As we draw another term to a close, I thought I’d review the events of this very busy term and highlight some of the work we have been doing here at Good Shepherd.

The term began with retreats for the Year 9, 10 and 12 cohorts. Retreats are an opportunity to focus on student wellbeing, improving community within the year levels, addressing the specific needs of students at this time in their maturation, and building leadership capacity as students travel the GSCC path.

Also, during the first few weeks, we saw many students represent the college in various co-curricular events. Opportunities such as these provide extension in students learning as well as facilitate talents and skills at a high level. Returning from the holidays having competed successfully in Confraternity (Rugby League) and QISSN (Netball) both at a state level our athletes were soon engaged in the Interschool Athletics Carnival. While not victorious overall our juniors took out their division and our individual athletes achieved highly taking out 7 of the 11 records on the day. Sheer numbers were to overcome us in the end. Around the same time a large contingent of students from Good Shepherd, St Joseph’s and St Kieran’s travelled into Townsville for the annual Mulkadee Arts Festival. This event has become one of the premier arts events in Australia. The weeklong workshops culminated in an amazing contemporary performance of “Alice in Wonderland” to over 2,000 people at the Townsville Convention Centre. Our students were not only well represented, they also held many of the significant roles in the performance, much to the praise of the directors.

In week 3 we celebrated Catholic Education week. Our Feast Day was held on Wednesday with a special mass and morning tea for the college community. On Thursday the students attended the Career Expo and on Friday we recognized our highly achieving academic students with the Principals Awards Assembly. It was great to see a large number of parents and carers celebrate with us during the week.

Our Validation (the culmination of a 5 year Renewal and Verification process) was held early in week 4. An external team of professional educators visited the college to audit our report and interview representatives of staff, students, parents and the community. The final report was very favorable and will be placed on our website for you perusal along with a summary of the recent RADII survey which will provide feedback for us to address issues of concern and recommendations for future improvement. At GSCC we recognize that improvement is an ongoing process and we are always looking to provide a better teaching and learning environment.

We celebrated NAIDOC in week 5. Our indigenous students engaged in a writing workshop with internationally acclaimed storyteller Boori Pryor. We launched our RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan) at our special assembly on the Wednesday with guest speaker Professor Roianne West and commenced the Emergent Leaders Program. Students and staff engaged in “Wallaby Walk” (an indigenous cultural awareness program) during the week. Also at this time, we extended our Homework Program to offer four afternoons a week (every day except Tuesday) from 3 to 4pm.

After having a very busy term offering catering and service to numerous college events, in week 6 the Certificate 2&3 Hospitality students travelled to Brisbane to participate in a week long
In-residency Program at Royal Pines. Also during this week we held our QCS Intensive for the Yr12s and a QCS Introduction for Yr11s, hosting three expert presenters from Brisbane and Cairns. Then in week 7 we had our Enrolment weekend for incoming Yr7s. We took up a different approach this year by opening up the college for the day so tours could be facilitated and more staff were able to participate in the interviewing process. The day was very successful and my thanks go to staff and students for their generous assistance.

In the last three weeks (our Grey weeks), we have been focusing on settling the students in preparation for Exams, the QCS tests and final assessment for the term. We celebrated with the parish at the Multi-cultural Festival, completed our VET audit with QCAA and will finish with RUOK day this coming Friday. Parents are invited to join us on this day when we will have a student concert and whole college BBQ to finish the term.

As you can see, life at Good Shepherd is extraordinarily busy but isn’t life in general these days. My congratulations to all those students and staff who have worked hard this term and I wish them every success with their results and a rewarding break.

Peter Scott

2018 is definitely flying by and we reach the end of another busy Term.  We have seen many curriculum and extracurricular events that have allowed our students opportunities to experience success both inside and outside the classroom. I would like to wish all students and staff a safe and restful mid semester break, as they refresh and recharge for Term 4.

We would like parents to note that the College will not be issuing report cards this Term, the next report card will be the Semester Two Report issued at the end of Term 4. We encourage parents to contact their child's teacher if they have any questions, or would like information regarding their progress.

NAPLAN Reports

The 2018 NAPLAN Reports for students in Years 7 & 9 have been mailed home this week.

Awards Night

Planning is well underway for the Annual College Awards Night. In the first weeks back at school in Term 4. Lists of award recipients will be published to students. The Criteria used to determine our academic awards is outlined below. A reminder that results from the full year so far are used to determine recipients.

Awards Night will be held at the Mount Isa Civic Centre on Wednesday 24th October. This is an excellent night that showcases and recognises the achievements of our students. We look forward to seeing all parents and students attend to help celebrate the success of 2018.

