Principal Andrew Mullaly Deputy Principal Carmel Foster School Ph: 9874 1830 www.sjvermont.catholic.edu.au Email: principal@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au Enquiries: office@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au Newsletter: newsletter@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au All correspondence for the newsletter must be in by 4pm Tuesday to be included in that week’s newsletter. Outside School Hours Care Camp Australia 1300 105 343 www.campaustralia.com.au Co-ordinator

Kagen Mildern Mobile: 0423 418 091

Parish Fr Dispin John Ph: 9873 1341

Pastoral Associate Mrs Maree O’Keefe

Ph: 9873 1341 Parish Playgroup

Ph: 9873 1341

“Seeking the Spirit Learning to Love Loving to Learn

Living Life to the Full”

DATES TO REMEMBER March Thurs 23 Bike Ed – Year 5 First Reconciliation 7.30pm SJM Fri 24 Summer Interschool Sports Carnival – Years 5 & 6 Sun 26 Parish Family Mass 9.45am SJM VISION PORTRAITS at St James Multi Purpose Room Mon 27 Open Day – Tours 9am and 10am Yrs 3-6 ICAS enrolment payment due Tues 28 Prep Welcome Dinner Wed 29 Parish Penitential Celebration Thurs 30 Food Day – Sushi Day First Reconciliation 7.30pm SJM Fri 31 Last day of Term 3.20pm finish Free Dress Day – Gold coin donation – Project Compassion April Fri 14 Good Friday Sat 15 Easter Saturday Sun 16 Easter Sunday Mon 17 Easter Monday Tues 18 First day Term 2 – 8.50am P & F Morning Tea 9am Thurs 20 First Eucharist Parent Workshop 2pm or 7pm Coghlan Centre Fri 21 Open Day – Tours 9am and 10am Sat 22 First Eucharist Medal Presentation 6pm SJM Sun 23 First Eucharist Medal Presentation 9.45am SJM

Newsletter No 8 March 22 2017

St James Primary School 51 Centre Road, Vermont 3133

Ph.: 9874 1830

www.sjvermont.catholic.edu.au

FRIDAY 31ST MARCH (Last day of Term)

FREE DRESS DAY!!

Gold Coin Donation please for Project Compassion.

Dear Families, It was truly disappointing to cancel the Twilight Sports on Monday. Melbourne weather is hard to predict. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. We will reschedule and hope for a better outcome. Sorry for any inconvenience which this may have caused. Carmel and I will be away at the Victorian Primary Catholic School’s Conference from Wednesday to Friday. Wendy Ephgrave will be in charge on Wednesday and Friday and Jodie Marziano on Thursday. We will report back via the newsletter next week. School News This Thursday, the following students will gather at St John’s church to celebrate their first Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation): Eliza, Liam, Grace, Jack, Lexie, Gabrielle, Angus, Maya, Billy, Meg, Shevan, Eva, Alisa, Kiera, Lily, Camille, Alexander, Sienna, and Jai.

‘May you know the love and the healing of our God.’

Our Year Six campers returned last Friday from Lake Nillachootie after four full days away with their peers from St John’s. The total student group were an absolute pleasure to take away. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves! Feedback from our own staff and from Nillachootie staff indicated that our students’ positive encouraging attitudes, together with their willingness to do and be their best is another example of their wonderful leadership. My thanks to Leonie Nathan, Tim Flintoff, Moira Neizen, Jacqui Porritt, Jodie Marziano, Fran Palmer, the wonderful Paul Chalkey and the fantastic staff from St John’s. Without their amazing planning, commitment, generosity and energy there would not be a camp!!! Thank you team!

A group of very proud Year Five children represented St James at the annual St Patrick’s Day Mass at the cathedral, enjoying the day with our friends from St John’s. Catholic Education was celebrated, joining with children from all Catholic Primary and Secondary schools in the Archdiocese. Our Parish Family Mass is held on the last Sunday of each month unless there are holidays. I hope that you all come along at 9:45am this Sunday at St Johns to help celebrate as a faith community.

