I feel for our families and staff who again have had their holiday plans disrupted by Covid-19 restrictions. In a remote location such as Mount Isa, the isolation feels stronger when you don’t get to have that regular contact with loved ones. If you are travelling, stay safe and keep an eye on the updates from Queensland Health.

Please join us this Friday for our NAIDOC liturgy and activities. This is a compulsory school day and therefore, unless your child is involved in work experience or TAFE, they should be at school all week. Thank you to Mrs Frew, Mrs Jones, Miss Armstrong and the Indigenous Steering Committee, who are planning our Friday events. The theme for this year is ‘Heal Country’.

Last week we announced that Ms Amy Webb and Mrs Morganson were the recipients of the Spirit of Catholic Education Awards. Ms Louise Wiles and Ms Julie Hutchinson were also nominated. These teachers make invaluable contributions to our school community and we congratulate them on this prestigious recognition.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our teachers, school officers, office and auxiliary staff for their dedication and commitment to our students in Term Two. I would like to thank the Senior Leadership Team Michele Wood, Pelly Morganson and Amy Webb - thank you for everything you do each day to improve our great College.

Semester 1 Reports

Reports for Year 7-11 students will be available on Compass on Friday of this week.  

The Report provides parents/carers with an overview of their child’s commitment to our 4 positive learning elements (acts respectfully & responsibly, comes organised & prepared to learn, utilises class time effectively and persists to improve), as well as a comment on their progress throughout Semester 1 and where improvements can be made in Semester 2. This report will also include a level of achievement based on the assessment completed in Term 1 and Term 2.

Importantly, teachers request parent/teacher/student interviews on the Semester 1 Report. The purpose of these interviews is for teachers, parents and students to work collaboratively towards the progress of the student’s learning.

Parents can also choose to meet with teachers - a teacher does not have to request the interview.  Parents are entitled and encouraged to meet with teachers to discuss their child’s performance or progress. 

Please take this opportunity to work with teachers in order to support your child’s learning journey.  Interviews will take place on 28 July.  Further information will follow.

Scholars’ Awards

28 July also sees the College community celebrate the Semester One academic results of our students. To be awarded a Certificate of Excellence, students are required to have achieved an A standard in 50% (or more) of their subjects. Congratulations to all the students who have worked to the best of their abilities in Semester One!

Semester 1 Report Cards

On Friday 25 June, students and families will gain access to Semester 1 Report Cards. These report cards are issued online, through the Compass Parent Portal. We will notify parents via text when report cards have been uploaded, and you will have immediate access to them at this time. Please see the documents included for instructions.

Please check that you are able to log into Compass by Thursday. If you have any issues, you will need to contact the College Office for assistance (office hours are 8am - 4pm Monday to Friday. PH: 4743 2509).  A reminder that we are unable to provide login details over the phone unless we can see you to verify your details; this is important due to the sensitive and sometimes confidential information that you will have access to on your child’s portal. 

Term 2 Parent Teacher Student Interviews

A reminder that Parent-teacher Interviews will take place in the Lumen Christi Centre on Wednesday, 28th July (Week 3) from 3.30pm - 7.00pm. The interview schedule consists of 10-minute time slots and you are able to book back-to-back interviews for different classes. 

Bookings for these interviews will be made through the Compass Parent Portal (either phone or desktop versions) and will open at 5:00pm on Friday, 25 June, after Semester 1 Report Cards have been uploaded to Compass. The bookings will close at midday on Friday, 16 July.

Please note that if you are using your phone to make your interview bookings, please ensure that you are using the latest version of the Compass App. (You may need to update the Compass App on your phone if you haven't done this recently.) It is also important that you close the App and re-open it prior to doing your bookings or going to the App to change a booking. This ensures that any changes that we make to the settings or schedule for Parent/Teacher Interviews transfer through to your phone.

If you are experiencing difficulty booking, please call the front office and they will assist you.

Term 3 timetables will be synced to Compass in the second week of the holidays. 

As you would be aware, Mr John Harrop and Miss Stephanie Spano are departing at the end of the term. There have been some updates to classes due to this staffing change, Mrs Michelle Wood will email individual classes and families with this information. An update on Term 3 staffing is below:

• Mrs Sally Holland - new English Curriculum Leader.
• Miss Stephanie Massey - welcome back from maternity leave.
• Mrs Claire Jones - welcome to the GSCC English department.