Parent Portal

From Term 4, the College will begin to rollout the Parent Portal. It is vital that your contact details are up to date, including email, phone and mailing address as we will be contacting you with details of how you can login to access information regarding your child's learning and progress.

Please contact the College Office to update any details as necessary.

Multicultural Festival

On Friday the 7th September, the Good Shepherd Parish celebrated the annual Multicultural Festival. This is a significantly important event for our community, celebrating Mount Isa’s culturally diverse and inclusive population. I would like to thank a number of students who gave up their time to help out at one of the College stalls on the evening:

Without your support and your generosity, the evening would not have been so successful, so thank you.

Plenary Council in 2020

As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, the Catholic Church of Australia plans to host a Plenary Council in 2020. This was announced by the Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge who has said, “we are going through a time of profound cultural changes, not only in society but also in the Church”. Archbishop Coleridge is asking us to think about how we would respond to this situation and to consider the question: “What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?”.

The Scripture reference for the Plenary Council 2020 is “Listen to what the Spirit is saying”. It is a passage from the book of Revelation. Access to the Holy Spirit comes through a special gift that all people who are baptised have received at their Baptism when they are anointed with chrism. That gift is called “a sense for the faith” (sensus fidei). The whole Church together has this special gift, what is called “the faithful’s sense of the faith” (sensus fidelium) (Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, 2018).

For those wishing to join a small group to consider the question and participate in listening and dialogue sessions, please feel free to contact myself or the Good Shepherd Parish office on 4749 8555. To learn more about the Plenary Council 2020 please visit the Plenary Council website https://www.catholic.org.au/plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/

Help wanted

In other news, we have been called to ask for any volunteers who can help at the Vinnies store in Mount Isa as they are in desperate need. At the moment, there are just not quite enough people to sort the clothing to sell in the store. This clothing helps to make the sales so the St Vincent de Paul Society can continue to do it good works in the area. If anyone is able to assist, even for only an hour a week or for a more temporary role please contact me at the College or see the flyer in the newsletter to contact the Isa shop directly. Thank you for your consideration.

We are also calling for more volunteers to help assist in the cooking and serving at the Parish Jangawala drop in center. If any families or students are interested in helping out from October onwards, please contact myself at the college or call the Parish office on 4743 2509.

Uniform Expectations

Grooming

Before returning to school in Term 4, it is important that students carefully consider the College uniform expectations. Students are to wear their full academic uniform to arrive and leave the College each day (this includes the senior tie). If you need to purchase new uniforms, the Uniform Shop is open during term time on Tuesdays from 8:00am - 9:30am and Thursdays from 2:30pm - 3:00pm.

Before the end of the holidays, please ensure that all hairstyles are appropriate, this includes: being natural in colour, neat, tidy and no shorter than clipper no.2. Nail polish (including shellac), acrylic and gel nails are not permitted so please ensure these are removed before Term 4 commences.

Towards the end of this term, we have noticed a rise in boys failing to comply with our grooming expectations. As stated in the College Diary, boys must be clean shaven. If boys come to school with facial hair, parents will be contacted and given two options for the student:

Option 1: shave here at school before attending class (there are facilities for this in the office)

Option 2: go home and shave before returning to school

This is a very basic College expectation that we require all students to comply with, if you have any questions please contact your child’s Pastoral Leader.

Blazers

As we come even closer to the end of the school year, it is crucial that all Year 10, 11 and 12 students own a College blazer. The College blazer is compulsory for all formal events and should be kept in excellent condition. If your child does not have a blazer, please make arrangements to purchase one before the end of Week 1, Term 4.

Lockers

Before the end of the Term, students will need to clean their lockers and take home any unnecessary items. Please note that students will not have access to their lockers over the holiday period, so anything left at school will remain here until Term 4 commences.

End of Term Family BBQ / RUOK? Day Concert

As a College, we have a number activities planned for Friday September 21st to provide our students with an opportunity to talk to each other and ask “are you ok?”.

These activities will run in the morning; we then invite parents and guardians to join us for the annual RUOK? Day concert, which will take place from 11:30am - 12:30pm in the Lumen Christi Centre. From there we will serve our end of Term Family BBQ Lunch at 12:30pm.

Students will be dismissed from the LCC at 1pm after an end of term farewell assembly

I would like to wish all families a safe and happy holidays. School resumes for Term 4 on Monday 8 October.

As we approach the end of Term 3, it is imperative that Year 11 students adjust their focus towards the upcoming term. Overall Position (OP) estimates will be calculated at the conclusion of the term, with students undertaking this pathway provided with an opportunity to reflect on their achievement and performance in their Authority subjects.

