Dear Parents and Carers of Good Samaritan,

This week our school has been focusing on Gratitude. On Sunday when I sat down to write this newsletter, a reminder popped up in my calendar that it was the Feast of Mother Teresa and that I had saved a reading to use in this week’s newsletter. It must have been some months ago because I don’t even remember putting it into my calendar!

So, why do I tell you this? Mother Teresa had a devout devotion to St Thérèse of Lisieux. St Thérèse spoke about life as being about Gratitude & Confidence. Once again, saints of old speak to us in such a contemporary way that it seems they were seeking for us to understand our lives through their words.

Extending gratitude to another person leads to happiness. I am sure you may know, or have encountered people who seem to have attitudes to life that are angry, downcast, continually worried - looking at life with a glass half full. Sometimes, I wonder if they know that attitudes can be transformed when gratitude is extended by them and to them.

Gratitude can have a lasting effect on our personal and professional lives if we work to incorporate it into our daily routines. The expression of gratitude is a self-promoting exercise, grateful people are found to be more likely to respond with gratitude to a wider range of scenarios and recognise the benefit  that it gives to others.

I am sure that you have seen some of the little pebbles or rocks that have been painted and left in parks or along walkways for others to enjoy during this pandemic. What a wonderful act of gratitude these are! Extending gratitude to someone who you don’t even know and who you’re likely not even to see receive it, is a sign of real happiness.

Emmons & Stern (2013) write that ‘this leads to a positive, self-renewing, feedback loop – the more gratitude we display, the more our subjective well-being and resistance to negativity increases, and the more grateful we are likely to be.’

My hope is that by focusing on Gratitude across our school community, involving students, families and staff will lead to the formation of young people who are outwardly focused and confident human beings.

I will leave you to reflect on a quote from Mother Theresa as we journey through the week, together, with Jesus.

“We cannot do great things on this earth, only small things with great love.”

Mother Teresa

Toni Sillis

Principal

You may have noticed that the large shade sail has also been removed following the recent high winds in the area. Both sets of sails are currently being reinforced with the aim being to prevent tearing during such storms.

We are taking the opportunity to paint the poles of the larger structure whilst the sail is down. This work will be carried out on Friday and over the weekend.

The decision has been made to cancel all proposed excursions for the 2021 school year. This has obviously been made due to the ongoing restrictions and lack of a clear pathway of what restrictions will be in place as students return to school.

Any camp/excursion expenses that have been paid will be applied against outstanding school fee amounts.

Remote Learning has brought many changes to all of our lives, especially our students. At Good Samaritan we are beginning the conversations about what strengths our students have displayed throughout this period, what successes they have enjoyed and also what concerns us as we plan and prepare for their re-entry into school.

A key element of the  process of reorienting students to school is to gather information from our parent community. On Friday you will receive a link to a short survey to complete. We appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey over the next week.

As you may be aware, 3 Diocesan primary schools and some surrounding state schools have now been closed for deep cleaning due to positive COVID cases being on the school site. It is very concerning that we are still seeing fluctuating numbers of students coming to school at Good Samaritan leading to the questioning of the essential nature of students having to attend school.

In order to ensure that we are doing all we can to keep students and staff safe whilst onsite, parents are asked to complete the following link for Week 10. This information will allow us to limit the number of staff needed to supervise each day.

Click here to complete the Remote Learning School Supervision Schedule for Week 10.

Please complete the form …. . If there are variations to what you have completed on the form please email info@gsfmdow.catholic.edu.au or phone the school office on 4226 6577.

Please Note: Where a student/s attends school and the form has not been completed a phone call will be made as a reminder to complete the form.

Limiting the number of people of the school site:

If your child is attending school and is late for school or is to be picked up early you must:

• Alert Office Staff by pressing the intercom button on the McGrath St gate
• Wait at the McGrath St gate until a staff member comes to collect your child or bring your child to the gate

The safety of our staff at their workplace and the safety of our students and parent community is paramount during this period.

The safety of our staff at their workplace and the safety of our students and parent community is paramount during this period.

Due to the extended lockdown the decision has been made to decline our invitation to participate in this competition. This decision has not been made lightly and we have based it on the following factors:

• Fairness and equity for all students (students at home and students of essential workers at school)
• To reduce the current pressures on families during remote learning
• Artworks are due on 25 October and Stage Three students are not expected to return until 1 November.

We share in your disappointment and appreciate your understanding in this matter however we look forward to the 2022 Competition.

Go Gently,

Mrs Natalie Shelley

Religious Education Coordinator

The school newsletter/bulletin is the major form of consistent communication between the school and parents/carers. The newsletter is the means by which the school acknowledges all that is done within classrooms at the grade, class or individual level, on playgrounds and within the community.

It is also an opportunity for me, as Principal, to reflect on our community and how we can work toward further improving all that we do. As a Catholic school principal it is most important that this is done within the context of our faith, hence the references that are written to the Sunday Mass readings, theological reflections or information about spirituality. This is one aspect that works toward keeping the Catholicity of our school at the front of our minds.

The newsletter is the place from which the school is able to ensure that parents, and the community, have a good understanding of the processes and procedures of the school. This is done through reminders, excerpts from the School Handbook, publication of School Policies etc. Some may feel that this is unnecessary but in any school it is most important that we maintain as much consistency as possible. This helps to ensure a safe and supportive environment for all within the school.

For some parents the newsletter is the only contact that they have with the school. This may be due to work commitments or to family/personal circumstances so the newsletter has to cover a wide audience hence, some parents may feel that certain aspects of the newsletter may not be needed or be relevant. However, they may just be aspects that are of great relevance to another parent or family.

I continue to encourage parents to read the newsletter regularly to know what is happening within the school.

TERM 3 DATES:

 SEPTEMBER:

•  Monday 6 september - Friday 10 September-School Focus - Gratitude 

• Monday 6 September Students return to wearing Summer Uniforms

• Monday 13 September- Friday 17 September- School Focus - Caring for Myself & Others (Social Emotional Learning)

• Friday 17 September  Jump Rope for Heart Day

• Friday 17 September  Term 3 Concludes

October:

• Friday 15 October Grandparents Day -TBC