Term 2 Highlights

Key Dates

Leadership Team

Andrée Rice, Principal

We celebrated Pride Month this week and a plethora of rainbow colours on Tuesday made us happy and proud to be part of this genuinely inclusive community. It was terrific seeing the rainbow-decorated doors that homerooms created with enthusiastic teachers. The doors were symbolic of the value we place on our students feeling safe, welcome and able to be themselves here at St James. This is one example from many this term of the way we live out the EREA Touchstones’ call to provide a liberating education freeing each person to become the person God created them to be.

Created and Loved: A guide for Catholic schools on identity and gender is a pastoral document written by the Australian Catholic Bishops to support schools in this area and a key cornerstone of the document is: “the acknowledgment of the gospel truth that we are called to have life and have it abundantly (Jn 10:10), along with our commitment to care for the whole person, spiritually, emotionally, socially, intellectually and physically.

Such a broad vision sees school communities like Jimmies walk alongside their students as they grow and mature. They/we offer students opportunities to excel, flourish, and see themselves as God sees them. It is a vision of hope and promise, and it is inclusive and accepting of all.”

St James works in partnership with our wonderful families and carers, and I’d like to thank to the parents who attended our Parent and Friends’ meeting last week and helped us start drafting a new strategic plan for 2026-2028. This workshopping session was very useful to gain parents’ feedback about current strengths and stretch areas for St James. Stay tuned for more updates next term including parent surveys designed to capture your perspectives and thoughts about how we are performing and meeting your children’s needs.

As we end Term 2, we are thanking and farewelling a number of staff:
• Ms Tamia Song (International Student Program Director)
• Ms Tia Jordan (Arts Development Officer)
• Ms Amy Burchett (EALD Specialist Teacher)
• Mr Jake Baguley (Teacher)
• Ms Robyn Patterson (Teacher Aide)
• Mr David John (Teacher Aide and Sport Coach)

We are excited to be wishing Mr Yacob Kial, Director of Student Wellbeing, every blessing as he awaits the birth of his first child. In his absence, and while Ms Neha Reddy takes some long service leave, Mr Michael Colquhoun and Ms Lisa Kubunameca will be acting Directors of Student Wellbeing.

Kristina Johnson, Deputy Principal

Congratulations to all of the St James community on an amazing Semester 1, 2025. The achievements, growth, celebrations, and new learnings have once again been wonderful and have shown our commitment to excellence, learning and demonstrated the Jimmies Spirit.

As we approach the well-deserved break, we encourage everyone to take this time to recharge and reflect on the incredible journey we've experienced together. I hope all families and staff have a beautiful and fulfilling break.

I would like to especially thank our incredible staff - teachers, support staff, and school officers. One of the greatest elements of St James are the staff and their wavering dedication and tireless efforts have made St James a successful, vibrant, and dynamic place where we genuinely live the EREA touchstones every day.

Best of luck to our QISSN and QISSRL teams as they participate in the annual state competitions in Bundaberg and Rockhampton during the first week of the break. We pray for their safe travels, enjoyable team experiences, and continued efforts in building respectful relationships through mentoring and supporting each other.

Please be reminded that Semester 2 begins for students on Tuesday 15th July. The semester will commence with homeroom at 8.45am followed by lessons. It is essential that students arrive in the correct uniform and are well-prepared for the new term of learning.

A final reminder for Year 11 students about their leadership retreat scheduled for Wednesday 16th July to Friday 18th July during the first week of Term 3. This retreat is a valuable opportunity for growth and leadership development.

St Francis Peace Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

May peace and blessings be with the entire St James community.

Around the College

Pride Week at St James College

This week, we proudly celebrated Pride Month with a series of inclusive and joyful events under the theme Everyone Belongs.

Students and staff brought colour and creativity to our door decorating contest, creating powerful displays that celebrated love, diversity, and belonging. Tuesday's Rainbow Dress Day was another highlight, with the whole school showing support for our LGBTQIA+ community through bright and joyful outfits.

As a Catholic school, we are committed to leading with compassion, kindness, and inclusivity. At St James, we celebrate diversity and value every student for exactly who they are.

We are proud to continue building a community where everyone feels welcome, safe, and loved.