The Working Bee was a great success last Thursday evening – we began to replant the quadrangle area and also cut back trees adjacent to our oval and garden other areas. Other cleaning jobs were also completed. Thank you to those who cooked our scrumptious BBQ. The following families signed into the Working Bee – Brockhoff, van der Lit, Glenn, Yang, Fernando, Hose, Dumais, Lagos, Spezza, Stewart, Garcia, Cleary, Lukan, Wallis… Thank you! P&F Bunnings BBQ A huge thank you to all our parents who supported the BBQ at Bunnings last

Saturday. Our P & F volunteers do an amazing job for our school. Prep Welcome Dinner We’re looking forward to 7:00pm next Tuesday 28th March, when nearly all Prep parents are gathering to enjoy a ‘Spanish Feast’ from our caterer, Paul Le Noury, from Yum catering. Don’t forget to BYO drinks and glasses! We’ll collect a $10 contribution from everyone on the night.

OHSC – Camp Australia We farewell Kagen Mildern who has been our coordinator across the past year. Kagen has done a brilliant job here at St James but now takes up new challenges as of the end of term. On your behalf, I thank her for all her amazing efforts. Rose Eldridge will be our new Coordinator beginning Term 2. Rose is not new to Camp Australia here at St James, having worked as an Assistant and fill in Coordinator several times. Welcome Rose! An Expression of Interest We are exploring the possibility of offering an after school bus travelling to the Heathmont area. This would possibly work similar to the current bus service, which travels in the local area. If you think you may use such a service, please write or email me an expression of interest, which includes the number of children and the exact location you would ideally like and how many years you would need this service. No guarantees – just exploring the possibility! 2018 Prep Enrolments! Yes, unbelievably, we need enrolment forms for any 2018 siblings by the end of term. Planning starts early! Knowing our sibling intake helps us plan effectively. Our next Open Day is planned for next MONDAY 27th MARCH. Tours are at 9:00am and 10:00am. If you know of someone who would like a tour, but this does not suit, remember that every day is Open Day at St James, so just ask him or her to ring and make an appointment. We want people to come along and see our great school in action.

We learn from experts! Swampy was the owner of the dog in the movie, ‘Oddball’, which we all enjoyed recently at Cinema Under The Stars… He was a key driver in helping penguins survive and has a broad environmental knowledge, which he shared with us. CAMPS, SPORTS & EXCURSIONS FUND (CSEF)

CSEF will be provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities. Eligibility To be eligible for the fund, a parent or legal guardian of a student attending a registered Government or nongovernment Victorian primary or secondary school must: • on the first day of Term one, or; • on the first day of Term two; a) Be an eligible beneficiary within the meaning of the State Concessions Act 2004, that is, be a holder of Veterans Affairs Gold Card or be an eligible Centrelink Health Care Card (HCC) or Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holder, OR b) Be a temporary foster parent, and; c) Submit an application to the school by the due date. * A special consideration eligibility category also exists. For more information, see: www.education.vic.gov.au/csef Parents who receive a Carer Allowance on behalf of a child, or any other benefit or allowance not income tested by Centrelink, are not eligible for the CSEF unless they also comply with one of (a) or (b) above. For concession card holders CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/legal guardian’s concession card being successfully validated with Centrelink on the first day of either term one (30 January 2017) or term two (18 April 2017). The annual CSEF amount per student is: • $125 for primary school students • $225 for secondary school students. HOW TO APPLY Contact the school office to obtain a CSEF application form or download it from www.education.vic.gov.au/csef CDF SCHOOL BANKING CDF are phasing in a new Student Savings Program called a 31 Day Mission Saver Account (online account) which will replace student banking at school. Contributions will still be accepted for current student accounts until 30th June 2017. More information over the coming weeks.

Education in Faith…From Carmel Foster (REC)

‘Love Your Neighbour’ …Building awareness from the Caritas Australia website…. Uncle Richard's story - Australia

Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation, a Caritas Australia partner, offered Uncle Richard and other former Stolen Generations survivors the chance to heal after a childhood of suffering.

First Australian Uncle Richard is a survivor of the Stolen Generations, forcibly removed from his family as a child and taken to Kinchela Boys Home (KBH) in NSW. Hundreds of Indigenous boys were incarcerated there between 1924 and 1970, suffering ongoing physical and verbal abuse. They lost every aspect of their identity – their names, their culture and their families.

When Uncle Richard left KBH, he struggled with the legacy of pain, trying to find relief through his work as an artist; but he attributes the beginning of his healing to something even more powerful than his creative work, his reconnection with former KBH boys.

The KBH Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC) was established by KBH survivors to reunite with one another and begin healing. KBHAC’s Unlocking the Past to Free the Future Program works to restore the social and emotional wellbeing of the survivors and their families. The former KBH boys have realised that their shared suffering has created a brotherhood. They support each other by sharing their stories, and coming to a common understanding of how their experiences have impacted on themselves and their descendants.

