Dear Parents and Caregivers of Good Samaritan,

This coming Friday we recognise the Feast of St John Vianney, the patron saint of the co-cathedral. St John Vianney lived during the time of the French Revolution and was actually drafted into Napoleon Bonaparte’s army. 

Following the revolution, Vianney came to recognise that many people were indifferent or ignorant to religion which made him work tirelessly to gain pilgrims who would follow him to come to a better understanding of God through prayer. St. John Vianney would often say: "Private prayer is like straw scattered here and there: If you set it on fire, it makes a lot of little flames. But gather these straws into a bundle and light them, and you get a mighty fire, rising like a column into the sky; public prayer is like that."

Next Tuesday (8 August) we celebrate the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop - Australia’s first saint. Mary MacKillop was a trail-blazer in her lifetime, leaving a culture of exemplary living for her followers to emulate. Mary paved the way for education of poor children and a variety of ministries which addressed the needs of 19th century Australia.

Her legacy continues today in countless ways. Education in its many facets is still a strong ministry for the Sisters of Saint Joseph.

Mary’s work continues today with a myriad of ways of bringing healing and hope through spirituality, counselling, supervision and mentoring.

Mary MacKillop’s legacy encourages us to be people of justice and ecumenism. 

Mary inspires us to be courageous and hopeful and to have a deep faith in our God who provides.

Mary MacKillop has shown us how to forgive and how to be compassionate; she teaches us about spirituality and is a saint for all of us today.

The lives of St John Vianney and St Mary of the Cross MacKillop demonstrate the deep commitment that was shown to their faith and the Church. They both stood for others believing that their work was for the good of others; that those around them would live lives that were fulfilled and filled with prayer and the Holy Spirit. Mary is remembered by many quotes, and I leave this one with you this week to reflect upon as we journey through the week.

“If disappointed, don’t say hard things. Only think a little, pray a little, and try to remember that God will bring about what is best in God’s own time.”

Mary MacKillop, 2 September 1873

Enjoy the week, together, with Jesus,

Toni Sillis

Principal

International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS)

After careful consideration and consultation, we have decided to no longer participate in the ICAS assessment. We understand that some parents may have been anticipating this assessment.However, as not every child participates, this assessment does not contribute to the whole school assessment plan. 

Good Samaritan’s assessment plan works to inform us about the educational opportunities and resources required and that align with the school’s curriculum and objectives. The plan includes external (eg: NAPLAN) tests and internal progress monitoring of academic performance.

For further information or the option of signing up students independently please see the following link:

https://www.icasassessments.com/icas-faqs-for-parents/

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter. We look forward to partnering with you to create a nurturing and enriching environment for all our students.

Staffing Update:

Mrs Trish Foster has accepted a position within the Catholic Education Office for the remainder of the school year. Mrs Foster will take a wealth of skill, knowledge and experience into this role. She will be missed at Good Samaritan during her absence, but we understand that this opportunity is important to her own growth and development and as educator and school leader.

Mrs Foster will begin this position on Monday 14 August. We are currently recruiting for a replacement for Mrs Foster including working with Year 1 Gold each Tuesday.

Our annual Book Week Parade will take place on Monday 21 August starting at 9:15am. We will be celebrating the joy of reading and the imagination of our students (and parents) by inviting them to dress up as their favourite book characters. 

This is a chance to step into the shoes of beloved heroes, heroines, and extraordinary creatures that have captured our imaginations in the world of literature. From brave wizards to fearless explorers, clever detectives to curious adventurers, the possibilities are limitless.

Siblings, especially those starting Kindergarten next year are encouraged to join in the parade dressed in their costumes. 

Throughout the week students will engage in activities centered around this year's shortlisted books and a colouring in competition will be held with prizes for each class. 

At Good Samaritan our students, families and staff are passionate about reading and there is a genuine love of literature throughout the school. We believe book week is more than just dressing up as our favourite book characters; it is a week to celebrate and acknowledge the books written by brilliant Australian authors.

Mrs Cath Hailstone

Assistant Principal

PARISH CONTACT DETAILS:

General enquiries

Lumen Christi Catholic Parish, Wollongong 

Diocese of Wollongong 

PO Box 874 (36 Harbour Street)

Wollongong NSW 2500 Australia

Ph: (02) 42 110500

Email: wollongong@dow.org.au

Web: www.lumenchristi.org.au

Office hours: Monday to Friday (9:00am–1:00pm)

Click here to view the Parish Mass Times

From Year 2 Classrooms:

Dear Year 2 Parents,

We are looking for family members to read with our students. If you are interested in
volunteering for daily reading with your child’s class, we would love to hear from you.

You are invited to support our students develop their reading skills by listening to the
students read individually or participate in shared reading with a small group.
Reading time will be from 8:50 – 9:10 each morning at your child’s classroom and we would
love to commence our family reading from Week 4, Monday 7 August.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact your child’s class teacher (via email) and
nominate a day that is convenient for you. Your child’s teacher will then contact you when a
timetable has been organised.

Reading helps families to connect, it is a great way to spend time together and helps children
develop a positive attitude towards reading and literacy. By taking your time to volunteer,
you are showing with your actions how important it is for everyone to learn to read. We
want your child to love reading, no matter where they are on their reading journey.
We look forward to hearing from you.

Warm Regards
Tania McRobert Jason Novak

School Canteen:

We will advise when the canteen will be open.

Soccer Gala Day

Last Friday, Stage 3 went to the Soccer Gala Day at Unanderra.

It was a great experience and day.

There was a series of games against schools from Helensburgh to Thirroul. We played 6 games against other schools around the diocese.

There were 2 senior girls teams one of Year 6 and one of Year 5 and 2 senior boys teams.There were 2 other grades playing at woonona.

The day was a great opportunity to connect with your friends and peers. You also got to have a good time.

It was an amazing day and we hope that you enjoy your gala experience just as we did. The day wasn’t about winning it was about having fun and displaying good sportsmanship I would like to thank all the parents who came to help and watch us play, especially the teachers, Mr Harrison and Mr Condon for running our team.We would not have had a team without you.

The boys were very supportive of the girls playing soccer for the first time.

We would also like to thank Mrs Olima for organising and running the day, we couldn’t have done it without you. 

Madi and Holly

NSW State Basketball Champions

Current Good Samaritan Year 6 Blue student Lily W. and former student Sarah C. competed in the Under 14 Girls’ NSW Basketball Championships as members of the Ilawarra team. Their side was successful after completing an undefeated Junior Premier League season. As NSW State Champions, Lily and Sarah are now preparing for the Australian Championships which will be held in Melbourne in late September. Congratulations and best of luck to Lily and Sarah.

From the School Handbook:

What do I do if I have a concern regarding a student/s who is not my child?

At times parents may become concerned about the behaviour of other students and, in an effort to resolve the situation, approach the student concerned. However, under no circumstances are parents to approach other students when trying to resolve an issue. Always seek assistance from the school. Incidents such as this can very quickly lead to reportable Child Protection matters that have to be investigated and reported.

It is also good practice to seek assistance from the school when you have a concern rather than approaching other parents about school related matters.

Always think about what you would do, or how you would feel, if another parent approached your child or confronted you about a matter where you were not fully informed of the details.

The Good Samaritan P&F is seeking a treasurer until the 2024 Annual General Meeting when all executive positions will be declared vacant. 

The role of Treasurer is to ensure all financial dealings of the Association are carried out and recorded in an effective and transparent way. If you are interested in this position, contact Mrs Sillis or Elvira Gligoroski (P&F President) through the school office.

Diary Dates & Reminders for the week ahead: