The King of Kings
Angel Studios, creators of The Chosen and Sound of Freedom, will release THE KING OF KINGS in Australian cinemas on April 10, 2025.
This animated film, featuring stars like Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, and Oscar Isaac, reimagines the story of Jesus through Charles Dickens narrating to his son.
More than a movie, THE KING OF KINGS is a faith-formation tool, bringing Christ’s love, sacrifice, and triumph to life. With stunning animation and timeless values, it offers families a meaningful, Gospel-centered experience.
Watch the trailer here: THE KING OF KINGS | Official Trailer | In AUS & NZ Cinemas April
Build a Habit of Regular Attendance
Understanding Bullying - Friendship
Friendships in the primary years are constantly evolving as children grow and develop social skills. It’s natural for friendships to change, with children forming new connections based on shared interests or experiences. As they learn cooperation, empathy, and conflict resolution, their friendships may shift. Teaching children to navigate these changes with kindness and resilience helps them build lifelong social skills.
Friendship Issue - What Parents Should Avoid
- Jumping in to solve the issue.
- Dismissing your child’s feelings.
- Advising them to ‘find new friends’ too quickly.
Friendship Issue - What Parents Can Do
- Listen calmly and validate your child’s emotions. Sometimes, your child might just want a listening ear.
- Ask open-ended questions to help them process the situation.
- Offer to brainstorm solutions together if they want your help.
- Model emotional regulation by staying calm and reassuring.
- Consider if your child needs help in developing skills such as turn taking, the rules of a game, compromise and being flexible.
Promoting Friendships
- Encourage your child to participate in social activities and group settings where they can interact with peers. This could include playdates, extracurricular activities, sports teams, or community events. Exposure to different social settings allows your child to meet and connect with others.
- Encourage your child to explore hobbies and passions where they can connect with like-minded peers. Whether joining a sports team, learning an instrument, or engaging in creative arts, shared interests often lead to strong friendships.
Stay Involved
- Maintain an open line of communication with your child about their friendships. Show genuine interest in their social experiences by asking questions and listening to their concerns. Offer guidance when appropriate, but resist the urge to take over or fix situations for them. Supporting your child’s independence in navigating friendships helps build their confidence and problem-solving skills while ensuring they know you are there for them when needed
Bike Safety - Stay Visible
Bright clothing, reflectors, and lights can make your child more visible to drivers, especially in low light.. Remind your child that visibility is a key to staying safe on the road! Explain to your child the importance of perspective. ‘When you're riding your bike, always remember that drivers, pedestrians, and other cyclists may see things differently.’
And don’t forget …. HELMET ON.
Parent Assembly Conference
Keeping School Funding Fair – Supporting Families in Choosing the Best Education
Catholic schools have long provided families with quality education, strong values and a sense of
community. New research confirms that parents make thoughtful financial choices to ensure
their children receive the education that best suits their needs.
With rising costs affecting many households, families continue to prioritise education, valuing the
academic, spiritual and personal development that Catholic schools provide. Ensuring school
funding remains fair helps families continue to access the right school for their child.
Read the Catholic Schools NSW media release below and visit keepfundingfair.org.au to learn
more about how we support families.
Parent/Visitor Bathroom Access
We kindly remind all parents and visitors that the bathroom facilities in the student areas are for student use only. For health, safety, and privacy reasons, parents and visitors are requested to use the bathroom located in the office/administration building. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for all students. Thank you for your understanding and support.
Prayer Garden Pavers
In 2024, many families purchased a unique stamped paver for the prayer garden. These have arrived, along with the main feature pavers. We are currently sourcing a landscape gardener to install these, which we hope will occur very soon.
Key Learning and Extra-Curricular Learning at St. James
St. James is committed to providing a well-balanced and engaging learning experience for all students. Each day, there is dedicated, uninterrupted time for English, Mathematics, and Religious Education (RE) to ensure deep and purposeful learning in these fundamental key areas.
Other Key Learning Areas (KLAs) such as Science and Technology, Creative Arts, PDHPE and HISE (History and Geography) are often integrated, allowing students to engage with concepts across subjects in a more cohesive and engaging way. At St. James, we embrace STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) as a dynamic approach to learning that encourages creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Through hands-on projects and real-world challenges, students explore how these subjects connect, helping them develop the skills needed for the future.
Each morning, students participate in Pastoral Care groups for 20 minutes, fostering their social and emotional well-being and development. This time is essential for building strong relationships and creating a supportive classroom environment where every student feels valued and ready to learn.
