“To provide excellence in teaching and learning in a holistic Catholic environment” – Revised GSCC Mission Statement

Last week we celebrated Catholic Education Week. This is always a great time to focus on what we do here at GSCC and how our catholic mandate, “not to be different but to make a difference”, is enabled at our college. Catholic Education week is effectively a celebration, a celebration of what it means to be part of an institution that has long traditions in faith, education and leadership.

During the week we celebrated our faith by coming together in the mass, a sacred experience that connects us as a community with a 2,000 year old tradition as powerful today as it was then and indeed just as relevant, because if we ever needed the strength and support offered by a unified and common purpose it is today, in these times of social, economic and political unrest.

Our Feast Day, on Wednesday was an opportunity to remember those who have come before us and on who’s legacy lays the foundation of what we understand to be at the heart of GSCC spirit, in particular our college patrons who give their names to our four houses; Edmund Rice, Mary MacKillop, Caroline Chisholm and Bishop Benjamin. These giants on whose shoulders we stand, along with “Christ our light”, allow us to see further, with greater purpose and a clearer vision.

On Friday we acknowledged those students who by their diligence, hard work and application have achieved excellent academic results this year, at the Principal’s Awards. I also acknowledge this year’s recipients of the Pierre De Coubertin Award for excellence in Sports – Breanna Waerra, the Deus Caritas Est award for Spiritual leadership – Phoebe Ryder and the great achievements of so many students in sport and the arts in recent weeks, including; Confraternity, QISSN, Schoolboys RL, Athletics, Mulkadee, Townsville Writer’s Workshop.

These celebrations last week reminded us of the nature of our work here at GSCC as directed by our Mission Statement:
- to ensure excellence in education that will serve our students needs and futures
- to enable resilience, socially and emotionally
- to live lives with Christian values of love, honour, courage and integrity
- to work together with respect
and finally, to realise a greater purpose, so that all may contribute and “make a difference” to our world, a better world, a safer world, a world willing to accept diversity, care for its environment and live in harmony with its past present and future. This is a “catholic” education, an education our founders, those who have come before as, and we, the teaching staff of today, strive to offer you.

2018 Principal’s Awards

Last week, during Catholic Education Week, we celebrated our annual Principal’s Awards which recognises the achievements of students from Semester One. I would like to thank the many parents who joined us for assembly and Morning Tea - it is always great to celebrate with you.

I would like to congratulate all award recipients for their efforts, and a special congratulations to our Gold Award Recipients.

Managing Stress at School

Stress is a natural part of being human. It is one of the ways that our body’s prepare us to face challenging situations. Stress can be categorised as either productive stress, or unproductive stress. It is this unproductive stress that can cause problems with students in the classroom, and therefore it is important that students learn ways to manage and cope with that stress. There are a number of key signs to look out for, including: trouble sleeping, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, isolation and avoidance of school and work. The biggest cause of stress we see in students is usually due to lack of time management. Below are a few tips to help effectively manage time and avoid unproductive stress:

• Create a list of what needs to be done, and then break it down further by writing what needs to be done for each item. Ensure it is manageable and achievable.
• Use a diary or notebook to keep track of important dates and deadlines
• Work in 20 - 30 minute chunks and then allow yourself some time to have a break. Limiting distractions to break times makes the time you are working more productive.
• Ask for help if its not working: Time management is a skill, like any skill - it sometimes takes work and help to master it.

Parents who are concerned about their child are encouraged to contact the relevant Pastoral Leader and let us know so that we can support you and your child. Students are also encouraged to speak with their Pastoral Leader if they feel they need some additional support or skills in the area of time management or stress management.

As a College, we have undergone a period of renewal this year, and with that has come much consideration of our processes and structures. One structure that has undergone significant review is that of our student leadership body. From 2019, the Student Leadership Team will consist of two School Captains and four House Captains.

This team will then work together with the Student Representative Council to form the student voice within the College. For the four House Captains, we will ask that they form a small ‘leadership group’ within their House, to allow students from different Year Levels to be involved in the organisation and running of house activities and events. For the two School Captains, they will be involved in all areas of College life along with one person chairing the Student Representative Council and the other becoming the student representative on the College Board.

Although we ask all of our students to lead, as we move towards the end of the year, our Year 11 students begin to consider the prospect of formal student leadership for next year. Student leadership is something that must be taken very seriously. Student leaders within the College have a great responsibility to be a model for their peers and to represent the College with great pride. Therefore, I would ask that all students consider the following aspects of leadership:

Stay authentic. Leaders who are authentic are trusted because they are unwavering, especially when faced with the challenges of popular opinion. As a student leader, be sure the ideals that got you elected are consistent throughout the year, and remember to always stay true to yourself and the values you believe in.

Keep an open mind and always listen. Open communication and consideration of all ideas fosters a creative and collaborative environment. A good leader is someone who is comfortable handling suggestions and adapting to changing situations.

Know how to delegate tasks to achieve common goals. A successful leader knows when to take the reins. When it comes to important projects and deadlines, know when and how to allocate responsibility to those around you and be willing to go above and beyond to get it done.

Learn from mistakes to improve for the future. Even if this isn’t your first time being , there will most certainly be times where the plan goes wrong. Be prepared for the worst, take responsibility for the outcome, and stay optimistic. A quality leader learns from experience and proactively plans for the future.

Seek knowledge. Leaders are continuously developing their skills so they can continue to inspire their constituents. Be involved in all that you can, and always ask questions! It’s important that we all continue to learn and grow, ensuring that student leaders are able to learn valuable skills that will benefit their lives in many ways.

The application process for Year 12 student leadership will commence in the coming weeks, and if you have any questions, please contact your Pastoral Leader Miss Jenna Martin (jmartin7@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au).

Last week, the College celebrated Catholic Education Week. The theme for this year was ‘Discovering New Horizons’, which was been aligned with the official Year of Youth theme for 2018. During the week, students participated in a number of activities that celebrate holistic education, including homeroom activities, prayer/meditation, inter-house sport and a ‘Good Shepherd’s got talent’ talent show competition. Congratulations to those that entered and came to watch the talent show, as it was a huge success!

Good Shepherd Feast Day was held on Wednesday last week, and was a reminder of what it means to be a part of this Catholic School community. The day started with Mass, and as always our students were extremely respectful and reflective during this time. Prayer and liturgical celebrations allow students, catholic and non-catholic, to feel a sense of belonging and a part of a community. It also gives students a chance to still themselves, and switch off from technology in the businesses of this society. Students then participated in various activities that acknowledged our House patrons, Bishop Raymond Benjamin, Caroline Chisholm, Mary Mackillop and Blessed Edmund Rice. The day was successful in enhancing the culture and spirit of our College, and reminds us of how blessed we are to be a part of this College community and Catholic Education.

Also last week, Phoebe Ryder was awarded the annual Deus Caritas Est Award in Townsville. The Award recognises outstanding secondary students who, by words and actions, show a love for God, others and self. It is presented to one Year 12 student from each Catholic secondary school in the Townsville Diocese. As the spiritual leader of the College, Phoebe has a very generous spirit, and has immersed herself in a number of college community events. She regularly attends Mass on a Sunday and often volunteers as a reader or eucharistic minister. She is an excellent example in faith to others, particularly for younger students.Phoebe received the Catholic Education Deus Caritas Est Medal and a bursary, to either donate to a charity of her choice or put towards the further pursuit of her service goals. We would like to congratulate Phoebe on her significant achievement and her contribution to our College community.

Yet again I am humbled  by the generosity of the Good Shepherd Catholic College community.  Last week, we put the call out for volunteers to assist with the Rodeo Ball.  We had a grand total of 52 parents, students and staff contribute their time and efforts to ensuring the night was a major success.  They say many hands make light work, and in this case, although we all worked very hard, our job was made much easier by our fantastic working team. I am sure we have all found muscles that we didn’t even know existed!

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one that volunteered.  Everyone put in a impressive effort, working tirelessly, forming a cohesive team (which is not always so easy when the are 52 of us!).

A super shout out to our Principal, Mr Scott, who sang, danced and served till the wee hours of Sunday morning, managing to get his photo in the paper more than anyone else at the Ball.

On Tuesday evening we invited families and community members to join us for the opening and blessing of our Outdoor Precinct. We are yet to formally name the precinct as we are accepting naming suggestions for this fantastic new space - stay tuned for the successful entry!

The renovation to the basketball court now provides us with a multipurpose space that will host many different events.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the event, but particularly to Fiona Coghlan for her organisation. It is always wonderful to have the opportunity to share our grounds with the Mount Isa Community, so thank you to those who joined with us in this celebration.

