5 May 2016

Newsletter Articles

Important Dates

2016

Gilroy on the Go

Happy Mother’s Day

Battle of the Coral Sea – Cardwell

Students from Gilroy participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea Memorial at Cardwell on the weekend.

Football News

2016 North Queensland Futsal Competition

This year, we saw a huge increase in student interest for the NQ Futsal Competition, which was held in Townsville. Boys and girls from Year 7 to 12 competed in their respective age groups against teams from Townsville in the 5 a-side indoor football competition.

Teams of very enthusiastic students travelled to Townsville on Tuesday 19 April, Thursday 21 April and Friday 22 April and reports from each day were positive. All of the students should be congratulated on their efforts for the day, both on the playing court and off. The following students should also be commended on their selection into the 2016 NQ Futsal team:

• Bailey Barbi
• Nicholas Stokes
• Nashe Mangoyama
• Hayden Cavallaro
• Alex Tanase
• Harrison Reinaudo

A special thank you goes to Mr Dezolt, Mr Spina and Mr Schrodter for taking time out of their days to travel with the students and supervise.

Monique Martino

Bus Fare Assistance Program

Semester 1, 2016 online applications for the Bus Fare Assistance Program and the Students with Disabilities Scheme will be accepted online from 1st May until 31st May 2016.

Bus Fare Assistance Program Eligibility:

The family must spend more than a weekly threshold of $33.00 per family or $25.00 per concession family (for those who hold a current Health Care, Pensioner or Veterans Affairs Pensioner card) and live more than 3.2 kilometers from school. See the website for more information.

Students with Disabilities Scheme Eligibility:

See the website for criteria.

Applications must be submitted online DURING THE before the end of May. Please visit the website at www.schooltransport.com.au for more information. Click on the BUS FARE ASSISTANCE box and follow the prompts to access the online application form.

Please contact the school office if you require any assistance.

Debating

‘Should School Hours Be Extended to 5 pm’ – Year 7 / 8 Debating

After a short two weeks of rehearsing and writing, Gilroy’s Year 7 / 8 Debating Team will be travelling to Townsville on Wednesday evening to argue with St Ignatius Park College. This is the first round debate in the Townsville Inter-School Debating Competition.

The topic is a simple one: “Should School Hours Be Extended to 5 pm”. Gilroy will be arguing the negative that school should not be extended to 5 pm.

It will not be an easy debate. Although the three team members have been meeting on Saturdays and during lunch, it is their first foray into public speaking. According to one member of the team, “I’m not sure if we can win this, but at least we have the better side of the argument.”

The Gilroy team is a mixed Year 7 / 8 team. It is comprised of one Year 7, William Price, and two Year 8’s, James Hunter and Alicia Galipo.

If the team win their two debates they will progress to the semi-finals at the end of Term 3.

Pictured: Alicia & William (James missing from photo)

David Price

Relay for Life – Car Wash

Gilroy on Show

Gruelling Games

SAVE THE DATE:

Get your teams ready.

Register on line now!!!

From the Principal

Dear Gilroy Santa Maria College Community

Last Thursday we hosted our first 2017 Yr 7 Transition Day for the year. We invited all the current Yr 6 students in our district from Catholic and State schools to come and experience new learning activities and use our great facilities. We had over sixty students sign up for the morning and we received some great feedback from the students and their parents. The Transition Days will continue for another five sessions every fortnight on Thursday mornings.

It’s only two weeks away from our “Gilroy on Show” Open Night on Thursday 19 May from 3:30pm to 6:30pm. I can’t stress enough that this evening is for everyone in our community. It’s for our own families past and present as much as it is might be for new families. So to all our families please spare a couple hours on the evening to come along, you’ll be entertained, dinner will be provided and maybe you could bring along a friend or relative for a chance to see the great facilities we have as well as the tremendous programs that we offer.

The Saturday before last, I was pleased to attend the Annual Catholic Debutante Ball. It was a great night and it was obvious that much effort had been made by many people within our community. All the girls and who made their debut looked beautiful and their partners looked equally as handsome. Congratulations to all the debutants and thanks very much to everyone who contributed to the success of the evening.

Our Yrs 7 and 9 students are involved in the NAPLAN Testing next week. Both grades will be joining the rest of the country in completing Literacy and Numeracy tasks. Results from the testing will provide reports that identify areas of success and areas that might need improvement both at an individualised and whole school level.

Another big event coming up is our GSM Gruelling Games on Saturday 21 May. This is our P&F’s major fundraising event so please come along to support the day as either a spectator or a participant. There are many different categories to suit all levels of fitness and some great prizes to be awarded and I’m told there are many nominations already from our local community. Our P&F will be holding a Working Bee this Saturday morning in preparation for our Gilroy on Show and Gruelling Games. The main task at the Working Bee will be to tidy up our courtyard area including pressure hosing all the paved and concreted areas. Lunch and drinks will be provided and it will be great to see many of community assisting.

