17 March 2016

Newsletter Articles

Important Dates

Gilroy on the Go

Beauty Excursion

Sandra La Rosa

On Tuesday 8 March students from the Hair and Beauty Class attended an excursion in Townsville to the Tropical North Day Spa and whilst in Townsville we also took the opportunity to go through the various Beauty counters at Myers. This experience gave the student's exposure to the many Skin Care, Beauty products and information on product knowledge that is currently available in this ever changing environment. A big part of the program involves learning the skills associated with the benefits of a good consultation and each student experienced this first hand on the Day in preparation for their 15 minute Mini Facial. They also gained knowledge of available services that are provided to clients and the importance of a treatment plan to customise and best suit various skin types.

Art Camp

Miranda Pietrobon

It was a humid and drizzly morning on the second day of March when Mrs Pietrobon and her Year 11 and 12 Art classes set out with anticipation for the journey to Gumburu. Mr Hill, with his trusty camera in hand, came along as well and they set out for three days of creativity and certain artistic adventure . . .

During the three days at Gumburu, the year 11s and 12s, even Mr Hill and Mrs Pietrobon, sketched, painted, ripped, glued, cut and ate. The year 11s had to incorporate the theme of urban congregation into the rainforest and the year 12s had to include their 'phenomena' into the tropical landscape.

Getting to do art all the time was both fun and exhausting, and definitely a rewarding and worthwhile experience. Spending time with my peers and teachers, eating delicious food was a major highlight of the camp. I recommend it to all art students.

. . . and they returned home, to an even wetter and colder place than when they had left. They returned, leaving behind the need to fight off mosquitoes while perfecting a rainforest scene on canvas, with the fond memory of the friendships made and the art created on the Art camp at Gumburu.

By Madeleine Hardy

GSM GTV Art Camp 2016

Design Technology

John Barbagallo

Year 7 DTB have completed a small metal fabrication project as an introduction to metals in our Design & Technology class.

12 Chemistry

Karen Board

Ever wondered how to make perfume, the smell of an apple, a cherry or PVA glue? This term the Year 12 Chemistry class is studying Organic Chemistry and has learnt exactly that. By reacting alcohols with carboxylic acids, you can create esters. Different combinations of alcohols and carboxylic acids give rise to different esters and each ester has a unique aroma. These esters are found naturally in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices but by creating them artificially in the lab, we are essentially creating unique perfumes. What's that beautiful smell? Probably a Chemistry student.

Leos

Roseanne Coyle

On Wednesday the 2 March, the Gilroy Leo's Club was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of the Gilroy Santa Maria's Young Christian Students' Group. This was because the Leo's Club generously donated $100 towards travelling costs for Joseph Bortolanza and Cameron Caelli to attend the National YCS Conference in Melbourne earlier this year. These two students returned feeling privileged to have gained knowledge regarding social justice issues. Joseph Bortolanza presented the Certificate of Appreciation to Lachlan Castles as pictured.

From the Principal

Dear Gilroy Santa Maria College Community

This week I attended the Townsville Catholic Education Office's Principal's Conference. Principals from schools all over the Townville Diocese attended and we were involved in many workshops and discussions. Also we had the opportunity to learn about the projects and ideas from the leadership teams of other schools, an aspect of the conference that I thoroughly enjoy.

In this Year of Mercy, we were also reminded of Pope Francis' wish for our Catholic schools. Apart from being great places of learning, he hopes our schools are places where truth, beauty and goodness are taught and valued. Additionally, that we are communities that look to "go to the margins" and "overcome the globalisation of indifference".

As the Term 1 comes to an end I take this opportunity to farewell Mrs Annette Cope from our College community. Annette has completed a teaching contract this semester but it is her outstanding service to our College over many years that I would like to recognise. Annette over many years has held many positions at our College including Principal, Deputy Principal and Head of Department. On many occasions Annette has come to the rescue when staffing has changed or when Catholic Education has needed an experienced educator to fulfil a role and ensure continued strong leadership. Annette always worked well with the community and gave her all in the roles she undertook. On Good Friday, Annette and her husband Darryl will leave the Ingham district and will move to Victoria. Annette will be greatly missed, she will leave behind many friends and a very grateful community.

I wish all our families a happy and Holy Easter break.

God Bless

John Nuttall
College Principal

From the Assistant Principal (Religious Education)

Christine Timms

World Day of Prayer is celebrated by women from around the world who come together for a day of prayer. This year's theme was 'Receive children, Receive me. Thank you to the Anglican Holy Trinity Ladies who coordinated the lovely service and invited us to join in the celebrations. A big thank you to Celine, Bavelin and Mikaela who also read prayers at the service.

Mrs Venturato' s Year 8 religion class performed a beautiful prayer for the whole school during assembly last Wednesday. The focus was on random acts of kindness and how simple gestures can bring about positive differences to people's lives. During Lent we are called by God to create change in the world we live. By showing care and support to our friends and teachers imagine the ripple effect it could have in our school and local community.

We were also privileged to welcome Father Vitalis during our assembly. We look forward to him being a part of our school community and celebrating masses with us.

