This week I thought I’d return to a discussion on some of the essential expectations that are central to the operational success of Good Shepherd. Like every institution, there are key procedural elements that ensure the relational nature of an educational organization are harmonious and respectful as well as continually focused on our vision and mission which are shaped by the determination for excellence in teaching and learning.

The four basic expectations of each student within the college are;
1. Respect all people and things – HANDS OFF
2. Be in the right place at the right time – SHOW UP
3. Come prepared to learn – BE PREPARED
4. Follow instructions the first time – HAVE A GO, DON’T QUIT

The four basic expectations of each teacher are;
1. Consistent classroom practice
2. A holistic approach – (physical, intellectual, social/emotional, spiritual)
3. Continuous and timely feedback
4. An understanding of individual learning needs

These expectations, although relatively straightforward, underpin what we believe to be essential for good management of both students and staff roles and responsibilities. Of course as partners in the teaching and learning journey at Good Shepherd you as parents and carers also have important expectations to engage with;
1. Ensure that you remain informed of what is happening at the college
2. Support your child’s learning (checking homework, assignments, co-curricular activities)
3. Stay in contact with teachers where necessary
4. Monitor absence, use of technology, wellbeing

There is always so much going on in our lives and school is no different. It is very easy to be distracted by the hustle and bustle of our lives and the myriad of opportunities available to distract us (social media being a major one) however I feel certain that if students, staff and parents are prepared to adhere to the expectations as outlined above we would ensure the success of all that our Catholic education avails us in whatever role we are engaged.
“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individual. To that end, each of us must work for our own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.”
Marie Curie

Each year, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8. This year, the theme for this very special day was Balance for Better. On Saturday evening, the Zonta club of Mount Isa held a dinner in honour of International Women’s Day, encouraging advocacy for women’s advancement everywhere and in every way. International Women’s Day calls for people to challenge the status quo for women’s equality and vigilance to inspire positive change in all communities.

It was at this dinner that Women from Mount Isa had the platform to shine, and to be honoured for their many achievements. The Good Shepherd Catholic College community was extremely proud to have two wonderful young women nominated in the category for Young Woman of Achievement 2019. We would like to congratulate Charlotte Coghlan and Laura Szabadics on their nominations  - well done girls.

As a College, we also recognised International Women’s Day through homeroom activities. On the morning, all students made a purple flower which they wore on their shirts. Our Student Representative Council (SRC) made these flowers for our staff earlier in the week to also wear on the day in recognition of International Women’s Day. We would like to thank the SRC for their assistance with this.

Student ID cards are arriving to the College this week and will be distributed to students in their homeroom classes on Monday morning. Any students who may have missed having their ID photo taken will have this opportunity again in term 2 on our College Photo day. This is being held on Monday the 29th of April.

MARS stands for Merit Award Recognition System which is a new system that is being introduced this year. As mentioned earlier this term, every merit award students gain will go towards their House Group; Rice, Benjamin, Chisholm and Mackillop, which will tally up to determine the winner of the end of year House Cup. Students will also receive points towards their own profile that will accumulate to achieve various levels (i.e., Principal’s Merit, Bronze, Silver and Gold Merit Awards).

Students have been reminded about how they can accumulate MARS points and are encouraged to ask their teachers if they would like to know more. We hope that MARS will help to celebrate students’ efforts, achievement and success both inside and outside of the classroom.

We are now at the time of term when drafting and assessments begin to ramp up. Assessment is an extension of the work completed in class, and allows students to demonstrate their application of the skills and knowledge they have gathered over the term.

Drafting is a very important part of the assessment process. Drafts are designed to be the best possible response to the assigned task. Students are reminded to be organised to enable them to complete full and completed drafts by the required date. Teacher feedback on drafts will vary from task to task and is generally subject specific - how a teacher drafts in English will be different to how another teacher drafts in Maths.

The College Assessment Calendars, available from the College Website, outlines the due dates for all final assessment pieces. Should you have any questions or concerns around an assessment piece your child is currently completing, your first point of contact is the classroom teacher, followed by the Curriculum Leader for that subject.

