“All is change, only change remains changeless.” Hereclitus

One of the focus areas in Education today is improvement. We are constantly being advised, either from government, industry, tertiary institutions or the community, that education needs to improve its outcomes, that is, the performance of its ‘clients’. We hear endless stories from the media about the poor performance of our students against international standards, we hear about the changing nature of the workforce and the shifting demands in employment and we hear about growing anxiety, lack of resilience and a sense of entitlement in the young people in our care. The picture looks bleak, it is no wonder we keep hearing about “improvement”.

As an educator of some forty years’ experience in all levels of education, primary, secondary, tertiary, industry and community, I have seen much change, not always for the better. However in many respects things do not change, especially when it comes to the basic principles of educating young people in an educational institution such as Good Shepherd. Young people have the same essential needs today as they did when we were at school; a safe and welcoming environment, a collaborative culture where they feel that they are listened to and can have ownership of their learning, effective teaching happening in every classroom, a curriculum that serves their needs and the needs of the contemporary workplace, appropriate and consistent feedback on their learning and finally a sense of belonging and self-worth. In a Catholic school like Good Shepherd we attempt to fulfill these needs within a faith paradigm that ensures our college motto, “Christ our light”, is privileged in our every day practices.

However, this does not mean that we shouldn’t be always looking to improve the way we deliver a quality education while fulfilling the needs our young people require. Consequently the college has just completed its five year Renew from which we are currently drafting our next five year Strategic Plan. From this we will prepare our Annual School Improvement Strategy. Over the next few newsletters I will present our future focus to you. In particular we are working very hard on reshaping our curriculum and pedagogy to effect the “new” senior which is coming in 2020. At present all staff are engaged in determining their own improvement goals for the year and from here they will enter into a coaching process with their leaders to ensure they are improving their practice as professional educators. The College P&F and Board will also be part of this process. So while “all is change”, we at GSCC are determined to be drivers of this change, change for the better, change that is well considered and change that we can be assured will provide the very best opportunities for the young people in our care. In particular, effective leadership (at every level – student, staff, parents and community) creates a culture of high expectation, provides clarity about best practices in teaching and learning and establishes a strong professional learning community. Only then can improvement be realized and worthwhile.

“The ultimate goal of school improvement is to improve outcomes for students, including levels of achievement and wellbeing.”  National School Improvement Tool - ACER

Drafting and Assessment

We are now at the time of term when the assessment load begins 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 last 7 weeks.

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 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. Some tasks will see students draft in-class under exam conditions, whereas for other tasks the assignment might be a ‘take home’.

The College Assessment Calendars, available from the College Website, outline 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.

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.

Senior Exam Block

Exam block begins Next Monday, 19th March and continues up until next Friday 23rd of March. Exam Block timetables are available via the College Website, and have also been emailed to students and parents. 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.

As the College Fete is being Held on Friday, some Senior students will be required to attend on this day in order to complete assessment which is being conducted through the Fete.  Students will be informed of whether or not they are required to attend by their Teacher or I. THis will primarily affect Business Students.

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 are not able to complete the set homework in a reasonable timeframe, I encourage you to contact your child's teacher to explain, together we can then ensure that we balance the workload as they transition along their learning journey.

This term, we have noticed an increase in students working huge hours at their part time jobs. It is important to note that there are laws that stipulate how many hours a school-aged child can work throughout a school week.

Maximum Work Hours for School-Aged Children

The Child Employment Act 2006 outlines work restrictions for school-aged children.

 A distinction is made between the maximum hours a school-aged child can work during a school week and a non-school week.

A school week starts on a Sunday, when the child is required to attend school on any day of that week. During a school week a school-aged child can work a maximum of 12 hours. During a non-school week a school-aged child can work a maximum of 38 hours.

The following table outlines the maximum allowable hours of work for school-aged and young children:

Prohibited hours when children are not permitted to work

In addition to the prohibition on employing school-aged children when they are required to be at school, an employer must not allow a school-aged or young child to work between the hours of 10pm and 6am. A further restriction prohibits children between the ages of 11 and 13 years from carrying out delivery work between the hours of 6pm and 6am.

