27 April 2018

Newsletter Articles

Important Dates

Gilroy on the Go

GILROY WELCOMES EMIKO THEIN & MATTHEW SPINA

Emiko joins us from the sunny island country, Singapore, where she has taught high school English and Drama for four years. Born in Japan and raised in Myanmar (Burma) and Australia, Emiko has a keen interest in world cultures and languages. She will be with us for this term in the English Department while Mr Hill is on leave and Matthew a former student joins our Information Technology Team for term 2 & 3.

Anzac Day Commemoration

The Commemoration was held at Gilroy Santa Maria College and then the placing of the Australian Flags at the Ingham Cemetery by the Yr 12 Modern History students.

Gilroy on Show

Transition Day

INTERHOUSE CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS

Friday 20 April saw Rice, O’Meara and McAuley compete to be crowned the Interhouse cross country champions. Overall, Rice were victorious coming away with four of the five trophies.

Overall there were great individual performances with a special congratulation to the following age champions:

The top 6 athletes from each age group will travel to St Teresa's College Abergowrie on Wednesday 2 May to compete at the Interschool carnival. Those athletes selected must return their consent form to student reception by Friday 27 April.

SCHOOL BASED TRAINEES

CONGRATULATIONS to two of our students who have successfully signed up to School Based Traineeships: The girls will begin their traineeships this term.

Rachel Morelli (Sadleirs Pharmacy)

Emma Panzenbock (Ingham Early Learning Centre)

From the Principal

Dear Gilroy Santa Maria College Community

This week’s ANZAC commemorations said so much about our College and the wider Herbert River and Cardwell communities. The way everyone supported the various liturgies, ceremonies and marches was extremely impressive. It demonstrated a great spirit, one of appreciation, respect and reverence. We had over half our student population and many of our staff attend either one or more ceremonies in which we were represented at six different commemorations beginning at the Dawn Parade in Ingham and finishing at Cardwell. We also commemorated ANZAC day at school with a moving ceremony on Tuesday. Congratulations and thank you to Mrs Timms, Mrs Cianciullo, Mrs Squires for the important role they played and thanks also to our school leaders, senior history class and Yr 9 Link Project members for presenting such an informative, spiritual and respectful ceremony. It was attended by Government and RSL officials and I know they were very impressed by our commemoration.

This Saturday, it will be my pleasure to attend the Annual Catholic Debutante Ball. It will be a great night with twenty-nine debutants being presented to our community. Congratulations in advance to all the debutants and well done to everyone who has contributed to the organisation and the certain success of the evening.

Next Thursday 3 May, we conduct the first of five Yr 6 Transition Days in preparation for secondary schooling in 2019. All children throughout the Ingham district have been invited to attend these days and I’m confident they will enjoy the experience. Students will experience lessons in our great facilities, meet our teachers and generally become familiar with our school. We received great reviews to last year’s program with many parents sharing that it made the transition to secondary school this year very smooth. If you know of any families with current Yr 6 students encourage them to attend or contact the school for more details.

Our Yr 7 and 9 students are involved in the NAPLAN Testing in Week 5. Both year levels 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. The results of these tests are becoming increasingly important and I encourage students to give themselves the best chance of success by being well rested and prepared for these three days.

Also, in Week 5 on Thursday 17 May will be our Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews. They will be conducted between 3:10pm and 7:30pm. Booking times and instructions will be sent out next week.

We welcome new two staff members to our community this term. Firstly, Ms Emiko Thein joins us for this term in the English Department while Mr Hill is on leave. Also, we welcome back former student, Mr Matthew Spina who joins our Information Technology Team. Other staffing news includes Mr Bullock filling the role of Acting English Academic Leader for the term. Also, Ms Sharon Duffy is now the new Maths Academic Leader as Mrs Devietti is now filling the Assistant Principal Curriculum/Administration position.

