Over the past weeks, we have received several reports of students vaping while in school uniform or at school. At Good Shepherd we aim to provide students with skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. I would ask that parents reiterate the dangers of vaping with children. As a College, we have zero tolerance for student involvement with vaping and any student found to be vaping will be withdrawn from the College for a period of time.

Not only does vaping present serious health implications, it is also illegal. This is for two reasons, firstly it is illegal for children under the age of 18 to purchase or possess.

Electronic cigarettes are smoking products Under the Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Act 1998 (the Act), electronic cigarettes (regardless of whether they contain nicotine or not) and related products are smoking products and subject to the Queensland smoking laws.

Electronic cigarettes cannot be sold to children under 18 years of age.

Furthermore, smoking (which includes e-cigarettes/vapes) is banned at all Queensland state and non-state schools (school facilities), and for 5 metres beyond their boundaries. The law applies at all times-during and after school hours, on weekends and during school holidays. It includes the use of all smoking products, including electronic cigarettes.

School facilities are defined as land on which a

• state school provides education programs under the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006; or
• non-state school provides primary education, secondary education or special education under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2017; or
• state or non-state school provides other educational instruction or activities, for example, sports grounds, including land that is owned or leased by the school.

Catholic School Parents Queensland is hosting a free webinar on Vaping with Tony Parsons, National Drug Awareness. Tony regularly speaks to school communities across Australia and overseas to ensure they have relevant and timely drug, alcohol and vaping information. The flyer is below, and I will post the link in an upcoming article as it is not yet available.

NAPLAN Tests 15 and 16 March

At this stage, Year 7 and 9 students have accessed practice NAPLAN tests on the NAP Browser.  This has given students and teachers the opportunity to explore and become familiar with the software of the actual NAPLAN tests.    This is a great way to not only test the school’s domain and compatibility with student’s devices, but will minimise the uncertainty or stress for students when they sit the actual NAPLAN tests, next week Wednesday and Thursday, 15 and 16 March.

Catch Up tests will take place the following week Monday 20 March.

Students should have fully charged devices and wired headphones to access these tests.

Additional practice can be found on the Naplan Public Demonstration Site, and parents/carers are encouraged to invest some time going through these resources with their students. 

For more information about NAPLAN, please visit the ACARA/NAPLAN site.

For any concerns regarding student participation, please contact the college by this Friday, 10 March.

Term 1 Report Cards

At the end of Term, students will receive an interim report card. This report card demonstrates the interim achievement for each subject studied this term, as well as an overall rating of their positive learning elements for each subject. Report cards are issued online through the Compass Parent Portal. We will notify parents and students when report cards have been uploaded to Compass, and you will have immediate access to them at this time. 

A reminder, that to access the Parent Portal, parents/carers must come into the front office to collect login information (office hours are 8am- 4pm Monday to Friday). We are unable to provide login information unless we can see you to verify your details; this is important due to the sensitive and sometimes confidential information that you will have access to on your child’s portal. If you have any questions in regards to the Compass Portal, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Swimming Carnival

A reminder that our annual Swimming Carnival is being held on Friday 10th March at Splashez Aquatic Centre. Students should arrive at the pool by 8.15am and meet their homeroom teachers to mark their names off the roll. 

Please note: If this wonderful rain stays around for the week, we will send a text message to families at 7.30am on Friday morning to let them know the carnival will be postponed. If this occurs, school will resume as normal at the College. 

Year 10 Immunisations

On Wednesday 26th April, Year 10 students will receive their immunisation. Queensland Government’s School Immunisation Program (SIP) gives families the opportunity to have their children in Year 10 the chance to be vaccinated for free through secondary schools; these vaccinations are fully funded. Year 10 students are offered:

• Meningococcal ACWY (1 dose)

Please ensure that your child has a healthy breakfast the day of the vaccinations.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Mr Travis Roberts, myself, or Amy Ryder at Child Health on 4743 2168.

If you are yet to return the immunisation pack that was given to your child, please do so at your earliest convenience. 

