Dear Parents and Carers of Good Samaritan,

This year the Pope invites us to recognise the 10th World Meeting of Families.  This meeting has not been held over the last couple of years due to the pandemic. However, it will go ahead in Rome next week between 22-26 June.

The theme for the meeting is Family Love: A vocation and a Path to Holiness. The intention is to highlight the family and come to a deeper understanding of the importance of family relationships in our lives.

This year we have a very special connection with the meeting as Mrs Kerrie Hennessy and her husband Jude head to Rome for an audience with Pope Francis. They were both featured in the most recent Catholic Weekly speaking about their excitement of being asked to attend and also the thrill of being able to meet up with their adult daughters in Europe. We wish Kerrie and Jude safe travels as they head off this week.

Bishop Richard Umbers talks a little more about what this meeting will bring to Dioceses around the world.

Family, no matter what it looks like, is one of the most treasured elements of a person’s life. Our Lumen Christi Parish recognises this and invites everyone to attend a Liturgy on Friday 24 June at 9:30am in St John Vianney’s Co-Cathedral. All are welcome. Following the liturgy parents and friends are invited to have morning tea with the children on their playgrounds.

Enjoy the week ahead, as we journey together with Jesus,

Toni Sillis

Principal

I am very pleased to be able to advise that we have the approval from the Catholic Education Office to upgrade the Infants’ Playground with synthetic turf creating an all weather play and learning space for students. Currently, we have had  to close this area due to the debris that remains in the ground from the demolition of the building that previously stood there.

The turf will be 590m2 of Australian made Comfort elite 50mm synthetic grass with heat block technology. This is a significant project for our school valued at $74000.

The installation date is 2 August and will take approximately 10 days to complete. This will require some short term adjustments for longer term gain to our play spaces. I very much appreciate the support of the P&F and wider parent community as we undertake this project.

Last Friday we held our Term 2 PB4L Day - and it really had to be the most successful yet! The theme of the day was Fair Play and the students engaged in activities that involved understanding what fair play is - how it looks, how it feels and what it sounds like.

Both staff and students commented on what a great day they had together. Days such as these have been missed by our community over the last couple of years. These are the times that make belonging to a school a very rich and warm experience for all.

Emeritus Bishop Peter Ingham was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the Catholic Church in yesterday's Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

As Marilyn Rodrigues writes in the Catholic Weekly:

He said he was “so surprised” to receive the honour and wanted to dedicate it to the people of the Diocese of Wollongong.

“I usually think of myself as a very ordinary horse in this human race, I didn’t see that I did anything spectacular but I’ve basically just tried to be there for people,” he said, adding that a lot of his work as a bishop was “loitering with intent”.

“The loitering is the hanging around after Masses and school functions, Confirmations and whatever. And the intent is the witness to the Gospel; getting to know people and mixing with them and treating them as equals so that when they did have something they wanted to talk to you about they didn’t have an inhibition about approaching you.

“Basically what I’ve tried to do is to put ‘fresh heart’ into people and to encourage them to persevere in their faith in Jesus Christ and the consequent goodness then that flows from that so as to make a positive social contribution to the common good of everybody.

“If we have positive values to live by we strengthen the moral fabric of our nation. Particularly among our Catholic people if they really try to live our faith they’re a great force for good in the community.

“There’s an old French proverb that says 'Gratitude is the memory of the heart’ and in a sense, I’m grateful for the goodness of so many people across the Illawarra, the Shoalhaven, the Macarthur, in the parishes, schools, CatholicCare, our Bishop Brian Mascord and clergy, religious congregations and the wonderful volunteers and co-workers."

We have been advised that CEDoW leadership has made a decision that all gala days set for the near future are cancelled. The levels of staff and student absenteeism are at extreme levels so all non essential professional learning including non pathway sport is suspended until further notice. The aim is to ensure that teachers are available for classroom teaching in this time of excessive staff shortages. 

Therefore, the soccer gala days set for Friday 29 July (including the backup on Friday 12 August) have been cancelled. This will also apply to the soccer gala day in Tahmoor in August. There are 7 gala days in soccer all up, which all take out a large number of staff at each venue and also a significant number of secondary students who act as our referees.

The postponed Netball Gala Day is also cancelled.

This is unfortunate as the gala days, as you know, are so valued and enjoyed by our students in a time when exercise and activity are so important. It is, however, most important to consider the widespread nature of current illness and absenteeism and the predicted forecast that this pattern will continue over the next month or so. In addition, many schools are finding it increasingly difficult to continue to recruit staff for casual and temporary positions.

Students will finish the school year on Friday 16 December. Staff will complete compulsory training on Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 December. The school will then be closed for the Christmas holiday period.

The 2023 school year will resume on Tuesday 31 January for Years 1-6. Kindergarten will attend Best Start appointments and begin their first full school day on Tuesday 7 February 2023

Semester Two academic reports will be sent home on Friday, 24 June for Years 1-6. These will be made available via COMPASS. 

The reports will outline achievement in all Key Learning Areas using the A-E common Grade Scale. Teachers make professional, on-balance judgements by considering all evidence available about a student's learning in a particular Key Learning Area to determine the grade that it currently represents, considering the syllabus outcomes appropriate to that Stage. 

