Key Dates

Leadership Team

Principal
Andrée Rice

Today we celebrated World Teachers’ Day with a lovely morning tea and speeches of appreciation from our 2026 College Captains. Jimmies’ teachers really are exceptional and go the extra mile every day to support, challenge and extend our students. We have a wonderful range of teachers from very experienced ‘keepers of the story’ to young and ultra energetic early career teachers. We are blessed with a highly positive and collaborative staff culture, something we do not take for granted.

As parents, you might like to think about how your children might thank their teachers at the conclusion of the term! A handmade card or message is worth a thousand gifts and often takes pride of place on a teacher’s desk. I felt very lucky to receive a beautiful handwritten card from one of our graduates, Matthew, last week and I share it with you today in honour of all the incredible teachers at St James. Happy World Teachers’ Day!

This week we welcomed Deicke Richards’ architects to our site to run Enquiry by Design workshops with students, staff, and parents. The purpose of these workshops was to capture feedback and outcomes from the collaborative process to provide an overview of a refreshed Master Plan for the college. We look forward to sharing the concepts and designs with you in the new year.

Our Year 12s have been focussed and working very hard this week as they completed their Accounting, English, EAL and Biology Papers. Please continue to hold them in your thoughts and prayers into week 2 of externals.

Assistant Principal – Learning, Innovation, Partnerships & Pathways
Karen Lindsey

External Exams Start Well

It gives me much pride to report that external exams have kicked off smoothly this week at St James College. Approximately 90 students completed their English and English as an Additional Language (EAL) exams, with smaller groups also sitting their Biology and Accounting exams.

It was pleasing to see that students arrived on time, were exceptionally well-prepared, and approached their exams with diligence and focus. The atmosphere in the exam rooms was positive, with students leaving feeling confident about their efforts and achievements.

A special thank you goes to Acting House Dean, Mr Sam Stocks, who, with Year 11 students from Mary Rice House generously organised a breakfast for exam students on Tuesday morning. This thoughtful gesture offered everyone a great start to the day and helped set a supportive tone for the exams. We also extend our gratitude to Ms Rice and Ms Johnston, who attended the breakfast and took time to pray with our students, wishing them well as they embarked on their assessments.

Exams will continue into next week, and we encourage all students to maintain their excellent standards and positive attitudes. Best of luck to everyone sitting upcoming exams – your hard work and preparation are truly appreciated by the entire school community.

Around the College

St James International Celebrates the Moon Festival
Kaspar Wong

Last Friday, St James International hosted the Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, at our school. It was wonderful to see our students and staff had a joyful morning. Both domestic and international students came together to enjoy delicious traditional foods such as dumplings, mooncakes, and fortune cookies. We also had fantastic music, as well as creative lantern and costume competitions for our students.

Congratulations to Carey 5's Ms Stephenie Luo for winning the homeroom lantern contest. Year 11 student Vivian Wang from Long House won the award for best costume. The event provided a beautiful opportunity to celebrate an Asian festival within our school community.

Thank you to everyone who participated, organized, and contributed to making this event unforgettable.

Queensland’s First? One Student Takes on All Three ATAR Maths Subjects
Tahnae Hunter

Year 11 student Charlotte Lockett is embarking on an extraordinary academic journey — becoming the first student we know of in Queensland to undertake all three ATAR Mathematics subjects: General, Methods, and Specialist. With Term 4 marking the beginning of her formal Year 12 studies, she steps into this challenge with determination and diligence, supported closely by her Mathematics teacher and Head of Department, Mr Damico. Quietly determined, she continues to balance high expectations with humility and hard work. As she completes her first round of internal assessments contributing to her ATAR, we look forward to seeing how she performs across all three demanding disciplines.

Young Engineers Australia (YEAQ) Executive Breakfast
Tony Ninasivinche

Four St James College students — Tharu, Charlotte, Imran, and Rainal — attended the Young Engineers Australia (YEAQ) Executive Breakfast on Wednesday, 29 October 2025, hosted by Engineers Australia. The event focused on ethics and sustainability in engineering, exploring how engineers make responsible decisions and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Imran said he sat next to a manufacturing engineer who had worked in the military for 20 years and spoke about the versatility of engineering and its ability to move between industries. Charlotte said she spoke with a civil engineer who shared his journey and the importance of perseverance. She described the event as inspiring and encouraged other students to attend.

St James College Students Attend EREBB Edmund Rice Leadership Zoom Meeting
Hounein Dawood

Students from St James College recently took part in the Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB) Leadership Zoom Meeting on Thursday the 30 October, joining young leaders from Edmund Rice schools around the world.

