10 November 2016

Newsletter Articles

Important Dates

2016

Gilroy on the Go

Congratulations to All Award Winners 2016

GSM Orientation Day

Find your Future in Hinchinbrook – GSM Display

Please find a photo taken by Karalee Venturato on behalf of the Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce of our display.

The expo was called "Find your Future in Hinchinbrook" and was held at the Tyto Conference Centre.

Invitation to the Last Whole School Mass

From the Principal

Dear Gilroy Santa Maria College Community

Congratulations to all students who received awards at our Gilroy Awards Evening last Friday. It was a great night to recognise the efforts and achievements of our students and I hope everyone who attended enjoyed the evening. Our guest speaker was ex-student Ben Spina who told his story of overcoming many obstacles to achieve his NRL dream and play for the Cowboys. It was very inspirational as we heard how Ben had to overcome injury and selection setbacks to eventually earn his Cowboys contract. His message was simple and applicable to everyone, that being, if you want something bad enough then believe in yourself and work your heart out.

In fact this was the theme of the night, that as a school while we acknowledge excellence, we value hard work just as much if not more. It is why we have tried throughout this year to recognise the efforts of students and not just their results. We firmly believe that promoting a strong work ethic among our students is vital to their success at school but more importantly to their overall development as they move to adulthood. We believe it positively contributes to their self-confidence and resilience which ultimately equips them to better handle the challenges that life will present.

Recently, our 2017 Student Leaders were selected. The selection process was based on a written application, interview and ultimately the votes of their peers and staff. I was proud of our entire Yr 11 cohort as they took the process very seriously and we ultimately had over half the group apply for various college and house leadership positions. It was great to see so many students have a go and it's a great sign that so many feel they can put their hand up for positions without the fear of others might think. Again, like having a strong work ethic, I hope this characteristic of "having a go" and not fearing others permeates strongly throughout all of our students. Congratulations to all our student leaders for 2017, I'm confident they will do an excellent job.

This week our Yr 12 students begin their exam block which signals the end of their formal school lessons. We wish them all the best for their assessment and hope they enjoy the days leading up to their graduation next Friday 18 November. I thank their Coordinator Ms Debbie Greeff for the organisation of end of school events recently and for the days to come. I'd also like to thank the parents who have assisted in organising the Graduation night.

God Bless
John Nuttall

Captains: Michael De Leo Madeleine Hardy

Leaders: Captains: Michael De Leo, Madeleine Hardy, Vice Captains: Andrew Pallanza, Jessica Timms Prefects: Kiara La Rosa, Zoe Mina, Matthew Castles Rice House: Emma Castles, Harry Reinaudo McAuley House: Kayla Di Bella, Zane Liddle O'Meara House: Rosie Galletly, Luke Bona

From the Assistant Principal (Religious Education)

The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy called by Pope Francis will officially come to a close on the Feast of Christ the King on 26 November and with that the closing of the Doors of Mercy. It has been a remarkable year in which we have been called by Pope Francis to hear the pleas of those less fortunate, challenging us to be more merciful and take action to do what was needed to make a difference in the community and world around us. May the fire within our hearts to do what is right and just continue to burn brightly within us so we can continue to be Jesus' face in the world. We will be celebrating the closing of our Door of Mercy with the Yr 8 Mass today.

Next week will mark the end of the Yr 12 journey through secondary school and will mean the beginning of something new for those leaving. This milestone will also mark the end of many family's associations with Gilroy Santa Maria College. We will celebrate and give thanks for the many blessings each of the students and families have given us with the celebration of Mass on Thursday evening at St Patrick's Church at 7:00pm. The prayer for this week is for our departing students.

From the Acting Assistant Principal
(Administration & Curriculum)

Our annual Awards Night is always the pinnacle of the academic year. Once again it proved to be an excellent reflection and celebration of our school year with students being correctly rewarded for hard work and persistence. Congratulations and well done to all recipients.

Year 12 students have started their final exams and I trust that students understand the importance of these exams as the results can affect their current grades. Graduation will commence with a Mass on Thursday 17 November evening, followed by a College Assembly on Friday morning and the dinner on Friday evening. Year 12 will conclude their senior schooling with a special program run by Ms Debbie Greeff. Please support and encourage your child to attend this program in the correct uniform and frame of mind as this is an excellent way to end their senior schooling. It is an exciting time for the Year 12 cohort and I sincerely wish each of them the best in their future endeavours.

