Dear Parents/ Caregivers,

I have come to Good Shepherd with a deep commitment to education and a belief in the transformative power it holds. Throughout my career, I have witnessed the incredible impact that dedicated educators can have on the lives of students, and I am eager to continue that tradition here.

As we embark on this journey together, as educators we are very conscious of the incredible impact we have on the lives of our students, your children. Our collective efforts will shape the future leaders, thinkers, and contributors to society. I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead, and I am honoured to lead such an exceptional group of educators. Our mission is not just about imparting knowledge but also about nurturing character, compassion, and resilience.

I am a firm believer in the strength of collaboration, and I am confident that by working together, we can create an environment where both students and staff flourish. Communication is key, and my door is always open. I value transparency, feedback, and dialogue. Your insights are invaluable, and I want to hear your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Let's build a culture of open communication that fosters trust and unity. As you are I both know, it takes a village to raise a child.

Last Monday we welcomed our newest members to the Good Shepherd Community, our Year 7's and new students. All together we had 121 students begin an epic journey as they step into our Community! 

As they brace themselves for new friendships, exciting challenges, and countless opportunities to shine! Together they will laugh, learn and grow into the best versions of themselves.

Let the laughter, friendships and endless possibilities begin!

We also celebrated our Scholar’s Awards last Wednesday. We had the privilege of celebrating and acknowledging the achievements of students at our College. This Scholar’s Awards highlighted the academic achievement of students in Semester 2 of 2023 as well as the outstanding achievements of some of last year’s Year 12 students. 

During this assembly, we celebrated the remarkable accomplishments of numerous students, alongside the announcement of our College Dux. Abigail Constantinou emerged as the Good Shepherd Catholic College Year 12 Dux for 2023, a prestigious recognition bestowed upon her for achieving the highest ATAR in her senior subjects. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Abigail for her unwavering dedication and pursuit of academic excellence.

I would also like to take the time to extend my warmest congratulations to all students who received an award, for their outstanding academic achievement! Their achievements serve as an inspiration to their peers and a source of pride for both their teachers and their family. May this achievement be a stepping stone to even greater accomplishments in the future. 

Drop-off and pick-up times at the front of our school gates can be quite hectic. Ensuring the safety of our students and community members is our top priority. We kindly request that everyone adheres to all road rules and signage, especially around the crossing area. Please utilise only the designated stopping areas for dropping off and picking up students. Unauthorised parking and speeding near the crossing are currently significant concerns for us. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.

Finally, we'll be reaching out for feedback regarding our school newsletter. We aim to assess its effectiveness and necessity as a communication tool for our community. Your input is crucial in helping us gather meaningful and accurate data. We kindly ask for your participation in the survey to provide your thoughts and insights. This way, you can contribute to shaping our communication methods and ensuring they meet the needs of our community. Your time and feedback are greatly appreciated.

Together, let us continue to make our College a place where your child can only flourish, knowing that they are a part of a supportive and compassionate community. 

Meagan Waldon

Acting Principal

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

As of 2023, NAPLAN will take place in Term 1.  This year, our Year 7 and 9 students will participate in the Writing and Reading tests on Wednesday 13 March, and the Conventions of Language and Numeracy tests on Thursday 14 March.  

NAPLAN tests skills in literacy and numeracy that are developed over time through the school curriculum. This testing system identifies whether all students have the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for their learning, and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community. Students are assessed using common national tests in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. NAPLAN tests broadly reflect important aspects of literacy and numeracy in the Australian Curriculum. 

In the next two weeks, NAPLAN software will be downloaded onto students' computers and practice tests will take place in Week 5 and 6.  Practice tests provide an opportunity for students to become familiar with the online test environment, and allows our school to rehearse for the test administration for the actual test days.

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.

Please keep an eye on your emails over the coming weeks as more information is sent through.  

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

After a busy start to 2024 students should now be settled into their timetabled classes, working hard and learning lots of new and exciting things! 

Updating Contact Details

If any of your contact information has changed, please inform the College Office so that we can update student details.

Departing Students

For anyone unenrolling from GSCC, we ask that an enrolling parent completes a departing student form prior to your final day of school. You can do this by contacting the College Office on (07) 4749 9400.

School Immunisation Program

Queensland’s School Immunisation Program (SIP) provides parents with the opportunity to have their Year 7 and Year 10 children vaccinated for free through all Queensland secondary schools.

The program will run at GSCC on the following dates:

• Year 7 - Wednesday 6 March 
• Year 10 - Thursday 14 March (Round 1).  Round 2 for Year 10 date TBC (Term 2)

If students are away on the vaccination date, parents can contact Child Health directly.

It is important to note that even if families decline the  vaccination the form still needs to be returned to the College office.

Volunteers

It is important to note that all Townsville Catholic Education schools must induct all volunteers, including parents, using the TCE Volunteer Induction Package located on each school’s website.

