We are excited to announce that Ms Michele Wood will be continuing in her role as Deputy Principal - Learning and Teaching. Ms Wood has been acting in this role since the start of Term Three and has already made an impact on the College.

Our Year 12s continue their external exams this week and we are grateful to Mr John Harrop (English MIddle Leader) and Ms Wood for their expert coordination of these. We encourage students to keep focused on their exam preparation.

Congratulations to all students who received a Commendable Achievement certificate at the Awards Assemblies yesterday. Your consistent diligent approach to your studies was rewarded. As we approach the end of Term Four, we remind students to begin their exam preparation. Even though it has been a challenging year, students should take every opportunity to finish the year knowing they have done their very best.

Parents and Carers are invited to join us for our P&F meeting next Tuesday night at 6.00pm in the library.

PAT Testing

As part of the College's ongoing commitment to helping students continue to improve in both Maths and Literacy skills, all students in Years 7 - 10 will sit PAT tests during two lessons in Week Six.

Find about more about the Progressive Achievement Approach and Tests at this site: https://www.acer.org/au/pat

Year 10 & 11 Exam Block

It is that time of term where students should be focusing on upcoming assessment and exams. For students in Year 10 and 11, you will finish the year with another Exam Block. This block will commence on Monday 23 November and conclude on Friday 27 November (Week 8, Term 4). This means that students will finish class on Friday 20 November.

Only students sitting exams or completing assessments are required to be on campus during this week (this does not apply to students with incomplete assessment - see below). I will send the Exam Block Expectations closer to the time; however; if you have any questions regarding these exams, please contact Year 10 Pastoral Leader Ms Louise Wiles lwiles1@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au.

Finally, students who have incomplete assessment/s will be required to attend school each day during Exam Block. Ms Wiles will contact students (and their families) if they are required to attend school during the exam week.

Subject Selection Reminder

A reminder that Elective Subject selections for 2021 are due by this Friday, 6 November.

Calendar Update

Click to access the most up to date School Calendar

November is traditionally the month in which we remember those that have died. 

2^nd November is All Souls Day, a day for us to remember those that have died.

1^st November is All Saints Day. It is dedicated to the saints of the Church, that is, all those who have attained heaven. There are over a thousand people that the Catholic Church has canonised as saints. These saints have lived lives that were really inspirational, lives that we can look up to and try to imitate. 

By our baptism we are all called to be saints.

I came across a beautiful reflection on what saints on earth may be like:

“It is a rare person who arrives at that state of perfect spiritual serenity. I suppose they are saints of sorts, not necessarily beatified and canonised saints but the kind of people in whose presence we intuit the nearness of God because they bring their best friend everywhere with them.  God does not accompany them as a bodyguard or go in front of them like a Soviet tank. He accompanies them like a soprano’s pure voice accompanies a song, like a dewdrop sits on a rose.”

(Mary McAleese reproduced in A Canopy of Stars – Christopher Gleeson 2017)

There has been a lot happening in Year 11 this Term, with 2021 leadership speeches, and of course, the commencement of Unit 3 of the Senior Phase of Learning. The Year 11’s started this Term with Unit 3 work, which marks their transition into the Year 12 Curriculum. The Year 11’s also got to wear their Senior Polo shirts last Friday for the first time, which was very exciting, and don’t they look great! It was also lovely to see them still supporting Day for Daniel and wearing their red accessories/silly socks.

The College Student Leadership application process for 2021 has now come to an end, with our new College leaders announced at the Year 12 Farewell Assembly. The Student Leadership Team for 2021 includes 2 x School Captains, 4 x House Captains, an Indigenous Leader and a Spiritual leader. The process involved students writing an application booklet, participating in a Leadership Formation Day and interview with myself and a member of Senior Leadership as well as delivering a speech to the whole school and house groups. This was not an easy task, and all students are to be commended for their participation and involvement in the process. Their development, particularly from the Leadership Formation Day was very noticeable. Students participated in prayer and discussion with great care and discernment. They were also visited by Father Mick who invited further reflection around the topic of Leadership. The day ended with scenarios and some trust and teamwork activities at the Lake.