Graduating students are encouraged to also continue to use the expertise of our Careers Advisor, Nancy Douglas, with advice regarding preparations for interviews, entrance into university etc.

Congratulations to the Senior Art students who presented an extraordinary Art Show of their talents and works. It is always astounding to see the quality of their work which is a real credit to their teacher Mrs Miranda Pietrobon. This Friday, the Arts will celebrate their year with a Surreal "Alien Art's Banquet" Meal in the Drama Hall. I am very excited to join in on the fun this year.

Yr 11 students commence their exam block period on Friday 18 November with the Yrs 7-10 exams starting on Monday 21 November. The Term 4 Exam Time Table has been issued to all students; it is included in this Newsletter and available on our school webpage and is also available on the Student Intranet. Please remember that where a student is absent on the date of an exam for reasons of illness, a medical certificate must be submitted. Where the reason for the absence is other than medical, the student must have applied for exemption to me personally. Students who choose to be absent from an exam without permission or an acceptable reason will be awarded a N (no attempt) result for that exam.

I wish our students all the best as they prepare for their final exams for the year.

"Success doesn't just come and find you. You have to go out and get it." –Kushandwizdom

Joan Devietti

From the Assistant Principal (Pastoral Care)

Last Friday evening saw the Gilroy community gather to celebrate the achievements of our student body of 2016. The evening was a lovely occasion for all present, with the Meet and Greet at the start of the night providing a nice change to the normal run of the mill event that the College has previously put forward. A big thank you must go out to all of the students and staff who helped to transform the meet and greet occasion from an idea to a fully functioning event. We have already discussed ways to further improve on the event in 2017.

No doubt, the highlight of the evening was the presentation of awards to students who had excelled in their efforts throughout the year. While we can sometimes get caught up in how well the night looked as a spectacle, we should always remember that this night is a celebration of those who have worked hard to realise their true potential and beyond. The one message that should ring out loud and clear from this night is that you cannot succeed at anything if you don't work hard at something in a consistent manner. Even more so is the notion that anything achieved without an effort is something that you might place little value on anyway. Indeed, there is no greater feeling than getting to the end of a difficult project (or a subject) and knowing that while it was extremely hard, you gave your all, you finished the project (or subject) and actually had that satisfied feeling that you had accomplished something. That is the mindset that the College wants each and every student to have. That idea of working through a task or a difficult problem and not giving up or putting in a second rate effort. We all have the capacity to push ourselves to cultivate this mindset, just as we have the capacity to say it is too hard or "I couldn't be bothered". School is not all about working hard to achieve an award. School is about teaching us all that if we care enough about ourselves to try our best then reward will come in many ways, not the least, in the form of personal satisfaction and self-esteem at doing great work off the back of our own hard efforts.

Our speech from our guest speaker, Ben Spina exuded all of these qualities. His life so far is one that is immersed wholeheartedly with those excellent fighting qualities of working hard to achieve your dream. Along the way he has had numerous setbacks (like all of us), but determination and a strong work ethic have seen him achieve many things that others would have deemed impossible. In the end, Ben has proved to himself and to many others that we are only as good as the limitations that we place on our own abilities. As the year draws to a rapid close, I challenge all students to heed the wise words of Ben Spina and those of the Growth Mindset community and that is to, "Set high expectations, continue to work hard, learn from your mistakes, strengthen your weaknesses and be humble in your successes". I wish all of our students good luck in their coming exams.

Peter Groundwater

Certificate II in Electrotechnology

Certificate II in Electrotechnology was run again this year at Gilroy with Brian Staples from Careers Australia. Certificate II in Electrotechnology is an excellent introduction into many fields, including all electrical trades, refrigeration, electronic fields and auto-electrical. Many employers are using it as a prerequisite to entry into their organisations. Congratulations to Caleb McDonough, Austin Day, Baxter Howarth, Dominic Dametto, James Espe, Luke Bona, Luke Pappin and Mark Grasso for achieving this qualification!

Chantal Bullock
Vocational Education Leader / Technology Coordinator

Nowell's Year After GSM

In 2016 these are the things I have been doing since I left Gilroy Santa Maria College: I have been delivering the Ingham Picture Theatre Movie Flyers, volunteering at Damo's Workwear, Merv's Stationery and reading the newspaper to residents at Blue Haven.

