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Frequently Asked Questions

Please find below, some frequently asked questions to assist our parents and carers, as well as prospective families.

You can also see more about what we offer students and families at Good Samaritan.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our school office

Looking for more parent and carer resources to support your child through their Catholic education journey? Visit the CEDoW Parent & Carer Resources site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Enrolments are accepted all year round, but the best time to enrol your child is at the beginning of the year (Term 1) – the year before your child is due to commence school.

Enrolment interviews are held in Term 2. You will receive a letter or phone call informing you of a time for you and your child to come in and meet with the principal. Written offers of placement will follow towards the end of Term 2.

At Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School, Fairy Meadow, we aim to create an educational environment of love, faith, respect, trust, co-operation and harmony for each individual.

We strive to achieve educational excellence in offering each student the opportunity to develop their individual abilities each day. In our educational programs, we are committed to developing every facet of the child – spiritual, physical, intellectual, social, emotional, aesthetic and a sense of citizenship. 

At Good Samaritan, you and your child can expect:

  • A school community embracing education within the Catholic tradition
  • A quality K-6 curriculum
  • An inclusive, contemporary environment that fosters creative and critical thinking
  • Learning that responds to the individual needs of students – including our Amaroo learning support centre and autism-specific classes
  • Positive relationships with parents and carers
  • Quality on-site before and after school care
  • A proactive approach to student learning and behaviour

Please see our What We Offer page or Contact Ufor more information. 

You are most welcome! Please contact our office to make an appointment to meet with the principal and tour the school grounds.

Our office opening hours are Monday to Friday, between 8:30am and 4:00pm.
 

Our school bell times are as follows:

Morning Bell

8:50am

Recess

10:55am – 11:30am

Lunch

1:25pm – 2:00pm

Dismissal

3:00pm


Morning: 
Supervision begins at 8:20am each morning.

Afternoon: 
The school day concludes at 3:00pm and parents are expected to collect their children as soon as possible after this time. Please note, no supervision is provided by staff after 3:20pm.


Please see our Term Dates and Bell Times page for more information.

There are many co-curricular activities on offer at Good Samaritan!

Some of the opportunities available include:

  • Diocesan Gala Days in soccer, cricket, netball, basketball, AFL, dragon tag and more
  • Opportunities to compete and represent at Diocesan, MacKillop and State levels in a range of sports, including swimming, athletics and cross country 
  • da Vinci Decathlon
  • Public Speaking
  • Robotics
  • Art competitions – including the Christmas Story Art Competition
  • School Band
  • Good Sam Factor
  • Veggie Garden – learn more here about our engagement with eco-spirituality, environmental education and action to implement environmental stewardship and sustainability
  • Opportunities to organise and participate in social justice initiatives, raising funds and awareness for a range of causes

Find out more about the co-curricular activities available for students at our Co-Curricular Opportunities page.

The dignity of the human person is the foundation of all Catholic Social Teaching and inherent to the mission of our school. Essential to this is the creation and maintenance of a respectful, safe and supportive learning environment that promotes student wellbeing and enables school communities to engage an inclusive and diverse range of learners.

At Good Samaritan, we believe that all members of the community have the right to a learning and working environment free from intimidation, humiliation and harm. We all share a responsibility to create a culture of caring which will not tolerate bullying. We believe that bullying must be taken seriously and is not acceptable in any form. In witnessing Christian values we reject ideas, beliefs and behaviours, which marginalise or victimise people. 

Please refer to the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong's Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Policy here.

You can also find further anti-bullying, wellbeing and online safety resources at our Resources page here.

Students are able to catch one of the Premier Illawarra school buses operating in Fairy Meadow and surrounding suburbs, both to and from school. See our school bus routes and timetables here (under 'Good Samaritan - Fairy Meadow').
 

Please note: All students must have an Opal Card to be able to travel on the buses.

The School Opal card gives eligible students free or discounted travel between home and school using the train, bus, ferry and light rail services you nominated in your application.

Who can apply?