Community Swim Project

Ryan Chapman

St James College is proud to share the remarkable progress of our Community Swim Project, now in its sixth week of transforming lives through water safety education and employment pathways.

Project Leadership Ryan Chapman, founder of Yellow Dove Australia and valued member of our St James College team, leads this groundbreaking initiative alongside Sue Cameron and Weeda Sayeed. Together, they are delivering a program that extends far beyond swimming lessons to create genuine pathways to employment and community integration – Through a sustainable model of Education, training and Employment.

Empowering Our New Australians The Community Swim Project, generously funded by the Scanlon Foundation, serves 29 newly arrived community members aged 16 to 26 years from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Congo Nation. The project is delivered over 1 day per week, embodying First Aid, CPR, water safety and swimming lessons (Drowning Prevention Education).

Current Progress - Week 6 Participants are now well into the progressive swimming lessons phase, building water confidence and developing proficiency in essential water safety skills. The enthusiasm and dedication shown by our participants (students) continues to exceed expectations, with strong weekly attendance rates and remarkable individual progress stories emerging from every session.

Looking Ahead The program's comprehensive approach extends beyond basic swimming skills to include accredited instructor certification, First Aid and CPR training, and direct employment placement support. By Month 5, Yellow Dove Australia anticipates that 95-100% of participants will transition into casual or part-time positions within the Aquatic Industry, ready for the upcoming summer hiring season.

Community Impact This project represents more than skill development - it's creating 29 new multicultural ambassadors for water safety, 29 diverse swim teachers for our communities, and 29 young adults trained as first responders. The ripple effects will strengthen water safety awareness and inclusion across our entire region.

St James College Commitment We are honoured to support this transformative program that aligns perfectly with our values of inclusion, opportunity, and community service. The Community Swim Project exemplifies how targeted education can break down barriers and create pathways to success for all members of our diverse community.

Eat Your Greens!

Peter Van Lunn

At the beginning of the term, as part of the Year 9 Design Technology Food unit on Food Security, students planted a small garden based on the principles of permaculture. After a patient 8 weeks, the class reaped the fruits of their labour by harvesting a bountiful crop of Pak Choi, which was then added into a delicious honey soy chicken stir fry. Well done Year 9!

Year 9 Visual Art - Exploring Still Life Through Cubism

Berenice Anzellotti

Our Year 9 Visual Art students have been diving into an exciting project that blends traditional techniques with modern art movements. Beginning with observational still life studies, students carefully planned and developed their compositions, working in watercolour on high-quality watercolour paper to capture the subtleties of shape, tone, and colour.

Building on these foundations, students then reinterpreted their artworks through a Cubist lens. Drawing inspiration from the philosophies and techniques of the Cubist movement, they explored new ways of seeing and representing objects—breaking down forms, shifting perspectives, and reconstructing their still life compositions into bold, abstract artworks. The result is a dynamic body of work that showcases both technical skill and creative thinking. Well done, Year 9!

IT Students Inspired at Women in STEM Workshop

Sarah Mouritz and Elisabeth Schaefer

A group of our IT students had the fantastic opportunity to attend a Women in STEM workshop hosted by Datacom. The day offered a behind the scenes look at how IT companies operate, along with insights into the many exciting career paths in the tech world.

Students heard from a range of professionals many of them women who shared their journeys into IT and the skills they use every day, like teamwork, problem solving and creative thinking. It was eye opening to learn how diverse and dynamic the industry is, and how technology continues to shape our future.

The workshop didn’t just highlight career possibilities, it also sparked confidence in our students, showing them that there's a place for everyone in STEM, regardless of background, pathway or gender.

We’re so proud of our students for taking part and grateful to Datacom for supporting the next generation of tech talent.

Health Careers Expo

Antonia Lu

Our Certificate Health students recently attended the 2025 #GoHealth Careers Expo at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre — an inspiring event that gave students a closer look at career opportunities in the health and social services industries.

The expo featured interactive displays, simulated healthcare scenarios, and live demonstrations. Students had the chance to speak with professionals across a range of fields, including nursing, allied health, mental health, and aged care. They also explored pathways such as school-based traineeships and work experience programs.

