Dear Families

While our start to 2022 was not what we had expected it to be, we can still look towards a new year with hope and joy. We are excited to welcome some additions to our staff: Jarvis Miller (Arts, English); Sue Morey (Science); Akshaya Nagarajan (Science); Bec Stretton (English/Humanities); Neha Neha (Science); Dominic Jackson (Technology), Christine Strasser (Librarian), Rebekah Coles (School Officer), Cathryn McGrigor (School Officer)  and Jericho Young (HPE). 

This memo will include a lot of information and I ask that you settle in with a cup of coffee and read through to the very end.

This year our theme is Community - a key Gospel Value. The challenges of a pandemic peak, school start delays and concerns for the wellbeing of our families, student and staff wellbeing will all test us this year. But I am confident that if we come together as a learning and prayerful community, we can face these challenges and continue to grow and improve our beautiful school.

Here is our staff for 2022:

• Please do not send your child to school if they are unwell. If they become unwell at school, we will provide them a RAT test (when they become available) and ask for them to be collected by a parent or guardian.
• Students are to wear a mask to school and when moving around the school. Once they are seated in their classrooms, they can be temporarily removed. If your child has an exemption, please provide a copy to the College office.
• Please inform the College office if your child tests positive for Covid or they become a close contact. This will help us to keep our whole school community safe.
• In line with health advice and the direction of the Premier, we have made the difficult decision to suspend many of our back to school activities and excursions. We are definitely looking forward to these being able to resume after Week 4.
• If you have any concerns or your child is feeling anxious about their return to school, please do not hesitate to give me a call or to reach out to their Pastoral Leader.

A Prayer for Community

God our Maker,
 We praise you for the gift of community.
Thank you for the communities in which we work and live.
Thank you for the community that is your Body, the Church.
Fill us with Your Spirit today so that, as one,
we can reflect your light and love to each other and to the world.
In Christ we pray,

Amen.

Welcome back to our returning families, and a very special welcome to our new students and families!

Despite the strange start to 2022, teachers and senior students have made excellent progress in the learning happening at GSCC already.  We look forward to welcoming back our junior students next week too.

The beginning of the year is a great time to reset and create new aspirations for the year ahead.  Students, this is your journey, and we’re so excited to offer our support and watch you grow as you travel this path in 2022.

May I take a moment to introduce our wonderful Curriculum Leaders!

Please feel free to contact the Curriculum Leaders or myself at any point.  We are here to help.

May 2022 be a successful and happy year for you all.

Back to School

We are looking forward to welcoming back all students on Monday! Year 8 - 12 students won’t be gathering in the LCC this year, instead students will go directly to their homerooms (details are already available on Compass).

Year 7 students will gather in the LCC - please ensure you maintain 1.5m distance when inside.

Timetables

Timetables have been synced to Compass, and hard copies will be distributed during Homeroom on Monday. Due to the structure of the timetable, individual core group changes are not possible for Years 7-10. 

Subject Changes

If students in Years 8 - 10 have reconsidered the elective they chose to study this year they will need to complete a subject change form and return it to Mrs Webb as soon as possible. For students in Years 11 and 12, any subject changes need to be discussed with Mrs Wood (Deputy Principal Teaching & Learning). Please note that no subject changes will be permitted after the conclusion of week 2.

What’s on @ GSCC

The What’s on @ GSCC Overview will be posted to Compass and Facebook each Sunday again this year. Be sure to check what’s on each week so that you can stay up to date with school events. Please note, that in line with the recent Government announcement, there will be no major events until Week 5.

School Calendar

The Good Shepherd Catholic College Website includes information about all upcoming events on the news feed at the bottom of the home page. If you have a ‘gmail’ account you are also able to add our School Calendar to your Google Calendar. Click this link to access.

Welcome back to all our returning students and families! 

I would also like to extend an extra warm welcome to our Year 7 students, any new students and their families who are starting their journey within the Good Shepherd Catholic College Community this year.  I know that our start to the year has not gone to plan however I would like to reassure you that our staff have been working tirelessly to ensure that our transition to school for 2022 is as smooth as possible.  I hope that all of our families have managed to keep safe and healthy as we all move through this pandemic. 

Introducing our 2022 Pastoral Team 

This year we have some new staff joining our Pastoral Team.  In Year 10 we welcome Ms Jan Luarca and in Year 12 we also welcome Mr Travis Roberts to our team.  

