It is hard to imagine that we have come to the end of Term 3. It has been an extremely busy term but certainly a positive one for our school community. Our 2021 School Improvement Plan shows many achievements worth celebrating. Take a moment to have a look and you have any questions, please send me an email. We are always willing to hear feedback from our Parents and Carers.

This Friday we are looking forward to marking RU OK Day. Did you know that in 2019 over 3318 people died from suicide in Australia? This is a tragic statistic. Of these, 384 were between 18-24 years old and 96 were children aged 5-17. RU OK Day is an opportunity for us to remember that a simple check in and wellbeing concern for another person, can save a life. Students are welcome to wear yellow on Friday for a gold coin donation.

On the last day of Term we will also stage our Shave for a Cure Event. Congratulations to Charlotte Coghlan and Stepheny Reddish for their work in promoting this fundraising event.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our teachers and school officers for their hard work in Term 3. Students are to be congratulated for their achievements and we wish our Year 12s every success as they begin their final preparations for External Exams. We also thank our Parents and Carers for partnering with us throughout the Term.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday break.

Kathleen McCarthy

Reports

Reports for Term 3 will be uploaded to Compass in the afternoon of Friday, 17 September.

Year 11 Unit 3

Year 11 students will begin their third unit of study within the first few weeks of Term 4. This is an exciting time as students transition into their first Year 12 work.  Students are encouraged to meet with our careers officer Ms Fiona Coghlan, throughout this term to discuss their pathway options for once they conclude their schooling at the end of 2022. 

To be eligible for a QCE, students need to have accumulated 20 credits over Year 11 and 12.  

Please see the:

It is crucial that students are now again considering whether they are in the right pathway. If students have not been receiving a passing grade for their subjects, it is very important that they consider changing pathways to be eligible for a QCE.

Year 12s

Year 12 students have written their mock exams and have been given feedback from their teachers for all their General subjects.

The mock exams are an indication of what the students can expect for their final external examinations.  If the mock exams results are not what students or parents were expecting, Year 12s are encouraged to use the remaining time before these external exams, including the holidays, to thoroughly and consistently study, and seek more feedback from their teachers to ensure improvement.

It really is the home stretch now, Year 12s.  Finish well!

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA)

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) is recruiting members of the community as invigilators to observe and report on the administration of external assessment sessions at Good Shepherd Catholic College from 25 October to 16 November 2021.
Invigilators play an important role in promoting public confidence in the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) system.

Applicants need the following to apply:
- valid paid blue card or exemption card (for QCT registered teachers) from Blue Card Services
- details of two unrelated referees
- a completed conflict of interest declaration

Potential applicants should be asked to contact QCAA by email at externalassessment@qcaa.qld.edu.au or phone (07) 3074 7570.

Do you want to win $50?!

We are giving away 2 x $50 prepaid Visa gift cards at the end of this term! All you have to do to enter is download, turn on push notifications and log into the Compass School Manager Phone App!

Why is the Compass School Manager App Important?

Using the app you can:

• View the school news feed (I post the What's on @ GSCC document here every Sunday),
• Receive important messages from the school,
• View your child’s timetable and the school calendar,
• Book parent-teacher conferences,
• Add Attendance Notes,
• View academic reports (Term 3 reports for Year 7 - 11 students will be uploaded next Friday 17/9).

As a school, we send a lot of important information through Compass and for families who enable push notifications on their phone apps, these messages come through as immediate notifications.

Compass Phone Apps - Download Instructions

To download the app, simply search for Compass School Manager in the store.

Once you have downloaded the Compass School Manager App - please double check that your push notifications have been enabled.

This is how you can enable push notifications on most devices:  

	SETTINGS - Scroll down to Notifications
	NOTIFICATIONS - Scroll down to Compass App icon
	COMPASS APP icon...
	Click on ALLOW Notifications (needs to be green)

To be Eligible for Entry

• You must be a current parent / guardian of GSCC
• You need to download & log into the Compass School Manager App 
• You need to allow push notifications

If you need any assistance with usernames/passwords or general login support, please contact the office before close of business on Thursday, 16 September.

On Friday, 17 September at 9am, we will be downloading the list of names of those who are eligible to receive push notifications through the Compass phone app and will enter those names into the draw. We will then draw two lucky $50 winners later that day.

R U OK Day 2021

R U OK? Day (Thursday 9 September, 2021) is our national day of action dedicated to reminding everyone that every day is the day to ask, “Are you OK?” and support those struggling with life's ups and downs.

Our College will be acknowledging R U OK Day on the last day of Term 3 which is this Friday 17th September with some group activities that will get students to ask those around them if they are ok.

In 2021, the R U OK Day message is:  Are they really OK? Ask them today.

We want students to ask themselves if they know how the people in their world are really going?  Life's ups and downs happen to all of us so chances are someone they know might be struggling. Their genuine support to a friend can make a difference whatever they are facing, big or small. 

We want students to not wait until someone’s visibly distressed or in crisis but to make a moment meaningful and ask them how they’re really going.   Our Pastoral Team will also be on hand during the day to assist any students who may need some additional support after having a conversation with a friend.  We also want students to remember that you can ask anyone if they are ok on any day of the year.