The Child Employment Guide provides more details regarding these laws; however, if you have concerns regarding your child’s hours of work, please contact their employer as soon as possible.

College Expectations

As I mentioned earlier this term, at Good Shepherd, our first College Expectation is to respect all people and all things. If students choose not to follow this expectation, serious consequences will apply. At this time of the term, it is important that students remember the Hands Off Rule, students who are unable to follow this expectation will be withdrawn from the College for a period of time.

At times, student’s actions will warrant an ‘Automatic Home’ referral; this is the temporary, part-time or full-time withdrawal of a student’s right to attend the College and/or school related functions for a defined period of time. The decision to enact an Automatic Home is made by the College Principal or delegate and will be used only when other available measures have been implemented without success, or where the situation is serious, or demands an immediate response. The College, the student and their parents/caregivers will use the ‘Automatic Home’ period as an opportunity to both reflect on the current difficulties and develop positive, student-focused re-engagement strategies.

Be Smart, and Safe Online

ThinkUKnow - Parent Portal

ThinkUKnow provides resources for schools and families regarding online safety. The link to the Parent Portal (below) provides a number of resources to assist in ensure your child is making good decisions regarding their online safety. ThinkUKnow was started in the United Kingdom by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and was developed for Australian audiences by the AFP in 2009. The program is a partnership between the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Microsoft Australia, Datacom and the Commonwealth Bank, and is delivered in collaboration with New South Wales Police Force, Northern Territory Police, Queensland Police Service, South Australia Police, Tasmania Police, Western Australia Police and Victoria Police as well as Neighbourhood Watch Australia.

ThinkUKnow Parent Portal: https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/parents-portal

The Student Well-Being Hub - Being Safe Online

This website provides a wealth of resources for schools, parents and students relating to online activities. Topics covered include:

• Being cybersmart/staying smart online
• Protecting digital reputations
• Tips for parents to talk about the online world with their children
• The law and the internet
• Screen time research and guidelines

The Student Wellbeing Hub has been developed by Education Services Australia for the Australian Government Department of Education and Training. A wide pool of experts, academics, professional associations and industry providers have contributed to the site development, click the link below to visit the site:

Student Well-Being Hub: https://studentwellbeinghub.edu.au/topics/being-safe-online#/?utm_source=e-News&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=20161129

Project compassion is well under way at the College, with many homeroom’s now running fundraising events to raise money for Caritas. Project Compassion is Caritas Australia’s annual fundraising and awareness-raising appeal, bringing thousands of Australians together to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. This year’s theme for project compassion is a ‘Just future’.  So far, the College has raised over $1600 which is a fantastic achievement! That’s enough money to provide one month’s housing for 30 young deaf people from regional areas to attend the Deaf Development Program in Cambodia. Among the many activities so far, 7A hosted the famous ‘water-bomb the teachers’ event which was a huge success.

Thank you to all students, parents with their many baked goods and teachers for your support. We are extremely impressed with the efforts by all homeroom’s so far so keep it up!

Some of our students from Good Shepherd recently had an opportunity to watch the Queen's Baton Relay and baton bearers as they ran the streets of Mount Isa. The baton arrived at Happy Valley state school, and there was a real sense of community as the assembly cheered the baton bearers on. Although a bit of rain on the day, nothing could dampen the spirit of all who attended.

Last week, the College was privileged to hear from guest speaker Kristee Shepherd. Kristee spent much of her childhood growing up in Mount Isa, and is the Director and Co-Founder of the Making Strides foundation. She sustained a spinal cord injury after a 10m fall from a ledge outside her College dorm room in 2004. Kristee shared a very special message with the students around how fragile life can be when making careless or risky decisions. “A spinal cord injury is like a telephone line being cut – you can see it but it does not work.” Kristee is also the Zonta International Women of the Year, and was the guest speaker for the International Women's Day dinner last weekend.