We are also very fortunate to have our full time Guidance Counsellor, Mrs Yvonne Van Den Worm, to support our students.  Please feel welcome to contact your child’s Pastoral Leader or the Guidance Counsellor at any time if you have any concerns regarding your child.   Their contact details are as follows:

Uniform Expectations

We have very clear uniform expectations at Good Shepherd which are outlined in our College diary. Students must arrive and exit school each day in the full uniform, which includes their hat and diary.  Students are permitted to wear their sports uniforms on days in which they have a practical lesson but we ask that students also check their timetables to see if they have a practical lesson in the Science or Technologies subjects on the same day, as they will be required to wear their leather shoes for those classes.

We ask that all students are in their full academic uniform on the first day of face to face classes on Monday, 7th February.

If your child is unable to wear their full academic uniform, please communicate this with their Homeroom Teacher via email or a note in your child’s diary.  Please note that communication must be made daily for students who are not wearing their correct uniform (notes in diary must be dated) and exemptions for students will not exceed seven days.

 If students are not adhering to the College Uniform Expectations the following steps will occur: (this does not apply to students who present a note from a parent or carer)

1. Student will be issued a lunch-time uniform detention. (Failure to attend the lunchtime detention will automatically result in a Wednesday afternoon detention).
2. Three (3) uniform detentions within a two-week period will result in an afterschool detention (Wednesday afternoons 3pm-4pm).
3. Continued breaches of the uniform policy or failure to attend a Wednesday afternoon detention will result in the student being withdrawn from class until a meeting is able to take place between the student, parent/carer, their Pastoral Leader and myself.

Searching for Pain

When I was in Grade 12 I played Under 19 Rugby League. My mother didn’t like it so one day she asked me why I played. Back then under 19 players were paid $20 for a win so I made a few hundred dollars that year, and the next couple.

So, I told her ‘for the money.’ She offered to pay me not to play so I added “I enjoy the pain and being sore.”

So, she offered to pay me and hit me a few times with a lump of wood. I gracefully declined because being hit with a lump of wood wasn’t the same as training and playing with a team of my contemporaries and enjoying their company. 

Pain is a funny thing; though it hurts there are certain times when we go looking for it because of the enjoyment it brings. In fact, many studies show that people who exercise regularly benefit with a boost in mood and lower rates of depression.

Now I could talk about endorphins and how they trigger a positive feeling in the body similar to morphine, leave you with a feeling after a run or workout often described as ‘euphoric’ or act as analgesics, which means they diminish the perception of pain.

All I know is that after exercise I feel good and my head is clear; so, I do something almost every day. When I have a rest day I can feel myself getting ‘antsy’ and thoughts creep in so I make sure I go no more than two days without exercise of some sort.

That’s why I think everybody should either play sport or do some form of exercise. However, some people don’t enjoy sport (I know, I couldn’t believe it either) but there are other options available. 

Some people use art, some use music, some people write; in fact, anything that is creative seems to work.

I’m a pretty simple bloke so I explain it this way. You have 100 units of energy to use each day and – they have to be used. So, if you exert yourself physically or use your mind to create, that energy is used up.

If you don’t use the energy it doesn’t get stored. That means your brain becomes active and starts generating thoughts, which if not creative can be destructive.

Idleness is decay, activity is life.

The more we just sit around the more our thoughts turn inward on ourselves. Human beings are designed to solve problems with their brain and that’s why we should always be looking at ways to engage it. 

You can sit in your room and play NBA 2K22 or FIFA 22 and while it is new it is challenging and so you use a lot of energy because you have to think. As you get used to the game you slip into auto pilot and so you need less energy.

That is why you need to always be searching for challenges and pushing your boundaries; both physical and mental. 

By doing that your mind is always active and while it is active and solving real problems it doesn’t have time to come up with destructive problems to solve.

So, do yourself a favour and use your 100 units each day.

Hi everyone!

My name is Jarvis Miller and I am the Cultural Program Leader at GSCC. I was born and raised on the Sunshine Coast, spending most of my time at the beach, on the golf course or playing AFL. I am very passionate about music. I have collaborated with the Queensland Youth Orchestra and Queensland Symphony Orchestra in various chamber works and have had my music been performed internationally.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to grow and extend the music program in both curriculum and instrumental. I am a big believer that music is for everyone and am well aware of the positive impact music can be on an individual. There are some exciting times ahead for the Arts program at GSCC with the School Musical being scheduled later in the year. Culturally, opportunities will arise with the inclusion of the College Choir, which will allow for further performances and collaboration within the school and wider community.

