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Recently I read a quote which seemed very fitting for the strange times we are in. It read:
"Change is everywhere.
Life may seem disrupted.
Move with the change and allow
yourself to be open to whatever
growth
this may bring."
( Affirmations Publishing House)
We certainly are in a period of great change and I am incredibly proud of how our whole community is not just accepting change but embracing the growth that can come with it. Our teachers have done an astonishing job learning new skills such as video-conferencing and preparing to teach in fundamentally different ways. Our future-focused students have stepped up to the challenge and our parents and carers have not only been incredibly supportive of the College in our efforts to ensure continuity of learning but are appreciating first hand the challenges of education. This is an anxious time but be assured that we are here to help, so please contact the College if you have any concerns.
Here are some valuable resources for Parents and Carers:
Taming the Technology - resources for ensuring safety online.
Screen-time for your Child - a resource to support parents and their child’s use of devices.
We are getting very close to opening our new Trade Training Centre. From next week we will start moving over new equipment and begin setting up the first-class facility. Here are some photos of the progress of the building:
This Term we welcome three new faces to the College: Nigel Mitchell who is joining our RE Department; Travis Roberts, an English teacher and Gemma Kyle who will join our Humanities Department. We are in the process of recruiting experienced School Officers (Teacher Aides) who can assist students in the classroom, so please spread the word.
We have not finalised arrangements for Parent Teacher Learner Interviews at this stage but will keep you informed. If you have any concerns about your son or daughter’s Term One report, please do not hesitate to contact the subject teachers.
Kathleen McCarthy - Principal
Phone: 07 4749 9400
Email: enquiries@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

What a journey our students, teachers and families have gone on in the past week as they tackle remote learning. The teachers at Good Shepherd have worked really hard over the last couple of weeks implementing fun and engaging online learning modules for students to complete on Google Classroom. This has been a massive job for our teachers as they have re-written curriculum, adjusted their teaching pedagogy, engaged in professional learning and developed new programs in preparation for a smooth transition to an online learning journey, so I would like to say a big THANKYOU on behalf of the schooling community for your commitment and engagement so far.
I would also like to thank our students who have jumped into this new way of learning from day 1. The attendance in zoom sessions and on Google Classroom has been amazing. What a team effort it has been. Thank you to the siblings, parents, friends and family members who have been checking in or offering additional support to students as they learn to navigate this new system. This partnership is so valuable to us and is definitely one that we are proud of.
All students have been added to a ‘Google Classroom’ for each of their subjects. Some of our subjects have also been using Education Perfect to deliver content and build students skills in this time. Students have been issued with a ‘weekly plan’ for their work. This will continue to be released by teachers by the first lesson of each week.
Weekly Outline
On Monday of each week, students will be sent a weekly overview by their teachers. This will appear in their google classroom and will include a week's worth of lessons and activities.
Although students are receiving a week's worth of work at once, they are still required to follow their weekly timetable. If students are unable to link in to a zoom session which has been organised, they should email their classroom teacher to explain this. Students are also required to send work that is completed in each lesson to their classroom teacher.
Year 12 Students
This year, the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) has taken into account this extraordinary situation and one internal piece of assessment will be struck off in each of the students' applied, essential and general subjects. This was communicated via a letter at the beginning of the week. If you are wanting more information on this please contact the classroom teacher, curriculum leader or pastoral leader.
TAFE students will be issued with online work from their TAFE teachers. Should you have issues accessing this, please email your TAFE teacher. For many students who would usually attend Work Experience or SBA/T, but are not on at the moment, they (and all other students) are to use these days to catch up on set work and to do revision for the Unit 3 and 4 external exams / assessments.
Year 11 Students
All students and parents received information at the beginning of the week about an assessment item being eliminated from either Unit 1 or Unit 2. Majority of Curriculum Leaders have decided to eliminate the Unit 1 assessment. This will mean for these subjects that students will not submit a summative assessment this term and will instead complete formative work, which will not be graded or reported on. It is important that students communicate with their Classroom Teachers to see which assessments they are required to do this term. If a student was to accidentally miss one it will have significant implications for their QCE point for Unit 1.
TAFE students will be issued with online work from their TAFE teachers. Should you have issues accessing this, please email your TAFE teacher.
Assessment Calendars
Students are still required to submit assessment this term which will be marked and reported on (exceptions have been made for some year 11 and 12 classes). An assessment calendar will be sent to parents and students in Week 2, which will outline the due dates for all assessment items this term. It is important that students are regularly checking in with their teachers, attending zoom meetings and engaging in the online learning to prepare for these assessments and be able to submit work on or before the due date.
Samantha Kelley - Deputy Principal - Teaching & Learning
Phone: 07 4749 9400
Email: enquiries@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

