Acknowledgement of Country:

Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School Fairy Meadow acknowledges and pays respect to the Dharawal and Gweagal people past and present, the traditional custodians of the lands on which our school is built.

Dear Parents and Caregivers of Good Samaritan, 

Over the last week Mrs Hailstone and I have had the privilege of welcoming new families and students into our school community through the Kindergarten 2024 interview process. The interviews are the beginning of the relationship that is built between the school and families.

It is quite humbling to listen to parents as they express what they feel Good Samaritan will be for their child. I’d like to share with you some of those thoughts:

‘I will be a very proud parent if my child is as confident and as well mannered as the students I met at the Open School Twilight in March’

‘I find the school very well organised’

‘My friends children go here and they speak very highly of the school’

‘I am really happy with the way my child is progressing’

‘Good Samaritan has a good reputation’

‘I really like the shared values of the school. They are what we share as a family’

‘The school includes and welcomes everyone - it just has a very welcoming feeling’

As you can imagine I am very proud of our school and the students who make it such a wonderful place to be. This comes from their home environment and the example that is given to them through you, their parents and families.

I am grateful for the support that our parent community consistently offers the school because this is what makes a student’s experience from Kindergarten to Year 6 positive. I am able to confidently say in the interviews that we have a strong parent community who look forward to welcoming more families as they enter Good Samaritan.

Enjoy the week ahead, as we journey together, with Jesus,

Toni Sillis

Principal

Next week is Good Samaritan’s Screen Aware week. This is an opportunity for both school and families to check in on being safe, respectful and responsible digital citizens.

Here’s some Tech Tips for families:

Establish Rules

Time Limits

Acceptable language

Tech used in common spaces only (eg: never in bedrooms)

Agree which games/sites are permitted

Know what to do if something concerning happens

Keep Up To Date

What devices in your household connect to the internet

What games/sites is your child/ren using?

Parents as Decision Makers

Parents decide what, where, when & who with the technology that is used

Take Control

Use programs that limit or block (i.e: the school wifi has a filter - does your home internet?)

Ensure downloading apps requires a parent/carer to enter a password 

Healthy Communication

Discuss technology around the dinner table or on the way to/from school

Take note of your child/ren’s mannerisms/behaviours/facial expressions when using technology

REMEMBER: Technology is a fabulous learning tool but needs simple rules and boundaries!

It may take a few attempts over the course of a week or two, but start switching up your questions from "How was your day?" or "How did school go?" to more open-ended questions. These require your child to mull over their day and put a little thought into their answers, and provide you with something more informative than the usual "I don't know" or "nothing."

 Examples of Open Ended Questions to try:

• What was your favourite part about school today?

• Tell me one new thing you learned at school today and I'll tell you one thing I learned at work/home.

• Who or what made you laugh today?

• What's your favourite thing about your teacher?

• What project are you working on in Art/Science/History?

• What skills are you working on in PE/Sport?

• What book(s) did you read today? Tell me a little bit about the characters/story.
• What does your teacher have planned this week/tomorrow?

• What are you looking forward to at school tomorrow?

• What has been your most favorite activity this year (ask this at various points throughout the year)?

The school gates do not open until 8:20am. Some students are being dropped at the gates well before this time. 

Please consider using carlines as the line moves very quickly. Carlines is a safe way for students to enter the playground each day. OOSH is also available for those who need to drop children off earlier than 8:20am.