There is always a buzz in a school on the first day back after holidays and it was palpable this week as we returned for Term 3. It promises to be a busy but enjoyable term for the Good Shepherd community, especially as we are able to now conduct some of our very important calendar events. In particular, we are encouraging all of our families to make appointments to discuss the academic progress of their children in the Parent-Teacher-Student interviews being held next Tuesday (21st July).  Mrs Amy Webb (Assistant Principal - Administration) has sent home an email about how to book. 

In my memo home to Parents on Monday I introduced our new staff and announced some staffing changes. 

Staffing News:

• New Acting Deputy Principal - Michele Wood
• We welcome Melissa Puxty (RE/SOR/English) and Trent Newcomb (Maths/Science) to our College.
• We are excited to welcome back Sally Holland and Sonja James who have been on maternity leave.
• New Curriculum Leader positions:
• Acting Humanities - Leigh Harding
• Acting Mathematics - Trent Wilkinson
• Acting Arts (continuing) - Saskia Brown
• Julie Hutchinson will be taking on a teaching role in the Design and Technology area. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in this area and will be a welcome addition to this department.

We have an expert team of teachers here at the College and their expectations of students are high. One of our goals this term is to depth our understanding and practice of collaborative learning, as this is a true marker of student improvement. We will also conduct training on managing anxiety in adolescents, as this is a growing issue for many young people.

In the Gospel reading at Mass on Sunday, we heard the parable of the Sower and how he threw seeds along a path and rocky places. The seeds were either eaten up by birds or became scorched and would not take root. However, when the Sower planted the seeds in good soil, they produced a bountiful crop. This reading appealed to me because it made me think about our beautiful school and the important job that teachers  and parents have in providing a ‘good soil’ for our students to thrive in:  A supportive learning environment, kind teachers, a safe home and space to make mistakes and be forgiven. Teaching our children to follow Jesus’ ways and live a faithful and compassionate life is a great headstart. This term, I pray that everyone in our school community is kept safe and grow in their relationship with Jesus and God.

Welcome back to all our students and families for what will be a very busy Term 3 at Good Shepherd!

This term we have so many wonderful opportunities for our staff, students and families to immerse themselves in the Good Shepherd Catholic College Community as our calendar is full. I look forward to seeing many of you at these events as the term progresses. 

COVID-19 Restrictions

With the easing of some of the COVID-19 restrictions in Queensland, it is still really important that we are all responsible in that we do not present to school with any symptoms, no matter how mild.  Symptoms include:

• Fever;
• Cough;
• Sore throat;
• Shortness of breath;
• Loss of sense of smell;
• Runny nose; and
• Fatigue.

Any students who are at school and display these symptoms will be asked to go to the front office and parents/carers will be contacted to collect them from school.

ThinkUKnow

We are very fortunate that our College Adopt a Cop, Senior Constable Michele White, is a facilitator of the ThinkUKnow Program and will be delivering the program to all year levels over the term.  ThinkUKnow is an evidence-based online safety program which is tailored to age groups and provides presentations to Australian parents, carers and teachers and students. It provides information on the technologies young people use, the challenges they may face, and importantly, how they can be overcome. 

The program gives students the tools to create a safer online environment with the presentations covering what young people SAY, SEE and DO online.

Topics included within the presentations are specifically aimed at educating and increasing awareness about online child sexual exploitation including avoiding unwanted contact, online grooming, self-generated content, sexual extortion and how to get help.

What young people SEE online

• Challenges such as online grooming, ‘sexting’ and inappropriate content.
• How to support young people through online challenges.
• How to report if something goes wrong online.

What young people SAY online

• What you can do to help support young people understand their online interactions.
• This includes talking about being respectful online, thinking before you post, knowing what information is okay to share online.

What young people DO online

• How students use technology to have fun online, such as applications (or apps), websites and social networks.
• How students can handle their digital shadow, including their privacy and relationships online.

If you would like any further information about ThinkUKnow and the information sessions that we will be running at the College, please do not hesitate to contact me or visit their website on www.thinkuknow.org.au

Welcome to Term 3! I am excited for what is sure to be a fantastic term. We begin our jam-packed calendar of events next Tuesday, we hope to see you there.

Parent | Teacher | Student Interviews

Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews will take place in the Lumen Christi Centre on Tuesday 21 July 2020 from 3.30pm - 7.30pm. The interview schedule consists of 10-minute time slots and you are able to book back-to-back interviews. 

The interview system is now open to parents/carers, and will close at 5pm on Saturday 19 July 2020. After bookings close, you will only be able to view your bookings. Please see the email sent on Saturday for full details of how to book.

Please be sure to check your booking carefully, and if there are any errors contact the College so that we can assist.

School Calendar

Term 3 is packed full of events and activities for students and families. The Good Shepherd Catholic College Website includes information about all upcoming events. If you have a ‘gmail’ account you are also able to add our School Calendar to your Google Calendar. Click this link to access.

Welcome back everyone to Term 3, where has the year gone?

The reading from last Sunday was about a parable that Jesus told the crowd. It goes something like this.

Welcome back to what promises to be an exciting term in Health and Physical activity and Sport in Term 3. Along with their health topics this term, all students will be participating in various invasion games, focusing on enhancing strategies and tactics in game scenarios. Students will participate in sports such as, Rugby League, Netball, Soccer, Indoor Hockey, and Touch Football just to name a few.

As relayed by Mrs Pelly Morganson over the holidays, students are now allowed to wear their Physical Education uniform to and from school. To help with this, students have been given their own practical and theory timetable to make sure they are wearing the correct uniform. These timetables have also been attached below for parents. Please take note of your students HPE class code (which can be found in their diary). Practical lessons are highlighted yellow. Students are only to wear their HPE uniform on these days.

I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is James Coghlan and my role here at GSCC is Chaplain.