23 October 2024

From the Desk of the Principal

Week 4 , Term 4

Dear families,

Good Shepherd Day

This week we celebrated our school Feast Day, Good Shepherd day with a whole school liturgy, special class activities with buddies, our rainbow colour run and Mission Mini Fete. It was a wonderful celebration of our school community.  Our celebrations centred around the Parable of the Good Shepherd. This story is not only at the heart of our faith but also serves as a guiding light for our school, shaping our values and identity.

In the parable, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lovingly tends to His flock, leaving the ninety-nine to search for the one that is lost. This image speaks to the boundless love and care that Christ has for each of us. It’s an invitation to all to join His flock, to walk alongside Him in faith, and to experience His unending grace and compassion. It’s also an invitation to each of us to be inspired by the example of Jesus and respond to his call by offering to love and shepherd or care for those around us - especially those most in need. 

At Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School, we strive to live out this message daily. Our school motto, "Love, Faith, and Learning," calls each of us to embody these values in all that we do. Just as the Good Shepherd cares for every member of His flock, we too are invited to show love, to deepen our faith, and to pursue learning with a heart open to God’s presence.

Love: We are called to love one another as Christ loves us. This is reflected in our relationships, our community spirit, and our acts of kindness. Every student, teacher, and family member is cherished, just as the Shepherd cherishes His sheep. 

Faith: Our faith forms the foundation of all we do. We are called to trust in God, to grow in our understanding of His teachings, and to seek His guidance in our everyday lives. Like the Shepherd, we walk with faith, knowing we are never alone.

Learning: Education at Good Shepherd goes beyond academic achievement; it is about discovering the truth, beauty, and goodness in the world around us. We are lifelong learners, guided by the wisdom of Christ and inspired by a desire to serve others.

As we reflect on the message of the Good Shepherd, we extend a warm and loving invitation to all – students, families, and staff – to join this journey of love, faith, and learning. Whether you are new to our community or have been with us for years, you are a vital part of our flock. Let us respond to this call by living out our school values with joy and enthusiasm, supporting one another in our shared mission.

Welcome to Dannielle (Dani) Jacobson to the Good Shepherd flock!

This week, we welcome a new team member into our school office. Danielle Jacobson joins us as our new Finance Officer and will soon become a familiar and friendly voice and face.  Dani will support families in establishing payment plans for school fees and ensure that our school finances are running smoothly.  Dani joins us from Suncorp Bank where she previously worked for 7 years.  As we welcome Dani, I would like to also sincerely thank Mrs Sheridan Turner who continued to provide financial administration support during the last few weeks while we recruited our new staff member.  Sheridan will now be working part-time at Ryan Catholic College but will always be a much loved member of our school family who will join us at various times to lend her ever-ready helping hand. The finance team at Townsville Catholic Education Office have also been an invaluable resource and support during this interim period. 

Personal Leave for the next four weeks

I will be away for the next four weeks for a special family event.  We are travelling to Western Australia to support our son’s family as they celebrate the birth of their second child. I am very much looking forward to enjoying “Nana-Jella and Athe” time in person with our grandson Oliver (2 years old) and his baby brother or sister who arrives on Friday - Facetime is wonderful, but cuddles are even better.  During this time, our amazing leadership team of Rebecca Kershaw (APRE) and Maxine Nolan (APPL) will be supported by leaders from TCEO to ensure the smooth running of the school. 

God bless,

Majella Lynch-Harlow

Principal

mlynchharlow3@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning

Cost of Living Crisis – A SchoolTV Special Report
In today's uncertain economic climate, parents and caregivers face the need to discuss the rising cost of living with their children, despite the instinct to shield them from life's challenges.
According to SchoolTV, starting these conversations requires choosing the right time and setting, aiming for a relaxed atmosphere. Using simple language and relatable examples, parents and caregivers can help their children understand the concept of increased expenses. Transparency about necessary budget adjustments is vital, as it is to involve children in finding solutions and fostering responsibility.

The report reminds us that, amid these discussions, it's crucial to reassure children of your unwavering love and support.
“Seize the opportunity to impart financial literacy, teach your children about budgeting and discerning needs from wants. By emphasising intangible values like love and cherished memories, parents can help children grasp the bigger picture beyond monetary concerns, “ it says.

