Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School Fairy Meadow acknowledges and pays respect to the Dharawal and Gweagal people past and present, the traditional custodians of the lands on which our school is built.

Dear Parents and Carers,

It was wonderful to see the children and staff wearing denim last Monday as we celebrated the canonisation of the millennial Saint, Carlo Acutis. In his short life, he made an incredible impact, showing deep dedication to Jesus and the Eucharist, and demonstrating how technology can be used for good. He is a saint who resonates strongly with our children, and classes were highly engaged in learning about his life during their Religious Education lessons.

This celebration is particularly timely, as the announcement of the 39th Diocesan school, to be built at Leppington, was made this week. This new K–12 college will be named St Carlo Acutis Catholic College and is expected to open before 2030. It will be the first K–12 Catholic college in Australia named after Saint Carlo Acutis, following his canonisation by Pope Leo XIV on September 7, 2025.

Last Friday, I had the privilege of signing off on our Cyclic Inquiry Report with Mr Tim Gilmour, Deputy Director of CEDoW. I was humbled by the many affirmations about our school and grateful to have our strategic recommendations for the future validated. I would like to acknowledge our highly skilled Leadership Team and our dedicated and talented staff, whose work continues to deliver such strong outcomes in Faith, Learning, and Wellbeing. I look forward to working with our whole community as we continue to shape our vision for the school's future. You can find a link to the Executive Summary of the report below.

• Good Samaritan Fairy Meadow SCI Executive Summary

Finally, our Parents and Friends Meeting will be held on-site this Monday, September 15th, at 6:00 p.m. Agenda items will include:

• A review of the Uniform Policy
• An overview of the Cyclic Inquiry Executive Summary
• Fundraising Events for Term Four

As I commence a period of leave, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Catherine Hailstone (Acting Principal) or Mrs. Natalie Shelley (Acting Assistant Principal) should you require any additional support.

Sincerely
Pauline Chrostowski
Principal

Staffing News

Mrs. Christie Gray will be taking leave for the remainder of the 2025 school year. We wish her a well-deserved time of rest and renewal.

Mrs. Adee Fraser will continue in the Amaroo Blue role on Mondays and Wednesdays, with Mrs. Grace McKay continuing on Thursdays and Fridays.

Mrs. Catherine Hailstone will continue to oversee Diverse Learning across the school.

Thank you to both Catherine and Adele for their commitment and generosity in taking on these important roles.

PARISH CONTACT DETAILS:

General enquiries

Lumen Christi Catholic Parish, Wollongong 

Diocese of Wollongong 

PO Box 874 (36 Harbour Street)

Ph: (02) 42 110500

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

Click here to view the Parish Mass Times

I warmly invite you to share with your school communities a special opportunity taking place at St John Vianney Co-Cathedral, Fairy Meadow, on Tuesday 14 October at 9:30am. This Mass will be offered for all mothers, especially those preparing to give birth.

At this Mass, the Blessing for Expectant Mothers will be prayed. This is a simple but deeply moving way for our parish community to show our prayerful affection, encouragement, and solidarity with mothers and families during these sacred and often challenging moments of life.

The blessing is connected with St Gerard Majella, who is honoured throughout the Church as “The Mothers’ Saint.” St Gerard was born on 6 April 1726 in Muro, Italy. Though his father died when Gerard was only 12, leaving the family in poverty, Gerard sought to serve God faithfully. After being denied entry to the Capuchins due to poor health, he was accepted as a Redemptorist brother and served humbly as a gardener, tailor, fundraiser, peacemaker, and spiritual adviser.

Despite frail health throughout his short life, Gerard became known for his deep prayer, patience, kindness, and prophetic insight. He bore false accusations with humility and continued to seek only the will of God. He died of tuberculosis on 16 October 1755 at the age of 29. His feast day is kept on that date.

The devotion to St Gerard as patron of mothers comes from a remarkable incident in the last months of his life. After leaving the home of the Pirofalo family, one of the daughters called out that he had forgotten his handkerchief. Gerard replied, in a moment of prophetic foresight: “Keep it. It will be useful to you someday.” Years later, when the young woman was in danger of death during childbirth, she remembered Gerard’s words, called for the handkerchief, and immediately the danger passed. She gave birth to a healthy child. From this miracle, devotion to St Gerard spread rapidly, especially among Italian mothers, and later throughout the world with the help of Italian immigrant women.

