15 October 2025

From the Desk of the Principal

Dear Staff and Parents/Carers,

Welcome back to Term Four! I hope the holidays were a time of rest, renewal, and special moments shared with loved ones. It has been wonderful to see our students return with bright smiles, ready to learn and full of energy for the exciting term ahead.

Term Four is always such a joyful and meaningful time in the life of our school. It is a season of reflection, gratitude, and celebration—a chance to recognise how much our children have grown in their learning, faith, and friendships, and to give thanks for the many blessings that have shaped our Good Shepherd community this year.

One of the major highlights of the term will be held next Friday (Week Three), our Good Shepherd Day celebrations, a day that perfectly captures the heart and spirit of our school. We will begin with a whole-school liturgy, gathering in faith to give thanks for the gift of our community and to reflect on the ways we can continue to be a light for others. Following the liturgy, our classrooms will be open for family visitors, providing parents and carers with the opportunity to share in their child’s learning environment and see first hand the wonderful work happening across the school.

During the middle sessions, the excitement continues with our much-loved Mini Fete, where each class will host a stall filled with fun activities, games, or treats. Families are encouraged to contribute to their child’s class — it’s always a wonderful opportunity for connection and community spirit. We will finish with our colourful Rainbow Run, a favourite tradition that fills the oval with laughter, joy, and a sense of togetherness. This event also helps raise much-needed funds for Mission Month, supporting those in need and reminding us of our call to live with compassion and generosity.

In Week Four, we will participate in Day for Daniel, an important national event dedicated to promoting child safety awareness. Students are encouraged to wear a sunsafe red shirt, with sports shorts, white socks, joggers, and their school hat. The colour red reminds us of the importance of standing up for the safety and wellbeing of all children. Throughout the day, classes will take part in age-appropriate activities that empower students with knowledge and understanding around personal safety and protective behaviours.

As we continue through the term, we will also pause for Remembrance Day in Week Six, a solemn moment in our national calendar where we stop to honour those who have served and sacrificed for our freedom. Our students and staff will gather for a short liturgy to pray for peace and reflect on the courage, resilience, and service of all who have contributed to our nation’s story.

We are also looking forward to celebrating the gifts and talents of our students in Week Seven through our Good Shepherd’s Got Talent showcase. This much-loved event provides students with the opportunity to shine—whether through song, dance, comedy, music, or other creative performances. It’s always a joyful and heart warming reminder of the confidence, creativity, and courage within our school community.

Another special event this term will be our Deadly Learners Showcase in Week Eight, where we recognise and celebrate the achievements of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This event highlights the rich cultural knowledge, leadership, and pride that our students bring to our community. It is an important time to honour their accomplishments and to reflect on the ways our school continues to grow in understanding, respect, and reconciliation.

In Week Nine, we will hold our Step Up Day, where students will have the chance to spend time in their 2026 classrooms and meet their new teachers and classmates. This experience helps to ease transitions, build excitement, and ensure every student feels confident and prepared for the year ahead.

For our Year Six students, Term Four marks the beginning of an important transition as they prepare to leave our Good Shepherd family and take their next steps into secondary school. Their Rite of Passage Liturgy will be a particularly special celebration, as we gather to acknowledge their journey, pray for their future, and send them forth with pride and blessings. This liturgy is always a moving moment—an opportunity to reflect on their leadership, friendships, and growth throughout their primary years. Their last week is also filled with lots of fun beginning with the Christmas Carols Concert on Monday and a day trip to the Kirwan Aquatic Centre.

As we journey together through this final term, I want to extend my sincere thanks to all families for your ongoing support, encouragement, and partnership. The collaboration between home and school is central to the success of every learner, and it is through this shared commitment that our students continue to flourish—in learning, in faith, and in love.

May Term Four be a time of joy, gratitude, and community for all. Let us continue to walk together in faith, celebrating the many blessings of our Good Shepherd family and giving thanks for the wonderful year that has been.

Warm Regards, 
Annette Poulsen
Principal 

apoulsen2@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Acting Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning

Welcome back to Term 4! I hope everyone had a lovely and relaxing break from the usual term time routines. It has been lovely to see the children come back in such a positive and enthusiastic manner.

During Week 2 of this term, all students from Year 2 to 6 will be completing standardised assessment in Reading and Mathematics. Townsville Catholic Education is committed to monitoring student achievement and progress over time using PAT Adaptive testing. PAT Adaptive assessments create an individualised test experience for an even more precise picture of student achievement – and a more equitable way to assess. In conventional assessments, students answer the same questions. But in adaptive assessments, students’ responses determine the content, resulting in personalised test pathways. The result is a highly detailed picture of achievement, enabling us to more precisely diagnose student needs and target teaching where it is needed most. Tailoring assessments to individual student needs is an ultimately fairer way to test.

