Last week we celebrated Catholic Education Week. This gave us an opportunity to focus on what we understand to be important as an educational institution, to celebrate the wonderful achievements of the year to date, to acknowledge our place in this community and congratulate those students who have worked enthusiastically and successfully so far this year. At the Principal’s Awards Assembly on Wednesday, the students and staff, along with a very large contingent of parents and friends took time to recognize those students who have achieved outstanding results in academic, sporting and cultural pursuits this year. It is important to remember that at GSCC our core business is excellence in education and our primary purpose is to ensure that our students receive a holistic education, an education that will provide them with capabilities that will serve them beyond just “getting a job” but in providing a “life plan”. We hope that this will ensure that they become successful citizens in this ever-changing world with which they engage on a daily basis. Put simply, our aim is to “grow educated young men and women.”

In my address I explored just what I understand an “educated person” should be. In a recent address to national leaders in education the Hon Geoff Gallop (former Premier of WA and currently Prof. of Government at the University of Sydney) said; “Education is not just, in functional terms, a means to an end. Although we educate people to fill the many positions needed to manage our economy, more importantly education is about implementing the highest values we hold; freedom, fairness and democracy.” 

This ideal poses us several important questions:
1. Can we really talk of a free and fair society if we are not educated to respect the rights of others and to consider the public good as well as our own interests?
2. Can we talk of democracy without the platform of informed citizens, and decision-making based on evidence and fact, rather than opinion and fiction?
3. What comes first, a free, fair and democratic system or the education required to deliver on its promises?
4. Most importantly, education has not only a social role but an important political and moral dimension. 

So what is it then that makes an educated person? As educators, my colleagues and I can identify the following as necessary factors; knowledge, practical wisdom, self-awareness, adaption, innovation, political interest, an open society and human equality.
These are realized as;
1. Knowledge about how the world works, as presented to us in the physical and human sciences
2. Language and the reasoning it facilitates
3. Observation, investigation and a continual search for “truth”
4. An open heart and an open mind to the views of others, reasoned argument and evidence
5. An ability to adapt and innovate as individuals or leaders
6. Recognition of the importance of education and the need for life-long learning
7. A political attitude that looks to settle difficulties with an informed and “open” mind, with patience, creativity and compassion

Education should lead us to these “truths”, or at least give us the capacity to be continually challenging in an informed and critical way. It invites us to continuous improvement in our knowledge base, our investigatory skills, our awareness of ourselves and the world, and an ability to adapt and innovate. This is our goal at GSCC, to prepare our students, to be “global citizens” conscious of an ongoing commitment to an open, caring and compassionate society that breeds support for evidence-based and human rights-infused policy rather than ignorance and bigotry. With our shared faith we work together on a commitment to education and its implications to the way we think and behave.

“Education is an empowering experience with empowering consequences for the individual. To be well educated, is to understand the nature and importance of our role in society and to look to an openness and human equality that dictates the public interest over the private, humility over self-pride and pragmatism over fundamentalism.” Geoff Gallop.

In conclusion to be educated means; to be prepared for change and able to adapt, to be considerate of others and function as valued members of communities, to be self-realized, resilient and aware of ones place in the world and most importantly, to know ones purpose for getting up every morning and facing the day. 

It was a great pleasure to present the Principal’s awards as recognition of a group of young people who are making an extraordinary effort to be “educated”.

Last week we celebrated Catholic Education Week. 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. This year’s theme was ‘many voices, one spirit’. This theme was chosen for its promotion and support of inclusiveness. The ‘Many Voices’ represent those of students, teachers, families, communities, parish, social services and government within all five dioceses in Queensland and include students of all educational ages, genders and beliefs. ‘One Spirit’ represents our school spirit, team spirit, parish spirit and family spirit. The theme brings feelings of energy, enthusiasm, love, joy, values, relationships, togetherness, learning, unity and belonging – all ideals relevant to Catholic schools in Queensland.

To celebrate Catholic Education Week, Good Shepherd was involved in a number of wonderful celebrations including, the Catholic Education Week Hospitality Dinner, The Micheal Mangan concert and combined schools’ mass attended by our Year 7s, the Principal’s Awards Assembly and a number of homeroom activities where students participated in and reflected on what is special about Catholic Education.

On Monday 29th July, all Year 7 students attended St Joseph’s Primary School, along with St Kieran’s and St Joseph’s Cloncurry for a concert by singer and songwriter Michael Mangan, a pizza and popper lunch, followed by a mass celebrating Catholic Education Week. 

