School Renewal

Every year the College consults with the school community to determine our goals for the year. Over the coming weeks we will share this with all of our parents and families and invite you to provide feedback. 

Later in the year the College will participate in the next phase of the School Renewal process known as Validation. This is the final year in a five year process of school improvement and we look forward to reflecting on how we perform according to the following Ten Characteristics of Catholic Schools:

AREA A: MISSION AND PURPOSE:  1.  The School Improvement Agenda     2.  Catholic Identity    3.  School-Parent-Church-Community Partnerships

AREA B: CLIMATE CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING:  4.  A Learning Culture    5. Strategic Resourcing    6.  A Data Informed Practice

AREA C: EMPHASIS ON LEARNING:  7. Effective Pedagogy     8. Teaching & Learning     9. A Coherent Curriculum      10. Professional Teaching Community

100 Years of Mount Isa Celebration

Good Shepherd will be holding a stall at Mount Isa’s 100th Birthday Party on Thursday 23 February. Students who are willing to assist at this stall (selling glow products) should see me for details (notes are now available at the front office). A reminder that Friday 24 February is a bank holiday, and there will be no school on this day.

Attendance

At the beginning of a new school year it is important for students to reflect on why we come to school each day. Although the social aspect of school might seem like the most important part of the day, it is crucial that students are actively engaging in their classes, asking questions and completing all tasks (this includes both class, home and assessment work)

The curriculum moves quickly, so attendance really does matter. We understand that there will always be times where students are genuinely unwell or are unable to attend school. Where days like these span over several days please ensure you contact your child’s Homeroom Teacher or Pastoral Leader. They will be able to assist with the communication to classroom teachers. It is important that students who have been absent catch up on any work missed.

It is important that students arrive at school by 8:20am in order to be ready for Homeroom to commence at 8:30am. Homeroom is a really important time of day, where students receive notices and information relating to daily organisation. 

Below are some startling statistics that remind us how important it is for students to attend school on time, every day.

Staffing Update 

Sadly, Gemma James will be departing Good Shepherd this term due to ongoing health concerns with her partner. Although they hoped to return to Mount Isa at the end of the year, this is no longer plausible and they will be moving to Sydney. Please continue to keep Gemma and Angus in your prayers as he receives the best care possible in Sydney.

Subject Changes for Year 11

By this stage, students should be fairly set in the classes they wish to study for the remainder of the unit. Changing subjects from here means that students may have missed key introductory information, and may find it challenging to catch-up on these concepts. 

The process of changing subjects:

1. Students should collect an ‘Application to Change Subject’ form from the front office.
2. They must then consult with their current and future teachers of that subject they are wishing to change from. Their teacher will then sign the form to accept the change.
3. The student will need to take this form home to their parents for consideration. In many cases, students will be wishing to change senior pathways, and we must ensure that parents are also aware of the implications of this.
4. The student will then hand the form back to the front office.
5. The subject change will then be processed and the student will be issued with a new timetable.

Subject Changes for Year 12 

Subject changes are not permitted in Year 12 as students are too far along in their subjects to warrant a subject change. 

NAPLAN

Communication

The term is moving rapidly and we are beginning to enter the busy assessment period. It is important that families are keeping in regular contact with your child’s teachers, particularly if you have any questions or concerns. Please feel welcome to contact your child’s teachers by phoning the College office on 4743 2509, or emailing them. 

Assessment

As we enter the assessment period, it is important that students are attending classes regularly and seeking assistance and clarification from their teachers as required. If your child is absent on a day a final assessment is due, they will require a signed note from a parent (Year 7-10), or a fully detailed medical certificate (Years 11-12). 

Please see the flowchart below:

Mount Isa 100 Years Birthday Bank Holiday

Reminder: The College will be closed on Friday 24th February due to the town Bank Holiday. 

College Events

There are a number of College events occurring throughout the remainder of the term. A reminder that you are able to view the College Calendar on our website, and if you have a ‘gmail’ account, you can also add our calendar to your personal Google Calendar. 

Please see the overview for the next two weeks:

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)

Week 4 Focus:  Playground / Oval

This Friday our Year 10 students will be participating in the Love Bites Program which will be facilitated by the Student Protection Team from Townsville Catholic Education Office. 

LOVE BiTES, developed by NAPCAN, is a Respectful Relationships Education Program for young people aged 15-17 years. It aims to provide young people with a safe environment to examine, discuss and explore respectful relationships. All Love Bites programming takes a strength-based approach and views young people as active participants who are able to make choices for themselves and their relationships when supported with information and opportunity for
skill development.

LOVE BiTES education is focused on three critical areas for learning:

• Knowledge: youth-led collaborative learning
• Attitudes: critical thinking and decision-making and
• Behaviours: problem solving and communication skills

The overall aims of the program are to equip young people with the knowledge needed to have respectful relationships, encourage and develop their skills in critical thinking and assist them in being able to problem solve and communicate effectively. When equipped in these areas, NAPCAN believes that young people can make the right choices for themselves and their relationships that are free from violence and abuse.

A SPECIAL REPORT: Surviving the Final Year

It’s no secret that the end of school can be a huge source of anxiety for both students and parents alike. Studies have shown that over 40% of final year students suffer from high-level anxiety or stress, with some even suffering from depression.

It is important to prepare a student’s brain for success. Studies show there is a clear link between students taking care of their health, and their overall productivity during the final year of school. Understanding how best to support your child’s health and wellbeing during this time will help them perform at their best. The student brain has a lot going on, so understanding how it works will help them get the most out of their brain power. Acknowledge that not all stress is bad. The art is in finding the right balance. Having the right amount of stress can encourage students to be at their optimal level of alertness, and improve behavioural and cognitive performance. It helps tune their brain and focus.

