Dear Parents and Carers,

There has been much coverage in the media of late around the topic of consent. An online petition asking for students who had experienced sexual assault whilst still at school, has gone viral with disturbing accounts of violence.  

This highlights a strong need for parents to start having conversations around consent. We cannot assume that young people know what it means or the consequences surrounding it. 

It is important that parents understand that in Queensland, the legal age for consent is 16 years.  However, this consent must be informed and explicit and the young person must have the capacity to provide the consent.  What this means is that young people who are vulnerable due to alcohol or drugs, a power imbalance in the relationship, have a disability or other vulnerability are not providing informed and explicit consent. 

At Good Shepherd Catholic College, our students participate in the Love Bites program which is a nationally recognised and extremely successful Relationships Education Program for young people between 11-17 years. It is endorsed by Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, the leading children and adolescent psychologist, who states, "Consent must be mutual and freely given. An informed decision made without pressure, guilt or threats. There must be a clear understanding of what is about to happen. Without consent, sexual activity is an offence and against the law, and it must be given every single time.”

Please take some time to watch the following video and have a conversation with your son or daughter:

https://schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-conversation-consent

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

Lifeline 13 11 14

Beyond Blue 1300 224 636

Essential Maths and Essential English Common Internal Assessment Task

All Essential English and Essential Mathematics students will sit an examination next week in the exam block. This examination is called a ‘Common Internal Assessment’, which is created and implemented by QCAA. Students must be in attendance for this examination. If students are absent or do not sit the CIA it will impact their QCE greatly. The below extract has been retrieved from QCAA’s quality assurance handbook which explains why:

“In order to receive an overall subject result for Units 3 and 4, students must complete Units 3 and 4 as a pair, providing responses to each summative internal assessment and the common internal assessment (CIA) for Applied (Essential) subjects. Where there is no evidence of a response to each summative assessment on or before the due date set by the school, a subject result cannot be allocated”.

If a student will be absent for circumstances out of their control the school must be contacted as soon as possible and documentation is required. 

Term 1 Report Cards

At the end of Term 1, students will receive an interim report card. These report cards are issued online, through the Compass Parent Portal. We will notify parents and students when report cards have been uploaded, and you will have immediate access to them at this time. Please see the document below for instructions.

Term 2 Parent Teacher Student Interviews

Parent Teacher Student Interviews will take place on Wednesday, 28 April (Week 2). Bookings for these interviews will be made through the Compass Parent Portal (either phone or desktop versions) and will open at 5pm on Thursday, 1 April, after Term 1 Report Cards have been uploaded to Compass. The bookings will close at midday on Friday, 23 April.

Exam block commences on Monday 22 March for Year 11 and 12 students.

All students should be studying/completing assessment at home; studying quietly in the Study Room. (Year 11 – H1; Year 12 – H2), or completing an exam during exam block.

 Exam block is not free time.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL ASSESSMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED IN ALL SUBJECTS 

IN ORDER TO HAVE EXAM BLOCK PRIVILEGES.

End of Term 1 Celebrations

RSVP for the Family BBQ and Liturgy by filling in this form >>> RSVP: Term 1 Family BBQ & Easter Liturgy

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)

This year our staff began a review into our current student behaviour management program and have begun a process of the implementation of Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) at our College.

PB4L is a behaviour management framework that schools use to get everyone – students, staff, families and the school community - on the same page to create a safe and supportive learning environment for all students.

PB4L is an international evidence-based whole school process which can be implemented in any school setting to support students from preschool through to Year 12.

What does PB4L involve?

PB4L is when schools create clear expectations and rules that use positive language, for example "walk" instead of "don't run". This is done for all locations across the school and all people involved in the school community. Students and families are involved in this decision-making process. Once everyone has agreed to the expectations, a system is designed to acknowledge or reward students for following the expectations. 

This clearly defined set of expected behaviours (expectations and rules) is backed up by teaching procedures and procedures for acknowledging expected behaviours as well as responding to other behaviours. School communities also work together to decide on what happens when things don't go according to plan. PB4L uses an educative approach so there is the opportunity for students to correct their behaviour.

What are the benefits of the PB4L?

When PB4L is implemented well, teachers and students have more time to focus on relationships and classroom instruction. Students and staff benefit from:

• increased time focused on instruction;
• improved social-emotional wellbeing;
• positive and respectful relationships among students and staff;
• reduced inappropriate behaviour;
• better support for teachers to teach, model and respond effectively to student needs; and
• a predictable learning environment where staff and students know what is expected.

