17 March 2021

From the Desk of the Principal

Yesterday we celebrated our Prep and Year 1 students along with local kindy kids as we held an Under 8s "When I Grow Up" themed morning. It was wonderful to see so many students dressed up for the morning. I would like to extend a special thank you to our Adopt-A-Cop Peter, Queensland Ambulance staff Sarah and Lachlan and Mac and his team from Queensland Fire Service for popping in with their service vehicles and letting the kids check them out. Peter, Sarah and Lachlan were on days off so I really appreciate them donating their time for the benefit of our students. Thank you also to Craig from Melville's for bringing the animals in and Dan and his team from Rides n Slides for bringing the rides along. Thank you also to our staff for ensuring our kids and our visiting kids had a wonderful morning exploring their growing up options.

Our school captain Emmi also held a bake sale yesterday ahead of her World's Greatest Shave on Friday. Thank you to all who supported Emmi's bake sale where $254.00 was raised.

Just a reminder that along with Emmi's Greatest Shave on Friday, students are encouraged to wear orange for National Day of Action Against Bullying and Harmony Day. Our students will be participating in a range of activities on Friday in relation to these days.

Student Parent Teacher (SPT) Meetings commence next week. I am confident these meetings will be beneficial in ensuring that home and school are continuing to work in partnership together for the successful outcomes of our kids.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Glenda Scrase

Principal

gscrase1@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Religious Education

Parish Mass
Saturday 20th March 6:00pm
Good Shepherd Community Centre
All GSCS families are welcome to attend.

Fourth Week of Lent
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 practises 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. (St Oscar Romero)

Judy Bell

APRE
jbell17@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

Project Compassion

Each year GSCS supports the fundraising ventures of Caritas through Project Compassion. This Lent our fundraising for Project Compassion will go towards assisting Caritas to provide decent housing, schools and hospitals in Bangladesh.

Each student has been given a Project Compassion money box. These are to be returned to the office any time before the end of this term. The money will be counted and recorded against your child’s class. 

For every $5.00 that a class raises they will receive a picture of a house. 
When they have 5 houses, they get a school. 
When they have 10 houses, they get a hospital.

Grand total so far - $610.90, Keep up the good work everyone!

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Administration

Good Shepherd has a great team of dedicated, enthusiatic teachers, who work hard to develop strong relationships with our students and their families. Our teachers love working as part of a community dedicated to ensuring the best outcomes for all students. 
Much as they love being here, sometimes our teachers need to take a day or two away from school, either to undertake professional development, attend conferences and network meetings, or because they are unwell. This means a relief teacher takes their place for a day or two, and this can be difficult for many students. Autism educator Sue Larkey likens having a new teacher to “moving to a foreign country. There is a different language (eg one teacher says ‘pack away’, new teacher says ‘clean up’). Teachers … have different facial expressions and body language to interpret, new smells...” This can cause enormous anxiety and stress for many students (not only those with ASD), which can lead to inappropriate behaviour.

To help alleviate this, when a teacher absence is planned (for example attendance at professional development), teachers will advise the class that they will be away, and discuss the expectations when a relief teacher is in class. In all cases of absence, the classroom teacher supplies a plan for the relief which outlines the lessons for the day, GSCS Way expectatons, any special activities planned, and important information about each student. Parents can also help students adjust to having a relief teacher by:
~  Explaining that the classroom teacher will leave a plan of what to do with the relief teacher.
~  Reminding students that the GSCS Way applies regardless of who the teacher is, and the                 expectations remain the same.
~  Reassuring the student that their classroom teacher will return as soon as possible.
~  Reminding students of strategies to cope with their feelings eg deep breathing, fidget tools, strategies used in their classroom daily.
~ Create a list of the things that will be the same and different if there is a relief teacher eg "Different": the teacher;  and the "Same": same classroom, friends will be there, expectations the same.
~  Be positive when talking about having a relief teacher, and when talking about school in general.
~  Remind and reassure them that at the end of the day, you will still be there!

Maxine Nolan

APA

mnolan@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

What's Happening in Our Deadly Learners

Our Deadly kids have had a great start to the year. This term's unit focus is 'My Culture and Me', students have spent some time getting to know their peers and Deadly staff.  We've enjoyed exploring the history of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags. This year students have designed their own journey stones which we place in the centre of our yarning circle each week. As Indigenous people, we hold a great connection to land, history and our ancestors and these stones signify our presence to the group each week.
We look forward to welcoming all Indigenous families to our Big Mob Brekky tomorrow morning at 7:45am in the Deadly Learners room. 
Please remember family members are always welcome to join us at our Deadly Learner sessions each Thursday at 1:30pm. Stay Deadly! 

Awards For The Week

This Week's Birthdays

 ~ Zade         PrepA     ~ Kyle   PrepB           ~ Tahnay   PrepB           ~ Deizel         2A   

 ~ Angelica 3A             ~ Eden   3A                  ~ Wyatt       3B                   ~ Charleigh  4B    

Assembly

1A will be presenting our Assembly this Friday in the BBC at 8:40am.

Our lucky Praise Note winners for last week were: Oliver (PrepB), Araya (1A), Gustavo (2B), Leila (3C), Peyton (4A), Roary (5B) and Xandra (6A).

The Good Shepherd Way

This week our Good Shepherd Way Gospel in Action value is Reconciliation where we are encouraged to be fair, forgiving and respectful.

Our Reconciliation prayer is also below:

The GSCS Way

The GSCS Way is our positive behaviour support program here at Good Shepherd Catholic School.

All in our community are encouraged to:

• Give My Best
• Show Respect
• Compassion and Care
• Safe Responsible and Fair

Each week we focus on a different area of our matrix.

This week we are focusing on Showing Respect: Tuckshop, Office, Assembly, Community Centre, Moving Around School and the Pick Up Zone.

Sports News

Interschool Swim Carnival
Congratulations to all our students that competed in the interschool swim carnival on Monday. The school community is very proud of your efforts.

FACE (Family And Community Engagement) Network News

Don't forget to retun your tickets to the office. If you would like some more tickets we would be glad to help - just pop in and see the Office. Thank you for your support.

Have You Enrolled For Prep 2022 Yet?

Students turning 5 by 30 June 2022 are invited to enroll for Prep 2022. Applications are available from our School Office. Alternatively they can also downloaded from our website at https://www.gstsv.catholic.edu.au/enrolment/enrolment-package/

Tuckshop

Tuckshop Closure

Please note that the Tuckshop will be closed on Wednesday 24 March.

Opening Hours

Wednesday - Thursday - Friday

Please place your order with Flexischool no later than 8:30am on the day you wish to order. You will find a menu on our webpage. If you wish to place an order of cupcakes for your child's birthday please place your order the week before.

Ann-Maree is always looking for helpers in the tuckshop, if you are able to spare some time please give her a call on our office number or email rsmssn@tsv.catholic.edu.au.  She would love to hear from you. 

Library News

Environmental Tips

“We must change our consumption habits. The Earth’s resources are finite and cannot be stretched.  We are living beyond our environmental capacity.  We have to face the hard issues of radically changing our habits.” (Catholic Earthcare, June, 2004)

Can you support Emmi?

Our School Captain Emmi is taking part in the Leukaemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave. Emmi will shave her head  here at school on Friday 19 March.

Please click on this link below to support Emmi's Greatest Shave. 

Thank you to everyone who supported Emmi's Bake Sale yesterday where she raised $254.00.

Upcoming Events

Information about Mulkadee 2021 was sent home to prospective students today.

Teacher Contacts

Community News