International Women’s Day 2023

International Women’s Day is celebrated each year on March 8th and celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day aims to celebrate women’s achievements, educate and raise awareness for women’s equality, call for positive change in advancement for women, accelerate gender equality and fundrise for female-focused charities. 

This morning, eight of our Year 12 students attended the breakfast where we were able to listen to a number of inspiring speeches, and also listen to our Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk discuss the new CopperString transmission line between Townsville and Mount Isa. 

Columba Catholic Schools Carnival- QISSN

On Friday the 3rd March, the 2023 Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball (QISSN) team headed off on their weekend trip to the Columba Catholic Schools Carnival in Charters Towers. The team, Zoe Ryder, Rilee Webber, Chelsea Barlow, Teuila Kohlhase, Ally Haddon, Amy Wishart, Demsi Parslow, Jamisynn Roberts, Ruby Rixon and Aaliyah Poihipi along with Assistant Coach, Miss Chelsea McKavanagh, Manager, Miss Bec Stretton, and volunteer Mrs Julie Hutchinson were ready for a fabulous weekend of competition. 

The girls played well, and had some excellent results:
GSCC vs Columba- 19 to 11 (GSCC win)
GSCC vs St Catherine’s- 32 to 14 (GSCC win)
Grand Final- GSCC vs St Margaret Mary’s 28 to 16 (St Margaret Mary’s win)

This carnival is the beginning of what is going to be an excellent year of netball! A big thank you to the coaching team, Chelsea, Bec and Julie for taking the team away. We are incredibly appreciative of your time and effort that goes into everything that you do. 

We would also like to say a huge thank you to the sponsors of the 2023 QISSN team:

• Superior Machinery Maintenance
• Izuzu Utes Mount Isa
• Mobilise
• Elex Electrical

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)

Week 7 Focus:  Pick Up & Drop Off Areas

A SPECIAL REPORT: Wellbeing - Checklist for Secondary

Over the past few years, the global pandemic has had a profound impact on our adolescents with many being forced to miss out on so many rites of passage. Some are becoming more anxious or depressed which is completely understandable given the current situation. However, should your teen display any unusual behaviour that lasts for more than 2-3 weeks, it may be a cause for concern.

Research shows there are specific risk factors that increase the likelihood of teenagers developing a mental health problem. Some are set in stone, whilst others are modifiable. Adolescents are considered to be more at risk of anxiety and depression disorders which may affect their mood, thinking and behaviour. It can impact their ability to function and perform normal activities.

It is therefore vitally important for adult carers to remain vigilant during this time for any signs of distress, even though your adolescent may not have any prior history of a mental health disorder. Early intervention, diagnosis and treatment is more important than ever. In the current climate, one useful thing you can do is help your teen focus on the things that they can control – such as their learning, diet, exercise and sleep.

In this Special Report, adult carers will be provided with a checklist that can be used as guide in determining if there is any cause for concern.

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/special-report-wellbeing-checklist-secondary

Term 1 College Fees are due on the 10/03/23.Thank you to those families who have paid or who have organised a payment plan.

The College’s preferred payment options are BPAY or PAYWAY. Your BPAY reference number can be found on the top right of your fee statement. For more information on our PAYWAY deductions and setting up a payment plan (Direct Debit or Credit Card Payments) please contact the College. Alternatively, you can make payments in person at the front office or over the phone.

It is an expectation that accounts are paid on time or a regular payment plan is in place. Please note that it is College policy, that accounts which fall 2 terms in arrears, with no communication from you to advise us of any change in your circumstances, will be forwarded on to our central office for assessment and possibly from there to our collection agency for management.

For information on College Fees click on the link to our website.

Centrelink Concession Cards 

Good Shepherd Catholic College offers a concession on tuition fees for families holding eligible Centrelink Concession Cards. (NB conditions apply) If you have not already made the College aware you have a card, please do so asap. When your card expires, it is your responsibility to present any new cards to the College to ensure that your concession continues. For more information on fees for families with a centrelink concession, please click on the link to our website. 

