You are invited to attend our School Assembly on Friday from 2pm.

10 Year Gala Dinner Sponsorship:

Sponsorship Packages

By sponsoring the 10 Year Gala Dinner, you will be contributing to the school’s ability to:

• upgrade classroom audio visual equipment 
• purchase playground equipment
• maintain a consistent renewal and replenishment of English & Mathematics resources
• upgrade play and garden areas of the school, including a prayer garden
• redesign and landscape the school’s pedestrian entrance from Cabbage Tree Lane.

Next Thursday  4 August, I will be undertaking an appraisal of my role as Principal of Good Samaritan. 

The Principal Appraisal process is an important platform for reflection on performance and achievement in the role allowing for successes to be acknowledged and affirmed and areas for development to be identified and used for ongoing Performance and Development processes. 

This process is designed for identifying areas of future growth and development for me as a principal. I thank those who have been able to complete the survey. I appreciate your input into this process.

Mark your calendars on Friday  9 December as we join together with the Lumen Christi Parish and Schools’ Christmas Carols Concert. This event will bring together St Brigid’s and Good Samaritan schools along with the Parish to celebrate Christmas together. Celebrations  will  be held on the Cathedral grounds.

Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) has launched its Children’s Wellbeing and Learning Survey, which was developed in partnership with the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth. The purpose of this survey is to gather the opinions of parents/carers on issues of concern relating to their children’s health, wellbeing and learning, and assist CSPA in reporting to the Federal government and Catholic education.

The survey is available on CSPA’s new ENGAGE website. Scroll down the page to the survey.

Across Kindergarten to Year 4 Seesaw is used as a communication platform to showcase student learning. As a school, it is important that we gain consistency with the use of Seesaw so that communication between home and school remains as efficient and transparent as possible. 

Compass always remains the main source of communication to and from parents.

A reminder that the following Seesaw policy and procedures are now in place. Thank you for your support in the effective use of this communication platform.

As you are becoming more aware of the impact the UCI road world championships event will be having on your movements during the 18-25 September 2022, I want to assure you that we are in daily communication with the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) who, in turn, is in contact with the Department of Education (DoE) and the event organisers to ensure we are given accurate information, as soon as possible, regarding the traffic and risk management strategies. CEDoW and DoE are currently waiting for information from the Minister’s Department regarding the operation of schools during this period.

We have been advised that detailed information will be communicated to us in the coming week and we will send this to you as a matter of priority. 

Thank you for your understanding and patience. 

Did you know? Relationships thrive on good communication. To grow in love and friendship we need to communicate honestly and often. When we pray, we express our desire to grow closer to god. When we pray, we become closer to Jesus who gives us the grace to be good, holy people.

Lumen Christi Parish Dinner 

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lumenchristiparish/731526

Congratulations to Callum Cajar 

Last Friday Callum ran in the NSW Cross Country State Championships today as part of the MacKillop team for 11 year old boys.

Callum had a great race today and he finished 30th overall. This is a significant achievement running against students from schools across the state. 

Congratulations Callum - we are all very proud of you!

News from Year 5 Classrooms 

Year 5 Blue 

In Religious Education we introduce students to the diversity within the Catholic Church by looking broadly at the History of the Churches in Australia. 5 Blue welcomed a record number of Grandparents into our learning space to help us recognise our place in the Church as the people of God

Grandparents and Great Peoples Day in 5 Blue was spectacular! Our class shared our very own Grandparents stories of their connection with the Catholic Church in Australia. Just like the early Catholic church in Australia our Grandparents withstood the many hardships and obstacles, We heard amazing stories from all corners of the globe which helped us understand how we came to be here today at Good Samaritan. Some stories were close to home in Balgownie and Wollongong and some began as far off as Slovenia and Bethlehem! Thank you everyone for sharing. We learnt alot about our Identity as a family and that our special, intergenerational story is important to each other.

Year 5 Gold 

Term 3 is looking like a very bust term for Year 5. This term in Science and Technology, Year 5 are looking at forces. The students are looking at the difference between contact and non-contact forces and how energy is transformed from one form to another. The students will be looking at how much force is needed to roll a ball to a particular destination.

In History this semester Year 5 are looking at colonial Australia. They will be learning about what life was like for different groups in the colonial period. This ties in very closely with our Religious Education unit for the first half of the term. The unit is titled The Catholic Church in Australia has a Special Story. It focuses on key events and people that have shaped the identity and growth of the Catholic Church in Australia. The unit also explores how the Church is organised and what it does in Australia today. It introduces very broadly the key expressions of Catholicism in the Catholic Church in Australia. The unit assists students to recognise their place in the Church as the people of God.

Mathematics will be a very busy term for Year 5. We have looked at Angles in Week 1. From knowing about Acute and Obtuse angles, the students have discovered Reflex (angles greater than 180°) and Revolution angles (360°).

In English this term, Year 5 is looking at Information Texts. We have completed an Information text on a report about ourselves, titled me. We have also looked at Information Texts as a Procedure. Making a Super Sandwich is on the top of our list!

News from Year 6 Classrooms 

Year 6 students and teachers have enjoyed a busy and productive start to Term 3. Already students have been involved in a Year 6 Leadership session with Cameron and the Grandparents and Great People Liturgy and open classrooms. This Thursday we will be attending Activate Fire at St Therese, West Wollongong, where we will be joining several other local schools from the Wollongong Diocese. The day is an Immersive Spiritual Experience based on the Year 6 Unit Confirmation: Celebrating the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The day will be coordinated by the Catholic Youth Ministry Team, Wollongong.

In the coming weeks our Year 6 students will enjoy a visit from the St George Illawarra Dragons on Monday, August 8, and will be celebrating Mass with Bishop Brian on Thursday, August 11, alongside Year 6 students from eight other Diocesan schools. This is a significant annual event that will take place at All Saints Catholic Church, Shellharbour City.

Alex T. and Samuel working diligently in an attempt to find a solution to a rather involved challenge during the year 6 Leadership session.

Maude and Lucia displaying the co-operative and encouraging behaviour that is encouraged by Cameron as Year 6 continue to develop and practise their leadership capabilities.

From the School Handbook:

Home School Communication

STAGES OF HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION 

1. If you have any educational/behaviour concerns about your child always contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. Your child’s classroom teacher will always make contact with you if they have any concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour. 
2. Grades and classes across the school are supported by Middle Leaders. You are asked to contact the Middle Leader/s responsible for your child’s class/grade if you have continued concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour. The Middle Leaders will also contact you when and if necessary.
3. All academic and behaviour concerns made to the office will be directed to the classroom teacher in the first instance. This may be followed up by support from the Middle Leader responsible for the stage/grade. 

Middle Leaders 2022

The Middle Leader represented in bold will be your first port of call beyond the classroom teacher.

Term 3 2022 

August:

Wednesday 3 August 

Year 3 Excursion 

Monday 8 August 

Feast of St Mary of the Cross

Tuesday 9 August 

Sth Coast Athletics Carnival 

Monday 15 August 

Feast of the Assumption 

Monday 22 -26 August

Book Week (Dreaming with eyes Open)

Wednesday 24 August 

School Photos 

Friday 26 August 

Book Parade 

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 

Friday 23 September

Last Day of Term 3

18-25 September

UCI 2022 Road World Championships- Wollongong 

October:

Monday 10 October 

First Day Term 4