On Wednesday last week we held our Principals Awards Assembly. The awards were divided into three categories- Bronze, Silver and Gold. Students were also eligible to receive an Attendance Award which recognises those who have perfect or near perfect attendance in Semester One. We congratulate all students on their wonderful academic achievements.

The Catholic Education Deus Caritas Est Award is open to all students in Year 12 in a Catholic Secondary school and is presented to one student from each Catholic Secondary in the Diocese of Townsville who demonstrate the following attributes: 

- A commitment to Jesus Christ: someone who by words and actions shows a love for God, others and self 

- A commitment to Christian living in how they interact and treat others – staff, other students and peers

- Living life to the full – hopeful, compassionate, merciful and kind – the hallmarks of a Christian life lived in “Caritas” through complete love for God and others

- And finally, a student with a generosity of spirit. 

Congratulations to Helen Powers the 2019 winner of the Deus Caritas Est award. Helen was invited to receive her award at the Cahtolic Education Week Mass at Townsville Cathedral, presented by Bishop Tim.  We congratulate Helen on her achievement.

One activity students participated in during homeroom was to reflect on the statement-  I am thankful for my Catholic school community because… 

Below are some of the students responses

• Gives me strengths and values
• It provides me with a sense of community
• Teaches me how to be compassionate
• Provides a strong connection between students, parents and teachers
• Of the friendships I have made
• It taught me about Jesus

It is with great excitement that I announce the launch of our #makeachoiceyouwontregret campaign which is taking place at our next assembly on Wednesday the 14th of August. The #makeachoiceyouwontregret campaign talks about the inappropriate use of social media. It was developed from listening to students and recognising that they are a powerful voice and there is an untapped wisdom in the voices of our young people.

There are instances of students who may make a poor decision whilst online, however, with the support and education, as well as the wisdom of older peers, we can contribute to enhancing their awareness of the consequences of inappropriate behaviour and decisions online. 

This project is driven by the students who have some real practical and helpful ideas about supporting their peers. Some of their comments demonstrated incredible maturity and a genuine willingness to ensure that other students know they have choices. Seven of our year 10, 11 & 12 students were involved in the project and are looking forward to sharing with our Good Shepherd Community. The videos discuss topics such as Cyber Bullying, Consequences, and Help and Support. 

As the demands of school work increase at this time of term, it is important to take into account the well-being of the young people in our care.  In order to deal with this demand, a good school-work-life balance must be maintained. This balance is something that most young people struggle with; however, there are a number of simple strategies that will improve students’ mental health, and success.

• Be organised - Leaving assessment until the week it is due will cause unnecessary stress and anxiety.
• Manage time effectively - ensure there is enough time in the week to prioritise what is most important (this could include school work, extracurricular activities, part-time work, time with family, time for rest!).
• Build resilience and have a positive attitude.
• Avoid stress, mental exhaustion and burnout - fatigue affects your ability to work productively (get enough sleep!).
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle - eat well, sleep well and set aside a little time to exercise or pursue an activity that you enjoy.
• Enlist a good support system - talk to someone and ask for help!

If students are experiencing stress or anxiety, it is important they make the necessary changes to improve their mental health and well-being. Parents who are concerned about their child are encouraged to contact the relevant Pastoral Leader and let us know so that we can support you and your child. Students can also be referred to our College Guidance Counsellor who can provide additional support in a range of aspects including skills in dealing with stress, anxiety and time management. 

Friday the 9th of August is a pupil free day at the College. I will all families a safe and enjoyable Rodeo weekend!

This week our each cohort was able to participate in a workshop during their Pastoral Care lesson. The following workshops took place:

• Year 7 & 8: JTSucceed Workshop

#JTSUCCEED workshop allowed students to be challenged to consider their understanding of self confidence, self awareness , wellbeing and mental health. Students were provided with simple, easy and engaging conversations, centred around listening to themselves, knowing themselves, self confidence and self belief. Johnathan’s personal journey and experiences were used as examples which made for engaging conversations with our Year 7 & 8 students. We aim to inspire learning, though storytelling.

• Year 10: Drive IQ Learner Program

Our Year 10 students were able to discover through the Learner Program practical information and strategies to assist them in passing their practical driving test, and unpacking what it means to be a good mate in the passenger seat, brainstorming tangible strategies to do so. The program also explored the phases of learning to drive and provided students with real-world approaches to improve the quality of, and access, to driving lessons. 

