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Dear Parents and Carers of Good Samaritan,
What a fabulous start we have had to the school year! The children have been so enthusiastic as they settle into their new classes. Each day there has been an excited buzz across the playground.
This year we have developed a School Improvement Plan that focuses on the improvement statement:
Through our Catholicity we will inspire excellence in learning and teaching so that the school's culture will allow all to flourish within our school community.
From this statement we will be focusing on the 3 key priorities of Catholicity, Collaboration and Wellbeing.
Good Samaritan undertook the program Educating with a Mission Lens in 2017. This program consists of a series of modules that staff have worked through to identify our mission as Catholic educators. A part of this has been to recognise what is the essence of our school - the heartbeat - the day to day activities we undertake and how these impact the life of our community.
An important aspect of this was to re-examine our school history and the formation of Good Samaritan Primary School. Our school is the result of an amalgamation of 2 schools, St Francis Xavier and St John Vianney. Both of these schools were established by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. The Sisters of the Good Samaritan strongly identify with St Benedict and the Benedictan way of life.
Benedict’s approach to life and to seeking God was both sensible and humane. It rests on being faithful to finding God in the ordinary circumstances of daily life within a community. Work was important, as was communal prayer, as was leisure. Benedict envisioned a balanced life of prayer and work as the ideal.
Community life was foundational to Benedict’s teaching and his Rule. Benedict’s gift was to understand that each person’s weaknesses are best confronted by living side by side with other human beings. St Benedict taught that growth comes from accepting people as they are, not as we would like them to be.
Central to what Benedict taught was a Love of Learning. Our children already know what it means to be Ready to Learn - now we want to instil in each of them a love of learning and to recognise that learning happens all the time. We can learn in our classrooms, on the playground, when we make mistakes, when we interact with other people and the list goes on.
Our work with Educating with a Mission Lens has led us to being able to clearly identify with the 5 Mission Behaviours. The Mission Behaviours help us to recognise the actions of others, and ourselves, when we are together in community. The students are also coming to know these behaviours and what are being taught the actions that can identify the behaviours.
Understanding the Mission Behaviours also provides an opportunity for us to love learning. This led to reviewing our PB4L values and aligning them with the Mission Behaviours. In the coming newsletter’s PB4L sections you will find each Mission Behaviours and some of the actions that can identify the behaviour.
The students are already being able to name the behaviours. This is very exciting as our students demonstrate how they want to be with each other, in community, each day at Good Samaritan.
I look forward to sharing more with you about Benedict and Educating with a Mission Lens as the year progresses
As we journey, together with Jesus,
Toni Sillis
Principal
Welcome to Kindergarten!
We are very excited to be able to officially welcome our Kindergarten students for 2021 tomorrow. Over the last week Kinder children have been coming to school for their Best Start appointment.
Beginning school is such an exciting time. There will be nerves, excitement and lots of expressions of wonder - and it won’t take too long for them to feel that school is a wonderful place to be!
Did you know? Only 46% of Australian parents feel confident about dealing with the online risks their children face and 95% want more information about online safety. (Source: eSafety Commissioner)
Next week the students will focus on safe online behaviours with a variety of activities across the week. Tuesday 9 February is Safer Internet Day across Australia. The eSafety Commissioner has invited parents to join one of their webinars at no cost. Click here to join a webinar.
There is an enormous range of resources available for parents on the eSafety Commissioner website. Take some time to browse the site. Even if your child doesn’t spend much time on devices it is important for us all to be able to ‘Start the Chat’ with our children.
Students will also be able to participate in a Design a Poster competition and a colouring competition. Winners will be announced at Friday (12/02/2021) afternoon’s assembly
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME FOR RECONCILIATION 2021
Prior to enrolling your child into the Lumen Christi Sacramental Programme, parents/carers need to attend a prayer and formation meeting. The Sacrament of Reconciliation meeting for parents/caregivers, will take place at St John Vianney Co-Cathedral, Fairy Meadow at 6.30pm on Wednesday, 10th February and Thursday, 11th February.
Attendance at the meeting on either of these days is an essential requirement for enrolling children into the Sacramental Programme for First Reconciliation/ First Holy Communion.
The following is the organisation for the evening:
- Prayer
- Fr Bernard Presentation
- Outline of the program
- Enrolment of Candidates
ACTION: Complete the attached enrolment form and information and submit to the Parish team at the meeting.
For more information go to:lumenchristi.org.au/Sacraments
From Our Office
School fee statements will be issued by email to families shortly.
A reminder that fees are due 30 days after receipt of invoice. However, should you wish to pay your fees throughout the school year in instalments you are required to complete a Request To Pay School Fees By Instalment form.
From Our Playground:
Before School Boxes
Year 6 students have begun supporting play before school with games from the Before School Boxes. The aim of having the boxes is for the students to always have something to look forward to coming to school and for them to learn from each other in social situations.
From Our Classrooms:
Amaroo students have been learning to recognise numbers and co-operate in games whilst playing ‘What’s the Time Mr Wolf?
Creative Art classes have begun and Year 2 students have been studying the work of Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian. Mondrian is best known for his abstract artwork.
Canteen News:
Canteen is open Wednesday to Friday
ALLERGY AWARE SCHOOL:
As an Allergy Aware School we request no peanuts, peanut paste, peanut butter (including “dippers”), nuts, “Nutella” spread, nutty muesli bars or eggs within the school.
We believe an effective partnership between home and school will ensure the successful inclusion of students with life-threatening allergies.
We are committed to supporting our students with anaphylaxis within the school environment and request your support to ensure a safe environment for these students.
Thank you
Uniform Shop News:
The Uniform Shop is now open on
Tuesday mornings 8.30am to 9.30am
Thursday afternoons 2pm to 3.15pm
In order to manage the physical distancing requirements, parents will continue to make appointments at the uniform shop to purchase uniforms.
This can be done through the Compass.
If you would like to place an order with the uniform shop an order form has been added to the school website under parents/uniform.
Please complete the form and return with payment to the school office.
These orders will be filled on uniform shop days.
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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 bag or 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.
SAVE THE DATE!
P&F Annual General Meeting
Monday 22 February 7pm
The P&F AGM is scheduled for Monday 22 February at 7pm. The meeting will be held in the school hall. COVID-19 restrictions will apply hence numbers are limited to below 30 people.
All parents attending the meeting will be asked to check in using a QR code and to sanitise upon entry.
February
- Thursday 4 February - Kindergarten begin school fulltime
- Wednesday 10 February -Sacramental Programme for Reconciliation SJV Co Cathedral 6.30 pm
- Thursday 11 February - Sacramental Programme for Reconciliation SJV Co Cathedral 6.30 pm
- Friday 12 February - Opening School Mass/Liturgy
Due to COVID restrictions Students & Teachers only to attend.
- Wednesday 17 February - Ash Wednesday
- Friday 19 February - Swimming Selection Trials (University Pool)
- Monday 22 February - P&F AGM School Hall 7pm
March
- Monday 1 March- Friday 5 March Catholic Schools Week