Finally, congratulations to all students selected in the Gilroy Cross Country Team to compete at Abergowrie this Wednesday. We had a great Interhouse Cross Country last Friday and this team has been selected from that day. Thanks to our Sports Coordinator, Ms Meagan Castellaro for all her great work in organising these activities.

God Bless
John Nuttall

From the Acting Assistant Principal
(Administration & Curriculum)

Welcome back to everyone for Term 2. I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable break and are well rested for the very busy and long term ahead.

ANZAC DAY

One of the most important commemorations days of the year is ANZAC Day. On Tuesday we held our own commemoration, thank you to Christine Timms, Heidi Cianciullo and Amy Squires and the Yr 12 Modern History and the Yr 9 World War Link students for organising and presenting this remarkable tribute. Thank you also to Danielle Mastrippolito and her Food Technology classes for baking the scrumptious ANZAC biscuits that everyone enjoyed. As always, the commemoration was very well organised and served as an honourable dedication.

TERM 1 EXAMS

I would like to congratulate students on their examination efforts and results. Students have recorded their results in their school diary. It was an unsettling time with the flood interrupting the exams, but students showed serious commitment and responsibility throughout the exam block. As always, those students who are putting in the effort both in class and at home are reaping their just rewards and achieving great results. Along with some commendable results there were also some who need to reflect on their commitment to their academic studies. Students who are not achieving satisfactory results should be considering their options and reassessing their approach. Please take advantage of the extensive after school and lunchtime Academic Support offered by the college. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress, then please do not hesitate to contact myself or their subject teacher. Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews will be held in week 5 on Thursday 17 May. Please take advantage of this opportunity to discuss your child’s progress.

ASSESSMENT PLANNERS

Students are already well underway with coursework and assessment tasks for Term 2 and have been issued the Term 2 Assessment Planners which are also available on the website. Students will need to use these planners to carefully organise their study and homework time as the planners indicate a very busy term ahead.

NAPLAN TESTING - Yrs 7 & 9

Yrs 7 and 9 students will complete practice NAPLAN tests on Tuesday 1 May in preparation for the formal testing which will be in week 5 from Tuesday 15 May – Thursday 17 May. Students are required to bring 2B pencils, eraser, sharpener and a calculator. Students who are exempt from these Tests have already been notified and will have an alternate program during these times.

CAREERS DAY

Thank you to Mrs Douglas and Ms Spina who conducted an informative and useful Careers Day for Students who attend work placement. Please take advantage of the wealth of knowledge that these ladies can offer as they guide your students in the multitude of career pathways open to students.

Yr 6 TRANSITION PROGRAM

Next Thursday, Gilroy Santa Maria College will host Yr 6 students for their first of five transition days for secondary schooling at the college. This is exciting times and an excellent experience for life as a student at Gilroy.

God Bless
Joan Devietti

From the Assistant Principal
(Religious Education)

Welcome back to Term 2. I hope you had an enjoyable break with family and friends over Easter.

In this Year of Youth our parish, along with Sister Thao and our local catholic schools, has been working together to build Youth Ministry in Ingham, planning youth events and masses. We are also fortunate to have the Missionaries of God Lover Year of Youth Team in our diocese helping with retreats and ministry. They consist of three sisters, two brothers and five lay men and women whose aim is to encourage youth engagement, and the training and formation of young people. They are leading the next youth weekend ‘BREAK THROUGH YOUTH CAMP’ which will be held Friday evening 11 May and Saturday 12 May, ending with Youth Mass Saturday Night. All secondary students are welcome to attend. Details of the event are attached.

In the September/October school holidays St Patrick’s Parish will be sponsoring the Mission Trip to the Philippines, working alongside the Missionaries of the Poor in Manila and Naga City. An information night will be held on Thursday 3 May at 7:30pm in Mercy Hall. Any Yr 10, 11 and 12 students interested in going on the trip are invited to attend. There will be a presentation on what the trip involves, and all questions will be answered. It is a wonderful opportunity for our students and I will be glad to answer any questions or concerns before time if needed.

