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- From the Principal's Desk
- From the Assistant Principal's Desk
- Major Repair Work of Parish Car Park:
- Annual Parent Survey
- Wollongong and Fairy Meadow Catholic Women’s League ANNUAL RAFFLE
- Pupil Free Day
- World Teachers’ Day:
- Our Catholic Life and Identity
- GSFM Headlines
- PB4L @ GSFM
- School News
- Canteen News
- Parent and School Partnership
- Why Attendance Matters
- Important Dates for Term 4
- Save the Date
- Alumni
- Noticeboard
Dear Parents and Caregivers of Good Samaritan,
As we head into the last term of the school year we continue to instill in the students our 3 school rules of Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be Responsible. I often think that even as adults we can have difficulty interpreting what these rules may mean for either ourselves or how others may come to understand them over time.
I was encouraged when I read that the word “respect” means “to look at a second time”: Re-speculate. Re-spect.
Richard Rohr writes: Our first gaze at anything is always taken in a practical sense, and it almost totally takes over after a while. We tend to think, “What’s in it for me? What can I get out of it? Does this make me look good? Will this give me pleasure?” If we don't recognize the narrowness and the emptiness of that gaze, it will keep us forever at the center of a very small world.
Last week I wrote about St Francis of Assisi. Francis is considered a mystic - one who actively seeks contemplation in their lives. Mystics like Francis see an equivalence between the future and their present reality. This is how they allow all to speak to them because they grant respect to all that is outside of themselves.
If we were asked to find one particular object, not a whole landscape, but one leaf, one twig, one lizard, and grant it respect and actually talk to it. And then, even more daringly, in that state of respect, we asked them to let it talk back! I’m sure that this would be difficult for many of us. There would be a range of feelings including that of others seeing us and being afraid of what they may think about us.
The same would be true for the way we may go about respecting someone who doesn’t ‘fit the norm’. Someone whose views may be different from ours can be difficult to think about however without taking that second look we tend to stay in an egocentric place not allowing ourselves to move beyond our own thoughts and opinions.
To take that second look can be just as difficult for our students and, particularly so, when they may come into conflict with one another. We encourage the children to have another go - to try to wonder what they could do next time, to speculate - re-spect.
I encourage you to take some time with this clip to reflect this week:
As we journey through the week, together, with Jesus,Toni Sillis
Principal
School Managed iPad
This week an information session was held for current Year 2 parents regarding the School Managed iPad program for 2023.
Included is a list of Frequently Asked Questions HERE. If you have any further questions please contact the school.
A flyer from the eSafety commission is available below regarding Screen time for your child.
Major repair work of the Parish Car Park will take place next week beginning on Monday 24 October. This work was planned for the recent student vacation period however the weather stalled progress of the work.
This means that our morning and afternoon carline routine will not be available for the full week. We should be able to resume these routines on Monday 24 October.
Throughout the week (24 October - 28 October) the carpark will only be open for staff parking. The main gate of Cabbage Tree Lane will be closed from 8:20am each morning.
All parents and carers are asked to make alternative drop off and pick up arrangements throughout this week. This may mean allowing some extra time in the morning to avoid parking and/or traffic delays. Please be mindful of any No Stopping/No Standing zones around the school to avoid being penalised by Police or Rangers. Also be considerate of our neighbours and their access to and from their driveways on Cabbage Tree Lane or McGrath St.
To assist with dismissal, Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2 classes will be ready for dismissal in front of the Year 2 classrooms (weather permitting) at 2:45pm each day. Amaroo classes will also be ready for dismissal at 2:45pm at their classrooms. Parents are asked to exit the grounds promptly to allow for the primary class dismissal.
Years 3, 5 and 6 will be dismissed at 3pm from their classrooms. Year 4 will be dismissed at 3pm from the Primary playground (under the shade COLA).
Staff will be at each alternate entry to the school to ensure the safe entry and exit for students.
Please ensure that any caregivers (grandparents, family friends etc) are aware of this change in routine for this week if they assist with the morning and/or afternoon routines.
I apologise for the inconvenience that this will cause however the carpark is a potential WH&S hazard for both the school and parish community and needs to be rectified as soon as possible.
The Good Samaritan Annual Parent Survey is now available for completion.This survey is designed to capture a range of experiences and attitudes of the school community towards practices and procedures.
The surveys aims to capture opinions about the culture of a school, includinghow welcoming and supportive the school is. It will also provide data on the practices that parents and teachers are employing to support students at home and in the classroom.
The data captured in the survey will be used to plan for continuous school improvement and to measure and monitor the effective practices and procedures of the school over a period of time.
