Dear Parents and Caregivers of Good Samaritan,

We have had another busy week of learning and events across the school. It was great to see the children interact with each other yesterday at our PB4L - RUOK? Day. The students are really coming to understand the importance of checking in on one another and seeking help when they need to. By acknowledging this each year we aim to build in students  a greater understanding of the mental health of themselves and others.

Face to face relationships can operate very differently to online relationships and it is only through a consistent message about online safety and relationships that our children will build their understanding and become confident when in an online environment.

The eSafety Commissioner recently published a blog article that seeks to address the importance of protecting children (increasingly younger children) in online relationships. As we approach the holiday break for Term 3, it may be a time to become conscious of how much time your child is spending with a device or in online games and conversations. It is only through our vigilance that children are protected.

GSFM Outdoor Enhancement Project - Teacher, Parent and Carer Survey

P&F Thanks

The P&F would like to extend sincere thanks to the many volunteers who gave their time and support to the Father’s Day event on 1 September and the school disco last Thursday evening. A special thanks to the Wildmann Group for providing the Father’s Day breakfast.

Many thanks also to Mrs Sillis, Mrs Hailstone, the GSFM teachers and the office team who give their own time to participate in these events. Over $3,500 was raised which will contribute to enhancements to the school playground and other school initiatives over the coming months. 

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

Dear Parents and caregivers, 

News from Year One

Year 1 has had a very exciting term celebrating Book Week, Science Week Father’s Day and RUOK Day.

For Are U OK day Year 1 made friendship flowers.

Year 1 is practicing the skill of hitting a ball with a racquet in  sport.

News from Year Two

The children have had a busy and exciting term in English and Geography, learning about Australian landmarks, people and places. We have focused on Australian Dreamtime stories and factual texts that have supported our learning about Australian states, territories and special landmarks. The students have engaged with multiple text forms to investigate the language and forms of imaginative and informative texts. 

The students incorporated reading and writing skills - reading a text, summarising and note taking, to write an informative text using their note taking information. The students constructed information reports about Australian natural landmarks, such as the Blue Mountains, Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef.

The students enjoyed completing their information report by drawing a detailed picture of their natural landmark. The students are showing their sketch and information reports of Uluru.

In Mathematics, the year two students have been provided opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in understanding the many different situations where addition, subtraction, multiplication and division can be used. The students have  investigated the 4 operations through problem solving, exploring  inverse operations and engaging in meaningful activities using repeated halving and doubling.

 The Canteen will be open Wednesday,Thursday and Friday

CASH ONLY

REPRESENTATIVE SPORTS TRIALS

 PLEASE NOTE: FOLLOWING INFORMATION FOR PARENTS OF

 CURRENT YEAR 4 AND YEAR 5

STUDENTS ONLY.

Representative Sport Pathway Trial Nomination Information 

Throughout 2024, your child will be provided with multiple sporting opportunities within the school environment. These include school sport carnivals such as swimming, athletics, cross country; participation in gala days including netball, soccer, basketball and cricket. These events are opportunities for all students to participate and be involved in, to develop their skills, enjoyment, be part of a team, improve wellbeing and contribute to a positive school culture. 

Through the Diocese of Wollongong Sports Council, some students are provided with the opportunity to trial for Wollongong representative teams, which give students the opportunity to access higher levels of sporting pathways, representation and opportunities to progress into state representation. 

We write to you today to inform you that the nomination form for these 2024 representative pathway selection trials are open and available for you to nominate your child through the given link by 16 October 2023.  Some of these trials for 2024 teams commence in Term 4 2023, therefore it is important that nominations are completed now. 

Criteria for representative sport pathway nominations: 

Please see the reserve side of this document for more information regarding the trials and specific nomination criteria for each sport. In general the representative sport pathway trials are for students who are;

• Skilled and talented players and will be in Year 5 & 6 in 2024 (recommended)
• Experienced in the given sport and may have some high level representative experience or playing at a high grade
• competing at a high level, regular experience  and a background in this high level of competition, with a strong skill based and understanding of the game

Nomination Process and Information for parents: 

If you acknowledge that your child meets the criteria for a  given sport, you are asked to complete a nomination form using the following link:https://forms.gle/BT2yqsWsMj7FJSck7 or SCAN the provided QR code. 

Please note this process is NOMINATION ONLY, once nominations are received and close on 16 October 2023, all individual sports trial nominations will be: 

1. Reviewed and approved by the School Principal and/or delegate 
2. Reviewed by the sports convenor and selection committee based on criteria (students must meet the criteria of the given sport to be eligible)
3. Required in some cases to host a school based trial to determine most suitable athletes to attend the Wollongong representative trials. 
4. After this review, school sport coordinators will be notified of successful nominations, and these students will be provided with a trial information letter by the school and be permitted to attend the 2024 trial date. 

If you have any questions regarding this process please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Testa or Mrs Olima for further information regarding the representative sport pathway trial and opportunities. 

This is a NOMINATION ONLY, and parents will be notified by the school sport coordinator if the nomination has been successful. 

OVERVIEW OF INDIVIDUAL TRIAL NOMINATION SPORTS & PROCESS FOR PARENTS/CARERS 

Dear Parents and Careers,

It is that time of the year where we look forward to watching the talented children of Good Samaritan showcase their talents on the stage in the Good Sam Factor. 

This is an opportunity for students from Yr 1 to Year 6 to perform in front of an audience of their peers, teachers and family. 

When: Friday 22nd September 

Time: 11.30am - 1.30pm

We look forward to seeing the talent of our outstanding students 

Miss Ashley Rae and Miss Sunley 

From the School Handbook

Why have a School Newsletter?

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.

Parents are continued to be encouraged to read the newsletter regularly to know what is happening within the school.

Diary Dates & Reminders for the week ahead: