Dear Parents and Carers,

Pope Francis once said, "Education is not about knowing things or taking lessons but about being able to use three lingos: those of the head, the heart, and the hands... learning so that you can think about what you feel and do, can feel what you think and do, and can do what you feel and think. Unity within a person." Our Awards Night this week is a celebration of the head, the heart and the hands and our students’ wonderful achievements of each of these. I congratulate each of our students who are acknowledged for academic excellence, spirit and service to the community or their contribution to the sporting, cultural or the religious life of the College. 

Last week I attended the Principals’ Conference and heard from our Student Protection team in Townsville. We discussed the importance of having clear reporting processes when a teacher, school officer, student or parent suspects abuse or harm. If you ever have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a student please contact a member of the Leadership Team or you directly contact the Student Protection team via their website.

Safe Persons:

Did you know we have school Safe Persons at GSCC? These people have had specific training to do the following:

• Support students during school interviews -When police and/or Child Safety assess that they need to undertake an interview with a student at school, a Safe Person may assist by providing support to the child during the interview;
• Educate students and staff on the role of the School Safe Person;
• Promote and organize Child Protection initiatives in your school such as Child Protection week, R U Okay day etc;
• Advise colleagues on student protection processes and support them through this process;
• Keep connected with other safe persons and the Student Protection Team to share ideas, activities and events in your school.

Our school Safe Persons are: 

Kathleen McCarthy	Pelly Morganson	Donna Cole	Yvonne van den Worm
Principal	Assistant Principal - Pastoral	Teacher	Guidance Counsellor

Urgent Staffing News: - We are still looking for a Teacher Aide in our Hospitality department. If you would like to find out more about this position, please contact me at the College office on 4743 2509.

Have a blessed week.

Kathleen McCarthy

Year 12 Exams

All the best to our Year 12s who are writing their exams over the next 3 weeks!  We believe in you!

Year 9-11 Invitation:

Interested students should contact QCAA directly.

2021 Awards Night

What a wonderful start to the term! Students have had opportunities to participate in many different sporting and arts events, and we are so proud of the way they have conducted themselves while representing GSCC.

We have some incredibly talented students at Good Shepherd, many who have been recognised with Awards at our College Awards Night. We look forward to sharing the full list of recipients with you all next week.

We will be live streaming the ceremony, and the link should be available to watch in the weeks after the event if you’re unable to watch it live.

Year 12 Exam Block

Year 12 Exam Block is already upon us!. On Friday 22 October , Year 12 students will commence their external exams which are the culmination of two years of hard work. It is important that students remain focused over the course of the exam block. It could be tempting to pick up extra shifts at work, or to spend more time watching tv or playing video games; however your work is not yet complete! Work hard over these next three weeks. Continue to revise and study, and importantly try your best and use all of the time allowed for each exam! Good luck Year 12 students - you will be great!

Year 10 Exam Block

Please note that Year 10 students will have an exam block in Week 8 of this term, this is the 22td - 26th of November. 

Year 12 Farewell Assembly

This Thursday our College community will be celebrating our last assembly with our Year 12 students as they head into external examinations for the next three weeks.  Although this is the final assembly, blessing and dismissal from school Year 12 students are still required to return in Week 7 to complete their graduation week celebrations.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our Year 12 students the best of luck for their future endeavours and remind them that although they may be leaving this week that they are always a part of our Good Shepherd Catholic College Community.  We encourage them to return or keep in touch to tell us about their upcoming success in their chosen adventures.  We wish them all of God’s blessing.

Current Online Trends

Over the past few weeks we have been made aware of an alarming number of children watching Squid Game, which is concerning given the graphic nature of this television series. Please see here for the common sense guide review which provides information for parents relating to this program along with this article from DiGii social which provides practical tips for parents on how to talk to their children about the show. 

Snapchat and TikTok continue to be a favourite amongst students.  I have attached Parent Guides for both of these apps to help inform and educate parents on how these programs work and what the risks may be.   