Through KBHAC, the men are also opening the door to the wider Australian community, inviting everyone to journey together as neighbours in the healing process. Caritas Australia supports KBHAC and is proud to walk alongside in partnership on the journey to wellbeing.

“We can hopefully show the way for other people to learn from our pain. And we're trying to be the leader, a role model for our kids."

- Uncle Richard

We’re invited to donate to Project Compassion 2017 and help members of the Stolen Generation support each other on the journey to wellbeing.

From Pope Francis… ‘…May the Holy Spirit lead us on a true journey of conversion, so that we can rediscover the gift of God’s word, be purified of the sin that blinds us, and serve Christ present in our brothers and sisters in need. I encourage all the faithful to express this spiritual renewal also by sharing in the Lenten Campaigns promoted by many Church organizations in different parts of the world, and thus to favor the culture of encounter in our one human family. Let us pray for one another so that, by sharing in the victory of Christ, we may open our doors to the weak and poor. Then we will be able to experience and share to the full the joy of Easter.’

Are you coming along to: • Celebration of First Reconciliation (Sacrament of Penance) Thursday 23rd or 30th March @ 7:30pm at SJM • Whole School Prayer Service Friday 24th March @ 9:00 hosts: Year 2 • Parish Family Mass: Sunday 26 March @ 9:45am – St John’s. • Whole School Prayer Service Friday 31st March @ 9:00 Hosts: Year 4

Curriculum News

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MMS CLASSES?

Year 1/2s have been using iPads to manoeuvre our new Blue-bots through the obstacle courses

FARM NEWS: FAMILY ON WEEKEND DUTY:

EGGS THIS WEEK:

SEXTON Family

Whoever puts in an order…

We are in need of egg cartons too…. Please send to the library if you have any spare. Thanks.

DESPERATELY NEED VOLUNTEERS: We need volunteers to tend the chooks during the school holidays; especially over Easter.

Please email Wendy if you could spare 20 minutes on two/three days to feed/water chooks and collect eggs.

It is super easy and new families are most welcome!

wephgrave@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au

IT NEWS: Our 2017 eSmart Student Team will be presented with their badges at next Monday’s morning assembly. (March 27th)

REMINDER: MATHLETICS PASSWORD CHANGE: Students no longer need to remember complicated Mathletics’ passwords; we have changed to Google sign in! When children go to the sign-in page for Mathletics, they can leave the username and password blank and just click on the blue button….”SIGN IN WITH GOOGLE”.

Please note; students need to be signed into their google account for this to work.

Happy Birthday Happy Birthday to the following people who celebrate birthdays this week –Ella (1J), Haylee (6F), Abbey (2D), Tom (Prep N) and Dilesh (5O).

Have a great week Andrew Mullaly Principal

HEAD LICE There has been a reported case of head lice in the school. Please be vigilant and check your childs’ hair regularly.

LIBRARY NEWS:

Are any of our regular/experienced book-covering champions free to cover another lot of books in the holidays? Email Wendy and she will gladly send home books and contact to keep you busy!

Parents & Friends Newsletter Wednesday March 22nd, 2017 Page 1

March Sunday 26th of March Vision Portraits

Thursday, 30th March Food Day

Friday 31st of March End of Term BBQ

April Tuesday 18th, April Welcome Back Morning Tea 9am in the Community Centre

Wednesday 19th, April Lapathon Bag Packing

Saturday 22, April Auskick Tuckshop

Monday, 24th April P&F Meeting 9am

Friday, 28th April Lapaphon

Vision Portraits We have 3 spots available for our Vision Portraits sitting day, which is this Sunday the 26th of March. If you would like to make a last minute booking please click on the following link;

https://www.trybooking.com/OWXY

If you are having an outdoor shoot please meet the photographer in the Multi-Purpose Room.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Sulley Family who won the $200 Vision Portraits Voucher.

Food Day Thursday March the 30th is a Sushi Food Day! You should have received your order forms by now.

We still need 4 more volunteers for packing and distribution of food day orders. Can you help out? Please sign up by clicking on the following link;

http://www.volunteersignup.org/CLDPH

THURSDAY 30th MARCH

...Sushi Food Day!Yay! It’s a...