Volunteers must complete the induction on a three yearly basis and complete the associated forms:

• Volunteer Registration
• Confidentiality Agreement
• Photo Consent Form
• Site Induction Form
• Blue Card Application Form (where a current blue card is not held)

There are also a series of online modules to complete.

All details can be found on our website, following this link → https://www.goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au/parents/volunteer-induction-for-parents-and-carers/ 

Compass Parent Portal

The Compass Parent Portal is the platform Townsville Catholic Education uses for schools to provide up to date attendance, wellbeing and academic information to teachers and families.

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 details unless we can 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 not collected your login details from the office, please do so by the end of Week 4 (16/02/24)

For returning parents, if you want to change your password please see the steps on the document below.

Compass School Manager - Smart Phone Application 

If you have a smartphone, you can download the Compass App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

If you do not have a smartphone, you will access the desktop site here: Compass School Manager Desktop Site

Compass Parent Portal - logging an absence

If your child is absent from school, you are able to enter this information directly using the Parent Portal (this replaces the need to call the office - absences can be entered at any time before 8:25am; you can also approve absences at a later time if you did not meet the 8:25am cut off). Please see the instructions below to assist you with this process.

Timetable/Daily Organisation

By now, all students should have received a hard copy of their 2024 timetable. A reminder that the timetable works on a two week cycle (Week A & Week B) - There are five lessons each day of 1 hour in length. Morning Tea is our larger break of the day, and runs from 10:50 am to 11:30am, with Lunch beginning at 1:35pm and finishing at 1:55pm. It is important that students arrive to school by 8:25am to ensure they are ready to enter Homeroom at 8:30am. 

Subject Changes

As we move towards the end of Week 2, it is important that students are settled into their classes, being involved in the introduction of their classes. As of the end of week 2, students should not be making any further subject changes.

As a gentle reminder, the process for changing subjects is below:

1. Discuss subject change with classroom teacher;
2. Collect a ‘subject change form’ from the College Office;
3. Complete form and have existing class, and new class teacher/Curriculum Leader sign (this is the first stage of the approval process);
4. Take the subject change form home - a parent or guardian must sign it;
5. Take the subject change form to the College Office for either Mrs Webb (7-10) or Mrs Wood (11 & 12) to process.
6. Collect your new timetable!

If you are in Year 11 or 12, you must complete this process with the Deputy Principal Teaching & Learning to ensure there will be no impact to your post schooling pathways.

Please note: not all subject changes are possible; however we will always do our best to accommodate requests.

SchoolTV:

A SPECIAL REPORT: Starting Year 7

When a child starts high school, they suddenly become one of the youngest and newest kids at school all over again - a small fish in a big pond! The transition between Year 6 and Year 7 is one of the biggest jumps in a child's life and is a very important milestone. This can easily become a daunting time for students and parents alike.

Starting Year 7 poses many new challenges, but also exciting opportunities. It comes with a number of mixed feelings. Some students may be feeling a little anxious about their expectations of starting Year 7 and finding their place in the “big pond”. As your child grasps new skills and engages in new study practices, it is important for parents to be supportive, but also realistic in their expectations. Parents and students can easily become overwhelmed during this time of transition but, there are a number of strategies that can be implemented to start things off on the right foot!

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

Here is the link to your special report:
https://goodshepherd.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-starting-year-7

SPECIAL REPORT: Surviving the Final Year

Although the final year of school can be a stressful time for students, and parents, there are a number of strategies that can be applied to help reduce anxiety and allow students to perform at their best. It is important to prepare their brains for success. Studies have shown that there is a clear connection between students taking care of their health and their productivity during the final year of school.   

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, behavioural and cognitive performance. It helps tune their brain and focus. Therefore it is important to understand how best to support your child’s wellbeing during this time. This will help them achieve to the best of their ability. The emphasis should remain on their good mental health, wellbeing and the effort they are putting in. The student brain has a lot going on, so understanding how it works will help them get the most out their brain power.

Here is the link to your special report:

https://goodshepherd.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/surviving-final-year

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.

Opening Mass and Assembly 

Parents are cordially invited to our 2024 School Opening Mass and College Leader Induction Assembly. This will be held on Wednesday, February 7th, at 8:50 am for a 9 o’clock start, in the Lumen Christi Centre. A small morning tea will be provided in the LCC after the mass. 

RCIA Program 

GSCC will be running the RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) in term 1 this term. The program is open to students, parents and/or staff who have thought about or are interested in becoming Catholic and completing the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist. If you are interested in participating in an initiation ceremony or are unsure what is involved, please contact Mrs Carmen Franks-Weier or Father Mick at Good Shepherd Parish.  The program will begin on the 27 February, for one hour, once a week after school. The confirmation & Communion Enrollment Form will be forwarded to any person who completes the Expression of Interest Google Form.