This week’s Gospel passage is from John 18:1-8, where Jesus teaches that he is the vine and that his disciples are the branches. In this passage, Jesus teaches his disciples that his relationship with them will not end after his death; he will remain with them always and through the Gift of the Holy Spirit Jesus enables them to continue the work of love and reconciliation that he began. As Catholics we continue his work by feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, sheltering the homeless, and giving to charity to help those in need. Through these actions we will continue to bear the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control to those in immediate need of our help and continue Jesus presence in the world today.

This week also marks the 100th year anniversary of the end of World War I and the celebration of ANZAC Day. Let us remember those who have served our country and those who continue to serve so that we may live our lives in peace and harmony.

God Bless
Christine Timms

From the Assistant Principal
(Pastoral Care)

Welcome back to all of our staff, students and parents for Term 2. I trust that everyone had an enjoyable and rewarding Easter break. In my last newsletter I discussed the radical idea of having a No Phone Wednesday. If you didn’t get a chance to read the article, I suggested that we could have a 24 hour period each month where we didn’t use our mobile phones in everyday life. To some of us it will be akin to losing one of our limbs, but for many of us (myself included) it will be a very challenging exercise to not reach into our pockets and have instant access to emails, news items, social media and, heaven forbid, Google!

While my initial thoughts around No Phone Wednesday were to raise awareness of our overreliance on our phones, another equally important and highly topical issue is that of Cyberbullying. The aspect of Cyberbullying has increased dramatically over the last ten years, and this can be directly attributed to the invention of the smart phone and the uptake of these items by our young. The skill set that is needed to safely and competently navigate the world of the smart phone is one that we as adults must recognise if our children are to survive the addictive, obsessive and unsafe behaviours that have been developed over time.

There are numerous educational programs that are currently being offered to schools in an effort to educate our students on the extreme dangers associated with Cyberbullying. We are in the process of determining which one of these programs will be of greatest benefit to our student population. It is not simply a matter of a one-off information session but needs to be an ongoing and constant dialogue that helps to change the culture of how young people interact over the Internet. The Esafety commission is a fantastic resource and this link takes you to some great posters that encourage students to report cyberbullying and explain how they can do it.

Some other very useful links are the, “Students wellbeing Hub”, “Bullying no way” and the “Bully Zero Foundation”. If you are concerned that there is Cyberbullying occurring in your situation, I would ask that you please make contact with the school so that we can address the best way forward to stop this negative interaction and build the resilience and self-esteem of all parties concerned.

No Phone Wednesday will have its first day on Wednesday the 9 of May, which is only a little over two weeks away. In the coming weeks I will be promoting a pledge page where you can include your name (and a maybe as small comment or support message) to be a part of Gilroy’s social challenge. Good Luck!!!

Finally, a big congratulations to Mrs Rita Martin for the ongoing commitment she has demonstrated towards the Peer Support Program. Recently, the school was honoured with a Peer Support Plaque for 10 plus years of commitment to Students Wellbeing. The Peer Support program has been a huge part of Gilroy for almost two decades and is a much-valued support structure for younger students entering our school in Yr 7. Mrs Martin, along with her many Yr 11 Peer Support Leaders, are to be commended for the way in which they have helped to make the entry into secondary school a much less daunting task for more than a thousand students throughout the last 20 years.

Blessings
Peter Groundwater

From the Business Manager

School fees where emailed earlier this week. If you have not received your fees yet, please contact the office as soon as possible. If you received your school fees by mail, it means we do not have your correct email in our system. Please contact the school to check your details.

There was an error in the first run of emails so there are some families that have received them twice (maybe 3 times!!). Apologies for this error.

Term 2 School Fees are due 25 May 2018

If you are paying by direct debit, please ensure you include the family code located on your statement.