It was a valuable and engaging experience that helped students better understand the many options available in this growing industry. We’re proud of how they represented the school and look forward to more opportunities like this in the future.

Refugee Week 2025

“Finding Freedom: Diversity in Community”

Refugee Week is Australia’s peak annual activity to promote greater awareness of refugees, the issues they face, and the contributions refugees are making to the Australian community. This year Refugee Week was held from Sunday 15 June to Saturday 21 June.

St James College celebrated with activities at the College and our choir represented the College performing at the Department of Home Affairs’ Refugee Week celebration.

The week highlighted our College's commitment to diversity, our students from all backgrounds, our College values, and the Edmund Rice touchstones.

HEAL Program Term 2

Sue Cameron

Students have had the opportunity to participate in many Wellbeing activities this term, including creative art therapies, equine therapy, the football wellbeing program led by Michael Anderson, and the community swimming program facilitated by Ryan Chapman from Yellow Dove Foundation. Last week, the whole school celebrated Refugee Week by creating community chalk murals around the school and cooking delicious cultural food. Thank you to Esther Ishimwe, Magy Kampangu, Arifeh Ismaili, Zohra Rezaie, Mina Rezaie, Hanei Rezaie, Hadia Paimani, Ali Paimani, Haniyeh Hasani, Sarah Sadat, Bibhadia Mahbobi, Saeedeh Rezaee, Yndigo Methven, Mustafa Ibrahimzai, Engy Abdall Gamar, Harry Thompson and friends.

Doco in a Day - Powerful Student Stories, Community Support

Tia Jordan and Sue Cameron

This term, students from St James College took part in Doco in a Day — a powerful film-making program that challenges young people to plan, shoot, and edit a micro-documentary (up to three minutes) in just one school day.

The central theme for all student films was equal access to education, and many chose to tell personal stories, drawing on lived experience to illuminate global issues with emotional depth and insight. We invite you to view and share their work via the links below.

Daughters of Hope – Watch the documentary
Gold Team – Watch the documentary
Sitara Stories – Watch the documentary

The program coincided meaningfully with Refugee Week, and the Sitara Stories team went above and beyond, supporting a school-wide Food Fair organised by Ms Sue Cameron as part of the broader celebration. We are especially grateful to Ms Cameron for directing funds raised at the food fair toward the Doco in a Day project, helping support all three film-making teams: Sitara Stories, Gold Team, and Daughters of Hope.
We continue to fundraise until 4 July — every contribution helps provide life-changing opportunities.
Please consider donating, no matter how small — or simply share the films and spread the word.

"A heartfelt thank you from us for taking on the Doco in a Day challenge. It's fair to say that your students' work pulled at plenty of heartstrings here in the Edmund Rice Foundation office — and there were tears."
— Edmund Rice Foundation

To everyone who donated, helped with food, supported the students, or shared the films — thank you. This was a community effort, and I feel privileged to have been part of it.

During my time at St James, I’ve had the joy of supporting student storytelling through music, dance, video, podcasting, music videos, drama workshops, English intensive programs, sponsorship fundraising, documentary-making, and Māori cultural enrichment, including kapa haka. I’ve also worked to build relationships with leading national live performance companies and media organisations, helping connect our students with opportunities beyond the classroom.

As this is my final project, I want to express my deep appreciation for the students, families, and colleagues I’ve worked alongside. It has been a rich and meaningful chapter, and I’m grateful for all we’ve created together.

https://docoinaday.au/doco-in-...

Pirlirrpa Student Visit Visible Ink

Sarah Cleary

On Wednesday, 18th June, students from Pirlirrpa at St James visited Visible Ink, a free youth space run by Brisbane City Council in Fortitude Valley. The visit offered an opportunity for the students to relax, socialise, and explore the wide range of free activities and services available.

During their time at Visible Ink, they enjoyed making bracelets, connecting with Headspace staff and resources, customising bags and clothing through design and printing, and hiring music equipment and instruments for a fun jam session.

This visit helped familiarise the Pirlirrpa students with the Visible Ink staff and multi-use spaces, which is open to young people most afternoons.

Year 12 Debating

Breanna Irwin

Congratulations to our Year 12 debating team on their impressive win against Stuartholme College! Arguing the affirmative side of the topic “We regret the rise of fitness influencers,” the team delivered a thoughtful and well-structured case.

