As we approach Mother’s Day this weekend, I’ve been reflecting on some important lessons that I’ve learned from my own Mother. My mum Robyn had eight children and all of them went to Catholic schools in Townsville. She and Dad were committed to their faith and passed this on to me and my siblings. Four of us still work for the Church in some capacity. It wouldn’t have been easy raising such a large family, I can’t even imagine how she used to keep up with all the washing and daily homemaking chores. Of course, we all had to do our own chores and be responsible for our own lunches and preparation for school etc. But the really important things my Mum taught me are timeless lessons, that are still relevant and worth of mention today:

• Hug your Mother and Father every day; not a quick flippant hug, but a deep bear hug;
• Be careful crossing roads - Mum said this to us every single day. It’s not just about the road, but about being careful and safe in everything that you do;
• Sit around the table at dinner time - share the joys and woes of the day as a family. Have a laugh and try not to complain if Mum serves tripe. Do people still choose to eat tripe?
• Take your education seriously - God has given you a brain, so use it and try your best whatever subjects you do or your aspirations in life;
• Go to Church if you can - Mum inspired us to be open to faith and to pray to God. We went to Church every Sunday and had to pray the rosary every night which was a big commitment but I’m grateful for having these prayerful experiences now.
• Finally family matters  and even if you don’t see everyone in your family frequently, take the time to tell them and show them that you love them.

This year I’m grateful to be celebrating Mother’s Day and Grandmother’s Day. I’m also grateful for all the women and men in my life who ‘mother me’ and support me when I need it. 

Happy Mother’s Day to all of our Mums for this Sunday!

Kathleen McCarthy

Principal

Homework:

Homework is an important part of the learning process and is used to consolidate the in class learning that occurs throughout the day. As teachers, we issue homework to students for a variety of reasons. We understand that different students complete homework at different rates. While there is an expectation that students complete homework, we also understand that there may be times where this isn't possible.  The health and well-being of our students is also important. If you feel your child is not coping with the amount of homework, or is not able to complete the set homework in a reasonable timeframe, I encourage you to contact your child's teacher.  Together we can then ensure that we balance the workload as they transition along their learning journey.

Students in Years 11 and 12 should be spending approximately 2.5 to 3 hours on either homework, assignment preparation or exam preparation per night. 

Students in the Junior school should be following these guidelines: 

Year 10 (2 hours); Years 8 and 9 (1 – 1.5 hours) and Year 7 (1 hour).

Queensland's Help with Homework Site 

Please contact your child's teacher, or the relevant Curriculum Leader for more support.

Professional Photos

Next Friday, 19 May Townsville Catholic Education will be at the College taking professional photos for our school. Please ensure all students are wearing their full school uniform (like photo day!) on this day.

Year 12 students are still permitted to wear their senior jerseys.

Upcoming Exam Blocks

As I outlined last week, this term Year 10 and 11 students will have formal exam blocks.

Year 11 Exam Block:

• Term 2, Week 6
• Tuesday 23 – Thursday 25 May 2023

Year 10 Exam Block: 

• Term 2, Week 9
• Monday 12 – Wednesday 14 June 2023

All Year 11 students received Exam Schedules on Monday, and Year 10 students will receive theirs next week.

REMINDER: ALL ASSESSMENT MUST BE COMPLETED IN ALL SUBJECTS 

IN ORDER TO HAVE EXAM BLOCK PRIVILEGES. 

Students who have incomplete assessment will be required to attend 

school for the duration of the exam block.

If you are absent for an exam in exam block you must:

Contact the College office ASAP, or your parents can contact the College office on your behalf.

Have a medical certificate. These requirements are in accordance with the GSCC Assessment Policy “If a student is absent from a Senior Exam Block exam, the student will complete an alternate paper in the next available session and a medical certificate must be provided upon their return. If a medical certificate is not provided the student may not be allocated a result for that internal assessment piece, resulting in no credit for the piece / unit studied. 

Below are the exam block timetables for Year 10 & 11 for this term.

PB4L: 

This week our PB4L focus is on socialising in the appropriate areas. This is very important, particularly in our lunch breaks. As a staff we aim to be as vigilant as possible while monitoring our duty areas, however, for this to happen we need to ensure students are in the appropriate areas at all times. 

 Do it for Dolly: 

This Friday, 12th  May is Do it for Dolly Day so our SchoolTV focus this week is on Cyberbullying. We want this to be an educational process about what Do it for Dolly Day is, the meaning, but most importantly what we can do to improve kindness, support, acceptance and care in our community by reducing the impact of online bullying and its impact on people. I want to express a massive thank you to Kate Thinee and the Year 7 cohort for organising homeroom activities and engagement so that we are able to bring light to this important topic.

School TV:

In the wake of the tragic death of 14-year-old, Amy 'Dolly' Everett, this SchoolTV Special Report highlights the dangers and risks associated with social media. Dr Michael Carr-Gregg warns parents that children under 12 should not be on social media at all!

