13 September 2023

From the Desk of the Acting Principal

Week 10 Term 3 
As we navigate through the school year, I would like to address a matter that promotes effective communication and a fair understanding of events involving our students. It has come to my attention that there have been instances where students' versions of events might not always provide the full picture, and I believe it's crucial to discuss this topic openly.

While we value the trust and open communication between home and school, it's important to approach situations involving our students with careful consideration. Jumping to conclusions based solely on a child's perspective can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or misjudgments of the situation. This can inadvertently create unnecessary gossip and concerns within our school community.

I kindly urge all parents and guardians to remember the following points when
discussing situations involving students:

Open Dialogue with Teachers: If your child shares an incident or situation that
occurred at school, we encourage you to reach out to the respective teacher for a
complete understanding of the event. Our teachers are here to provide accurate
information and help clarify any misunderstandings.

Seeking Context: Children might perceive events differently due to their limited
perspective. By seeking additional context and information from the school, we can
avoid forming conclusions based on incomplete information.

Maintaining Privacy: While discussing school matters with other parents can be
helpful, it's important to maintain confidentiality and avoid spreading rumours or
misinformation. Focusing on facts and understanding the full context helps us foster
a positive and supportive school environment.

Modelling Responsible Behaviour: As adults, we have a responsibility to model
appropriate behaviour for our children. By demonstrating a thoughtful and respectful
approach to discussing school matters, we set an example for our students to follow.

We genuinely believe that by working together and communicating openly, we can
ensure a harmonious and positive educational experience for all our students. If you
ever have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's
teacher or to leadership. We are committed to addressing any issues promptly and
providing accurate information to maintain a sense of community and understanding.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and for your ongoing support in creating
a nurturing environment for our students. Enjoy your holiday break, and we look
forward to seeing everyone back at school on Tuesday, 3rd October (remembering
that Monday is a Public Holiday).

AP

mnolan@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Acting Assistant Principal Administration

Talofa lava parents, carers and students!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your ongoing, generous support of our wonderful school community throughout the term. I wish you and you loved ones a safe and happy holiday and look forward to seeing you all back at school in Term 4.

Curriculum News 👩‍🏫🍎📖

During our recent Pupil Free Day, staff members engaged in professional learning around the new Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 (ACv9) with a specific focus on Mathematics. Good Shepherd will implement the ACv9 Mathematics curriculum in 2024. Planning, support and resourcing is well underway for the familiarisation, planning and implementation of the new curriculum.

Sports News ⚽️ 🏀 🏈 ⚾️ 🎾 🏐 🏉 🎱

Students in Prep – Year 2 will commence their swimming lesson program next term with Kylie’s Swim School. Keep an eye on your inbox and class news for the timetable.

School Events 📅🗓📆

Have a wonderful week ahead and please come and say talofa or hello when you see me around!

Rebecca Rowan

AAPA

rrowan6@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Religious Education

The Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Thursday 14th September September

Exaltation of the Holy Cross, also called Universal Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross or Holy Cross Day, liturgical feast celebrated on September 14 to honour the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. In the Eastern churches the feast dates back to the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (the site of Christ’s tomb) in Jerusalem circa 335. It was adopted by the Roman Catholic Church in the 7th century and is also observed in various Protestant traditions, including Lutheranism and Anglicanism.

The universal symbol of the Christian faith, the cross represents Christ’s victory over death.The feast celebrates the redemptive transformation of a barbaric instrument of torture into a divine “tree of life” that brings hope to humankind. In some traditions, a cross is oriented to the cardinal directions to represent the universal nature of Christ’s sacrifice and prayers are said for the salvation of all.

Rebecca Kershaw

APRE

rkershaw@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

Deadly Learners

We’ve had a very busy but exciting term in the Indigenous Education space during Term 3.

We’ve celebrated NAIDOC Week, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day and Indigenous Literacy Day as well as had lots of fun during our Deadly Learner sessions.

Thank you to all of the families who were able to donate books or make donations for our Great Book Swap which was held last Wednesday, 6th of September, on Indigenous Literacy Day. We raised a total of $396.60! Your support is always greatly appreciated. 

Yesterday we held our Term 3 Big Mob brekky and it was wonderful to see so many families attend and support this event.

