21 February 2025

Our Mission @ SJM

St James’ Primary School community excel in education through living and learning in Christ.

Quote

As the Apostle Paul exhorts, I encourage you to rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer, and contribute to the needs of your brothers and sisters (Rom 12:12-13). #GeneralAudience- Pope Francis

Principal’s Message

Welcome to St James’ Primary School, Muswellbrook for 2025! I hope you all had a relaxing holiday and are ready for a busy and productive school year.

My name is Aaron Moon, and I am the principal here at St James’ Primary School, Muswellbrook. This is my seventh year as principal of SJM. For those of you who don’t know me, let me share a little bit of information about me. I grew up at on the Central Coast and have been in education for over 24 years. During these years I have taught in schools across the Central Coast, Hunter Valley and Western New South Wales. I was Principal at St Joseph’s Denman from 2009 – 2018. I have been married to my lovely wife Bianca for 23 years and have four children - Logan, Kade and twins Aidan and Alani. I am an avid Wests Tigers fan and I love to play competition golf and am a member of Denman Golf Club. I won the B Grade championship last year, am playing pennants this year and have brought my G.A down to 9.6 (playing off 8 in Denman).

When it comes to school, I believe that every child has the right to a quality education. I believe that we, as educators, must ensure we impart the necessary skills to ensure that all children can be successful citizens in a global and ever dynamic society. This is imperative. I also believe that school should be fun…… jokes should be told, smiles seen, and laughs heard. I think you may find that I might be the biggest kid at St James’. Hence the hashtag - #learnlaughandhavefunatSJM

A positive school community is important for all stakeholders – children, parents, the parish, and staff to thrive and flourish. I encourage you to be active members of our school community. Please feel welcome and at home at St James’. An important part of a positive community is communication. Excellent communication is vital to ensure all members of the community are informed of what’s happening at St James’. I will keep you up to date with things through Compass messages, newsletters, Facebook, the school website and through notes and other information. Also, my door is always open. I am happy to meet with you at any time. Please just pop into the office, email or call me.

I would like to welcome our new families to the St James’ School community. We hope that you have an enjoyable experience here at our school. If there are any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask one of us. I would also like to welcome back our returning families. Thank you for making St James’ what it is – a great community school.

2025 Staffing

I would like to welcome back all our staff:

KG - Mrs Donna Smith
KM – Miss Caitlin Maher
1G – Mrs Carissa Mitchell
1M - Mr Bradley Sabotic
2G – Mrs Mary Ballard (In Term 1, Miss Alyssa Pritchard will be in 2G one Friday per fortnight)
2M – Mrs Trishelle Threadgate
3G – Miss Paige Stephenson
3M – Mrs Melissa McLennan
4G - Miss Rachel Cooper
4M - Mrs Renee Gavin (Mrs Jane Jacobs will be in 4M each Friday for Executive release)
5G – Mrs Mel Marco (Term 1)
5M – Miss Claudia Becus
6G – Mrs Lauren Gehrig (Mrs Somerville will be in 6G each Tuesday and Wednesday for Executive release)
6M – Mrs Gabrielle Dafter
ATSI Teacher - Mrs Tania Thompson
ATSI Worker - Aunty Wanda Smith
Library Teacher - Mrs Lisa Wilson
Library Assistant - Mrs Nadene Douglas
Learning Support Teachers – Miss Annerley Fitzsimmons, Miss Alyssa Pritchard, Mrs Jo Whitehead

EALD Teacher – Mrs Jo Whitehead
Learning Support Assistants - Mrs Alicia Wicks, Mrs Melissa Marco, Mrs Melissa Gers, Mrs Heather Howlett, Mrs Nicolette Hocking, Miss Karen Barnes, Mrs Elda Meyer & Mrs Maddison Duncan
RFF Teachers – Mrs Jane Baker

Pastoral Care Worker – Miss Emily Gavin
School Finance & Admin - Mrs Virginia Chapman
School Admin Support - Mrs Tahnee Dureau
Uniform Shop - Mrs Julie Baxter

Exec:

Assistant Principal & Pedagogical Mentor – Mrs Jane Jacobs
Religious Education Coordinator – Mrs Lauren Gehrig

Primary Coordinator – Mrs Renee Gavin

Assemblies

Assemblies will be held each Monday morning in the School Hall (starting Monday 10 February). Children will walk to the Hall on arrival. I will meet them to cross the road.

PB4L @ SJM

We are in the process of moving to the Diocesan Positive Behaviour for Schools (PB4L) framework. This will be finalised across the year and we will be seeking your input.

To start the year we have tweaked our End of Term Reward. This year all students will make reward if the token box crosses the marked line. You can see this box in the admin foyer.