On Thursday 6th September, two Year 11 students, Jordan Dew and Bradley Leonard, were nominated for the TAFE at School Student of the Year at the Mount Isa TAFE Trade Excellence Awards. This award recognises the achievement of school students in their studies within the trade sector. Congratulations to Jordan Dew, who jointly received this award! Well done to these two students on their dedication and commitment to their studies.

Student Leadership 2019

Next year, the Student Leadership structure has changed with the appointment of two College Captains and four House Captains. The nomination process for the 2019 Student Leadership Team has begun, with nomination booklets collected by students today. These booklets are due on Wednesday the 10th of October.

A Student Leadership Formation Day will be held in Week 1 to reflect on the mission of Good Shepherd Catholic College, the role of servant leadership and the fostering of spiritual practice. All potential leadership candidates are required to attend this vital component of the leadership process, as it provides an authentic opportunity for students to consider their purpose and their positive contributions to the College.  

Uniform

As per my email to parents and guardians last week, as senior students of Good Shepherd Catholic College, it is a mandatory requirement that all Year 11 students have a College Blazer. In order to attend end of year ceremonies and functions, all Year 11 students will need to purchase a College Blazer by Week 2 of Term 4.

I hope you all have a safe and restful break. If you have any questions, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at jmartin7@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au or through the College on 4743 2509.

WOW! What an amazing year for the Division 2 GSCC Dragons Netball Team!
From the beginning of the season, to the Grand Final game on Friday night, each and every game the girls made us both so proud.

The Grand Final on Friday night was a night to remember. The girls showcased everything they had been working towards all season, by beating the TW White Ferns 12-7. This team was undefeated throughout the entire season, and the girls managed to change this with their Grand Final win!

Each of the players received a well deserved trophy, and Darcy Webber received a trophy for Player of the Final. Bella Sloan took out MVP for the season, with Breeannyn Moncrieff and Lailah Moore coming in with MVP Runners Up. An amazing achievement for the girls.

A very big congratulations to:
- Sophie Greenhalgh
- Sophie Tobin
- Darcy Webber
- Sharni Pierce
- Lailah Moore
- Sarah Brewster
- Emily Brown
- Bella Sloan
- Breeannyn Moncrieff

We couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of girls to coach throughout the season, who provided us with many laughs, as well as some heart attack moments!

We are so excited to see the further development of the girls next season, and are looking forward to another exciting, and fun-filled year!

G WHAT?! GSCC DRAGONS!

Miss Kristie Broad and Mrs Sally Holland
GSCC Dragons Coaches

The GSCC Concert Series is continuing next term, with the final two instalments. The Next concert - La Clarinette Fantastique - is scheduled for Saturday 13th October, 2018. We hope to see you and your friends at the next one.

If you missed Love, Light & Hope, here is some of what you missed.

This concert encapsulated the three words that all of us know so well - Love, Light and Hope. What makes them so alluring is that they are fundamental cornerstones of humanity and they represent the pinnacle of all spiritual aspects of life. As Thoreau once wrote “there is no remedy to love, but to love more”. For those who attended we hope you took away an appreciation of what it means to love and be loved, combined with the motivation to treasure it always; in such a troubled world, it’s what is so desperately needed.

During the night we experienced vocal and piano music that encompasses the triumphant, the blissful, the transcendent, and the seductive. Conversely, this evening of song also had some sharp edges and dark corners. We heard songs of betrayal, loss, depression and battles for the soul. After all, how does one appreciate love, light, and hope, unless one visits total despair, darkness, and grief?

Never fear, it isn’t all bleak! One thing that this program succeeded in, was showing us that hope is eternal, light breaks through the darkness, and love always wins.

Homework Help - Term 4

As previously advised in our Week 6 newsletter earlier this term, we now offer homework help 4 days a week - Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 3:00pm - 4:00pm in the Library. Each of these days has seen approximately 3-5 staff members support both junior and senior students during this program.  The homework help program will continue for Term 4 (weeks 2 - 7).

Term 3 also saw the College trial an online registration process, which was beneficial in ensuring the daily sessions were not overfilled and unmanageable for staff.  For the duration of Term 4, we will now trial a registration free process. This means students can now attend their preferred day without the need to register in advance online.  They are however required to sign in each day with their Student ID card, this will help our College track attendance at each session. It is also still essential for both parents and students to sign and return a homework help contract prior to the first attendance.  This is available on the student intranet page, or hard copies can be collected from the College Office or Library. If you have already signed a copy of this contract for 2018, you are not required to sign another.

If your child does not have a Student ID card, please have them see Ms O’Donnell in the Library.

As this is only a trial,  we will need to reconsider a registration process in 2019 if numbers become excessively large on particularly days and not manageable by our staff.  Please also remember, that students are still only eligible to attend 2 homework help sessions a week, this will be tracked with our sign in process.

