Good Shepherd Catholic College has a long tradition of academic excellence and this continues in 2020 with many of our senior students tracking well to achieve their Queensland Certificate of Education and high ATAR results. Many of our students are also well on their way to completing VET qualifications in a range of fields including Hospitality, Business, Health Support Services and Automotive Electrical. Our students are lucky to be offered a wide range of TAFE and General and Applied subjects in Year 11 and 12. I congratulate all of our senior students who are remaining focusses on their studies during this alternative delivery of curriculum. 

Our Tracking Team have already conducted meetings with many Year 12 students this year and will continue these with our ATAR pathway students this week. It is important that all Year 12 students and parents participate in these tracking interviews. We are carefully monitoring their academic progress and need to meet to discuss how each student can continue to improve. Please see communication from Mrs Webb and Mrs Kelley about how to book for those meetings on Compass.

Our students are adjusting well to the Online Learning phase and are enjoying their Zoom lessons. Some students may not find the transition easy and we urge parents to contact their child’s teacher if they are experiencing any difficulty with the work. Students are expected to answer a Google Form each day to register their Online Learning attendance. 

Have a blessed week.

Student-Parent & Teacher Interviews.

Student-Parents and Teachers Interviews were due to begin this term. Due to the unforeseen circumstances that COVID-19 has created we have had to examine how these will be conducted in Term 3 to ensure social distancing. These meetings are important to allow students and parents to have learning conversations about how your child is travelling along their learning journey in the various subjects. Please stay tuned for details around booking these interviews and how they will be conducted in Term 2. 

Assessment Calendars

Term 2 assessment calendars have been published and distributed to students. These are available via the College Website and the student portals. Students and parents have also been emailed a copy of the Calendars - apologies to Year 9 parents that also received the Year 8 assessment calendar. With such a busy Term, it is important that students are managing their time effectively in order to ensure that all assessment are handed in, fully completed, on or before the due date.

Year 11 & 12 students will notice that this assessment calendar is missing quite a few assessment pieces. Due to COVID-19, QCAA instructed all Senior schools to remove an internal assessment item from each Year 11 and 12 subject, reducing the number of assessments in these years from four to three. 

Assessment Policy

The College Assessment Policy was also sent in the email to all students and parents. Assessment is a vital part of the learning journey that students are on, and it is important that students are organised and committed to ensure that all assessment items are submitted in full on or before the due date.

A copy of the Assessment Policy can be found on our College Website.

The policy aims to ensure that all students submit a full and complete draft by the required date. This draft becomes the students final assessment submission until it is replaced with an updated version (either on or before the final due date & time). Students who fail to submit a final copy will have their draft marked as the final submission against the standards. Students who choose not to submit a draft will be required to complete the assessment item in the time remaining in that lesson. 

Ultimately, students who are choosing not to submit their drafts and final assessment items on time will be jeopardising their overall results in that subject. It is vital that students and families are using the Assessment Calendars to manage their time effectively.

Process for Subject Changes

• If you are considering a subject change, please discuss this with your classroom teacher.
• If you decide you want to move forward with the subject change, please complete a Subject Change Form. These are located in the front office. 
• Once complete (including your parent/guardian’s approval and signature), scan or take a photo of each page and drop it to the office or email to the relevant person. Junior subject changes go to Mrs Webb (awebb1@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au) and Senior subject changes go to Mrs Kelley (skelley@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au). 
• You will receive a notification of the outcome, and if the change is approved your new timetable will be synced to Compass and available for collection from the front office. 
• We acknowledge that this process may look different while we are online learning. This can all be completed electronically by emailing the forms through. 

Subject Changes - Year 11 & 12 Students

Subject changes are not permitted in Year 12 as students are too far along in their subjects to warrant a subject change. Any Year 11 students who are wishing to change subjects must do so by Friday 22nd May. Changes after this time may not be approved and students will need to remain in their current choices to ensure their QCE is not put at risk. 

Year 10 into 11

This Term the College will begin working with Year 10 students as they prepare to make decisions around their transition into the Senior Phase of Learning.  Throughout Pastoral Care, the students will be introduced to the possible options available to them in Year 11 & 12.  

In Term 3 on the 3rd of August, the College will hold its annual Senior Phase of Learning Information Night where students and parents will have opportunities to talk to Curriculum Leaders and teachers about possible subject choices as well as exploring the wide range of Vocational Education & Training pathways available. I encourage students and parents to begin these conversations at home to make informed decisions about electives in Semester 2. 

Maximum Work Hours for School-Aged Children

It has come to our attention that some students are working during normal school hours whilst we are in the online learning phase.  Please note that despite it being online learning, it is regarded as a normal school day and it is recommended that students continue to follow their regular school timetable.  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:

Below are some important reminders from my email earlier in the week:

Student Online Participation - ROLL MARKING

Each morning, students are sent a Google Form to indicate their online learning intentions for the day. ALL Students must complete this form to tell us their online participation intentions for that day.

Please note: If you are not able to participate in online learning because you are unwell, please ask your parents to notify the front office, or to add an attendance note in the Compass Portal.

Teachers and Pastoral Leaders will continue to monitor the completion of student work, and they will make contact with families if students are not participating in the online learning platforms.

Timetables

There were some changes to your timetables over the holidays, so it is important that you are logging into the Student Compass Portal and following your schedule each day (your lessons will be shaded a light grey). You can access the Portal, along with your other online learning platforms on the Student Intranet. 