The virtual gathering gave students the opportunity to connect globally, share ideas, and reflect on the values of Edmund Rice—particularly compassion, inclusivity, and justice. Through conversations and collaborative activities, they explored what it means to lead with integrity and make a positive difference in their communities.

During the meeting, the St James College students proudly shared how their school embraces diversity and celebrates culture as a key part of its identity. They highlighted that at St James, inclusivity and respect are lived out each day through the Four Touchstones—Liberating Education, Gospel Spirituality, Inclusive Community, and Justice and Solidarity. These touchstones guide every aspect of school life and shape how students lead, learn, and serve others.

The experience provided students with a valuable opportunity to strengthen connections within the global Edmund Rice community, inspiring them to continue leading with service, understanding, unity, and compassion in all that they do.

Sport

U13s Girls Futsal - Ferrum 5 futsal Club

To support the development of our players by building confidence, sharpening skills and deepening game awareness, St James College has partnered with Ferrum Five Futsal Club. Last Saturday, a team of St James students proudly represented the College and the club in their opening fixtures for the U13 Girls Academy League.

Facing strong competition in their first two matches, the girls showed tremendous grit, teamwork, and sportsmanship. While the elusive first win remained just out of reach, the team’s spirit and cohesion were on full display, laying a solid foundation for the season ahead. Coaches praised the players’ resilience and growth mindset, noting the progress made in both individual skills and collective play. With eyes now set on the next round of matches at SuperFutsal Acacia Ridge in a fortnight, the team is more motivated than ever to turn their hard work into results.

We are immensely proud of our students for their commitment and look forward to cheering them on as they continue to develop and compete with heart at this higher level which will naturally lead to stronger performances in next year's School Futsal League and other competitions.

Rugby League Excellence Program

On Tuesday, 28 October, our Jimmies Rugby League Excellence Program participated in the Southeast Queensland 9’s competition against several southside schools. As it was a development day, no scores were recorded, and the focus was on participation and enjoyment. However, our Junior Girls took the opportunity to showcase their talent. Avalene Frey, Basy Monkland Dyle, and Atheena Almencion used their speed, strength, and skill to shut down opponents and score multiple tries.

In the senior competition, our Year 11 and 12 girls faced Runcorn SHS, completing two strong games. Layla Satui, Saili Chan Kee, and Kina Vainga continued the impressive form they’ve shown all year, scoring several tries and even assisting other schools that were short on players.

Congratulations to all our girls for their outstanding effort this year and their continued preparation leading into the Matt Gillett Cup.

Inter-House Volleyball Competition

Last Thursday had all who attended the Grand Final of the Junior Boys’ Volleyball Inter-House Competition on the edge of their seats watching Mary Rice House come out on top against a determined Carey House team. All players are to be congratulated for their incredible display of teamwork, energy and sportsmanship.

Special thanks to Mr Thomann, Mr Mitchell and Ms Hoelscher for their organisation, umpiring and score keeping together with House Deans, Assistants and staff for supporting and encouraging their teams.

Yesterday the Junior Girls’ Volleyball Inter-House Competition saw the junior girls’ shine. The Houses combined with Carey and Long joining forces against Hogan and Mary Rice. Carey and Long emerged victorious in a very close game. Congratulations to all the junior girls who competed in the competition, and the staff for their wonderful support.

Fees
Genevieve O’Sullivan

Please be advised that the final fees instalments for the year were emailed out on 13 October. If you didn’t receive an email from us, please check your Junk or Spam email folder, otherwise all statements (new and previous) will be accessible via logging in to Parent Lounge.

All other 2025 fees are now OVERDUE – please make payment as soon as possible if you have outstanding fees, however, for those families on fees concessions or regular payment plans, please continue your regular payments as arranged.

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

Please note that if your fees remain overdue and you have not made contact with the College, your account may be referred to an external debt collection agency which will incur extra cost to you.

2025 Tuition Fees information can be found on our website here: https://www.stjamescollege.qld.edu.au/enrol/domestic-students

Should you have any queries or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at finance@stjamescollege.qld.edu.au or 3230 8694.

Notices

Uniform Shop
Lyn New

Order and pay for uniforms online via the Qkr! App - and your order will be ready and waiting for quick and easy collection at our Uniform Shop.

The App allows families to pre-order uniforms for their children from the convenience of their own devices – simply download the App and search for St James College – click on the following link for instructions: Uniform Shop Qkr App

Reminder for families:

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