Mulkadee

Mulkadee is back for another year! We are excited to have a number of students already registering for the annual Townsville Mulkadee Arts Festival. Places are available in Dance, Drama, Choir, Strings, Guitar and Band. Please see Ms Motteram or Mr Miller if you would like to attend.

Leuven Surveys

We still need many more Parents and Carers to fill in their Leuven Catholic Identity survey please. We understand it is a long and at times tedious survey, but the information is very valuable to us for our planning as a Catholic school. There are some great raffle prizes for anyone who fills it in.

The link has been sent you in an email or you can go here:

Log In Details:
Link to Survey: www.ecsi.site/au/user/
Password: Ghj654 (Please select "New User" after)
Access Code: gwzh52

National Close the Gap Day

This week we will reflect on the widening gaps between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians and the immense impact of medical, educational and social disadvantage on our First Nations’ people. Our Emerging Leaders’ program has as its key three pillars Attendance, Academic Achievement and Engagement. We are proud to support all of our Indigenous students to meet their goals against these three pillars. 

World Down Syndrome Day

Next Monday we are looking forward to marking this special occasion. At Good Shepherd we are proud to include students of all abilities to our school and on Monday we will celebrate one of our students Sarah, with Down Syndrome who makes such a positive and happy contribution to our school. We are wearing colourful, bright, funky or even three socks (to represent three chromosomes) on Monday to have a bit of fun and raise awareness about inclusion and the rights of people with disabilities.

Covid

Sadly we continue to have a number of staff and students impacted by positive cases of Covid. Please continue to contact the College if your child tests positive or becomes a close contact.
Remember that the day they test is considered Day 0. They need to stay home until Day 7 is over.

Have a blessed week.

Kathleen McCarthy

Managing time effectively

With exam and assessment due dates approaching, if students don’t manage their time effectively they will begin to feel stressed and overwhelmed. Some simple tips to ensure students are able to fulfil study, work and social commitments include:

Creating a weekly planner, clearly setting out all of the week’s commitments (also including some time for rest!)

• Use the Assessment Calendar to keep track of due dates.
• Prioritise! If you have an upcoming due date, start the project early. All assessment is planned weeks in advance, so prioritise your time accordingly.
• Multi-tasking is key. With multiple subjects, and assessment for each, you will achieve more if you are working on more than one task at a time. Creating a study planner can assist with the division of time spent on these tasks.
• Ask for help! Parents, teachers and friends are all great support systems through these busy times.
• Factor in some time to relax. This is important for a healthy life balance.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s school work please contact their classroom teacher. If you need to discuss the matter further please contact the Curriculum Leader for the subject of concern.

Year 11 & 12 Exam Block - Term 1

Year 11 & 12 Exam Block commences on Monday.

• Year 11 Exam Block is Monday 21 March– Thursday 24 March
• Year 12 Exam Block is Monday 21 March– Wednesday 23 March

 Student Expectations for Exam Block

All students should be studying/completing assessment at home; studying quietly in the Study Room (F1 Monday – Thursday & F2 Monday - Wednesday), or completing an exam during exam block.

 Exam block is not free time.

 ALL ASSESSMENT MUST BE COMPLETED IN ALL SUBJECTS IN ORDER TO HAVE EXAM BLOCK PRIVILEGES. 

Last week, my newsletter article included some general reminders about road safety and drop off/pick up areas. It is also important to remember that the roads around the College have a maximum speed limit of 40km/hr between the hours of 7:30am - 9am and 2pm - 4pm. Over the coming weeks, you might notice an increased police presence in these areas. This is an attempt to encourage drivers to slow down in these school zones. Please ensure you follow the road rules and adhere to the speed limits so that we are able to keep our students and families safe.

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)

Week 6 Focus:  LCC and Assembly

This week our College community will continue to focus on PB4L in the LCC and Assembly and the behaviours that are required in those locations.  

Praise Notes

In Week 8 we will be recognizing a number of students who have been issued with 10 or more praise notes this term.  This is such a great achievement and we cannot wait to celebrate their wonderful commitment to demonstrating positive behaviour within our community.

Bullying No Way Day 

This Friday the 18th of March is the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA). Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative celebrates 12 years of action, connecting schools and communities to find workable solutions to prevent bullying.  The theme for 2022 is Kindness Culture. By building Kindness Culture together, we can promote inclusion, respect and community belonging for all students in schools across Australia.

Did you know? 