Beyond core learning, students also engage in other important learning experiences, including sport, Play is the Way, elective activities, assembly, developmental play, Light the Way, school spectaculars, school retreats, and so much more. These 'extra' activities support students' physical, social, and emotional development. Balancing structured and integrated learning with opportunities for movement and reflection ensures that every student has the best opportunity to thrive.
As you engage with fortnightly blogs, core learning and extra-curricular learning will be showcased, allowing you to gain insight into the rich and varied learning experiences provided at St. James.
Riding Rules
Riding Rules When riding on the footpath, cyclists must keep to the left and give way to pedestrians. On shared paths, riders are encouraged to leave a metre of space, where possible. Your child also needs to take special care at driveways where vehicles may be driving in or out. Remind your child to
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Why Understanding Diversity and Inclusion Matter
Diversity is recognising and valuing the unique qualities, backgrounds, and experiences each student brings to our school community. Inclusion ensures that every student feels accepted.
When children understand the importance of diversity and inclusion, they are more likely to:
- Show empathy toward others.
- Build positive relationships with peers.
- Recognise and reject bullying behaviours.
Kindness
Kindness is a powerful tool for stopping bullying before it starts. Teaching children to act with kindness encourages them to:
- Treat everyone with respect, even when they have differences.
- Include others in games, conversations, and activities.
- Support peers who may feel left out or excluded.
What You Can Do at Home
1. Talk About Differences
Encourage open conversations about diversity. Discuss how people’s unique traits—such as language, traditions, or abilities—make the world more interesting and special.
Example: ‘Everyone has strengths and challenges, and that’s what makes us unique and valuable.’
2. Model Inclusive Behaviour
Children learn by watching adults in their life. Show kindness, empathy, and respect in your interactions with others. Help your child to appreciate different perspectives.
3. Encourage Acts of Kindness
Teach your child the importance of small, thoughtful actions, like sharing a kind word, helping a classmate, or inviting someone new to play.
4. Teach Problem-Solving and Empathy
Help your child understand how their actions affect others by asking questions like:
- ‘How do you think that made them feel?’
- ‘What could you do to help?’
By embracing each student's unique qualities, fostering inclusion, and promoting kindness, together we can create a school community where bullying has no place and all students feel cared for, valued and respected.
Build the Habit of Regular Attendance
What do you miss out on if you don’t attend school every day?
Monty The Monstar Fun Run
In term 2, we are hosting a Monty’s Colour&Slime Fun Run for our students and raising funds for some much needed school resources.
Fundraising for our school is easy! Simply go to www.myprofilepage.com.au and create a profile page to share around to family and friends to receive online donations. There are prizes to be earnt and Monty coins to collect!
Unlock prizes by simply raising $10, the more donations raised, the more prizes you can choose from! You can mix and match prizes or send the donations to a one of the six causes available.
A sponsorship form will be sent home over the coming days as well as more information in your grade blogs.
Happy Fundraising!
The Importance of Strong School Attendance
At St James, we are committed to ensuring every student has the best opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. One of the key factors in achieving this is strong and consistent school attendance.
Research shows that students who attend school regularly are more engaged in their learning, build stronger social connections, and achieve better academic outcomes. Missing just one or two days a fortnight may not seem significant, but over time, these absences add up, impacting a child's progress and confidence in the classroom.
To support every student in maintaining strong attendance, we closely monitor attendance rates. When a student’s attendance falls below 90%, regardless of the reason, our staff will make verbal and written contact to discuss ways we can work together to support consistent attendance.
How Can Families Encourage Strong Attendance?
✅ Set a Routine – Establish consistent wake-up, bedtime, and morning routines to make getting to school on time easier.
✅ Plan Appointments Wisely – Where possible, schedule doctor, dental, and other appointments outside school hours.
✅ Stay Informed – Keep up to date with school events and expectations to ensure your child is ready and excited for each school day.
✅ Talk About School Positively – Show enthusiasm for your child’s learning and encourage open conversations about their school experiences.
✅ Avoid Unnecessary Absences – While we understand that illness is sometimes unavoidable, try to minimize absences for non-essential reasons.
✅ Reach Out for Support – If your family is facing challenges impacting attendance, please speak with us. We are here to help and can work with you to find solutions.
Together, we can ensure that every student at St James is set up for success through regular, engaged, and joyful learning. Thank you for your ongoing support in making school attendance a priority!
If you have any concerns or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Cross Country
What a brilliant day we had at our School Cross Country! It was wonderful to see our students embracing the ‘have a go’ attitude, challenging themselves, and supporting one another with enthusiasm and sportsmanship. Whether running to win, striving for a personal best, or simply giving it their all, every student should be incredibly proud of their efforts.