On the 21st of July 74 wide-eyed, excited Year 10’s, arrived at school an hour and a half before departure to secure the best seats on the bus. Bags packed, bedding and snacks in hand, they kissed their families goodbye and we were ready to hit the road! After a sleepless night on the bus for both students and teachers, we arrived in Townsville ready for the fun to begin! After a quick stop at Mcdonalds we made our way to KingPin where students were quickly suited up with very attractive bowling shoes and laser tag vests to use whatever energy they had left. It was here we saw some amazing bowling skills, surprisingly by Mr Dean Kelley, and some ‘camping’ skills by Miss Nicole Dalla Vecchia in the Laser Tag arena and with no shock when she found herself at the top of the scoreboard.

With a quick stop over in Stocklands Shopping Centre, the teachers were soon educated on the latest and greatest trends and fashion before we were on the ferry to Magnetic Island.

“Miss this is the first time I have ever left Mount Isa and seen the ocean and it is just the most beautiful thing ever! It just keeps going!”

Whilst on Magnetic Island the staff and students were involved in a range of both physically and emotionally exhausting challenges, pushing them to their limits. The days were filled with activities of Abseiling, Slacklining, Team Challenges, Archery, Kayaking, Beach Olympics, Bushwalking, Boot Camp, The Amazing Race and Raft Building.

“Abseiling was my favourite activity because I was able to overcome my fear of heights and just get the job done. This was an amazing experience that I will never forget”.

“I just loved how we could go at our own pace and all the beautiful views. It was also just so much fun to be kayaking in the ocean”.

“Just having fun with people who I don't really hangout with was good”.

“Every day was a highlight, it was good to see so many people happy, and doing some funny things to make everyone else smile :)”

After long days, the students were challenged again with some personal reflection, affirmation and appreciation activities and group sharing.

“It was so good to listen to other people give their speech to the person that they were grateful for. It was also a great feeling knowing that someone else appreciates you, and it is not every day that they would say that, but it's good to hear it from them. Also telling other people that you are grateful for them because it makes them happy, and puts a smile on their face, and that makes you feel good”.

“I related to so much of what the teachers said, and this gave me further insight into how to combat my own problems”.

“I love that we got to see how everyone connected to each other and how much everyone appreciated each other”.

All in all, I believe Year 10 camp was a success. I was honoured to be able to stand up in front of those students at the end of a massive week, as a proud Pastoral Leader. A Pastoral Leader who was there on their first day at Good Shepherd showing them how to use a combination lock and read a timetable, to now, seeing them build, repair and speak so maturely about their relationships, themselves and their life journey so far. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the amazing teaching team I took with me. Therefore, a big shout out to Ms. Sheridan Scott, Miss Nicole Dalla Vecchia, Mr Dean Kelley, Mr Joshua Lee Schofield Smyth, Miss Tayla-Maree Roberts, Miss Lyndy Skea and to Mrs Kate Thinee who assisted on our reflection day upon returning.

“Some highlights for me were the views, the adventures, and the new experiences. Abseiling was frightening but truly an exciting experience, teachers story reflections were something to understand, and the affirmation string web allowed me to realise I have all these wonderful people around me”.

“I'd like to say thank all the teachers, who joined on this magnificent journey and made new relationships with many different people. The night activities overall had a huge fulfilling moment for me, so thank you”.

It has been a busy start to Term 3 for our Year 8’s. The first two weeks allowed the students to get back into the swing of things and have been travelling along nicely since their return from holidays.

Week 3 was a very busy week with Catholic Education Week and various activities taking place throughout the week. Thank you to the parents who attended the Parent Teacher Interviews on Monday last week, it was great to see the amount of parents showing an active interest in their child’s academic progress.

On Wednesday we saw the whole school involved in the Good Shepherd Feast Day with a morning liturgy held at school followed by fun activities. The year 8’s rotated their way around the various activities and had many laughs along the way.

Thursday saw the majority of Year 8’s attend a combined Catholic Schools Mass held at the Parish whilst the first of 3 groups of 18 students attended the Hard Times Underground Mine Tour which is a part of their science topic this term. Friday saw the remaining 3 groups of students attend the Hard Times Underground Mine Tour, students learned about what is involved to be an underground miner and the difficulties and hard times miners faced whilst working underground. All students displayed exemplary behaviour and must be congratulated. The highlight was seeing who could lift the rock off the crib table whilst everyone had corned beef sandwiches/pasties and tea/coffee.

Friday also saw the Presentation of the Principal’s Awards to all students. Congratulations to students who received these awards which included Attendance, Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. Well done, it is good to see all the hard work and study that is put into your school work to be recognised.

