Dear Parents and Carers,

This week we entered the fourth week of Lent. In the Gospel last Sunday we heard John’s well known verse:

‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so everyone who believes in him might have eternal life’

The Gospel reminds us about love. If we take a small part of this verse ‘God so loved the world that he gave…’ and reflect upon just this part of the verse, we are taken to another form of understanding what we are being asked to do. God so loved the world that he gave…

We are being asked to think about love as an outward expression rather than inward. God is asking to be loved, because he loved. We are being asked to recognise that our highest joy, just like God, is to give love.

I reflected on this on Sunday and was reminded of our Good Samaritan boys and girls. They give so much love - to each other, to their classrooms, to their school, to their families - their love is outward and obviously so. Our Year 6 students demonstrate this by giving back to their school community, diligently committing their time to actions that occur across the school. I see this love between friendships in the younger years. Children who draw pictures for one another, give each other cards that they have made - all an ever so simple outward pouring of their love.

As parents, we give love and security to our children particularly when they are young. Then, as they grow and mature, we slowly give them freedom. This freedom however small it may seem is our outward expression of love. I recall my daughter who, at 21, set off on a 6 week European holiday with her best friend. As we left the airport, she had boarded the plane, I could not stop crying! We had given her a freedom that she had never before had and that outward pouring of our love was really hard to do.

But, had she not been given the freedom, the love I have for her would have been held within me - I would have felt much better, she would have been home where I knew she’d be safe but how would that really be love?

As we continue through Lent this week, take some time to think about how you show your love and how others show theirs to you.

As we journey together, with Jesus,

 

Toni Sillis

Principal

PB4L Day Friday 19 March 

On Friday the children will be participating in a day filled with activities to celebrate Harmony Week, World Happiness Day and National Day Against Bullying which all fall throughout this week. The students are able to wear mufti for the PB4L Day using the theme of Wear What Makes You (& Others) Happy! eg: football jersey, butterfly wings, funny hat. Students need to wear enclosed shoes and remember to wear something that makes another person smile.

The day will begin with a Liturgy in the Church celebrating St Joseph’s Day. Unfortunately, we are unable to invite parents to the Liturgy due to numbers and space restrictions in the Church.

The Council of Catholic School Parents (NSW/ACT) has joined with the eSafety Commissioner to present two free webinars for parents and carers in late March 2021.

The webinars are:

• Helping kids thrive online (for parents/carers of 5-12 year olds)
• Tech, teens and time online (for parents/carers of 12-18 year olds).

Both are free but registration is required.

Provided are two flyers to use to promote these webinars in your parent/carer community via the school newsletter and any school social media platforms.

For newsletters - link to the pdf version so that the relevant hyperlinks remain active. For social media - use the jpg version as the graphic/visual and include the relevant links in the text of the post so that people can link to the registration page.

The relevant link for both webinars is https://www.ccsp.catholic.edu.au/webina

I will be taking a period of Long Service Leave beginning on Monday 29 March. I will return to work following the Princial’s Retreat on Wednesday 5 May. During this time, Mrs Sharon Smithers will be Acting Principal.

As part of WH&S compliance regulations, Good Samaritan undergoes a tree audit each year. The results of the audit have instructed that one of the trees on the decking area be removed. This will occur over the coming weeks.

In addition, some of the trees that are overhanging the building also need to be trimmed. All work should be completed by the beginning of Term 2.

On Holy Thursday, 1 April, students will participate in an Easter Hat Parade. All students are invited to participate. The Easter Hat Parade has its  historical roots as a fancy head covering that people wore in readiness for the Easter celebration. During the Great Depression the Easter Hat was a simple luxury. It represents the harmony associated with having something new and the new life that we, as a Catholic community, celebrate at Easter.

The following are some reminders for morning and afternoon car lines. These actions help to keep the car lines running smoothly and ensure the safety of all our community.

 Morning Car Lines:

• Begin at 8:20am
• Supervision by duty teachers who hand sanitise students on arrival
• Students must be able to get out of vehicles on their own
• School bags are to be in the car with the student, not in the boot
• Students must get out of the car on the passenger side
• Parents are not to exit the vehicle
• Supervisors are not allowed to open &/or close car doors

 Afternoon Car Lines:

• Begin at 3pm (unless wet weather)
• Students must enter cars on the passenger side
• Students must be able to buckle their seatbelt independently 
• Supervisors are not allowed to open &/or close car doors
• Bags are to go into the car with the student/s, not in the boot
• Parents are not to exit the vehicle

Thank you to all our parents who consistently support the safety in the operation of car lines.

On occasions where it is raining at dismissal time a Compass notification will be sent to parents to advise that wet weather dismissal arrangements will be put into place.

Wet weather dismissal means that:

• Car Lines begins at 2:45pm unless the weather is such that it makes it unsafe for students and staff
• Parents and carers are asked to ensure that the car line does not extend out into Cabbage Tree Lane and that a loop of the block is completed until the driver can safely enter the school
• Parent pick up dismissal is from classrooms beginning at 2:50pm
• Year 4 parents will meet their child/ren under the COLA. Year 4 parents are asked not to access the stairs during wet weather.
• Bus lines operate as usual from 3pm