TikTok Guide for Parents: 

Snapchat Guide for Parents: 

National Online Safety, Commonsense media and the eSafety Commissioner are great reliable sources for parents to seek reviews for most apps, games and social media platforms. These reviews and guides can assist in helping parents decide what is or is not appropriate for their child. I encourage you to use these resources to help determine what is appropriate and safe for your child. 

Leadership

During my life I have had the good fortune of working under some truly great leaders, I have also had the misfortune of working under some terrible ones. The difference comes down to a few things including respect, loyalty, trust and a desire to make those underneath them better.

Respect is a two-way street and has to be earned. A leader who wants respect because of their title will have no one following them but a leader who earns respect will attract followers willing to do anything for them.

My father was a superintendent at the mines for near on 20 years and he had all the rough heads in Mount Isa working for him. When I asked him why he said because they are the hardest workers and all you have to do is treat them fair and be honest with them.

Occasionally they would go off on benders and disappear for a couple of weeks but he would hold their job open. Inevitably they returned and meekly asked for their job back and he would give it and tell them (politely) to hurry up back to work.

I never knew this until I returned from Brisbane and began work in the mining industry again. When people found out my name they always asked if I was related to Jim Coghlan and when I answered yes, they would always tell me how good a boss he was and how much they respected him.  

Leaders engender loyalty in those they lead by showing it. Bill Russell is the most successful NBA player in history with 11 NBA titles to his name, nine as a player and two as captain/coach. 

Russell was coloured and when the Boston Celtics were to play an exhibition game in Lexington, Kentucky he and three other coloured team mates were denied a seat in the dining room of the hotel in which they were staying.

This was not unusual in the deep south but the quartet marched up to their coach Red Auerbach’s room and knocked on the door. They told the coach they did not want to play and why they did not want to and he put them all straight on a plane back to Boston.

That night the NBA champion Celtics played with a fully white team and the hotel was blasted pillar to post for their actions. 

The two won nine championships together and their mutual loyalty started in the first game Russell played for his new coach. During that game he blocked a shot but the referee called goaltending and penalised him. Auerbach argued so loudly and enthusiastically that he received a technical foul.

His support left a deep impact on Russell because it was the first time a coach had gone into bat for him and after the game he told Auerbach, ‘thanks for looking out for me.’

Auerbach replied, “Russ, loyalty is a two-way street. I can’t expect my players to fight for me if I won’t fight for them.”

Great leaders are not scared to be challenged and encourage opinions, ideas and feedback so they can make sure the processes they have in place or decisions they have made are the best ones. If those you lead are not challenging or sharing information with you the odds are it is because of you.

A friend of mine was a trouble-shooter for a major hotel line and whenever he arrived at a hotel to start work he would immediately ask where the highest turnover of staff was. Inevitably the reason for the turnover was because of who was in charge.

Jesus Christ welcomed all those who challenged him so he could prove how great his father was. He welcomed their challenges so he could teach them so they would become better people.

Many don’t because of the fear that they may rise up and be better then them; maybe even put them out of a job. In April of this year Reece Walsh joined the New Zealand Warriors and after two weeks the Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck knew the young man had to have a spot in the side.

Tuivasa-Sheck was leaving for Rugby Union at the end of the year and so rather than hamper his team he voluntarily gave up his favoured position for the young man for the betterment of the team.

Trust comes with loyalty and leaders show they can be trusted by doing what they say they will, admitting when they are wrong and giving praise to those who have earned it. 

If you find yourself under leaders who don’t respect you (or vice-versa), are not loyal, don’t make you a better person or you don’t trust; there is only one option. Find people who have these qualities and have them as your leaders and mentors because these people genuinely care.

GSCC Wins Senior Rock Pop Mime Show Competition

Rock Pop Mime Show Competition was held last Friday (15th October 2021) at the Tony White Oval. 

Mount Isa Primary and Secondary Schools, and St Joseph’s Cloncurry,  participated in this years competition.

Our school had two entries, one in the Junior and one in the Senior Category. The theme in the Juniors was, “Alice in Wonderland,” while the Seniors performed, “Avengers.”

All our students staged an awesome performance and as a result, our Seniors were awarded:

• Best Backdrop
• Best Costume
• Best Choreography
• Best Performance

Our Juniors also had a great performance but just wasn't enough to take out top honors. They however were awarded:

• Best Backdrop Award.

