I was privileged to attend the Townsville Catholic Education Board Formation on the weekend and was humbled by the dedication of so many Principals, teachers, parents and community members across our Catholic schools who contribute to the Boards in their school. We were inspired to think of our school boards as Lighthouses not Clubhouses and also to consider what is unique about each of our schools. So I am curious to know what parents think is the distinguishing feature about Good Shepherd Catholic College - please email me and share with me your thoughts about this question.

Congratulations to students Dan Moes, Amy Haddon and Sophie Greenhalgh who participated via video link in Bishop Tim’s Youth Form and Diocesan Youth Leaders' Commissioning Mass over the weekend. Having Good Shepherd students involved in this broader Church initiatives affirms our place in the Diocese and helps develop faith formation in our young people.

This week we acknowledge International Women’s Day and celebrate the achievements of girls and women around the world. The theme for this year is Each for Equal - An equal world is an enabled world. Each one of us is called by God to stamp out discrimination, gender bias and violence against women. We can do this by challenging stereotypes, ‘lifting’ each other up, broadening perceptions and celebrating women’s achievements.

I am proud to be part of an all women Senior Leadership Team - strong, intelligent and compassionate women.

RECOGNISE, REACT, REPORT

This week there was an incident at another school in Mt Isa involving someone acting suspiciously near school grounds. Please speak with your son or daughter about personal safety and reporting any suspicious behaviour to a safe adult. This is a great resource for talking to your children about personal safety. 

https://danielmorcombefoundation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/DMF_FS_Talking_personal_Safety.pdf

Each week we will profile a section of our School Improvement Plan for 2020. This is the document that guides our plans and priorities for the year. We prepare this document based on initiatives set by the Townsville Catholic Education Office and our school stakeholders: parents, staff and students.

Engaging Learning Experiences at GSCC

Our teachers have been working hard this term to provide our students with fun and engaging learning experiences. The below snapshots are from our Senior Students Geography excursion. They visited Lake Moondarra for their first field trip. The students worked hard in groups to explore our ecosystem, examining both the soil and water for their upcoming assessment.

Absence in Senior

We as a College acknowledge that circumstances may arise which may make it challenging for students to engage in examinations or submit assessments by the due date. In the new Senior system, all extensions or changes to the date of examinations must meet the QCAA guidelines. 

A student is eligible to access arrangements and reasonable adjustments (AARA) for assessments or examinations. Students whose ability to attend or participate in an assessment is adversely affected by illness or an unexpected event. Illness and misadventure can affect a single student or a group of students. The following principles apply:

• The illness or event is unforeseen and beyond the student’s control, such as personal circumstance or emergent cultural obligation e.g. a close family members’ illness. 

To be approved for an AARA application, an adverse effect must be demonstrated. The situation cannot be of the student’s own choosing or that of their parents/carers, such as a family holiday.

Senior Exam Block - Year 11 - Week 7

Exam block begins next Monday 9th March for Year 11. 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. 

International Women’s Day

Each year, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8. This year’s theme is “Each for Equal” in which the theme asks for us to consider that an equal world is an enabled world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day. We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.

This week the College will be celebrating International Women’s Day a number of ways:

• Thursday: our staff and students will be doing a homeroom activity outlining the history of International Women’s Day.  Additionally they will be learning about some inspiring Australian women who have challenged the status quo for women’s equality and have been vigilant in inspiring positive change in all communities;
• Friday: we have a group of 20 young women from Year 10 to 12 who will be attending the PCYC International Women’s Day – Young Women’s Breakfast and Workshop in which they will gather with other female students from Spinifex College to hear from inspirational guest speaker, Amy Chetcuti. Amy is a qualified diesel fitter who is currently employed as an expedition mechanic at the Mawson Research Station, Antarctica. Through her experience she identified significant barriers to employment and equality in the workplace due to her gender. Amy is a passionate advocate for women in male dominated industries and wants to inspire others to exceed in these areas; and
• Saturday: The Zonta Club of Mount Isa is holding their annual dinner in honour of International Women’s Day which encourages advocacy for women’s advancement everywhere and in every way. The dinner on Saturday evening is also an awards ceremony in which it recognises the contribution that local women make to our community to make a difference. This year we are very proud to have six students nominated in the category of Young Woman of Achievement 2020. We would like to wish Year 12 students Sydneh Corrigan and Kelsey Verhoeven and Year 11 students Charlotte Coghlan, Alina Dempsey, Amie Pemble and Stepheny Reddish all the best for the night and congratulate them on their nominations. Well done girls!

