Principal's Message
Dear Families,
As we commence Advent to prepare for the birth of Jesus, we focus on the themes of hope, peace, joy and love.
Hope - the quiet assurance that the light is coming.
Peace - not merely the absence of conflict, but the deep,
steady calm that comes from trusting God.
Joy - this is more than happiness, it gives us strength and carries us through the season.
Love - this is the heart of Advent. As we anticipate His coming, we are invited to share that same love with the world around us.
On Monday staff gathered for a day of Professional Learning which included a session with Sandhya Menon who offered a meaningful opportunity for us to reflect on our practices and deepen our understanding of inclusive education. You can read more about this further in the newsletter.
Christmas Carols
This past week we have had multiple opportunities to celebrate with music. On Sunday night we had our Parish Night of Carols and on Wednesday night we had our school carols.
Thank you to all the students and families who attended the Parish Carols, our student choir sang beautifully. Thank you all for your participation in our school carols, it is always wonderful to see our students sing and dance with so much love for what they do.
School Reports
Home-school partnerships are highly valued here at Good Shepherd so I thank you for your active participation recently in Parent-Teacher and PSG meetings. Teachers and leaders are currently finalising semester 2 school reports and it has been wonderful to see the growth in students both academically and socially. Reports and Portfolios will be available to parents at the end of next week.
Leaving staff
At this time of year we say goodbye to staff who will not be at Good Shepherd next year.
Lucia DiGregorio and Christina Calache have both announced with much emotion that they will be retiring from teaching. They have both been such a valuable part of our community for over 25 years. They have shaped young minds, offered guidance and support and impacted the lives of many. They have been wonderful colleagues and will be missed. We wish them every happiness and fulfilled journey ahead.
We wish Amelie Jenkel a restful break as she prepares for her second baby early in the new year. Amelie will commence her parental leave at the end of the school year and we will see her back towards the end of 2026.
We say goodbye and good luck to the following staff who are leaving Good Shepherd for various reasons. Carmen Habuda, Serena Kim, Vanessa Lincoln, Nick Nolan, Donna Nugent and Celeste Spiccia. We thank you for your dedication to the students at Good Shepherd over the years and wish you all every success in your future endeavours.
Christine Brodie will be on leave for the 2026 school year.
I will send out the full 2026 Staffing schedule before the end of the school term.
NAPLAN
Whilst we received our NAPLAN school scores and individual student results early in Term 3, further comparative data was released earlier this week. We are pleased to share that we are ranked in the top 6% of the state for Year 5 overall scores and were rated the 4th highest Catholic primary school in Victoria. When Good Shepherd is compared with schools across the country of similar student backgrounds using the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA), we are achieving strong results. It is pleasing to share these outcomes with our school community, and we value your ongoing support as we work in partnership to enhance student growth. Furthermore, it's wonderful to celebrate our academic achievement, we also remain committed to supporting students' social emotional development ensuring a balanced and holistic approach to learning.
Parent and Friends
A big thank you to our P & F for organising such a fun Colour Run for our students last Friday. We are certainly blessed to have such a passionate committee and team of parents who plan for amazing activities for our students throughout the year. Please know the P & F are always looking for extra helpers so please reach out if you would like to get involved in 2026.
Coming up
Friday 5th Dec P & F School Disco
Wednesday 10th Dec Whole School End of Year School Mass (9:15 am)
Thursday 11th Dec Year 6 Funday (Gumbuya World)
Friday 12th Dec Year 6 Graduation Mass/Celebration (5:00 pm - 8:00 pm)
Year 6 students last day of school
Monday 15th Dec 2026 Year 1 - Year 6 Transition (11:15 pm - 12:45 pm)
Tuesday 16th Dec Last day for students (1:00 pm Dismissal)
You will find further dates in this newsletter for 2026. This includes all the dates for the Sacramental program, school closure days and other important school events.
Thanks for your ongoing support.
Jacqui Marshall
Principal