To be eligible for a School Opal card, students may need to live a minimum distance from their school:

  • Years K – 2 (Infants) – No minimum distance.
  • Years 3 – 6 (Primary) – More than 1km straight line distance or at least 2.3km walking.

Who needs to apply?

A new application is only required if the student has not had a School Opal card before.  If your children already have a School Opal card and are changing schools or going into Years 3 or 7, you will need to update their Opal card for the new school year before mid-December at apps.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts

Yes, we offer quality organised on-site before and after school care. CatholicCare's Out Of School Hours (OOSH) Care services at Good Samaritan are staffed by a dedicated team of education professionals who are university trained early childhood teachers or TAFE trained Diploma educators who support and respect the uniqueness and individuality of children and their families.

Find out more information about our Out Of School Hours (OOSH) Care services.

The school uniform can be purchased from the uniform shop in operation at the school, located in the two-storey primary block. The uniform shop operates with a School Support Officer and all orders and payments are made through this shop during opening hours. Parents are encouraged to donate unwanted or unused clothing to the clothing pool.

Uniform Shop Hours
Monday 8.30am – 9.30am
Thursday 2.15pm – 3.15pm

View our Uniform Price List here and Download our Uniform Order Form here

For more information on the Good Samaritan school uniform, visit our Uniform page.

Please see our Fees Information page for more information.

If you are experiencing financial hardship and are unable to pay fees, please discuss the situation with our principal. Your situation will be treated with care and confidentiality, and an appropriate arrangement may be made for you. No student will be refused enrolment because of a family’s genuine inability to pay fees.

We'd love to have you! Good Samaritan strives to be a connected and welcoming community and we value the engagement of parents and families in the school life in any way they can.

This could be as simple as being interested and informed about school events and activities, supporting and/or participating in community events, school assemblies and school liturgies.

If you are able, we also welcome and value your involvement in school activities. Parents (and grandparents!) can participate and contribute by:

  • Assisting in the classroom with reading or mathematics groups
  • Volunteering at school working bees or maintenance
  • Assistance at sport carnivals and gala days

Please note: Given our commitment to safeguarding children, volunteers will first need to organise a Working With Children Check (WWCC) – information and forms can be found on the CEDoW website

All parents and families are also invited to become involved with our Parents and Friends (P&F) Association, who work collaboratively with the school and parish about matters that affect your child at school, as well as general issues about school life including social events, fundraising and community building.

For more information, please visit our Parent Engagement page.

If you have a concern or would like to raise any issue regarding your child’s learning and wellbeing, our staff welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your child.

We ask that you contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. The best way to do this is by:

  • phoning the school office and asking that your child's teacher return your call; or
  • contacting the teacher via email at info@gsfmdow.catholic.edu.au to arrange a time to talk.

If the matter is urgent please contact the school office on (02) 4226 6577.

We ask for your patience in response to your request as schools are busy places and the main priority of staff is the education, safety and wellbeing of the students in their care during school hours. Requests by parents for information and meetings will be responded to as quickly as possible. 

If you need to speak to your child’s teacher, we ask that you do this by:

  • phoning the school office and asking that your child's teacher return your call; or
  • contacting the teacher via email at info@gsfmdow.catholic.edu.au to arrange a time to talk.

If the matter is urgent please contact the school office on (02) 4226 6577.

We ask for your patience in response to your request as schools are busy places and the main priority of staff is the education, safety and wellbeing of the students in their care during school hours. Requests by parents for information and meetings will be responded to as quickly as possible.

The Lighting the Way Together Parent-School Partnership Framework outlines for parents and the school, the principles and expectations of the partnership that is formed when a child is enrolled in a Catholic systemic school in the Diocese of Wollongong such as Good Samaritan. It will be introduced and implemented in schools throughout the school year.

Download a copy of the Parent-School Partnership Framework and read more about this important partnership at www.dow.catholic.edu.au/partnershipframework

Parents and carers can access the Good Samaritan Compass Parent Portal here and log in using their login details.

For more information on Compass, view our Parent Information document.
 
For further information or enquiries, please contact the school office.

Ready to Enrol?

Interested in enrolling at Good Samaritan? We'd love to welcome you to our school!