PB4L Working Group 

The implementation of PB4L within the College requires regular consultation and input from our PB4L Working Group which is made up of a number of staff and student representatives. 

To ensure that we have input from all of our College community stakeholders, we are currently seeking parent representation on the PB4L Working Group. If you would like to nominate to be a member of the PB4L Working Group or if you have any questions about PB4L program, please do not hesitate to contact me via email on pmorganson1@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

Welcome to Week 8

Arsad, an Indonesian farmer, had no toilet in his house, so always had to walk into the forest to the open defecation area. His family was often sick and open defecation caused many neighbourhood disputes. With the support of Caritas Australia and its partner agency, Laz Harfa, Arsad took part in hygiene, sanitation and financial management training. He then funded the building of a toilet in his house and helped other community members to save money to construct their own toilet.

Now, Arsad’s family is healthier, their community no longer practices open defecation and is more harmonious. Arsad inspired his community to ‘Be More.’

• Around 17 percent of Indonesia’s rural population, or 45 million people, practice open defecation – going to the toilet outdoors in fields, forests and other open spaces. (World Bank) 

Watch a short film about Arsad’s story here. 

 “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

What (and who) Do We Stand For?

Angus Chance was the New South Wales Under 20 player of the year in 2017 and pegged as a footballer (soccer) with a big future. Angus was training with his club side three years ago when three Japanese players were trialing for the club.

A team mate racially abused the players and Angus confronted him and told him to “grow up and stop being racist.”

The 34-year-old team mate attacked Angus with a coward-punch that resulted in a broken jaw, dislodged teeth and permanent nerve damage. Angus spent weeks in hospital after facial reconstruction and is still recovering; physically and mentally.

His medical bills have reached nearly $90,000 but when his family approached Football New South Wales for help they were told insurance doesn’t cover incidents where criminal acts occur.

They also placed a ban on his club and team mates from talking to him which meant none of them were allowed to visit him in hospital while he was recovering.

Former Socceroo Craig Foster has taken up the fight for Angus and referred to FIFA’s rule that affiliated bodies such as Football Australia and Football New South Wales adhere to a Human Rights Policy.

Under that policy, ‘human rights defenders’, which is what Angus is, are owed protection.

I have sat back when I should have stood up for someone to avoid confrontation and those occasions haunt me. That haunting steels me when I now come across a situation where I need to stand and do the right thing.

Most of us fear confrontation and avoid it. We fear verbal confrontation escalating into physical and so we say nothing. I have a niece and nephew who have stood up to bullies who have picked on people; willing to engage in physical confrontation to protect the victim.

I don’t condone violence but I respect their courage to stand up for someone who can’t stand up for themselves.

I have found myself in a group where someone makes fun of someone or bullies them. When somebody in the group says a simple thing like, ‘leave him alone’, the behavior stops. If nobody says anything or encourages then the behavior can escalate.

No team mate told the coward puncher ‘he’s right’ and the silence left was filled with anger at the dent to his pride, and a cowardly and damaging act resulted. All it would have taken was one person to fill that void and a young man may still have his bright future.

In his speech accepting the Australian of the Year Award in 2016 Lieutenant General David Morrison said,

“I will be ruthless in ridding the army of people who cannot live up to its values. And I need everyone of you to support me in achieving this. The standard you walk past, is the standard you accept.” 

Glencore/Qld Metals School Visit

This week Glencore visited the College to speak to Year 11 and 12 students about their programs, including:

• Girls for Mining Mentoring

• School Leavers - you must achieve your QCE to be considered

• Excellence Scholarships

• Apprenticeships - you must achieve your QCE to be considered

• Graduate Program

• Vacation Work

The key message to students was to take advantage of these opportunities to help discover the different jobs available in the workplace.

New School Based Apprenticeships

Congratulations to the following students who have recently commenced school based traineeships:

Alex Dawkins - Certificate III Plumbing with Bax Plumbing.

Connor Blythe - Certificate III Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Mechanic with Clancy Corporation.

A big thanks to Bax Plumbing and Clancy Corporation for providing Alex and Connor with these amazing opportunities.

Where are they now?

FRANCES MANGIN

Name, Grad year and House: Frances Mangin, 2018, Mackillop.

What did you think you would do when you left school? Teaching.