In this Special Report, parents and caregivers will be presented with a number of strategies on how best to support their child during the final year at school.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report:
https://goodshepherd.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/surviving-final-year

Welcome to our latest newsletter.  This edition talks about:

• Sleek Geeks Science Prize - $3,000 first place
• Finding Work Experience
• Post-School Options
• Careers in Architecture
• Do I need further education or training?
• UCAT 2023 - Info Year 12’s wanting to study Medicine or Dentistry
• USI - how to apply

Careers Newsletter

There are two reasons to implement rules; the first is to protect people the second is to maintain power. An example of the first is telling young kids not to talk to strangers, which protects them when they are young and naïve.

For the second, think of a friend or partner who tells you not to talk to certain people; an example of a rule designed to maintain power.

Sometimes however we need to implement rules to follow ourselves because it not only protects us but maintains power over a part of our life that, if left to run free, may hurt us. Simple examples are excessive use of poker machines, alcohol or drugs.

If we are addicted to any of these then we need to implement a rule that fits the maintaining power category. Have no doubt that there is a battle within all of us that not only is never fully won but is always raging.

I love a bet but I have never been interested in poker machines because there is no thinking involved, you just push a button and hope. However, I do like a flutter on the ‘gee gees’ or sports. I have been around enough gamblers who have let their addiction overtake them to know it is a slope that can very quickly become slippery.

So I impose limits on myself so that when I get into a situation where emotion takes hold I am able to reign it in and not go silly. I had two mates and their approaches to gambling were vastly different. They both went to the races one day with the knowledge that a particular horse would win and do so at a good price.

For the purpose of the exercise they each had $1,000 to bet. One maintained their discipline and adhered to the rule put in place to maintain power over their urge to have a bet before the race they had come for, the other did not.

By the time the race arrived my disciplined friend still had his $1,000 while the other had lost $900 after not being able to resist the urge to bet on other races. Of course, as he lost each bet his lack of discipline became worse and worse and he chased the money he had lost.

That is what discipline is – a rule we implement on ourselves to protect us from ourselves. Arnold Schwarzenegger said “discipline is what you use when you don’t want to do something, when you have to force yourself.”

In other words, discipline is what you use to maintain power over yourself, because our body and mind is designed to take the easiest option; unless it is trained not to. The old saying is: motivation is what gets you started but habit is what keeps you going.

If you want to be successful you have to impose rules on yourself that will ensure you reach them. If you want to be successful at sport you have to train, even when you don’t want to. If you do that, eventually your mindset changes so that if you don’t train, you feel bad.

If you want to be successful at school (this does not mean straight A’s but rather reach your full potential) you impose rules on yourself to ensure you do so. You make a time table with time set aside for study and you stick with it, even when you don’t feel like it or your friends are doing something much more fun.

Eventually that becomes a habit and you find yourself arranging things around your study schedule. Success is built on foundations and you are the person who puts those foundations in place.

If each study session in your school life is a rock then the more study lessons the more rocks and therefore the more solid your foundation to build upon. When exams and assessments come at you your strong foundation allows you to stand strong and succeed.

The less rocks the more unstable your foundation and when exams and assessments come at you instead of standing strong you crumble.

Every training session and every study session is building your foundation towards success. Success is not a fluke, it comes one rock at a time.

EMERGING LEADERS- PROGRAM UPDATE

What a crazy start to the Term it has been. From PIN Night, valentines day and acknowledgement of the National Apology, it has been busy for all at GSCC! Below is an update on the Emerging Leaders Program timeline. 

• Make sure your child has registered for the Emerging Leaders Program. If you have not registered, please sign through the link below. https://forms.gle/ynroG7mZoUkCodg88
• Students' Personal Leadership Agreements will not be sent until Week 8 when all registrations have been completed. In the meantime, have a chat with your child about their PIGS (Personal Incentive Goal).
• Students will then have Week 8- Week 10 to meet with their mentors and review their goals.
• Homework Help has had a large attendance from our Emerging Leaders! Please keep up the encouragement. 

STUDENT SHOUT OUTS

Emy is one of our Emerging Leader students in Year 11. She has started an apprenticeship as a Hairdresser. Emy is a great role model for students, who is doing exceptionally well at her apprenticeship and in classes. Emy has even had a praise note in English already. Great job Emy! Check out some of Emy’s comments below.

“I am enjoying working with the people at Salon Bronze. I go there once a week either on a Monday or a Friday. So far, I have been learning how to style hair, blow dry hair, how to give a great head massage and have expanded my knowledge on hair products required for different hair types. I have been grateful for my teachers and Emerging Leader support staff and Mrs Coghlan for helping me achieve my goals”. 

Valentines Day

This year our amazing Year 12 students have gone above and beyond for our first student event of the year, Valentines day. They put a lot of work into preparing ideas and executing this throughout the course of two weeks. This is moving towards creating a culture of school engagement and excitement around events such as Valentines day, however, we were also able to raise $300 towards supporting project compassion and Caritas Australia. 

The Year 12 students sold cupcakes and personal notes as a way to express care and compassion in our community. It was great to see some festive spirit in the school as we set up stalls for purchasing last week, and delivered these cupcakes and notes to homerooms on Tuesday morning (14th February). It is only a glimpse to the work the Year 12s will be doing this year to further develop the culture in our community and share the care for creation amongst the college.

I want to express my gratitude and appreciation to Mrs. Donna Cole, Mrs. Samantha Dolzan and the Year 12 hospitality students for baking and decorating the cupcakes, you all made this process so much easier and we really do appreciate your efforts. Thank you again!!