Welcome to this newsletter edition. The focus of this newsletter is Wellbeing - for yourself and our Good Samaritan staff. We keep hearing that our wellbeing is so important and it is true. This newsletter aims to support you and direct you to some key resources. I invite you to take from it what you need and returnto it as a source of information as we continue through this lockdown - together.

Dear Parents and Carers of Good Samaritan,

Thank you to the many parents who have communicated positive messages to the school about their child’s work and learning during this remote schooling experience. Hearing that students are coping quite well with the work being set gives us great feedback about our planning and delivery of remote learning.

You may be like me in as much that it seems that we keep hearing the same messages about wellbeing and ‘we’re all in this together’. So many of us are adapting to changes in our work and home lives that we can lose sight of the importance of checking in with ourselves to make sure that we are travelling along with a sense of positive health and mindset.

Many of the parents that I have spoken to over the last week are telling me that they are just getting done what can be done in the ‘school at home’ setting. I encourage you to continue to do what can be done in a day rather than try to do everything. The most important element to remember is to maintain good habits of learning.

What are good habits of learning, I hear you ask…

Good habits of learning include, but are not limited to:

• maintaining a routine for learning including beginning learning at a similar time each day
• be organised - have everything that is needed in one space for learning
• completing the ‘must dos’ of the day rather than ‘cherry picking’ what may be liked 
• recognising that all tasks in the learning plan have a learning intent behind them
• seeing a task through to its completion
• taking regular breaks 
• joining into the zoom sessions whenever possible (more on this later)
• reviewing learning particularly following teacher feedback
• limit distractions during the learning process

Your wellbeing as parents is really important during this period as is the wellbeing of our school staff who are also continually adapting their work to maintain engagement in learning and encouragement of good learning habits.

This newsletter is designed with a wellbeing focus to support you as parents. Throughout the term, we will offer many ways to stay involved with the Good Samaritan community. I invite you to take these up whenever you can. Your child’s learning is important but of more importance is your family’s well being - emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually and academically. Learning is important, but when parents are under stress their child’s mind and body does not learn as effectively.

Below are some resources that you may find helpful. In addition, please seek support from the school by:

• Talking to your child's teacher
• Talking to the Principal or Assistant Principal
• Seeking out the support of your child’s stage leader
• Contacting the school to request the services of the School's Pastoral Support Worker: Deb Tibbs (CatholicCare)
• Contact the school to request the services of the School Counsellor: Kath Walsh (CatholicCare)

Over the coming weeks, Good Samaritan will focus on some whole school themes that will allow for families to have some fun in learning together at home. We invite you to contribute as often as you can.

I continue to encourage you to do what you can each day always remembering that:

• it’s ok if all the daily learning plan doesn’t get completed 
• we don’t expect you to be a skilled teacher
• just do your best and expect the same from your child
• ask the school for help - we are here to support you
• actively promote resilience, a positive attitude, and a growth mindset towards learning

As you read through this newsletter, I pray that you will take what you need at this point in time to nourish yourself as parent, partner, friend, and gift to our world.

As we journey together, with Jesus this week,

Toni Sillis

Principal

Everybody is experiencing pandemic fatigue differently. Some of us may not even be aware it is affecting us. It is important to be aware of pandemic fatigue in ourselves and in those around us, so we can take proactive opportunities to maintain our wellbeing.

The National Mental Health Commission has developed resources to help individuals lookout for some of the signs of fatigue, and shares steps that people can take to be kind to themselves and overcome these feelings.

The last thing we can often do is plan for our own care. Rather than sacrifice your own care to support others a self-care plan can help you focus, make decisions and stay healthy.

COVID has sent some curve balls to us all. You may not even recognise how or what you are feeling. Being conscious of what it might feel like to be anxious and that sometimes anxiety is a normal reaction.

Next week teachers will be offering families an optional learning conversation phone call. The purpose of this ten minute phone call is to talk to you about how your child is progressing with remote learning. 

Phone calls will occur on the following days:

Please note that on this day the teachers will set your child work as usual, however, will be unable to provide any feedback on work as they will be engaging with families all day.

Bookings can be made through compass. Appointment bookings will close on Sunday at 3pm. For instructions on how to make an appointment via compass see the video below.

Learning conversation.mp4

Each Friday Learning Plans will look a little different across the school. Fridays will be an opportunity for students to catch up on work that wasn’t able to be completed during the week. Fridays will also be the day that we focus on being ‘screen healthy’ engaging in tasks that require limited screen time and to enable teachers to continue to plan and respond to work completed throughout the week. Very little ‘new learning’ will be posted on Friday.

Every Friday during remote learning, teachers will be offline on Friday 6 August  from 1pm-3pm in order to take their Professional Planning Time. 

Professional Planning Time (PPT) is the provision of time issued to teachers under the Enterprise Agreement 2017 NEW SOUTH WALES & AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY SCHOOLS. This provision is to support teachers in achieving learning outcomes for students, for example by planning, programming and carrying out related administrative duties. Good Samaritan teachers take this time as one 2 hour block each week.

Please remember that the school site is operating with minimal staff. The health of our students and staff is just so important. Only students who must attend school, as there is no other alternative, are to attend. 

Remote learning is difficult for everyone and we cannot adjust the restrictions and risk the health and safety of others.

Good Samaritan class and small group Zoom sessions are important for learning. These sessions are learning experiences that may establish the school day or provide explicit guided and modelled instruction.

In our school learning environment the PB4L framework supports face to face learning with consistent school expectations. Similarly, the Zoom4Learning sessions have whole school expectations known as Norms. Individual classes/grades may have some additional norms dependent upon the purpose behind the zoom session.

The teachers will be reinforcing these Norms with students over the coming weeks.

Zoom Norms for Students

Students must:

• Sit at a table or desk
• Full face to screen (active listening)
• Leave animals/toys out of the Zoom
• Have backgrounds blurred or clear and clean
• Keep the device still (not on lap)
• Be on time for the Zoom
• Dress appropriately: i.e: no pyjamas
• Only  use chat feature upon teacher request
• Stay in the Zoom session until dismissed by the teacher

Zoom Norms for Parents

Parents are asked to:

• Ensure your child has the video on and sound muted unless otherwise directed by the teacher
• Discuss with your child that the rules of the school/classroom are the same during Zoom 4 Learning Sessions
• Have your child in the waiting room 5 minutes prior to the lessons ready to begin with their class
• Be aware of any background conversations so that your family’s privacy is not compromised

Over the next 3 weeks students and families can look forward to being involved in:

Week 5: 

Family Week

Week 6:

Science Week

Week 7: 

Book Week

Each week will have its own fun challenges & learning experiences to keep our students and community connected. We are looking forward to each of these themes over the coming weeks.

TERM 3 DATES:

 AUGUST:

•  Monday 8 August  Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop

• Monday 9 August Family Week Begins 

• Monday 16 August Science Week Begins 

• Monday 23 August Book Week Begins 

 SEPTEMBER:

• Friday 3 september - Father’s Day Breakfast/Prayer & Stall TBC

• Monday 6 September Students return to wearing Summer Uniforms

• Tuesday 7 September Staff Spirituality Day - PUPIL FREE DAY 

• Wednesday-Thursday 8-9 September  Assistant Principal Overnight Retreat

• Thursday-Friday 9-10 September Basketball Gala Days (Junior & Senior) TBC

• Monday 13 September  MacKillop Athletics Carnival TBC

• Friday 17 September  Jump Rope for Heart Day

• Friday 17 September  Term 3 Concludes

October:

• Friday 15 October Grandparents Day