Each teacher will give three tokens out each day. These will be given out for an intended behaviour. The next three week’s focus is ‘Kind Words, Kind Actions.’ The classroom teachers will teach these behaviours as we go across the year.

Children that are suspended during the term will be ineligible for the reward.

If you have any questions please spek to the classroom teacher or myself.

2026 Student Leadership

This week the executive and staff have updated the Student Leadership Procedure for our school. If a child is suspended across the year they will be ineligible to nominate for school or sports captain.

The students have already been informed of this by me.

P & F Moving to F.A.C.E

As you may be aware all Diocesan schools are moving from the P & F parent body to the Family and Community Engagement model, known as ‘F.A.C.E’

P&F or PEG forums (to be replaced with FACE from 2026).

Parent and carer groups established within schools offer an opportunity for families, school staff and clergy to gather, explore, discuss, imagine, implement, support, encourage and journey together as we work in community for the benefit of the children and young people enrolled in our schools.  While there are many similarities between these family engagement forums, a key difference is that a P & F Association is led by an executive team formed by the families of students at the school, whereas a FACE model is led by the school’s leadership with input from families.

Our first FACE Meeting will be our Parent Information Night.

Sports Days

SJM is A Nut Free School

Our school has several students who are allergic to nuts. Please ensure that our school is nut free. That means no peanut butter or Nutella sandwiches, or nuts are to be brought to school. If your child has peanut or hazelnut spread for breakfast, can you please ensure that your child/ren wash their hands and brush their teeth thoroughly. If you have any further information, please contact the school. It is also important that cakes are not sent to school to celebrate birthdays.

Birthday Policy

Please be advised that at St James’ we do not celebrate student birthdays with any food, including cakes, party bags or ice blocks. This is to ensure all our students with allergies are in a safe environment.

2025 Photo & Video Permission Note

A photo & video permission note has been sent home. We ask that you please fill it in and return it to school ASAP. Please note that the photo / video permission note will include: local media, Diocesan websites and social media, school websites and social media (Facebook).

QKR UPDATE

A reminder for all parents to go into their QKR! account and update your child’s class. This is important before canteen next week.

Pension or Health Care Card Discount

Did you know that if you have a Health Care Card you may be entitled to a discount on your tuition fees? Applications need to be made every year as circumstances may change. If you think this applies to your family, please see Virginia in the office for the application form.

Update Your Details

It is important that you keep us up to date with all your details. We need to know how to contact you if there is an emergency. If you have not done so in a while, please contact the admin staff via email – admin@muswellbrook.catholic.edu.au to update your:

Phone numbers (landline, business or mobile)
Home address
Email address
Emergency contacts
Illness or allergy information for your child

Canteen 2025

In 2025 our canteen will continue to open of a Wednesday and Friday, with our first day being Wednesday 12^th February.

Orders are to be made via the QKR! App & must be submitted by 8am on the day of canteen.

We encourage students to use a Stickybeak lunch bag which is placed in the classroom basket on the day of ordering. Lunch bags can be purchased on the QKR! App for $10. Please label with your child’s name & class.

Students may bring cash to purchase drinks & frozen treats at lunch time.

Canteen Volunteering

Ever thought about helping out in our school canteen? Now is the time.

We welcome all mums, dad, grandparents, carers & friends to become involved.

We are happy to take on any availability, whether its once a week, month, or even a term - it all helps!

What’s involved..

• Our canteen operates on Wednesdays & Fridays. Helpers are usually here from 9am-12noon
• You do not need a WWCC to volunteer in the canteen.
• To become a volunteer, simply click on the link below, complete the form & we will be in contact once we have received your approval!

Thankyou to Payne Engineering!

As a thankyou to our volunteers, Bray & Portia from Payne Engineering have donated 2x $50 gift cards per term!

A big thanks to Bray & Portia for their very generous support of our volunteers and the SJM canteen.

Uniform Shop

The SJM uniform shop operates every Monday from 12 PM to 3 PM, inviting families to visit and try on items during these hours. Additionally, a selection of second-hand uniforms are available, starting at $10.

We accept online purchases via the QKR! App, with orders being sent home with students on Monday afternoons. It is important to submit orders by 11 AM.

This year, please note a few uniform reminders:

• We are currently in a two-year transition period for the sport polo shirt, allowing the old maroon or the new navy polo to be worn on sport days. The old maroon polos are now priced at $20, while the new navy polos can be ordered through QKR!
• The maroon tracksuit is no longer permitted, as its transition period concluded last year.
• Cotton jumpers are expected to arrive on March 17 and will be added to QKR! once available.
• The navy track jacket is approved for wear with both the standard and sports uniforms.

Morning Drop-Off Reminder

We love having our parents at school in the morning. However, we kindly ask that all parents say their goodbyes and leave promptly when the bell rings so students can start their day smoothly. Thank you for your cooperation and support!

