“You gotta stand for something, or you fall for everything” – J Cougar Mellencamp, Rain on the Scarecrow

The mantra for Catholic schools across the country is that we exist “to make a difference”. At Good Shepherd it resides in our college vision and mission statements. It goes without saying, that in order to exist as a separate educational institution, we must be different. Catholic schools are not “private” schools, in the true sense, and we are not state schools. The history of most being that they were established by various orders or parishes in order to provide a “catholic” education, primarily for the poor. Many of the teachers were religious. The few lay teachers (who were all Catholic) had their wages paid for by the “Sunday collection plate”. The students were primarily from Catholic families.

Much has change of course and today Catholic schools are 80% funded by the State and Federal Governments, the residual costs being covered by fees. At Good Shepherd about 50% of our students are non-Catholic as too are our staff. However we maintain the position that Catholic schools are “open to all who share our values”. In our enrolment interviews we make this very clear and indicate that anyone may enjoy the Catholic experience as long as they are prepared to “walk with us”. By this we mean; engage in the study of religion, attend all college liturgies, and uphold the Christian values of love, respect, truth and justice. It also means being participants in shaping the Good Shepherd story, both in and outside of the classroom. Of course this is not only a student responsibility, it is also relevant to staff and parents.

The Catholic journey at Good Shepherd is one founded in our Catholic charisms and traditions but also one which is shaped by a recontextualised faith (specific to our young people in this place at this time), which is post-critical (shaped by contemporary understandings of constructed truths) and which is highly relevant to providing our students with the support and direction they need in these times of rapid change and growing uncertainties.

So, it is imperative for our Catholic schools (that is Good Shepherd), that we continue to articulate the hope and courage that our Catholic faith has to offer. It is also very important that our students continue to engage with this message and fulfill the responsibilities they “signed on for”, to participate in the full Good Shepherd experience, otherwise, as an educational institution we will cease to exist. We are already under great pressure from external agencies and the secular world and our voice is losing its potency. The value of a Catholic education however is to offer a holistic education that addresses all needs of our students; intellectual, physical, social/emotional and spiritual in an environment of respect and inclusion. It is by this that we stand separate of other educational institutions and it by this that we will be judged. Our quest is always to be, “seeking the truth”, for “when we think we have the truth, we stop learning”.

Peter Scott

End of Semester 1

The end of the Semester is fast approaching, and the assessment schedule for students is starting to reach its peak. It is important that students continue to apply themselves fully to their classwork and assessments in order to achieve their very best.

Students are reminded that drafts are their best possible response to a topic. Drafting forms an integral part of the assignment process. At this time of year, when the push and pull of exams versus assignments occurs, students tend to favour examination preparation over assignment preparation, saving everything up for the final copy. Planning ahead is important, doing a little bit on each subject each night, is far more advantageous than cramming at the end.

Students in Years 11 and 12 should be spending approximately 2.5 to 3 hours on either homework, assignment preparation or exam preparation per night. Students in the Junior school should be following these guidelines: Year 10 (2 hours); Years 8 and 9 (1 – 1.5 hours) and Year 7 (1 hour). Some assignment time is given over during the school day, however, depending on the conditions of the task, much of the response is required to be completed away from the classroom.

The College is here to support students, and understands that at times, life can throw a few challenges our way that may impact the ability to have assessment completed on time.  If there is reasons that you feel that an extension is warranted, an application form, available from the Office, can be completed, and in most cases the College will approve an extension of time for valid reasons. We would prefer that students utilise this process, rather than simply choosing to not submit.

Please don't hesitate to discuss this with your child's teacher, or the relevant Curriculum Leader.

Senior Exam Block

A reminder that the Senior Exam Block for our 11 & 12 students begins this Friday (14th June) and for Year 10 students on Monday 18th June and continues until next Friday 16th June. Exam block timetables can be found on the College website, and have also emailed to students earlier in the Term.

It is important that students arrive on time and fully prepared for their exams. I wish all students the best of luck for this semester's exams.