A recent study by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, has uncovered that one-in-three boys and one-in-four girls, as young as eight, are experiencing weekly bullying – on and off-line. These “child bullies,” do not have the emotional intelligence to understand how damaging their behaviour can be and what the long term effects will be.

This current bullying crisis is a parent, school and community problem. It is not something that can be easily solved. Parents need to educate themselves in learning how to implement preventative strategies.

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/cyberbullying-special-report

SPOLIN

Year 10 students and parents/carers, you are invited to attend the Senior Phase of Learning Information Night within the College's Lumen Christi Centre on Monday, 29th of May at 5:30pm for a 6pm start.

SPOLIN is a great opportunity for Year 10 students to find out about the Year 11 and 12 Senior Phase of Learning and the College strongly recommends attendance from each student and at least one parent/carer. 

On the night, you will be provided a detailed outline of the ATAR and QCE pathways and an overview of our Senior Education and Training Planning procedures to be conducted next semester. Further, each Curriculum Leader will also be available for questions in regards to senior subject options. As such, attendance at SPOLIN ensures the best preparation for students and parents/carers when making decisions for senior schooling. 

Year 10s are to RSVP their attendance through the shared Google Form via email. Additionally, please refer to the below invitation for all information concerning the event.

If you have any questions or concerns please email me on troberts5@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au or call the College on 47432509. 

Last week some of our Year 10’s participated in a Qld Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) Tradies for a Day workshop.

The students were involved in a number of activities including:  Electrical, pneumatics, mechanics, technical drawing and virtual welding.  

This is what some of the students said about their experiences…..

The workshop really opened my eyes to how many trades there are.  I enjoyed everything that we learnt on the day.  Jessica Ward

I found the tradies for a day to be very interesting, it was informative and opened up career ideas that I will most likely pursue in the future. I learned a lot and loved the opportunity!  Ruby Rixon

The Tradie Day was definitely worth it and the mechanic was the best trade. Madison Wills

CAREERS WEEK 

Next week is Careers Week!  We have organised guest speakers during lunch so students can come and listen to different career possibilities and have the opportunity to ask questions.

Tuesday 15th May:  Rachael Scrimgeour.  Rachael graduated from GSCC last year and is working at Glencore on their school leaver’s program.  She will talk about how she got into that program and what a cadetship looks like.

Wednesday 16th May:  Senior Detective David Barron and Police Liaison Officer Gracie Ryder.  David and Gracie will discuss their roles within Queensland Police and will be able to offer advice to any students interested in following a policing pathway.

Thursday 17th May:  Amy Henrich.  Amy is an Accountant by profession and runs her own business Talking Numberz.  She will talk to students about what superannuation is, how tax works and why she decided to become an Accountant.

Friday 19th May:  Legal Aid.  Jessica and Danielle from Legal Aid will share information about two different careers within the legal profession.  

I encourage students interested in any of the above areas to come along and learn something new.

Interschool Netball

A big thank you to everyone involved with Round 1 of our Netball Tri-series. We had a great turn out with some exciting game play from both schools. Well done to our teams for their amazing effort and see you in Week 5 for Round 2!

Athletics Carnival

Don’t forget about our Athletics Pre-events

• High Jump Workshop (Fosbury Flop technique) - 11th May 3:15-4pm at GSCC
• Athletics Pre-Events (1500m & High Jump) - 15th May 3:30-5:30pm at Sunset Oval

Note - students wishing to participate in either 1500m or High Jump must collect and return the signed permission note from the office. High Jump participants are also required to attend the Fosbury Flop workshop in order to participate (or must have a certificate Athletics coach sign off on their technique on the permission slip).

The official schedule for the Athletics pre-events will be released closer to the date.

Nomination dates for the following sports, due dates and venues are displayed below.

- Unless stated, nomination dates involve both Boys and Girls in different sporting codes.

- Students who nominate will need to travel independently at their own expense to attend the trial

- Individual nominations require students to currently compete in the sport and must provide a coach who can confirm skill level

QLD Cricket Come & Try Day

Acknowledgements

The Sports Department would like to congratulate the following students for their efforts on the weekend playing for the NQ Outback team in Charleville.

** Students were also selected for the QLD Outback Teams **

Good Shepherd Striders Running Club                       

When: Tuesday & Thursday mornings.

Where: GSCC Oval (Enter via May St Gate).

What time: 7:00am - 7:40am.

What is it: Cross Country trials & Athletics training.

Who is it for: All students and teachers.

Permission: Students will need to collect a permission note from the office.

Cost: Free.

How often: Come occasionally or as many sessions as you like.

Equipment: Running shoes, comfortable clothing, water bottle.

Information: See Mr Guest for any information/ questions. 

Term 2 2023 Training Program: (until May 25, 2023)

1. Warmup (10-15mins)
2. 2k time trial 

There are 4 $50.00 SportsPower vouches to be won:

• Senior Male & Female; Junior Male & female. 

Dates to remember:

• Cross Country May 12 (See Mr Young for details)
• Athletics carnival May 26.
• Parkrun (5k run or walk) every Saturday at 7:00am