Upcoming events include:

• Week 4 – Friday Pupil Free Day Friday 10^th August
• Week 5 – NAIDOC week celebrations

Mr Morganson

CAREERS EXPO

Last week our Year 10/11/12 students attending the Careers Expo at Buchanan Park.  Students were able to visit around 30 stalls, ask questions and find out about job opportunities and career pathways.

Thank you to Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Program for putting together this amazing event.

JCU & CQU Visits

James Cook University and Central Qld University representatives visited the college last week.

JCU encouraged our Year 9 students to start thinking about what subjects they’re good at and things they like doing.  Students then identified their strengths and opportunities and possible career pathways. The students really enjoyed the chance to start thinking about what they might do when they leave school.  After all, only 3.5 year to go!

CQU was able to provide one on one advice to a group of students about their future options including online v  face to face study, course information and what happens if you change your mind when you get to uni?

DEFENCE FORCE

The Defence Force spoke to students recently about what’s required to join, medical/dental/housing benefits, career options and supported further study.  It was great to see the students become really involved in the presentation by asking lots of questions.

Hospitality Dinner Report 

Thank you to everyone who attended our Hospitality Dinner on Friday 27th July, special thanks to  Mrs Kanelle Troxell, Mrs Laura Jackson , Mr Josh Schofield, Miss Tiffany Apap , Mel Jones and Ann Marie Cameron from the P&F  for all your help on the night. And a massive Thank you to Rotary Club of Mount Isa who donated $2600 towards the cost of the camp.

For those that missed the night , 94 Guest enjoyed the following 5 course meal prepared and served by our hospitality students;

To start : Smoked Salmon & dill cream cheese on mini toasts

Entree:  Coconut Prawns on an Asian Salad with a peanut chilli dressing  OR

Crispy Pork belly with an apple slaw

Main : Pan fried fillet of beef with an onion jus, mashed potato and steamed broccolini

Baked  OR Parmesan chicken breast with creamy mustard sauce, mashed potato and steamed Asparagus

Dessert: Chocolate Mousse Cake with raspberry coulis OR  Bread and Butter pudding with caramel sauce

To Finish: Coffee with Orange vanilla shortbread

I am very proud of what the students achieve on the night and the students and I  look forward to hosting another Hospitality Dinner in 2019.

Mrs Donna Cole .

The following is an extract from the North West Star, who joined us on the night.

School serves up hospitality experience

By: Lydia Lynch

A team of chefs from Good Shepherd Catholic College tickled the taste buds of friends and family last Friday night.  

The students put on a delicious five-course meal to raise funds for their upcoming training trip.

About 25 hospitality students will jet off to Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast to gain experience in the five star hotel.

They will try their hands at front of house, concierge, kitchen and cleaning work.

“It is really good experience for them to work in a five star hotel, and something they would not be able to do here in Isa,” teacher Donna Cole said.

The Maître d'hôtel for the evening Josh Schofield said the quality of food showed the tireless efforts of hospitality teacher Donna Cole.

“Tonight has been a great opportunity for the students to show off their skill to friends and family,” Mr Schofield said.

The night was topped off with a $2600 donation from the Mount Isa Rotary Club to assist with the the aspiring chefs’ travel costs.

Hi all,

Firstly, a big thank you to everyone that came and met with us at the Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews. Following on from these interviews we just wanted to provide a brief overview of what Humanities is and why students love to study it!

What is Humanities?
Humanities & Social Sciences according to the Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority is the study of “human behaviour and interaction in social, cultural, environmental, economic, and political contexts”. In term 3 and term 4 the year 10 students have been provided with the opportunity to select an elective to trial. These electives are as follows:

• Ancient History
• Modern History
• Geography
• Social & Community Studies

Humanities engages students in a broad study of the world in which we live. Good Shepherd Catholic College have some very dedicated students who are excited to study Humanities throughout Semester 2. Please see the perspectives of two of our

For many students like Ethan Garner, History is the most interesting subject to study out of the HASS subjects on offer at Good Shepherd Catholic College. Ethan sees learning about World War Two as part of the ‘adventure through key eras of history’ that attracts him to the subject. An event from his recent studies that has caught his interest is the 1942 Bombing of Darwin, which many agree is overshadowed by other events of the war.

On the other hand, Julia O’Keefe, finds the environmental issues, natural phenomena, natural disasters and inhabitants of places that you get to study in Geography more to her preference. Julia brings some of her own interests to the subject, including evolution of the earth and environment over time. Subjects such as Geography and History particularly lend themselves to exploring topics through class discussion, allowing students like Julia to contribute their own interests, perspectives and knowledge.