Jangawala Volunteering

As part of our commitment to supporting parish initiatives, the Good Shepherd Catholic College community volunteers at the parish kitchen to cook for Jangawala once a month. It is located next to The Good Shepherd Parish Office on Corbould Street. This service opportunity entails cooking simple meals to share and/or helping with serving meals. Any families who are able to help out with the supply of food, donations are greatly appreciated. Please let me know if you're interested, and I will follow up with you. You can find more information on Jangawala here: https://www.goodshepherdisa.com.au/jangawala-drop-in-centre. Our next rostered day is:

• When: 11 February 2024
• Serving Time: 11:30 am 
• What's involved: Cook a simple meal to share (Spaghetti bolognese/ Pasta Bake/ Sausages/ Vegetables/ Roast Chicken) and/or help with serving.
• Food Drop Off Time: 11:15 am

Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent

In Week 4, we will begin our Lenten season. On Tuesday morning, 13 February, Pancakes will be served before school. The college seniors will cook and serve the pancakes for the school community. Wednesday, the 14th, is Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning of Lent. The whole college will come together for our Ash Wednesday liturgy with Frs. Mick and Emene.

As a reminder, the tuckshop will not be selling any meat products on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays as is traditional during the time of Lent.

Project Compassion

As with previous year’s homerooms, we will be fundraising for Projection Compassion. As part of Project Compassion, each week, we will engage with stories of people who have been assisted by the funds raised during Project Compassion. Week 1’s story focuses on Ronita; you can read more about her by clicking the link.

Dear Parents & Students,

We are thrilled to welcome you back to a year bursting with artistic energy! Enrolments in Art, Drama and Music electives, along with co-curricular Instrumental Music, are on the rise. It is a delight to see all students enrolled eagerly participating and engaging with all of the class content. Excitingly, Dance is now offered to all Year 7 students, a special thank you to Ms. Cooper for her wonderful work with all the students.

As the term unfolds, anticipate the launch of the String Ensemble, Vocal Ensemble and Junior and Senior Rock Band in Week 4. 

For details, please contact Mr Miller at jmiller11@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

We are very much looking forward to offering to our students many career opportunities including work experience, traineeships and apprenticeships, TAFE, guests speakers, University information and more.

WORK EXPERIENCE

This year Mrs Kim Holohan will be joining our Careers Team as the Work Experience Coordinator and will be the point of contact for all things relating to work experience. By now all Year 10/11/12 students have received correspondence about work experience for the year.  If you would like more information, or help with finding a placement for your child, please contact Kim Holohan  kholohan@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

You are invited to send all other careers enquiries to Liesel Armstrong at larmstrong1@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

TAFE

Week 5 will see the commencement of TAFE for a number of our Year 11 & 12 Students.  During the year they will undertake up to 6 weekly blocks learning new skills and working toward a formal qualification in their area of interest.  The courses include automotive, health, engineering (diesel fitting), electrical and cosmetics.  We wish our TAFE students all the best as they embark on their new learning journey.

SCHOOL BASED TRAINEESHIPS & APPRENTICESHIPS

Our students have been working hard over the Christmas holidays securing traineeships and apprenticeships.  Some of these placements include hospitality, animal care, mechanical, carpentry and diesel fitting. If you would like more information about how these work please contact Mrs Liesel Armstrong larmstrong1@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au 

RISE STEM Camp 2023 Melbourne

During the first week of the school holidays, some of our Emerging Leader students had the opportunity to attend the 2023 RISE STEM Camp in Melbourne. The week was jam-packed with activities, visiting different parts of the university, meeting professors and other students from around Australia.

This program provides First Nation students in Year 9 & 10 with the opportunity to immerse themselves in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM), in a culturally supportive and responsive space.

The week started with us travelling to the Aboriginal Walking tour track Biosciences session in the Botanical Gardens and then we were Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony. After lunch we headed back to the Trinity campus for some Maths & Stats games and some Cultural sessions.

After breakfast on Tuesday we all walked to the MDHS & Dentistry workshops where they participated in some hands-on activities then walked over to the Science Gallery Exhibition.

On Wednesday we got the bus to the Werribee campus Vet school and learnt about Careers in Veterinary  and spoke to some of the staff and even got to see a horse getting ready for an operation. After that great morning we then travelled to the Sky Planetarium at Scienceworks featuring a 16m domed ceiling, reclining seats, a 7.1 surround sound system and a full-dome video projection system. The result is spectacular colour and movement like never before, creating a unique immersive environment and awe-inspiring astronomical experience.

Thursday during the Engineering sessions students got the chance to build their own miniature bridge and created a Water Bottle rocket with staff from the Telstra Creator Space which they launched all their rockets on the campus gardens, which was great to see so many different designs.

Overall it was a great experience for our Emerging Leader students as not only did they get to make new friends, but they all came away with the knowledge and experience of what university is like and what the different career pathways if they want to study at the Melbourne university.

I highly recommend this great opportunity for any student who is thinking about going to university or is thinking of the STEM career pathway.

Please find attached a copy of the Uniform Price List.