Mount Isa also had a visit from Fr Orm Rush (Priest of the Diocese of Townsville) on the 9th-10th of March, who conducted workshops on ‘What are we about as church today’. The workshops were focused around message from Pope Francis on the topic of ‘renewing the church’. The message of renewal calls the Church to be a listening church, and to participate with everyone equally in dialogue of faith. The workshops also addressed the topic of evangelisation of youth and issues that young people of our Church are faced with in today’s society. It was a privilege to meet Fr Orm, and we are very grateful for his visit.

‘[The Church is] the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Temple in which God works, the Temple in which, with the gift of Baptism, each one of us is a living stone. This tells us that no one in the Church is useless...we are all necessary for building this Temple! No one is secondary. No one is the most important person in the Church, we are all equal in God’s eyes. -

Pope Francis on the equality of the baptised (L’Osservatore Romano - 3 July 2013)

International Women’s Day

Each year, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8. This year, the theme for this very special day was inspiring change. 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 the Mount Isa have the platform to shine, and to be honoured for their many achievements. The Good Shepherd Catholic College community was extremely proud to have three wonderful young women nominated in the category for Young Woman of Achievement 2018. We would like to congratulate Phoebe Ryder, Tara Gavan and Alyssa Liddle on these nominations.

Assessment Period
The Assessment Period and Exam Time can bring on a lot of stress and anxiety for our students. It is imperative during this time that students are maintaining their mental health as well as completing assessment and preparing for exams. Sleepless nights will not help anyone nor will you see the results you need for that OP estimation, or move from the Red Zone to the Green Zone.

Last week during Pastoral Care Headspace presented to our students regarding self-care and stress management. During the presentation they provided some excellent strategies to assist our Year 12 students in successfully completing their Year 12 studies and managing their work/life balance.

Reachout.com.au is also an excellent resource for both parents and students to access information about how to manage stress, anxiety, sleeplessness, and a range of other issues regarding physical, mental, social and emotional health. This is the link to the Reachout.com.au website http://au.reachout.com/

I encourage all parents and students to access this website to gain tips and hints on how to balance both school and life during this stressful period. Please don’t hesitate to contact me via phone or email to discuss any concerns you may have - there is always something we can do to help support our students on their journey towards the end of Year 12.

Students also have access to our College Guidance Officer, Carmen Toohey. Carmen is available via referral to see students during school hours. If you would like to access counselling sessions with Carmen, please email myself or come and see me to arrange this.

Exam Block

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. Nor is it a time to come to school to socialise.
• 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
• Students are not to bring take away food, coffee or energy drinks (e.g Red Bull, Mother, V) into the school grounds during exam block.

WOMEN IN MINING BREAKFAST

On 8th March, International Women’s Day, six of our Year 12 students attended a

Glencore Women in Mining Breakfast.

Guest Speaker was Kate du Preez, Commissioner for Mine Safety and Health.  Kate shared her story as the first woman appointed to the role in Queensland.  Some of her tips for women in mining were:

1. Get your hands dirty
2. Learn from those around you
3. Maintain a sense of humour

Photo:  Left to right:  Eden Sellings, Abbey McKavanagh, Glencore HR Manager Maryann Wipaki, Mikyla Nataya, Guest Speaker Kate du Preez, Ryleigh Donald, Kacee Wilson and Mali Cairns.

SCHOOL BASED TRAINEESHIP

Jack Oliffe recently commenced a School Based Traineeship with Pizza Hut

studying a Certificate III in Hospitality.  

Well done Jack!

Swimming Carnival

It is that time again to kick off the first major Good Shepherd sporting carnival of the year, the GSCC Interhouse Swimming or Aquatics Carnival. This year, we will continue and attempt to build on  the new format of last year's Inaugural Aquatics Carnival. The carnival will be held on Thursday 15th March, at Splashez Aquatic Centre from 8:30am. All students are expected to meet at the Aquatic Centre by 8:15am for roll call. As this is a school event the student's’ entry into the pool will be paid by the College, however, parents/guardians and supporters will be required to pay an entry fee upon arrival.

Students will be given various opportunities throughout the day to purchase snack foods from the canteen and there will also be a BBQ running. Alternatively, students can bring their own packed lunch. Although there will be plenty of opportunities to cool off in the water/in the shade this year, the day is generally quite hot and exhausting. Please ensure that you bring your own water and wear appropriate sun safe clothing (hats, shirt, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen.