Year 10 Senior Subject Trials

Thank you to Year 10 students and families for completing your Semester 2 Subject Trial selections. If you change your mind about your trial subjects, you will need to complete a subject selection form before the end of Week 2 in Term 3. Please be aware that some classes are at capacity so not all changes will be possible.

Elective Subject Changes (Years 7 - 10)

Any elective subject change must be completed by the end of Week 2. Please be aware that some classes are at capacity so not all changes will be possible.

Senior Subject Changes (Years 11 & 12)

Please note that any Year 11 or 12 student who wants to change subjects must meet with Mrs Wood before commencing any paperwork. There are lots of considerations to make before proceeding with changes in the senior school so it is important that this process is followed.

Open Night

The GSCC Open Night is being held on Friday, 16 July. All are welcome to join us for a tour of our wonderful facilities. 

The event will run from 4:30pm - 6:00pm, starting in the Lumen Christi Centre.

What a busy term!

I’ve included just some (of the thousands) of photos we’ve taken of Term 2 activities and events. We are blessed to have an amazing school and supportive staff who provide excellent opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom for our students!

School will resume for Term 3 on Monday 12 July. Have a wonderful break and see you in Term 3!

NAIDOC Day Celebrations

Before every event or gathering at our College, we either acknowledge Country or are Welcomed to Country, however, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Country is more than a place or location, Country is inherent to their identity.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, when they talk about Country it is spoken of like a person. Country encompasses family, kin, law, lore, ceremony, traditions, and language. 

Through their languages and songs, they speak to Country; through their ceremonies and traditions they sing to and celebrate Country – and Country speaks to them. 

This year’s NAIDOC theme is Heal Country. This refers to the healing and sustaining of the spiritual, physical, emotional, social and cultural aspect of our lives. 

This year we have a special guest to help us celebrate our NAIDOC Day celebrations. Jack Wilson, also known as Deadly Ninja Warrior, is a proud Kalkadoon man who is part of a large and supportive family from Mount Isa.

Growing up, Jack faced many challenges and made some poor choices however he decided to make positive changes to his life, and turned to long distance running to help him overcome his struggles. In 2013, Jack joined the Indigenous Marathon Project where he was mentored by Olympian Robert De Castella. After training rigorously for 7 months, he was sent to New York to compete in the New York Marathon alongside 11 other male and female Indigenous runners.

His goal is to inspire men, women and children to live a healthy lifestyle and always strive to achieve their goals. On the Australian Ninja Warrior course, he wore his heritage proudly with traditional body paint and signature Budgie Smugglers in the colours of the Aboriginal flag.

We look forward to Jack joining us on Friday to share his story and life experiences. Additionally, Jack will be setting up an obstacle course for one of our four rotations on offer on our NAIDOC Day.

Stepping From No to Yes

On Sunday at Youth Group we spoke about Race and Racism. When I pointed out that it would be an issue for your generation to come up with solutions it was mentioned that a position of power would have to be gained to make a difference.

I’ll let you in on a little secret; most adults will, the majority of times, say no if yes means more work for them. If you look around your life now you will see plenty of examples of that.

An avalanche doesn’t start unless the first snow flake moves and, as I tell our Youth Group, ‘no is the first step to yes.’

There was no available teacher to lead the Senior Rock Pop years ago so Year 12 student Chelsea McKavannah stood up and choreographed and outfitted her group that went on to win the Senior section.

Jasper McLoughlin’s father was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma and so he organised the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave at school to raise money. Charlotte Coghlan has carried on that tradition for a cause that affects us all.

Rosie Batty was a mother who lost her son and began speaking out about it, her voice was heard and turned up loud, until the Luke Batty Foundation to assist women and children affected by domestic violence, was established.

Daniel Morcombe’s family started the Daniel Morcombe Foundation to keep their son’s disappearance in the public eye and kept trying to find out what happened to their son. The foundation has now educated millions of children about personal safety and raising awareness of the dangers of predatory criminals.

Born in Canada in 1958 Terry Fox was a distance runner and Basketball player at high school. At the age of 19 his right leg was amputated after he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of cancer. 

He continued to run using an artificial leg and in 1980 began the Marathon of Hope where he attempted to run across Canada by completing a full marathon each day. Fox hoped to raise one dollar from each of Canada’s 24 million people for cancer research.