For your information, Thursdays and Fridays to date have been relatively quiet sessions.  For this reason, it may be beneficial to consider sending your child to either of these 2 days to ensure numbers do not become too large on the other days.

To recap:

1. No online registration process prior to attending homework help in Term 4.
2. Students are required to bring their Student ID to every session they attend.
3. Homework Help contracts still need to be signed prior to the first attendance.
4. Students are only eligible to 2 sessions per week.

If you have any queries regarding our homework help program please contact our College Office and they will direct you to a staff member who can assist with your queries.

TAFE TRADE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Recently three of our senior students were nominated as finalists for the inaugural Trade Excellence Awards.  They were Bradley Leonard (Yr 11), Jordan Dew (Yr 11) and Sam White (Yr 12).

It was a tight finish with Jordan Dew taking out the top award (jointly).  We are very proud of the effort these young men have put into their TAFE courses this year and believe they are well and truly on their way to a successful trade career.  Well done gentlemen, you are a credit to yourselves, your family and GSCC!

2019 TAFE Applications NOW OPEN

2019 TAFE applications are now open for all Year 10 & 11 Students.  

To apply go to www.tafeapply.com.  Use application code TQN1901.  

Contact Careers if you require assistance fcoghlan@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

WORK EXPERIENCE

This week sees the commencement of work experience for 35 senior students.

We would like to thank the following businesses for their support.

Mt Isa Vet Surgery, St Joseph’s Kindy, ABC Radio, BAM Auto Electrical, MAK Diesel, Osborn Consulting Engineers, Sweet Building and Roofing, Miner’s Mate Mechanical, Airside Logistics, Wardles Accounting and Business Advisory, Sankvik, Hello World, North West Hospital and Health Service, AERCO, Sanctum Medi Spa Retreat, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School,

St Paul’s Lutheran Child Care Centre and Glencore.

Are you aged 13-18 and interested in Air Force Cadets?

Mount Isa is now recruiting.  Please contact David Pringle on 0488572113 for further information.

See recent story below.

https://www.northweststar.com.au/story/5638923/cadets-fly-high-over-mount-isa/?cs=191

CONGRATULATIONS

Tara Gavan (Yr 11) and Chyma Henley (Yr12) have completed their School Based Traineeships with Calibre Training and Development and now have a Certificate III Business Administration qualification.  Both ladies commenced their traineeships in February so have done extraordinarily well to complete by end of year.  Your hard work had paid off, nicely done Tara and Chyma.

This term in Health and Physical Education classes students have been harnessing their practical skills of invasion games. These incorporate team sports such as Netball, Soccer, Basketball, European Handball and more. It is within this scope that we can celebrate the successes of the GSCC Dragons that took home the Grand final on Friday evening. The Dragons took on a netball team that had gone undefeated all season which allowed this game to be very exciting and eventful with a final score of 12-7.  Thank you to the GSCC community being staff, students and parents who came to the netball courts to support this team. It is through the cheering crowd that athletes are able to perform at a higher level than they believe.

Whilst the netball season comes to an end I would like to take the opportunity to thank all coaches and players for their dedication, commitment and passion to the sport throughout the year. I would also like to thank the parents for their tireless efforts to drive students to and from trainings and games.

On a final note I would like to promote our National Hpe day that is coming up in the first week of Term 4. This is a nationwide initiative that highlights the importance of Health and Physical Education in our schools. Australian school children rank among the worst in the world when it comes to physical activity. To tackle this problem, they need to be taught skills and have better knowledge and understanding of how to lead active and healthy lifestyles. Our HPE day will be run on the 11th of October and includes promoting walking or riding to school to start the day with a boost in physical activity. We will be providing students with a healthy breakfast, having a dance competition, 1 min rower and bike challenge and staff v student 30 meter sprint race.

We love supporting community sport.

The Isa Roos Football Club have trained on the GSCC oval this year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Roos for their kind donation of footballs, water bottles and sweat bands to the HPE Department. A number of classes have utilised the equipment in PE lessons this Term.

Save the Date:

Sports Awards Evening will be held next Term, Thursday 18 October from 6:30pm. We look forward to celebrating student and staff sport success.  Email invitations will be sent to families early next Term.

Wishing you all a great break! If you are heading away, please travel safely, see you in Term 4.

 Hugh from the Resilience Project talk on The Today Show

Our children are under more pressures than any generation was before them. It is predicted that in 2018, young people receive as much information each week as their parent's generation did in a whole year. With new studies showing that as many as up to 40% of high school students suffer from mental health issues at some time during their schooling, raising resilient children is becoming more and more important. Watch this great interview with Hugh from the Resilience Project for inspiration and strategies.