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27 April 2018 Vol. No.10

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1. Listen calmly to get the full story.

2. Reassure your child that they are not to blame.

3. Ask your child what they want to do about it and how you can help.

4. Visit www.bullying.gov.au to find out some strategies.

5. Contact the school.

6. Check-in regularly with your child.

Dates for Your Diary

April 28 Bunnings Albion BBQ Fundraiser

May 2 Yr 9 Debating 7 Labour Day Holiday 9 Yr 10 Debating 11 Careers Expo Yrs 11 & 12 15 Yr 10 Immunizations 15—17 NAPLAN Yrs 7 & 9 16 Yr 8 Debating

18 Cultural Night Free Dress Day 22—25 Yr 10 Outdoor Recreation Camp

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents and All in the St James Community

150th Anniversary Mass

A large congregation gathered last Friday evening in the Cathedral of St Stephen to celebrate the Thanksgiving Eucharist

to mark the 150th Anniversary of the College. The Mass was presided over by Archbishop Mark Coleridge. He was as-

sisted by Bishop Ken Howell, past student and who delivered such an inspiring homily on the night, together with priests

Fr Peter Brannelly, Fr Tom Ehlich and Fr David Pascoe.

Past students, Principals from other Colleges, representatives from Edmund Rice Education Australia, Brisbane and

wider Queensland Catholic Education networks as well as parents, friends of the College and students witnessed a

wonderful celebration of this remarkable little school that has stood the test of time and influenced the lives of so many

young people since it began in a humble little cottage – ‘Castleracket’ – on the corner of Boundary St and Hartley St,

Spring Hill, where the College Hall now stands.

We were also delighted to welcome a number of Christian Brothers to the event, among them four former Principals of

the College – Br Paul Conn, Br Luke Quinn, Br Bill Tynan and Br Marty Sanderson.

Visit from the Minister for Education

On the very first day of the Term last week, we were privileged to welcome to the College the Federal Minister for Educa-

tion, Simon Birmingham. Mr Birmingham spent some time on a tour of the school accompanied by the College Cap-

tains, visiting several classes and talking with students and teachers (he was even introduced to Jimmie the Pug in the

library who gave him a special welcoming lick – in a detached be-wary-of-politicians sort of way!). With new protocols for

Federal Funding for schools being instituted next year (often referred to as Gonski 2.0), this was a rare opportunity to

talk to the Minister face to face about our school and its needs.

Historical Snippets (cont’d)

Second and Third Term at St James is World Cup Soccer time. The tradi-

tion has been an integral part of the school’s lunch break for many years.

Today, our ‘national’ teams continue to mirror the spirit of the winning

Italian Team from 1992 as they hold aloft the trophy – even the teacher/

coach was Italian – Mrs Fabbri! Prior to the building of the Hall, World Cup

Soccer instituted by past student Joe Miranda’s class in the 1980s was

played on the old tennis court which used to occupy the space between

the St James Building and the Hall where the upper courtyard now is.

The School Parade of 1954 below indicates a regimentation that St James

students today might find a little challenging. Noteworthy in this photo is

the railway vent in the foreground. The classes are parading where the

Tom Carey Wing now stands with the St James Building in the background.

The circular railway vent has been superseded by a rather high metallic

and quite ugly chimney today. The stories are rife from past students

about hats been blown high above the playground from the updraft

of the tunnel when trains passed below; stones and other debris

also found their way down the vent from mischievous boys. No

doubt Queensland Rail representatives were frequent visitors to the

school!

Live Jesus in our Hearts.

Gerry Crooks

Principal

Deputy Principal Mr Tony McCulkin

National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

These annual tests will be undertaken by Years 7 & 9 students from Tuesday to Thursday May 15 to 17. Forms

requesting special provisions or exemptions need to be signed and returned as a matter of urgency. NAPLAN

is an annual assessment of all students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 across Australia in literacy and numeracy. It

enables a comparison between annual assessments and is intended to monitor performance throughout

schooling.

