Dear Families,

As we reflect on the year gone by, we are filled with gratitude for the amazing growth, creativity, and teamwork that we've witnessed across our community. Together, we've overcome challenges, celebrated achievements, and built lasting connections. Every moment shared—whether in the classroom, at events, or in simple day-to-day interactions—has made this year truly special.

As we move into the new year, we look forward to continuing our journey together, embracing new opportunities, and fostering an environment where everyone can thrive. Thank you to our dedicated staff, hardworking students, and supportive families for making this year so remarkable. Here's to another year of success, growth, and collaboration!

ADVENT

Our classes have been participating in daily prayer focusing on the season of advent. In Sunday's homily, at my own parish, our priest said, “Advent is the time when the church calls us to pause, pause from the intensity of life, pause from rushing, pause from taking people for granted, pause to pray. He spoke about how important this pause is because when we pause, we can feel the waiting time and anticipation of what’s to come.” This reflection made me think of the many times in my day when I don’t stop to PAUSE. I challenged myself to stop, pause and reflect on the interactions I have, on the unrest that people may be feeling, on the little things that brighten up the day. When I stop and Pause, it gives me time to thank God for all that is good in our world and gives me time to pray for peace. May this week and the weeks ahead, bring you all some time to pause and embrace the moments of calmness. May we all show kindness, empathy and compassion to each other. Along with calmness and stillness, comes the ability to forgive. We pray that we each embrace forgiveness to those around us for it is in forgiving that we can live in peace.

YEAR 6 GRADUATION

Congratulations to all of our Year 6 students who will be celebrating their Year 6 Graduation tomorrow evening. We wish them all the very best in their future and we hope they take a little piece of SoGS with them wherever they go. We hope that they always remember how important they are and that they will always be KNOWN BY THEIR NAME! A very big thank you to the year 6 teachers and Co eds for the enormous dedication in preparing our year 6 students for this celebration. We can’t wait to celebrate our students alongside their families!

2025 SCHOOL LEADERS

Last week, our current Year 5 students had the incredible opportunity to present their leadership speeches, and we were absolutely blown away by the dedication, passion, and preparation each student displayed. Each speaker shared their personal values, outlined how they planned to support their fellow students, and expressed their commitment to supporting their teachers and school community.

We were inspired by the hopes and dreams that they shared, each speech reflecting a genuine desire to lead with kindness, responsibility, and integrity. They spoke about their vision for making a positive impact on our school and why they believed they would be the best fit for a leadership role.

We are incredibly proud of each and every one of them for stepping forward and presenting their ideas, despite knowing that there were only a limited number of leadership positions. Whether elected or not, they have shown tremendous courage and determination in their pursuit of leadership.

When the results were announced, these students responded with such resilience and empathy, supporting one another and celebrating the success of their peers. We want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all of our Year 5 students for their efforts, and of course, a special congratulations to our newly elected school leaders. We have no doubt that they will continue to inspire us all as they lead our school into the future!

We will welcome our new school leaders at our end of year Mass on Thursday 12th December at 9:15am.

STEP UP DAY

Today was an exciting and memorable day as our students had the wonderful opportunity to meet their new teachers and classmates for 2025. This special occasion is always filled with anticipation and enthusiasm, as our students step into fresh learning spaces, reconnect with old friends, and begin to build new relationships that will last throughout the year.

Our dedicated teachers spent valuable time getting to know each child, listening carefully to their hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the year ahead. These meaningful conversations not only help us understand the individual needs of every student but also set the stage for a year filled with growth, discovery, and success.

We are thrilled to begin this journey together and are excited about the many opportunities for learning, exploration, and personal development that 2025 holds. Rest assured, we are committed to supporting your child every step of the way as they thrive in a nurturing and engaging environment.

We also welcomed all of our 2025 prep students! They have eagerly participated in three transition sessions this year and we can’t wait for them to join us in 2025.

2025 STAFFING

As we sadly bid farewell to some of our cherished staff members this year, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for their dedication, generosity, kindness, passion, and commitment to teaching the students of SoGS.

A special thank you to:

Mr. Anthony Montesano
Mrs. Melanie Sanderson
Mr. David Pietsch
Ms. Cassie Spiteri

We wish each of you all the very best in your new adventures, and we thank you for the positive impact you've made.

We also warmly welcome some new staff members to our SOGS family. We know that they will make a positive contribution to our community.

Welcome to:

Mariana Khoshaba Year 3B
Jazmine Bertoncello Year 4A
Caroline Barresi Year 6A

We hope you love our school community as much as we all do! Welcome to the family.

MEET THE TEAM

MEDICAL MANAGEMENT

To ensure children’s safety whilst at School of the Good Shepherd, any child that has been diagnosed with a Medical condition requires an updated Medical ACTION plan. These need to be reviewed by your child’s doctor annually. Please visit your child’s Doctor before school starts to have ACTION forms signed and to fill any medication prescriptions if necessary. We require Action Plans and Prescribed medication to be handed into the school office, between the hours of 12.30pm- 3.45pm Tuesday 28th January 2025 or alternatively between the hours of 8.30am-3.45pm on Thursday 30th January and Friday 31st January 2025.

If your child’s medical condition has changed and an action plan/medication is no longer required, please visit your child’s Doctor to obtain a medical clearance letter, so we can update our records.

Thank you for helping us keep your child safe, we appreciate your understanding and continued support.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Mary or Rowena

THANKYOU

To all of our parent helpers this year, we say a very BIG thankyou. It has been wonderful having you in our schools and attending school excursions. We look forward to seeing you once again in 2025. Please join us for a thank you morning tea after our whole school mass on Thursday 12th December. Mass is at 9:15, followed by morning tea in the central learning area.

GIFT GIVING

In the spirit of generosity and thanksgiving, we understand that many parents may wish to express their gratitude to teachers with a gift. While this is truly appreciated, please know that it is not expected. If you do choose to give a gift, we kindly ask that you keep it within your means, as we recognise that this time of year can be challenging for many families. We are sincerely thankful for the kindness and thoughtfulness of each and every one of you. Your support means the world to us.

I’d like to wish all of our families a safe and happy break. May you all experience the gifts of peace, joy, love and hope this Christmas season. See you all safe and sound in 2025!

Take care,

Carmela D'Amato

School of The Good Shepherd

BELONGING, COMPASSION and GROWTH

2024 Term 4, Newsletter Issue 19 · 10 Dec 2024

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