Mia, our first speaker, set the tone by clearly introducing the topic and presenting compelling arguments about the negative health impacts of fitness influencers since the 2000s. Engy followed with a powerful rebuttal, confidently addressing Points of Information with clarity and precision. Emilie concluded the debate by summarising the team’s case and reinforcing key arguments with strong rebuttals.

The team effectively demonstrated that while fitness influencers may promote body positivity, they often perpetuate unrealistic expectations and misinformation, contrasting this with the reliable, evidence-based advice provided by health professionals.

Well done to the team on this outstanding achievement. A special congratulations to Mia, Marina, and Engy, for whom this was their final high school debate. We are proud of your dedication and accomplishments!

International Study Tours for Term 3

Kaspar Wong

We are incredibly grateful for the many events we had in Term 2. In Term 3, we will welcome study tours from Korea, Japan, and China, as well as a couple of short-term international students who will spend time at St James. This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to immerse themselves in diverse cultural experiences. We have also conducted several online cultural exchange sessions with Korean students, which foster global connections and mutual understanding. Our students can explore the Korean traditions, language and daily life, enhancing their intercultural competence. We look forward to more collaborative opportunities for cultural exchange in real life during Term 3. If any students would like to be study buddies, please let Mr Wong and your homeroom teachers know.

Student Engagement and Intervention

Yacob Kial

PCYC School Holiday Program

PCYC Fortitude Valley are offering a great opportunity for young people to stay active, social, and engaged during the break. Running from 28 June to 11 July, the program includes a mix of fun, structured, and free-choice activities tailored to different age groups. Children aged 5–12 can enjoy indoor games and team challenges through the Recreation Fun sessions, while teens aged 12–17 can take part in the Sports Program, which features basketball, boxing, table tennis, pickleball, and more. There are also free Drop-In Basketball sessions and Boxing After Dark options for older students, as well as a morning of Park Fun open to all ages at New Farm Park. These sessions promote teamwork, fitness, and social connection in a safe and inclusive environment. With spots limited, early bookings are encouraged. To register, contact PCYC Fortitude Valley on 07 3252 3365 or fortitudevalley@pcyc.org.au.

Emerge Program and Blue Edge Kick off in Term 3!

The 'Emerge' program, led by Wellbeing staff Suzanna Majok and Mary Hecker, is designed to empower young women through a series of structured, curriculum-aligned lessons focused on personal growth and resilience. It encourages students to adopt a growth mindset, reflect on their core values, and create a vision for their future. Lessons build progressively, helping students embrace challenges, learn from setbacks, and understand themselves better. By the end of the program, students develop confidence, self-awareness, and a clear path forward. The program creates a supportive space for young women to explore their aspirations, supported by strong female role models.

Running alongside 'Emerge' is the Blue Edge program, delivered in partnership with PCYC. Blue Edge brings students and local police together in a supportive, early-morning environment that promotes physical fitness, teamwork, and positive relationships. Through regular training sessions and breakfast catch-ups, students build trust, resilience, and mutual respect. Both programs begin straight away and aim to strengthen student wellbeing and engagement.

Community Services

Over the past term, we’ve seen a noticeable improvement in student attendance and punctuality. As many parents are aware, students who were repeatedly late or absent from class were issued community services. This approach allowed us to have meaningful pastoral conversations with those students and work with them to develop strategies for getting to school and class on time. These efforts have had a positive impact, with fewer unexplained absences and more students arriving promptly each day.

To continue this progress, we kindly ask parents and carers to notify the school in advance if their child will be absent or late. This helps us avoid issuing community service for unexplained absences and allows us to better support your child. You can notify the College by calling 3230 8600 or logging absence via our College App. Please notify the college as early as possible (preferably the day prior) for absences, or early departures in particular.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Sport