In September I started working for Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce as an Administration Officer for 8 hours a week and NQ Employment have been supporting me. I have been enjoying working with them also.

During the year I have been going to swimming squad and Gym. I competed at the Mirani Swimming Carnival and won 2 gold medals, at the Herbert River Swimming Carnival I won 2 silver medals.

Also this year I have been going to Outing days these are the excursions I have been to Reef HQ Aquarium, Lucinda Beach, 10 Pin Bowling, Mungulla Station, swimming at the Ingham Pool and the Museum of Tropical Queensland.

Nowell Tento

Uniforms for 2017 - BLAZERS

Please order your blazers NOW (Year 11 and Year 12 only)– so that you can be ready for Photos and Induction Mass 2017.

New and second hand Blazers are available from the College Uniform Shop. New Blazers are $175.00 to $185.00 and second hand Blazers range from $50.00 to $110.00.

The College Uniform Shop is open by making an appointment with Sandra Benedetto by seeing her at the Tuckshop or ringing the school office.

At present, we have NO second hand uniforms; for second hand uniforms please see Tammy at Duffy Brothers.

For those who wish to sell their second hand blazers, they can be left at the office with your name, phone number and amount you would like for them, firmly attached to the blazer. Money will be paid once the blazer is sold.

Please Note:

• All second hand blazers must be 'Dry Cleaned' before handing them in to be sold.
• Only the new style Blazers will be sold. We no longer accept the older royal blue blazer to sell in the second hand shop.
• The second hand shop does NOT sell ties. These must be purchased from a local supplier.

College Uniform and Shoe Stockists:

Duffy Bros Mensland, Phone 4776 2146
Ingham Underagers, Phone 4776 3277
BossiBoots, Phone 4776 1636
Sports Power, Phone 4776 2929

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

Thursday 10 November: E Liesenberg
Friday 11 November: M Grasso
Monday 14 November: Helpers Needed
Tuesday 15 November: Helpers Needed
Wednesday 16 November: Samantha
Thursday 17 November: J Nowak
Friday 18 November: Helpers Needed
Monday 21 November: R Firth
Tuesday 22 November: Helpers Needed
Wednesday 23 November: Samantha
Thursday 24 November: J Morelli N Spina

VOLUNTEERS ARE ALWAYS NEEDED!!

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

1st Lunch – 11:15am – 11:40am
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]

NDIS Information

Students with a disability may be eligible for support under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). My NDIS Pathway information is available at the Office for collection.

The following information for students with a disability and their families includes:

• how to access the NDIS,
• getting ready for your planning conversation, and
• developing your first plan.

What's Happening in the Parish

Father Damian McGrath
Parish Priest
Ingham Region Catholic Parishes

Charity Golf Day

The 3rd Annual Fun Charity Golf Day is on Sunday 4 December 2016 at the Ingham Golf Course. All funds raised will be directly paid to the Missionaries of the Poor in Naga City so that the Brothers may continue to serve the poor and inspire everyday people like our recently returned Year 11 and 12 students. All donations of cash or prizes will be greatly appreciated. Why not enter a team and come along to enjoy a great day whilst also helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Contact Jim Busuttin on 0417 779 932 or Darren Firth on 0419 649 008 for more information.

End of School Year Events

• GSM End of Year Mass 16 Nov 8.30am (at Gilroy)
• Gilroy Santa Maria Grad Mass 17 Nov 7.00pm
• Abergowrie College Grad Mass 18 Nov 1.00pm
• Abergowrie Parish End of Year Mass 19 Nov 5.30pm
• St Peter's End of Year Mass 28 Nov 6.00pm
• Saint Mary Mackillop Kindergarten Farewell Liturgy 29 Nov 6.00pm
• Lourdes Year Six Farewell Mass 30 Nov 6.00pm
• Lourdes End of Year Mass 2 Dec 9.00am

District News

Farewell Mr Ham & Mrs Davis

Advertising with Schoolzine

Would you like to advertise in our new Schoolzine eNewsletter? Currently, Schoolzine is working diligently to source family friendly advertising sponsors and 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 Schoolzine any questions, suggestions or advertising enquiries.

Email: advertising@schoolzine.com.au
Phone: 07 5414 2361