Thank you to Charlotte Coghlan and Shayne O-Shea-Breed for their untiring support and to all the teachers who assisted in the production.

Year 12 Mock Interviews

Last week our Year 12’s attended Mock/Practice Job Interviews to help prepare them for when they leave school.  Understandably, most were nervous and a bit hesitant to participate.  However, the feedback from our panel of Interviewers was excellent with some students even offered jobs!  A big thank you to the following Interview volunteers:

Zoe Douglas, Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program
Mick Scotney, Awakened Business 
Natasha Hydon, Mount Isa City Council
Simon Wilcox, Glencore
Jeremy Webb, Clancy Corporation
James Coghlan, College Chaplain

Here is what our students had to say………

I found that interview really helpful, Mr Scotney was a great interviewer and gave me some really good practical feedback. Jake Russell

I learnt to try and think first before responding, as it shows preparedness.  Carly Lobegeiger 

Glencore Girls 4 Mining

Last week Glencore hosted the close-out function for the 2021 Girls 4 Mining Program.

This program is a fantastic opportunity for our students to be paired with a like minded mentor who helps them explore career options, give workplace tips and learn about the many and varied opportunities available both in and out of the resources sector.

Congratulations to all of our students who completed the program.  Applications for Year 11/12 female students will open in Term 1 of 2022.

Heroes for Health

Recently six of our Year 11/12 students completed a two day workshop at JCU called Heroes for Health.  It was a way to allow students to explore the various roles in the medical field at JCU and the Mount Isa Base Hospital.  Our students had an AMAZING experience, which shows by their smiles in the pics below.  

“Dr.” Will Carland was the recipient of a $400 stethoscope for his enthusiastic participation in the program.

The program was so engaging, and I am now certain that I want to pursue a career in health. Charlotte Fahey, Year 11

JCU's Heroes in Health is a program like no other, I would recommend it to anyone considering a career in Health.  Amy Jones, Year 11

Queensland Mental Health Week Rugby League 9’s Carnival 

Last weekend, the GSCC Senior Rugby League team for 2022 travelled to Townsville to attend the Queensland Mental Health Week 9’s Carnival organised by Southern Cross Catholic College. The Carnival has become a yearly fixture since its inception in 2019, and aims to raise valuable funds in support of mental health charities. Additionally, teams are playing for the Bishop Putney Shield in honor of the late Bishop Michael Putney of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Townsville.

Arriving into Townsville on the day of the Carnival, the boys were excited about their games, and well fed thanks to Michelle Russell from Brumby’s Mount Isa; however, little did they know that they would be spending the morning touring the state-of-the-art North Queensland Cowboys High Performance Training Centre with the Cowboy’s Head of Football and 226 NRL game veteran, Michael Luck. Luck spoke about the importance of having such a facility as a means to ensuring the region’s best talent is supported and cultivated with the best coaching and training resources available. 

There were certainly some inspired boys within the group, having been provided such an eye-opening insight into the structure of a professional rugby league team. Luck also made spoke of how past GSCC students like Coen Hess, recipient of the 2021 Paul Bowman Medal for the Cowboy’s player of the year, and Kristian Woolf, three-time premiership winning Coach of St Helens, have gone on to have successful rugby league careers, and that if they apply themselves, the pathways are certainly there. Special thanks to our Manager, Melissa Hodgetts, for organising this tour and to Cowboy’s Assistant Coach, Dean Young and Michael Luck for allowing the boys inside. 

The Carnival’s games served as a rewarding capstone to the year, but also provided a pathway for some new players to make the step up into the side, with the Carnival only being opened to students in Years 9-11. As such, there were a number of students playing their first games for the Senior side. The likes of Cole Finter, Eddy Harstoff, Kasey Simpson, Cooper Biel and Taku Mandizvidza, all did admirably in their first games playing in the Senior jersey. Well done boys. 