NAPLAN utilizes national scales to measure achievement in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the domains of reading,

writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy. It does not measure performances in any other

domains of learning and was never intended to compare school performances as the Myschool website pur-

ports is possible. Research has consistently indicated that 70% of differences between schools are explained

by who is enrolled. It is not possible to make realistic comparisons without consideration given to such things

as how students are selected, the ethnic mix, gender balance, school location and size. It is important parents

are aware of what they are looking at when viewing these data.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Many thanks to all the families who attended the Parent Teacher Interviews this week. Staff certainly appreci-

ate the opportunity to speak to parents about student performance. The contact between home and school in

this format is vital. We hope the evening was worthwhile and encouraging and that the information gleaned is

useful in those so necessary discussions with students at home. Any outstanding issues should be directed to

classroom teachers or the most appropriate person at the College. Parents who missed the opportunity for any

reason, are invited to contact the teachers at a mutually convenient time by telephone, or better still via email.

AP Pastoral Mr Martin Wiseman

I trust that the break from school brought to your households a less busy and maybe calamitous atmosphere.

It certainly does to my house and I enjoy seeing my kids relax and pursue the stuff that gives them energy.

Uniform

We are back to it so please attend to these issues in your household when you can:

• School tie to be worn by Senior students everyday.

• Correct school pants also need to be worn. We are seeing black pants make an appearance for

some reason.

• Hair styles and cuts need to within the guidelines set out in the Student Diary.

• Piercings also need to conform to our expectations so nose and facial piercings as well as multiple

ear rings are banned.

Reflection Days

I would like to thank our House Deans for walking with our Year 11 and 12 students during these days last

week. The facilitator, Mr Michael Fitzpatrick, is brilliant and he loves working with our kids and they him but

our House Deans held the students’ hands brilliantly throughout the two days.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Thank you to all parents and carers who attended the afternoon and evening on Tuesday this week to meet

with teachers. You would have seen on the report issued over the holidays that all students received a rating

from their Homeroom Teacher for a number of capabilities that the Australian Government deems essential in

the personal and social development of each child. If you have any queries with regard to these capabilities or

the rating your child received please do not hesitate to contact me or your House Dean.

150th Mass Celebration

There is obviously much written about this event in this edition of the newsletter but I would very much like to

add my congratulations to all the students who participated in the Mass. The readers and singers all excelled

and not only rose to the occasion but understood the significance and relevance of place to a degree which

surprised even me. We are very proud of all of students at St James but these young people were outstanding.

AP Identity Mrs Tricia Parry

Well, the beginning of Term 2 got off to a fabulous, if not a busy start, as we worked our way through a series of

important events.

On the first day of the term, we began by commencing with our Easter Liturgy, celebrating the Resurrection of

Jesus on Easter Sunday. We remembered this important occasion through word and action as we looked at

how the important messages of Lent and Easter could continue in our contemporary lives. This was followed on

Thursday and Friday respectively with both of the Year 11 and Year 12 Cohort of students experiencing their

annual Reflection Days. These days were facilitated by Michael Fitzpatrick, who does wonderful work with our

students and was most complimentary about the way the students engaged with the days that he presented.

This of course was followed by our Sesquicentenary Mass celebrating our 150th Year as a College at the Cathe-

dral of St Stephen. I was so proud of all of the students involved and sincerely thank every staff member who

assisted with this truly phenomenal event – it was a marvellous occasion and I was just so very privileged to be

part of such a wonderful celebration.

On Thursday we celebrated Anzac Day with both prayer and a wonderful speech by Mr Ross Wiseman AM,

father of our own Mr Wiseman. His words were informative, and he certainly gave us a great deal to think

about across this national celebration. I would like to sincerely thank Mr Wiseman for sharing his wealth of

knowledge and experience in such a meaningful way with our students.

Every Blessing for a wonderful week.

Ministry Ms Amanda Moss

The St James Community raised over $1000 for Project Compassion during the 2018 Lenten period. This

money goes to Caritas Australia who use the money to fund development projects both in Australia and world-

wide. Closer to home, Brekkie Van continues to run every Wednesday and Friday morning. A special thanks is

due to Carey House and students who did Brekkie Van on ANZAC Day.

150th Anniversary Mass

Middle School Coordinator Mrs Karen Lindsey

World Scholar’s Cup

The World Scholar’s Cup is a global competition where students compete in teams of three in four events held

over two days. The focus is on learning and having fun at the same time. The Regional Round for Brisbane was

held at Anglican Church Grammar School during the Easter holidays. St James entered a Senior team made up

of Samueli Ernest, Peter Fowler and Maror Guot. We also entered our Year 7 student Thomas McGarry into a

Year 8 Churchie team.

This year's theme, "An Entangled World" covers a wide range of subject areas including science, art, music,

literature, economics and social science. The four rounds are Debating, Collaborative Writing, a multiple choice

written test and a unique event called Scholar's Bowl. Teams earn points along the way with the aim of

qualifying for the Global Round.

I am very pleased to announce that all four of our boys were awarded a number of medals for their

achievements in the competition and have qualified to attend the Global Round which is to be held in

Melbourne in August this year. This is really an amazing achievement and I’m very proud of their teamwork,

their dedication in studying for the competition and for the way they proudly represented St James.

Assessment Schedules

This term’s assessment schedules have been disseminated to students this week. This one-page document

succinctly communicates the assessment items and due dates for all of your child’s subjects for the term. It is

a good idea to keep this on the family noticeboard or the fridge and to check in with your child about their tasks

as the deadline draws nearer. If your child has not shown it to you, you can obtain a paper copy from Maria at

Reception or it can be found on the College website under the “Teaching and Learning” tab.

Library Ms Nikki Carpenter

Library News

We are lucky enough to have recently received a lovely big delivery of new books! Included

in the selection are Graphic Novels, Classics, and books with Mysteries, Adventure and

Friendship as their themes.

Come along and have a look at our ‘New Books’ display. You are certain to find something

that you’ll enjoy and Library Staff are always here to help as well!

Cultural Night Miss Jessica Whelan

This year our Annual Cultural Night will be held on Friday 18 May at 7pm. This is an evening where we

celebrate the diversity of the students in our school community through various dancing and singing

performances. Students have been practicing for endless hours to ensure that this will be an evening that will

be thoroughly enjoyed by all. Some of the acts this year include the Samoan Siva, student and staff band,

Egyptian Dance, Afro Hip Hop Dance and various African performances. The skill and talent in these

performances have to be seen to be believed so mark this in the calendar as an event that your family cannot

miss!

Congratulations to Willow Hersant & Leuca McLeod

World Scholar’s Cup

Thomas McGarry, Peter Fowler, Samueli Ernest and Maror Guot (From L—R).

ANZAC Day Celebration Mr Ross Wiseman AM and Mr Martin Wiseman.

Gibson Gray, Yr 8 MR 3, representing Brisbane Central Scout Group at the Anzac Day Service, New Farm Park. For information on scouting contact, Brisbanecentral.scoutsqld.com.au .

Scouting is an activity for both boys and girls.

Last week in Adelaide, Willow Hersant, Yr 9 HO 3,

took part in the Special Olympics. Willow compet-

ed in Equatation, Dressage, Gymkana and Skills

Tests. She received Gold for all four events in her

class. Well done Willow!

Last weekend in Rockhampton, Leuca McLeod, Yr

7 CA 3, took part in the Queensland Gymnastics

Championships competing in TRP (Trampoline)

State Age and Open Championships.

In the U15’s Youth Section (Leuca is only 12)

Leuca finished:

2nd in Trampoline

4th in Double Mini

6th in Synchronised

Well done Leuca!

Jimmies Climbing Club Ms Casey Francis

The Rocksports 2018 School Climbing Series kicks

off Wednesday 2 May. It is an interschool climbing

competition held over three unique rounds. Jim-

mies climbers will be defending their title from last

year. Climbers have been training on Thursday

afternoons with Jimmies ‘Old Girl’ and QLD State

Representative climber, Bridget Aitcheson. With

many new comers to the team, this will be a great

event to test some skills.