After beginning with very little attention from St. John’s Newfoundland he had become a national hero by the time he reached Ontario, a distance of just over 2,300km. He was forced to end his run 400km later in Thunder Bay when the cancer spread to his lungs.

He made numerous public appearances with businessmen, athletes and politicians in his efforts to raise money but his hopes of completing his run ended when he died on his 23rd birthday.

The first Terry Fox run to commemorate his achievement was held that year and has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries. It is now the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research, having raised over $800 million.

Saint Mary MacKillop had been a nun for four years when she and others of her order reported a paedophile priest. A high-ranking official set out to destroy the Order by changing the structure.

Mary said no to the changes, which put her in direct conflict with the Bishop of Adelaide and she was banished from the church for alleged insubordination at the age of 29 and basically thrown into the street with nothing. Most of the schools were closed and the Sisterhood almost disbanded until the Bishop removed the order on his deathbed six months later.

Persistence and passion are the most important materials you need to build a staircase to get you from no to yes. And sometimes you might have to just piggyback others so they can see why yes is better than no.

The end of Term 2 is upon us which has seen many high and lows as well as interruptions from public holiday, athletics carnivals and 3 short weeks to start the term. With all assessments and exams now completed you will all be awaiting patiently the release of the End of Semester report card. Hopefully all students will be pleased with their results as this term has been a grind at times due to all of the interruptions experienced this term.

The start of next term all Year 9’s will attend their retreat day which will see all students stepping up to lead by example as they set their sights on preparing for senior schooling next year. A day full of activities and fun will be had and please be aware that all students are required to attend retreat.

I would also like to thank all Year 9’s for an excellent term in how they have conducted themselves both academically and personally. I hope that everyone spends some valuable time with family and friends over these holidays and are ready and refreshed.

Happy holidays and take care.

God bless

Mr Morganson

Year 10

This term, Year 10 have been very innovative and creative as they worked through their Sustainable Fashion Assessment. In this context, students studied ethical and sustainable fashion. More interesting was their assessment where students had to write articles on their chosen sustainable fashion designers to learn more about how leading fashion designers are working towards their dreams while at the same time they are caring for the environment. The findings were interesting and motivating! Students also did upcycle fashion where they turned an unused garment into a new and fascinating piece. Students enjoyed this context as they have learned a lot about fashion and going green! 

Year 9

It has been an interesting term for the students having to complete their Food Waste Assessment in the first five weeks of the term. It was amazing how students came about with their individual websites on Food Waste and its impact. To satisfy the criteria, students were required to include a home remedy solution to avoid wasting food. The remedies displayed showed how simple it is to avoid food wastage in our own homes. They spanned to designing their Peter Alexander pyjamas from Week 6. Students wrote Vogue articles about Peter Alexander- this was an interesting way of learning as they put themselves in the shoes of a writer to put together a story about the famous PJ king! They are all looking forward to Term 3 as they will bring the PJ designs to life! 

Year 8

For Year 8, Term 2 began with learning about sustainability and recycling in Textiles and Design. Their assessment was to make a cushion cover by making use of leftover fabrics. It was astounding how students put together the idle pieces with a reverse applique to complete their assessments. They crossed over to learning other cuisines in Australia in Week 6. They took the journey to discover Greek Food. It is wonderful to learn how a foreign cuisine has come to be part of Australia’s cuisine! The olives and feta cheese were the core ingredients.  

Year 7

It has been an exciting and joyous journey for Year 07FFP(03) this term. We began with learning the safety rules in the kitchen and in the sewing room as safety is paramount. Students made an environment friendly wheat bag through which they obtained their sewing license and at the same time they practiced sustainability. For Food Technology, before students embark on their Junior MasterChef practical cooking, they were given a theory lesson and a demonstration first. This worked really well and students loved the subject. I wish them all the best for next term as they take up a new elective! We would like to thank Mel Hodgetts for all that she did to make this term’s practical experience a wonderful on

From June 27th to July 2nd, the College’s Senior Rugby League Team will compete at the time-honoured Confraternity Carnival hosted by Iona College in Brisbane. Our team is one of 48 teams, mostly from Catholic schools, who will compete in this prestigious carnival that had been played every year since 1980, until last year’s break. 