Creating 21st Century learners.

As you may be aware, the Queensland CUrriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) have spent the last few years rewriting and redeveloping the Senior Subjects as we prepare to move in to a new phase of Senior Education in Queensland.

Through national and international research, the QCAA has identified and defined the set of skills students need in the 21st century. Along with literacy and numeracy, these 21st century skills are the underpinning factors that shape the development of the General syllabuses.

In the newsletters over the next few weeks, I will link to some short videos, developed by the QCAA to explain not only what these skills are but also their significance.

“Do to others as you would have them do to you” Luke 6:31

This message from Luke is so important for us to remember; particularly at this time of term when stress is heightened and tiredness has set-in. This message also relates directly to our first College expectation - respect all people and all things, something we must all remember.

We can show respect in many ways, particularly by considering and taking seriously other people's’ feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and needs. We also show respect by listening to others, being truthful with them, acknowledging them, and accepting their uniqueness. By showing respect to others, we show that we value them and their thoughts.

This week, I will explore three areas of respect – self-respect, respect for others and other people’s respect for you.

Self Respect

To know how to respect others we first must respect ourselves, to do this we must:

• Be honest
• Learn to listen
• Understand the value of good manners/proper conduct
• Learn to accept personal responsibility for your own conduct
• Learn when and how to apologise
• Learn to understand which of your friends are good influences and spend your time with them
• Have important goals and plans to reach them
• Understand the impact of proper nutrition/exercise

Showing Respect to Others

You can show respect to others in many different ways, these include:

• The way we speak to people using tone, words and body language
• Accepting others rights, needs and differences as okay and legitimate
• Giving others their own personal space and allowing for the level of personal space to change depending on situations and relationships
• Allowing others privacy
• Attentive listening when other are speaking
• Responding to the concerns of others
• Avoiding gossiping or putting others down
• Showing interest in others about how they feel and what they think
• Ensuring everyone is included rather than excluded
• Being sensitive to thoughts and feelings of others
• Working constructively to resolve problems and differences
• Listening to and accepting feedback
• Making changes to our behaviour if we fail to respect others
• Looking after others property
• Keeping the environment clean for everyone to enjoy

Gaining the Respect of Others

Respect is earned, and there are a number of ways to achieve this:

• Show respect for those around you
• Show that you can make good choices
• Speak up for what is right
• Show that you believe your life is important

Respect is such an important part of life, and we expect all members of our Good Shepherd Community to show respect to each other.

Road Safety

In the past weeks, there has been a number of occasions for community members to contact the College regarding road safety. We have addressed this in Homeroom, but would appreciate if you could have a conversation with your children on the following very important road safety concerns:

1. Look for cars before crossing the road. Under no circumstances should students be running across the crossings without carefully checking for cars first. Both Camooweal and Mary Streets are very busy from 3pm, so utmost care must be taken.
2. If students ride a bike they must wear a helmet. This is a law, and penalties of $126 for a range of bike riding infringements, a full list can be found on the Queensland Government website → Bicycle riding rules and fines
3. Students who ride a bike must adhere to the road rules - see the link above for fines that will apply to those not adhering to the road rules.

For parents, please help us keep all students safe by:

• Adhering to the speed limit
• Only park in designated drop off/pick up areas (don’t double park)
• Don’t allow your child to enter the car while at the pedestrian crossing

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

On the first of June, 2018 the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life published a new document entitled “To Give the Best of Oneself. On the Christian Perspective of Sport and of the Human Person.” This is the first document of the Holy See on the topic of sport.

The document is divided into five chapters and addresses the relationship between the Church and sport, some of today’s challenges that sport must face, the Church and the pastoral approach to sport. The document, does not claim to respond to all the questions and challenges that the world of sport poses today, but rather seeks to “recount” the relationship between sport and the experience of faith, and to offer a Christian vision of sporting practice.

“Giving the best of yourself” is without doubt, an expression that can be applied both in the field of sport and in that of faith.” - Cardinal Farrell, 2018.