Are they really OK? Ask them today. Your conversation could change a life.

Speak Out Event – 21st September 2021

The Queensland Government is committed to ensuring young people can have their say in policies and programs which affect them. The Speak Out series is an opportunity to share your ideas and voice your visions for Queensland's future through face-to-face events.
The next Speak Out will be in Mount Isa on Tuesday 21st September 2021. Registrations are now open to young people aged 15 to 25 years and will close at 12pm Friday 12th September 2021.
The Speak Out event provides an environment for activities and energising discussions on matter that are important including:

• The environment
• Mental health
• Consent
• Youth engagement
• Local issues

This is a wonderful opportunity for the young people of our College community to have their say and enact change or improvement for the youth of the Mount Isa wider community. This Minister for Youth Affairs, Meaghan Scanlon and representatives from the Office for Youth will be in attendance to listen to you. Morning tea and lunch will be provided.

To register or get further information about the event, please visit:

Worth the Wait

At Youth Group we have some interesting discussions. Any topic is on the table and discussion around it is open and honest and any question can be asked. Sometimes that makes me uncomfortable because I have to talk about my mistakes but if you want honesty you have to give it.

I say to kids in the Youth Group, who are all from Year 7 to 12 and some older, that they are entering their sex, drugs and rock’n’roll years. It is a period when all of those things are coming at them and they need to make decisions.

The easy thing to do is bury our heads in the sand but that doesn’t help them. I think back to when I was their age and how I found out about all of those things and wish to God that I had the chance to learn and ask questions in a safe environment.

I have been to all the courses they attend and watch while they are basically told ‘just say no.’ What I would like is for the kids to turn around and ask the presenters, ‘did you?’

I made plenty of mistakes when I was young and I tell them those mistakes so they can make a better-informed decision. I was so naïve and the only way I learned was from other kids in the playground or magazines.

One thing I know for sure is that anything a teenage boy tells you can be (at least) halved in credibility or truth. They embellish because they are still finding their way in the World and are not strong enough to be honest.

Being a virgin used to be a sign of strength and discipline. Now it is thought something is wrong with you if you don’t have sex at an early age. We have discussed this in our Youth Group in an open and honest manner and it is quite revealing some of the questions, answers and thoughts that come out.

Jason Stevens was an NRL player where all of the topics mentioned at the beginning are a big part of the environment. He was bullied at school because of his weight and girls weren’t attracted to him but then something happened.

At 19 he became good at football and suddenly went from not being able to get a date to being chased by ‘really’ attractive girls. He took advantage of that and felt so good when he told the other boys what he’d done and who he'd done it with (yes, that’s what boys do).

He did it because he wanted them to know he was a man because that was his impression of what a man was. But three years later, at the age of 22, he had a revelation.

He turned his back on that lifestyle and took a vow of celibacy that lasted until he married Rebecca 16 year later. His footy mates made fun of him but he never wavered in his belief and eventually wrote a book called “Worth the Wait True love and why the sex is better.”

His wife Rebecca was a model who got caught up in the party lifestyle and when asked about the guys she met back then said, “They were just party guys and obviously wanted one thing. They didn’t really care about me as a person and they didn’t respect me at all.

“I knew there was more to life than that and I wanted to live a different way and decided I didn’t want to have sex before marriage and I wanted to wait for the right guy. Obviously, the right guy would respect my wishes and probably have the same morals as I did.”

Four years she was celibate until she met Jason and they were married. The decision to stay celibate is something Jason and Rebecca shared with his groomsman and one of her bridesmaids; Guy Sebastian and his wife Jules.

A friend of my wife’s was a devout Catholic who met her husband and began dating. Before she let the relationship go too far she told him her beliefs and commitment to save herself and offered him the chance to leave.

He stayed and told me that without the intrusion of sex on the relationship they were able to develop a level of trust, honesty and openness he never thought existed. Sex then became a gift to each other.

Anyone can have sex which means to have it with only one person in a meaningful and lasting relationship is a way of showing a great commitment to that person. Sex within the security of a great love and a great friendship is the best kind and most certainly worth the wait.

Year 8 Mask Making

Year 8 Art have completed their mask making for this term.  Students has to research a number of cultures during the Term. They then had to base the design of their masks on one particular culture.
In addition to this they learned the process of sculpting, making and decorating their masks, adding their own take to the design. 

Year 12 Job Opportunities

I have been sending job opportunities to Year 12 students on a daily basis.  

Students - please check your emails and the closing dates for these advertisements.  It’s important that you are proactive in submitting your resumes and cover letters so that you give yourself the best chance for paid work when you leave school. 

If you need assistance with updating your resume or preparing a cover letter, you know who to see!

Employers:  If you wish to advertise any jobs please email me directly fcoghlan@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au 

Congratulations Tianna!

Year 11 Student Tianna Percy has recently commenced a school based traineeship with L.A. Evans Solicitor. 

Tianna will study for a Certificate III in Legal Services.

Big Week at TAFE

Our Year 11/12 Students are currently on their second last TAFE block.  Not long before they have completed their qualifications in a variety of fields including automotive, electrical, health, cosmetics, engineering, plumbing.  Here are some pics!