Did you follow that pathway and/or what are you doing now?  Nope, I'm on another pathway now, I've been on so many different pathways I'm still trying to figure out what I want to really do.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt since leaving school?  It's okay to not know what you want to do, take your time to figure yourself out and the pieces will fall into place at some point. 

Favourite teacher:  I had heaps, all my favourites are equal. 

Best school memory: Locking Mr Cullen out of the classroom on numerous occasions and making powerpoints of him to show to the other history class. 

What do you miss most about school?  Being able to see my good friends on a more regular basis.

Best piece of advice for current students.  Be yourself, life's tough don't spend it trying to please others, do what you want lol.  

What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?  Sleeping in and doing the same stuff I've always done. 

The Arts Department has had a busy Term 1. Here is a snapshot of what each year level in each subject has done so far. 

Visual Arts

All the Art classes are completing a variety of projects. 

Year 7: Completing colour, shape and tone activities.  

Year 8: Completing lino prints.  

Year 9: Completing a small canvas painting based on Tim Maguire Artworks. 

Year 10: Completing a text based artwork which includes text from newspapers and magazines. 

Year 11: Completing an experimental folio based on an object of their choice that has meaning to them. 

Year 12: Completing a self directed artwork based on their enquiry question and research they have completed in Term 4. 

Year 12 Visual Arts in Practice have completed a body art design unit that focused on the theme of social change and how Greta Thunberg has created this change in the world. They have now moved onto a new module focusing on Silversmithing and Jewelry making and design. 

Drama 

Year 7 are completing different activities based on the theme of improvisation within drama. 

Year 8 have been looking at the play “Hating Alison Ashley” and completing a dramatic performance from a section. 

Year 9 are focusing on the play "Juice" and completing a dramatic performance in small groups. 

Year 10 have been looking at the Children of the Black Skirt and how drama can change our point of view and understanding of  humanity. 

Year 11 have been looking at linear and non linear dramatic concept based on the script "Fly in Fly Out ". 

Music

Year 7 are completing basic theory through a new online platform. They are also working towards two performances. A whole class boomwhacker performance and their keyboard performance in pairs.

Year 8 are working on creating their own composition to perform with different percussion instruments. They have also been developing their listening skills and applying the elements of music. 

Year 9 are working on a rhythmic composition that they are creating and they have also been developing their listening skills by comparing different versions on the same song and expressing their opinion using the elements of music. 

Year 10 have been working on their performance skills by reinterpreting a rock song from the 50’s 60’s 70’s and 80’s and playing them on the boomwhackers. They have also been working on a presentation and researching rock bands of that era. 

Year 12 have been working on the concept of innovation and implementing that theme into their composition. 

Media Arts 

Year 8 have been working on completing their magazine covers and learning new photoshop skills. 

Year 9 have been working on designing their own Blu Ray DVD Covers

Year 10 have been working on analysing music videos in preparation for making their own videos next term. 

Book Chat

These wonderful autobiographies are available for borrowing. With thanks to the Zonta Club of Mount Isa for donating, Caught in the Crossfire.

‘There are many Australian stories, and mine is just one about what happened to me and other First Peoples of this country. It’s important for me to tell my story - because it’s not just part of my healing but of this country’s as well'. In his inspirational, highly acclaimed memoir, Archie Roach tells the story of his life and his music.

Only two when he was forcibly removed from his family, and brought up by a series of foster parents until his early teens, Archie’s world imploded when he received a letter that spoke of a life he had no memory of. It took him almost a lifetime to find out who he really was. Tell Me Why is an unforgettable story of resilience, strength of spirit and hope.

Before Sharni Layton became an All-Australian AFLW star, she was a gun netballer. By 2017, she had been named ANZ Championship Player of the Year, was captain of the Diamonds and had won Commonwealth Games Gold along with two World Cups for Australia. On the outside it looked as if she was living the dream. On the inside her confidence was shot and a career's worth of suppressed anxiety finally boiled over, leading to full-blown burnout.

No Apologies is a candid, inspiring and hilarious account of how one woman bounced back from rock bottom - and gave herself permission to fly.

In 2006, while part of an un-armed UN peacekeeping team at the border junction of Lebanon, Israel and Syria, Australian Major Matina Jewell and her colleagues were caught in a full-scale war with tragic consequences. In the days that followed she and her team-mates reported hundreds of violations of the peace agreement as Israeli artillery, tank fire and aerial bombs, as well as rockets fired by Hezbollah fighters, exploded only metres away and shrapnel rained down around them. But the story does not end there...

