23 February 2022

From the Desk of the Principal

Great news yesterday that masks will soon be removed and Assemblies will be back! We look forward to welcoming our community to our first Assembly which will be our induction of School Leaders on Friday 4 March.

We are continuing to be notified of Covid cases among students and occasionally staff. When there is a positive case in a certain class we are notifying parents within that class group. We ask you to continue to monitor your child/ren's health and if they develop any flu like symptoms:

• Keep your child/ren at home
• Seek a PCR or Rapid Antigen test where it is recommended
• Follow the advice of QLD health

Our classes have assigned PAL (Play and Learning friends) classes. Over the last week many of our classes have joined their PALs for getting to know you activities. It is always wonderful to see the connections and friendships formed between our older and younger students.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Glenda Scrase

Principal

gscrase1@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Religious Education

The Lenten Season 

Next week we begin the very important Church season of Lent. Our school will commemorate Shrove Tuesday with pancakes and each class will have a prayer service on Wednesday to observe Ash Wednesday – the start of Lent.

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday  occurs the day before Ash Wednesday.  It is traditionally known as a day of preparing for the coming season of Lent. "Shrove" is the past tense of the word "shrive," which means to hear a confession, assign penance, and absolve from sin. Shrove Tuesday is a reminder that we are entering a season of penance.  As Lent is known as a time of abstaining from certain things, in many cultures pancakes were/are prepared and enjoyed, because in so doing a family depleted their eggs, milk, butter, and fat which were part of the Lenten fast. That is why Shrove Tuesday is often known as Pancake Day.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday signifies the beginning of Lent. Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice. The ashes are made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. They are put on the foreheads of those who attend Mass or a liturgy on that day, as a reminder that their bodies are destined to return to dust too following their death. This represents a powerful symbol of mortality, and it spurs Catholics on to make a genuine effort to live out the spirit of the Lenten season in as dedicated a manner as possible. At an Ash Wednesday Liturgy or Mass the priest or presider will say to the person receiving the ashes “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” and some school settings the students are told “Try to be like Jesus.”

Rebecca Kershaw

APRE

rkershaw@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Administration

WIRE - Writing in Religious Education

We have some potential authors in Years 3 and 5! 
Each day students in those two year levels are taking part in “WIRE” (Writing in Religious Education), a Townsville Catholic Education diocesan-wide initiative. During the sessions, students spend 10 minutes writing about a given topic using either the narrative or persuasive genres. Teachers and members of the leadership team provide verbal feedback on the writing, with daily focus points such as punctuation, grammar or sentence structure. 
During these sessions, it is fantastic to see the creativity and ability of some of our students. We’ve read stories about princesses, super heroes, people they admire and superpowers they wish they had. Students have also presented some very good arguments about why they should be allowed their favourite food every day and why the School’s break times should be longer.
One area many students do struggle with is deciding what to write about, particularly when tasked with a narrative. Parents can help develop this aspect of their child’s writing ability by reading a range of books with them, asking questions such as “what do you think will happen next?”, or sharing pictures (including ones the child has drawn) and then telling a story about it. These don’t have to be long, or written, as oral language is the basis of written language. The Scholastic Books website has a host of interesting story starters to help spark your child’s imagination. Click below to access the story starters.

Respectful Language

In today’s world, it is common to hear socially offensive language on the streets, on social media channels, streaming services and in some forms of modern music. While swearing is becoming more common and less taboo, the use of derogatory language or the act of swearing at someone, or about someone, is a form of verbal violence. It transgresses the usual rules of social interaction by impinging on an individual’s self-image and sense of dignity.
It is becoming apparent that some young people are being influenced by the language they hear. Proliferating the use of swear words can sometimes normalise, glamorise and desensitise their impact for kids who may misunderstand the true meaning of some derogatory terms. Whilst some students may use swearing or derogatory terms as a misguided attempt at belonging, others may use it simply because they are still learning how to moderate their language and are not accustomed to making adjustments to suit different situations.
Although many schools enforce a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to swearing and derogatory language, parents need to also play an important part in enforcing this approach. Parents and carers can be proactive in monitoring what their children are viewing or being exposed to. Discussing the use of words or the origin of some derogatory terms and gaining insight into the reason behind their child’s use of such language can help prevent inappropriate or disrespectful language filtering into the classroom or the school yard, which is turn helps to build more tolerant, safe and connected communities.
SchoolTV has a Special Report which offers a number of guidelines to help manage a suitable approach when discussing the importance of respectful language.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report.  You can access the Special Report on respectful language by clicking the below link or by going to SchoolTV, under the student tab on the Good Shepherd homepage.

Maxine Nolan

APA

mnolan@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

What's Happening In Our Year 4 Classes?

Year 4 has had a great start back to the school year, even if it was a bit delayed! The students have been getting to know each other as well as their new teachers. A particular focus at the moment is learning and reminding ourselves about our Zones of Regulation which help us to check in on how we are feeling and how to help us to be in the best ‘Zone’ for learning. We have also been finding out more about resilience and having a growth mindset with the help of some fun online videos! The year 4 classes also spent some time getting to know their PAL classes and introducing themselves to their buddies in those classes. This was a great chance for them to begin to show their leadership skills as they work towards becoming the leaders of the school over the next few years. The students also started their Science Unit - Marine Turtles. There was a lot of shared knowledge and questions. We look forward to an exciting term and year ahead in Year 4!

Awards For The Week

Birthdays For This Week

~Alora (PrepC)                 ~Callyn (3B)                       ~Harry (4B)                      

Assembly

We are currently unable to hold Assemblies due to Covid restricitons. We look forward to holding them again later this term. Our lucky Praise Note winners were: Kashton(PrepB); Lillie(1A); Yasien(2C); Hendrix(3A); Montana(4C); Alyssa(5B).

The Good Shepherd Way

This week our Good Shepherd Way Gospel in Action value is Inclusion where we involve and accept others.

Our Inclusion 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: On the Playground, On the Oval.

Library News

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.

Tuckshop

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.

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.

Flexi school 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. 

Family And Community Engagement (FACE) Network

Our first FACE Meeting will be held on Tuesday 1 March at 6:00pm in the Staffroom. Our agenda will be to discuss and plan events for the year. 

Environmental Tips

World Wildlife Recycle Paper/ Cardboard: 

• Use the paper and cardboard recycling bins.
• Fold down cardboard boxes before putting in the bin.
• Print or photocopy on both sides of the paper.
• Use waste paper printed only on one side for taking notes.
  

Upcoming Events

School Photo Day - Monday 7 March

Envelopes will be going home on Friday. All orders are to be online, write the reference number you receive onto the envelope and hand in to the class teacher.  Please note that all sibling photos are done before school and parents must supervise and attend. For any questions please don't hesitate to contact QLD Photography on 3216 6777 or email parents@qldschoolphotography.com.au.

Teacher Contacts

Community News