TAFE in 2022

There are still some places left for TAFE this year in plumbing, health and engineering.  

If any Year 11/12 students are interested please contact Mrs Coghlan.  

TAFE is delivered over 6 weeks throughout the year and upon completion you will receive a Certificate II qualification.  This qualification will count towards your Queensland Certificate of Education.

Note:  TAFE is not recommended for students following the ATAR pathway.  

2021 Graduates

The beauty of living in a small town is that we have the ability to keep in contact with our Graduates.  We are very happy to say that all students who applied to University have received an offer.  Many others have commenced work as apprentices or trainees.  Some have decided to commence full-time work to kick start their young lives.  

We are very proud of our 2021 Graduates and will hopefully, from time to time, feature them in our “Where are they now” profiles.

Work Experience in 2021

The first two weeks of the December School holidays saw a number of our Students participate in Work Experience placements. We are very proud of our students for giving up their valuable holiday time to pursue these wonderful opportunities, and for the tremendous feedback we have received from their host employers.

Once again a HUGE thank you to the following businesses who hosted our Students for work experience placements in term 4, we really appreciate your support and look forward to working with you again this year:

The Skin Coaches
Sandvik 
Shaine Hunter Locksmith
Mount Isa City Council
The Boss Shop
Harvey Norman
Coles
Macrae News
Mount Isa Pharmacy First
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
Malouf Auto
Queensland Country Health Dental
Clancy Corporation
RCT (Remote Control Technologies)
ISA Draulics
IMED - Radiology

Work Experience in 2022

Work experience opportunities will commence in Week 8 of this term and will be available to the year 10’s (Rice & Mackillop houses) and all the year 11’s & 12’s. I will be in contact with the year 10 students and parents to give you an idea of what work experience will look like for you this year. I will also be in contact with the year 11 and 12’s to let you know what is available to you. For now, see the 2022 Work Experience schedule below. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or concerns.

Work Experience Schedule 2022

Work Experience Schedule 2022 134.61 KB

Liesel Armstrong Work Experience Coordinator

Welcome back to Good Shepherd Sport for 2022. The new year brings plenty of opportunities for students to get involved in the various sporting events offered by the school. Term 1 will be as busy as ever and to ensure students receive relevant information regarding their sporting interests, we will display important dates weekly in both school notices and the school newsletter. 

District Trials

First up are the individual nominations for Mount Isa and Regional trials. Nominations are open to any student who thinks they might have the ability to play for the region. Forms need to be signed by both parents and relevant coaches. Student nomination forms will only be sent away if they have displayed relevant skills for the selected sport. 

Nomination dates for the following sports, due dates and venues are displayed below

- ‘Mount Isa’ nominations will go through the school and forwarded to the relevant MISSA official for selection

- ‘Northern/ Capricornia’ nominations will go through the school and then on to Linda Ashburn with further details sent back once the nomination is accepted

- Unless stated, nomination dates involve both Boys and Girls in different sporting codes.

- Students who nominate will need to travel independently at their own expense to attend the trial 

-All nominations (besides swimming) are for individual trials, not team trials

Please see Mr Young for any nomination forms before the due date

Rugby League Update

The GSCC Senior Rugby League team will begin training on Wednesday morning, 9th of February at 6:30am with breakfast provided after training. Training will then be every Monday and Wednesday morning at this time in the lead up to the Catholic Schools Carnival at Charters Towers in Week 5. 

Preparations will soon begin also for those students wishing to represent the College at the Confraternity Carnival in Mackay during the first week of the June/July holidays. Mr. Roberts will be in touch with further details concerning this trip in the coming weeks. 

Netball Update

A reminder that Netball Trials will be held next week after school - QISSN trials - Monday 7th Feb & GSCC Netball Club trials - Wednesday 9th Feb. 

Any students interested in playing netball for Good Shepherd are asked to collect a form from the front office for further information.

Welcome to Good Shepherd Catholic College 2022! 