Talking about financial topics with children might be challenging, but it is essential. Not only does it equip them with resilience to navigate life's complexities, but it can also effectively prepare young people to understand and handle financial matters in the future. SchoolTV has a special report and a short poll about how the cost of living has impacted your family. If you would like more information, go to the SchoolTV link on our website, or click here.
Review of Reporting Guidelines
Townsville Catholic Education Office is currently reviewing its guidelines around reporting. In particular, they are seeking feedback about frequency of reports, the inclusion of subject specific comments and learning area statements. If you would like to provide feedback, please scan the QR code included at the end of this newsletter.
Compass access and reports
Our Semester Two student achievement reports will be released via Compass during the last week of school. In order to access the reports, you need to be able to log in to the Compass Parent Portal. If you are unable to do this, or are having difficulties with it, please email the school office on rsmssn@tsv.catholic.edu.au as soon as possible.

Maxine Nolan

APPL

mnolan@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Religious Education

All Saints’ Day is next Friday, November 1^st. It is holy in the Western Christian tradition, celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church, and more. It is designed to show honour and reverence to saints both canonized and unknown, and in some faiths also to give thanks to those who have guided others to Christ, like a friend or relative. Around the world, there are many traditions woven into All Saints’ Day, from the laying of flowers on graves on November 1 to the Mexican Day of the Dead.

Many canonized saints have their own day in which they are celebrated, particularly in the country they represent. But, All Saints Day celebrates those saints who have not been canonized or have any particular holiday dedicated to them. In fact, the event recognises those who have gone to heaven but their sainthood is known only by God himself.

All Saints Day Prayer

Bless the many parted souls
who lived their lives with grace.
Bless the saints in heaven,
gathered in that special place.

May we tell their stories
and remember all the ways
they lived their faith
and spent their days.

There is glory and reward,
even if at first there’s strife.
Oh, blessed saints, you help us see
a path that’s to eternal life.

May we always hold them dear
and know their life and place.
May we know their inspiration
and aspire to their grace.

Rebecca Kershaw

APRE

rkershaw@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

What's Happening in Year 1

Year 1 has had a productive start to Term 4. They were fortunate enough to have Hilary and her team from TAIHS visit to teach them about their culture past and present. This learning links into the English and HASS units as they have been exploring Dreaming stories and First Nations culture. 
Over the last three weeks students have been collecting and interpreting data. They have been enjoying asking questions about each other's favourite sports, animals and foods. Students were able to put their new found knowledge to the test when collecting data about smartie colours and graphing this information. Afterwards, they enjoyed sampling the data collection.
This month is the Month of the Rosary. Year 1 has been learning about ways to honour Mary, Mother of Jesus; including saying the Hail Mary prayer. They are also making their own rosary beads to take home at the end of the year.

Guidance Counsellor

Hi Everyone,

My name is Marissa. I'm the Guidance Counsellor at Good Shepherd and you can catch me here on a Monday, Tuesday or a Wednesday so please drop in to the wellbeing building for a chat.  

Looking after our mental health and ensuring that our children are also building healthy habits to look after their mental health is becoming increasingly important in this fast-paced world in which we live. The following school TV resource looks at various ways that we can support children to do this.

Diet, sleep, screen-time, social media, family and community life are all factors that may impact a child’s mental health (either positively or negatively). Check out this series of short videos that look at youth mental health and give some handy tips on ways that you can help your child develop healthy habits that can contribute to a healthy mind.

https://gstsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/state-youth-mental-health

Library

Story Dogs

Save The Date

2024 STATE ELECTION

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

Term 4, Week 3

This week our Good Shepherd Way Gospel in Action value is Endeavour where I challenge myself to do my best.

Our Endeavour prayer is below:

Term 4, Week 4

The Good Shepherd Way Gospel in Action for Week 4 will be Hope where I see good all around me.

Our Hope 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: On the playground. 

In Term 4, Week 3 we are focusing on: In the eating area. 

Prep Orientation 2025

Environmental Tips

Be careful about feeding birds in your garden. Try not to let native birds become too dependent on the food supply. For the long-term, plant native shrubs and trees to provide birds with natural food.

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. 

Lost and Found

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