Guidelines for Students Driving to School – Drivers and Passengers

Throughout the week I will be speaking with our Senior students about the College’s guidelines for students who drive to school. The purpose of the guidelines is to collate information that will be included on our driving to school register and will be used should the need arise to communicate with parents to ensure the safety of our students. Any student of legal driving age who intends to drive to school, must comply with the school guidelines and is required to sign the Registration Form and Parent Permission Form if they are driving to and from school. Forms will be distributed to all senior students who drive or intend on being passengers in vehicles that other students are driving. If you would like further information on the guidelines and forms, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Headspace

This week I had the pleasure of meeting with the wonderful staff at Headspace to discuss how their programs and services can support our school community. Next term, our Pastoral Care team will welcome the Headspace team to make regular visits to the College so that students are able to familiarise themselves with their staff and the services that they offer.  Attached below is Headspace’s March Calendar of Events and outlines the programs offered. If you would like any further information about their programs or services, please do not hesitate to contact Headspace on 07 4437 1300.

Organisation as a Key for Success!

In an Administration role, it is so important to be organised. This is also important for our students, especially at this time of Term with Exam Blocks and Assessment due dates approaching.

Here are some tips for students to balance and organise their time to ensure they are giving themselves the best possible opportunity to achieve success in all areas:

1. Develop a routine

Consistency is the key! It’s important to write down your usual weekly schedule and create a routine around that. Make sure you include things like when you’ll do your homework, when you’ll review your class notes; and, don’t forget to add in when you have work, sport or other training throughout the week.

1. Use your diary

Your school diary is a wonderful tool to use in your daily organisation. Be sure to write in all homework as well as draft and final assessment due dates. Tick these off once complete - and give yourself a pat on the back for getting your work done!

1. Do five minutes of daily planning each day

Before you start doing your homework or studying for a test, look at your diary first. Take note of all upcoming deadlines, and think about your schedule for the rest of the day. Then you can decide what specific tasks to work on for the day. Doing daily planning will ensure that you’re always working on the most important tasks, and that you don’t leave anything out.

1. Before you start work, eliminate all distractions

Take a moment and think about the distractions you typically face when you’re trying to study. Common ones include text messages, notifications on your phone, social media, YouTube, books, and magazines. Remove these distractions before you get to work. Put your phone in another room, turn off Internet access on your computer (unless you need it for your task), and put the books and magazines at the other end of the room.

1. Wake up a little bit earlier each morning so you don’t have to rush

For most students, waking up 5 to 10 minutes earlier is enough to avoid the unnecessary stress of rushing in the morning. When you rush, you often forget things – which means that your day doesn’t start well - set your alarm so you wake up a bit earlier. This will help to ensure you arrive at school on time, and don’t miss any important notices for the day (this is so  important when you’re trying to be organised!)

1. Use online resources

There are also some great websites and smartphone apps that you could use to organise your study schedule - an example of one of these is that My Study Life Website

Being organised can be challenging for young people, so it is important to use all of the support available. If you are organised, you are giving yourself the best chance to be successful at school.

Ash Wednesday 

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Church’s season of Lent. The marking of the Ashes on this day is a public expression of our faith and repentance. It is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Through prayer we come closer to God so that we are better able to realise our baptismal promise to live justly as Jesus teaches us. Fasting joins us in solidarity with the poor who often have no choice but to go without basic essentials. Giving to the poor or ‘almsgiving’ is a sign of our commitment to justice and our thanks for all that God has given us.

Lent prepares us for the season of Easter, the most important time in the Church’s calendar. By praying, fasting and giving alms, we are reminded of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection. Jesus brought the promise of hope to all people so that we may “Have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10), so that with our neighbours, we can go further, together.

Project Compassion

Last Wednesday also marked the beginning of our fundraising journey for Caritas Austrailia’s Project Compassion. Each homeroom will decide on an event or activity where they can raise money for those in need. Please support Project Compassion this Lenten season.

Project_Compassion.pdf

Project_Compassion _pdf 347.62 KB

Youth Ambassadors Forum

Earlier this year, Bishop Tim invited each secondary school in the diocese to select three students to be our school’s Ambassadors to participate in two Youth Ambassadors’ Forums facilitated by him throughout this year. The purpose is to make connections with a range of students and engage them on the question of how the local Church can be more youth focussed. Our Youth Ambassadors Dan Moes, Sophie Greenhalgh and Amy Haddon joined the forum via video link yesterday to engage in discussion with other students around the diocese. This was a very valuable experience and great to have our students voices heard about youth issues that really matter to them. The next forum will be held in July.

