Two weeks ago we watched with sadness and disbelief the video and images of George Floyd’s death in America and heard the echo of Australia’s wretched history of black deaths in custody. And while new hashtags, painted placards and symbolic gestures of support are all important, they may not result in change any time soon. The real change needs to happen in each of our own hearts. St Mary MacKillop in 1873 prayed for the world when she said, “I hope that you have more charity and that you do not judge by appearances”.

At Good Shepherd Catholic College, we are proud to call ourselves a multicultural school; made up of many different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language groups and students from a myriad of different racial backgrounds. We also have a strong Filipino student population and recently arrived families from different countries - all are welcome. Our teachers and staff too reflect the diversity of our country and bring their varied experiences to our classrooms. My prayer for our school community, is that we together:

• Contribute towards making a fairer world
• Offer welcome and acceptance to all who come to our country, especially refugees and asylum seekers
• We work to heal discrimination against people because of their race, gender, age, nationality or religious beliefs.
  

Each week we will profile a section of our Annual 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 through consultation with our school stakeholders: parents, staff and students.

Year 12 - Early Offers - University
There are a number of universities that are currently accepting applications for early offers into a range of degrees. It is really important for students to be proactive in submitting this documentation to be able to utilise this amazing opportunity while applications are still open. 

I encourage all Year 12 students interested in Tertiary study to jump onto the universities website to get as much information as possible on the early offer program. If you require additional support please see Mrs Coghlan or myself as soon as possible to discuss the requirements and complete necessary documentation.

If a student is wanting to study in 2021 or go into a pathway that they are not currently set up for please bring this to our attention as there are a range of other avenues we can explore to assist students in pursuing their chosen pathway.

COLLEGE EXPECTATION FOCUS:  Come Prepared to Learn.

This week I wanted to focus on our third College Expectation: Come prepared to learn.

At Good Shepherd it is important for all students come to school each day prepared to learn.  Here are some tips on how students can come prepared to learn:

Timetable and Diary

• Your timetable and student diary are really helpful tools for student preparation.
• It is suggested that you should look at their timetable and diary at the beginning of the week to ensure that know what to expect during the week.
• Students will be able to determine if they have practical lessons, assessments due or forms to return – this lessens confusion and also demonstrates responsibility.

Uniform

• Make it a part of your daily routine to check that your uniform is clean and tidy for the next day.
• Ensure that if you require an alternative uniform for PE or Technologies classes, that these are also ready for your lessons.

Equipment

• Ensure that you have all the required equipment needed to participate fully in your classes.
• Your pencil case should include pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener, calculator, glue and scissors.
• You should have all of your required books; textbooks and writing books for each lesson.  This also includes your diary so that you can write down your homework but also if you need to leave the classroom during the lesson.
• Your laptop should be fully charged at the beginning of the day to last you the whole school day.

Classroom Participation

• When in class, be curious. Make sure you are attentive to detail and observe as much as possible of what is going on around you and how things are done. 
• Be open to new experiences and prepared to learn as much as you can from what you see and do in the classroom.
• Ask questions when you need clarification on a topic or content.
• Get involved because sometimes learning requires you to physically do more than just listen to your teacher.  It may mean that you have to research more about the topic to gain more understanding.
• Seek feedback from your teacher to see if you are on track with what is being taught in your lessons.  Feedback is also a wonderful way of gaining improvement in your understanding and outcomes.
• Reflection is a key component of learning on what you have seen, heard and experienced. Experience without reflection is not enough because it does not automatically lead to learning. Reflecting is a powerful learning tool especially so you can see how to develop self-insight and make adjustments for yourself to learn better.  

Safety Whilst Traveling To And From School

Travelling to school or other familiar places by themselves is an opportunity for children to develop confidence and new skills. Many children start travelling independently in primary school however it is still important that high school students are aware of how to keep themselves safe when they travel to and from school. 

At Good Shepherd we encourage parents and carers to remind their children about safety with independent travel by using a few simple safety tips, including Recognise, React and Report from the Daniel Morecombe Foundation.  When teaching travel safe skills it’s important to remember the following general safety advice for children:

Recognise

• What’s happening around you? 
• Are you safe?

React

• What can you do if the situation is not safe?

Report

• Tell an adult at home or school if something is not ok or you don’t feel safe.