I believe we have many flourishing leaders in our Cohort and I would just like to say how proud I am of all that put their name forward this year. The role of a Student Leader holds great responsibility within the school and wider community. I was very pleased to have so many students invested in wanting to lead our College. Even though not all students received a role or a title for 2021, I know they will still be a leader for our school next year. Congratulations to each and every one of you.

I am excited for the rest of this year and all that it will bring for students. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our homeroom teachers, including Mr Gregory Blake, Mrs Leigh Harding and Mrs Hutchinson. Thank you for your continued support and care for our Year 11 Students.

Despite Covid, this year just like previous years, has been very busy with Netball. I would like to thank our GSCC Netball Club coaches for their tireless efforts in training and coaching their teams each week in the MIANA competition, as well as having to organise duties each week. It is an extremely big role, and they should know just how appreciative we are of their time. 

This year, all of our Junior teams have made it into the quarter finals which is a fantastic achievement. The finals games will be played over the next couple of weeks and we wish all players and coaches the best of luck. If you have an opportunity to get down to the Netball courts on a Wednesday night, and know they will appreciate this greatly. 

Congratulations to the following students and their club coaches involved in our Netball club:

GSCC All Stars -

Capree Saunders

Jamisynn Roberts

Miah Starr

Hannah Cama

Gabrielle Dolzan

Vanessa Strasser

Zeta Larsen

Naiima Akee

Heidi Fenton

Coached by Phoebe Ryder

GSCC Jetts -

Grace Butterworth

Destiny Smith

Lara Siemer

Makayla Davies

Milla Van Lelyveld

Chellezhae Orcher

Gillian Caampued

Malvika Naidu

Deepali Sharma

Coached by Susie Neal

GSCC Lightning -

Aiyshus-Jade Kemp

Chai Purcell

Laura Thinee

Sophie Greenhalgh

Abbie Pigliafiori

Ruby Rixon

Erin Andrews

Hadley Plumb

Shaima De Sagun

Coached by Julie Hutchinson

GSCC Spirit - 

Chelsea Barlow

Teuila Kohlhase

Amy Bailey

Ally Haddon

Olivia Lee

Trinity Ottaviano

Arwen Ingram

Abbie Pigliafiori

Coached by Jen Tyrell and Nikki Barlow

GSCC Roar - 

Sienna Te Wani

Charlotte Fahey

Charlotte Coghlan

Amy Haddon

Carly Lobegeiger

Lasharna Hegarty

Zoe Ryder

Darcy Webber

Abby Benson

Coached by Nikki Dalla Vecchia

Recently, the GSCC Roar team travelled to Townsville to compete in the Southern Cross Catholic College Netball carnival. This was the team chosen to compete at the QISSN carnival this year, but unfortunately due to COVID-19, the carnival was cancelled. We were extremely grateful to have been given an opportunity to take these students away to play in a Netball carnival, against schools/teams who would have normally participated in the QISSN carnival. 

These 10 girls really impressed us! After travelling 10hrs, being stuck for an hour on the road due to fire, and a flat tyre, the girls were straight off the bus to play three games of Netball that night. They came away with a win against Gilroy in their first game, which was a great start. They also won another two games throughout the competition, against St Catherine’s and At Anthony’s. They represented our College with pride and should be congratulated on their achievements.

Thank you to Chelsea Barlow who also came away with us on the trip as a 10th player, and to Julie Hutchinson who assisted in driving the bus and coaching/looking after the girls whilst we were away.

Finally, to our sponsors this year, Mount Isa Mining Supplies, the College P&F committee and 2Seas, for their assistance this year and fundraising opportunities that contributed to our trip away. As always, we could not have these opportunities if it was not for your support.