23 March 2022

From the Desk of the Principal

Well done to 1C who were the winners of the Pizza Party for having the most number of students register online for our Fun Run and Cross Country. To date, we have 240 students registered online and have so far raised $14,157.00. It is not too late to register at schoolfunrun.com.au

Congratulations to our PE Teacher Ms Alisha Foord who played for the Gold Stars in the curtain raiser to the Cowboys game on Saturday. Ms Foord scored a try and had a wonderful band of supporters there cheering her on. Ms Foord will also play in the curtain raiser before the Cowboys and Roosters game on 2 April.

Yesterday we had our biannual promotional photoshoot. These photos are used in our own promotional materials as well as Townsville Catholic Education promotions. We look forward to seeing the professional photos.

On Monday morning we will be holding our Prep Open Morning from 8:30am to 10:30am. All students and their families who are looking to join us for Prep in 2023 are welcome to attend. As well as lots of indoor and outdoor activities we will also have a face painter and Melville's petting zoo on site. If you haven't dropped your 2023 enrolment in yet, be sure to do so at your earliest convenience.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Glenda Scrase

Principal

gscrase1@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Religious Education

Sacramental Program for 2022

RECONCILIATION - CONFIRMATION - HOLY COMMUNION

This week our candidates completed their face to face preparation lessons to receive their sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion. There next event will be a retreat day at Ryan Community Centre. This will be a day for reflection, prayer and fun! A note has gone home for this Sacramental Retreat Day, which will held on Friday 22 April (Term 2 Week 1).
If you have any questions please contact Mrs Kershaw

REFLECTION - THE ANNUNCIATION

This Friday 25th March is the Feast of the Annunciation. On the Feast of the Annunciation, we celebrate the day that the Angel Gabriel visited the Virgin Mary announcing that she was going to be the mother of Jesus. Even though Mary did not understand completely, she trusted God’s plan for her life, and she said yes to becoming the mother of God and our mother.

The words of the “Hail Mary” come from the Angel’s greeting: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” God’s grace lives in each one of us, but Mary was full of grace because she was born without any Original Sin.

Project Compassion - Shaniella's Story

Soloman Islands

Shaniella grew up in a remote village in the Solomon Islands in a province which has limited educational and job opportunities – and one of the country’s highest poverty rates. 
After leaving school, she decided to move closer to the capital city, Honiara, to study hospitality and tourism. 
However, her vocational training school was hit by a landslide and cyclone. The landslide destroyed the school’s main source of water, damaged school buildings and devastated the garden which the school relies on for food. 
With your kind support, Caritas Australia Solomon Islands (CASI) was able to help the school to install eight water tanks. This restored students’ access to clean drinking water and the tanks also supply water to nearby schools, health centres and the wider community.
Caritas also supported the school by providing it with improved planting materials, 200 chickens, and training in agricultural skills and poultry management, to help it to boost its food security. Your generous support can help young people in the Solomon Islands to build bright futures for themselves - and for future generations. Watch a short film about Shaniella's story by clicking the link below.

Project Compassion at GSCS

Don’t forget to continue to use your Project Compassion box for your donations or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at: lent.caritas.org.au

Rebecca Kershaw

APRE

rkershaw@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Administration

Parent Teacher Student Meetings
It’s been great to see so many families taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with their child’s teacher in the past week for Parent-Teacher-Student meetings. These three-way conversations are important for building relationships, and also for helping students see that school and home are a united front and working together to help ensure they succeed at school. 
While we dedicate two weeks to these meetings, please remember that we welcome communication from home at any time. If you have concerns about your child, want to share information about them, or need to check something, please email your child’s teacher or make an appointment to speak to them at a mutually convenient time.

Naplan 2022
Tomorrow students in Years 3 and 5 will be participating in the Naplan online coordinated practise test. This test is designed to test the capacity of the Naplan secured website to ensure it can cope with everyone logging on at the same time. Students log on using made up names, the test is not marked and results are not provided.
During this coordinated practise test, students will be exposed to the format used in the Naplan testing. It is a valuable opportunity to practise the necessary skills. Teachers also use it as another way to check that students have the technical skills needed for the test, such as the ability to scroll, switch between screens and use online tools. Our students have also taken part in a number of online practise tests. Again, these are not marked but play an important role in ensuring students are familiar with the style of testing used and able to navigate their way around the test documents.
The “real” Naplan will take place next term in Week 4 and 5, May 10 to May 20.  Students will participate in four tests: writing, reading, conventions of language and numeracy. Each test is between 40 and 50 minutes long and will be held in the mornings, starting at 9.15am. During this time, it is important for all Year 3 and 5 students to be at school on time and every day.
If you have any questions or concerns about Naplan and your child’s participation, please speak to their classroom teacher.

Body Image – SchoolTV
A child can form an opinion of their own body at a very young age. Research suggests that children as young as three years old can have body image issues, and there are many things that influence them. Parents play a critical role in helping children develop a positive body image.
According to School TV, today’s media can negatively influence our young people on what is the “ideal” body shape and size. The problem is, a “perfect” body doesn’t really exist. Although body image issues are mostly associated with girls, boys are also affected. A negative body image can trigger eating disorders in some children and parents need to be aware of the signs. Their child’s eating habits and language around appearance can be an indicator. Parents and teachers need to help kids understand that appearance does not equate to an individual’s health or success.
For more information on how to help children develop a positive body image, click the below link or go to SchoolTV, under the student tab on the school’s home page.

Maxine Nolan

APA

mnolan@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

What's Happening In Our Year 1 Classes?

Year One students have settled back into the school and new class routines very well. During the period of Lent students have been challenged to take on Acts of Kindness at home and at school. Classes read the story “Have you filled a bucket today?” by Carol McCloud and brainstormed the many different ways they could demonstrate kindness to those around them. Students were then inspired to creatively decorate buckets of their own to be filled by teachers when they are caught expressing kindness, appreciation, and love.

We have been so impressed with the students' dedication to this challenge as they have been actively seeking ways to help others, show gratefulness and kindness, share compliments, be inclusive, use manners, and to brighten someone else’s day.

An important lesson students have learnt is when we choose to be kind, we not only fill the buckets of those around us, but also fill our OWN bucket!

Awards For The Week

Birthdays For This Week

~Eden (4B)          ~Wyatt (4B)           ~Taite (PrepC)          ~ Sophie (4A)        ~Finn (5B)

Assembly

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

Our lucky Praise Note winners drawn last week were:   

Rubi 1B,     Mackenzie 2C,     Deizel 3A,     Sienna 4A,     Kailey 5B,     Jonathan 6B,     Sybella PrepB

The Good Shepherd Way

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

Our Service 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: Moving around school .

Congratulations to our GSCS Way VIPs for last week - Cais, Alyssa and Mackenzie.

Fun Run - 22 April

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.

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. 

Environmental Tips

26th  March – Earth Hour  

Earth Hour is the world’s largest grassroots movement for climate change action. Millions of people in over 180 countries take part in Earth Hour by switching off their lights as a symbolic gesture to show that our planet needs stronger action on climate change. "Take the Earth Hour Pledge" switch off for 1hr :8.30pm - 9:30pm

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