Today, countless mothers, especially those expecting children or experiencing difficult pregnancies, continue to call upon St Gerard’s intercession with confidence and trust. His prayer is sought for unborn children, for safe delivery, and for mothers in every stage of family life.

At this special Mass on 14 October, mothers who are expecting will be invited to receive the Blessing for Expectant Mothers. Families are warmly encouraged to come and surround these mothers with their love and support. It is a tangible way for us to say together: “You are not alone, and we walk with you in faith and hope.”

Thank you the Fairy Meadow Catholic Women’s League for initiating this beautiful devotion in our parish. Their care and commitment to prayerful support of mothers and families is an inspiring witness.

Please extend this invitation to all parents in your school communities. We would love to see families from across our parish and schools gather for this grace-filled occasion.

St Gerard Majella, pray for us!

This Thursday, our Good Samaritan community came together to recognise our national RUOK? Day, reminding one another of the importance of kindness, listening, and checking in with those around us. Students will participate  in activities and discussions  that encouraged connection, support, and the simple power of asking, “Are you OK?” building on our Anti Bullying Day activities and school wide initiatives.

The school is also providing a fundraising opportunity with raised funds going to the Year 6 Legacy Project, as well as a restocking of our Wellbeing Cafe with new items for students in K-6.  The canteen will be closed for normal lunch, with the following items for sale:

Together, we celebrated the lived value of being “moved to compassion” and promote a culture of checking in with one another. 

Summer Uniform Changeover:

As the weather begins to get warmer the students may wear their Summer uniform from Monday 8 September 2025. It is then at parental discretion as to which uniform is worn given the weather forecast until the end of term. We ask that either FULL Summer or FULL Winter is worn, not a combination of each. 

All students must wear the Summer uniform from the beginning of Term 4, Tuesday 14 October 2025.

Kind Regards,

Catherine Hailstone 

Assistant Principal

Congratulations to our GSFM Senior Girls Netball Team, who competed in Penrith last week at the NSW Catholic Primary Schools Netball Championships. The girls went through undefeated, winning all their pool games. It was a tough semi-final, however, they won 7-6, and then won the final convincingly, 16-5. Coach Corby reports that they all played extremely well and had a fabulous, fun day! The girls were great sports and a pleasure to coach. Congratulations girls and Mrs Corby- what a fantastic result!! 

NSW CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL NETBALL CHAMPIONS!!!

Soccer Gala Day - Dalton Park

On Friday of Week 6, 150 students from Years 3 - 6 proudly represented GSFM at the CEDoW Soccer Gala Day held at Dalton Park.

We entered 14 teams across Junior and Senior Boys’ and Girls’ divisions, as well as our Inclusive Mixed Team, who played modified soccer with great enthusiasm and success. The day was filled with energy, teamwork and plenty of goals scored (and saved!), with the true spirit of the gala day; fun and participation; shining through.

A big thank you goes to our Year 6 canteen helpers, our wonderful parent volunteers, and the staff who supported the event. Days like these are a fantastic way for students to enjoy sport, connect with others, and grow in what it means to be a good sportsperson.

Basketball Gala Day - CEDoW 

A reminder that the CEDoW Gala day is next Thursday, 18 September for Year 3 and Year 4, and Friday, 19 September for Year 5 and 6. Any remaining students need to consent via Compass by Friday 12 September. All students that nominated for Basketball have been placed in teams. The draw will be emailed to parents shortly. 

Basketball NSW Tournament - Update

The Basketball NSW Gala Day scheduled for Term 4 at Bomaderry will not proceed for Division 1, as GSFM was the only school to nominate teams in this division. Thank you to the parents who completed the Google form for nominations for those students who want to be considered for the team that will automatically go to the State Championships in November. Due to low nominations across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, Division 2 and 3 teams will not be entered this year, as student interest was too low to form a full team and staff availability prevents us from facilitating a team at the gala day.

Illawarra Karate Academy

Carla Olima

PE Teacher

Please refer to the Good Samaritan Calendar of Events for 2025.

These events are also updated on the Google Parent Calendar.