dates for your diary 14 october 2016 vol. no. 28 … · surprise then to learn that one of the...
TRANSCRIPT
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear All in the St James Community
The venue for the recent Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders Congress in India that I attended recently was a
short walk from the famous Eden Gardens Cricket Ground in central Kolkata (Calcutta).
Cricket in India runs second only to India’s rich and multi-facetted religious traditions and beliefs. It was no
surprise then to learn that one of the latest Indian movies to open in cinemas there was a biopic of M.S. Dhoni,
recently retired and much hailed Captain of India’s Test Cricket Team.There would be many a church in Australia
that would yearn to have the crowds lining up to worship that lined up at the cinemas off the crowded streets in
Kolkata to watch this movie!
India does cult figures very well and many of them have become household names around the world for their
extraordinary contribution to humanity and particularly to the Indian people. Two most notable among these, of
course, are St Teresa (Mother Teresa) of Calcutta and Mahatma Gandhi.
There is an intense spirituality that characterizes all levels of society in India and I was moved by a statement made
at the opening ceremony of the Congress which read: “Inherent in every religious tradition in India is the sense of
the sacred, a sense which pervades the entire landscape – encompassing the lofty mountains, great rivers, rocks
and trees, flora and fauna – a sense which helps us go beyond the material world of individual needs and enables
us to recognize the divine in one another.”
Both Mother Teresa and Gandhi did precisely this. Edmund Rice himself is acknowledged as one who stepped out
of his comfortable world as a successful businessman to bring educational opportunities to those who needed
them most – those who were poor, those who had been pushed onto the margins of society. He did this not out of
a sense of duty to share his wealth, but out of a deep spirituality that recognized Christ appealing to him through
the poor.
It is imperative for all of us, then – teachers, parents, students – to acknowledge the dignity of each other and
provide a vision of hope through what we do. Each of us is the reflection of the divine to the other. As one Indian
mystic wrote: “Without God we can’t; without us, God can’t!”
Verification Day
Parents/Carers are reminded that this coming Monday, 17 October, is a Student-Free Day. Teachers in all
educational sectors across the State are engaged in verification meetings at the local and district level.
St James Art Exhibition
This afternoon from 4pm – 6.30pm, the College Art Department mounts its annual Art Show. It is always an exciting
opportunity to view the outstanding work of students from across all year levels. The display will be in the Ba-ra
Barimi Learning Centre and is open to all. I congratulate and thank our art teachers, Mrs Bronwyn Doherty and Mr
Aaron Hill, for the inspiration and expertise they provide for our students.
God Bless
Gerry Crooks Principal
ABSENTEE LINE
3230 8655
Please clearly state student’s name, year level and home room.
14 OCTOBER 2016 Vol. No. 28
Having trouble getting the College Newsletter at home?
Would you like to receive it via email? If so, please send an email to [email protected]
and we will add you your mailing list.
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 October
17 Student Free Day 21 Year 12 Formal 24-25 Year 11 Leadership Days 28 Free Dress Day 28 Awards Night 29 P&F BBQ Stall ,Bunnings Albion
November
4 Year 12 Twilight Retreat 7-15 Year 12 Exam Block
Deputy Principal Mr Tony McCulkin
Years 8 and 9 students are reminded that unit selection forms for 2017 are due to be handed in by
Friday, October 21. This is an important deadline as this information is used to design the 2017
timetable with the number of classes in each unit decided by student demand. Year 12 students
commence final examinations on November 7 with the last examination to be held on November 15. A
schedule of examinations will be provided to students. Year 12 students need to be attending school
until November 17 to be eligible for a Senior Certificate. Students in Years 11 and 12 must be present
for examinations. Students must not make travel arrangements to return home overseas before the
end of the examinations. Year 11 students must be at school until November 24. Monday, October 17
is a professional development day for teachers as many teachers are members of Queensland
Curriculum and Assessment Authority District Review Panels. There will be no classes on this day.
AP Pastoral Mr Martin Wiseman Attendance SMS
You would have all received my email regarding the use of a new SMS that is sent to all families of
students who are late or absent without the school being notified. This SMS is designed to improve our
communication with all families regarding the safety of their children. It is important to note that we
ask that you contact the College on the main number 38308600 to explain the absence as soon as
possible. Please do not reply to the SMS because it is sent by a computer and not a phone. If you have
any queries or feedback on the system please let me know here at school.