For more on this article please see the following link - https://zenit.org/articles/vatican-presents-holy-sees-1st-document-on-sport/

This Term, the staff and students are focusing on the dimension of Social Action and Justice, from the Religious Life of the School framework. Social justice involves working towards removing the barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability. “Belief in the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human person is the starting point for a moral vision for society.’

The Good Shepherd Parish,provides many services Social Action & Justice for our community. One of these, is the Jangawala ‘drop in centre’, at the Good Shepherd Parish which serves food to those in need. We are calling for volunteers, students and families, to assist with cooking or serving for Jangawala on the weekends. There is a roster for those to volunteer to serve from 3.30-5pm on Saturdays and Sundays, or to cook and provide some meals to be served. If you are available and would like to assist please contact myself at the College or Corena in the parish office on 4749 8555.

More information will come in next fortnight’s newsletter, for how you can be involved in social justice in our community.

It is highly important for the contacts listed on your student's file including parent and emergency contact's to be up to date. There have been some incidents this term where the College has been unable to contact anyone for a student who has needed medical attention, due to mobile numbers being disconnected, people changing places of employment and not updating work contact numbers or people that are listed as an emergency contact have left town and are no longer a viable emergency contact. If necessary, please contact the College to update the contacts listed on your student's profile. Your child's safety is an utmost priority to the college. 

Thank You.

Year 8 Retreat

On Friday 25 th May, the Year 8 cohort had their annual retreat day. Our day started with a liturgy focusing on our theme which was “Reaching Up, Reaching Out”.

After our liturgy the cohort broke into house groups and completed activities that focused on two topics: Self Image and Worry. In the Self Image activity, students were required to confront their own perception on how they truly see themselves when they see themselves through God’s eyes.

In the Worry activity the students were placed into situations of fear and worry and then evaluated how they coped; how they reacted; and who they could count and depend on in those situations. Students learnt that throughout life there would always be situations that they would worry about, but they were reminded that God loves and cares for you them through these times of Worry.

After a morning tea of chocolate cake and fruit, the whole year 8 cohort came together for their final activity on Kindness. Students were placed into their house groups again where they focused on the “act of kindness” and using kindness with their words, their actions and their attitude.

The students then enjoyed lunch of sandwiches, pies, sausage rolls and treats that were supplied by Mrs Cole and Yr 11/Yr 12 Hospitality class. To end the day the students attended Ten Pin Bowling where all students showed their skills both on the lanes and on the arcade gaming machines.

Overall the students had a fun day which was well received by all. I would like to thank all students for their excellent behavior and their commitment to the activities on the day. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Fainges and Mr Schofield for running the Worry activity and Ms Algie and Ms Hahipene for running the Self Image activity. Also a special thanks goes to Mr Raijas for being our photographer for the day.

Year 11 Retreat

The Year 11 Retreat is approaching quickly, with final payments due on the 18th of June. As a component of the retreat, students will be undertaking an education tour of the national capital. Students will be given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $150 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

Packing lists and the itinerary for the retreat have been handed out to students, and I would like to highlight the importance of reading this list with your child to guarantee they are well prepared. All ski equipment will be hired, however, students will require ski gloves for our day at the snow. These may be purchased beforehand or at the ski hire facility in Jindabyne. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Year 11 Retreat please do not hesitate to contact me.

Senior Exam Block

The exam timetable has been finalised and exams begin on Thursday 14th of June. It is crucial that students have begun to implement positive study into their daily routine to ensure they are thoroughly prepared. Some tips for exam study include:

• Set study goals
• Make a study plan
• Take regular study breaks (give yourself time to recover)
• Test yourself (Give yourself regular quizzes)
• Be positive
• Collaborate with study buddies
• Consult teachers for clarification

I would like to remind students that they are to arrive at school dressed in their full school uniform and they must sign in at the front office. If they leave the college at any time, they are required to sign out. All external food purchases are to be consumed at the outlet premises and not to be brought onto GSCC grounds.