Completion of Work

Throughout the week your teachers will set work for you to complete. Please ensure you know how to submit this work so that teachers can monitor your progress. As previously mentioned, teachers and Pastoral Leaders will be making contact with families of students where there are concerns about academic progress.

ATAR Progress Interviews - Year 12

Yesterday, I sent an email to all families with ATAR eligible students in Year 12. We are holding progress meetings for the remainder of this week for you and your child to attend. Please log into your Compass Parent Portal to make a booking with a staff member from our College Tracking Team.

Curriculum Overviews

A reminder to refer to the curriculum overviews for each Year Level and Subject if you need clarification around a Term 2 unit of work (they are below). Please note, there have been some small changes to the assessment tasks to be completed in the Mathematics Department. 

Public Holiday Reminder

Next Monday, the 4th of May, there is a Public Holiday in Queensland (Labour Day). There is no school on this day (on campus or online!). 

A gentle reminder that our school campus is open for vulnerable students, 

and students whose parents are essential workers only.

Caritas have joined with renowned singer and songwriter Gary Pinto to present a special concert called ‘Loungeroom Sessions’. Please see the information below.

Who Will Walk With Us on May 9?  

On Saturday, May 9, Gary Pinto will be hosting a free online concert for Project Compassion, bringing Australian and International music stars directly from their living room, to yours.

We are overjoyed to announce some of the musicians who will be bringing their big talents (and big hearts) to the show:

• Gary Pinto
• Diesel
• Carmen Smith
• Bobbie Lee Stamper
• Matt Gresham

More artists are confirming by the day, so we will be sending updates to let you know who to expect in your lounge room!

Walk With Me: Loungeroom Sessions

When: Saturday May 9, 2020 at 4 p.m

Where: Pre-register HERE

We are now well into our second week of online learning. I would like to congratulate all Year 12’s for their resilience and positive outlook during what has been a very different and somewhat challenging learning experience. I was especially proud of our Year 12 leaders who assisted in creating our first “Virtual Assembly” in recognition of ANZAC Day. If you are yet to view this,  it has been uploaded onto our College Facebook page at the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/gsccmi/videos/666703264183715/

It has been wonderful to see all of our Year 12’s continue to engage in our Pastoral Care program. During week 1 our focus was Gratitude. Students were asked to create a Gratitude PhotoWall and were asked to share a photo for each of the following questions:

Something I’m grateful for…..

• that I have owned for a long time
• that reminds me of my friends
• that makes me happy
• that I love in nature
• that was a gift from someone special
• that smells amazing
• that tastes good
• that makes a nice sound
• makes me feel loved

I very much enjoyed viewing all of the students PhotoWalls. We definitely have a lot to be grateful for!

This week, our Pastoral Care focus has been Empathy. During the lesson students were asked to share ways they can best help themselves, friends, family or any other community they are part of during the COVID-19 crisis. Here are some of their responses:

“To communicate with friends and family and validate their feelings because we are all feeling some stress, guilt and desolation. To know that someone else is experiencing this means we're not alone.”

Laura Szabadics

“Random acts of kindness, helping those who are in need, helping the vulnerable, washing yours hands, practicing social distancing rules, and even helping around the house- every little bit helps!”

Alison Godfrey

“Donate to COVID-19 charities, help around the house, ask friends and family how they're going, etc”.

Panashe Tembo

“By keeping to social distancing rules and helping out around the house”.

Grace Elliott

“To help myself during these tough times, I would keep exercising to always have a healthy mindset. To help others, it could range from food deliveries or to help others out when they need something done that they can't do themselves”.

Kelsey Verhoeven

I am very proud of the way our Year 12 students have handled the changes they have been faced with. If you have any questions or concerns in relation to your child's progress, plesae do not hesitate to contact me at the College on (07) 4743 2509 or jmarinelli@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

GSCC Library Google Classroom

The Library has established its own Google Classroom to connect to our learners and readers.

The classroom has many different learning, extension, educational and personal interest sites that students can access when they need a brain-break or finish their work early or just have an interest in learning more about a topic. 

• Virtual tours of Museums, Galleries and Zoos
• Webquests
• Coding activities
• Learning puzzles and games
• Quick access to Wheeler’s and Sora eBook platform
• Popular author and book information
• Mindfulness activities
• Information about the Premier’s Reading Challenge 2020

If your child would like to join the GSCC Library Google Classroom, simply ask them to email edrover@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au and they will receive an invite.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge 2020 – Year 7-9

Our College has signed up to take part in the Premier’s Reading Challenge 2020. Students in Year 7-9 can participate by reading and/or experiencing up to 15 books before 28 August 2020. 

Information can be found in the GSCC Library Google Classroom or by accessing this link https://readingchallenge.education.qld.gov.au/  

Students do not need to register. We are participating in this Challenge as a school. 

Contact your Librarian if you would like more details. edrover@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

The Library Wishlist

Thank you to the students who made suggestions for new books in Term 1. Those books have been purchased and processed and are ready for you to borrow when you return to our College.

The Term 2 Wishlist has started! If you would like to see a new book or series on our shelves, and this includes Non-Fiction topics, e.g.: animals, computer programs, fashion, drawing/art, please email the librarian. edrover@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

Congratulations Sydneh!