“I believe in going with the flow. I don’t believe in fighting against the flow. You ride on your river and you go with the tides and the flow. But it has to be your river, not someone else’s. Everyone has their own river and you don’t need to swim, float, sail on theirs but you need to be in your own river and you need to go with it.”  C. Joybell C.

Welcome back to Term 3. The year is going very fast and appears to be busier than ever. The first three weeks are no exception. The Year 11s returned from their Ski Trip last Wednesday having had a wonderful experience in the snow. Also last week, we entertained a student group on pilgrimage from Lourdes Hill Catholic College. This week a number of our students are off to Mulkadee (Townsville’s premiere students’ arts event), we commence enrolments for 2020 with our Open Night on Wednesday and on Friday the Hospitality Dinner will “kickoff” Catholic Education Week which is next week. Next Wednesday we have the Principal’s Academic Awards presentations. It was very rewarding to hear of the success of our Confraternity and QISNN Rugby and Netball Teams who competed at these state level competitions over the holiday break and to receive such wonderful feedback from the community about the quality of the students who participated in Work experience and QMEA programs in recent weeks. As well as this, we have many wonderful excursions and extension experiences planned over the following period.

Last week on assembly I spoke to students about the term “to go with the flow”, hence this week’s quote above. We often speak metaphorically about the course of our lives as a river and of being “swept up” in life’s events as we flow along. In many ways I think this is a good message but so too is the condition that we need to choose our own river. During my leave I had cause to watch people swimming in the Rhine River which runs through a number of European cities. At this time of year it flows very swiftly as a result of being fed by the melting snow of winter. Because of this the notion of swimming generally means throwing oneself into the current and allowing it to carry you downstream. Most people take a waterproof bag and put all their clothes, towels and valuables in it, seal it and use it as a floatation device. I tried it. It was great fun. 

Some interesting observations – nobody takes exactly the same journey, they are all very much at the mercy of the river’s flow, some people choose a very safe path close to the bank but it’s not as much fun, some choose to go right out to the middle of the river (which is a little dangerous because of river traffic) but it’s so much faster and more of a thrill. Most choose between the two however no two rides are the same, I noted that. Also what was interesting was that although the current looks very fast and you wonder if once entering you might be swept away, once in the flow it seems quite steady and you can easily change your course with a few strokes to one side or the other. Many people sit on the bank and watch the “swimmers” float by, perhaps hesitant to enter because of fear or perhaps they don’t think the trouble of getting changed, wet and cold, is worth it.

So to elaborate on the quote above it seems that we have much to consider. Do we enable ourselves to “go with the flow” knowing that life will take us along anyway, do we consider our own river and not be coerced into riding someone else’s current, or do we not enter the river at all, remaining “safe” on the bank but without experiencing any or all that life has to offer, good and bad (like the ship that stays tied up in the harbor, safe, but not ever fulfilling it’s real purpose).

The river that is secondary education is what we offer at GSCC and we hope that our community will enter into that river and not “stand on the bank watching from a distance”, critical but uncommitted. We also hope that we offer different currents for students to choose that are inclusive but diverse and enable them to reach a destination of their choosing. Finally, we strive to support our students physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually (like the bag that holds all the things that are important to them and enables them to keep afloat) as they flow upon a river of their choosing, the river that is their life.

Celebrated annually in Week 3 of Term 3, Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all 306 Catholic schools in Queensland to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos.

Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.

In 2019 the theme for the week is Many Voices. One Spirit.

Please join us on Friday evening to celebrate the beginning of Catholic Education Week with a three course meal prepared and served by our Year 11 and 12 Hospitality students. All money raised will assist students in attending the Hospitality camp. Please see advertisement below for more details.

As part of Catholic Education Week this year, Year 7 Good Shepherd students have been invited to attend St Joseph’s Primary School for a concert and celebratory Mass. The concert will be performed by singer Michael Mangan. The day will run as per schedule below.

8.30- students arrive at the College as per usual

8.45 & 9.15- Buses depart from College to St Joseph’s

9.40- Michael Mangan Concert

10.40- Lunch (pizza and popper to pre-order- form attached, play on Captain Cook Oval)

12.00- Mass

1.20- Second Break (Non-perishable packed lunch and Captain Cook Oval)

1.40- Good Shepherd run activities in Penola Centre

2.30- Students to be picked up from St Joseph's

Students will need to bring with them a hat, water bottle and non-perishable packed lunch for second break (and first break if not ordering the pizza lunch). Students will need to be picked up from St Joseph’s Primary School at 2.30pm from the Penola Centre carpark on Brilliant Street. 

Please join us next week to celebrate our students' academic success for Semester One. Students will be notified by the end of the week if they are receiving an award. Please see below for an invitation and the Award Guidelines.