Upcoming Year Level Masses

Year 8 and 12- Week 7 Wednesday, 11th March

Year 9 and 10- Week 9 Wednesday, 25th March

I am very excited to announce that the theme for Mulkadee 2020 is The Wizard of Oz! If your child is interested in attending the week long program which takes place in Week 2 of Term 3, please complete the online registration form at the Website address below. Please note, all registrations must be completed online before the 27th of March 2020. 

Website address: http://tiny.cc/M20WOO

If you would like additional information about Mulkadee 2020, please email myself on jmarinelli@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

Drama Club

Year 12 student Laura Szabadics has started a Drama Club at the College. The group meets each Tuesday lunch to create skits, monologues, duologues, and group performances. We are looking forward to their first performance at our Stations of the Cross assembly later this term.

If your child is interested in any of the following sports, ensure they receive forms and return these individual nominations to the College office by the due date. For any forms or information please ask for Mr Harries at the front office.

We have had many students excel in their respective sporting codes this week. With students selected for the Mount Isa District teams in Rugby League, Touch Football, and Netball. We also have two students attending a Trial for the North West 13-19 years Hockey team in Townsville next week. 

The GSCC Swimming Carnival is fastly approaching (20/03/2020). This means that we will be gathering nominations from students this week. If your child is a competitive swimmer, or has been in the past we ask that you please encourage them to nominate themselves for the appropriate events. Along with our competitive races, we are also holding fun activities throughout the day to ensure everyone is involved and enjoying this occasion. Students are encouraged to wear house colours and participate in all house activities during the day. There will also be a canteen and a BBQ held during the day for students to purchase food and drink, to support our QISSN and Confraternity Rugby League teams.

Easter Raffle

This year we are celebrating Easter, Reading and the Spirit of Giving with a raffle. Students receive an entry into the raffle each time they borrow a library book. The major prize is two Easter baskets. The winner keeps one and donates the other to a worthy charity or cause of their choosing. 

Thank you to Jasmin Rogers in Year 12 who designed the poster for the Library.

Recycle your cans and plastic bottles and help fill the Easter Basket Prize

The Library staff collect plastic bottles and cans for the Containers for Change Program. All the proceeds go towards purchasing prizes for Library contests, new books and display items.

You can help the environment, support reading and your Library by dropping your empty containers in the box outside the Library.

Drop and Swap for Staff and Parents

We have established a Drop and Swap book trolley for staff and parents of GSCC. 

Parents and staff are welcome to take books from the trolley, return them or ‘drop’ off some of their own unwanted books for others to read and enjoy. Research shows that children who see their parents enjoying reading are likelier to develop good reading habits. 

You can find the Drop and Swap in the Library or in the College Café each Wednesday morning.

Pictured are some of the books on the Drop and Swap trolley.

Term 1 College Fees have been sent out in the mail. If you have not received your statement by Friday 6th March 2020, please call the College office for a copy.

It is an expectation that fees are paid on time or that a regular payment plan is put in place. For those families opting to pay their fees per term, the due date is 30th March 2020. If you would like assistance working out a payment plan to make regular weekly/fortnightly payments on your account, please email me at jdavis@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au I am happy to help.  You may also ascertain fee information directly from our College website https://www.goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au/finance/college-fee-structure/

Some families may already be paying their fees via a payment plan from previous years. If you have not made any increase to your payments this year you will need to do so, to allow for any increase in College fees. Good Shepherd Catholic College has not increased charges to levies this year in an endeavour to keep fees to a minimum, there has however been a slight increase to the tuition costs, which are in line with all Catholic schools within the Diocese.

It is important that fees are kept up to date and manageable.  If you are experiencing any difficulties meeting your payment obligations or are experiencing unexpected financial hardship, I urge you to contact the College and make arrangements to speak with the Principal to discuss your account. Please note that it is College policy, if accounts fall 2 terms in arrears, with no communication from you to advise us of any change in your circumstances, accounts will be forwarded on to our Collection Agency for management.

To ensure the accuracy of your personal information, please ensure that any changes to your address, email address or phone numbers have been communicated to the College.