Concessions

We understand that in these uncertain times people’s lives can change dramatically in a short period of time. We are here to support families who may be suffering financial hardship due to unemployment or illness and who may need fee relief. If you feel that you are unable to meet our payment deadlines and are genuinely experiencing hardship, I urge you to contact the College and make an appointment to speak with the Principal to discuss how we can help you manage your account. 

IMPORTANT: Any families who are making payments to the College for fees, using our old BSB and account number, please STOP payments now and change to one of our preferred payment options. This is no longer an acceptable method of payment for College Fees.

To ensure the accuracy of your personal information, please ensure that any changes to your address, email address or phone numbers have been communicated to the College.

If you would like more information on our payment options or if you would like to set up a payment plan, please email me at accounts@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au or call the College on 47432509 to discuss.

This past week at Good Shepherd Catholic College we celebrated Health and Physical Education week for 2023. We put on activities each day trying to raise awareness of the importance of HPE in our lives.

This week was such a great way to show off the different aspects of Health and Physical Education and shine light on what we do here at Good Shepherd Catholic College. I would like to thank the community that took part in this week, including those students and staff who helped with setup and pack down, the students for participating, and also our school staff who helped to ensure this was such a success. 

This year we had students participate in a variety of sports. There was an amazing display of competition, participation and encouragement from all. I would like to thank the HPE staff especially for all of their hard work and organisation this week. Events like this bring the school community together and we did a wonderful job at ensuring that all students had an opportunity to be involved and show their school spirit and interest in Health and Physical Education.

Swimming Carnival

The Sports Department is excited to hold the annual Inter house Swimming Carnival this Friday 10th March. We are hoping to see a number of competitive events throughout the day including a very strong 12 and 13 years age group. There will also be a number of changes this year including the introduction of NEW activity challenges, where Junior and Senior year levels will pair up to compete for their houses. 

House assemblies were held today with some important information, if you were away please see notes below.

• Dress up is Hawaiian/ beach theme (points awarded to the best dressed house)
• Swimming Attire: 

Girls - one piece, surf shirt/rash vest or board shorts. 

Boys - surf shirt/rash vest, swimming shorts, trunks or board shorts. 

• Plenty of Sunscreen will be provided
• Please be at the pool by 8am and when you arrive go to the grass area near the bbq’s to have your name marked off by your homeroom teacher. 
• Students are NOT allowed to bring streamers, zinc, hair spray or body paints into the carnival. 
• No mobile phones, same rules as school
• There will also be a BBQ fundraising for our QISSN Netball team, and the pool canteen will also be open.

Last weekend, the GSCC Senior Rugby League Team travelled to Charters Towers to attend the Catholic Schools Carnival hosted by Columba Catholic College. These games provided a great platform to build our team’s culture and refine skills and combinations before our upcoming trip to Brisbane for the Confraternity Carnival during the Term 2 holidays. 

Also attending the Carnival was St Teresa’s Abergowrie, our hosts Columba and Southern Cross Catholic College who we played in our first game on Friday night. The boys were able to come away 16-0 winners displaying some spirited defensive efforts after a day’s travel. 

Rain and injuries unfortunately punctuated much of Saturday, as the boys were unable to win any further games. However, there were plenty of positives in attitude and application from the likes of Clay Phillips, Jett Guningham, Cooper Fahey, Taku Mandizvidza, Sam Pou-Pomare, Peahi Siufanua and Patrick Wade. 

The help of Col Ryder, Sean Wade and Julieann Scrimgeour needs to be recognised both before and during the trip away. Thank you all for your support and efforts in helping prepare and travel with the team. Our preparations will now turn to our annual Confraternity Carnival with information and paperwork to be distributed to families involved in the coming days. 

Lastly, GSCC Senior Rugby League continues to be supported by an extremely generous group of sponsors each year. We would like to offer our thanks to our major contributors Mobilise, CAVA Hydraulics and Engineering, City and Country Realty and The Buffs Club for their valuable donations to our team. Your help and generosity allow these students the chance to represent the College through playing a game they love.