• 1 in 4 students in Years 7 – 9 report experience bullying every few weeks if not more often
• Approximately 1 in 5 school students reported experiencing online bullying in any one year
• In 85% of bullying interactions, peers are present as onlookers, and play a central role in the bullying process. 
• Students 10 to 15 years of age are the most likely to be involved in online bullying.  

Unfortunately, one of the most worrying facts about bullying is that students may not report bullying to the school because they fear not being believed or making things worse.  At Good Shepherd we have zero tolerance of bullying within our community. 

If you are concerned that your child is being bullied, there are a number of ways in which this can be reported so it is addressed by the College. Parents / carers or students can report bullying by:

• Contacting one of our College Safe Persons – Mrs Kathleen McCarthy, Mrs Donna Cole or myself;
• Contacting the student’s respective Pastoral Leader; or
• Sending a report to the following email:  c56.nobullying@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

If you would like some parent / carer or student resources on bullying, please refer to the Bullying No Way website:

School TV – Cyberbullying

This week our School TV focus is about Cyberbullying to coincide with Bullying No Way Day.

With the advent of the internet, smart phones and tablets, there is now a whole new digital dimension added to traditional schoolyard bullying. There was once a time when bullying victims were given some respite outside of school hours, but sadly these days, online bullying can occur 24/7. In today’s world, teaching your child about online and cyber safety, is as important as learning to swim or cross the road!
Cyberbullying can be identified as being the repeated behaviour by an aggressor with the intent to harm or embarrass. Technology enables these aggressors to share information widely and quickly, making this form of bullying extremely dangerous and harmful. However, the answer is not to shun the internet nor social media. Instead, parents are encouraged to embrace it and instil a family internet policy to protect their children without limiting the freedom to learn, explore and communicate online.
In this edition of SchoolTV, parents are provided with useful guidelines and advice on how to minimise the risks. Children have the right to feel safe, regardless of whether it is in the schoolyard or online.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Cyberbullying edition of SchoolTV

International Women's Day

Last Tuesday morning, a number of Year 12 students celebrated International Women’s Day through a cupcake fundraiser with all proceeds raised going towards Project Compassion. The initiative was well supported by all, with over $260 raised and some exceptional baking skills on display. Thank you to all who helped in supporting this initiative. 

As students and staff walked into school on Tuesday, they were also greeted with a brilliant message board that recognised all the outstanding female role models within the College community. The efforts of Mrs Emali Nainima need to be especially thanked for coordinating both initiatives. 

Year 12 Retreat 

As the structure of our senior retreats have changed to accommodate the new senior system, Year 12’s will have a one day retreat this year. This is because their extended senior retreat was held in Year 11 last year, where they travelled to Magnetic Island. For their one day retreat in Year 12, students will be presented with a leadership and team building workshop, facilitated by Y-lead. Y-lead provides educational experiences for students of all levels and facilitates school programs that help students build confidence, learn about leadership and grow their skills.

The program that will be facilitated to Year 12 is called ‘Leaders for Life’ and will be held here at the College on Tuesday 26th April 2022 from 8.30am - 3:00pm. The workshop will be focused around leadership, motivating and empowering students to dream big, strive for success, and assess their values as they prepare to leave school and transition into adulthood. Students will have an opportunity for reflection and teamwork activities to build comradery as well. This will follow on from and compliment their experience of their Year 11 Leadership Retreat, which will help them continue to develop their leadership skills and build relationships within their cohort. 

A retreat letter will be communicated to both students and parents in the next week to serve as a reminder before students undertake exam and TAFE commitments. 

Exam Block 

Please be reminded that if a student is absent from any exam due to an unplanned absence, the student will need to provide a full and detailed medical certificate and make contact with Michele Wood or myself immediately. Receipt of a positive COVID-19 case from Queensland Health is acceptable in lieu of a medical certificate in cases of students who have COVID-19. 

All the best to each student before these important exams. 

Although this Term has not gone to plan for GSCC Rugby League, with the boys being logistically unable to attend the Catholic Schools Carnival in Charters Towers due to COVID, there has still been a number of advancements made by this year’s squad. 

As part of our preparations for this year and future years, a Pathways Program has been established to identify development players, predominantly from across the younger grades, and give these boys the opportunity to train with the Senior team, so as to ease the transition into our team for this year or next. The extra numbers at training has helped to strengthen the unity and commitment of the team as a whole. The following boys are to be congratulated for their commitment to this program so far: 

Ryder Soper, Cole Finter, Ethan Quinlan, Tala Aukuso, Rhylee Douglas, Harry Morris, Mikeal Kuskopf, Brendan Wade, Riley Eggmolesse, Cooper Fahey and Sam Pou-Pomare.

