Our Vision: To grow Catholic, Christian young people,

who are confident, connected lifelong learners, inspired by the teachings of Jesus,

and who make a positive difference in their community.

In these Covid times we have had the most positive start to our new school year.

All About Me Information Sharing and How Our Whānau Works - Staff will have sent home an All About Me Family/Whānau Information Sheet. We would like you to sit with your child/ren and complete this with them and return it to school. We use this information as a way of building relationships with you and your family/whānau. If you would prefer to tell your child's teacher, ie, have a phone conversation or a face to face conversation kanohi te kanohi please make contact with them.

Just a reminder if you need to collect your child from school during school hours, or have any questions please pop into the office to sign your child in or out. Please do not go directly to their learning space.

If you have any questions or wonderings please do not hesitate to make contact with us.

I am out at the gate in the mornings, so please take the opportunity to introduce yourself.

Blessings on your week
Christine Cosgrove

Our School’s Charism

During the first week of every school year, in our prayer and Re learning, we explore our school’s Charism.

Charism = our special characteristics and values.

St James is a Mercy school, this means that our school was founded by the Sisters of Mercy. It was established in 1958 after many years of planning, dedication and fundraising.

The first Principal and teacher at St James were Mercy Sisters.

A woman named Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy.

Catherine McAuley was born in Dublin, Ireland, over 200 years ago. Her father often helped out those in need and liked to tell people all about God. Catherine’s parents both died when she was a young girl and when her adoptive parents died many years later they left her a big inheritance and a huge home. She was a woman who saw a need to care for the poor, especially women and children so she used her money to do just this. After a while lots of other women wanted to help her out and look after the poor and needy.

A Priest suggested that they become nuns, so they decided they would become the Sisters of Mercy. They were nuns who were really involved in the Communities they served - thus they became known as the walking sisters.

Term 1 Prayer and Religious Education Learning

This year our prayer and Religious Education learning will be guided by our school’s termly overarching theme.

Our theme for term 1 is Belonging.

The scripture we have chosen for our weekly prayer focuses on belonging - to God’s family, to the Church, to our own families.

Our Religious Education learning comes from all of our learning strands, with a focus on belonging to family whanau, Parish, school and Church, and being made in the image and likeness of God.

Throughout the term we will also be exploring Lent and Holy Week traditions, stories and learning.

Welcome to Donna Brown! - Welcome to Donna Brown the newly appointed Pastoral Coordinator for OLOL Parish and the Cathedral Parish. As part of her new role Donna gets to spend an hour a week helping out the teachers, learners and whānau at St James!

Thank you Donna.

From our Parish Office

Link to Cathedral of the Holy Spirit Website
Link to the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit mass times

Latest Kotahi Ano Parish Newsletter

Parish Traffic Light Information for Parishioners

2022 Term Dates & Holidays. Please add these to your diary, in particular the Staff Only Days.

Scholastic Lucky Book - Issue One is out now. Each child at St James has been given one of these catalogues. Follow the link above and sign up to the Parent Loop App to purchase. Check out the Parent Guide, this will give you all the ‘how tos’. Please allow at least 2 weeks from the closing date for books to arrive at school and these will be delivered to your child’s class. If this is a gift and you are wanting to keep it a surprise please email me at library@stjamescatholic.school.nz and I will be in touch when it arrives. You can collect from the office. By purchasing from this catalogue you are not only supporting your child in their reading but each purchase helps towards FREE resources for our school library!!

Closing date for this issue is Friday 25 February 2022.

Early Bird $5 Off*
To encourage and thank parents for their early order, we will email them an Early Bird $5 gift code to use on orders placed before midnight, Friday 11th of February.

* Early Bird Offer for parents - Terms and Conditions:

• Use code BACKTOSCHOOLGIFT at the checkout for $5 off your order.
• Discount valid for orders placed on ANY titles on Book Club Issue 1, 2022 using the LOOP platform.
• Discount valid for parents who place their order between 7th February and midnight Friday 11 February 2022
• Discount voucher valid with minimum spend of $25.00.
• One discount can be used per transaction.
• Unless stated otherwise, discount vouchers are not valid in conjunction with other promotions or discounts.
• If you save your order, please remember to re-add your gift voucher promotional code.

Parent Handbook - An A-Z Guide for St James’s Catholic School Family/Whanau. Please take the time to read through this, it is a useful guide for our school community.

Staff Only Day - Monday 21 February. School will be closed this day as staff will be undertaking professional development within our Kahui Ako. A Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako is a group of education and training providers that form around children and young people's learning pathways, and work together to help them achieve their full potential.

Netball Years - 5 and 6

Hot Shots Tennis Programme - 5 week programme commencing Saturday 19 February 2022.

The Egg Project - We are excited to have the opportunity to continue with this fundraiser again this year. If you haven't tried their eggs they are egg-ceptional! www.theeggproject.co.nz. Order before midnight Tuesday and collect from the School Office on Thursdays after school.

The next BOT meeting will be held in the staffroom on Monday 8 March 2022 at 6.00 pm. All welcome.

Michael Fennessy

Chairperson (board@stjamescatholic.school.nz)

St James' is a Nut Free School - We have children with severe and life-threatening allergies to nuts attending St James’ Catholic School. In addition, these learners do not understand the seriousness of their condition.

In fact, they are not aware of their allergy. If these children come into contact with nuts or nut products, even touch some nut residue left on surfaces, they can have a life-threatening allergic reaction. The school needs to take every practical precaution to avoid a severe reaction and keep these children safe.

We ask that children do not bring peanuts, peanut butter, muesli bars with peanuts in them, cashew nuts and Nutella sandwiches, and other foods containing nuts to school. We request that if your child has consumed these food items before coming to school, that they wash their hands thoroughly before they leave home.

We realise that many food products state on their packaging “may contain traces of peanuts or nuts”. Provided that nuts are not the actual ingredient, then there is no problem with your child bringing these food items to school.

Some useful links to important information:

• Nut Free Letter to Community

• Alternative Nut-Free Food Ideas

• Nut-Free Poster
  
  

Before and After School Expectations - School starts at 8.50am. We ask that children do not arrive before 8.30 am. Teachers are in their learning spaces to greet learners and chat to parents from 8.30am. Before 8.30am this is their time to prepare for your child’s learning. The front gate and the side gate by the Hall, through which all children and families enter the grounds, are unlocked by 8.15am. Please use the pedestrian crossing and support our Road Patrollers. Do not cross the road in front of the gate.

Parking - Please take care when parking especially after school. The carparks outside the school gate are for parents to remain in their cars, teachers are happy to direct children to their car. Also please don't park one the bus stop or the double yellow lines.

Out of School Care - Nippers - We are very pleased to offer before and after school care to your family in our School Hall. Nippers Limited provides this service. A Holiday Programme is also available. For more details contact: 06 356 7926 (Nippers' Office) 021 645 806 (on site) email: nippers@inspire.net.nz Please note Nippers Limited is not owned by St James’ Catholic School.

TERM 1

Week 4

Monday 21 February - Staff Only Day

Week 5

Tuesday 1 March - Shrove Tuesday and Burning of the Palms Liturgy

Wednesday 2 March - Ash Wednesday

Week 6

Monday 7 March - School Board Meeting

Wednesday 2 March - Ash Wednesday