Formal
All the Formal money was required by close of business today so we can inform the Hilton of the
number. Parents and carers are invited to the students’ arrival at the venue commencing at 6.00pm. I
look forward to seeing you there.
Family Therapy Sessions
Dr Shannon O’Gorman, one of the College Counsellors, is offering to all St James families a Family
Therapy Clinic at the College. Common reasons for support include: behavioural concerns at school or
home, conflict over school work, complexities arising as a result of pre-existing medical or mental
health diagnosis. The sessions are offered on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday mornings from 7.45am
and are free of charge. If you are interested please contact Shannon by email
([email protected]) or via the school number and ask for extension 663.
Congratulations
We have a budding artist in our midst!! Frazer Campbell Year 9 CA. The Department of Families, Youth
and Community Care have purchased some of his work and will be displaying it in their
buildings. Fantastic work Frazer.
AP Identity Mrs Tricia Parry As the weeks move quickly towards the end of the year and mounting pressures with work and school
increase in intensity, it is good to be mindful that many of life’s pressures are cyclical and need to move
in close momentum with others. Life is a journey and some things appear to happen at a specific time
for a specific reason. This is sometimes difficult for us to fathom but I thought that the article from Joan
Chittister, as seen below, describes beautifully how many things within our lives cannot be rushed to a
conclusion without the processes first being completed. This is a gentle reminder that we need to be
prudent when completing tasks but we also need to be sure that we are giving them the right amount of
love and time to be completed in an appropriate way.
I hope that this week finds you well, and very much keep the journey of our students, particularly the
Senior Class of 2016 in our thoughts and prayers as they work towards the completion of this term. A full harvest Life is a thing of many stages and moving parts. What we do with ease at one time of life we can hardly
manage at another. What we could not fathom doing when we were young, we find great joy in when we
are old. Like the seasons through which we move, life itself is a never-ending series of harvests, a
different fruit for every time.
The skill of life, of course, lies in harvesting well and harvesting always, in taking the best that life has
to give at any stage, in being patient with ourselves along our way. The Sufi tell a story about what
happens when we force things: Once upon a time, the story goes, a seeker found a cocoon resting
quietly. Intent on seeing the butterfly within, the seeker held the cocoon in loving hands, breathed
warm breath upon it and watched with excitement as the butterfly emerged. But hardly had the newly
hatched beauty spread its wings then it died. “Why did my butterfly die?” the seeker asked the Holy
One. “To teach you a lesson,” the Holy One said. “Everything can be born in due time; nothing can be
rushed.”
The secret of life is to let every segment of it produce its own yield at its own pace. Every period has
something new to teach us: The harvest of youth is achievement; the harvest of middle age is
perspective; the harvest of age is wisdom; the harvest of life is serenity. The Rule of Benedict tells us to
do all things with counsel, to learn from those around us who have already gone the way before us, to
ask the opinion of the entire community when making major decisions. Those are all good lessons.
They can save us from ourselves. They can stop us from forcing butterflies before their time. They can
make the harvest full.
from A Monastery Almanac by Joan Chittister
Every Blessing for a Peaceful Week
Pre Formal 6.00pm to 7.00
pm
Formal 7.00pm to 10.30pm
Tickets must be purchased no later
than Friday 14 October
$115 single $230 double
Tickets may be purchased at
Student Services.
Jimmies Brekkie Van
All students in Years 11 and 12 are warmly invited to participate
in the Jimmies Brekkie Van during Term 4.
The Brekkie Van goes out each Wednesday and Friday morning, departing St James at 6.00am, to
provide a BBQ breakfast and be a presence to those who are margin-alised in our inner-city community.
Please speak with your respective House Deans to register for this
very worthwhile ministry initiative.
Year 12 Parents’ Formal Vintaged Bar
Monday, 17 October 2016
Formal Get Together for
Year 12 Parents’
From 7:00pm to 10pm
RSVP: Dawn Maloney at
0429338040
Middle Coordinator Ms Karen Lindsey At the end of last week, Assessment Calendars for students in Years 7 to 10 were distributed to
students. These Calendars outline the due dates for Term 4 in each subject area for your student’s year
level and is designed to assist students in organising their time effectively to meet deadlines. By now,
they should have transferred the relevant due dates onto the Term Assessment Planner on page 142 of
the student diary. Electronic copies of the Assessment Calendars are also available on the College
website via the “Teaching and Learning” tab.
