Welcome Back to Good Shepherd!

Dear families,

Welcome back to Term 3! We hope the break provided you and your family with time to rest and recharge. It’s wonderful to hear the classrooms and playgrounds buzzing with energy again as students reconnect with friends and dive back into their learning.

We’re excited to welcome several new faces to our Good Shepherd community this term:

• Ms Faeza Samnakay joins us as our new Learning Support Teacher for Kindergarten to Year 2. Ms Samnakay comes to us with a strong background in both education and therapeutic settings, and we are confident her knowledge and insight will be a great asset to our students and staff;
• Mrs Geering and Mrs Horrigan have joined our Year 2 teaching team following the departure of Ms Mohasseb. Both teachers bring extensive classroom experience and a deep commitment to student learning and wellbeing; 
• we are also pleased to welcome new Classroom Support Assistants who will be with us throughout Terms 3 and 4. We were fortunate to secure additional funding to further support students with additional needs. These new staff members will play an important role in our learning environments across the school; and
• we welcome back from parental leave, Mr Matthew Maher and Mrs Jessica Wilson.

Refurbishment updates
We are thrilled to report that the Year 2 toilet refurbishment was completed on schedule, and the new facilities are now open and in use. The Year 3 toilets are also on track to be completed and ready for use within the next fortnight. These upgrades were designed to resemble a home-style bathroom — clean, welcoming and odour-free — and this new approach is already proving effective in ensuring a welcoming space for all children.

In addition, work continues behind the scenes on playground refurbishments. While the current equipment is safe and compliant, some areas, including the higher monkey bars and climbing frames remain closed until we can replace the soft-fall flooring. We appreciate your ongoing patience and support as we work towards safe, modern outdoor spaces for all students.

Carpark etiquette – safety first
We would like to remind families to please follow all car park rules and drive safely during drop-off and pick-up. We have noticed an increase in cars swerving and overtaking dangerously during these peak times. This behaviour puts children and families at risk, and has required us to involve our Police Liaison Officers in supporting traffic management.

We urge all drivers to be patient and respectful. Dangerous or unsafe driving may be referred to the Police. Let’s work together to keep our school community safe.

Staff communication guidelines
We are currently developing updated communication guidelines to help streamline and improve communication between families and staff. These will be shared in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, we kindly remind families of our existing approach:

• please send short, courteous emails to your child’s teacher during business hours (8am–4pm). Teachers will respond within 48 working hours;
• our staff are actively teaching during the day and are not available to respond to emails immediately; and
• for urgent matters, please contact the office by phone to arrange a call or meeting with a teacher.

We ask families to avoid lengthy or late-night emails. Thank you for your understanding as we work to maintain respectful and effective communication.

Looking ahead
It’s already shaping up to be a vibrant and eventful term!

Grandparents and Special Friends Morning was a wonderful celebration last week – thank you to all who attended.

Our students and staff proudly represented our school at the recent NAIDOC Mass, honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history.

We are now looking forward to a range of upcoming events including:

• • STEM Fair
  • Book Week Parade
  • 100 Days of Kindergarten Celebration
  • Dance Concert

Behind the scenes, teaching and learning is in full swing. On Day 1 of Term 3, our staff participated in a professional learning day focused on Guided Practice using the Gradual Release of Responsibility instructional framework. This model supports effective lesson design by shifting learning from teacher-led to student-led, through three key phases:

• I Do – the teacher models and explains;
• We Do – the teacher and students work together in guided practice; and
• You Do – students apply their learning independently.

We are excited to see this approach deepen student engagement and achievement across the school.

Thank you for your continued support. We’re looking forward to a fantastic term ahead filled with kindness, growth, connection and joyful learning.

Warm regards,

Trazel
Principal