16 June 2022

Recent Happenings

Important Dates

From the Principal - Kevin Barnes

Dear Families,

Schools are always places of much activity which is never more evident than right now.  Whilst we move into the closing stages of this term, with assessment, drafting and report writing keeping everyone on task, we are also preparing for a busy start to Term 3 when Yr 8 to Yr 11 students will go on camp or retreat.

As you would imagine it is a challenging exercise to book and organise four campsites, allocate staff to each group, organise transport of students and equipment, complete necessary risk assessments and permission forms whilst keeping families informed of the logistics.  I look forward to providing feedback on these events in the first newsletter of Term 3.  

At the recent Townsville Catholic Principals’ meeting, concern was raised about the growing use of e-cigarettes and the trendy pastime of vaping. It appears this activity is becoming an epidemic amongst teenagers, yet most are unaware of the risks and the potential impact vaping can have on their development and overall health.

Vaping is the act of inhaling a vapour created by an e-cigarette. It has been proven that vaping is not the “healthy” alternative to smoking that many people believe it is. Vaping products are infused with enticing flavours, many contain high levels of nicotine as well as other chemicals and additives, that when inhaled, can cause severe damage to the lungs.

For more information I have attached a vaping fact sheet to this newsletter.

The Ingham Catholic Debutante Ball was a wonderful event for our young ladies, their partners and families.  I express my gratitude to the many helpers who pulled together to set up, serve drinks, prepare food and clean up.  Such an event would not be possible without your contributions.  The Catholic Deb ball is now run as a sub-committee of The Gilroy SMC P&F.  The Deb Ball Committee is a team of hard working dedicated ladies who take much pride in preparing the Debutantes and Partners and take much pride in maintaining the traditions which have continued for many generations.

To Rita Melara who is Chair of the Deb Committee, the loyal and dedicated committee members we are ever grateful for your efforts.  It is very pleasing to see that planning is already underway for the 2023 Ingham Catholic Deb Ball.    

Our Confraternity Shield Rugby League and QISSN Netball teams will travel to Mackay to compete in the respective competitions during week one of the upcoming school holidays.  These carnivals are always a time of great mateship and competitive spirit for our students when they come up against teams from all over Queensland.  I wish every player and each staff member involved safe travels and make the most of the opportunity.  Students please remember, you are representing Gilroy Santa Maria College, your family and most importantly yourself.    

To all families and staff members, I thank you for your efforts through the first half of this year.  It has been a challenging time with the ongoing impacts of COVID and influenza so I guess it is timely to have a mid year break.  Please stay safe.

God bless
Kevin Barnes

Prayer

From AP Pastoral and Counsellor

I hope everyone is travelling well and looking forward to the upcoming holidays. There are lots of great things happening at the college lately which have been great to witness and be a part of. Breakfast club is a massive success and the amount of students attending is always increasing and we are getting some good data on behavioural benefits after breakfast club has been run. 

We have a lot of sporting events going on during school hours and after school which is always good to see kids achieving in other areas.

Earlier in the Term, we ran a whole school trivia event during an assembly slot where students found out some fun trivia facts about their teachers, student leaders and the college. This has always been a successful event and it promotes a lot of positive conversations between students of different year levels and also between students and teachers. 

We have just held our whole school tug-a-war competition again which is always a fun event where students get to mix with students of all ages. I have found these events really boost the morale of students and make a positive change for students. 

We are still having a few concerns from families in regards to screen time with their children so have put together a quick guide to help answer any questions and provide some great simple techniques.

As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are transitioning back to pre-COVID routines but many are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. The latest research found that 77% of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.

Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. 

Some signs to watch out for that may indicate unhealthy screen time habits;

• Exercise; have you been exercising less or not doing the recommended amount of exercise per week? Are you still making time to move?
• Sleep: are you still getting 8-10 hours of sleep a night? Do you prioritise gaming over going to bed?
• School: are you making time for school and keeping up with your school work and assessments?
• Eating: have you been making time to stop and eat healthy well-balanced meals?
• Social: are you cancelling plans with friends to spend more time with your online friends?

How to make some changes for more positive online habits;

• Make mealtimes screen-free.
• Charge your devices outside of your room so they aren’t in the bedroom at all.
• Set up “no screen times” at home and times to “unplug”.
• Decide in advance how much screen time you want and set a time to help you stick with that limit. 

Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains. The following guide is an excellent reference on putting in place safe boundaries for online screen time.

This guide gives some excellent strategies for the popular social media platforms such as Tic Toc, SnapChat, Instagram and Youtube. 
PARENTS GUIDE TO CYBER SAFETY

If you want any more information about Cyber Safety please follow this link to our School TV page School TV Link for cyber safety

God bless
Matthew Schrodter & Kate Stringini

From the Business Manager –Ros Giuliano

School Fees are now Due

Thank you to all who have paid fees to date. If you have not paid recently, please do so ASAP. If for any reason you are finding it difficult to pay school fees, please contact the Principal or myself to discuss the matter.

BPAY is our preferred method of payment. The details are on the family statement. You can pay weekly, fortnightly, monthly or by term, either 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.

The office will be open during the school holidays, Monday to Friday from 8.00am – 3.30pm, although it will be closed for lunch between 12.00pm-1.00pm.

Ros Giuliano
rgiuliano@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au

Agricultural Practices

The subject "Agricultural Practices" is really taking off at Gilroy Santa Maria College and our classes are full and working hard on some exciting projects!

Students spent the last term welding up strainer panels, corner assemblies and reo cages for their fencing unit. They have just finished concreting the footings for these and learning the process for this.

Next week they will be installing the panels in preparation for putting up the fence next term.