Term 4 will be a very busy term for our students. Assessment will be brought forward to earlier in the term to ensure teachers have adequate time to mark and moderate student work before completing Semester 2 report cards. For this reason, it will be very important that students attend school everyday so they don’t miss out on any important learning before completing their assessments.

This term is filled with exciting opportunities for learning and showcasing students’ abilities both inside and outside the classroom. Our Year 6 students will be attending Year 6 Camp, where they will participate in a range of challenging activities gaining valuable skills in resilience, perseverance and collaborative problem solving. Other significant events include Book Fair, Quest for Knowledge, Open Classrooms and Good Shepherd’s Got Talent. As you can see, our students have many opportunities to shine in all areas of the curriculum and we are excited to share this with our school community.

Term 4 is always a busy yet wonderful time at our school. We look forward to continuing our journey of growth, connection, and celebration together in learning.

Nadine Anderson
Acting Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning

nanderson6@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

From the Desk of the Assistant Principal Religious Education

THE ROSARY

October is the month of the Rosary. This is primarily due to the fact that the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated annually on the 7th October. The word Rosary comes from Latin and means a garland of roses, the rose being one of the flowers used to symbolise the Virgin Mary. The Rosary is a devotion in honour of Mary. The Holy Rosary is considered a perfect prayer because within it lies the awesome story of our salvation. With the Rosary in fact we meditate the mysteries of joy, of sorrow and the glory of Jesus and Mary.

For a guide to saying the Rosary please check out –

https://cam.org.au/catholic-faith/prayers/how-do-i-pray-the-rosary/

The month of October is devoted to the Missions. During this time, we have an opportunity to act in solidarity through fundraising, prayerful support, awareness and advocacy.  Catholic Mission is one of the organisations that our Diocese has chosen to support.

This SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER is MISSION SUNDAY. It’s the one Sunday in the year when the entire global Church comes together to support mission. And every single donation from these worldwide Masses goes to support churches, hospitals, schools and vocations in countries where the Church is new, young or poor.

Every Catholic community, in every country, sends a powerful message of faith, hope and love on this special day.

Rebecca Kershaw
APRE

rkershaw@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

What's Happening In Prep

 Prep Adventures 

What a wonderful term it’s been in Prep! Our classroom has been buzzing with excitement as we’ve dived into stories, creativity, and play-based learning. We’ve been reading much-loved Julia Donaldson stories like The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom, then writing letters to the characters.

In Maths, we’ve been exploring fair sharing through hands-on games and outdoor fun. During GIFT learning, our curious Preps have been busy building, creating, and investigating as they share their ideas and discoveries with friends.

We’re so proud of how much everyone has grown in confidence and independence — it’s been a joy watching our learners shine each day. 

Sports

Congratulations, Mackenzie! 

A huge shoutout to Mackenzie in 5A, who played exceptionally well at the National School Championships! Her hard work, skill and determination have paid off, earning her a well-deserved selection in the Australian Futsal Team. 

Mackenzie will be representing Australia on the world stage, travelling to Spain in June 2026. What an incredible achievement. We wish Mackenzie the best of luck! 

Dates to Remember

A Message from our Finance Secretary

Term 4 School Fees – Due 7th November

As we move into the final term of the school year, we remind all families that Term 4 school fees are due by Thursday, 7th November.

We would like to sincerely thank all the families who continue to make regular payments towards their fees. Your commitment helps support the day-to-day running of our school and ensures we can continue to provide a rich and caring learning environment for all students.

Please take a moment to review your latest statement to ensure that any eligible discounts have been correctly applied. These may include:

• Sibling discount

• Multi-school discount (within the Catholic Diocese)

• Health Care Card or other concession entitlements

If you believe a discount may be missing or incorrect, please contact the school office. We're more than happy to look into it for you.

If you are experiencing financial difficulty or have an outstanding balance, we strongly encourage you to make an appointment with the office. We are here to help and can work with you to create a manageable plan.

Being part of a Catholic school community means we support one another through compassion and understanding. Together, and with God’s guidance, we can ensure that every family feels supported and every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Thank you for your continued support.

Danielle Jacobson
Finance Secretary

djaqcobson1@gstsv.catholic.edu.au

Library

Story Dogs

The Good Shepherd Way

Term 4, Week 2

This week our Good Shepherd Way Gospel in Action value is compassion where I show care and concern for others

Our Compassion prayer is below:

Term 4, Week 3

The Good Shepherd Way Gospel in Action for Week 3 will be Endeavour where I challenge myself to do my best.

Our Endeavour 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: In the classroom. 

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

Enrol for 2026

Tuckshop

School Notice Board

Teacher Contacts

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:

Community News