Gilroy Santa Maria College eNewsletter

Ingham Catholic Debutante Ball 2026

Important Dates Term 2

Acting Principal - Melissa Carr

Dear Parents, Carers, and College Community,

It’s hard to believe we are already halfway through Term 2! It has certainly been a busy but exciting time here at the College. With the weather finally settling, it has been wonderful to see a renewed sense of consistency in classroom learning and engagement. Our students have embraced every opportunity to grow academically, socially, and spiritually – and our Facebook page has been buzzing with so many proud moments, both in individual student achievements and whole-school events.

Firstly, I would like to sincerely thank all the parents, carers, and students who participated in the Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews in Week 3. These conversations are invaluable as they help strengthen the partnership between home and school and ensure that each student is supported in their learning journey. They provide a platform for constructive dialogue, goal setting, and celebrating progress.

As you may be aware, Townsville Catholic Education conducted a system-wide review in 2024 through community surveys. This review has informed the development of newly standardised P–Year 10 reporting guidelines to ensure consistency across all Catholic schools in the region. Please note that there are no changes to Year 11 and 12 reporting at this stage.

Key changes to our Semester Reports include:

Learning Area Comments Removed: Instead of individual subject comments, reports will now include a learning area statement outlining key learning undertaken for the semester.
Pastoral Comment Added: Each report will include an individualised pastoral comment summarising the student’s social and emotional development, readiness for learning, organisation, attendance, and areas for improvement.
Application to Learning: This keeps in line with our current terminology pertaining to ‘effort’ and reflects how students complete tasks, respond to feedback, and show engagement. It will now be reported on a four-point scale: Needs Attention, Satisfactory, Very Good, Excellent.
Consistent Behaviour Terminology: Behaviour will now be reported under the unified term ‘Personal and Social Responsibility’. This will also be reported on a four-point scale: Needs Attention, Satisfactory, Very Good, Excellent.

To further enhance communication, Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews will now occur twice annually. The second round will be held later in Term 3 and further communication will be forthcoming towards the end of this term.

This term, we’ve also celebrated some outstanding co-curricular achievements:

On Wednesday 14 May, a team of our students travelled to Townsville to compete in the Inaugural NQ Hydrogen Grand Prix, led by Ms Belinda Strong and Ms Nadine Jorgenson. After four hours of intense racing, the Gilroy Velocity Raptors triumphed, taking out first place and securing a place at the World Finals in Germany this August! Planning is now underway for this incredible opportunity, and we are actively seeking sponsorship to support our team’s journey to Germany.
Friday 16 May saw the success of our Year 7 Expo event, which welcomed prospective Year 6 students and their families to experience a taste of life at our College. We are thrilled with the turnout and feedback received. For those who missed this event, our next Year 6 Transition Morning will be held at 8:30am–11:30am on Friday 20 June. Students are asked to wear their current school uniforms and will be returned to their schools after the event. Morning Tea will be provided.
Our students also had the opportunity to attend the region’s first Link2Country Expo at the Ingham Showgrounds last Friday. Year 11 and 12 students in Agricultural Practices, along with our Year 10 Careers Program students, participated in this industry-focused event. It was an invaluable experience, offering insights into local job opportunities and hands-on activities that brought career pathways to life.

Looking ahead, we are eagerly anticipating our Art Retrospective Night on Thursday 5 June in the SMC, with doors opening at 5:00pm. Ms Georgia Dametto and her talented students have worked tirelessly to curate an evening that will truly showcase the creative brilliance of our College community.

Finally, I would like to draw attention to the upcoming Year 10 Careers Information Session on Thursday 12 June. This is a compulsory event for both students and parents. It will provide essential guidance around subject selection for Years 11 and 12 and support families in making informed decisions aligned with future career aspirations. This session will be held in M Block.

As always, thank you for your continued support of our students and staff. I look forward to the many opportunities we have yet to share this term.

Warm regards,

Melissa Carr

Year 7 Expo

Recently Father Jomi joined students and teachers for a day of faith, inspiration and growth at the Youth Discipleship Conference: "The Way". This event was a transformative experience, focusing on the renewal of youth ministry through small group discipleship and was held at St Clare's Catholic School, Burdell.

It was a valuable experience for our students, offering them a chance to deepen their faith and connect with peers in a meaningful way.

Academic Support

STEM - Velocity Raptors Germany Bound!

We are incredibly proud to announce that our Velocity Raptors team has taken out first place at the Horizon H2GP North Queensland Finals and will now represent our school, region and country at the World Championships in Chemnitz, Germany this August. A sincere thank you goes to Horizon Education, CQUniversity and Townsville Enterprise for making this incredible event possible and providing such a valuable opportunity for students across the region.