I would like to thank all of our students and families for the way in which you have positively engaged with online learning. This new mode of learning provides some innovative ways for teachers to teach and students to learn content; however it also gives students an opportunity to build on their resilience and their ability to be self-directed learners. The next few weeks will be a time of change and, no doubt some challenges, but I want to ensure our College community know that we all are going through this journey together.
COVID-19: Tips for Staying Safe Online
The eSafety Commissioner website has a quite a few resources for students and families and how to stay safe online during the COVID-19 pandemic and particularly during this phase of online learning. You can access these resources at the following web link: https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/covid-19
The Importance of Wellbeing
Change, particularly when it is the result of an unprecedented event, can result in people experiencing a range of emotions and can trigger behaviours that may not have been witnessed before. Everyone deals with change differently, and now more than ever, it is important for us to ensure that we make our wellbeing a priority. Attached below are two wellbeing resources for students that provide information on useful wellbeing web links and self-care tips. These resources were also shared with our College staff this week.
If students or parents have any pastoral issues or concerns and would like to engage with their Pastoral Leaders, Guidance Counsellor or myself, please do not hesitate to contact on the following emails:
Yr 7 Pastoral Leader Mrs Kate Thinee kthinee1@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au
Yr 8 Pastoral Leader Mr William Morganson wmorganson1@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au
Yr 9 Pastoral Leader Ms Kylie McCarthy kmccarthy2@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au
Yr 10 Pastoral Leader Ms Louise Wiles lwiles1@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au
Yr 11 Pastoral Leader Ms Nicole Dalla Vecchia ndallavecchia@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au
Yr 12 Pastoral Leader Ms Jade Marinelli jmarinelli@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au
Guidance Counsellor Mrs Yvonne Van den Worm yvandenworm@tsv.catholic.edu.au
Pelly Morganson - Assistant Principal - Pastoral
Phone: 07 4749 9400
Email: enquiries@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

This is certainly the most unusual start to a Term I have experienced! I hope that students are all settling in to their online learning platforms, and are keeping up with the work that teachers are setting each day.
A reminder that all students have access to their timetable through the Compass Portal. If students are still struggling to login to their portal, please ask them to carefully follow these instructions.
Below are a list of online platforms that students may be accessing for online learning:
- Google Classroom
- Education Perfect
- Cambridge Mathematics
If you are having any issues logging in to these, please email your teacher as soon as possible to ensure you don’t fall behind with your class work.
Attendance
As you are all aware, the College remains open for vulnerable students, and those students whose parents are essential workers. Below are some important considerations for parents regarding student attendance:
- Students’ on-site attendance is being monitored as normal during this time.
- If students have registered, or have been at school they will be on our ‘on campus’ roll.
- If a student is then absent, you will receive a text message from the College to inform you of the absence.
- If your work circumstances have changed and your child is now learning from home, please contact the College Office and we will remove them from our roll.
- Students’ online participation is also being monitored.
- Teachers are marking a roll of individual class ‘online participation’ each day.
- Pastoral Leaders are using the daily data to mark an overall online participation roll, which will indicate if students are making contact with their teachers during their lessons throughout the day.
- If a student makes no contact with their teachers on any one day, parents/guardians will receive an email from their Pastoral Leader.
Contact with Teachers
If students are struggling to understand subject work or are having difficulties accessing the technology, please ask them to contact their classroom teacher first. Teachers are best contacted through email, these details are available on the College Website.
Curriculum Overview
Please access the PDF files below to see an overview of the curriculum for each Year Level for Term 2. Again, for subject specific questions please contact the classroom teacher first, the Curriculum Leader will be able to assist if any further clarification is required.
Amy Webb - Assistant Principal - Administration
Phone: 07 4749 9400
Email: enquiries@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

ANZAC Day
Today during Pastoral Care, students reflected on ANZAC Day and its significance in our lives today. Students were then given the opportunity to write a small message of thanks to our fallen soldiers. These messages have been printed and put on our poppy wreath which will be laid at the Civic Centre later this week. Thank you to all students who participated and left kind words of thanks.
Prayer
It is often during these busy and difficult times we forget about the power of prayer and reflection. However, it is during these times that we may need it most. Some ways to pray and resources for prayer are listed below.
Sacred Space- daily prayer, scripture and reflection- https://www.sacredspace.ie/daily-prayer
Pray As You Go- daily prayer podcast- https://pray-as-you-go.org/
World Community for Christain Meditation- download the app which includes a timer for personal meditation at home. https://www.wccm.org/content/new-wccm-app
Another great reflection idea is to keep a journal and at the start of each day take a few minutes to write down 3 things you are grateful for. Focussing on the positive can have a great impact on our mental health and allow us to begin our day thinking of all the good things in our lives.
Jacqueline Warren - Assistant Principal - Religious Education
Phone: 07 4749 9400
Email: enquiries@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au