I look forward to the coming weeks as the Year 11 cohort begin their final weeks of Term 2! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me by email jmartin7@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au or phone on 4743 2509.

TAFE REMINDER

TAFE students (and parents) a reminder that you have your next block lessons as follows:

Cert II Automotive:  25-29th June & 23-27th July

Cert II Engineering: 25-29th June & 23-27th July

Cert II Health Services:  25-29th June & 23-27th July

Congratulations Maddison!

Maddison Hegarty is currently studying a Certificate III Business Administration as a School Based Trainee.  Her employer is Maxima and her host is ANZ Bank.

Maddison has recently been nominated in the Australian College Student of the Month Awards for the subject:  Contribute to WHS Compliance. The nomination reflects the high quality of student response to the assessment activities.  Well done Maddy!

Girls for Mining Mentoring Program

For the third year in a row Good Shepherd students have been successfully selected for the Girls for Mining Mentoring Program at Glencore.  Congratulations to the following students who attended the launch of the program this week at the John Middlin Centre, where they were introduced to their Mentors for 2018.

Year 12

Eden Sellings

Kate Troxell

Mail Cairns

Ryleigh Donald

Kacee Wilson

Year 11

Breanna Waerea

Taylor Vassallo

Year 10

Jasmin Rogers

Kelsey Verhoeven

Holly Green

WHO SAYS MATHS AND ENGLISH ARE IMPORTANT FOR TRADIES?

Tradesman do, that’s who!

Glencore representatives Shane Bayntun and Simon Wilcox spoke with all year 7-10 students about the importance of applying themselves to their school work and in particular, maths and english, as they use these skills everyday in their jobs as tradesman.

They also talked about “not dropping the ball” and taking advantage of opportunities such as work experience, trade camps, part-time work and being part of a sporting team or similar.  Employers look for attributes including ability to work as part of a team, enthusiasm, willingness to go the extra yard, positive attitude………..and yes, passes in maths and english.

Congratulations Samantha

Year 10 student Samantha Pittis has today commenced a School Based Apprenticeship studying a Certificate III in Hairdressing at ISA Hair Design.  Well done Samantha!

UNIVERSITY ACCOMMODATION FOR 2019

It’s a good idea to start checking out university accommodation for 2019 now.  Below are some links to four Qld university sites to assist with your research.  Note: some may require you to register by a certain date so be sure to meet any deadlines.  For any further enquiries contact universities directly for up-to-date information.

On your marks…

The GSCC Inter House Athletics Carnival was held on Thursday afternoon and Friday at Sunset Oval. Due to the large number of High Jump nominations, the 16 and 17 years High Jump event will take place on Wednesday and Thursday during school hours. Congratulations to all students and staff involved to fill the day with spirit, smiles and sportsmanship. A special thanks to the number of students who helped run events by marking, measuring and recording, it didn’t go unnoticed. The official results of Overall Champion House, Best Overall Spirit House, Age Champions and New records will be announced at next week’s assembly. It is still a tight race, the High jump results may change the current standings. Further information will follow about the Inter School Carnivals that will be held early in Term 3.

Congratulations to all the students who were selected and represented in North West, Northern or Presidents Teams for Netball, Rugby League, Hockey, Touch and Cross Country of late. There are too many to name. Later in the year, Sports Awards Evening will be a great night of acknowledgement for sporting achievement.

Sporting Schools after school Rugby League has concluded, now with Touch starting up. We are looking to continue offering opportunities throughout the year for students to engage in physical activity activities after school. 30-60 minutes of moderate physical activity per day is the national guideline to prevent health issues. The after school sessions are about being active, socialising, building confidence and sports-specific skills.

“If you are afraid to fail, you will never do the things you are capable of doing.” John Wooden

BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT

Year 11 Visual Art in Practice students are undertaking a project to beautify three raised garden beds at Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health (MICRRH). This will form part of their assessment for VAP, as community connections is an important underpinning factor within the syllabus.