Looking forward to a great year.

Mr Aaron Moon
Principal

Assistant Principal

It has been wonderful to see our SJM community settle back into school life so quickly. Our new courtyard ensures that there is plenty of variety for all students. As I visit different classrooms around the school, it is exciting to hear all of the learning, laughter and fun. I know that 2025 is going to be a great year! 

NAPLAN

Each year the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is sat by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students will participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

NAPLAN 2025 will take place from Wednesday 12 March to Monday 24 March.

NAPLAN is just one part of our school’s learning assessment program. The tests assess literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school, so the best preparation is their everyday classroom learning. Our school will also undertake activities to help students become familiar with the types of questions and tools available in the online tests.

More information about Naplan can be found at 

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher.  

Please ensure your child has WIRED HEADPHONES at school before the test.   

A timetable for NAPLAN will be formulated in coming weeks. This will be made available on COMPASS and a hard copy will also be sent home. 

LABELLING ALL SCHOOL ITEMS 

Don’t forget to label everything! This is the only way that lost items will be returned to your child. Now is a great time to make sure all school items have your child’s name in permanent marker or a label that will not peel off easily. Don’t forget to show your child their labelled items … this will help them when they come to ask us for help finding lost items. 

COMPASS Parent Portal 

The Compass Parent Portal is used as a channel for communicating important messages with you. I would ask that all current parents check that they have their Compass Parent Portal login details and are able to log in using those details. Compass is a major form of communication here at SJM and it is important that you are able to access these notifications when they are sent. Please send the office an email (admin@muswellbrook.catholic.edu.au) if you require any assistance logging in.  

SCHOOL HATS 

Please ensure your child comes to school with a school hat every day. We do not have spare hats at school for them to use. Any student who does not have a hat will be asked to sit under the COLA area for lunch breaks. Labelled school hats will be returned to your child if they are found in the playground. We ask that you regularly check your child’s hat for their name, as the name wears off easily when they are used every day. 

OFFICE OF SAFEGUARDING

Mrs Jane Jacobs
Assistant Principal

Religion

Welcome Back to 2025!

In Religion we have had lots happening including Called to Serve Mass last Wednesday at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Hamilton as well as our Opening School Liturgy here at St James’ Hall on Tuesday. This was our opportunity to give blessing to the new school leaders and present them with their badges. Many thanks to Fr Victor for presiding over this celebration. We wish our leaders all the best, may they serve our school community displaying the values of honesty, compassion, kindness and leadership.

Some dates that are coming up include:

• Shrove Tuesday- Tuesday 4^th March
• Ash Wednesday- Wednesday 5^th March (Stage 2 presenting a liturgy).

Fr Victor will also be coming to St James’ for our stage masses once again in 2025. Stage 2 and 3 will have the opportunity to partake. It provides a great chance for students to see and understand the structure of the mass as well as ask Fr Victor any questions.

One final important message is that St James Parish will be running the Sacramental program which will begin on the 28^th May. If you are interested in your child completing their sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist please email Mrs Gehrig- lauren.osborne@mn.catholic.edu.au or call Tracey at Muswellbrook Parish Office on 65431167.

Mrs Lauren Gehrig
Religious Education Coordinator

Merit Awards

Principal Awards

Class News

ES1

Welcome to Kindergarten 2025. We hope you have survived the first two weeks. There were lots of tired children and two tired teachers by the end of the first full week, but everyone seemed very happy to be back at school on Monday. The children have settled in beautifully, with only a few tears. If your child is getting upset when you leave, you may like to consider sending them on the bus.

There is always so much to learn in the first few weeks of kindergarten: rules of the classroom, rules of the playground, the names of the teachers, what to do when you can’t find anyone to play with, where to go to the toilet, and heaps of other things. It’s no wonder the children are exhausted by the end of the day!   

Two important things for parents to remember:

1. Library books are returned each Tuesday
2. Sport uniform each Wednesday 

We look forward to getting to know and you and your family throughout the year.     

Mrs Smith (KG) & Miss Maher (KM)

Stage 1

Welcome to 2025

We are so impressed by how grown up the students are becoming. This year stage 1 will be encouraging students to build their independence and resilience. We are looking forward to a great year, it has already been a positive start to 2025 with the introduction to Positive Behaviour 4 Learning (PB4L).

The students have shared with us the all the fun, relaxing and exciting adventures you all had in the summer holidays. Mrs Threadgate moved her daughter, Lily to Wollongong to start University and painted a table. Mrs Ballard spent two hours celebrating Christmas with her children Lochie, Jacinta and Jake in Merriwa and loved spending time with her Mum in Inverell. Mr. Sabotic went to a family reunion in Berry. Mrs Mitchell started flying lessons and enjoyed her sleep ins.