Finally, thank you to everyone who attended the various Anzac Day Ceremonies last week. We had half our student population attend either one or more ceremonies which I think is a great show of respect for this important day in our nation’s calendar.

God Bless
John Nuttall

From the Assistant Principal
(Religious Education)

In the last newsletter I was on Year 12 Retreat. It was such a pleasure to be a part of this wonderful experience, to watch our students immerse themselves in the activities and discussions and grow together as a group. They were wonderful ambassadors for our school and they are to be complimented on the support and encouragement they showed on another during the retreat. Thank you to Mrs Martin, Ms Dunn, Mr Groundwater and Mr Nuttall for accompanying the students and facilitating the group discussions. Finally, a special thank you to Father Damian, who took time out of his very busy schedule to spend the whole retreat with us. His praise of the students and staff was very appreciated.

Gilroy have nominated two Year 12 teams for this year’s ‘Relay for Life’ event. Students are holding a ‘Car Wash’ on Saturday morning, May 14, at Duffy’s Auto Electrical to raise money for this very worthwhile cause which has touched many in our school community recently. The cost is $10 per car and we would love to be run off our feet.

This weekend we have the opportunity to show our wonderful mums just how much we love them. As we get older we learn to truly appreciate our mothers and the wonderful and tireless work they do or have done for us. Our children, as teenagers, might not have a true appreciation of their mothers at this point in time, however, I have heard from a very reliable source that eventually they will return to normal and love us even more.

To all of our mothers and grandmothers, Happy Mother’s Day. May you have a relaxing day this Sunday filled with lots of kisses and hugs.

A Prayer for all Mothers

Thank you, Lord, that you fill a mother’s heart with love,
That you have instilled in her very being the need to protect her children if at all possible,
Thank you for giving her the gift of nurturing her children, of teaching them, of comforting them,
for feeding them and making a safe place for them.
For guiding them to be all that God has created them to be.
Fill every mother with love, wisdom and endurance,
with strength and patience and joy.
Give them ability to forgive again and again.
Enable her to rely on You and call upon You, because You will give her all she needs.
In Your precious and all powerful name
Amen

God bless
Christine Timms

From the Acting Assistant Principal
(Administration & Curriculum)

Students are well underway with course work and assessment tasks for Term 2. Hard copies of the assessment planner have been distributed and students should be well aware of their commitments this term. Now that all senior students have been interviewed by myself and Careers Advisor Mrs Nancy Douglas, these students should be well into their studies.

Parent/Student/Teacher interviews are on Thursday 26 May of this term from 3:10pm – 7:30pm. Information and instructions on how to book these interviews will be sent home and the student online booking systems (SOBS) will be available for booking times from Tuesday 10 May. I would encourage all parents to take advantage of this opportunity to meet teachers and find out more information about how their child is progressing. If you are having any trouble with the student online booking systems (SOBS) then please do not hesitate to contact the Student Reception.

NAPLAN testing is being conducted next week for Years 7 and 9 students. All students have completed practice tests for this and have been undergoing continual work to ensure they are prepared for this national testing. The test will be conducted in the Function Room. Testing will be held on Tuesday 10 May – Thursday 12 May in the mornings.

Last week saw the district’s Year 6 students experience either: a Science, Food Technology or Design Technology lesson in the first week of our Transition Program. The program will continue for another 5 sessions. Students thoroughly enjoyed their first session and the eager to return to trial the next session. Should you be aware of any student who would like to experience Gilroy Santa Maria College but missed the first session, please assure them they are most welcome and to call the college for the dates.

Coming up this term on Thursday 19 May is our ‘Gilroy on Show’ evening from 3:30pm – 6:30pm. This opportunity to see the College is extended to all our Gilroy families past, present and future. Everyone is welcome to witness the great educational opportunities occurring in our College every day. I hope to see you all there.

Joan Devietti

From the Assistant Principal
(Pastoral Care)

During Week 2, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the annual Year 12 Retreat at Genezzano on the foreshores of Lake Tinaroo. This camp is so far removed from the outdoor experience that Mr Schrodter offers in Year 9, yet it is a similar opportunity for students to grow and learn about themselves in a totally foreign environment. This retreat is run by the “Passionists”, a group of young adults who are very mindful of the circumstances and challenges that teenagers are experiencing at this stage of their lives. While it all sounds very deep and meaningful, it is also an extremely fun camp to be involved in and a place where we can learn new sayings such as, “this is for realsies” and “we got dis”… you had to be there. A big thank you must go to Mrs Christine Timms and Mrs Debbie Greeff for all of their ongoing organisation and to Father Damian for making himself available to share a fantastic three days with students and staff.