Although we are unable to play any games this Term, each Monday and Wednesday has still consisted of the boys training hard under the guidance of Col Ryder out on the field, or with Mr Jericho Young in the College gym. A special thanks to Mr Young for running and supervising these gym sessions that will be invaluable in improving the boys’ overall strength and fitness. These sessions have been a great addition to our training regime and the strong attendance of the boys is indicative of their commitment and enjoyment. 

Training will continue in Term 2 as we prepare for our trip to Mackay for the 2022 Confraternity Carnival during the June/July school holidays. Parents and students are reminded that a deposit needs to be paid before the end of this Term. Please also refer to the Confraternity Carnival Parent and Student Information Document that was sent out last week for all details concerning this trip. Permission forms and a more detailed itinerary will be provided next Term. 

Over the next few months, a number of our boys and some girls will be competing in the Mount Isa Rugby League City v Country games that are starting this Friday at the Rugby Union Grounds. Please see the details below and consider going along to support these students.

Lastly, I would like to use this avenue to thank Brumby’s Mount Isa, 2Seas Catering, Mobilise, The P&F Association and The Buffs Club for their sponsorship to our team for this year.

In the DTC

From Ms Hutchinson

Year 8's are very clever and are constructing a photo frame with half lap joints. The students will finish the photo frame by adding to the design and making it their own. It’s so wonderful to see how many students are invested with their own design to finish off their Term 1 job.

Year 9's are making a napkin holder for home and adding their own flare to the design. All students are either chiseling out  a dovetail or bridle joint by hand.  We are very excited to see the end products soon in the workshop. 

Year 10's are very carefully using a hand planer to shave the edge of the chest to give a curved lid of our Jewellery/Treasure Chest. This will look amazing when finished with lots of different sanding grades to give the desired result. 

Year 11's have already constructed a nail caddy using three different joints. Dovetail, bridle, rebate and cross half lap joints. These nail caddies were finished in the first 4 weeks. They will now continue with constructing a bedside table with a secret drawer made by hand using many different furnishing techniques to give the students their desired look.

From Mr. Jackson

Year 8 Metalwork have been working on a galvanized sheet metal box. As this is their first time doing metal work, this project teaches students all the basics to sheet metalwork and they have been working exceptionally well. The students are responsible for designing and making their own personalised handles for their boxes and their designs are coming up really well.

Year 9 Metalwork have begun making a galvanized sheet metal Carry All, which is quite complex in the steps needed to construct. The students are progressing really well with this project. 

Year 10 Metalwork are constructing a cantilever tool box. This is a project that is going to be built over two terms (Term 1 and 2). The students have completed their bases, and are now working on their lids and trays.

From Mr. Morganson

Year 12 Furnishings class is in the final stages of their outdoor setting project. This project requires the students to work individually by designing, creating and building their outdoor project to complete a set. The group of three students choose what they design in their outdoor setting project which comprises three pieces and includes a table and two chairs. They also need to do a costing for their piece and provide details of these costs as well as labour to build in a budget.

From Mr Guest

Year 9 Metalwork are making a Carry All from sheet metal. All students seem to be enjoying the practical aspect of metalwork and a group of female students led by Isabella Lee and Madison Wills are producing some excellent work and showing the boys how it is done.

Year 11 Engineering class have just completed their first Practical Demonstration assessment. This was a 6-sided steel box made from 5mm steel plate. The students gained some great experience using the MIG and stick welders. This experience will assist them with the welding component of the BBQ, which is the next project. Joel Steele and Pat Wade both received an A for their excellent results.

Year 12 Engineering are putting the finishing touches to the Folding Camp Shovel assessment which is due on Thursday March 17. Whilst some of the students have found it challenging to maintain a consistent engagement with the assessment, and despite the interruptions of Covid and TAFE, Renee Moran has once again produced an impressive piece of work, high quality and ahead of schedule.

In the kitchen and sewing room with Mrs. Nainima

Year 7
It has been an exciting journey for Year 07FFT(02) this term. Safety is paramount, therefore week 1 was all about safety rules in the sewing room. Students learned about the basic parts of the sewing machine and the functions. Students made an environment friendly wheat bag through which they obtained their sewing licence.  I wish them all the best for next term as they take up a new elective! We would like to thank Mrs Dolzan, Mrs Armstrong and Mrs Hopkins  for helping our students transition well into the subject.