Not in Climbing Club but keen to compete, join or

support your fellow students? See Miss Francis

either at the College or contact her via email at

casey.francis@stjamescollege.qld.edu.au for further

information.

K2 Base Camp 2018 QLD Youth State Lead Titles

Phew … We're exhausted!

The K2 Base Camp 2018 QLD Youth State Lead

Titles over the weekend were epic. St James was

well represented by Matthew Kuzevich, Yr 12 LO 2,

(pictured top right) in Youth A Males. Mathew

cruised into the finals easily qualifying for the Youth

Nationals, held at Villawood, Sydney in three weeks’

time. Go Matthew!

Girls AFL Mr Greg Flint

The AFL Girl’s competition this year was severely hampered by poor weather resulting in seven games being

cancelled. The St James College senior girls were only able to play two games this season. The final game on

Wednesday afternoon against Mt St Michael’s College resulted in a ‘stirring’ 44 to 8 victory for St James Col-

lege. The girls played with great passion and spirit, with many, playing for the first time.

Sport Mr Scott Prickett

Cross Country — The last day of term saw the weather play games as to whether the interhouse carnival would

go ahead, but really what is cross country without nature’s elements playing games on us! The Houses were

full of enthusiasm and great colour. All age groups ran with determination to receive points for their House.

Participation is the main focus of this carnival and students lived up to the expectation of that. A handful of

from each age group ran competitively to earn the honour of Age Champion. Congratulations go to Mary Rice

House who came out victorious at the end of the event.

House Results

Jimmies Futsal Holiday Program — St James

held its first ever Jimmies Futsal holiday clinic

where our student came in and worked hard on

improving their individual and team skills to

become better players and better team mem-

bers. Each day there was a different topic and

students were evaluated daily to see how they

responded to the new information given to

them. This helped them push themselves hard-

er each day to improve individually. We were

very fortunate to have Emilio Martinez from the

Brisbane Roar come in and share his story

about balancing school life and sporting life to

follow his dream as a professional athlete.

Trevor Edwards from Football Queensland Futsal also worked closely on individual skills with our players. On

the final day Redlands City Futsal and Southside Eagle Futsal Club came in to play against two of our St James

teams in a Fast 4 Futsal Round Robin. The games were fast and of a high quality. With an undefeated record

our St James 1 team was crowned champions. Plemedi Loko was named Player of the Camp with his incredi-

ble attitude and determination to work hard on his individual skills. I would like to thank Mr James Anderson

who helped organise and coach the clinic. It was a fun, exciting and rewarding three days and we all look for-

ward to seeing how St James futsal program grows.

Term 2 Update — Term 2 will be full of excitement and preparations for what will be one of the busiest terms I

have seen in a while. In the June/July holidays our Rugby League and Netball teams travel to Townsville and

Charter Towers for their Confraternity and QISSN tournament. Our Basketball teams will be competing and

hosting the EREA Basketball tournament, then travelling to the Gold Coast to defend their title at the GCI Invita-

tional. There is a lot of training and planning going into term 2. If you would like to get on board and volunteer

some of your time to help these teams in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the College on 3230

8600 or via email at SPrickett@stjamescollege.qld.edu.au .

1st Mary Rice 103

2nd Hogan 86

3rd Carey 81

4th Long 75

2018 Cross Country Age Champions

12 Boys – William Barr-Bond 12 Girls - Benise Nishimwe

13 Boys – Troy Nelson-Hodges 13 Girls – Holly Barnes

14 Boys – Bernard Kalenda 14 Girls – Briana Mercer

15 Boys - Hussein Ahmed Nasser 15 Girls – Samantha Dix

16 Boys – Dut Acuil 16 Girls – Chynelle Marama

Open Boys - Abdi Mohamed Shukri Open Girls - Tenzin Tenzin Nyidon

Senior Girls’ AFL Team

Futsal Holiday Program