Acting Principal's Message
For the past two weeks, I have had the privilege of stepping into the role of Acting Principal. It has been an honour to serve our school community in this capacity, though I’ll admit it has also been a challenge at times to balance this responsibility alongside my existing responsibilities of Assistant Principal and Learning Diversity Leader. I am deeply grateful for the support and encouragement from our leadership team, our wonderful admin staff, and the trust extended to me by our teachers, LSOs, students and families. A heartfelt thank you also to Jacqui and Fr Andrew for checking in during this time, it has meant a great deal.
Reflecting on the Past Three Weeks
Weeks 7 to 9 of Term 2 are particularly busy for our teachers and students, as we focus on assessing and reporting on student growth informed by data, while also identifying any additional supports we can offer to students and families.
Sickness and Protecting the Vulnerable in Our Community
Through conversations with both staff and parents, it’s clear that many in our community have immediate family members undergoing serious medical treatment, such as chemotherapy. We kindly ask that you continue to keep children at home if they are unwell. Our staff, including myself, have also been unwell over the past few weeks and have taken time off to rest and recover. Thank you for your continued support in helping protect our most vulnerable.
Parking Reminder
A gentle but urgent reminder that parents should not be parking onsite unless you have a pre-arranged meeting with a staff member. We have seen an increasing number of families parking on-site during drop-off and pick-up, with students waiting in the middle of the car park. This is a serious safety risk and is not acceptable. We must work together to prevent an accident before it happens.
Jacqui’s Leave
Jacqui has been enjoying a much-deserved break in Bali, Indonesia, over the past two weeks. She also celebrated her birthday while she was away. Happy birthday, Jacqui. Upon her return, she’ll no doubt share some highlights from her trip. In the meantime, enjoy a few photos she’s shared below.
Staffing Updates
- Maddi (LSO) – We’re incredibly proud of Maddi, who was recruited by Carlton AFLW at the beginning of Term 2. She has worked tirelessly toward this goal and we’re thrilled to support her. Maddi has returned to Good Shepherd in a reduced capacity and will be with us on Fridays. Staff and students were very excited to welcome her back this week.
- Ayden (LSO) – A warm welcome to Ayden, who joined us this week. He will be working on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- Alexis (Year 4 Classroom Teacher) – Welcome back, Alexis, who has returned from a holiday visiting family in Korea this week.
- Carmen (Year 2 Classroom Teacher – Best wishes to Carmen, who has commenced her honeymoon leave for the remainder of Term 2.
Student Spotlight: Rubbish Warriors
Over the past month, a group of dedicated Year 4 students have spent their lunch breaks picking up rubbish around the school. Their commitment to keeping our school clean is inspiring. Last week, they received their very own buckets and tongs to support their ongoing efforts.
Mental Health Push-Up Challenge
Many of our students have been actively participating in the Push-Up Challenge, a nationwide initiative raising awareness about mental health across Australia. This meaningful opportunity has been led and supported by Steven Zgudka (Year 5 Classroom Teacher), who has been instrumental in driving student engagement and encouraging open conversations about mental wellbeing. It's been wonderful to see the enthusiasm, teamwork, and awareness this challenge has sparked across our school community.
Vision for Engagement
On the evening of Wednesday 11th of June, Megan Skoda (Student Wellbeing Leader) and I attended the launch of the MACS Vision for Engagement (VFE). This system-wide initiative promotes the explicit teaching of behaviour, aiming to ensure every classroom is calm, respectful and inclusive. It complements the MACS Vision for Instruction and supports the “Flourishing Learners” ambition of the MACS2030 strategy.
The VFE focuses on six key elements: Teaching respectful behaviour, Fostering belonging, Focusing on attendance, Promoting mental health and wellbeing, Enabling motivation and Targeting individual learning needs.
We will continue to unpack the VFE in upcoming newsletters. You can read the full VFE Position Statement in the VFE newsletter tab.
School Times
A reminder of school times:
- Gates open: 8:25 AM
- Class begins: 8:45 AM
- School finishes: 3:05 PM
- Gates close: 3:25 PM
Program Support Group (PSG) Meetings
Over 60 PSG meetings have already taken place, with another 12 scheduled over the next two weeks. Thank you for your openness and partnership during this time. Our updated PSG structure ensures that important discussions happen before Semester 1 reports are released so that no parent is ever surprised when reading their child’s report. Any identified gaps or need for further support should be clearly communicated in advance. We all share the same goal, to ensure the best for each student at Good Shepherd.
Parent-Teacher Interviews
Parent-Teacher Interviews will take place next week in the Performing Arts building. We’ve streamlined the booking process via nMeet on the nForma Portal. We hope you’ve found this more efficient. If you have feedback or suggestions, please let the office know and we will pass it on to the nForma Support Team.
Semester 1 Reports and Learning Portfolios
- Reports will be available via the nForma Portal from Tuesday 01 July at 9:00 AM
- Learning Portfolios will be sent home on Friday 4 July
Year 6 Confirmation
As communicated by our Religious Education Leader, Vanessa Lamanna, we are incredibly honoured that our Year 6 students will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at St Patrick’s Cathedral this year. This is due to it being a Jubilee Year. While this has already been shared with Year 6 families, it’s important for our whole community to know what a special opportunity this is for our senior students.
Prep 2026 Enrolments
We are pleased to share that we currently have 68 confirmed Prep enrolments for 2026. Enrolments and school marketing have been a key focus for Jacqui and myself over the past 18 months. Many of these enrolments come through word-of-mouth and community connection. Thank you for being our greatest advocates.
Staff Intentions 2026
We have asked staff to share their intentions for 2026 to help us begin early planning for year levels and class groupings for 2026. As you can imagine, this is a significant task and we appreciate everyone’s support as we begin the process.
As this will be the final newsletter for Term 2, Jacqui and I would like to sincerely thank you all for your ongoing support, warmth and commitment to our school community.
Wishing you a safe and restful school break ahead.
Ferial Davis
Acting Principal