14 September 2022

From the Desk of the Principal

Last Thursday we asked our community R U OK? As a school we introduced "Talk It Out Thursday" for our Year 4, 5 and 6 boys. Thanks to Mr Bluck, Mr Kershaw and Mr Jason for running this group for our boys. We would like to remind families of counselling and crisis support they can also access:

• Lifeline 131114
• Beyond Blue 1300 224636
• Kids Helpline 1800 551800
• MensLine Australia 1300 789978
• 13YARN

It is hard to believe we are in the final week of Term 3. Preparations for the 2023 school year are well and truly underway. To assist us with our planning we will be sending out enrolment intention to return forms in early Term 4. We will also be announcing staff placements and those staff who are transferring out and transferring in. 

It has been a very busy term and I know we are all looking forward to a two week rest and recharge. I wish you all a very happy, safe and enjoyable holiday break and look forward to welcoming you back to Term 4 on Tuesday 4 October.

Glenda Scrase

Principal

gscrase1@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Religious Education

Mini Vinnies Parklands Visit

Our next visit is this Saturday 17th September, 9:00am to 10:00am, all Mini Vinnies who are attending should have returned their permission and Covid Screening forms to Mrs Kershaw by Friday 16th September.
Mrs Kershaw will meet the children at the front door at Parklands at 8:50am. They will be supervised for the duration of the visit. They should be collected at 10:00am.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD WAY

The Good Shepherd Way is our Gospel in Action here at Good Shepherd Catholic School. It encourages students to live out the following ten values by thriving to follow the action associated with it:
•    Community - I connect and engage
•    Compassion - I show care and concern for others
•    Endeavour - I challenge myself to do my best
•    Hope - I see good all around me
•    Inclusion - I involve and accept others
•    Justice - I make right choices
•    Love - I share my good heart with others
•    Reconciliation - I am fair, forgiving and respectful
•    Service - I help and respond to the needs of others
•    Stewardship - I care for all of creation
Each week we focus on one of these values and an award is presented at assembly to a student in each class who has demonstrated the value that week.

This week we are focusing on Stewardship. 

“With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32

Rebecca Kershaw

APRE

rkershaw@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Administration

School Holiday Activities

What are we doing today? I’m bored! Yes, school holidays are almost here! Keeping children entertained during the holidays can be a big drain on the budget, but there are lots of FREE activities that can help them pass the time:

• Play in the back yard or at the local park
• Build a fort using sheets and blankets
• Plant some flowers, in the garden or a pot, and maintain them
• Have a scavenger hunt. Make it as simple or complicated as you want).
• Click the below link for 30 great scavenger hunt ideas.

Townsville City Council also facilitates a school holiday program with many free events to suit all ages. The guide will be available on Friday 16 September on the Council’s website or by clicking here.

Have a fantastic holiday and we look forward to seeing you on the first day of Term 4, Tuesday 4th October.

Getting to school on time

School hours are 8.30am – 2.50pm, and it is really important that students are here on time as even 10 minutes late every day adds up quickly (10mins a day = 50 minutes a week = 1 ½ days over a 10 week term). When a student arrives late, they miss valuable learning time and can have difficulty settling into the day as they have missed important instructions and routines. Students entering the class at different times can also disrupt the learning of other students. 
For many people, the more relaxed pace of holidays adds to the difficulty of getting to school on time once the holidays are over. These tips can help make it easier to get to school on time:

1. Have a designated spot for all their school stuff. If children have a set place to put their school shoes, hat and bag, finding it the next morning will be easier.
2. Start a family calendar to help keep track of things like excursions, library day and special events.
3. Avoid last-minute panic by signing permission slips and notes at night and placing them back in the school bag.
4. Have school uniforms laid out the night before.
5. Make lunches and pack them into lunch boxes the night before, so children just need to grab them in the morning.
6. Have a schedule and remind children of it throughout the morning eg we need to leave home at 8am, so you need to have breakfast by 7.30am, be dressed by 7.45am etc. Set timers to keep track of time.
7. Keep a spare hairbrush, hair ties and socks in the car for those moments when you are halfway to school and you realise someone hasn’t brushed their hair or put on socks.
8. Enforce bedtime. Tired students and parents make getting out the door on time almost impossible!
9. Have rules such as no TV/devices or no playing outside until you are dressed and bag is packed.
10. Be firm and clear in your expectations. Be consistent. Routines take time to become automatic.