This term we have the Maths bee in a few weeks, and we have started practicing and class competition to find our finalists. We will be visited by Healthy Harold to help us learn more about friendships and how to be healthy. Later in the term we will begin Lent and Holy week and as always, our spectacular Easter hat parade for students to show off their creative flair with their Easter hats.

Stay tuned for more details as we are planning an excursion in Term 3.

Kind Regards,

Mrs Mitchell (1G), Mr Sabotic (1M), Mrs Ballard/Miss Pritchard (2G) & Mrs Threadgate (2M)

Stage 2

Stage 2 have had a great start to the year! The children have spent time getting to know their new class, their new teachers and have enjoyed welcoming some new children to our school. For our Year 3 students, it has been wonderful to watch them transition into primary and the additional independence this brings with it. Our Year 4 students have had no trouble showing them what to do!

The first couple of weeks have flown by and the children have been working hard creating learning walls and works of art to make our classroom environments inviting as well as educational. They have also attended Library lessons and Wellbeing lessons along with being introduced to our topics for the term and beginning our class novels studies. 

We look forward to seeing what the rest of the year has in store for Stage 2 and are looking forward to getting to know you as the year progresses!

Miss Stephenson (3G), Mrs McLennan (3M), Mrs Gavin/Mrs Jacobs (4G) & Miss Cooper (4M)

Stage 3

Stage 3 have had a positive start to the year! The children have spent time getting to know their new class, their new teachers and have enjoyed welcoming some new children to our school.

The first couple of weeks have flown by and the children have been working hard creating learning walls and works of art to make our classroom environments inviting as well as educational. They have also attended Library lessons and Wellbeing lessons along with being introduced to our topics for the term and beginning our class novels studies. 

Year 6 are reading Storm Boy and Year 5 The Wild Robot, both grades are enjoying their given texts.

We are excited to see what the rest of the year has in store for Stage 3 and are looking forward to getting to know you as the year progresses!

Mrs Marco (5G), Miss Becus (5M), Mrs Gehrig/Mrs Somerville (6G) & Miss Dafter (6M)

Indigenous News

We would like to warmly welcome our new CREST Crew families to St James’ and we look forward to working with you throughout the year.

Aunty Wanda has been attending professional learning courses and is excitedly planning a variety of cultural activities for students to engage with throughout the year.

Mrs Thompson has begun one-on-one sessions with CREST Crew working on setting individual goals and looking at areas of strength.

This year we celebrate 50 years of NAIDOC celebrations. The theme has just been announced as, ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy’. An inspiring theme for many of our young future leaders.

Aboriginal Education Team
Mrs Tania Thompson & Aunty Wanda Smith

What’s on in the Library

Borrowing Days

Please encourage your children to return their library books, on their borrowing days.

Tuesday: Kinder and Year 1

Wednesday: Years 2, 3 and 4

Thursday: Years 5 and 6

Important message

Please ensure your children keep their library books in their library bags (when they are not reading them) and store them in a safe place to prevent damage or loss. Please ensure library books are kept at home and not taken on holidays or to relatives’ homes. Students must use a library bag; plastic bags will not suffice. 

Scholastic Book Club

PLEASE NOTE: Book Club can not be paid by cash.

There only two methods of payment available now. 

1. Phone. Automated free call 1800 557 908.  When paying by phone you will receive an 11-digit receipt number.  Return to school with completed order form.
2. LOOP Ordering Instructions from Scholastic

1. Simply grab your child's Book Club catalogue and either sign in or register your account  
2. Click on ORDER and then select your school and your child's class* 
3. Add your child's first name & last initial (so the school knows who the book is for) PLEASE NOTE: Your child's details will never be shared with 3rd parties OR used for marketing purposes - this is for distribution purposes only. 
4. Enter the item number from the Book Club catalogue
5. All orders are sent directly to the school for submission to Scholastic. Books will still be delivered to your child's classroom if you order by the close date
6. Afterwards, there's no need to return paper order forms or payment receipt details back to your school! 

If you get stuck and need help, simply call our friendly Customer Service team on: 1800 021 233 between the hours of 8am to 5pm. After 5pm, you may email our after-hours LOOP help on Customer_Service@scholastic.com.au

Premier’s Reading Challenge

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is optional but I urge all Years 3 – 6 students to participate. Record sheets will be distributed in Week 5. The books are available during their borrowing times. At the end of the year the children are awarded a certificate from the Premier of NSW. The primary students, who wish to participate, will be given a record sheet, to start recording their books. They then need to visit the PRC website to locate the ID number for each book.

Please feel free to contact the library if any problems/concerns arise during the year.
lisa.wilson@mn.catholic.edu.au  or 65433094

Happy Reading!

Lisa Wilson  
Teacher Librarian

Nadene Douglas
Library Assistant

Community Notices