A huge congratulations to our age group winners:
🏅 6 Years – Jacob S and Emelia C
🏅 7 Years -Luca S and Valeria T
🏅 8 Years - Carter C and Shivvy B
🏅 9 Years – Archie R and Victoria T
🏅 10 Years – Oscar N, Lacey G and Emi DS
🏅 11 Years – Liam W and Maya PM
🏅 12+ Years – Hype G and Lucia DS
We are also thrilled to announce that the overall winner of the prestigious Cross Country Cup this year is… Hanly House! Well done to all team members for their effort and determination.
A big thank you to our staff, volunteers, and families who helped make the day a success. Your encouragement and support mean so much to our students. We especially acknowledge of Student Culture & extra-Curricular Team for their work: Mrs. Rochester, Mr. Bugden, Mr. Holmes, Mrs. Cane & Mrs. Styman.
Good luck to those who will go on to represent St. James at the next level—we know you’ll do us proud!
Cross Country - 2025
Kindergarten - 2026
Our recent Open Day for 2026 enrolments was a tremendous success, showcasing the welcoming and vibrant community that makes St. James such a special place. It was wonderful to see so many new families eager to learn about the outstanding learning environment we provide.
The success of our Open Day is a testament to the dedication of our exceptional staff, the enthusiasm of our wonderful students, and the strong support of our parents, whose promotion of our school is truly invaluable. St. James continues to have a strong reputation in the community, and we are grateful for the trust families place in us to nurture their children's education and faith.
Enrolment applications closed today, Friday, April 4th. If you know of any families considering St. James for their child, please encourage them to contact the school office. We look forward to welcoming the next generation of learners into our school family!
Open Day
First Reconciliation
On Thursday, April 3rd, our Year 4 students took an important step in their faith journey as they received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This special sacrament is a beautiful expression of God’s mercy and love, offering the children the opportunity to reflect, seek forgiveness, and renew their hearts in Christ.
With reverence and sincerity, our students participated in this sacred rite, guided by our parish priests, who helped them experience the grace and peace that come with reconciliation. We are incredibly proud of them for embracing this moment with faith and understanding.
A heartfelt thank you to our teachers and families who supported the children in their preparation. May this experience strengthen their relationship with God and inspire them to live with kindness, compassion, and a spirit of forgiveness.
Other information
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Parenting supporting & learning
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Upcoming events
Please note the following upcoming events......
Anzac Day March
All St James Primary students have the opportunity to participate in the Anzac Day March (Friday 25th April - Week 2 of the school holidays) co-ordinated by the RSL Tweed Heads & Coolangatta Sub-Branch.
Students will gather at the Coral Street end of Jack Evans Boat Harbour, Tweed Heads, wearing their full school uniform, including their hat. We are requested to be in position by 10:15am am so we ask that all students be dropped off and left with St James staff by 10.00am. It will take us about 15 minutes to organise students into heights and lines. The march is set to start at 10:30am, with the ceremony at the Epitaph starting at 11am. Families can share a light refreshment by the RSL Tweed Heads & Coolangatta Sub-Branch at the conclusion of the ceremony at the Twin Towns club.
Thank you in advance for supporting your child's participation in this march to honour the spirit of soldiers past and present.
Tell Them From Me Survey
Early next term our school will be taking part in the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) student survey. The survey will provide us with valuable feedback on what our students think about school life, how engaged they are with school and the different ways that teachers interact with them.
The survey is run by an independent research company, The Learning Bar, which specialises in school-based surveys. Find our more about The Learning Bar and the TTFM survey here - https://thelearningbar.com/ourschool-survey/?lang=aue
In addition to the student survey (for students from Year 4 to Year 12), parents and carers and teaching staff will have the opportunity to participate in the TTFM survey.
The TTFM student survey is confidential, and staff in schools will not be able to identify individual students from their responses. To ensure confidentiality, participating students will receive a unique username and password. All information will be handled according to relevant privacy legislation.
Students’ personal information will not be disclosed by the school to any other person or body other than as required by law. Individual students will not be identified in any publications. The survey is conducted online, takes 15 to 30 minutes, and will take place at school during school hours.
We will receive a report on our school’s survey results shortly after our students complete the survey. The school will share with parents and carers key aspects of the survey results in a timely manner.
Participating in the survey is voluntary. If any survey questions make your child uncomfortable, your child can skip the question or can choose to stop the survey at any time. If you do not want your child/children to take part in the survey, please email the school by Monday, April 28th.