• Year 11 & 12: Driver IQ Provisional Program

Year 12 students were encouraged to be aware and informed of the ongoing driver journey and associated responsibilities of drivers. The program aimed to empower provisional drivers to survive and thrive. Students explored practical, real-world strategies for dealing with passengers as drivers and discussed the crash triangle. Students were also provided with strategies in dealing with events such as breakdowns and accidents.

Firstly, I would like to welcome students and parents back to the term. Some of you may know, that I was on leave earlier this term. I would also like to thank Caitlin Conway for doing a wonderful job looking after administration matters in my absence.

It is that time of term again, where we remind students of the appropriate process for applying to change out of a subject. This specifically applies for senior students at the College, and students in Years 8, 9 & 10 that have chosen certain electives. Students may collect an ‘Application to Change Subject’ form from the front office. They must then consult with their current and future teachers of that subject they are wishing to change from. Their teacher will then sign the form to accept the change. Once this step has been completed, the student will need to take this form home to their parents for consideration. In many cases, students will be wishing to change senior pathways, and we must ensure that parents are also aware of the implications of this.

Once this process has been followed, the subject change may then be processed and the student will be issued with a new timetable in homeroom that week. Students are not permitted to change classes until they have received their new timetable to ensure that this process has been followed correctly and all have been informed. 

We will be allowing one more week for subject changes this term. All Years 8, 9, 10 changes must be completed by Week 5 Friday or they will have to wait until Term 4. This is due to the fact that we are entering into assessment period for these year levels, and much of the content for these subjects/assessment might be missed. 

MARS stands for Merit Award Recognition System. This is a new system that is being introduced this year, for rewarding all of the positive things that students are doing at GSCC. A reminder of some of the ways that students can gain points/merit awards are;

• Completing your assessments to a high standard, improving your effort and application over the term
• Regularly attending homework help
• Being involved in social justice activities, helping at liturgies/mass
• Assisting at community events and fundraisers
• Assisting staff (e.g., playground duty/cleaning up areas, tuckshop and/or in the library) - helping with waste!
• Participation in sport, the Arts and other extracurricular activities/committees
• And leadership 

A more specific criteria and other information was sent out regarding the MARS earlier in the year. If you have any questions, however, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We hope that MARS will help to continue to celebrate students’ efforts, achievement and success both inside and outside of the classroom. 

Fortnightly Date Claimer

Week 5

• QTAC Presentation - Wednesday 14th

Week 6

• Questacon Science Visit- Monday 19th & Tuesday 20th August
• Business Breakfast - Thursday 22nd 
• Year 6 to 7 Enrolment Interview Day - Saturday 24th

Federal, State and Territory Education Ministers agreed that NAPLAN will move online over a two to three year period. This means moving NAPLAN from the current paper-based tests to computer-based assessments. We had a busy week at the College last week as 25 of our Year 7 and Year 9 students were involved in a NAPLAN trial. 

This was an exciting experience for our students to be involved in as they not only got to trial the online system but were able to answer questions to assist ACARA in generating NAPLAN questions for future tests. 

The photo below shows our Year 7 students celebrating this with a pizza party!

As we approach the busy time of term, it is important that students and parents understand the processes involved in applying for an extension of time for formal assessment.

Applications must be made in writing, using the official form (which can be collected from the College Office) a minimum of three days prior to the due date. The extension must be granted in consultation with the classroom teacher, and many factors are taken into consideration when approving an extension. Extensions are granted for legitimate reasons, and not simply because the student has not had enough time. The teacher will consider work ethic, use of class time, and whether they have approached the teacher for help before signing off on an extension.

After initial discussion with the classroom teacher, the completed form is then passed onto the Curriculum Leader who will then give final approval based on the information supplied and the discussion with the teacher. 

Finally, it is not a given that an extension will be granted just because an application form has been submitted. For students who are travelling away for school sport, it is their responsibility to ensure assessment is up to date before. 

The last QCS test conducted in Queensland is fast approaching. This test is completed by students undertaking the Queensland Core Skills Test (QCS) which contributes information for the calculation of Overall Positions (OPs) and Field Positions (FPs), which are used to select students for tertiary entrance.

The QCS test is on Tuesday the 3rd and Wednesday the 4th of September. The QCS Test consists of four papers: a Writing Task (of 600 words), a Short Response paper and two Multiple Choice papers. Students sitting the test are asked to respond to a variety of stimulus materials, such as prose passages, poetry, graphs, tables, maps, mathematical and scientific data, cartoons and artistic works. 