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Readers Cup

Four teams of four students from Years 7, 8 9 and 10 competed in the NQ regional competition of the Readers Cup in Townsville. The Readers Cup is organised by the Qld Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia and is open to all schools in NQ. The teams of students read a set of books beforehand and then competed with other teams to answer quiz questions relating to these books.

All students had a fantastic night and many look forward to competing in next year's competition. Well done!

Essential Emails

Sport News

Congratulations to the Gilroy U15 Rugby League team, taking out the Catholic Schools Cup and defeating Ryan Catholic College 14-10. Man of the Match honours went to lock forward Kelin Corradi, for his strong runs and big tackles. Shaun Devietti continued his golden run, gaining selection in the U15 Northern Rugby Union team, just days after representing Northern for Rugby League.

In other sporting news, Sofia Inunciaga has broken the U12 Girls 1500m record, with a time of 6:21. Previously the record was held by Dana Kaurila 6:23 (2017).
Laura Poggio broke the Open Girls 800m record (2:37.83) which was held by M.Kern (2:51)  in 2008.
Laura Poggio also broke the Open Girls 1500m record, with a time of 5.35. The previous record was set by Rebecca Cristaudo (Elliot) in 1995 with a time of 5.54.

Jaidyn Spina

Careers

Year 10 Work Experience

On Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 every Year 10 student will be attending their block of Work Experience.

We appreciate the support of local businesses and organisations that will be hosting our students. 

This work experience block plays an integral part in our student's education at Gilroy Santa Maria College. It provides invaluable insight into the workplace and helps students develop the skills and qualities they will need for a successful transition into working life. It also provides a firsthand experience for students to explore and evaluate the career pathway of interest, particularly as they prepare to choose their senior schooling subjects.

We look forward to hearing some great feedback from both our students and their host workplaces!

Year 10 - Find Your Future Careers Expo

On 9 June, our Year 10s attended the Find Your Future Careers Expo held at Tyto. This event hosted by the Hinchinbrook Shire Council, gave students a great insight into the various career pathways available to them. The exhibitors included universities, TAFE, local businesses and organisations. The students even got to hear from past students Isabella Melara and Luca Adornetto pictured here, representing Saints Catholic College (accommodation facility at James Cook University).

Career Talks

During Term 2, we have welcomed a number of industry representatives and universities to speak to our students about career opportunities and recruitment processes. Students have heard from Wilmar Sugar, Hinchinbrook Shire Council, Ergon, James Cook University and CQUniversity. Students also heard from past students Eliza Carr (Hinchinbrook Shire Council) and Eryn McCulloch (Ergon) giving them a great insight into their current roles.

Heroes in Health

Recently Year 12 student Emily Hodgson was chosen to attend the Heroes in Health Program run by James Cook University and Mater Hospital. The program was held at the Mater Hospital over two days and gave Emily a terrific experience.

She was provided with a combination of hands-on experiences and information sessions from a wide range of healthcare professionals currently working in the health industry.

JCU & CQU Start Uni Now Program

These programs are for high achieving Year 11 and Year 12 students who want to be ready today for tomorrow by completing first-year university subjects alongside their high school studies. Interested students must speak to Mrs Sartor to discuss this option.

Term 3 Year 11 & 12 Work Placement

A reminder that ALL Year 11 & 12 Work placement forms must be signed and returned by 23rd June. Each term, students are asked to change their workplace to ensure they experience different areas or different professions.

Year 11 Dates

Year 12 Dates  

Mrs Sartor
Careers Officer

Extra Curricular Activities

Tuckshop

Needed: More Helpers.  Please see the Roster below.

Start time for helpers is preferably 8:30am – 11:30am or until when you are available.
If there is any query in regards to this roster or you are unavailable please contact
Sandra Benedetto [0427 765 321] - Jodie Lino [0407 904 918]

What's Happening in the Parish

St Patrick’s, Ingham
Saturday Vigil: 6.00pm
Sunday: 8.30am and 7.00pm

St Peter’s, Halifax
Sunday: 7.00am

Canossa Chapel, Trebonne
Sunday: 10.00am

St Teresa’s, Abergowrie
Sunday: 10.00am

INGHAM REGION CATHOLIC PARISHES NEWSLETTER:

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

Father Damian McGrath
Parish Priest
Ingham Region Catholic Parishes

Around the District

Ingham Arts Festival Nominations

Nominations are due Friday 17 June at the Conroy Hall from 2 pm- 6 pm. Committee members will be there to accept all forms and nomination fees.

Hinchinbrook Shire Council

School Holiday Library Workshops
School holiday workshops located at the Hinchinbrook Shire Library will kick off on Tuesday 28 June and Wednesday 29 June 2022.
Workshops consist of:
Business Camp where students will develop entrepreneurial skills
Engineering Camp where students will explore concepts such as robotics and coding
Space Camp to learn about the mysteries of outer space
Creativity Camp where students will let their creativity flair through activities such as stop animation, public speaking and the use of colour psychology.
Hurry, spaces are limited to 25 per workshop.
For further information or to RSVP, please visit Council's website, Events Calendar page. 
To read other articles in this week's Council Connections, please visit https://bit.ly/3NPsdGF

Football Queensland is hosting clinics for thousands of young footballers aged 6-14yrs across the state during the Winter holidays.

The FQ Academy & MiniRoos Holiday Clinics will be held throughout Queensland, providing opportunities for junior players to learn new skills, make friends and have fun. The clinics will be delivered side-by-side at the same time and venue, providing an engaging and fun holiday outing for the whole family!

To find out more please visit footballqueensland.com.au/fq-academy-holiday-clinics/

Ingham
Date: 6 – 7 July 2022
Time: 9am – 12pm
Location: Ingham FC
Cost: $60 early bird fee (two-day clinic)