Before the games began, the boys identified three qualities they wished to be held to through this year and next, after being inspired by our Sports Awards Night guest speaker, Josh Hanlon. United, respected and tough are the values in which the team will “Build the Culture” in line with GSCC’s sporting theme for 2022. These qualities were certainly on display within our games, as the boys managed to come away undefeated and with their heads held high together. 

Scoring 4 tries to 3 in our first game against Southern Cross, the boys were unlucky to come away without a win, drawing 14-14 after missing some conversions. Secondly, the boys enjoyed a 12-8 victory over All Souls, Charters Towers, followed by another 8-8 draw against St Anthony’s, Townsville. The last game against Abergowrie created the prospect of a win and you’re in the Grand Final scenario. With the siren sounding to signal full time, the boys led 14-10, but Abergowrie were able to score on the siren to level and draw the game, meaning they made the Grand Final, against eventual Carnival winners Columba, Charters Towers, on for and against. 

The way the boys played back to back games after long travel, all whilst continuing to work hard for each other on the field, showed that those cultural values are well instilled moving forward. Asesela Naituku is to be congratulated for being awarded GSCC’s Player of the Carnival as the result of some sparkling attacking raids and remarkable try stopping defence at fullback. 

As a team, we would also like to wish Brodie Roberts and Lewis McCoy all the best as they leave the College and team. Both boys have had wonderful years and were integral to building the team’s culture. Many thanks to you both. The help of Mel Hodgetts, Lachlan Toal, Sean Wade, Brendan Wade and Col Ryder also needs to be recognised both before and during the trip away. Thank you to all of you for giving up your time in support of GSCC Senior Rugby League.

Lastly, a well-deserved congratulations to Chavez Hegarty, who has been selected in the 2022 Under 21’s Townsville Blackhawks Squad. Chavez has been an integral member of GSCC teams throughout his time at the College and was our team captain this year. From all involved with the team, all the best next year Chavez.  

GSCC Senior Rugby League would like to use this avenue to once again thank Brumby’s Mount Isa, 2Seas Catering, Top Fire Constructions, Mount Isa Mining Supplies, Clancy Corporation, The P&F Association and The Buffs Club for their valuable donations to our team. 

Term 4 is flying by, and this week is our last official school week with the Year 12 students. This Thursday, we formally acknowledge the end of this13 year journey, at the farewell assembly. This assembly will be held in the LCC at 2:00pm. We are looking forward to celebrating with students, parents and staff. 

Last Wednesday, the Year 12’s had their last Year level Mass with their Year 7 buddies. This was a great opportunity to say thank you to the Year 7’s for allowing us to be their leaders and to wish them well for the rest of their high school years. Also on Wednesday, was the QPS Touch Football event. This was a great opportunity for the Year 12’s to engage with the police and wider community in a fun/social environment. Thanks to all of our Year 12 students who came down to support and to play. 

Last Friday, we also celebrated the last of our Year 12’s who are having Birthdays this year. This has been a tradition we started this year and students have enjoyed eating cake and wearing their party hats around for the day. 

This week Friday, students will commence their external exam block. We wish all of these 29 students sitting exams the best of luck. You have been well prepared for this, and we know you will do an amazing job. For the remainder of you, we will see you back here in Week 7 for our Graduation Week activities. Please see attached again, the Term 4 overview.

Every Wednesday morning from 7.00am - 8.30am. Parents and Friends are invited to The Arili Thina Cafe to purchase your morning coffee and breakfast.

By doing so you are supporting our Hospitality students to achieve their competencies towards their Certificate ll in Hospitality. 

There are a range of coffees, cold drinks and breakfast food available. Please see our Menu. Our students are becoming fantastic baristas. Come see for yourself how good they are.

Last week members of the GSCC board attended a combined schools board meeting at St Joseph’s Catholic School.  The meeting was attended by members of the GSCC, St Kieran’s, St Joseph’s Mount Isa with the principal of St Joseph’s Cloncurry attending via Zoom.  The meeting opened with principals and board chairs providing a summation of their school for 2021.  A sharing of strategies followed, with some discussion and advice around environmental issues.  It was a wonderful opportunity to share and learn from each other, and will be repeated in 2022.

Kim Higgs

Board Chair