The team consisting of Niko, Owen, Nicholas, Nate H and Adam, competed against 12 schools from across North Queensland, spanning from Cairns to Mackay. Several of these schools were returning competitors, with some participating for their second or even third year. Despite being the youngest team on the track, the Velocity Raptors completed an outstanding 387 laps — 87 more than the second-place team. They also received the Most Energy Efficient award and the prestigious Engineering Design award.

This remarkable achievement reflects the team’s commitment over many months to designing, building, and modifying their hydrogen-powered car. They developed strategies around fuel efficiency and driving techniques, working collaboratively to problem-solve and adapt throughout the race.

A heartfelt thank you goes to our dedicated Science teachers, Mrs Strong and Mrs Jorgensen, for their ongoing support, guidance and mentorship. A special thank you also to Mr David Dillon, one of our team member’s fathers, for his invaluable time, expertise, coaching, and assistance in preparing the team for success.

Behind the scenes, four students, Lexi, Nate, Ryan and Serenity managed the live YouTube stream of the event. Event organisers praised them for their professionalism, excellent manners, and willingness to assist, all of which reflected exceptionally well on our school.

The team is now refining their car and strategy as they prepare to take on the world in Germany in less than three months.

We are currently seeking sponsorship and community support to help make this incredible opportunity a reality.

If you or your business would like to support the Velocity Raptors, please contact the College.

Gilroy Velocity Raptors

From the Business Manager –Ros Giuliano

SCHOOL FEES ARE DUE FRIDAY 30 MAY.

If you are struggling to pay fees or need to set up direct debits or just want to discuss different options. Please feel free to contact me.

In accordance with the mission, values and ethos of our school, we remain committed to providing an education to all of students regardless of their financial circumstances.

BPAY is our preferred method of payment. The details are on the family statement. You can also pay weekly, fortnightly, monthly or by term by Payway, direct debit, credit card, cash or cheque

As always, if you have any questions or queries, please contact the Principal or myself to discuss the matter. The sooner you make contact the sooner we can work together for a solution.

Ros Giuliano

Direct Debit Form

Reconciliation Week Begins at Gilroy Santa Maria College

On Tuesday 28 May, Gilroy Santa Maria College officially opened National Reconciliation Week with a moving flag raising ceremony. The event was led by our School Captains, Vice Captains, and Emerging Leaders, who guided the school community in a moment of reflection and unity. The ceremony marked the beginning of a week dedicated to acknowledging the past, celebrating culture, and committing to a reconciled future.

Flag Raising Ceremony

Science Department

2025 World Science Festival

A group of 51 Year 7 students recently attended the World Science Festival in Townsville, thanks to the generous support of Powerlink and the Queensland Museum. The hands-on Robots and Rocketry session was a highlight of the day, with students launching rockets, driving Mars rover simulations, and exploring space through virtual reality headsets.

These exciting experiences not only sparked curiosity but also helped students make real-world connections to science, technology, and engineering—bringing the curriculum to life in a memorable way.

Thank you to Powerlink for sponsoring the excursion and providing lunch, and to the Queensland Museum for hosting such an engaging and inspiring event.

World Science Festival

Year 7 Science Dissection

This term, our Year 7 Science students reached a major learning milestone by completing their first dissection. As part of their studies on biological classification, students explored the differences between vertebrates and invertebrates through hands-on investigation of a fish, prawn, and squid.

The dissection allowed students to directly apply their learning by observing structural features of each organism:

The fish was identified as a vertebrate, with a clear internal endoskeleton.
The prawn was classified as an invertebrate, with a hard external exoskeleton.
The squid, while lacking a true skeleton, was a point of deeper discussion. Students discovered its internal gladius (commonly known as a "pen"), made of chitin, and correctly classified it as an invertebrate.

Students also identified other fascinating anatomical features, including the squid’s beak and its ink sac — sparking curiosity about how these adaptations help the squid survive in its environment.

The activity not only deepened their understanding of how animals are classified, but also developed their practical laboratory skills, teamwork, and attention to detail.

We are proud of how our Year 7 students embraced this challenge with enthusiasm and maturity.

Agricultural Practices - Red Claw Project

This term, our Year 11 & 12 Agricultural Practices students are diving into the world of aquaculture as they trial the use of a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) to raise red-claw crayfish.

Working in pairs, students are setting up and managing a small-scale RAS unit, each housing a single juvenile red-claw yabby. They are responsible for all aspects of the system — from selecting equipment and managing water quality to feeding and caring for the animals ethically.

A key focus of the project is calculating the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) to measure how efficiently the yabbies convert feed into body mass. This gives students valuable insight into system performance, sustainability, and aquaculture management.