Given that Term 4 is only of eight weeks duration for our younger students, please be aware that much
of their assessment will be due in Weeks 37 and 38. Although this will result in a very busy two weeks, it
is largely unavoidable as it is important that students are given the maximum amount of time to learn
new content and to engage with it effectively through practice and repetition before they attempt
assessment items. I would ask that parents and guardians keep checking in with their students
throughout the term to ensure that they are on track to complete all of their assessment on time. Should
you have any queries or concerns in relation to curriculum matters for Years 7 to 10 students, I can be
contacted at
Guidance Counsellor Ms Tania Munro
Year 9/10 Excursion
On Tuesday, 18 October 2016 Year 9 and 10 Design and Technology students will be attending a
Construction Industry Try a Trade and Site tour coordinated by Construction Skills Queensland. The
purpose of this initiative is to allow students with career interest in this industry to explore some of the
potential pathways. Those students participating can also gain valuable career advice from apprentices,
trainers, local employers and industry representatives. This is a hands-on interactive event and will take
place at the Brisbane Showgrounds redevelopment site. They will have the opportunity to participate in
Try’a Trade construction activities including:
Painting
Carpentry
Tiling
Plumbing
Plastering
Electrical
Bricklaying
Surveying
The bus for this event will be departing the college at 8:30 am so it is imperative that those students
participating arrive at school on time. Students will return to school at 12:00 noon and attend normal
afternoon classes. They need to wear their full school uniform including closed in leather shoes.
Jimmies’ Adopt-A-Cop Constable Ben Porteous I wanted to touch on recent media reports regarding a new “craze” that has found its way to Australia
recently. It involves individuals dressing up in clown attire and attending public places to scare/
intimidate members of the public. This craze has been popular in the US with a handful of incidents now
being reported here in Australia. There are currently Facebook groups attempting to gather support of
the craze in Brisbane, with individuals encouraged to attend schools. The Queensland Police Service
have declared zero tolerance to any individuals causing any nuisance/disruptions to members of the
public, especially school communities. I ask that everyone be aware going about their daily routines in
and around the school, to report anything suspicious regarding individuals wearing any clown attire or
costumes. As always if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me at
Library News Ms Nikki Carpenter Library News
We are excited to be hosting the annual Art Show here in the Ba-ra Barimi Centre on Friday; it is such a
beautiful space, we are proud to show it off to visitors. Because all of our furniture and shelving is
movable and our chairs are stackable, we can change from a Library into an Art Gallery in about 30
minutes!
Jimmie’s Pick
This week, Jimmie picks The Boy who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti as his recommended read. It
is a novel based on the true story of Helmuth Hubener, a German school boy who become a member of
the Hitler Youth during World War II. It is an interesting historically accurate book, and not too difficult to
navigate.
ATTENTION: Year 12 Parents and Students
As our Year 12 students’ studies draw to a close, it is timely to remind them that all college resources –
books, laptop, laptop bag and charger – must be returned prior to graduation.
As attendance is variable from the commencement of exam block, we would like to request that all Year
12 students return their Dell computers and both the AC adapter and carry case, to the Library on Friday,
4 November 2016. As some students may require some flexibility with the return of items due to exam
study, alternate return arrangements must be arranged prior to this date with Library staff.
We expect the computers will be returned in a serviceable condition showing due care and responsible
usage of such fragile resources. If there is physical damage to the computer, we would encourage your
child to contact the ICT Department as soon as possible, as this may be covered by accidental damage
insurance.
ST JAMES COLLEGE AWARDS NIGHT
Friday, 28 October 2016. 7.00pm to 9.00pm
St James College Hall
Parking will be available in the lower playground, entry via Gloucester
Street.
Enquiries may be directed to the Principal’s PA,
Naomi Ritchie, on 3230 8686.