Year 8
For Year 8, Term 1 began with learning about sustainability and recycling in Textiles and Design. Students studied about fast fashion and its impact on the environment. For their assessment, they are making a cushion cover from recycled fabrics which avoids textile waste! It is amazing how students put together the idle pieces with an applique to complete their assessments. Students took great interest in designing, creating and producing their very own cushion covers!

Year 9
It has been an interesting term for the students having to complete their Bush Tucker assessment in a short term. Students studied “Indigenous Food”. Through this curriculum, students learn about Bush Tucker cuisine and appreciated the great value of the food. As for assessment, they are required to complete their booklet by answering questions based on Bush Tucker and do a cooking reflection of every practical done.

Year 10
This Term, Year 10 is learning about Great Australian Bites! In this context, students study occasions celebrated in different families here in Australia.  More interesting is their assessment where students got to feel and actually plan for an event of their choice from sitting arrangement to menu card and even designing an invitation card. Students got to choose birthdays, weddings or picnics. Students enjoyed this context as they got to taste what it is like to be an event planner!

DIT News with Mr Mitchell and Miss Lesca

Year 7
Year 7 Design and Technology students learn the principles and elements of Design, and then put these into practise by designing a website using Google Sites. This term the students have created websites promoting a number of local activities and events. They have enjoyed discovering new tools in the Google suite of programs and finding creative and engaging ways to share information. 

Year 8
The Year 8 students have been really excited learning about the World Wide Web and Networks to produce a website using Google Sites advanced features for their assessment. They all have been working really hard and are thoroughly enjoying the topics covered.

Year 9
Term 1 is a Design unit about designing websites. They have been learning the different design phases to create a website in a real world context. Really impressed with how engaged the class is with their learning.

Year 10
Students are learning about robotics using the EV3 Lego Robots. As part of their assessment they are doing a battle bots challenge to compete against other students robots in the class. 

Year 11
To begin senior ICT wrote an extended response about the impact that social media has on the youth of today. They have started a unit learning how to animate which they are extremely excited about.

Year 12
The Year 12 ICT class has been learning about hardware and software in a film context. They are producing a short film for their assessment in groups.

Year 12 Design students have been studying a unit about Human-Centred Design. For it, they are looking at products, services and environments to make the transition between Prep and Year 1 smoother. As part of it, they interviewed Prep students from St. Kieran’s and Prep and Year 1 students at St. Joseph’s and observed them in class in Zoom sessions. The Year 12 students and Miss Lesca would like to thank the teachers at the primary schools for helping to make this possible to help them with their assessment.

Good Shepherd's Emerging Leaders 

Talent Identification Clinic 

Over the weekend, Rilee Webber and Trinity Ottaviano travelled to Townsville. The girls went to Calvary College to participate in the Talent Identification Clinic for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls aged 15-18 years old. Rilee explained that this clinic was an opportunity for Indigenous girls across Queensland to play at a professional netball league standard. 

The clinic was run by former Australian Diamond, Sharon Finnan-White. She is a former Australian Netball player and a two time winner of the Netball World Cup. Rilee said that the clinic was made to inspire, encourage and teach girls to push themselves within their sporting careers. Trinity and Rilee were both so grateful for the opportunity to participate in such a meaningful event that built upon their talents.

Rilee and Trinity are continuing to develop their skills in this year's QISSN team, coached by Julie Hutchinson. They will be travelling to Mackay in the June/July holidays and we wish them the best of luck in their training and games over the year.

Rilee Webber	Trinity Ottaviano

Last week saw us recognise International Women’s Day.  

There were many events held to celebrate this occasion and we were lucky to participate in two - one locally and the other in Brisbane.

Mount Isa Event

The breakfast was absolutely amazing, it was such a good opportunity to meet new people. I got to find out a lot more about the mines. Only 19% of the people working in the mines are women and the rest are men. The key takeaway was that this percentage should be changed, it should be an equal number of men and women working in the industry. We learnt about why the percentage of women in the mines is low. The main reason was stereotyping, such as girls aren't good at maths or engineering. This has an influence on their career pathways.   Deepali Sharma

The guest speaker, Margie Ireland, was really inspiring. She shared the message about equality. Something that resonated was saying both women and men had strong, individual leadership qualities, so shouldn't we bring all that to the table equally?  Was very worthwhile :)  Faith Finter

Brisbane Event

At the beginning of the year four of our Year 12 students were selected to participate in the Queensland Minerals & Energy Academy (QMEA) Mentoring Program.  This meant they were invited to travel to Brisbane last week for the International Women’s Day Breakfast and attended several workshops plus a Launch Event.  The girls enjoyed a terrific couple of days meeting their mentors, learning how to “network” and gaining a better understanding of what’s on offer in the resources sector.  Unfortunately, Mirari Villanueva was unable to attend but she’s looking forward to the close-out function later in the year.

