Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As I reflect on the first half of this term, it has been so wonderful that our students are developing friendships with their new classmates and shining in their learning each and every day. Our Prep students are now attending school full time and showing great confidence both academically and socially.

Our school theme for 2026 is 'Belonging'. At Good Shepherd, we believe that the experience of belonging is vital to success - it is the experience of being accepted, respected, and connected. When our students feel safe and valued, they are better able to focus, learn, and grow. A strong sense of belonging helps children feel accepted by their teachers and peers, see learning as interesting and relevant, and believe in their own ability to succeed. It also encourages students to support and care for one another. By fostering belonging in our school community, we help every child thrive.

Since our last school newsletter we have engaged with parents at the Tell Us About Your Child sessions and PSG meetings. We had over 30 parents attend the Relaunch of our Parents and Friends (PFA) and there was some really great energy in the room as we all looked towards embracing opportunities to gather as a community. We are very conscious that many of our parents have busy work schedules that may impact time to commit to organising school events or being part of the Executive Team. Ferial Davis and myself are trying to consider creative ways that we could enhance this partnership for our students and families.

Student leadership remains a priority at Good Shepherd as we know that student leaders play an important role in shaping the culture of our school. We congratulate our 2026 SRC members who are very excited to make a difference by contributing their ideas and making a meaningful difference in our school. Many of our Year 6 student leaders also displayed great confidence and passion for their school at our Twilight Tours and Information night last week.

Catholic Education Week - 15 March to 22 March

Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to celebrate their Catholic Identity, the pivotal role they play within their local community and the strength of the sector. This year's theme celebrates the significance of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of our local Church in Melbourne.

We are very excited that we have 4 pieces of student artwork on display at The Creative Arts Exhibition at the Catholic Leadership Centre. We congratulate the following Year 1 students: Eva, Jasper, Saskia and Isabella for their pieces from last year, titled Gems of the Desert.

Our school captains and RE leaders will be attending the Mass of St Patrick on Friday 20 March to represent our school with Ferial Davis and Vanessa Lamanna.

Reminders

NAPLAN commences this week for our Year 3 and 5 students
There will be no Assembly in Week 8 (Monday 16 March) due to NAPLAN
School Photos are taking place on Tuesday 17 March
Parents are not permitted to use the student toilets at any time. This is a very important Child Safety procedure in our school. If parents need to use a toilet please go to the school office.
Payment for Year 6 Camp is now overdue
It is very important that all students arrive at school by 8:45am every day. There are far too many students arriving late each day.
Could families who have a child starting Prep next year (2027) please complete an enrolment application form as soon as possible and no later than the end of March.
Thursday 2 April is a school closure day and students finish Term 1 on Wednesday 1 April at 1pm.

I will be on leave from Wednesday 18 March to Friday 27 March. During this time Ferial Davis will be Acting Principal.

Thanks for your ongoing support and please continue to keep an eye out for regular updates and communication through nForma.

Jacqui Marshall

Principal