I would like to introduce myself as the Acting Year 10 Pastoral Leader. The new year is starting off on a strange note, yet it is full of exciting opportunities for all of us. I have been at the college since 2020 as a Humanities, English and Homeroom teacher. I have also been the Literacy teacher for the college’s Arrow program along with Kate Thinee, our Numeracy teacher. It has been a great privilege to be part of the Good Shepherd community and I am excited to be working closer with the Year 10 students and their families. 

In the Year 10 Pastoral team we have plenty of homeroom teachers ready to support students in all their needs. 10A teachers are Julie Hutchinson and Steve Guest. 10B will be with our new staff Sue Morrey and Rebecca Stretton. We are delighted to have them as new members of our community. In 10C we have Anna Viljoen as the homeroom teacher. Our Year 10 Pastoral staff are incredibly supportive and are looking forward to finally seeing our students on Monday. 

Students will still participate in the retreat this year. We have had to reschedule due to current circumstances, however, details will be provided once all has been confirmed. I am excited for the cohort to come together and build deeper relationships with themselves and their teachers. Various presentations will be held throughout Term 1 and Term 2 to provide information about transitioning to Year 11. We have our Careers Officer, Fiona Coghlan to thank for organising the programmes. 

Year 10 may pose many challenges for our students but remember that it is an opportunity to grow as individuals. If you have any questions please, don’t hesitate to contact me on jluarca@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au or call 4743 2509.

Hello Everyone!

I would like to introduce myself as the Year 12 Pastoral Leader for 2022 in what promises to be an exciting year for yourselves and the students. I have been at the College for the last two years and have taught, been a Homeroom teacher of, or coached most of the cohort over this time. As such, I can confidently say that I am privileged to be acting in this role this year. 

Joining me in the Pastoral Team are our Year 12 Homeroom Teachers: Mr. Nigel Mitchell, Mrs. Emali Nainima and Mr. Willard Gono. Each of us is committed to providing all Year 12 students the best support to encourage their success and happiness this year. 

Firstly, I would like to congratulate all students on the way they have returned to school through online learning and I look forward to seeing them all next week. Secondly, I would like to thank you all for your cooperation and attention to the changes that your child has faced with the start to the year. 

There are a number of important events pertaining to the students’ last year of the College and as soon as I have confirmed all these dates, I will be in dialogue with you. Please refer to the school newsletter and your emails, as I wish to be as transparent and forthcoming with everything to do with Graduation and the like. 

In the meantime, if you have any questions, concerns or issues, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Year 11 into 12 Retreat

In Week 8 of Term 4 last year, our current Year 12 students embarked on a Leadership Retreat to the serene Magnetic Island. The retreat served as a wonderful opportunity for these students to transition into true leaders of the College. With a spiritual focus, each student was called to reflect on what true leadership is and how they can let their light shine throughout this year. 

Before we travelled to Townsville, the retreat formally started with a twilight Mass at the Good Shepherd Parish. From there we travelled overnight before jumping on a ferry over to the Island the following morning. There was no time to relax, for as soon as we had arrived at our campsite, students departed to complete their retreat activities which aimed to build leadership qualities and unite the cohort. Over the next three days, students participated in beach games, abseiling, a reef tour, stand up paddle boarding and some other fun activities around the camp. 

However, the highlight of the retreat was watching the students engage and grow through the two liturgies conducted by Father Emene. Each student was asked to reflect on their journey so far, their future aspirations, what the meaning of true leadership is and the actions they can take to ensure that Year 12 is a success for them all. Notions of respect, gratitude and forgiveness featured heavily throughout the proceedings. 

It was pleasing to see those students who had recently accepted College leadership positions lead with their actions and reverence. This also extends to the whole cohort as all teachers on the retreat were impressed with their commitment and potential as leaders. Moving into Year 12, it is clear that this cohort has grown closer together and is united in a sense of community for 2022. We all look forward to seeing them let their light shine as leaders throughout the year.

There are a number of people to thank for the week including Ms. Louise Wiles for organising and facilitating the whole retreat. From our Senior Leadership team, Mrs. Pelly Morganson for her efforts in preparing the retreat and Mrs. Michele Wood for attending the retreat with the students. Additionally, Father Emene for coming along and running our liturgies, and our Homeroom teachers Ms. Kate Millan, Mrs. Emily Watson and Mr. Willard Gono for their efforts. We look forward to our one day Year 12 Retreat in Term 2.