Caught in the Crossfire is a frighteningly dramatic first-hand account of what really happens in modern warfare and the high price our soldiers pay for their country.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Hospitality Dinner on Friday, 12th March.

A massive thanks to Mel Hodgetts, Emali Nainima, Josh Schofield, Kate Millan, Kate Thinee and 2 past students Darcy Ryder and Matt Bowler. 

Thank you also to Father Mick for your culinary advice in the kitchen. 

For those that missed the night, 120 guests enjoyed the following 4 course meal, prepared and served by our hospitality students.

To Start - Cheese and Spinach Puffs | Mushroom Risotto Balls with Tomato Pesto

Entree - Cold Prawn, Mango & Avocado Salad with Dill Crème Fraiche Or Sticky Pork Ribs with Creamy Coleslaw and Fresh Apple Salsa

Main - Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Red Wine Jus, Mashed Potato and Buttered Beans Or Baked Chicken breast with Bacon & Leek stuffing, Gravy, Mash Potato and Steamed Broccolini

Dessert -  Chocolate Almond Cake with Mocha Sauce Or Pavlova with Fresh Fruit and Custard Cream

To finish -  Coffee with Orange Vanilla Shortbread

I am very proud of what the students achieved on the night, and the students and I  look forward to hosting another Hospitality Dinner in 2022.

Cibo Italia

This year GSCC has introduced a new elective in Year 7. Each term one group of students will have the opportunity to learn Italian. From everyday greetings to pets and family, school subjects and sports, the course takes us through a basic introduction to Italian language. Ciao Professore, Buongiorno Signora, and Arrivederci ragazzi are entering into the language of our school and can be heard ringing out across the quadrangle during lunchtime breaks. 

No course in Italian would be complete without Cibo Italia - Italian Food. Last Thursday several students joined Mr Mitchell in the school Hospitality area to prepare a recipe we have been studying in class - Pollo Cacciatore - Hunter’s Chicken. The dish cooked quietly through the day in a slow cooker, and by the time of our afternoon  lesson it was ready and delicious. Shared in the school cafe with crusty bread and vino rosso (apple and blackcurrant juice) the meal was enthusiastically received. There were no leftovers. 

Mille grazie (many thanks) to Dona Cole and Mel Hodgetts for your help on the day. 

• Mass Sat 6.00pm, Sun 7.30am, 9.00am and 6.00pm
• Peace March 28/03/2021 4pm assemble at Kmart (March to Civic Centre)

 Healing Mass Monday 29^th March 2021 at 7:00pm

 Easter Mass for Laura Johnson Home Thursday 1^st April 10.30am  

  Holy Thursday   1^st April at 7:30pm

• Mass of the Last Supper at 7:30pm

Followed by all-night vigil in the Church until 7am Friday sign up for a time at the Church door.

 Good Friday   2^nd April 2021

• 00am Stations of the Cross
• 00pm Lord’s Passion
• Ecumenical Service at the Cross on The Hill at 6.00pm

Holy Saturday   3^rd April 2021

• Easter Vigil Mass 7.30pm Service of Light, Renewal of Baptism Promises

 Easter Sunday   4^th April 2021

• Ecumenical Service at the Lookout 30am
• Mass 7.30am, 9.00am, 6.00pm

 Reconciliation/Confession Times

• Friday - After Stations of the Cross at 10am & Lord’s Passion at 3pm. 11:30am-12 noon

Please make sure you read the parent information newsletter below in regards to Mulkadee. Any questions please email Saskia Brown or Catherine Motterm. 

Every Wednesday morning from 7.00am - 8.45am. Parents and Friends are invited to The Arili Thina Cafe to purchase your morning coffee and breakfast.

By doing so you are supporting our Hospitality students to achieve their competencies towards their Certificate ll in Hospitality and all profits go towards their Hospitality Camp to the Gold Coast in August. 

There are a range of coffees, cold drinks and breakfast food available. Please see our Menu. Our students are becoming fantastic baristas. Come see for yourself how good they are.

New research says early use of touchscreens may be linked to being more easily distracted at school.

We may know the importance of engaging children and teenagers in the right balance of safe, interesting activities. But sometimes it helps to have some practical strategies to achieve this in real life, as well as preventing and managing issues such as children having tantrums or becoming angry when limits are put on device usage.

The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program® can help give you specific information and strategies to help. To do free Triple P Online or Teen Triple P Online in Queensland, or some other type of free Triple P, visit: www.triplep-parenting.net

With thanks,

The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program team