Dear parents and carers,

This week, I want to take a moment to commend our dedicated teachers for the exceptional, high-impact instruction occurring in classrooms each day. Our staff consistently maintain high expectations for learning, fostering ordered environments that maximise every minute of teaching time. Their unwavering commitment ensures that every child is engaged, challenged, and supported in their learning journey. We are truly blessed to have such passionate educators guiding our students.

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Principals’ Retreat alongside 56 Principals from across NSW and the ACT. During this time, we had the opportunity to meet our new Director, Mr. David De Cavahlo, who will return to Canberra in June 2025 to lead Catholic Education. The retreat was a profound experience, as we embarked on a journey of discovery about how the Holy Spirit reveals our unique gifts. This message resonated deeply with me, as I am committed to helping our beautiful children uncover their God-given gifts over time — trusting that He has a special purpose for each of them.

A heartfelt thank you also goes to our parents for their continued support in the finer details of school life, particularly with pick-up and drop-off procedures. Your attentiveness has ensured that everything is running smoothly, keeping all our children safe. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and care.

Due to recent Governance changes, our school must adapt to updated system-level policies regarding hosting social events and supervision of children after-hours. A key change is that all after-hours events now require Teaching staff as supervisors, and volunteers can no longer supervise children, despite the incredible willingness of our parent community. This presents significant challenges in how we run events, but we are committed to working with the Community Council to explore new ways to keep our school events engaging and our community connected.

Together, as a faith-filled community, we will continue to nurture a culture of excellence, encouragement, and discovery for our students.

Warm regards,
Trazel

Lent: A Time of Giving, Growing, and Caring for Others

Lent is a sacred season in the Church, a time of reflection, prayer, and preparation for Easter. It calls us to grow closer to God and to one another through acts of kindness, self-discipline, and generosity.

During Lent, we focus on three key practices: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Many people choose to give up something they enjoy—like sweets, social media, or a favorite pastime—not just as a personal challenge but as a way to remind themselves of Christ’s sacrifice. Others take on something new, such as daily prayer, acts of service, or reaching out to those in need.

At the heart of Lent is the call to care for each other. Whether by offering a helping hand, listening with compassion, or giving to charity, we are reminded that love for our neighbors is a reflection of God’s love for us.

Spend time discussing how your children might approach Lent this season. YOu dont have to be Catholic to take on a personal improvement project!

As we journey through this Lenten season, let us also hold Pope Francis in our prayers, asking God to bless him with strength and good health as he continues to lead the Church with wisdom and compassion.

Prayer for Pope Francis

Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the gift of Pope Francis,
For his leadership, kindness, and dedication to Your people.
Grant him strength and good health,
Fill him with Your peace and wisdom,
And guide him as he continues to serve the Church.
May he always be a beacon of hope and love,
Inspired by the example of Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Attendance
Ensuring your child attends school every day is a legal responsibility for all parents and carers.

The school day starts at 8:50am and arriving at or before this time is essential to ensure your child starts every day to maximise their learning time. If your child is late by even as little as 10 minutes a day, this time accumulates over the course of the term to days and weeks of missed learning. Our explicit teaching of English (grammar, punctuation, spelling and writing) begins at 9:00am sharp, and students who miss these crucial literacy elements will struggle to keep on top of their learning if they are late to class. We understand that on rare occasions you might be late to school. If this is the case, please sign in using the Compass kiosk at the front office before sending your child to class.

The school day concludes at 3:10pm. Students are to be collected by 3:30pm. If students are not collected by this time, parents will be phoned, and if parents do not answer, the student's emergency contacts will be phoned.

Birthday treats
Good Shepherd celebrates students' birthdays by acknowledging them in class on their birthday. If parents wish to send a treat to share with classmates, a small wrapped lolly or chocolate (such as a chuppa chupp or plain freddo frog) is permitted. Please remember we are a nut-free school, and many children have other food allergies.

Absence for family holidays
We encourage families to take family holidays during the official school holidays to minimise any effect on the learning sequence. However, if a family holiday or extended absence occurs during term time, the school will not set any formal activities for a student during such a period. The following are guidelines for parents to take about informing the school of planned absences:

1 to 24 days – parents inform the school teacher and front office via email. Parents add the leave into Compass in batches of 10 days.  25 days to up to 12 months – Application for Extended Leave document to be filled in by parents and submitted to the front office for approval by the Principal. For absences more than 50 days, approval must be given by the Catholic Education Office.

Our uniform at Good Shepherd defines us as a community. It supports the Catholic Social Teaching - The Dignity of the Human Person. When everyone in the student community strives to wear their uniform correctly, this action supports all of their fellow students to ensure equality for all. Our uniform pool is a wonderful way to access pre-loved uniforms.

Please see here for a list of our uniform requirements.