From the Principal's Desk:
Dear Parents and Caregivers of Good Samaritan,
Next Monday we celebrate the Feast of all Benedictine Saints. We have claimed this feast day as our own following a formation and discernment process that led us to ground our school in the Benedictine charism.
The charism brings with it values that are particular to our school. On Monday we will be celebrating the values of:
Love of Christ & Neighbour
The call to love and support others is first and foremost a response to God’s astonishing love for us as humans. This is a love revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Passion for God and compassion for the other is so important in our community and is shown to us through many Bible stories. The Love of Christ & Neighbour is essential to building a positive school community.
Community
Community is what helps us form really good relationships in our school. Being a part of a community is about selfless participation in all opportunities and events. It is about having concern for the wellbeing of all people. We do this through our service to one another and our school. St Benedict helps us to understand that in our school there is a place for everyone - all are included. In community we work out how we are connected to God, to one another and to ourselves.
Hospitality
Hospitality is being open to each person and recognising that within each person we can see Jesus. Hospitality is about acceptance of others and creating a space that is welcoming of everyone no matter who they are, where they come from or what they are able to do. Hospitality is about being transformed by one another to become better people whilst we are together. When we are hospitable, we are showing the responsibilities we have toward others. A blessing always comes with the offering and the receiving of hospitality.
Stewardship
When we understand Stewardship we understand that the earth and all its goods are sacred and not to be neglected. Stewardship is the first part of respecting all of creation in its beauty and proper use. If we are good stewards we recognise creation as a gift from God that is to be used correctly and responsibly for all people. Stewardship is about caring for people as well as resources and it extends to everything and everyone.
As time goes on our students will come to understand these values - their simplicity and their complexity and how these values support them to live their lives together. This is what St Benedict sought in his Rule, a wisdom text of the 6th Century.
Thank you to our P&F for their generous support of our Feast Day.
Enjoy the week ahead,
Toni Sillis
Principal
How are classes formed each year?
Attached to the newsletter this week is the Formation of Classes Policy and Procedure. This policy is used to direct the process of class formation each year. This is a lengthy process that works towards ensuring that every child’s needs are considered. The process begins throughout Term 4. It is important that parents are aware that the teachers know the students within the school - classroom and playground - environment exceptionally well and always put the best interests of every child first.
Please take time to read the policy. This will give you some indication of the process. Whilst parental requests are considered, there is never a guarantee that they will be granted. If you plan to make a request, particularly about your child being placed within a friendship group, please be aware that there may be circumstances surrounding such requests that prevent it from being granted.
Often there can be experiences where children are placed in classes with friends upon parental requests. The children have then encountered difficulties with the friendship causing awkward situations for all involved that could possibly have been avoided. In addition, parents have requested that their child not be with a particular child/ren and the concern rests more with the adults than the child/ren involved.
Please remember that, first and foremost, Good Samaritan is a place of learning. Learning involves academic achievement as well as learning how to work effectively with a range of people including peers, teachers and school support officers.
Classes will be finalised on Monday 27 November.
No further changes to classes will be made beyond this date.
Keeping Children Focused in Term 4:
As this term progresses the children will become excited about the approaching Christmas season. It is very important that the children remain focused and settled throughout Term 4. When the children begin to bring Christmas cards, candy canes and the like to school too early they tend to ‘tune out’. It is for this reason, and the fact that waiting is a part of our Catholic Christian tradition with the season of Advent, that the children may begin to bring Christmas cards, candy canes etc for their classmates from the end of Week 9 – Friday 8 December.
New Year! New Class!
Last year Good Samaritan ran a most successful transition program for all students that introduced them to the changes to expect in the new school year. This program will be run again this year as we work our way through Term 4 in readiness for the new school year.
The program consists of four sessions that will address common concerns experienced by students as they face the changes of a new school year and provide strategies to overcome these.
The session topics are:
- I Can Try New Things: Here we talk about things that will be the same and those that will be different moving into a new grade.
- How Do I Feel? Identifying feelings and what we can do to keep calm.
- What Is It Like? Current students speak to participants about their experiences in that grade.
- I’ll be OK: Students complete An ‘All About Me’ sheet to provide information about themselves to their 2024 teacher.
Upon completion of the sessions, participants will meet their teacher for the 2024 school year. As a focal point for this meeting, the student will share some information about themselves with their new teacher.