The carnival is expected to conclude between 2:45pm – 3:00pm and students can be picked up from out the front of the pool or PCYC. Student’s are NOT allowed to bring the following into the carnival: streamers, zinc, hair spray or body paints. This is a compulsory school event, and all students are encouraged to be involved in the activities, as it is gearing up to be quite an exciting and fun filled day.

Conclusion of HPE Week

Last Friday HPE week culminated in the staff vs seniors Volleyball game. The game was a fantastic occasion with the whole school attending to watch a gripping battle between the battle hardened teachers and the enthusiastic seniors. The game was played in high spirits with great support for the student team from the whole school. This year the teachers ran out victors 2 sets to nil to reclaim the title. We wait with anticipation now for next term’s contest. HPE week was a massive success at the college and could not have been done without the support of the HPE staff and the school house leaders.

HPE Uniform Expectations

It is expected that all students bring and change into their sports uniform when they have practical lessons for health and hygiene reasons. Each student has a copy of their class timetable with practical lessons highlighted to assist students with remembering to bring their sports uniform on the correct days. If a student presents to a HPE lesson in the wrong uniform without a note from home they are placed on a 20 minute uniform detention during lunchtimes by their classroom teacher. If they miss this detention without a valid reason students will have one opportunity to make up that time before being issued with an after school detention.

If your child has a valid reason for not having their sports uniform, the college diary can be used to communicate this with the classroom teacher.

Firstly, congratulations to all students that have trialled for Mount Isa District and North West Regional teams. Students will be acknowledged for their efforts and selections later in the year at the GSCC Sports Awards Evening.

All the best to Mr Morganson and the Senior Rugby League players travelling to Charters Towers this weekend to complete for the Catholic Schools Mt Camel Rugby League Shield.

MISSA Cross Country will be run in Week 2 of Term 2, so all those seasoned runners; start training now or plan a program for the holidays.

Next Term, we are looking into Senior Boys (Years 11/12) and Junior Girls (Years 7/8) Cricket Teams. Also, Senior Girls (Years 11/12) and Junior Development (Years 7/8) Rugby League. The campaign for All Schools Touch will also kick-start next Term.  

Good luck to all swimmers competing at the GSCC swimming carnival on Thursday. Remember points are awarded for Spirit, it’s not all about winning.

Trial dates for school, club, district & regional sport will be communicated to students through the morning notices, newsletters and online.  Please click on the link below to access further information on the GSCC Sports Calendar.

https://www.goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au/curriculum/co-curricular/sport/

Google Images. (2018). Quote Sport. Retrieved from https://www.google.com.au/search?safe=strict&biw=1280&bih=590&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=rwqmWv3BN8jd8QWlqKvQBw&q=quote+sport 

The Importance of History Education

“Writing up history is one way of getting rid of the past.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Contrary to popular belief, History is not fixed or set in stone. Goethe’s paradoxical quote above implies that we distance ourselves from the past when we write about it in a one-dimensional way. Yet, as a practice, the study of History today encourages students to engage with the past as though it is still living, still important, still with us. We are a product of History - both Australian and global. Therefore, if we want to understand ourselves and the contemporary world, we must understand our past. Like Science, Literature and Maths, History is an essential piece of the puzzle for human self-understanding.

Why is English the main language of Australia? Why do many words in English originate from Latin? Why did Christianity spread to Europe and become the dominant religion of Western Civilisation? Is Western Civilisation a valid categorisation? As shown here, History is driven by asking questions - questions which require evidence and inquiry so they can be adequately answered. An enthusiastic student of History has questions that they want answered and a desire to piece together sources of evidence. This activity develops valuable skills that stay with students for a lifetime. Passionate History students become inquiring individuals, understanding of the complexity of life, and conscious of the thread linking past, present and future.

The stories that Historians tell reveal several important patterns: that people and societies are much more interconnected than we think; that however much we change, we also stay the same; and that humans are prone to forget and repeat mistakes. Even if the study of History cannot help us avoid mistakes which have occurred in the past, it is still important because it quenches our curiosity, makes us feel connected, and is intellectually stimulating. Reading about the past, talking about the past and writing up the past are activities which have been interesting for time immemorial and have led to important ethical discussions.