Exam block begins next Monday 25th March for Year 12 students and next Thursday 28th for Year 11 Students. Exam block timetables have been emailed to parents and students, but please see below for a few reminders regarding the privilege of Exam block:

• Students must sign in and out at the College Office when arriving and leaving.
• Students should be studying at home, studying quietly in the designated room or completing an exam during exam block. Exam block is not free time.
• It is expected that students wear their full formal uniform when completing exams. Students may be sent home to get the correct uniform before sitting an examination.
• Normal College rules apply in regards to mobile phones, and students are not to bring take away food, coffee or energy drinks into the school grounds during exam block.
• Students must arrive at the designated exam room 10 minutes before its scheduled start time.
• Should a student be absent from an exam, contact must be made with the College Office and a medical certificate must be provided in accordance with the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority guidelines.

We understand that this time can also bring some stress and anxiety to some students. While assessment is an important and necessary part of the learning process, we also want to ensure that our students have positive mental health. Please don’t hesitate to contact your child's Pastoral Coordinator to discuss any concerns you may have - there is always something we can do to help support them in their learning journey.

Good luck to all students over the next couple of weeks, and remember you are stronger, braver and smarter than you may know!

Students are busy with assessments and exam study at this time of the term. You can support them by providing healthy snacks and a regular bedtime, asking them to teach you some of what they are learning, by allocating a quiet, distraction-free place to study regularly, by encouraging your student to adhere to their study timetable, and to see their teachers if they are experiencing difficulty.

Year 12 QCS students are reminded that they will have an important afternoon QCS workshop during exam block in week 9 and will have the opportunity to sit a practice QCS test on Monday and Tuesday in week 10. It is imperative that students attend this practice test session as it will familiarise them with the test procedures and expectations. The test papers are marked and they also provide QCS preparation teachers and QCS students with important information regarding how best to target the preparation for the actual test. Students will be required to attend with the correct equipment for each practice QCS test session.

An advertisement from QCAA for community representatives for the QCS test is included in this week’s newsletter.

The Humanities Department have had a very busy term, filled with exciting learning opportunities, particularly our Year 8 students. In Week 7 Miss Algie and Miss Frew organised a fantastic learning experience for our Year 8 students for Humanities.

The students in Year 8 Humanities are currently learning about landforms and landscapes, which focuses on investigating geomorphology through a study of landscapes and their landforms. This unit examines the processes that shape individual landforms, the values and meanings placed on landforms and landscapes by diverse cultures, hazards associated with landscapes, and management of landscapes. This unit develops students' understanding of the concept of environment and enables them to explore the significance of landscapes to people, including Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The students were provided with four landforms to select for their assessment task being Uluru, The Three Sisters, The Blue Lake and The Bungle Bungles. One component of this task had students analyse the significance of their landform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

To assist students in doing this Roslyn an Elder from the Mount Isa Community came into Good Shepherd to engage with Year 8 students. In this discussion Roslyn discussed the importance and significance of dreamtime stories and the connection of them to landforms. Roslyn also discussed the significance of landforms to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander’s from her own perspective.

This was a great opportunity for students to engage with an Elder from the community and ask questions.

The GSCC Swimming Carnival is done for another year, and what a carnival it was. With the introduction of the Inaugural 200m Freestyle race the day started off with a flurry of excitement, as students cheered on the competitors as they entered the new facilities at Splashez Aquatic Centre. The new facilities allowed us to have a new set up at the pool, with two houses on either side, which added to the phenomenal atmosphere on the day.

I was very impressed with the participation of all students, in both the 50m races and the annual novelty events which included, the boat and noodle relays, and the obstacle course. It made for a fun eventful day with students and teachers alike getting involved to earn points towards the overall House Championship, and the Spirit Trophy. The day finished off with the House Relays followed by the Staff vs Year 12 relay, which saw the teachers carry on there winning form from last years carnival.

Finally, I would like to thank the HPE Department for their tireless work in helping to set up the carnival, all the staff and students who helped set up and pack down on the day, and all staff and students who participated. Without your help we would not be able to run our carnivals.

We wish to invite parents and friends to our next assembly on Wednesday 3rd April, as we announce House Champions, Spirit Champions and Age Group Champions.

Another busy fortnight has passed at GSCC with regards to sport. Many different activities taking place, and a whole load of students involved. The school is going from strength to strength in numerous sports. GSCC has provided large numbers into the NW teams – more so than any other school in the NW region! It is wonderful to see so many students involved in sport at GSCC and hopefully even more can get involved for the remainder of the term and into next term.

Congratulations to Benjamin House who took out the Senior House Basketball competition in a very close final. McKillop were very close to winning, but just couldn’t make the baskets when it mattered. It was a great tournament overall, and the best students made the team to play against the staff the day before. Unfortunately the student team were not quite good enough to out do the staff – this time!

