Principal's Message

Dear Families,

What a wonderful term it has been with many opportunities for our students to learn, grow and continue to meet their potential.  This term we have celebrated a number of important events, including liturgical celebrations, community experiences, sporting success and academic achievements.  

We congratulate our students who received the sacrament of First Eucharist for the first time a few weekends ago.  Receiving the Eucharist for the first time is a sacred and memorable occasion, one that deepens their relationship with Jesus and strengthens their connection to our Catholic community.  I would like to thank Fr Andrew, Vanessa Lamanna and our Year 4 Teachers for supporting our students on this important journey.  The students have written some beautiful reflections further in the newsletter.

The school was certainly full of excitement on Friday as our Year 6 students hosted the Annual Charity Fete.  The chosen charities this year were; The Fred Hollows Foundation, The Healing Foundation and The Smith Family.  It provided our students with authentic opportunities to develop a wide range of skills.  They included; collaboration, teamwork and problem solving.  It also encouraged creativity and entrepreneurship.  Most importantly the Charity Fete reflects our Catholic values of service, compassion and social justice.  We were all so proud of our Year 6 students.

School Closure Day - Monday 13 July.

As per our school calendar and previous communication we have a school closure day scheduled on Monday 13 July (first day of Term 3) Staff will be involved in Professional Learning in the area of Building Reading Knowledge.  Students return to school on Tuesday 14 July.  Camp Australia will run a program on Monday 13 July if there is enough interest.

Staffing

We are very excited for Year 1SB Teacher Samantha Beach and her partner who will welcome their first baby later this year.  This is such a special time for her family.  Samantha Beach will go on Parental leave at the beginning of Term 4.

We keep Year 5CL Teacher Liana Caligiuri in our thoughts and prayers as her much loved mother Maria passed away last week after illness. 

Swimming Program

In the first 2 weeks of Term 3, our Year 3 and 4 students will be participating in an 8 day intensive swimming program at Swimworld in Glen Waverley.  Implementing a new program does raise many questions and wonderings and I would like to thank you all for your support.  This week we will be writing directly to the families of the students participating in the program to share the timetable and respond to many of the questions that have been raised.  The program is aimed to provide all students with the opportunity to develop essential water safety and swimming skills in a safe, supportive and enjoyable environment.  

Parent Engagement Opportunities

Commencing next term, over the course of a semester we will provide parents with an opportunity to celebrate the learning of their children by spending time in the school.  We have decided to link this opportunity with our Assembly roster.  Parents will be invited to attend the assembly for a particular year level, then stay on for hospitality (tea and coffee) with other parents and then visit the classroom to share in the learning.  This experience will take place for an hour (9am to 10am)

The dates have been set as follows: (Set up as a table)

We will send an invitation out a few weeks before each of these dates. 

Behaviour Management

At Good Shepherd, we are committed to providing a safe, respectful, and productive learning environment where every student can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Recently, we have observed an increase in behaviour-related challenges among some students and I have been working closely with staff, students and parents to provide support.  

While the majority of our students consistently demonstrate positive behaviour and uphold our school values, these incidents have impacted classroom learning and the wellbeing of both students and staff. Addressing these challenges requires a partnership between home and school. We ask for your support in reinforcing the importance of our school values of Respect Self, Respect Others and Respect Property. 

Our staff continue to implement proactive behaviour support strategies, restorative practices, clear expectations, and appropriate consequences when required. We are also providing additional support for students who need guidance in developing positive social and emotional skills.

Please be assured that student wellbeing remains our highest priority. We will continue to work closely with students, families and staff to maintain a positive school culture and to provide support where needed.  All schools experience times when student behaviours can be challenging but we want to assure you that we will continue to work in partnership with all families to ensure all students feel safe and happy at school. 

Parent WhatsApp groups

Parent WhatsApp groups can be a valuable way for families to stay connected, share information, and support one another throughout the school year. These groups often help parents coordinate activities, clarify routine matters and build a sense of community.

As with all forms of communication, it is important that these platforms are used respectfully and responsibly. We encourage all parents to remember that messages shared online can have a significant impact on others and may be easily misunderstood without the benefit of face-to-face conversation.

To help maintain a positive and supportive environment, we ask parents to:

• Communicate respectfully and courteously at all times.
• Avoid discussing individual students, families or staff members in group chats.
• Refrain from sharing rumours, assumptions, or unverified information.
• Contact the school directly when seeking clarification about school matters, policies, or concerns.
• Consider whether comments contribute positively to the school community before posting.
• Do not upload any photos or videos of school events on WhatsApp (as you may not have the consent of all involved)

Our school values strong partnerships between families and staff. When questions or concerns arise, direct communication with the relevant teacher or school leader is often the most effective way to resolve issues and ensure accurate information is shared.

By working together and modelling respectful digital citizenship, we create a positive example for our children and help foster a supportive school community for everyone.

Semester One Reporting process

Thank you for your participation in Parent-Teacher Meetings and PSGs over the past few weeks.  Parent Teacher Meetings alongside student reports and portfolio pieces provide an opportunity to have rich conversations and share our goals for students’ growth and success in the next semester.  It was wonderful to hear the rich conversations regarding student learning during these meetings. Reports will be available through the Nforma later this week and on this same day Portfolios will be sent home.  We will send a message out when they become available. We encourage you to take the time to review this mid-year report and to contact us if you have any questions or would like to discuss your child’s progress further.  

We thank you for your continued partnership and support. The strong connection between school and home plays an important role in each child’s success, and we value the opportunity to work together in supporting your child’s learning journey. 

Thank you

Thank you for a wonderful term together and I wish you all a restful break with your children.  The calendar of events for Term 3 is included in today’s newsletter and no doubt you will see that it is a very busy one.  

I am sure many of our students are very excited for the Parents and Friends Rollerama event coming up on Thursday after school. A big thank you to the parents who have supported this event.  No doubt it will be a lot of fun.

Jacqui Marshall

Principal

jmarshall@gswheelershill.catholic.edu.au