The QCS test can create stress amongst students which is a natural part of being human. It is one of the ways that our body’s prepare us to face challenging situations. Parents who are concerned about their child are encouraged to contact Domenico Cullen the Year 12 Pastoral Leader to let us know so that we can support you and your child.

All Year 12 students and families are welcome to join us in the LCC from 4 to 5pm for a short presentation from QTAC next Wednesday the 14th of August. Although this presentation is most suited for students wanting to go to university we invite all Year 12 students to attend as it will provide important information on how students access tertiary study now or in the future.

The Year 11 students will have an exam block first week back in Term 4. This exam block is to assess what students have completed in unit 2. At the conclusion of this exam block students will begin Year 12 content from the beginning of Week 2. 

This exam block is scheduled to occur after the 2 week holiday period, which is a new concept for year 11 students. This is to allow enough time for the teaching of unit 2 before students sit their examinations, as well as preparing students for ‘what to expect’ with their Year 12 external examinations. This is also a great opportunity for students to transition the information that they have learnt from short term to long term memory.

The act of moving information from short to long term memory is to ensure that information can be used at future times. Learning information initially is critical, but students must also find ways to organize information based on meaning and store that information into long-term memory for later retrieval.

Below are some techniques to assist students with this process:

• Repetition: students practice recalling information; 
• Elaboration: the process of connecting new information with prior information to build relationships between them;
• Organisational Schemas (study guides, concept maps, comparing and contrasting ideas): this assists our brains to create patterns, making it easier to remember information;
• Multiple modes: using a variety of studying techniques can create stronger memories. Students can engage with information from visual, auditory and/or kinesthetic modes;

It is important to remember that adequate breaks in between studying is vital to the memory storage process. This two week block before the end of unit examinations will allow for studying to be spaced out over multiple sessions.

Please contact the students homeroom teachers, classroom teachers, pastoral or curriculum leaders if you would like further tips to help in this process.

It has been a busy start to Term 3 for our Year 8’s. The first three weeks have been very busy and students are now back into their daily routines. Week 3 was a very busy week with Catholic Education Week held and various activities taking place all week. Monday afternoon saw the Year 8’s enjoy a short visit by the JCU team who spoke to the students about University and what they need to do if they are thinking about attending University after school. Tuesday afternoon was Parent Teacher Interviews, thank you to the parents who attended the Parent Teacher Interviews it was great to see the amount of parents showing an active interest in their child’s academic progress. Wednesday saw the whole school involved in the Principal's Awards, congratulations to students who received these awards which included Attendance, Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. Well done, it is good to see all the hard work and study that is put into your school work being recognised.

Week 4 saw a visit from Johnathan Thurston Academy where students were presented about ways to build their confidence and self esteem using a variety of options that Johnathon has used throughout his playing career. Students were given prizes for answering questions and had an opportunity for a photo and signature opportunity.

With the cold weather still upon us a reminder that students need to be wearing a school jumper during this time. If a student doesn’t have a school jumper they can be purchased from the uniform shop. Looking forward to an exciting and rewarding term 3.

Upcoming events include:

• Week 4 – Thursday Whole school meditation
• Week 4 – Friday Pupil Free Day
• Week 7 – Underground mine tour/Science
• Week 7 – Friday  Good Shepherd Feast Day

Recently Linkyn Macmillan and Abby Benson attended the 2019 Cross Country State Championships representing our region, North West. This event was held in Toowoomba at the Highfield's sporting and Recreational park. In the 14 Years girls there were 60 competitors and Abbey placed 37th. In Linkyn’s age group (13 boys) he placed 52nd. Both really enjoyed this and it was a great experience for them to test themselves against the State’s best runners. Well done to both.

Coming up soon we will have two more staff v student contests. In week six, there will be a touch football match, and in week ten, there will be a netball competition. At the moment the staff are leading 3 matches to 1, so hopefully the student cohort can make a comeback!

Work Experience applications for all Year 10/11/12 students close Friday 16th August.  

You may collect an application from outside the careers office, or speak to Mrs Coghlan.

Note:  Glencore online applications for Year 11/12 students will open 12th August and close on the 26th August.  

The latest Careers Newsletter is now available. 