Keynote speaker at the breakfast was Elizabeth Broderick, Australia’s longest serving Sex Discrimination Commissioner.  The venue was the Brisbane Convention Centre.  Our girls agreed that it was a “tad” bigger than our Civic Centre.

We’ve asked each of our ladies to comment on their experiences:

The QMEA girls mentoring program is a great way to encourage girls into the mining industry. I have only just started the program but I have already learned so much about the variety of opportunities and roles available in the resources sector. I have been matched with an amazing mentor and am looking forward to working with her over the next 5 months. I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity.  Sienna Te Wani

This experience has allowed me to meet other like-minded girls who share a similar passion to myself. I was granted opportunities I never thought possible and learnt a great deal from my amazing mentor and the girls attending the program.  Renee Moran

By being selected to participate in the QMEA Girls Mentoring Program, we were privileged to attend the International Women's Breakfast alongside many inspirational women. The launch of the Mentoring Program was a huge success and allowed us to meet our amazing mentors and network with others. This experience was full of excitement and learning as we began to form a relationship. My mentor is Alice Shepherd-Ashby, the Commissioning Lead at BHP, and I look forward to being her mentee over the next 6 months.  Amy Jones

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS parent Tanya Cambetis, mum to Charlotte Rogers (Year 10) and Georgia Rogers (Year 7).  Tanya won the category “Exceptional Trade/Technician/Operator in Queensland Resources” and made a fantastic acceptance speech.

Making a Change

In my yearbook for Grade 12 (the first year I did it) my classmates voted me most likely to be a Union organiser.  Seems even back then I was looking to fight with authority.  In fact, that carried on to my apprenticeship when for the first three years I had a few run-ins with those above me. 

In my final year I finally got some brains and settled down and as I approached the end of my time my Supervisor at Number 2 Concentrator offered me a fulltime job.

The Manager of the concentrator was happy for me to take the position but the final decision rested with the Apprentice Manager.  His answer was an emphatic no and so myself and another apprentice were the only two of 40 odd that were not offered positions.

Too late did I realise that my behaviour in showing a distinct lack of respect, to those in authority, had a negative effect i.e. no job!

A couple of people have reminded me of that lately; your Careers Officer and Principal.

There are school rules that I know some of you don’t like.  So there are two choices, the first is to rail against them and break them at every opportunity, and the second is to follow them and find a way of communicating your frustration in a respectful way.

I don’t know about you, but if someone tells me what to do I get my back up.  But if the same person asks me to do something, most of the time, I will do it without a problem. So how you approach someone is important in setting the tone for their reply.

Many years ago I was Chairman of St Joseph’s Board when the Principal Mrs Wade made a decision that upset quite a lot of the school community.  As Chairman it was my role to take it up with her and when I did her frustration boiled over and it was the first and only time we ever had crossed words.

She was quite upset, but our relationship strengthened because of the way we dealt with the issue.  She had made the decision because she thought it was in the best interest of parents, but the reason was not communicated; in other words people were told to do something without reasons.

When she told me why she made the decision it made perfect sense because it saved parents a whole lot of money.  After learning this reason the board members were able to explain the decision to parents and most of them were okay with it.  Some still didn’t like it, but they respected why the decision was made.

So as a student you may not like wearing a tie and so you take it off at every opportunity. What you are doing is putting the teacher in charge in a position where they have to say something to you. To put it bluntly you are disrespecting them by putting them in that position.

If you are disrespecting them then why should they respect you?

I’ll admit I sometimes get emotional and look for the fight too quickly; a fact my wife reminded me of recently.  Sometimes you need others to recognise your faults and have the courage to point them out.

Mrs McCarthy recognised my frustration and had the courage to sit down with me and broach the subject.  We spoke about rules and I voiced my opinion and she listened and then calmly put her point of view across.

Though I left that meeting not agreeing with some decisions made, I respected why they were in place and why she wanted them followed.  It also paved the way for respectful dialogue moving forward, which I am grateful for.

I will always encourage you to challenge the rules of society.  However, you need to do it in a respectful way to ensure you are listened to.