Maxine Nolan

APA

mnolan@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

What's Happening In Our Year 5 Classes?

Term 3 ends this week and students have been working diligently to complete their assessments. Year 5 are showcasing all their hard work today, presenting their information reports on an Australian politician for English, animal adaptations to desert biomes for Science and Australia’s Democracy for HASS. Well done to all our students for their efforts researching, drafting, editing and publishing their reports. 

In Week 7, students were provided the opportunity to come dressed as their favourite book character for the 2022 Book Week Parade. Many Year 5 students demonstrated their creativity by dressing up for this occasion, and had a lot of fun embracing their character for the day.

A number of events occurred last week that involved our students either representing the school or demonstrating their developing leadership to those in the earlier year levels. Last Wednesday, a number of our students attended the Townsville Cricket Blast Cup and enjoyed a day of sport at the Murray Sporting Grounds. Students met with their PAL classes last Thursday to complete a series of activities based around ‘R U Ok?’ Day. Students learnt the importance of both reading and understanding the emotions of others, and how they can use this increased knowledge to assist people when they need it. Last Friday, some students from Year 5 travelled to Palm Island to participate in the Obe Geia Challenge. The team played four games of rugby league, only narrowly missing the finals. All that attended had an amazing experience and Year 5 students are looking forward to participating again next year! 

Year 5 students have earnt themselves a very well deserved break. When they return in Term 4, they can look forward to camp at Gumburu, Paluma and applying for school leadership positions for 2023.

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Awards For The Week

Birthdays Being Celebrated This Week And During The Holidays!!

~Joseph(PrepA) ~Kenzie(PrepB) ~Mya(PrepB) ~Kashton(PrepB) ~Michael(1A) ~Lizette(1A) ~Kelton(1A) ~Wyatt(1C)       ~Chelsea(1C) ~Mia(2A) ~Emily(2A) ~Chase(2B) ~Lilliarna(2C) ~Naleekah(2C) ~Cole(3A) ~Issac(3A) ~Beau(3A)                ~Yasmine(3C) ~Eva(3C) ~Xavier(4B) ~Kelton(4C) ~Isla(5B) ~Alyssa(5B) ~Myer(6A) ~Ashlee(6A) ~Riley(6A) ~Ellie(6A) ~Lucas(6A)             

Assembly

 4B & 4C will be presenting our Assembly this Friday in the BBC at 8:40am.

Our lucky Praise Note winners last week were: Alora(PrepC), Harmony(1C), Arianah(2A), Olivia(3C), Lucy(4B), William(5A), Samuel(6A). 

The Good Shepherd Way

This week our Good Shepherd Way Gospel in Action value is Stewardship where we care for all of creation.

Our Stewardship 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: At Assembly, In The Community Centre.

Eisteddfod Results 2022

Yr 6 Creative Writing - Mackenzie 6B (Highly Commended)
Yr 5 Creative Writing - Scarlett 5A (3rd)
Yr 4 Creative Writing - Sofia 4A (Highly Commended)
Yr 1 Art work - Lizette 1A (1st) Harmony 1C, Zebadiah 1A, Teddy 1C (Highly Commended)
Prep Art work - Lettalia PrepA (3rd)
Yr 4-6 Photography - Piper 6B (1st), Nate 4A (2nd) Kiara 5B (3rd) Riley 5B and Mia 5B (Highly Commended)
Yr 3 and under Photography - Ethan 1C and Skylah 1C (Highly Commended)

I will collect students' work and prizes during the holidays. Any students who received prizes will be presented with them at assembly early in Term 4. 

Library News

Rainbow Run - Parent Letter

Our Rainbow Run will be held in the first week of Term 4. Please find attached the information letter about what your child will need to bring. Only return the bottom section if you do not wish your child to participate.

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.

Parent Portal

Parent Portal

If you have any problems accessing please send an email to the school office at rsmssn@tsv.catholic.edu.au or call the office on 4774 0477.

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.

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 News

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.

Teacher Contacts

Upcoming Events

Community News