During our Deadly Learner sessions this term students have engaged in Children’s Day activities, Dadirri, Dreaming Stories and Traditional Games.

Next Term we look forward to celebrating Deadly Learners at our whole school showcase with a date to be announced next term! Stay Deadly!

What's Happening In Year 4/5

What a hectic term the 4/5 cohort have experienced.

We’ve been busy learning about rainforests, our camp to Paluma was a great success and was a perfect complement to our learning.  We had a very special visit by Uncle Russell who talked to us about the connection Aboriginal peoples have with the environment.  The grade four cohort have created some amazing dioramas and in digital technology, some students established a worm farm.

Some of the grade fours have been busily rehearsing for the upcoming Eisteddfod performance which will take place roughly 10:30 am on Friday 15th September at the Civic Theatre.

Our cohort enjoyed celebrating Father’s Day and embraced Book Wook with some of the most creative costumes in the school.

We studied the Scripture of Emmaus during religion lessons and focused on creating Information Reports for writing.

The grade fours participated in Literacy Appreciation and History during rotations, whereas our year fives continued on with Italian and History.

We wish you all a very happy, safe and restful holiday.  

Eisteddfod Results

Congratulations to all those who entered in the 2023 Eisteddfod. We certainly have some talented young artists and writers in our school. Some of the Preps and Year 4s will be competing as a class in poetry and speaking, their results will be published when they are known.
All the artwork is on display in the foyer of the Townsville Civic Theatre in South Townsville for the duration of the Eisteddfod.

Breakfast Club and Running Club

Both Clubs will run every morning. Breakfast Club will run from the Tuckshop from 8:10am and Running Club will be held on the Junior Oval from 8:10am as well.

The Good Shepherd Way

Week 10

This week our Good Shepherd Way Gospel in Action value is Service where I help and respond to the needs of others. 

Our Service prayer is below:

Term 4, Week 1

The Good Shepherd Way Gospel in Action for Term 4, Week 1 will be Stewardship where I care for all creation.

Our Stewardship prayer is 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: At assembly. 

In Term 4, Week 1 we are focusing on: In the Community Centre.

Parent Library Borrowing

Environmental Tips

Gardens

Remove rubbish from the garden beds around the school. Plan and work on a garden project at home these holidays. Maybe start a vegetable patch or install timers on garden hoses.

Tuckshop

Wednesday - Thursday - Friday

Please contact the school office or Ann-Maree at Tuckshop with any enquiries.

CUTOFF time to order TUCKSHOP
from FLEXISCHOOLS
is 8:30am.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL ORDERS ARE TO BE PLACED ONLINE AT THE LINK BELOW. Please visit the website to set up your account if you are new to Flexischools.

Flexischool How To Guides for Parents and Caregivers
• Online help is available any time at Flexischools via the link below.
• Phone between 8am - 12pm (AEDST) on weekdays or on the parent phone line (1300 361 769). 

How-To Guides for Parents
Flexischool has spent some time over the holidays developing some quick how-to guides for  parents. If you'd like to see these, please click the link below.
They include: 
•    Introduction to Flexischools;
•    How to Register; 
•    How to Top-Up;
•    How to Place an Order. 

Teacher Contacts

Parent Portal

If you have any problems accessing please send an email to the school office at rsmssn@tsv.catholic.edu.au. 

The Parent Portal allows you to:

View your child’s timetable and the school calendar
View up to date attendance information for your child
Enter details of upcoming absences or explain past absences or late arrivals for your son or daughter
Access your child’s Semester reports
Make bookings for Parent Teacher Interviews
View a news feed of school announcements, alerts and updates
Provide consent for school events/excursions
Communicate by email with your child’s teachers
Update your contact details (email and mobile phone number).

The parent portal is a web-based system that can be accessed by clicking this link:

An app called Compass School Manager is also available for both iPhones/iPads (via the App Store) and Android phones/tablets (via the Google Play Store). When you have installed the app, search for “Good Shepherd Catholic School – Rasmussen”.
The browser version of the Parent Portal contains more features than the app.  Please click the link below to access the Compass website which has an online guide and video for the Parent Portal.

Community News