06 November 2024

From the Desk of the Acting Principal

Dear Good Shepherd Community,

I am delighted to introduce myself as the Acting Principal for the next four weeks. It is a privilege to be part of such a vibrant and supportive school community, and I am excited to get to know our dedicated staff, enthusiastic students, and the families who contribute so much to making this school a special place.

At Good Shepherd, it is clear that we all share a commitment to providing the best education possible for our students. I am already inspired by the dedication I see in our teachers and staff, who strive each day to foster a positive, inclusive, and safe environment. It is evident that the strong relationships among staff, students, and families are at the heart of our school, and I look forward to building upon these foundations during my time here.

The GSCS Way - give your best, show respect, compassion and care, be safe, responsible, and fair — truly reflects our shared values. These guiding principles not only shape our students' daily experiences but also serve as a reminder of the high standards we hold for ourselves as a community. I am committed to supporting every student in embodying these values, so they can grow academically, socially, and emotionally in a nurturing and supportive environment.

As we move forward, let’s continue to work hand in hand, reinforcing the values of inclusivity and support that define our school. I am excited to see how our collective efforts will empower our students to reach their full potential and to further strengthen the bonds within our school community.

I look forward to working closely with each of you to maintain the wonderful spirit of collaboration that defines Good Shepherd. By working together, we create opportunities for every child to feel valued, encouraged, and empowered to reach their potential, ensuring we continue to meet the needs of all members of our school community. Please don’t hesitate to introduce yourself if you see me around the school or reach out via email or through the school office.

Thank you for your warm welcome and for entrusting me with this role. I am excited about the weeks ahead and the chance to contribute to the growth and success of our students. Together, I am confident we can make this a positive and fulfilling experience for everyone and a place where every student can shine.

Warm regards,

Annette Poulson

Acting Principal

apoulsen2@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning

At Good Shepherd, we value the involvement of parents and carers in their child’s education, and welcome the opportunity to discuss their progress with you.

However, recently there has been an increase in the number of parents wanting to speak at length to teachers before or after school, when we gather in the Shed for the morning messages and even after the bell.

The time before and after school is important for setting up for the day, following up with other staff, and ensuring students are set up for the best possible day. Teachers are often required to attend meetings, make phone calls and collaborate with other teachers during this time. Once the bell goes, the teacher needs to focus on the children in their care, and even a “quick chat” is not appropriate.

If you need to speak to your child’s teacher before or after school, please make an appointment for a mutually convenient time, either by emailing the teacher or contacting the office. This ensures that the teacher is able to give the discussion their full attention, and also ensures privacy when discussing your child. If you are unable to arrange a meeting but need to urgently update the teacher on an issue of concern, please contact the office, who can pass a message on to the teacher.

We thank you for your cooperation with this and look forward to continuing to work with you for the best educational outcomes for your child.

SchoolTV Special Report: Navigating AI Relationships

Despite governments globally moving towards raising the minimum age for social media access due to mounting concerns about the negative effects on youth mental health and wellbeing, there's now an even newer challenge on the horizon - the rise of romantic and companion AI bots. These virtual companions are becoming increasingly popular with young people, raising serious questions about privacy, ethics, and the future of relationships in the digital age.

The rise of AI-powered relationships is offering a new frontier in human interaction. Initially emerging in the gaming world, AI companionship has evolved into mainstream culture, with apps providing personalised experiences that range from platonic friendships to romantic encounters. These interactions can blur the boundaries between real and virtual relationships, creating confusion and potential psychological harm.

Criminologists warn that children as young as 12 are accessing dating apps, often bypassing age restrictions, exposing them to sexual content and predatory behaviour. Researchers have also found that many adolescents are turning to virtual partners for validation, risking unhealthy emotional attachments that can affect real-life relationships.

As AI reshapes social dynamics, it's crucial to stay informed and engaged. While AI can enhance education and creativity, it also presents challenges around privacy, mental health, and misinformation. This Special Report will help you foster an open dialogue and balanced approach to help young people navigate this evolving digital landscape.

Here is the link to the Special Report https://gstsv.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-navigating-ai-relationships-au

Compass access and reports

Our Semester Two student achievement reports will be released via Compass during the last week of school. In order to access the reports, you need to be able to log in to the Compass Parent Portal. If you are unable to do this, or are having difficulties with it, please email the school office on rsmssn@tsv.catholic.edu.au as soon as possible.

