a word from leadership
Thank you
My sincere thanks to the parent team and staff who dreamed and collaborated to launch the 'Great Good Shepherd Community Picnic'.
Well done on this really creative initiative. Preparation of the picnic bags was an enormous undertaking - thank you. The community connection your idea has inspired is heart warming and truly appreciated.
Further opportunities exist for connection - see separate page in this newsletter. Get along, meet other families, laugh and celebrate.
"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." Coretta Scott King
David Wilksch - Principal
School Improvement (Strategic) Plan
The School Board's focus in 2022, is on developing the next iteration of the School Improvement (Strategic) Plan. The plan will guide the school’s development over the next three to five years.
This is an exciting initiative that prompts us to take stock of where we are now and where we want to be in the future.
The Board wants to ensure the priorities developed through the planning process deliver an outstanding Christian education and innovative future focussed opportunities for students, while continuing to build a nurturing and welcoming school community. We recognise that each of us has a unique insight into what works well now and what could be improved in the future, and we want you to share those insights with us so we can make the best possible decisions about the way forward.
We will be asking students, parents and staff to help by completing questionnaires and attending workshops, more details of which will be provided in the coming days.
Some have questioned the wisdom behind collecting this data during a pandemic. My view is that the pandemic has only further strengthened our resolve about what we value most as a community. Therefore the survey data will be extremely valuable.
The planning process will be undertaken over the next five months, with the aim of having a new Improvement Plan approved by the Board during late Term 3 or early Term 4.
Questions about the planning process can be directed to myself or Matt Schmidt (Board Chair).
David Wilksch - Principal
Sports Day
Sports day is almost here! (Friday 1 April). We encourage you to prepare now for this fun and festive event. One of the great joys of Sports Day is that it brings together our community. The participation, friendly rivalry and spirited competition ensure the event is a great experience for both competitors and spectators.
We welcomeone guest per familyto the event to manage the crowd size and remain COVID safe. This guideline is critical as COVID numbers continue to increase in the community and across schools generally. We can't allow this event to undo the wonderful position we have worked so hard to achieve. We encourage parents and grandparent to 'tag team' throughout the day.
On the morning of Sports Day, children arrive at school at the normal time. The school day ends at approximately 12.30pm. A sausage sizzle and coffee van will be available throughout the morning for visitors.
All children are to be picked up at the end of events as no classes are held in the afternoon. Children will be dismissed from their classrooms at the close of Sports Day. Children remaining at school will be taken to OSHC. The after school bus services will run at the usual time. (Please inform the front office if your child will be using the bus service on the day).
We ask that all children come to school in their Sport Uniform with the exception of the polo shirt. We encourage children to wear an alternate t-shirt to identify the colour of the team they represent - inexpensive is recommended. We also encourage all children, parents and visitors to accessorise using ‘creative colour’ to further identify the team to which you belong. Parents please ensure that any ‘colourful additions’ don’t inhibit children’s participation in events by restricting their full range of movement. We recommend coloured hair spray, hats, face paint, ribbons, etc.
Be creative!
A video from the archives. Who can you spot?
Dads and Kids Camping Weekend - Register Now
M'n'M 2022 (Men and Minors camp) is coming up again this year on the 13-15 May at the regular location near Williamstown. All primary school aged children accompanied by their dad (or significant male) are welcome to attend.
A great weekend to 'get back to basics' and really enjoy some quality time with your children and also the opportunity to connect with other dads too. Saturday is packed full of fun activities and a nice amount of 'down time'. Come along and see what more than 300 people enjoyed in 2021!
The following link provides detailed information about the camp.
NEW Streamlined Registration: Download the QKR App to your device and go to Good Shepherd Lutheran School. The registration form and payment process is available all in this one place. If you prefer 'paper and cash' there is also a registration form included in the attachment above.
Check out some fun from the past.
(David Wilksch - Principal)