Orders to be returned by THIS Friday 24th March

End of Term BBQ Don't forget to bring some spare change on Friday the 31st of March for our end of term BBQ. Sausages, Drinks and packets of chips will be available. Thank you to our organisers Nicole Spezza, Christine Lagos and Lynetter Ryan. Flyers will be coming home soon in Mail Bags.

Twilight Sports A big thank you to our Twilight Sports BBQ organisers Vivien, Anne and Jacqui who have worked very hard over the past couple of weeks putting everything together. As you all know the event was cancelled due to inclement weather. Fortunately, we were able to cancel the sausage order!!!

We also thank Daniela for organising the raffle prizes and our raffle co-ordinators Fabe and Kath for their preparations.

Parents & Friends Newsletter Wednesday March 22nd, 2017 Page 2

Bunnings BBQ - THANKS Thank you to everyone who supported the Bunnings BBQ last Saturday. Whether you chopped onions, cooked or sold food, or popped in to buy a sausage on the day, it was greatly appreciated.  We had a wonderful sunny Saturday, selling hundreds of sausages to raise money for our little school.

Thanks to - Julie Widuckel, Rachel Hamilton-Smith, Monique Szwadiak, Rachel Shannon, Di Bourke, Dale Nixon, Dan White, Tom Kowalski, Paul Gorry, Aidan O'Riley, Xavier Mills, Marino Bapista, Simon Hock and Glenn Welch. Also to our Bunnings BBQ Co-ordinators Katie Mills and Sarah Dowds.  

With special thanks also to Sonia Lukan for being there all day, supporting the Bunnings BBQ and sharing her years of experience and wisdom in running this event.  Her support and help will be greatly missed.

Volunteering for the P&F Just a reminder that to volunteer for the P&F you must have a Working with Children’s Card. WWC Cards are available on-line at www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au You must also fill in a New or Existing Volunteer form, Volunteer forms are available from the school office. (Volunteer packs were also sent home to every family last week). WWC cards are free for volunteers and remain valid for a period of 5 years. Volunteers are vital to our school community as is the safety of our kids. We would love for all parents/carers/grandparents to have a WWC card and to have filled in the school Volunteer forms.

Lapathon Bag Packing The school will be holding its Lapathon on Friday the 28th of April. The P&F organise and supply show bags for the children. The bags are given out once your child has completed the Lapathon and returned their form and money raised. The P&F also supplies fruit platters to each class for the kids to enjoy after the Lapathon.

We will require volunteers to assist with packing the Lapathon Show Bags on the 19th of April and preparing and delivering the fruit platters on the 28th of April. If you able to help out, please sign up at the following link; http://www.volunteersignup.org/A79FE

Auskick Tuckshop The Auskick Tuckshop is a P&F Fundraiser. Each Saturday the Tuckshop will be run by P&F volunteers. Volunteers are required to help cook the BBQ (1 person), bake the goodies (3 people) and serve food (3 people) each week. Helpers are required from 9:45am for an hour. If you would like to help, please click on the following link. https://www.volunteersignup.org/R4LHF The Auskick season starts on the 29th of April.

On Saturday the 22nd of April there will be a welcome BBQ. We will require 1 cook and 3 people to help serve the food. To help please sign up at the above link. Auskick is for boys and girls from Kinder to Grade 2.

St James Primary School | 22nd Mar 2017

Recently In OSHC…

We have had many new preps at before and after school care over the last few weeks. We have all enjoyed getting to know them and the older children have been great buddies to them all.

We have completed our OSHC giant puzzle and put it up on the wall. Everyone has been encouraged to decorate their own puzzle piece by writing their name on it and drawing their favourite things. It looks fantastic!

I’m leaving

I am sad to inform you all that at the end of this term, I will be leaving St James OSHC. I would like to thank the staff, students, families and extended community at St James for all the support and making me feel so welcome over the past year. It has been a pleasure getting to know the community of St James and becoming part of it. I will miss all the children dearly.

Rose Eldridge will be taking over as the new coordinator. Rose has worked at St James OSHC as an assistant over the past year and is excited to be stepping up into her new role. I am extremely confident in her ability to coordinate and that the transition will be smooth.

HOLIDAY CLUBS!!!

Bookings are now being taken for holiday clubs around the area. Unfortunately we do not run a holiday service at St James due to lack of numbers. However, there are 20 holiday club programs that run during the school holidays that are within 10km’s of this service. You can go on to the camp Australia website to find the closest programs and to view the two week program.

Kagen