For the last two terms of school, the boys have been training hard twice a week in anticipation of playing for Division 3’s Confraternity Cup. For our Year 12 students in the team, it will be their final chance to attend the Carnival and for most of the others it will be their first time. All boys are excited about representing the College and taking the next step together as a team. 

Before their games begin, the boys have the exciting opportunity to attend State of Origin at Suncorp Stadium this Sunday. It is hoped that seeing a typical backs to the wall Queensland victory will inspire the boys in their games throughout the week.  

Additionally, the boys have undertaken a number of fundraising opportunities that have significantly lowered the costs of the trip. The commitment and enthusiasm each and every player has shown for these opportunities is to be commended. 

For those wanting to support the boys, their games will be live streamed via www.confraternitycarnival.com.au and the QISSRL-Confro Facebook page. Their first three game times are as follows:

• Monday June 27th at 10:20am – vs St John’s College
• Monday June 27th at 1:40pm – vs Trinity Catholic College
• Tuesday June 28th at 8:30am – vs Chanel College

Remaining games are dependent on placings and will take place across Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Also, on Sunday, June 26th at 3pm, the Confraternity Opening Ceremony and Mass will be live streamed through Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-01fwPIM04). Please consider tuning in, as this will be a wonderful showcase of the Carnival’s values and community spirit. 

Lastly, GSCC Senior Rugby League continues to be supported by an extremely generous group of sponsors. We would like to offer our thanks to Brumby’s Mount Isa, 2Seas Catering, Top Fire Constructions, Mount Isa Mining Supplies, The Buffs Club, Clancy Corporation and the GSCC P&F Association for their valuable donations to our team. Your help and generosity allow these students the chance to represent the College playing a game they love. 

Travis Roberts

The QISSN team is very excited to be heading to Brisbane this weekend to participate in the Queensland Independent State Schools Netball Competition. The girls have been training hard, and are well prepared to compete against a range of schools across Queensland. 

The schedule is attached for the first 3 days of competition. Our 9.00am game on Day 2 (Tuesday) will be live streamed on the QISSN Facebook page, this is a great opportunity to support our girls from afar if you are unable to attend the carnival. 

A very big thank you to our sponsors, who have provided us with so much support and given our girls the opportunity to participate in the game that they love:

• GSCC Parents and Friends Association
• Superior Machinery Maintenance
• Trekk Advisory
• The Irish Club
• The Boss Shop
• 2Seas

A huge thank you to Julie Hutchinson (Coach), and Nikki Dalla Vecchia (Assistant Coach) for all that they do behind the scenes, training sessions, and game play on game nights don’t just happen, and they have put so much into everything to guide and support our girls. 

We are looking forward to a very busy, and successful week!

QISSN 2021 Logos

Good Shepherd Catholic College Students Excel in Australian Geography Competition

Geography students from Good Shepherd Catholic College tested their Geographical skills and knowledge against students from around Australia in the 2021 Australian Geography Competition. This year over 73,000 students from 727 schools participated in the event. 

GSCC Geography students performed to a very high level in the competition with two students, Xanda Chiazzi, Emerging Leader in Year 7 and Ryan Philp, in Year 9 being awarded High Distinctions. Zac McClymont, a Year 8 student achieved a Distinction and Savana Da Silva, Year 9 earned a Credit. Year level awards were received by Xanda Chiazzi Year 7, Zac McClymont Year 8, Ryan Philp Year 9, Abbie Constantinou Year 10, Adana Trigila Year 11 and Jamie Ahearn Year 12. 

At GSCC Geography students learn about the physical features of the earth and its atmosphere, and of human activity as it affects and is affected by these, including the distribution of populations and resources and political and economic activities. Students are equipped with the skills and knowledge to undertake further studies and become agents of positive change in their communities. Employment opportunities associated with the study of Geography include the fields of: climatology and meteorology, community development, environmental monitoring and management, geology, disaster management, market research, urban planning, tourism and sustainability. 

Good Shepherd Catholic College Curriculum Leader Humanities, Ms Leigh Harding, intends to make this an annual event and grow the number of participants. Ms Harding would like to thank all the Humanities teachers for encouraging students to participate and in particular Miss Gemma Kyle for administering the competition test and Miss Jan Luarca for preparing the awards and prizes.  