Please remember to encourage our students to donate to our Project Compassion boxes and bring in any clothing they would like to give to St Vincent di Paul during Lent.

God bless,
Christine Timms

Awesome God,
You teach us the power of mercy
Sustain us as we impart your mercy on others
You teach us the power of love
Guide us as we love our brothers and sisters
You teach us salvation
Nurture our faith and help us as we discern the mystery
You teach us grace
Support us in our efforts to be graceful in our lives.
May we bring to birth the salvation of your kingdom and the fullness of your love in our lives and the lives of those we encounter
Amen

From the Acting Assistant Principal (Administration & Curriculum)

Joan Devietti

Lions Youth of the Year

Congratulations to Jordan Friday, Lachlan Castles and Mikaela Stokes who represented the college in the Lions Youth of the Year contest. They certainly did the school proud and it was a privilege to hear them speak. It was very evident that they had worked hard and prepared well under the guidance of Ms Monique Martino. I was extremely proud of them and admired their courage. Thank you to all students and to Ms Martino for her generous donation of time and expertise. Further congratulations to Jordan Friday who successfully went on to represent the College at the Zone Final last Saturday. While he did not win, he certainly keenly contested it and can only be admired for his great effort.

Exams

As we enter the last weeks of term we come to exams. It is important that all students are revising work covered in class every night and committing themselves to extra study. The exam timetable has been finalised and all students have been given a copy. The timetables are also on the webpage and student intranet and outlines what exams your child will have on each day, what room they will be in and how long the exam will go for. Exams will begin on Thursday 17 March and finish on Wednesday 23 arch. Homeroom teachers have also highlighted the timetable with students to ensure that everyone is aware of their exam schedule. Students will need to be organised and prepared for their exams by having the correct equipment and writing materials. The school diary also has very useful information on preparing for exams (see pages 126 -128).

Please be aware that where a student is absent for a scheduled exam, a medical certificate is necessary if they are in Year 11-12 and is also preferred if they are in Year 7-10. Please notify the school of their illness by 8:30am. On return to school, students need to report to student reception to sit the missed exam/s.

In circumstances where a student is away due to reasons other than medical, then an application needs to be submitted to me for alternative arrangements to be negotiated. These circumstances need to be school related or genuine family issues. Please understand that missing exams for any other reason will not necessarily be accepted.

From the Assistant Principal (Pastoral Care)

Peter Groundwater

Last week I attended Townsville Catholic Education's annual DP/AP conference on Magnetic Island. We were very fortunate to have a number of excellent guest speakers who engaged us with a range of topics from Compelling Leadership to Data driven approaches to Senior Schooling. One of the most interesting sessions was with Dr Judy Smeed around QCS training, Naplan results and the wonders of Data collection. While this may sound extremely boring, the explanation behind what the data actually meant in terms of Gilroy Santa Maria's past and future performances was both enlightening and reaffirming.

While we acknowledge that our seniors from 2015 did very well in their QCS and OP results the added bonus from this session was confirming that our College was rated as a high performing educator in all of the performance categories that were analysed. This did not just refer to our OP results, but to our ongoing benchmark of receiving 100% QCE's, and having all non-OP students receive a qualification in VET or other fields. So good was our Data, that the speaker suggested that others should be asking Gilroy what we are doing because it was obviously generating success on many fronts. Whether we are Staff, Parents or Students we can be all very proud of the excellent culture that has developed at Gilroy Santa Maria College.

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of driving up to Columba College at Charters Towers with our Netball and Rugby League teams to play in the annual Catholic Schools Cup. Congratulations to the Netball girls who went undefeated for the weekend and took home the silverware over Columba College. Unfortunately, the Rugby League boys didn't fare so well in the trophy department, but they had a great opportunity to engage in a weekend of Confraternity style game play. The behaviour of our students is something that we can take for granted, but let me tell you, when you take a Gilroy team away it is a fantastic feeling to be able to trust a great group of young men and women just to do the right thing.

One aspect of the weekend that stands out to me was in the final game that our Rugby League team played against Mt Isa. With only 13 players remaining after injuries, our team somehow managed to lead 16 to nil at half time. They were very excited. Ten minutes into the second half the lead was narrowed to 16 points to 14. The next ten minutes became a war of attrition with both teams desperate to win the final game. It came to a point when neither team could break each other's defences. With the final hooter sounding in the background the Mt Isa team put up a cross-field bomb and it miraculously landed in the arms of one of their surprised teammates who then fell over the line in disbelief that he had scored the match winning try. As a group, the Gilroy team fell to the ground like a scene from a Grand final loss that we have all seen many times before. As I spoke to them all after the game I explained that it was good to feel like this. They all looked at me like I was some kind of sadist and I explained. "You feel like this because you have actually all put in the effort to win. You have given your all and the only thing that has separated you has been a fluke try after the siren. If you wouldn't have tried and had still won the game then really the win is meaningless." The message here is that if you try your best and sometimes fail (as often happens) then you will get far greater satisfaction and benefits in life than never trying at all and losing before you even start. This is a lesson in life and not just in sport.