Walking

• Choose the safest route to school and back
• Use basic road safety skills such as how to safely cross the road and only ever crossing when the green walk signal is active at lights or at a pedestrian crossing
• Walk with siblings or friends if possible
• Always walk towards traffic but on the footpath or nature strip
• Be safety aware and on the lookout for hazards such as reversing cars
• When using headphones, only use one earpiece to stay alert to other noises like traffic or people
• Do not make stops along the way (ie to Kmart centre) unless this has been discussed and agreed to
• Do not accept a lift from anyone who is not known. 
• Talk to a trusted adult at school or home if you ever feel unsafe

Bike, scooter or skate board

• Always wear shoes, appropriate clothing and a helmet when riding, make sure it is fitted properly
• Stay on the footpath or a bike path if possible and make sure to look out for cars and pedestrians
• If there is no choice but to ride on the road, stay to the left and leave 1 metre between any other bikes or vehicles
• Understand the road rules for bike riding including the hand signals for indicating direction
• If riding in low light use lights and reflective clothing
• Travel with siblings or friends if possible
• Bikes and scooters are designed for one rider, doubling is illegal and unsafe
• Although it’s not illegal to use headphones while riding, it’s important to be alert to traffic or people noise. If wearing headphones use only one earpiece.

Compass Parent Portal

A reminder that report cards will be uploaded to the Compass Portals on the last day of Term 2. If you do not have access to your Parent Portal, please contact the College Office and we can assist.

Date Claimers

For those of you planning ahead, below are some important date claimers for Term 3. It is a busy term, with lots of events to take place! At this stage, these events will run as normal assuming the easing of ‘covid’ restrictions continue over the coming month.

Sacred Spaces

Early Christian gatherings happened where they could, often in people’s homes but also out in the open. They then grew in numbers and influence and so began the building of churches. Churches around the world vary in style, size, simplicity and magnificence, but they have the one thing in common - they are built for people to gather in their communal worship of, and celebration with our God.

In recent times we have been unable to go to our traditional sacred spaces to worship with our community, we have had to find other ways. In doing so, many sacred spaces have been created, discovered, designed, realized. Now that we can return in limited numbers to our churches, let us keep using our personal sacred spaces and perhaps make time to enjoy them each day.

Our College sacred space had been utilized over the last little while to accommodate social distancing rules but it is now back to its primary purpose – as a place to gather as God’s community. We are looking at ways to better engage people (staff, students and the wider community) in spending time in this space. Watch this space!

The Year 11 Chemistry students were given a challenge that required them to use the knowledge they had gained concerning precipitates to identify the five unknown chemical solutions given to them. They needed to develop a methodology and had many other chemical solutions available to them.

The students utilised their deduction skills and knowledge and were successful in correctly relabeling all five chemical solutions.

This experience bolstered the students’ confidence in their abilities and the importance of thorough research and methodical application of laboratory skills.

It was a beautiful moment when the student's hard work paid off.

This term, Year 8 English studies transported students’ imaginations to the landlocked country of Afghanistan. Students read the novel “Parvana” and explored the themes of courage and moral fortitude in the face of repression and control. Deborah Ellis is a skillful author who is able to write for young readers in a way that presents complex moral dilemmas in language that they can understand. The classes used the GSCC online Library to access electronic copies of the novel and read them during the first five week’s of the Term. 

Of course we had intended to be together in classes at school discussing the novel during this time, but, COVID-19 restrictions changed our plans. Students and staff adapted well to online learning. Teachers set tasks for students that they accessed and completed online in Google Classrooms and classes came together to discuss their work in Zoom sessions. Resumption of school in Week 6 of the Term was welcomed by all and regular classes supported all students to focus on this novel study unit and share learning experiences. The novel study culminated in an assessment that encouraged students to showcase their creative writing skills.  

As the Term comes to a close, we look back and realise that we too showed courage when faced with the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents, students and teachers now appreciate the business as usual model and the Year 8s are looking forward to Term 3 studies with a focus on poetry and short stories that influence.

Who doesn't love a Seafood Basket? Our Senior Hospitality students have been busy cooking Seafood baskets as part of their Unit of Competency - Prepare and present simple dishes.

The students made Mayonnaise from scratch and turned it into tartare, Homemade Chips, Tempura Barramundi, Coconut Prawns and Salt n Pepper Calamari. Hope all my Hospitality students are showcasing their skills at home.

Coconut Prawns  -  enough to crumb 12 Prawns

 12 Large  green prawns ( tiger prawns are great )

 1 egg

2 Tablespoon Milk

¼ cup Plain Flour

½ cup Shredded coconut

½ Fresh Breadcrumbs

• Peel , devein and butterfly the prawns, keeping the tail intact
• Place egg and milk in a small bowl, whisk to combine
• Place flour in a bowl
• Place coconut and breadcrumbs into a bowl, combine
• Dip prawns into flour to lightly coat, then egg mixture, followed by combined coconut and breadcrumbs.  Set aside.
• Cook prawns in a preheated deep fryer ( 165degrees) for 2-3mins, drain on paper towel
• Serve with chips or a side salad and a splash of Tartare sauce.
  
  

TAFE

Please note the TAFE dates for the remainder of the year.