Dear parents and caregivers,

As we continue our Lenten journey, we are reminded of the importance of reflection, generosity, and community. We are grateful for the ongoing support of our families and look forward to sharing some exciting events happening in the coming weeks.

Congratulations to Our Year 6 Leaders!
We extend our congratulations to our Year 6 Leaders on receiving their leadership badges last week. As our Year 6 cohort continues to impress the rest of the school with their emerging maturity and positive presence, we are excited to welcome representatives from JPC, Merici, and St Clare’s later this week. These schools will be hosting information sessions with the cohort to help them prepare for their high school journey.

AFP Liaison Visit – Friday, 28th March
We are excited to welcome our AFP Liaison Officers to Good Shepherd this coming Friday, 28th March. They will be joining us for assembly, visiting classrooms and continuing to build strong connections with our school community. These visits help foster positive relationships and provide valuable learning experiences for our students.

Parish Assembly – Saturday, 29th March
We invite all members of our school and parish community to join us for the Parish Assembly this Saturday, 29th March. This gathering will be an important step in our synodal process, as we work together with Fr. Troy and Fr. Eden to help shape the future of our parish. Your voice matters, and we encourage everyone to be part of this meaningful discussion.

Cross Country Carnival – Friday, 4th April
The much-anticipated Cross Country Carnival is fast approaching! Join us on Friday, 4th April at the school oval to cheer on our students as they give their best effort in this fun and challenging event. A program of events will be sent home via Compass, so keep an eye out for all the details.

ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony – Thursday, 10th April
On Thursday, 10th April, we will hold our ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony following the morning assembly. Students have been engaging over the course of the term with ANZAC activities. This is a special time for us to reflect and honour the sacrifices made by the men and women who have served our country. Parents are welcome to join us for this important event.

End of Term 1
Please note: Thursday, 10 April is the last day of school for Term 1.

Pupil Free Day – Friday, 11th April
A reminder that Friday, 11th April is a pupil-free day. TeamKids will commence their school holiday care from this day. If you require care for your child, please ensure you have made the necessary arrangements.

Community Council Working Bee – Friday, 2nd May
We are calling for Parent Helpers to assist at our upcoming Community Council Working Bee on Friday, 2nd May, from 3:45pm – 5:30pm. This is a great way to lend a hand and contribute to the upkeep of our school grounds. Further details will be shared soon, but we encourage you to mark your calendars now!

Hot Cross Bun fundraiser
Our Community Council is running a Hot Cross Bun fundraiser, and we would love your support! This is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community while also raising funds for important school initiatives. Your participation is greatly appreciated!

Minimising personal items at school
We ask parents to work with their children to minimise bringing personal items to school. Bag tags, fancy stationery, and toys can sometimes cause imbalances in social dynamics during playtime, leading to unintended issues. Additionally, the disappointment and heartbreak of lost or damaged items can be distressing for students. To support creativity at playtime, we are working on providing extra drawing and art supplies for students to access.

Bus etiquette
For students who catch the bus, we ask parents to continue reinforcing positive behaviour expectations. While we acknowledge that bus travel can be challenging when sharing with students from other schools, we expect all Good Shepherd students to follow school rules while on the bus to ensure everyone’s safety, including the driver. Our students represent our school in the wider community, and their respectful behaviour makes a difference.

Thank you for a wonderful Harmony Day!
A huge thank you to our parents and families for getting involved in such a positive way for Harmony Day! The splash of orange across our school truly elevated our celebration and showed our strong support for inclusivity and diversity.

We also appreciate your continued support of the Good Shepherd uniform. As always, we encourage splashes of colour only on designated celebration days and thank you for helping maintain our uniform standards. This supports the school-wide focus on Equity and Inclusion.

Teaching & learning in full swing!
It has been wonderful to visit classrooms and witness students fully engaged in their learning, giving their best effort every day. Our teachers are dedicated to fostering a love of learning and supporting students in their academic growth.

We are pleased to announce that we will be introducing a Progress Report for parents. This initiative will provide a snapshot of Term 1’s academic journey for each child. Our staff have been working hard to create a document that offers clear insights into academic progress, ensuring parents and students are well-informed.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community.

Good wishes
Trazel

Important dates for Confirmation

Commitment and Enrolment Mass is this weekend.  Candidates and their parents must attend one of the following Masses:

-  Saturday 29 March at 5pm
-  Sunday 30 March at 8am, 9:30am or 5pm

Please refer to the Confirmation 2025 Parent Handbook given out at the information session earlier this week for requirements at the Mass. 

Please be reminded that final registration and payment for Confirmation is Friday 6 April. 

We look forward to seeing you this weekend.

Community Council Survey
We would like to thank those of you who completed our survey. Your feedback and ideas are appreciated and we will continue to communicate with you on changes and improvements, based on your suggestions. Those who provided contact information for volunteering opportunities - thank you! We will be in touch with you soon.

Hot Cross Bun Fundraiser
Don't forget to order your hot cross buns! The perfect snack to start the school holidays.

This is the first time we have fundraised in this way and we hope you enjoy it. We look forward to sharing the amount of funds raised and how it will contribute to school enhancements. 

Orders close on Wednesday, 2 April.  Order through Qkr! via the Community Council tab.

School Grounds Working Bee
To help prepare our school grounds for our 2025 Open Day, the Community Council will be hosting a working bee on Friday, 2 May 3:45pm - 5:30pm. We are calling on our community to help us! If you're available and willing to get a little dirty, email Christie at gscouncil1@gmail.com to register. We will provide a sausage sizzle and drink at the end. Information on the types of jobs and any equipment we may need you to bring will be provided closer to the event.