The Junior House basketball competition is being run at the moment. It is proving popular and a few close games have been had. The competition concludes next week with the final being played next Wednesday 27th March.

Another successful race was held on the 10th March. Holly Green won the short course event and the staff team managed to beat the students team this time around ( with the help of Mirari Villanova’s great swim). The students were handicapped by goggles falling off, and bike punctures but nevertheless the staff were worthy winners.

On the same weekend GSCC had both Netball and Rugby League teams attend the Columba Catholic all schools Carnival in Charters Towers. The Rugby League team managed to place third overall and the Netball Team came fourth. It was a great weekend for all involved and the students had a great time, and it was a successful team bonding exercise.

GSCC has had nine girls selected for the U19 and U15 NW District Teams. This is the highest number of students out of all the schools in the NW region. A brilliant effort. Congratulations to Madison Clauson, Taryn Drewe, Charlize Pontini, Amy Haddon, Kyra Krutzfeldt, Madison Hegarty, Janelle Wolland- Rophia, Charlize Osborne and Erena Arsenic. Good luck in the state championships to be held in Townsville from the 2nd to 5th of May.

Last Sunday five GSCC U15 boys travelled to Winton to try for Rugby League. All five did very well and have been chosen to represent the NW Region at the State Championship from the 2nd to 5th May in Ipswich. Congratulations and good luck to Michael Kelly, Jake Russell, Sela Naituku, Jack Petitt and Brodie Roberts. Again GSCC were the best represented school in the NW Team  - a great effort.

Another four students have been selected to represent the NW Region Hockey in the state championships in Townsville. Well done and congratulations to Lazarus Blythe, Connor Blythe, Tristan Nicholson and Brock Philip. Best of luck in the championships.

Please be aware the Queensland Education Department has amended its rules regarding the use of mouthguards in certain sports.

It is now compulsory for students to have mouthguards if they are playing the following sports: hockey, rugby league, AFL and rugby union. It is also recommended (but not compulsory for soccer). Please note that if students are playing these sports they must have a mouthguard to participate. If they do not have one they will not be able to be involved in any potential contact situations. Should you have any questions please contact Mr Kustka by phone or email during school hours.

To celebrate International Women's Day Glencore hosted a business breakfast Friday 8th March at The Buffs Club.  Guest speaker was Senior Sergeant Renee Hanrahan from Mount Isa Police Station. Students Tara Gavan and Erena Arsenic were given the opportunity to attend and spend some time with the guest speaker.

What is a Bachelor of Arts?

A Bachelor of Arts (BA) offers a flexible approach to studying humanities, social sciences and languages.  It means you can tailor your degree to suit your individual needs and strengths. This qualification will help you to acquire a range of analytical and communication skills.  There are many specialist subjects in which you can major/specialise. Some of these include: Ancient, Australian or International History, Archaeology, Languages, Criminology, Geography, Indigenous Studies, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Screen and Media, Religion and Writing.  

Employment that could result from studying a BA may include:  historical archivists, museum curators, criminal justice work, industrial relations, management, policy development, public relations, public service, foreign affairs, education, business, migrant and multicultural affairs, overseas aid and development agencies, political and social advocacy, journalism, human resources and research.  

For further information it is recommended you research your preferred universities to find out majors on offer, or please make a time to meet with Careers Department.

Bachelor of Arts is also a terrific pathway into university should you not meet requirements for your first choice.

Now is the time for Year 12 students to start checking for any special entry requirements/admissions criteria for their preferred university courses.

For example, if you wish to study musical theatre/acting may need to audition and/or supply a portfolio of work.

If you wish to study medicine, dentistry or some health science courses you must sit the UMAT/UCAT to be eligible for entry into some universities.  The only Qld university which requires this is University of Qld. JCU doesn’t require UMAT/UCAT testing, however you must complete a written application and attend an interview.  UMAT is the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Science Admission Test.  More recently the name has changed to University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT).  The test has been designed to assess a range of non-academic personal qualities, which are considered important for the study, and practice of medicine, dentistry and other health professions.  

There are several companies which offer their services to assist with preparation.

The Qld Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) site is a good place to start. www.qtac.edu.au  

I suggest you also check specific university sites for more information.

UMAT/UCAT sites:https://www.ucat.edu.au/, https://www.matrix.edu.au/university-courses-that-require-umat/