FROM THE SCHOOL HANDBOOK:

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.

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

During the holidays our playground sinks were installed with water bottle refill taps. Now students are able to refill their water bottles much more easily. Many thanks to our parents who, through the  P&F, who supported the cost of these taps.

As this term progresses the children will become excited about the approaching Christmas season. It is very important that the children remain focused and settled throughout Term 4. When the children begin to bring Christmas cards, candy canes and the like to school too early they tend to ‘tune out’. It is for this reason, and the fact that waiting is a part of our Catholic Christian tradition with the season of Advent, that the children may begin to bring Christmas cards, candy canes etc for their classmates from the end of Week 9 – Friday 11 December. 

Please begin to speak to your children about appreciating the card,  gift or candy cane that they receive no matter who it is from and that when they give something they shouldn’t always expect something in return.

Semester 2 Reports:

Due to Covid-19, the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has permitted schools to select the content that will form the basis of educational programs for Kindergarten to Year 10 students during 2020. As a result, not all syllabus content will be reported upon in Semester 2. 

Semester 2 reports will be sent to parents on Friday 11 December via Compass. 

Hard copies of reports are no longer distributed to parents.

Congratulations:

Hana Barnes who has been successful in selection to the 2020 NSW State Cross Country Running Team. Hana has been selected to represent NSW in the under 12 girls for this team.

Saturday 17 October marks ten years since Mary MacKillop was canonised at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, in front of thousands of people and live-streamed around the world. She is Australia’s first saint. We are inspired by her example of faith, service and love. Her spirit seems to act as a magnet for all who seek God.

“I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit ...” (John 15: 16)

We have six beautiful dresses that have been kindly donated to the school community. Please email Natalie Shelley via the school office if you are interested.

What a wonderful effort from our school community!

It was great to see our students and staff in their jerseys and/or socks. A big thank you to every one for your kind donations and a special congratulations to all students who made a sockball. We proudly raised $ 625.40. We had 94 sockballs in total and a lot of fun playing soccer activities with our friends despite the weather. It was very difficult to choose 3 sockballs as our finalists. Our finalists were:

1. Patrick Parker (3B)
2. Chloe Olima (4B)
3. Nyomi Nassif (1G)

It is a very proud moment indeed to see such community spirit and compassion for our brothers and sisters in Cambodia. We definitely kicked some goals

Go Gently,

Natalie Shelley

Religious education Coordinator

The Value for this week is: 

KINDNESS & COMPASSION:

I can demonstrate KINDNESS & COMPASSION by:

• Showing care for myself
• Showing kindness towards others through my actions and  my words;
• Random acts of kindness like inviting someone into a game

Wearing the correct school uniform

with pride!  

This does this look like:

• Hat always on when outside
• Hair neat and tidy 
• Correct GSFM school socks 
• Predominantly white joggers - no indoor soccer boots 
• Small earrings  
• No nail polish or fake nails

This is our GSFM Sports Uniform

This is our GSFM Summer Uniform

Every year the Diocese of Wollongong conducts trials for a variety of sports.  Students who are successful during these trials represent the Diocese of Wollongong at MacKillop Level Trials and might advance to represent at a State Level if they are successful at MacKillop Trials.

Students are required to be experienced players and extremely talented at their chosen sport. Criteria needs to be met to attend these trials. Please see below for further information. 

Trial nomination forms are due Monday 26 October.