In the final weeks of the project, students will prepare a 5-minute multimodal presentation to showcase their work. They will use photos, videos, and collected data to explain their planning, demonstrate their practical skills, and evaluate their outcomes.

This hands-on project provides students with a unique opportunity to build industry-relevant skills, explore career pathways in aquaculture, and contribute to sustainable food production — all while working with live animals in a real-world context.

We look forward to the final presentations as students demonstrate the skills and knowledge they’ve developed throughout this project.

Gilroy MTB Team Competing in Rockwheelers Interschool Competition

A small group of students from Year 7 to 11 will proudly represent Gilroy as part of the Gilroy MTB Team; a newly formed group established by students in late 2024. They’ll be heading to the Cycle de Vie 2025 Rockwheelers Interschool MTB Race on Friday 27 June 2025, hosted at Douglas MTB Park in Townsville by the Rockwheelers MTB Club. This exciting event gives students of varying abilities the chance to test their endurance, speed, and technical skills across three timed tracks, with plenty of opportunities to improve their runs throughout the day. More than just a race, it’s a fantastic day of teamwork, learning, and building friendships, as our students come together to support one another and be part of a vibrant regional competition.

Let’s get behind our riders and cheer them on as they hit the trails with true team spirit — Shreddy til Beddy!

Date Claimers

Sport News

Northern Representatives:

Many Gilroy students have represented NQ Sport over the last few weeks.

Jess Furber travelled away for both Rugby League and Netball, and was a standout performer in both sports.

Five of our students also competed in the Queensland Squash Championships. Congratulations to Jack Butcher, Nikolas Dillon, Owen Stack, Oliver Flynn, and Ayden Mombelli on their achievements

Interschool Cross Country:

Gilroy travelled to St Teresa's Catholic College, Abergowrie for the Annual Interschool Cross Country Carnival. A huge congratulations to all participants who represented our college with pride.

A special mention to all of our Age Champions:

13 Girls - Lacey Jayasuria
13 Boys - Lewis Inunciaga
14 Girls - Kenzie Murdoch
15 Girls - Sofia Inunciaga
16 Girls - Allie Gaggiano

Open Rugby League:

Recently, the Gilroy Opens had their second match up against Southern Cross Catholic College for the year. With absolutely perfect conditions at the Gilroy Oval, the boys were looking to repeat their efforts from last week. After being hit with a heavy injury toll, we were only able to field 14 players for the game. But this did not hinder their spirits when Jack Butcher took advantage of a short side and ran the ball under the sticks to open the scoring. Only a few minutes later Bryce Butler barged over for his first try of the year to give Gilroy a 10 point lead. An error from the front rower late in the half proved costly when Southern Cross scored and converted to put the scores at 10-6 at half time.

With only 1 reserve, Gilroy was always going to have to do it tough in the second half, but the players showed true spirit. With tries to Shaun Devietti, Kelin Corradi and Tristan Milan, Gilroy locked up a 24-12 win in a tough effort for the ages.

VET/Careers:

Find your Futures Career Expo

Last Friday, the Year 10 cohort attended the "Find Your Futures" event at Link2Country. Students had the opportunity to meet potential employers and ask questions about work experience opportunities, career pathways, and apprenticeships. While at the event, our students also had many hands-on experiences, such as suturing a banana with Tropical Vets and fencing with Waratah Fencing. There was a wide variety of industries for the students to explore, and most left with valuable information, gift packs, and an overall positive experience.

Year 10 Careers Update

The Year 10 Careers session will continue this week with an information session on Senior Subjects for students. Teachers from various senior subjects will provide a brief overview of their respective areas during the session. Students will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the subjects they are interested in pursuing in Years 11 and 12.

Term Dates 2025

Student Accident Protection Plan - Claim Form

AIG is our insurer for the student accident policy, with claims managed by CSN. Our WHS Sharehub - Student Accident Insurance page has been updated with all the current information.

The forms can also be found on the main TCE website . Forms are found under the 'Parents & Community' tab on the website.

Tuckshop

What's Happening in the Parish

INGHAM REGION CATHOLIC PARISHES NEWSLETTER:

https://inghamcatholic.com/category/newsletter/

Ingham Region Catholic Parishes

Around the District

In preparation for the start of the 2025 crushing season, RSU and locomotive driver training will soon be under way. Locos hauling empty cane bins will be operating across all of our milling regions during daylight hours from Tuesday 6 May until the production season commences in June.

Please approach all cane railway crossings with caution and obey all signs and signals.

For more information check out our website https://www.wilmarsugar-anz.com/media-centre/public-notices

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Newsletter Sponsors

29 May 2025