Maxine Nolan

APPL

mnolan@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Religious Education

REMEMBRANCE DAY

Monday 11th November is Remembrance Day and as a whole school we will
commemorate this with a special prayer service at Assembly this Friday. It will be a time to give thanks to God for the wonderful land in which we live and to remember those who have fought in wars around the world to defend our freedom.

Each year at Good Shepherd we help the St Vincent de Paul chapter for the ministerial Region of the Good Shepherd to provide disadvantaged families within our area with a Christmas hamper to help them celebrate Christmas.  This year the chapter has asked for specific items to go into each hamper so that all families receive a True Christmas Hamper.  Each class is asked to assemble a hamper with the following donated items over the coming weeks. (See attached list). Please send your donated items in with your child to add to the hampers in their classrooms.

Thank you for your support of this very worthy appeal

Rebecca Kershaw

APRE

rkershaw@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

Guidance Counsellor

Hi Everyone,

My name is Marissa. I'm the Guidance Counsellor at Good Shepherd and you can catch me here on a Monday, Tuesday or a Wednesday so please drop in to the wellbeing building for a chat.  

Raising Girls:  

It is no surprise that girls today are transitioning to puberty a lot earlier than they did a century ago. The physical, psychological, and emotional changes that occur during this time can be challenging for girls, but also their parents. Some parents and carers may feel uncertain about how best to support their daughter through the ups and downs of adolescence and childhood. With the rise of social media and technology, mental health difficulties in girls are increasing as often they are faced with online images that make it difficult to see themselves as acceptable. This School TV resource gives parents some handy tips on raising girls.

 https://gstsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/raising-girls

Library

Story Dogs

Save The Date

Breakfast Club and Running Club

Both Clubs will run every morning. Breakfast Club will run from the Tuckshop from 8:10am and Running Club will be held on the Junior Oval from 8:10am as well.

The Good Shepherd Way

Term 4, Week 5

This week our Good Shepherd Way Gospel in Action value is Inclusion where I involve and accept others.

Our Inclusion prayer is below:

Term 4, Week 6

The Good Shepherd Way Gospel in Action for Week 6 will be Justice where I make right choices.

Our Justice prayer is below:

The GSCS Way

The GSCS Way is our positive behaviour support program here at Good Shepherd Catholic School.

All in our community are encouraged to:

• Give My Best
• Show Respect
• Compassion and Care
• Safe Responsible and Fair

Each week we focus on a different area of our matrix.

This week we are focusing on: In the toilets. 

In Term 4, Week 5 we are focusing on: In the library. 

Prep Orientation 2025

Environmental Tips

Threatened Species 

Be aware of and respect all creatures and their environments.  Avoid products that result in a loss of habitat for threatened species. 137 species of plants and animals are estimated to go extinct each day – that’s 50 000 species each year.

Tuckshop

Wednesday - Thursday - Friday

Please contact the school office or Ann-Maree at Tuckshop with any enquiries.

CUTOFF time to order TUCKSHOP
from FLEXISCHOOLS
is 8:30am.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL ORDERS ARE TO BE PLACED ONLINE AT THE LINK BELOW. Please visit the website to set up your account if you are new to Flexischools.

Flexischool How To Guides for Parents and Caregivers
• Online help is available any time at Flexischools via the link below.
• Phone between 8am - 12pm (AEDST) on weekdays or on the parent phone line (1300 361 769). 

How-To Guides for Parents
Flexischool has spent some time over the holidays developing some quick how-to guides for  parents. If you'd like to see these, please click the link below.
They include: 
•    Introduction to Flexischools;
•    How to Register; 
•    How to Top-Up;
•    How to Place an Order. 

Lost and Found

Teacher Contacts

Parent Portal

If you have any problems accessing please send an email to the school office at rsmssn@tsv.catholic.edu.au. 

The Parent Portal allows you to:

View your child’s timetable and the school calendar
View up to date attendance information for your child
Enter details of upcoming absences or explain past absences or late arrivals for your son or daughter
Access your child’s Semester reports
Make bookings for Parent Teacher Interviews
View a news feed of school announcements, alerts and updates
Provide consent for school events/excursions
Communicate by email with your child’s teachers
Update your contact details (email and mobile phone number).

The parent portal is a web-based system that can be accessed by clicking this link:

An app called Compass School Manager is also available for both iPhones/iPads (via the App Store) and Android phones/tablets (via the Google Play Store). When you have installed the app, search for “Good Shepherd Catholic School – Rasmussen”.
The browser version of the Parent Portal contains more features than the app.  Please click the link below to access the Compass website which has an online guide and video for the Parent Portal.

Community News