Farewell Annette and Darryl Cope

"Words sound so empty when our hearts are so full."

Many of you will know and fondly remember Annette Cope who has been part of the Gilroy Santa Maria College family for many years. Annette and Darryl have always had a special connection with the College as their son Robert completed his secondary education at Gilroy and consequently achieved outstanding results and multiple accolades. Annette commenced her time at Gilroy Santa Maria College in 2000 as Head of Department for Science but it did not take long for her to join the Leadership team.

Over the following 11 years Annette capably alternated as Deputy Principal and Acting Principal completing all roles at an exceptional level. Annette was an important part of the 60 year Anniversary of the College. She was instrumental in maintaining the original façade of the Gilroy Chapel, and the force behind gaining our state of the art Trade Training Centre.

Annette retired from Gilroy Santa Maria College at the end of 2012; however, she has continued her service and love of teaching and commitment to our College by filling many supply roles.

Darryl has also contributed to our College as Maintenance Officer in times of need.

Annette and Darryl have decided to return to country Victoria from where they originated. We wish them many years of health and happiness and we will be forever grateful for their commitment and sincere dedication to our College and the Ingham district.

Past Students / Parents and Staff:
Mrs Annette Cope is leaving the district and we are having a farewell dinner.
Hinchinbrook Hotel
Sunday 20 March
6pm
Approximately $25.00 per meal
Please contact GSM with numbers by Friday 3pm - 47762888

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Academic Support will be offered for students after school MONDAY, TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY from 3:00-4:00pm.

Monday: Support will be available in the Library, senior Sciences in L1 and at the Trade Training Centre.
Tuesday: Support will be available in the Art Room for the Arts (Art, Creative Art, Drama etc).
Wednesday: Support will be available in the Library and the Indigenous Tutoring program will also continue.

Lunch time support is still available Monday – Friday in the Library.

Students can use this time to:

• Complete homework
• Work on assessment
• Gain subject specific tutoring

with up to 3 teachers from various faculties present for student support.

Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this very generous donation of precious teacher time.

Confraternity Pasta Drive

This year's Confraternity is once again holding their annual Pasta Drive. Please get your orders in fast.

School Fees

Ros Giuliano
Business Manager

Reminder: School Fees are now overdue.

School Social - Superheroes

P&F News

Our AGM and meeting on Wednesday 9 March was a great way to kick off the year. Thank you to the 13 people who attended.

The new committee for 2016 is:

President: Tammy Castles
Vice President: Sam Espe
Secretary: Jane Bortolanza
Treasurer: Michelle Mariani/ Rose Pedruzzi

Thank you to Tony's Foodland for their platter of food donated to the meeting- it was much appreciated.

Date Claimers:

1. GSM working Bee happening on Saturday 7 May 8am to 12 noon - refreshments for the workers will be provided
2. It is 9 weeks to our major school event - The Gilroy Gruelling Games. Saturday 21 May 2016

Discussion re: meeting time - meeting time will now be at 7pm

Our next P&F meeting is Wednesday 13th April 2016. Come and be a part of your child's school community.

Jane Bortolanza
Secretary
GSM P&F

Tuckshop Roster

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR 2016!!

Please note: The lunch times this year are as follows:

1st Lunch – 11:15am
2nd Lunch – 1:20pm finish 2:05pm
Start time is preferably 9:00am until when you are available.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you all again this year.
If there is any query in regards to this roster or you are unavailable please contact
Sandra Benedetto Home [4776 5321] Jodie Lino Home [4776 5718]

What's Happening in the Parish

(This stays in every fortnight)

High School Mission Trip 2016

In the September/October school holidays, St Patrick's Parish will again be sponsoring a Mission Trip for Year 11 and 12 students to the Philippines to work with the Missionaries of the Poor amongst the poorest of the poor in Naga City. There will be a meeting for those interested in participating on Wednesday Evening April 27 at 7.30pm in Mercy Hall.

Wanted

Wanted for Holy Week and Easter Ceremonies/Masses Holy Thursday—Readers, Special Ministers, Altar Servers, people to have their feet washed.

Easter Vigil—Readers, Special Ministers, Altar Servers.
Easter Sunday— Readers, Special Ministers, Altar Servers.

Upcoming Events

• Catholic Debutante Ball—Saturday 23 April
• Mission Trip Inquiry Night—Wednesday 27 April
• Relay for Life - 28/29 May

Father Damian McGrath
Parish Priest
Ingham Region Catholic Parishes

District News

Record Fair

Advertising with Schoolzine

Would you like to advertise in our new Schoolzine eNewsletter? Currently, Dion Guthrie the Advertising and Sales Manager is working diligently to source family friendly advertising sponsors. Schoolzine will then rebate quarterly 20% of revenue back to the school.

If you are interested in advertising either contact the school office or feel free to email Dion any questions, suggestions or advertising enquiries.

Dion Guthrie email: dion.guthrie@schoolzine.com.au
P 07 5450 2710 / MB 0416 890 824