The annual parent survey will be triangulated with the data from the student and staff surveys that will also be completed over the coming weeks.
Please take a few minutes to complete this year’s survey. Click here to access the survey. The survey will close at 4pm on Friday 21 October.
Tickets are now available for the CWL Annual Raffle. Great prizes to be won!
1st Prize:
$500 cash
2nd Prize:
St George Dragons General Admission Family Pass and Merchandise Pack (6 Games)
Valued at $285
3rd Prize:
Figtree Gourmet Kitchen Dinner Voucher
Valued at $200
Plus 5 Hampers to be won!
Tickets $2 each and are available at the school office
Drawn: Friday 9 December
at the Combined Schools and Parish Christmas Evening
Australia will celebrate the teaching profession on World Teachers’ Day on Friday 28 October 2022.
Our teachers have shown great resilience during challenging times, all so they can give Australian students the best future possible.
Hats off to teachers this World Teachers’ Day!
Share your “hats off” selfie to celebrate teachers and tell us what they mean to you.
We are encouraging students, their families and the community to celebrate teachers. What do teachers mean to you?
We invite all Good Samaritan students to wear a different hat on 28 October to show their appreciation of their teachers and all that they do!
On Friday 28 October, you can show your appreciation to teachers by posting a “hats off” selfie on social media, either on your own or with family or friends. Use these tags: #WTD2022 @aitsl
Print off a template here so your child can write a special message to their teacher.
Called to Holiness: Family Camping Weekend
(Please note: This is not a school event)
Friday 4 November – Sunday 6 November 2022
Wooglemai Catholic Camping Facility/Environmental Centre, Sheehys Creek Road, Oakdale (15 minutes from Picton).
This will be an awesome opportunity for families throughout the diocese to come together in a relaxed camping environment for connection, formation, walks, fun, meals, prayer, games, music, and Sunday Mass with Bishop Mascord.
It will be a self-catered weekend, tents and caravans are permitted and with limited spots for a male and female bunk room. The cost is $50 per adult, or $100 per family regardless of size. Please register here.
For more information or to help with the organisation email helen.bennett@dow.org.au.
GSFM Mini Vinnies Team
Congratulations to the following students who were officially commissioned by the St Vincent de Paul Society last week during our school liturgy. Salvatore Raschilla, Marisa Conte, Noah Sweeny, Lillian Marcelli, Ruby Martin, Ruby Rowles, Lily Wildner, Darcie Wise, Ruby Galea, Annastasia Parolin, Sophie Barlow, Xanthe Joshua.
Christmas Story Art Exhibition 2022
Congratulations to Isaac Stone (Year 6), Chloe Olima (Year 6) and Marisa Conte (Year 5) who were shortlisted and their artworks displayed in the Wollongong Art Gallery, where they attended an awards night on Wednesday 12 October.
Isaac Stone (Year 6) and Chloe Olima (Year 6) were selected as finalists and their artwork has now gone to Sydney to compete against the Sydney and Bathurst Diocese.
Isaac and Chloe were also selected and received the following awards:
Isaac Stone: Year 6 Hope Award
Chloe Olima: Packers Prize
A special thanks to Mrs Jenny Jancetic for her time and attention given to all students’ artworks during Term 3.
SOCKTOBER MUFTI: Friday 21 October
October is World Mission Month
Each year we support Catholic Mission in their quest to help others.
This year we are helping support vulnerable children in Ethiopia who are at risk of malnutrition and facing food insecurity.
Students are encouraged to wear sport socks and/or sport jerseys and bring along a gold coin donation.
We will have some fun soccer games/drills and students are encouraged to make a recycled sock ball at home. We will have some prizes for the best made sock balls. Click HERE to get some handy hints.
Love of Learning
How Can We Build & Maintain Esteem in Our Community?
- Showing care for myself like wearing my uniform correctly
- Showing an in interest in what others are thinking and doing
- Using positive and encouraging words towards everyone I meet
- Using positive self-talk like - ‘I can do this!’
- Performing random acts of kindness - like carrying someone’s telling someone how good their work is
- use a growth mindset and just giving new things a go
- looking, smiling and saying hello
These are just some of the ways that we can build and maintain esteem while developing a Love of Learning.
This week we are concentrating on …
News from Year 5
This term Year 5 Is asking ‘How can the state of materials be changed and manipulated?’ We investigate and compare the properties of solids, liquids and gases. On Tuesday we performed an experiment on how Ice cream is made, this showed us how energy is very important in the process of material changing state. We understood that when we cool things down, we remove energy. This understanding will help us in the future when we are considering the properties such as boiling and freezing point of different mixtures and materials. We had to prepare a mixture of Milk, Vanilla and Sugar, cooled down by salted ice (which was below 0°) and insulated by newspaper. The result was very delicious!
News from Year 6
Year 6 students have continued to enjoy a range of educational, sporting and cultural activities. Term 4 will undoubtedly be busy, but so exciting, with the highlight surely being our end of year farewell mass and dinner. There is much for the boys and girls to look forward to.
Leadership with Cameron Continues
Kristian certainly “put his foot in it” during this activity with Cameron.
“Come Fly with Me” was the theme of another team building exercise where Year 6 students worked cooperatively to build innovative paper planes and to see whose plane was the most aerodynamically superior. Look at the focus on the faces of Lucia, Atlas and Kristian.
Jia teamed up with Jackson and Marcus and displayed the same enthusiasm and level of concentration as Lucia, Atlas and Kristian. Year 6 have continued to involve themselves in a wide range of experiences that have helped to enhance their all-round leadership skills, which they have proven capable of incorporating into their daily lives at school.
Dragons’ Breakfast
Thanks to the wonderful artistic talents of Chloe Olima (6 Gold) who won a competition conducted by the St George Illawarra Dragons, primary students were able to enjoy a healthy breakfast and fitness activities with members of the Dragons NRLW team and several staff members.
Chloe is pictured below being interviewed about her winning artwork.
CDF Public Speaking
All Year 6 students availed themselves of the opportunity to participate in the school round of the annual CDF Diocesan Public Speaking competition. A great deal of research and thought was evident within the content of the speeches across the grade. Two students from each class were selected to present their speeches to Stage 3 on Monday of this week. After much deliberation from the judges, Mrs O’Donnell, Mrs Smithers and Mrs Hailstone, Ezekial (6 Gold) was selected to represent Good Samaritan at the south eastern zone final to be held at St John’s, Dapto, next Wednesday.
Pictured below are the four Year 6 finalists. Ben and Alex (6 Blue) with Ezekial and Isaac
(6 Gold).
The Canteen will be open
WEDNESDAY,THURSDAY and FRIDAY EACH WEEK
From the School Handbook:
Home School Communication
STAGES OF HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
|
Stage/Grade |
Middle Leader |
|
Early Stage 1: Kindergarten |
Mrs Patricia Foster |
|
Amaroo & Learning Support Centre |
Mrs Sarah O’Donnell |
|
Stage 1: Year 1 Year 2 |
Mrs Patricia Foster |
|
Stage 2: Year 3 Year 4 |
Mrs Cath Hailstone |
|
Stage 3: Year 5 Year 6 |
Mrs Natalie Shelley |
The Middle Leader represented in bold will be your first port of call beyond the classroom teacher.
Term 4 2022
Friday 21 October
Socktober Mufti day-Students are encouraged to wear sport socks and/or sport jerseys and bring along a gold coin donation.
Monday 24 October
Kindergarten 2023 Parent Information Night 6-8pm(children do not attend)
Thursday 27 October
Kindergarten 2023 Playgroup
Friday 28 October
‘Hats Off to Teachers!’ Australian Teachers’ Day (Students wear a different hat)
Friday 28 October
Kindergarten 2023 Playgroup
November:
Tuesday 1 November
All Saints Day
Wednesday 2 November
All Souls Day
Thursday 3 November
Kindergarten 2023 Playgroup
Friday 4 November
Kindergarten 2023 Playgroup
Thursday 10 November
Kindergarten 2023 Playgroup
Friday 11 November
Kindergarten 2023 Playgroup
Monday 14 November
Andrew Chinn Day for Christmas (students only)
Thurday 17 November
Kindergarten 2023 Playgroup
Friday 18 November
P&F Colour Run
Friday 18 November
Kindergarten 2023 Playgroup
Thursday 24 November
Kindergarten 2023 Orientation Day
Friday 25 November
Staff Spirituality Day (This is a Pupil Free Day - students do not attend school on this day) Staff will be off site for the day.
December:
Tuesday 6 December
Year 6 Farewell Mass 9.30am (Year 6 parents please note change due to an adjustment in Fr Bernard's calender.)
Friday 9 December
Christmas Carols -a combined Lumen Christi, Good Samaritan and St Brigid's event 6.30pm at St Francis Xavier Cathedral
Thursday 15 December
Year 6 Farewell - Fraternity Club (students only)
Friday 16 December
Final day of school for students 2022
Edmund Rice College Band:
On Tuesday the Edmund Rice College Band came along to entertain us with their music. There was dancing and singing and a high level of involvement from the Good Samaritan students. We were even able to welcome an ex-student back - Oscar played the saxophone!
