Dear Parents and Carers of Good Samaritan,

Another school year has begun! We are really looking forward to having the students return tomorrow. This time last year none of us would have predicted the changes that we are now becoming so used to in our daily lives. Sanitising, mask wearing, checking in (& forgetting to check out!) are all just a part of what we do now. 

Starting a new school year brings changes, adjustments and another level of trust for the students and the teachers as we all settle into the school year. I was reminded of this last when listening to last Sunday’s Gospel. This is what Mark wrote:

After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the gospel from God saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel.'

As he was walking along the Lake of Galilee he saw Simon and Simon's brother Andrew casting a net in the lake -- for they were fishermen.

And Jesus said to them, 'Come after me and I will make you into fishers of people.'

And at once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending the nets.

At once he called them and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.

I can only imagine the trust that Simon, Andrew, James and John had in Jesus. Who in their right mind would set aside what they were doing to follow a guy they hardly knew! We have had to have that type of trust over the last 12 months as we have experienced the pandemic.  Trust in government officials and medical personnel and, maybe more particularly, total strangers whom we can only hope are doing the right thing.

And so, as we begin the new school year, we begin to trust a new group of people in our classes, in our teachers and in our parents. 

Change can be difficult but when we work together and trust each other it is made so much easier. Maybe Simon, Andrew, James and John knew much more than what we think.

As we journey together into the 2021 school year,

Toni Sillis

Principal

COVID-19 Update:

Last week you received a general update of procedures for the new school year that will ensure that we continue to be vigilant about maintaining restrictions. We will be able to welcome parents of students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 onto the school site for morning drop off. As many of these students have siblings in Years 3-6 or in Amaroo, dismissal procedures will remain as they were in 2020. The following points will help us all in the organisation of arrival and dismissal to and from school:

• Parents are asked to sanitise their hands, as are students, upon entry to the school.
• Parents are asked to drop their child off and not to gather in groups and to leave the grounds promptly.
• Parents do not have to wear face masks as they will remain outdoors however parents may wear masks should they so wish.
• At this stage we ask parents not to enter classrooms or be on verandahs and staircases as these areas are high touch and high traffic areas throughout the school day.
• Throughout 2020 our students gained a great deal of independence coming into school. Please allow them to maintain that independence by letting them carry their bag and unpack upon teacher direction.
• Please ensure that if you wish to speak to your child’s teacher that you make an appointment to do so.
• All students who are collected by parents will be dismissed from Cram Park.  
• Car lines, OOSH and school buses will operate as usual.

If you are unsure of what you need to do to remain within the COVID-19 restrictions do not hesitate to contact the school office. No question is too ‘silly’ when it comes to us all keeping safe.

McGrath St Carpark:

 With every school year there comes adjustments and changes that are necessary to accommodate the developing needs and safety of our students as well as to support the general running of the school.

Throughout Term 4, the McGrath St carpark was identified as a Work Health & Safety hazard. This followed a general risk assessment across the school that we are required to regularly undertake. The risk was in part due to the surface of the carpark but also the number of cars and assisted transport buses accessing the carpark each afternoon. The safety of parents, staff and students was brought into question and because safety of our community is of paramount importance, this has resulted in some changes to the environment as well as to the processes and procedures for arrival and dismissal of students.

The surface of the McGrath St carpark has been upgraded. Access to the carpark each morning remains unchanged as arrival times are generally staggered between individual students, transport buses and staff.

However, parent cars are no longer able to access the McGrath St carpark for dismissal.  All students are now to be dismissed by Car Lines, the school bus service, or parent pick up in Cram Park. Arrangements for parents dropping off, or collecting, students from OOSH remain the same.

Thank you for your understanding and support of this adjustment.