From the Principal's Desk
Thank You!
To all parents who organised for cards, small gifts and biscuits to be given to our teachers last week for World Teachers’ Day!
Your thoughtfulness was very much appreciated.
Keeping Your Eye on Social Media & Gaming:
Many students have been playing the game Among Us. This game is one of social deduction and like many online and social media games becomes quickly addictive. The concern with this particular game is the online chat feature which has been reviewed as containing highly inappropriate language. In addition, the game itself can involve bullying behaviours where players are ‘bumped’ out of the game.
As with all social media and gaming parents need to be vigilant with supervision. I recently have had conversations with parents about the overuse and addictive nature of technology. One parent highlighted that even whilst her children were playing games in the kitchen, with both parents present, inappropriate language within the chat feature was being presented. This presents as a real concern for parents and educators. Why? Because these types of behaviours are making their way into real time relationships between students and students and between students and adults.
Schools and parents have always worked together to manage many concerns - we need to do so now, within this space of social media and gaming, more than ever.
Please continue to update yourself with information from the e-Safety Commissioner’s website.
Attached below is a Fact Sheet from the e-Safety Commissioner Screen Time for Your Child - 7 Tips.
Annual School Survey
As we approach the end of the school year, we need to take time to reflect on the good that the year has brought to our school community. Below is a video that recaps many of the Good Sam Moments. Take some time to view the video. I would appreciate some feedback about our school year and ask that you complete a short survey. Click here to access the survey.
The survey will close on Friday 13 December.
Students Riding Bikes to & from School:
If your child rides his or her bike to school I ask that you remind them of the importance of road safety particularly when crossing the road to enter or exit the school. Students must dismount from their bike, look to the right and to the left and, when safe, cross the road.
From our Classrooms
This term our teachers have been focusing on improving the writing skills of students from Kindergarten to Year 6. It is always a delight to read the students’ work and to see how well they are progressing. This week in Year 5 students were given a picture stimulus of a book called Mirror by Jeannie Baker. Take a read of Mikayla Gaudiosi’s work in Year 5 and feel yourself being transported to the Moroccan Marketplace….
Crunch! It was like I was stepping on bones. As I stepped into the marketplace for the first time, the smell of spices hit me like a bullet. My eyes were stinging, water streaming down my face. I was so thirsty that I had to lick it so I wouldn’t get dehydrated. As I had recovered from the spices I went deeper into the market hearing shouting and overlapping chatter, chickens, goats and animal noises. I felt the gravel sneak into my thongs, piercing my feet. I had to hop on one foot to get the gravel out but it kept on coming back in, so I left my thong there.
I looked up. I noticed a man selling rugs. I was curious so I went to go and touch it but before I could touch the fabric, the man slapped my hand to keep me away. I ran away, fearing that he would do it again.
As I walked around I saw a little boy playing with a stick in the dirt. Yet again, being curious, I went to have a look. I then saw he was drawing something. It looked like some sort of castle but whatever it was he had put in every detail down to the windows and doors. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. But no matter how badly I wanted to stay and watch in awe, I had to keep going, on through the marketplace.
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.
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 11 December.
Please begin to speak to your children about appreciating the card, gift or candy cane that they receive no matter who it is from and that when they give something they shouldn’t always expect something in return.
From the Parent Handbook
Transport NSW has a complete set of Guidelines for managing school students behaviour on buses. These guidelines unpack the Code of Conduct responsibilities of students, parents and school principals in relation to bus behaviour. The guidelines also indicate the consequences for a breach of the Code of Conduct.
For your information, the following is taken from section 2 of the Guidelines - Student Code of Conduct.
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS ON BUSES
It is every student's responsibility to behave in a manner that ensures the safety and comfort of passengers and drivers. This includes:
Behaviour on buses:
- Use appropriate language not offensive or racist language
- Fighting, spitting, feet on seats, throwing things in or from the bus is not permitted
- No eating or drinking (other than water) — unless for medical reasons or the bus operator gives written permission
- Offer seats to adults including people with a disability, elderly or expectant mothers
- Do not touch, push or shove other people
- Do not bully or harass other passengers or the driver. This includes photographing, making lewd or suggestive comments, acting in a manner or participating in activities that may be deemed inappropriate or of a sexual nature.
- Avoid attracting the attention of the driver except in the case of emergency
- Do not play music at such volume that it may distract the bus driver or other passengers.
Parent Action: If your child/ren catches a bus to or from school please familiarise yourself with these guidelines and speak to your child/ren about their responsibilities on the buses.