I hope all students and families have had an enjoyable holiday and have had a great start to the new school term. Over the holidays 26 of our Year 11 students attended camp where they enjoyed seeing the sights of Canberra, Sydney and the snow. All students proudly represented our Good Shepherd Community during their time away. I would to thank our staff Mrs Kate Thinee and Mr William Morganson for providing our students with this experience. 

This term our Year 9 cohort will also be attending their Retreat on the 7th and 8th of August. In the coming weeks information will be sent out to families in regards to this experience. 

As we start Term 3, I would like to remind students of our uniform expectations:

•  Hairstyles must be neat and tidy and no shorter than clipper number 2. No tracks, mohawks or extreme styles or colors are permitted.
• Hair must be kept out of the eyes and off the face.
• Hair longer than collar length must be fully tied up; half up/half down hairstyles are not permitted for students with long hair.
• All nail polish, including shellac, gel and acrylic nails must be removed by the first day of term.

Finally, a reminder that students are only permitted to wear the following jewellery items:

• One wrist watch
• One plain gold/silver chain with a crucifix/Christian symbol
• One signet ring
• One earring in each ear. This can be a sleeper, stud or birthstone earrings and should be no greater than 3mm in diameter.
• Students must have no other visible piercings – clear jewellery is not permitted.

A reminder that if your child is going to be out of uniform, please send a note with them to school explaining the issue.

Welcome back to all students, families & staff for Term 3. I hope that you all had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday with family and friends, and I trust that our students are refreshed and recharged ready for the new term. This term, we welcome a number of new staff to our College and look forward to all that they bring to our College and community. I would also like to especially welcome any new students who join our College community this term. 

At the beginning of the term, all students received a new timetable, some with changes, some without. A reminder that the timetable works from a fortnightly cycle/two week cycle (Week A & Week B) - This allowed us to better balance class times, as well as lessen the impact of missed days and events that occur during curriculum time. 

Students should be fairly set in the classes they wish to study for the remainder of the year. Changing subjects from here means that students may have missed key introductory information, and may find it challenging to catch-up on these concepts. Should students wish to change subjects, they must collect a form from the College Office, and talk to both their current teacher and the teacher of the subject they wish to change into in order to assess the impacts that moving classes at this stage might have. A parent/carer is required to sign the form to approve the change. Once this form is completed, students can hand this into the College Office and the subject change will be assessed, processed and a new timetable printed for the student to collect in homeroom. 

Our Semester one parent-teacher-student interview evening will be held on Tuesday 30th July in the Lumen Christi Centre from 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm with interviews running for 10 minutes each. To book/view interviews, we will be using the Compass Parent Portal again. 

We believe successful education is achieved through a three way partnership between parents, students and teachers. Parent/Teacher Interviews provides opportunities for teachers to discuss a child’s progress/behaviour and allows parents & students to discuss concerns or issues. Teachers request parent/teacher-student interviews based on the Semester 1 Interim Report. The most common reasons for requesting an interview includes discussion of:

• academic progress and how the student can improve
• issues around behaviour, class work, organisation and or effort
• the application to homework and assessment

Some other key information:

• The interview system will be open to parents/carers until 3pm on Monday 29th July. After this date, teachers will be aware of their final bookings for the evening.

Fortnightly Date Claimer

Week 3

• Catholic Education Week
• Michael Mangan concert- Yr 7s- Monday 29th 
• PT interview night -Tuesday 30th
• Principal’s Awards Ceremony- Wednesday 31st- lesson 1 & 2- 
• Silversmithing workshop Year 11 & 12 students - 1st & 2nd August

Week 4 

• Whole School Christian Meditation- Thurs 8th
• Year 9 Retreat- Wednesday 7th Thursday 8th 
• Friday 9th August - Pupil Free Day (Rodeo)

Welcome back to Semester Two. I trust that you all enjoyed your break and had some time with friends and family. 

Term 3 is a very busy term. 

Assessment calendar have been published and emailed to students and parents this week. Students are able to access assessment calendars online either through the student portals, or the College Website. I have also emailed a copy to students and parents. It is vital that students use these calendars to plan their time in order to ensure they reduce their stress towards the end of the term.

Student’s receive assessment time in class, but it is vital that they are working on these assessment tasks at home to meet both drafting and final submission deadlines. It is expected that students record their draft due date in their school diary once they receive their assessment task. School diaries are a great way to keep up to date with what is happening at the college.

Term 3 exam block timetables for Year 12 Students will be released shortly.

I hope that all parents have received their child's Semester One Report Card. These were distributed through our online compass system, if you are having trouble accessing these calendars we encourage you to contact the Office at your earliest convenience.

