. Book in early as doctors can have limited appointments over the Christmas period.
Use Asthma Australia's School’s Checklist for parents and carers: https://asthma.org.au/
wp-content/uploads/2020/11/AA_ BTS2022_Asthma-Checklist__ digital.pdf
Fun Food Friday
Frozen Prima's - $1
Reminders for the end of the Year
Foundation - 2 Swimming Program - Mon 4/12- Wed 6/12 & Mon 11/12 - Wed 13/12
Grade 6 Big Day Out - Gumbuya World - Friday 08/12
Grade 6 Graduation Mass - Wednesday 13/12 at 5pm
End of Year Mass - Thursday 14/12 at 2pm followed by Year 6 Guard of Honour
From the Office
School Fees
Final Fee Statements for 2023 have been issued to all families for Term 4. Thankyou to those who have made payment towards their school fees.
As we are approaching the end of the school year, please ensure finalising your fee account is a matter of priority. Any unpaid fees will be carried over and added to your 2024 fee account.
Payment of fees can be made directly into the school account, via EFTPOS in the office, or via Direct Debit. Direct Debit arrangements can be set up at any time and include options for fortnightly, monthly or per term payments. Please contact the office to obtain a Direct Debit form.
If you are experiencing financial hardship please contact rkollaris@stjamesnng.catholic.edu.au to have a confidential discussion.
If you hold a Pension or Health Care card, please contact the office to obtain the relevant paperwork to be completed and returned. Eligibility will then be assessed and an application for assistance to reduce your school fees will be applied for.
Updating Details
Please ensure your contact details are current and up to date. This includes contact numbers, email address, home/postal addresses and emergency contact details. If you need to update your information, please email office@stjamesnng.catholic.edu.au
Schoolzine App
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 -
3675
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions or queries.