Dear Parents and Carers of Good Samaritan,

Throughout the first part of this term Year 6 have been heavily involved in evaluating and reviewing our student leadership structure. So far, representative groups from our Year 6 classes have looked at Why do schools have student leaders? and What are the possible structures of student leadership that schools can have?

Over the last week, Samantha, Pippa, Madison, Tyler, Finn and Olivia worked together on a student leadership structure. They discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each model that they brought to the group and then decided on two options to present back to their peers.

This process is taking into account that the structure must make sense to the students, be the one that they have come up with and that serves their needs

On Monday morning Year 6 voted on their preferred option. The option most preferred by Year 6 students consists of:

• 2 School Captains (Male & Female)
• 6 Vice Captains
• Representative groups based upon the needs of the school eg: Prayer and Liturgy, Justice, Service, Ecology and School Life

The next stage of the process will focus on how the selection of students will occur. This will involve looking at the ideal qualities of people who would take up these roles. They will discuss the importance of qualities such as commitment, organisation skills, being a team player as well as application processes, criteria to be addressed and election.

This has been an exciting time for our senior students and for our school culture. I am truly looking forward to the next phase of this process as the students are bringing so much maturity and critical thinking to this work.

As we journey together, with Jesus,

Toni Sillis

Principal

Many of us spend hours pondering what to give up for Lent but, this year, why not add something to what you do?

 10 Things to do during Lent besides giving something up:

1. Each day tell your child something that makes them feel unique
2. Volunteer
3. Go to a weekday Mass
4. Say three nice things to your husband, wife, siblings, parents, colleagues and kids daily
5. Be kind
6. Donate things you don’t need to charity 
7. Replace 30minutes of TV/computer/phone time with 30 minutes of prayer/quiet time
8. Don’t complain
9. Don’t buy anything you don’t need
10. Remember that Jesus is the reason for the season

Students in Years 3&5 will participate in NAPLAN this year. The assessment period begins Monday 10 May with a preparation day and concludes on Friday 29 May. This period includes the catch up test period if needed.

NAPLAN includes assessments in Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. The Good Samaritan NAPLAN assessment schedule will be communicated closer to the start date.

On occasions where it is raining at dismissal time a Compass notification will be sent to parents to advise that wet weather dismissal arrangements will be put into place.

Wet weather dismissal means that:

• Car Lines begins at 2:45pm unless the weather is such that it makes it unsafe for students and staff
• Parents and carers are asked to ensure that the car line does not extend out into Cabbage Tree Lane and that a loop of the block is completed until the driver can safely enter the school
• Parent pick up dismissal is from classrooms beginning at 2:50pm
• Year 4 parents will meet their child/ren under the COLA. Year 4 parents are asked not to access the stairs during wet weather.
• Bus lines operate as usual from 3pm

Year 4-6 attended a live zoom meeting on Tuesday 23 February with a guest speaker, Ranmal Samarawickrama who is the Caritas Manager for Asia. We were invited to ask questions and listen to his stories about how Project Compassion helps people in need all over the world. Some of the questions that our students asked were; How many people does caritas Australia help each year?

We look forward to the next zoom meeting next week.

Safety within the Parish car park is everyone’s business. Students, parents and staff can only be kept safe if everyone is vigilant about their actions when using this space. It is every parent/carer’s responsibility to exercise safe actions within the carpark. This includes using the car park as indicated below:

• Parents are not to park on school or Parish grounds during drop off (8:20am-8:50am) or pick up (2:30pm-3:20pm) times
• When arriving prior to dismissal at Car Line Pick Up parents are asked to turn engines off once the car is stationary
• A safe speed of 10km/h when driving into the car park
• Do not exit your vehicle when dropping off or picking up students
• Ensure that children are well within the school gate when dropping off before moving off
• Children only exit vehicles when the vehicle is at the front of the queue
• Ensure students have safely entered the car and closed the door when picking up
• There is no pedestrian access to the carpark when car lines have begun in both the morning and afternoon
• Gates into the school are closed and locked from the Parish car park following morning assembly.

Thank you to those parents who continually exercise the utmost care when accessing the school via the Parish car park. Every child’s safety is everyone’s concern.

FEBRUARY

• Thursday 25 February - HSC Open Day/Evening 

March

• Tuesday 2 March - ERC Try Year 7 for a Day 

• Monday 1 March- Friday 5 March Catholic Schools Week

• Saturday March 13- GSFM OPEN DAY 9am -12pm

April

• Thursday 1 April - Last Day Term 1

• Friday 2 April - Good Friday 

• Sunday 4 April - Easter Sunday 

• Monday 5 April - Easter Monday 

• Monday 19 April - First Day Term 2