This week we are very fortunate to have Mr Luke McKenna from “Unleashing Personal Potential” at our school. As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, Luke deals with matters relating to having a Growth Mindset. Luke and his assistant will be providing dynamic sessions with our Year 7’s on Wednesday and our Year 10’s on Thursday. From our personal staff experiences with Luke earlier in the year, students will be engaged in a dynamic and meaningful day that is sure to promote a positive future outlook for all students involved. Please support these days by ensuring that your child is encouraged to attend.

On Friday 13 May will see the staging of our very first, “Skate, Movie & Handball Night”. This night is offered for all students in Years 7 to 9; with Year 6 transition students also extended an invitation. The night will commence in the MPH at 6:00pm with skating and handball competitions being held and some great prizes on offer. A sausage sizzle will be run by the Relay for Life team. The evening will finish at 9:30pm at the conclusion of the movie. So dig out those skates, grab yourself a pillow and blanket and make sure you don’t miss out on what is sure to be a fun and enjoyable evening.

Peter Groundwater

GSM HOUSE CUP 2016

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT

Congratulations to four of our Business Management students who participated in Event Management work experience for the Herbert River Cricket Association’s over 40T20 Challenge that was held over the weekend of the 29 April – 1 May. In the lead up to this event, Kiara La Rosa, Matthew Castles, Michael De Leo and Jessica Timms participated in preparing a budget for the weekend that included consideration of many facets including sponsorships, anticipated ticket sales and general costs of running the event. They were also involved in the design for the layout of the hall and entrance for the Friday night Meet and Greet event, along with assisting in entrance and raffle ticket sales. This was a great opportunity for these students to obtain skills and knowledge in the Event Management field and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Chantal Bullock

CAREERS

Planning is well underway now for the Year 11 work experience week, occurring from Monday 11 July to Friday 15 July. The majority of forms have been submitted and if you still have one at home, can you please send it in so we can confirm your arranged placement and organise agreements?

Students have chosen a variety of occupations to find out more about, from education to health, engineering to finance, and we hope that all students will learn gain considerable amounts of real world knowledge through their participation.

If you have any questions, or are having difficulty securing a work experience placement, please email me at ndouglas1@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au or call the College on 4776 2888.

Traineeships

Best wishes,
Nancy Douglas

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

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

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

Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School Fete - Saturday, 7 May, 2016

Come along to our Mother's Day weekend fete! All the usual wonderful food, stalls and entertainment. Come along for a great night of fun and entertainment for all the family! Read all about on the flyer in your newsletter!

Relay for Life Fundraising Dinner 14 May

St Patrick’s Angels, our Relay for Life team, will be hosting a fundraising dinner on Saturday 14 May after the 6.00pm Mass. Tickets $17-50 pp adults and children over 12yrs of age, under 12 $10 pp. This includes Crumbed Steak/Chicken, Fettucine, Salads, Tea/Coffee and home baked biscuits. Entertainment by Tony Fracchia, raffles and fun guaranteed. BYO cold drinks. Tickets are available from the Parish Office.

Relay for Life

Taxable donations can be made online if anyone wishes to donate more to support our Team. Ingham Relay for Life 2016 - Click on St Patrick's Angels under "Top Teams" and click donate. We are still looking for participants to join our jolly Team. Staying all night is not a requirement. If interested please contact Giovanna Melvin 47763574 and leave a message.

Fundraising raffle for the Abergowrie Boys going on Mission Trip

As part of the fundraising efforts, the boys will be selling tickets in their Monster Chocolate raffle after Mass in Ingham next weekend. Please come prepared to purchase a ticket and support these young men. Raffle will be drawn on 13 May.

Fiji Appeal - Nabukadra Village

Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Winston, the biggest ever cyclone to hit the Southern Hemisphere ravaged the tiny island nation of Fiji in February of this year. One of the worst hit areas was Nabukadra Village in the Nakorotubu District in the Province of Ra. This area has been declared Ground Zero by the nation's government due to the severe damage it sustained. 30 houses were destroyed and families are currently displaced living in tents and on food rations and donations. Ben Turagabeci is a Resident Coordinator at St Teresa's College, Abergowrie and hails from the village of Nabukadra. He and his wife Merelita have been working on raising money to send a shipping container over to Nabukadra to restore what little possessions the villagers owned. They are asking for donations of money, non-perishable foods, kitchenware, clothing, beddings etc. Donations of money are able to be deposited in the following account: Westpac; Acc. Name: Fiji Appeal - Nabukadra Village; BSB: 034187; ACC. NO.: 259607 There will be boxes placed in each church to receive your donation of any of the above items (not money).

Upcoming Events

• May Crowning of Our Lady—Sunday 1 May, 8.30am Mass, Ingham
• Confirmations—16 & 17 May
• Relay for Life — 28/29 May
• Corpus Christi Procession, St Patrick’s —29 May
• St Anthony’s Feast Day Celebrations —12 June
• Walkathon for Missionaries of the Poor—17 July

Father Damian McGrath
Parish Priest
Ingham Region Catholic Parishes

District News

Gamers Day

Twilight Concert

Hair & Fashion Show

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