Students at Good Shepherd Catholic College have an invaluable opportunity to study History in this multi-faceted and skill-building way in Term 2, 2018. Only by studying the past can this generation confront the problems of the future.

WORDFLYERS HAS ARRIVED!

The English Department is excited to introduce WordFLyers to the College. This is a new cloud-based system for teaching students literacy and it has produced encouraging results in other schools. One of the best features is that teachers are able to adapt the lessons for students and target specific areas of need.  The English Teachers are using WordFlyers for all Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 students this year.

 An excellent feature of the program is that it allows specific teaching for Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar, Reading and Comprehension.  As a result of this focused instruction, the College will now be able to provide specific information to parents regarding individual student’s literacy.  In fact, the literacy elements now form important formative assessment for the students. 

This term, each student’s overall grade will be composed of:

• 50% Written Assessment
• 25% Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar
• 25% Reading and Comprehension

All students are able to access WordFlyers from home.  In order to complete the lessons on schedule, each student should be spending around 10 minutes per day using the site to develop their literacy. If they wish to spend longer, they may – and many students love using the program.

The completion of these literacy lessons is required learning for students. Their teacher will allocate lesson time for explicit teaching and the students will then need to complete the assigned homework tasks at home. 

By encouraging your students to complete their literacy homework, you are preparing them for their future.

The Year 10, 11 and 12 Business Classes will be hosting stalls at the Easter Fete held on the 23rd March, 2018 from 6pm - 9pm. This is a great chance for students to experience a small taste of how to run their own business. Please see below advertising the students have submitted regarding their stalls and please support them on the night!!

Our stalls depend on your generous donations to help relieve costs of the stalls set up, so please send in your donations to Miss Martin in the Senior Pastoral Leaders office.

CHOCOLATE TOSS

We can’t wait to see you come on down to the Chocolate Toss and Wheel stalls. We will be located at the oval on the night. One turn is $1, $2 for three turns and six turns for $5, so come on down and enjoy yourselves.

MINUTE TO WIN IT

This stall is running is a minute to win it business, that will consist of 3 different games that will go for 1 minute each, and the person who completes that task in under a minute against their components they will win a prize.

Trivia questions will also be asked by staff, and if you answer correctly you might just win a prize! Minute to Win it will be located on the oval, and will be hard to miss! The prices of our stall are $1 for one game per person, or $2 for 3 games.

Visitors should come to our stall as we will have a UV light and paint theme, making our stall more inviting, colourful and fun, as well as awesome prizes to give away to those who score the highest in our activities!  The Minute to Win it stall will also be accepting prize donations if you can please donate them! This includes items like stationary and toys, which can be dropped into the front office. 

THE GLOW STALL

This stall will be offering a wide variety of glowing and flashing products including of: flashing rings, LED Frozen wands, flashing dreadlocks, flashing sunnies, flashing mouth guards, flashing headbands, flashing fidget spinners, flashing fans, flashing swords and mixed glow products. We will have two stalls, one being located at the entry gate and the other being located on the Good Shepherd Oval. Products ranging from $2 - $7.

ESCAPE ROOM

The Escape Room stall is a competition in which 12 competitors will have to complete a number of physical activities in each of the 5 rooms to then move on to the next room.

Two participants will be disqualified each round, taking with them a small prize.  The final room will have the four finalists compete against each other in a game of Mario Kart to win. 

Escape Room will be held in E block and entry will cost $5.00 per person. It is a fun physical event to be a part of if you are looking for a challenge, it is a unique opportunity to compete with friends, and the winners of the night will win a variety of different gift vouchers and will have bragging rights.

SCARY MAZE

At the Easter Fete this group will be running the Scary Maze where kids ten and up are allowed to come in and experience a thrilling chill. There will be jumpscares, flickering lights, sounds and more.

The Scary Maze will be located upstairs in G block in room 3 & 4 (above hospitality).

To come in and experience the Scary Maze it’ll cost the customers $5 a go, including a glow stick to lead you along the way.