Kind Regards,

Samantha Kelley & Toby Ratcliffe

In the first week of the June/July holidays, the GSCC Confraternity Rugby League team competed in the Confraternity Shield Carnival which was hosted by Columba Catholic College in Charters Towers.

The Confraternity Shield Carnival brought 960 of the state’s premier independent school students together along with over 200 staff volunteers from the same schools as coaching and support staff. This carnival provides a unique conglomerate of the state’s finest leadership/elite athlete/academic students from Queensland’s Independent and predominantly Catholic schools.

The GSCC Confraternity team consisting of 20 students of which 15 were our own students and 5 students loaned from Ignatius Park College, Townsville. These boys aged between 16 – 18 years had been preparing since the first term for this carnival. Their first game was up against Emmaus College Jimboomba. The boys had started the game extremely well and scored the first try but went into the half time break trailing 10 - 6. It looked like we were in for a win but due to their credit Emmaus came out in the second half and dominated the Good Shepherd boys with Emmaus running out eventual winners 18 – 6. Player of the match – Brayden Jones

The boys were very disappointed with this result and planned on making amends in the next game against All Souls St Gabriel’s 2 later that afternoon. With several boys carrying bumps and bruises from their first game, this result was never in doubt with Darcy Ryder scoring a hat trick of tries and leading the way in this win. This game gave the team a much needed lift after producing a more cohesive game plan with the final result in favour of Good Shepherd 32 – 6. Player of the match – Darcy Ryder

The final pool game on Tuesday morning saw the boys playing against St John’s Catholic School Roma. With a win in this game Good Shepherd would place high in the pool, fortunately the early morning conditions favoured us and saw the boys out enthuse St John’s by 24 – 0.  Player of the match – Darcy Ryder

With Good Shepherd placing 2^nd in their pool saw them up against Our Lady of the Southern Cross Dalby in the Qualifying final. The boys put up a valiant fight with the final score not an indication of how tough that match was. Unfortunately the bounce of the ball did not fall our way with Our Lady of the Southern Cross running away winners 28 – 0. Player of the match – Jordan Dew

After a well-earned rest day on Wednesday the boys played their semi-final against Shalom College, Bundaberg. Both teams played a hard game with Good Shepherd leading comfortably at half time. The second half saw Shalom come out fighting and claw their way back into the contest. In the end Good Shepherd held their defence to win in a close one 18 - 16. Player of the match – Aka Pio

The final day of the carnival would see Good Shepherd up against their first game opponent’s in Emmaus College, Jimboomba. This game proved to be a good contest with luck of the bounce going to Emmaus College with two intercept tries being the difference. To their credit the Good Shepherd boys never gave in and worked hard until the final whistle. The final score in favour of Emmaus 21 - 10.  Player of the match – Will Siemer

The Good Shepherd Catholic College team finished the carnival with 3 wins and 3 losses and placed 6^th overall in Division 3. This being their best result to date. The week proved to be very rewarding and exciting with the boys having fun and making new friends from other schools. Plans are well under way with the boys looking forward to next year’s carnival in Bundaberg.

Best and Fairest – Darcy Ryder                                    

Spirit Award – Callum Jones

Special thanks to Mr Domenico Cullen, Mr Mika Raijas and Mrs Pelly Morganson for their assistance with getting the team prepared for the Carnival and to our following sponsors; Buffs Club, Commonwealth Bank and Power and Air Solutions for your support and generosity.

Over the recent holidays I was told by a friend that Games Workshop (GW) had recently expanded its “School Alliance” program to Australia. I have been playing tabletop simulation games for many years, and do play GW’s games. I thought that since I enjoyed them maybe the students would too.

The benefits of tabletop gaming include:

•         Device-free educational, fun activity
•         Encourages reading for pleasure at home
•         Extends vocabulary
•         Builds confidence and self-esteem
•         Helps young people make friends inside and outside of school
•         Inspires creativity
•         Develops practical and technical expertise
•         Gives a practical focus to learning maths
•         Provides a fun environment to learn valuable life lessons
•         Encourages young people to reflect on the outcome of making choices
•         Teaches that commitment improves the chance of success
•         Fuels enthusiasm for developing characters and descriptive writing
•         Challenges young people in every game played.

I applied and was successful in getting our College to be part of the Alliance and was pleasantly surprised when a large box was delivered to the school.

Inside – kindly donated by Games Workshop – Townsville was all the rules, figures, paints and tools to start a small game and other supporting material including a novel, booklets and bookmarks.