Dear Parents and Carers of Good Samaritan,

After two weeks of school the children are settling back into their routines really well. Our classrooms reflect very happy places of learning and friendship. At Good Samaritan we consistently strive to ensure that good structures, procedures and routines are in place in order for students to learn and grow together.

Throughout the Gospel, Jesus teaches us that what draws us all together is a sense of human life that is relational. When we are in the right relationships with one another we flourish as human beings. Flourishing as a human being means - human beings who are respectful, faithful and considerate of others.

Our school rules and expectations act as a trellis of support for the children to grow. Just as a trellis supports the vine to grow and flower, so too do consistent expectations that are encouraged through positive reinforcement, proactive and preventative management and processes and systems that work to provide strong, stable structures to the students.

By encouraging our students to be Safe, Respectful and Responsible we are establishing lifelong skills of socialisation whilst also allowing our classroom environments to be conducive to learning.

As we continue throughout the year, we will be aligning the values of St Benedict with the work we do at Good Samaritan. St Benedict wrote a ‘Rule’ to live by. The Rule provides a basis for daily living and is exemplified through values.

I invite all interested parents to a gathering where you will be led through a discernment process of Benedictine Values that we will then embed in the daily life of our school. This gathering will be on Thursday 2 March at 9:15am in the School Library. All are welcome to come along.

The compulsory Parent Meeting for the Sacrament of Confirmation will take place next Tuesday evening at 6:30pm. The meeting aims to inform parents of the theology behind the sacrament in order for them to support their child during the preparation process. In addition, organisational matters and practicalities will also be covered. The meeting is planned to take one hour and will be held in the school hall. 

(Please note the adjustment of venue)

On Monday evening the P&F Annual General Meeting was held. I sincerely thank our parents who so freely give of their time to attend the meetings but also those who take up executive positions. The P&F offer tremendous support to our school, not just financially but also in building community and offering suggestions and advice from a parent perspective.

At the meeting all positions were declared vacant and I am pleased to advice the following:

President:  Elvira Gligoroski 

Vice President: Emma Douglas

Secretary: Jennifer Peattie  

Treasurer: Lyn Pantalone

Standing Committee Volunteers: 

Courtney Barlow,  Louise Richardson and  Maddie Zavaros

Our thanks is extended to Louise Richardson and Rebecca Brennan who both held the position of secretary at various points throughout 2022. Their work and organisation was valued by all.

The next P&F meeting is scheduled for Monday 13 March 6pm.

One of the great traditions of Good Samaritan is the Kindergarten and Year 6 Welcome BBQ. This is an opportunity for all Kindergarten parents to come along and meet more friends whilst also meeting their child’s Year 6 buddy and parents.

The BBQ will be held on Monday 20 March from 5:30pm-7pm.

I am pleased to be able to advise that Miss Mikaela Sunley has accepted the position of Creative Arts (Dance & Drama) teacher at Good Samaritan. Miss Sunley will work Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays each week. During this time the classroom teacher has *Professional Planning Time. Miss Sunley will begin at Good Samaritan next Tuesday.

*Teacher Professional Planning Time: 

Teachers work under the structure of an Enterprise Agreement that includes a number of entitlements. One of these is the engagement in Professional Planning Time where they are released from class to carry out other professional responsibilities. Each full time teacher is entitled to the equivalent of 2 hours TPPT each week, or a pro-rata thereof for part time teachers.

As we journey through the week, together with Jesus,

Toni Sillis

Principal