According to the Common Grade Scale, a 'C' grade is considered Sound. That is, if awarded a ‘C’ grade in any Key Learning Area, the student has demonstrated that they have gained the knowledge, skills and understanding expected of them at that point in time. Teachers will also provide comments in Religious Education, English and Mathematics as well as a General Comment. 

Parent and Teacher Interviews will take place in Week 10 -  27 - 30 June for Kindergarten - Year 6. These interviews will provide you with an opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher(s) and celebrate the achievements in learning as well as to set goals for areas of growth. 

These interviews will be a choice of face-to-face or via a phone call. Bookings can be made via COMPASS and will be open for you to book in on Friday 17 June.

Athletics Carnival News

We are happy to be able to complete our Athletics Carnival field events now the weather has improved.

Students competed in high jump on Tuesday afternoon at Beaton Park. The 11yr boys was a highly competitive event with the four boys competing with great skill and sportsmanship.  It was great to see all students trying their best and encouraging each other. Well done!

Shot put and discus will be competed at school over the coming week.

No Hat! No Play!

Students are consistently encouraged to bring their hat to school. We know that UV exposure during childhood and adolescence has a big impact on future skin cancer risk. Since the early 1990’s school’s have held the mantra of No Hat! No Play! This is why we reinforce the mantra each day at Good Samaritan. Students and visitors will see the signs posted around the school as a reminder to bring their hat each day.

School Attendance and Absences

It is most important that students attend school unless there exists a genuine reason for absence. It is also most important that students attend school for the full school day. Whilst the first 10 minutes of school or the last 20 minutes of the school day may seem unimportant to parents, it is during these times that students are instructed of the essential routines and guides of the school day that help to create productive learning environments. As parents, you are urged to ensure your child/ren arrive at school on time and stay for the complete school day every day of the week. 

CEDoW ATTENDANCE POLICY AND GOOD SAMARITAN PROCEDURES

Good Samaritan aligns Attendance Policy and Procedures with the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) Attendance Policy.

Under this policy it states that it is the parents' responsibility for regular attendance and that they are legally obligated under the Education Act 1990.

Unsatisfactory school attendance is when:

• Regular absences without explanation occurs, this includes partial absences
• Explanations not accepted by the Principal
• Extended periods of absence without an explanation

Lateness is a partial absence which must be explained. All absences must be explained to the school within 7 days of the absence.

Permission to leave the school early must have been authorised in advance by the Principal or Assistant Principal in the Principal's absence.

Parents/carers must provide an explanation by Compass, phone, email or in person to the school:

• if your child is late for school, explaining this partial absence;
• if your child is absent for a full day from school, explaining this full absence; or
• if you are planning for your child to be absent from school, explaining this partial or full absence.

Medical certificates are required for extended absences due to medical reasons. Respiratory symptoms reporting must be followed in accordance with COVID-19 procedures.

Acceptable reasons for a partial or full absence include:

• Medical illness
• Medical appointment
• Pre-approved travel. It is encouraged that travel is undertaken during school holiday periods
• Other explained absence i.e funeral, special event, religious ceremony or critical incident
• Domestic necessity i.e misadventure, unforeseen event, serious illness of an immediate family member
• Natural disaster
• Other school activity
• Elite Arts/Sport

If absent for 10 consecutive days parents/carers must request and complete the school Application for Extended Leave form.

In accordance with CEDoW guidelines, attendance letters will be sent out twice per term in Weeks 5 and 10 to parents/carer via COMPASS, in regards to unexplained absences. Strategies will be adopted in accordance with the CEDoW Attendance Policy where attendance is unsatisfactory.

If you have a sibling that will be ready to begin school in 2023 contact the office for an enrolment pack.

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE (PRC) 2022

PRC is back again. From Monday 21 March, students will be able to borrow any books from their respective challenge group (3-4 or 5-6).

Those students doing the PRC can check in SORA and find one of the Premier's Reading Challenge categories matching the right challenge level.  If students are having trouble, they can download the reading log from the PRC website (https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html) to keep a track of what has been read.  We will assist them to enter their data.

Students from Yrs 3-4 need to log 20 titles in which 5 of them are free choices.  Yrs 5-6 need to log 20 titles of which 5 are free choices. Students from K-2 will do the Challenge (K-2) as a classroom.

The last day to log PRC titles is 19 August 2022 for students.

Mrs Medina

2022 

June

Tuesday 21 June 

Parent/Teacher Interview Week 

Thursday 23 June 

School Musical 

Wednesday 29 June 

Parish Reconciliation & First Communion Enrolment Sessions

6:30pm: Parent/Cargiver meeting at St John Vianney Co-Cathedral 

Thursday 30 June 

Parish Reconciliation & First Communion Enrolment Sessions

6:30pm: Parent/Cargiver meeting at St John Vianney Co-Cathedral 

July

Friday 1 July 

Whole School Run & Picnic

Last Day of Term 2

Monday 18 July 

First Day Term 3

Friday 22 July

Grandparents & Great People Day 

September 

Friday 2 September

Father's Day BBQ Breakfast & Stall

Wednesday 14 September

Feast of the Holy Cross - Feast Day 10 Years of Good Samaritan 

18-25 September

UCI 2022 Road World Championships- Wollongong