ST JAMES ART EXHIBITION
FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER
4:00pm– 6:30pm
OFFICIAL OPENING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
COMMENCE AT 5:30pm
St James College
201 Boundary St, Spring Hill
Ba-ra Barimi Learning Centre
(our College Library)
DRINKS AND NIBBLES SUPPLIED
Come along and enjoy the show.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
P&F BBQ Stall
Bunnings Albion on Saturday, 29 October 7:00 am to 4:00 pm
Help is required for our
fundraising BBQ.
If you would like to come along and
help for an hour or two,
please contact Dawn Moloney on
0429 338040 or
email [email protected]
to arrange to be on the roster for the
day.
Help is very much appreciated.
All funds go back to St James
College for Student Support
Services and East Timor.
It is essential that students back-up any content they wish to keep, using a USB flash drive or external
hard drive (recommended).
All Year 12 students will be given a list of their resources along with a Finalisation Form. If, for any
reason, all resources listed cannot be found, there is an expectation that you will pay for
replacements. Once library staff are satisfied that all college resources are returned or paid for, your
completed Finalisation Form will be signed.
Should you have any questions regarding this process, please contact Mrs Lee Bess, Librarian, or Ms
Nikki Carpenter, Head of Library and eLearning.
Sports News Mr Scott Prickett
Basketball News – There will be two training sessions a week in Term Four for all basketball students
who are available and wanting to improve their knowledge and skills of the game. Monday and
Wednesday afternoons will be coached by our Director of Basketball Mr Kirron Byrne. We would love to
see students there who would like to progress in the basketball program
Futsal News – Mr Prickett and Mr Anderson will be running sessions during lunch time for students who
want to be a part of St James Futsal teams for 2017. It is important if you are wanting to be a part of
this to bring your equipment in for Monday and Thursday lunch times.
Jimmies Climbing Club Jimmies climbing club members Bridget Aitchison and Jacob Forker-Freeman
judged and competed in Australia’s ultimate National Bouldering competition last weekend! The
competition was help in Brisbane over three huge days. With over $20,000 in cash and prizes,
interstate and international climbers completed fiercely Plus, to top it all off the event was
LIVESTREAMED!
Bridget and Jacob have attended training sessions and are now both accredited National judges for the
sport. With over 400 competitors it was a massive weekend full of big falls, high impact moves and loud
music!
But what is boulder? Bouldering is a sequence of up to 10 moves, in any direction, they can be
dynamics or static. Participants must start and finish on designated holds. If they fall they land on big
soft mats. However boulder problems can be up to four meters high! A scary fall for most mere mortals.
Jacob not only volunteered all weekend, he also competed, placing in the top 25 for Australia! Another
fantastic effort from Jimmies climbers, representing their school and State at National Level!
Next competition on our calendar is the Rocksports, Round 3, Climb- Olympics! On Saturday, 15
October 2016 register on line at http://rocksports.com.au/
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY TRAVEL REBATE
Semester 2, 2016
Does your child have a verified disability that requires transport assistance to and from school?
Has your school’s learning support teacher assessed your child’s travel capability rating as ‘semi-independent’ or more dependent?
Visit our website to see if you qualify for financial assistance to
help with the cost of transport and
Apply at www.schooltransport.com.au by 31 October 2016.
Late applications cannot be accepted.
Jimmies Climbing Club
Sports Quote
THINK PREPARE PLAN for life after school
Brisbane North Background
My Future: My Life is a ground-breaking initiative which encourages and supports Queensland secondary students with a disability to pursue their vision and goals for life after school.
Who should attend
Parents, disability professionals and educators of secondary school students (years 7 to 12) with disability.
Purpose
These workshops are highly interactive with particpants engaging in group exercises in order to think creatively about possible options for a secondary school student with disability for life after school.
The workshop will help participants: ◊ think creatively about life after school ◊ identify and capture students’ unique potential and goals ◊ link to community resources ◊ identify what it would take to put the student’s plan into action ◊ gain an understanding of My Future: My Life’s 3 options of support
Where
Alf Shaw Community Centre 190 Stanley Street, Strathpine
When
9.30am to 1.00pm. Wednesday 19 October 2016
How to register Visit the Events page at www.myfuturemylife.com.au or by phone 1300 697 526
Numbers are limited & registration is essential.
Cost
This workshop is offered FREE to participants.