Communications Advisor for MICRRH, Daisy Katter, met with students last week to discuss their initial design proposals. Daisy will now meet with her colleagues at MICRRH to decide which designs will be used. Look out for updates in upcoming newsletters.

Mount Isa Eisteddfod

It certainly has been a busy few weeks for the Music Department with all College Instrumental Ensembles taking part in the 52nd Mount Isa Eisteddfod. Some outstanding results were achieved by our Ensembles and I would like to congratulate all students for their involvement. I would also like to thank our Ensemble Directors Mrs Alicia Freeman & Ms Kate Johnson for their tireless work and dedication to each ensemble. The following results were achieved at the recent Mount Isa Eisteddfod:

Jazz Band - 2nd Place

Wind Quartet - 2nd Place

Flute Cadenza - 1st Place

String Ensemble - 3rd Place

Catholic Excellence Band - Highly Commended

Vocal Ensemble - 2nd Place

Visivae

The Arts Department at Good Shepherd Catholic College will be holdings it's biannual Creative Minds Arts Showcase Visivae on Thursday the 14th of June. Come and support the Music, Art, Drama, Media & Dance students at the College. Student art works will be up for silent auction throughout the evening.

The senior hospitality students will also be proving light refreshments. A gold coin donation is required upon entry. The Year 11 & 12 music class who are running the event hope to see you there!

The Life of Pye

By Sean Murphy, Stacey Stringer and Ryan Cameron

This term in media we have been learning about the process of creating a documentary. Our group decided to base our documentary around Andrew Pye, a Mount Isa local who progressed from being unable to form sentences to writing his own thrilling novel The Wizard of Aus through the support and love of his mother and teacher. The intention of the documentary was to shed light on Andrews inspiring story and encourage other individuals with disabilities to persist with their goals.

The process of interviewing Andrew, his mother and teacher was extremely enjoyable, as hearing their personal perspective of the hardships they have overcome inspired our group and Miss Lesca. The story behind Andrews’ thought process towards the storyline of his book was also established throughout the interview and gave interesting insight into the mind of a writer and the factors that have inspired him over his lifetime.

Andrew Pye also kindly donated a signed copy of his novel The Wizard of Aus to our school library for the students to be able to read. We sincerely thank him for his generosity.

It was exciting for our group to get the experience to film someone local for our current media assignment. Also to gain the skills of being an interviewer (Stacey Stringer), cameraman (Ryan Cameron) and editor (Sean Murphy) to produce a quality documentary is invaluable for this assignment and any future assignments we receive.

We are almost halfway through our school year already, and the P&F has been very busy since the start with various activities. The committee is very proud of the Easter fete being such a huge success, raising a profit of $28000, and thank everyone who assisted us. We would like some input or suggestions from parents as to how we best utilise funds that have been raised. Some of our previous contributions to the school include: the second screen and projector in the LCC, an enclosed trailer, a visit for cyber safety training, and new projectors in several classrooms.

At the beginning of May the P&F held two different events to thank all those for their assistance/participation with the Fete. The first event was a thank you barbecue for all students, held at lunchtime. Most students came along to receive their free sausage in bread, and were excited to know they could have an ice block for dessert after. It was a lovely opportunity for the P&F to interact with students in a relaxed manner, and show our thanks for their efforts. Only a few days after this, we held a sponsors and volunteer appreciation night at the school. We provided drinks and some nibbles for all those who attended. The P&F committee really enjoyed the chance to connect with our community, and provide our small tokens of gratitude in more casual surroundings. The atmosphere was great, the weather beautiful, and the evening enjoyed by all.

There are many groups from GSCC that attend various events/competitions that are supported by the P&F, so far this year we have assisted: QISSN (netball) team, Confraternity Football team, Festival of One Act Plays group, Mulkadee students, and the Arts Department with their Concert series. If there are any sports or cultural groups from GSCC that need support with fundraising, we are happy to assist when and where possible.