This edition includes:

• Beyond School Study Guide – designed to help senior students navigate their way into higher education.
• Vocational Education Toolkit for Parents
• Skills Match Tool – match your interest to jobs.  Provide info about pay and expected industry growth. Great for parents also if you’re looking for a change!
• What is a Landscape Architect?  If you’re creative and passionate about nature this could be a terrific job for you.
• University Southern Qld – 2 Day Aviation Experience (Sept. School hols)
• Year 10’s – selecting subjects for apprenticeships or traineeships

 https://www.careertools.com.au/resources/newsletters/qld/2019/t3_w4_2019_qld.pdf

In the first week of the June/July holidays, the GSCC Confraternity Rugby League team competed in the Confraternity Shield Carnival which was hosted by Shalom Catholic College in Bundaberg.

The Confraternity Shield Carnival brought 960 of the state’s premier independent school students together along with over 200 staff volunteers from the same schools as coaching and support staff. This carnival provides a unique conglomerate of the state’s finest leadership/elite athlete/academic students from Queensland’s Independent and predominantly Catholic schools.

The GSCC Confraternity team consisting of 19 students and 4 staff members dedicated their first week of these holidays to this carnival. These boys aged between 16 – 18 years had been preparing since the first term for this carnival. Their first game was up against St Augustine’s, Augustine Heights. The boys had started the game extremely well and scored the first try but went into the half time break trailing 10 - 6. It looked like we were in for a win but due to their credit St Augustine’s came out in the second half and dominated the Good Shepherd boys with St Augustine’s running out eventual winners 20 – 10. Player of the match – Jordan Dew.

The boys were very disappointed with this result and planned on making amends in the next game against Mt Maria College later that afternoon. With several boys carrying bumps and bruises from their first game, this result was never in doubt with Darcy Ryder leading the way in this win. This game gave the team a much needed lift after producing a more cohesive game plan with the final result in favour of Good Shepherd 20 – 6. Player of the match – Darcy Ryder

The final pool game on Tuesday morning saw the boys playing against Holy Spirit College, Mackay. With a win in this game Good Shepherd would place high in the pool, fortunately the early morning conditions favoured us and saw the boys come out winners after the scores were level 6 all at half time. Good Shepherd scored on the bell by Jackson Siemer to give victory 14 – 12.  Player of the match – Darcy Ryder

With Good Shepherd placing 3rd in their pool saw them up against St Mary’s College, Woree in the Qualifying final. The boys put up a great display of team work and the final score did not indicate how tough that match was. With the quarter final being won by Good Shepherd 19 – 0 the boys were looking forward to tomorrows rest day. Player of the match – Darcy Ryder

After a well-earned rest day on Wednesday the boys played their semi-final against Unity College. Both teams played a hard game with Good Shepherd leading comfortably at half time. The second half saw Unity come out fighting and claw their way back into the contest. In the end Good Shepherd held their defence to win 12 - 4. Player of the match – Jordan Dew

The final day of the carnival would see Good Shepherd play in their first Grand Final against opponent’s from St Mary’s and St Patrick’s Colleges. This game proved to be a good contest with luck of the bounce going to St Mary’s and St Patrick’s with their defence being the difference. To their credit the Good Shepherd boys never gave in and worked hard until the final whistle. The final score in favour of St Mary’s and St Patrick’s 30- 16.  Player of the match – Darcy Ryder

The Good Shepherd Catholic College team finished the carnival with 4 wins and 2 losses and placed 10th overall in Division 3. This year being their first to compete in a Grand Final. The week proved to be very rewarding and exciting with the boys having fun and making new friends from other schools. Plans are well under way with the boys looking forward to next year’s carnival in Wynnum Brisbane.

Awards voted by the players: 

Best and Fairest – Darcy Ryder                                     

Spirit Award – Chavez Hegarty

Special congratulations to Darcy Ryder for also being awarded Player of Division 3.

Special thanks to Mr Domenico Cullen, Mr Mika Raijas and Mrs Pelly Morganson for their assistance with getting the team prepared for the Carnival as well as the following parents who travelled to support the team, Siemer family, Dew family, Lepou family, Mr James Coghlan and to our following sponsors; Thank you for your support and generosity.   

Hello from the P&F, and welcome to Rodeo week! First and foremost, the P&F committee would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our volunteers for contributing their time to the Rodeo Ball held on Saturday night. The hours that they volunteered made a huge difference to the success of what was an extremely busy, but enjoyable night. It gave us an enormous sense of pride to see parents, students and community members working side by side to ensure the success.

Brock Philip who attends GSCC has been selected in the Queensland U13 Boys Hockey team and will be traveling to Hobart in September to compete at the Australian Championships.

The last time a junior hockey player represented Mount Isa in a Qld state team was over 30 years ago. 

It’s very true, hard work does pay off. Well done Brock.