Sports Awards Assembly

Term 2 Award Winners

Girls Touch: Year 7: Kesarnee Matthew, Year 9: Ananya Dargin Clark
Boys Touch: Year 7: Cassius Auimatagi, Year 9: Jovilisi Tora 
Girls Basketball: Year 7: Ayva Semeatu, Year 8: Aliyana Alemencion, Year 9: Ada Mendoza
Boys Basketball: Year 7: Raheem Elshafie, Year 9: Kingston Peris 
Girls Volleyball: Year 7: Dina Fitisemanu, Year 9: Jineis Tautogi
Boys Volleyball: Year 9: Avant Antema
Girls Futsal: Year 7: Jamie Schultz, Year 9: Jineis Hutchison Park
Boys Futsal: Year 7: Klayd Le Pla, Year 8: Nicklas Noerridin

South District:
Cross Country: Hayden Moore, Molly Carter
Basketball: Koi Okawa, Iziah Neho, Jiel Akuar

Met East:
Basketball: Amaia Taylor & Ayva Semeatu
Touch: Tylah Orcher
Netball: Shelby Tuki, Taisha Eketone
Water Polo: Joseph Duggan 
Cross Country: Zac Nalder, Ollie Hutchison, Eleanor Lucas, Ari Mueller, Will Carter
Rugby 7's: Tylah Orcher, Mikaylah Williams, Sinalei Tupu
Rugby League: Mya Onosai

QLD:
Netball: Mahlia Henare 
Basketball: Deng Joseph, Marcus Donaldson, Jayden Newell, Gak Nhial, Majok Acuil & Jaycee Sturgeon
AFL: Raheem Elshafie
Touch: Ethan Murray

Flying Kiwi Cup: Zennon Wouters
Sports Success: Ollie Hutchison
Tigers Cup: Shyah Kara, Charvez Henare, Tyrone Guce
Vicki Wilson Cup: Preyah Courtney, Taisha Eketone, Ziad Baku
Opens SFL: Simeon McAullife, Epi Ekubamicael
EREA: Ramazani Kafule, Sheddy Okoduwa

Interschool Sport - Tuesday 17th June

Tuesday the 14th of June another great Round of interschool sport for our junior teams. All but 1 our teams were successful picking up victories against their opponents. Highlights were all of our Basketball teams winning by impressive margins and our Boys Football Team with an impressive win.

Interschool Sport - Tuesday 24th June

Tuesday 24th June was Round 4 of the Winter Season and wrapped up interschool sport for Term 2. It was again a very successful day for our junior sports teams where all our teams were competitive. However, a special mention must go to our Year 9 girls Basketball team with an outstanding 50 point win.

Football Queensland School Futsal Met East Championships

On Monday 23rd June our opens Boys and Girls Futsal teams took part in the FQ School Futsal Met East Championships out at Nissan Arena.

• Our Girls team put in some incredible performances managing to get to the Quarter Finals which was a massive achievement and a testament to their continual hard work at training and games this year.
• Our boys got off to a slow start, going down in their First game. However, they turned it around in style by winning their final 2 Group Stage games in commanding fashion. Although it wasn’t enough as they heartbreakingly missed out on the Quarter Finals by Goal difference.

South District Trials

Term 3 Week 2:

• 15-16yrs Futsal Girls - Trial – 22nd July (this has been moved forward from what is on calendar)
• 13-14yrs Futsal Boys - Trial – 24th July
• 13-14yrs Futsal Girls - Trial – 24th July
• 15-16yrs Futsal Boys - Trial – 25th July

Term 3 Week 4:

• SD Track and Field Day 1 - Trial – 4th August
• SD Track and Field Day 2 - Trial – 8th August

Fees

Genevieve O'Sullivan

Please be advised that Term 2 fees are OVERDUE. For those families on fees concessions and/or regular payment plans, please just continue your regular payments as arranged.

If you did not receive an email from us containing your fees statement for this term, please check your Junk or Spam email folder, otherwise all statements are accessible via logging in to Parent Lounge.

If you are experiencing financial hardship and would like to apply for a fees concession, please contact us for a confidential discussion and application.

2025 Tuition Fees information can be found on our website here: https://www.stjamescollege.qld...

Should you have any queries or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at finance@stjamescollege.qld.edu.au or 3230 8600.

Year 11 Semi Formal

QUT Pasifika Camp

Year 10 Celebration Cakes

Notices

Thank you to our QISSN and QISSRL Sponsors!

Reminder for families

Please ensure your contact details are up to date on Parent Lounge or contact the College if you need assistance.