In Year 11 the students have the opportunity to compete for a place at Geography’s Big Week Out at a location in Australia, and from there a four member team is chosen to represent Australia at the International Geography Olympiad at an overseas destination. GSCC junior students have proven that they have the potential to be eligible for these opportunities in future years. The only condition of participation is enrollment in a Geography class - HASS in Junior and Geography in Senior.  

This competition is a joint initiative of the Australian Geography Teachers’ Association and the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland. In addition to the funding from the Department of Education Skills and Employment, sponsorship is received from the University of Melbourne.

Signor Mitchell’s Italian class wound up the term with an Italian feast last Thursday. After saying grace in Italian, the class enjoyed antipasto and a hearty minestrone. Some of the students took home the recipe so they could try it out with their families on the weekend. 

Italian is offered as an elective to all year 7 students at GSCC.

Where are they now?

Elchèrü Hepburn

Your name, graduation year and House?

Elchèrü Hepburn, Graduated 2014 and was in Chisholm.

What did you think you would do when you left school? 

I was always determined to become a dentist and wanted to study dentistry in Brisbane. 

Did you follow that pathway and/or what are you doing now?

I studied very hard in high school to get a good OP trying to get into dentistry. Unfortunately, I did not get a high enough OP and did not get into dentistry my first year out. Although, I was so determined and knew I did not want to do anything but be a dentist so I studied Science majoring in Biomedicine in Brisbane and just worked super hard to get my GPA up. I'm so thankful for this year as it taught me a lot of things. I ended up not loving the city life so I applied for and got accepted into the Dentistry program in Cairns at James Cook University. The day I was accepted was one of the best days of my life! Just shows you that with hard work and determination you can get where you need to be even with some setbacks! It was a five year degree and my final year I spent working/doing placement in Launceston, Tasmania. I have since returned to Mount Isa and am working as a dentist back home!

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt since leaving school/Best piece of advice for current students?

Life is just so unpredictable and that 'your plan' is not always what is meant to be! Whatever path life takes you on, it has happened for a reason. Learning to just trust the process, trust that things will work out, be grateful for every lesson and cherish all the good times along the way.

Favourite tuckshop food?

I used to love the sweet chilli chicken hot dogs. Although I am vegan now! 

Favourite teacher/s?

Mr. Keating, Mr. Penna and Mrs. D'Costa were my favourites! They all pushed me to be my best and were so supportive of me in my journey.

Best school memory or funny story?

All of the school camp memories - skiing, magnetic island!

What do you hope to be doing in 5-10 years?  

I hope to travel (hopefully with COVID-19 settling down) as I didn't get to do much travelling as a poor university student! I also will take the next few years to decide whether I would like to study further or to specialise in a certain aspect of Dentistry.

JCU & Glencore Presentations

Last week James Cook University 5th Year Medical Student, Kathleen Mocelutu, spoke with our Year 11/12 students.  She shared a wealth of knowledge around her study journey so far.  Students were able to ask lots of questions to help them understand the requirements around this qualification. 

Glencore recently made a presentation about their Apprenticeship, School Leavers, Indigenous and Scholarship Programs to Year 12 Students.  This presentation was shared with all Year 12 parents and students last week.  Loads of information to help with future applications.  I encourage students to familiarise themselves with this material so they can submit a solid application for any of these programs.

Australiasian Drilling Institute of Australia

This week six of our Year 12 students are studying Certificate II in Resources and Infrastructure.  Along with 11 theory units the students will complete Working at Heights, First Aid, Mapping and Calculations and Fire Safety.  They will finish the week with a mining tour at Glencore.

Beaker Bots Build

Year 9 Students were able to attend a QMEA Workshop this week to complete several activities including:

Perforated Well Casing - using wet sponges, straws and scales students had to work out the most efficient way to extract the most fluid from the “well”.

Robotics - students had to program a mining truck (EV3 Robot) to travel autonomously from the mine site to a processing plan, unload, and then travel back to the mine.

Coal Sorter - the task was to design and build a self-propelled device.

Tickets on Sale Now

We are celebrating 200 Years of Catholic Education with a Ball on Saturday, 24 July. Purchase your tickets from the GSCC office before the end of Term 2 (25 June). $130/ticket - tables of 10. We're looking forward to a great night, with a 3 course meal catered by 2Seas and awesome entertainment from Pacific Groove