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 couple of weeks there has been a reality show about parenting on television. Whilst entertaining, it made me begin to think about how parenting can so easily be characterised into labelling. For me, this brings almost a competition to how people should parent their children as defined by a ‘parenting style’. 

I am not sure about you, but my ‘style’ as a parent adapted and changed almost daily based on what was going on, my child’s behaviour and my frame of mind at the time - which really could be anything from extremely patient to extremely impatient.

I suppose it is our experience as parents that allows us to understand that parenting styles are general categories, and individual parents may display a combination of these styles or adapt their approach based on different situations. It would seem that the most effective parenting style typically involves a balance between setting clear expectations, providing support, nurturing emotional connections, and fostering independence.

Interestingly, I am able to make very close comparisons to how our teachers use high impact teaching strategies within the school and classroom environments. At Good Samaritan,  Our teaching approach is called the Gradual Release of Responsibility - it works from a highly structured approach within a lesson or unit of work and moves through guiding the student towards independence.

In my experience, when children are given similar expectations at home and at school, they thrive. It’s when expectations clash or when teachers and/or parents are given a ‘label’ that confusion becomes apparent within the child.

One thing I will say about the parenting reality show is that when one set of parents really listens and seeks to understand the approach of the other it seems to make more sense to them. Listening in an effort to seek to understand is something that we don’t see as much as what we should. When Jesus appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, it was through the listening that they recognised him. It can be through our listening that we understand those around us and respond in faithfulness and love.

Enjoy the week ahead,

Toni Sillis

Principal

Valentino Quintero who is extremely unwell. Valentino is one of our Year 6 boys and is suffering from Leukemia.  Valentino is currently receiving intensive treatment at Royal Randwick Children’s Hospital. 

Valentino’s brother, Fernando, is in Year 1 at Good Samaritan, his older brothers are Enrique who is in Year 8 at Holy Spirit College and Gabriel who is now out of school.We keep them and all the family in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

In the coming weeks some of our staff are accessing leave. I wish to advise the following:

Mrs Kylie Minns has been appointed SSO replacing Janice during her long service leave

Mrs Alison Needham has been appointed SSO replacing Josephine during her long service leave

Mrs Kerrie Hennessy has been appointed 0.2fte replacing Tessa during her upcoming maternity leave.

In addition:

Mrs Diane Malby has advised that she will be resigning her position as Amaroo Blue's class teacher due to personal reasons. Mrs Sharon Smithers has kindly accepted this position until the end of the term. A recruitment process will begin to fill this position.