If you have any outstanding, fees please contact the school. Please do not let them go into arrears. As always, if for any reason you are finding it difficult to pay school fees, please contact the Principal or myself to discuss the matter

BANK DETAILS are as follows:

WESTPAC Ingham
BSB - 034-187
Account Number – 145 925
Name – Gilroy Santa Maria College
Detail – (Family code from statement)

Ros Giuliano

Careers

Holiday Work Experience

We had a number of students that took the initiative to complete work experience during the holidays. Well done to Ben Pappin, Stevie Barrett, Riley Jensen, Lee Osmond and Lara Gusmeroli. I am sure they gained very valuable experience. If students would like to complete work experience on the holidays, please see Miss Spina to arrange.

“My work experience over the holidays went really well. I was able to gain some really valuable experience in both the consulting and surgical practices of ophthalmology as well as some really great advice on the medical application process for James Cook in Townsville.”

Lara Gusmeroli

CQ Uni visit

“During the holidays Alicia, Abbie and I visited CQUni and attended a paramedics session. We joined paramedic students who were two years into their degree. The day firstly involved sitting in on a tutorial where the students ran through questions on the board. The second half of the session was more of a practical and involved real life scenarios. This was the interesting part of the day because we not only got to see the scenarios, but we got to assist. We acted as a bystander who needed to assist a paramedic and with this got to perform CPR. From this we were able to gain valuable experience that helped guide us in deciding what we wish to do after school. It also taught us what university sessions were like and made the transition from high school to university less daunting.”

Jade Stevens

If any student is interested in this opportunity they need to see Miss Spina in the Careers room.

Yr 10 Work Experience

Yr 10 Work Experience forms are now due back. If your child needs help with contacting their choice of business or deciding on where they would like to go, then they need to see Miss Spina in the Careers room.

Yr 11 and 12 Work Placement

All students need to return their work placement forms for Term 2. If students require help deciding where they would like to go, please see Miss Spina in the Careers room. The first work placement day for Term 2 is Friday 27 April which is week 2.

Ashley Spina
Nancy Douglas

P&F News

Tuckshop News

VOLUNTEERS ARE ALWAYS NEEDED!!

Tuckshop Volunteers are only needed to work from 8:30am to 12:00pm

Please note: The lunch times are as follows:
1st Lunch – 11:15am – 11:40am
2nd Lunch – 1:20pm finish 2:05pm

If there are any queries in regard 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

High School Mission Trip 2018

In the September/October school holidays, St Patrick’s Parish will again be sponsoring a Mission Trip for Yrs 10, 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 Thursday May 3 at 7:30pm in Mercy Hall.

Upcoming Events

• Catholic Debutante Ball 28/4
• Lourdes Fete 12/5
• Relay for Life 26/5
• Feast St Anthony Bemerside 10/6

Father Damian McGrath
Parish Priest
Ingham Region Catholic Parishes

District News

Our Lady of Lourdes Fete

Tasman Turtle Picnic Day

The Hinchinbrook Shire Council are seeking students/volunteers for their Annual Tasman Turtle Picnic Day aged 15 Yrs and above.

Tasman Turtle Picnic Day is a FREE family fun day targeted at 5-13 Yr old children and their families or all to enjoy. Enjoy a day of adventure and discovery of art, culture, nature and knowledge with Tasman Turtle and his friends at our annual family Picnic day. The day is jam packed with activities, workshops, games, food and entertainment for you and your family.

Date - Saturday 19 May 2018
Time - 11AM – 4 PM
Where - TYTO Parklands and Amphitheatre
Wet Weather for the following weekend Saturday 26 May 2018

To make this event a success, TYTO is asking for assistance from volunteering on the day. Areas of volunteering could include;

• Assist setting up the event
• Manning the entranceway
• Information Stations
• Helping kids with craft
• Ensuring children stay away from the lagoons
• Water delivery to activity stations
• Handing out programs

We also ask if there is any Hospitality Students that would like to be involved in the cupcake decorating workshop, drama students that may be interested in performing acts, art students that would like to help create craft activities, hair braiding or face painting.

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