Lastly, but certainly not least exciting, our executive P&F committee is off to Townsville this Friday for the Biennial P&F Conference. This will be a fantastic opportunity for us to connect with other P&F groups from across the state, and gain new ideas about different ways we can achieve success and harmony with our Parents, Students and Community. Being a part of our P&F committee opens up opportunities to make a real difference in our school and general community, as well as the enjoyment that new friendships and connections bring. We welcome new members at any time, even if you can only help out occasionally it is appreciated. In keeping with this, we have many events coming up to Rodeo season that we will be supporting, so if you would like to help out, please feel free to contact us via Email, or come along to one of our meetings.

From the Cyberbullying Committee

At the last school assembly, Cyberbullying Committee members Angus Gillic and Sophia Thomas presented to the students about the purpose of the committee. They explained what cyberbullying is and what they can do if they are being cyberbullied or witness someone being cyberbullied. The students also stated who they can go talk to, to seek help.

The schools adopt a cop Acting Senior Constable Michele White came in and spoke to the students about “Cyberbullies and Consequences”. She shared with the students what cyberbullying is, why it happens and the consequences for the victim (the bullied) and offender (the bully). She advised students of what they can do if they are being cyberbullied. This includes:

• Ignore it
• Block the sender
• Collect evidence
• Report it to:
• A trusted adult
• Social media service
• eSafety Commissioner (www.esafety.gov.au)
• Police (State or Federal)

She left them with the following message:

THINK BEFORE YOU TEXT OR SEND AND AVOID THE EMBARRASSMENT OF BEING VISITED BY THE POLICE!

From left to right: Ann-Marie Lesca (Committee manager), Sophia Thomas (member), Acting Senior Constable Michele White (school adopt a cop), Angus Gillic (member) and Carmen Toohey (school counselor)

On Thursday 14th June, a cyberbullying forum will be held in the Ballroom at the Red Earth Hotel. Come along and share your ideas to help prevent cyberbullying. See invitation below with all the details.

The World Youth Day group will be holding a Disco at the College This Friday, the 8th June in the Lumen Christi Centre, from 6pm - 9.30pm. The theme for this event is mexican and there will be prizes for the best dressed on the night. Tickets are $10 or $15 on the night, and including 2 x slices of pizza and unlimited drink. You can buy tickets at lunch time from the World Youth Day students, who will be selling outside of the LCC first and second break.

World Youth Day will be held in Panama in 2019, and Good Shepherd Parish are sending a group to participate in this significant event. Most of this group will include students, parents and staff from Good Shepherd Catholic College. The cost of the trip is approximately $8000, which is a significant amount for those travelling with one or more in their family. So please, come along and support this event, with all proceeds going towards the group travelling to Panama.

On the night, and with any Disco, it is important to be reminded of the rules. Please see below:

• THIS EVENT IS STRICTLY FOR GSCC STUDENTS - Students’ names will be checked on entry.
• Students must wear shoes – no thongs permitted.
• Appropriate dress must be worn.
• Appropriate behaviour at all times throughout the event or students will be asked to leave.
• Entry and pick up must be via Camooweal St gate entrance.
• There will be no ‘Pass-Outs’ after 7pm.
• Students must be picked up at the end of the night - if you are walking home you must provide written/verbal feedback from parents/guardians.
• Pick up will commence from 9pm (gates open from 9pm).
• Bags and other property may be stored and locked away in tuckshop. Raffle ticket must be kept on students for collection at the end of the night.
  
  

Looking forward to seeing you all there in your sombreros and mustaches!!!

On Thursday 21^st June (Week 10), the Year 10 Business class and the Confraternity Team will be holding a Hawaiian/beach themed disco. This provides students with an opportunity to support students of GSCC and celebrate the end of term 2. The disco offers food, drinks and live entertainment and will be held from 6pm-9pm in the Lumen Christi Centre will all funds going towards the confraternity team to go to Charters Towers.

The cost on the night is $10 for entry and for 1 slice of pizza and a drink. There will also be prizes for best dressed!

Come along and support the Year 10 Business Students and the Confraternity Team for this special event!