As you can imagine, report cards only allow us to give you a snapshot of your child's progress, we encourage and invite you to book a parent-student-teacher interview or get in contact with the classroom teachers to allow for more detailed conversations in regards to your child’s learning.

The distribution of assessment calendars at the beginning of the term allows for a proactive approach to dealing with stress around assessment submission time. This provides us as teachers, students and parents with the opportunity to forward plan our time to meet the allocated due times. In meeting these due dates students can often describe the process as “stressful”. Stress is a natural part of being human. It is one of the ways that our body’s prepare us to face challenging situations. Below are a few tips to help effectively manage time and avoid unproductive stress:

• Create a list of what needs to be done, and then break it down further by writing what needs to be done for each item. Ensure it is manageable and achievable. 
• Use a diary or notebook to keep track of important dates and deadlines
• Work in 20 - 30 minute chunks and then allow yourself some time to have a break. Limiting distractions to break times makes the time you are working more productive.
• Ask for help if its not working: Time management is a skill, like any skill - it sometimes takes work and help to master it.

Parents who are concerned about their child are encouraged to contact the relevant Pastoral Leader and inform us, so that we can support you and your child. 

Last term many of our senior students attended work experience.  

Here are some pics of their placements.

The Mt Isa Police Station ran their own article.  Check out the Blog https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/mountisa/2019/07/02/student-workshop-mount-isa/

Four of Good Shepherd's Year 12 students completed a qualification in Certificate II Resources and Infrastructure Work Preparation last term via the Australiasian Drilling Institute.  

Along with the certificate qualification the students received Statements of Attainment in First Aid and Working Safely at Heights, 4 QCE points and a welcome addition to their resumes!

The course coordinator Rachel Fryer said this about Jackson Siemer, Courtney Boshoff, Jacob Pyke and Conor Campbell………”Your 4 students were a dream.  Exceptional behavior, polite, respectful and team players. They all successfully completed the course and the feedback from the trainers has been all positive.”

Thank you Jackson, Courney, Jacob and Conor for being such terrific representatives of GSCC!

Greetings from the P&F! We have had a great start to the term, with planning for the P&F Ball going full steam ahead. 

Calling all volunteers!!

Rodeo Ball Saturday 3rd August- 65 Volunteers Needed

This term is quite a busy one for the committee, particularly as we host the bar and table service for the Rodeo Ball. In return for this service, the committee/school receives a generous donation. 

The P&F would like to invite any parents, friends or community members, to help us out on the night. Please consider coming along to help, even if only for a couple of hours, all volunteers are greatly appreciated, plus it’s a terrific night! Please contact P&F or the school on the below email if you are able to help us out.

Mitchel Corrigan is a Year 9 student at Good Shepherd College and I’d like to share his passion which is riding and competing in Motocross. Mitchel is a local boy who was born and raised in Mount Isa and has loved riding since he was 3 years old.

This year, Mitchel has committed to the sport of Motocross and is currently competing in the JR’s Motorcycles Tropical North Queensland Motocross Series. The series consists of 5 rounds. 

With all 5 rounds being held on the coast, this finds Mitchel and his family travelling every couple of weekends for Mitchel to compete in each round.

Mitchel is competing in the Junior Lites Class (13-16Yrs). 

The JR’s Motorcycles Tropical North Queensland Motocross Series started in May where Mitchel travelled to Mareeba for Round One. This was Mitch’s first round of competition and racing with a gate of about 20 riders. Mitch’s results were impressive and he placed 6th Overall for this round.

He then travelled to Townsville for Round 2 in early June. Overall placing for this round was 8th place.

With a very speedy turnaround it was back to Tully mid June for Round 3. Mitchel rode consistent and very well. He came away with his best results for the series to date. He placed a well deserved Overall position of 4th place.

Mitchel is placing Overall 3rd in the series with 2 rounds to go.

Mitchel will be travelling to Cairns at the end of July for Round 4 and then onto Charters Towers in August to complete the series. 

As well as competing in the series, Mitchel travelled to Townsville late June to compete in the Queensland Motocross Championships – this was a great experience for Mitch as he raced along side Queenslands best and fastest riders in his class.

Mitchel is also travelling to Mackay in August to compete in the Central Queensland Motocross Series.

Mitchel would like to thank all his very generous sponsors.

• Casa Grande Benefit Ball Fund Inc
• Isadraulics
• Ultimate Kitchens
• Bluetel Communications
• AWX Mt Isa
• APG Glass & Aluminium 
• Mount Isa Furniture & Bedding
• Bike and Rider

Keep a lookout for Mitchel next year also, as he will continue his passion and is planning to compete in both the Tropical North Queensland Motocross Series and the Central Queensland Motocross Series. Along with any other meets he is able to attend.