21 June 2018

Newsletter Articles

Important Dates

Gilroy on the Go

Lexi’s Designs

This term, Yr 10 student Lexi Tessieri has been designing and creating aprons. These beautiful designs reflect Lexi's positive and bubbly personality. Here is a photo of Lexi showcasing her designs with Mrs Martin and Mrs Woolley.

Bell Shakespeare

Bell Shakespeare performed for the Yr 7 and 9 students recently, and the show was called Shakespeare is Dead.

Shakespeare is Dead is a funny, provocative and fast-paced rollercoaster ride through the world of William Shakespeare. The show sought to challenge negative, preconceived notions about the world’s most famous playwright. Featuring a buffet of famous plays, characters, key scenes, and soliloquies (read: speeches), the show tried to answer the Gen Z question – why are we still studying Shakespeare?

David Price

Missed Exams

Please be aware ALL YEAR LEVELS must supply a medical certificate to cover any missed exams throughout the year.

Visitor Sign and Out

All visitors and parents visiting the school for any reason, must sign in at the front office. Sign in on the iPad and the printer generates a sticker with your name and a number. When you leave the premises, return to the office and sign out with your unique number on your sticker.

Lost and Found

We have an accumulation of HATS, JUMPERS and LUNCH BOXES. If you have lost any of these items, please check out the lost and found basket at Student Reception. All items will be given to Vinnies at the end of Term.

PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL YOUR ITEMS HAVE NAMES ON THEM SO THAT THEY CAN BE RETURNED IF HANDED IN TO STUDENT RECEPTION.

Graduation 2018:

Dear Yr 11 Parents, Caregivers & Students,

It is a long-standing tradition that the Yr 12 Graduation is supported by the current Yr 11 students, Parents & Caregivers by assisting the P & F to run the bar.

Students will also require to be waiters on the night with support from Parents & Caregivers and to also perform other tasks.

This night is also an opportunity for you to observe what you will experience at your Graduation next year and may also give you ideas of things that you may like to include in yours.

Graduation this year is being held on the 16 November 2018 and more details will be given closer to this date.

Please lock this date into your calendars to assist in making the current Yr 12 students a night that they will remember

Needed: Graduation Bar Coordinator

As Graduation is just around the corner for our Yr 12’s, we are needing one or two people to coordinate the bar for the night 16 November 2018, please contact the school if you are able to run the bar.

Mulkadee

Mulkadee Tickets are now on sale.

Link to purchase tickets -

Link to the facebook page -

From the Acting Principal

Welcome to our final newsletter for Term 2. This is my last week in the role of Acting Principal with John Nuttall returning to his position in Week 11. This appointment has been a rewarding and enjoyable experience and one where I have learnt a lot as an administrator and as a leader of our very fine Gilroy education community.

As this newsletter goes to print, students will be in the middle of their Semester one exam block. I wish all students good luck with their studies. When we are studying for exams, I think no one puts it into perspective better than our Father Damian, who often reminds us that, “While God performs miracles, he doesn’t do magic tricks as far as studying for exams go.” Praying to God will help you to remember things that you have already studied, but if you’ve only studied the latest trending videos on Youtube, then you aren’t going to do too well. Work of any description is the key to any type of success. If we do nothing, we will no doubt get nothing. I like to look at exam study in the same way that the great Muhammad Ali looked at training. He said, “I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion”. I look forward to seeing many Gilroy champions being produced this semester.

Sometimes many students don’t understand why we have particular rules in place. I am sure that many of them think that we are just being cruel by enforcing the ones that we do. I often tell the story of the year 12’s of 2013 and how they thought because we didn’t enforce the most basic of rules, we didn’t care anymore. This was a big awakening for us as a staff, because it said that we needed to continue to do the right thing with regards to ensuring that student wellbeing was always at the forefront of our thinking. With the second instalment of NO PHONE WEDNESDAY having been just completed, students often wonder why we don’t let you them use mobile phones at school. Yes, we are all aware that they are an excellent piece of technology that now has many uses, including making a phone call to another person. However, I wonder if they are aware that

• Smart phones decrease social interaction among students
• They create issues around cyber safety
• They don’t allow us to have any down time from our screens
• They don’t encourage general courtesy and student engagement with the world around us

This is not from Wikipedia, this is actually researched and documented evidence. Dr Pasi Sahlberg the person most responsible for putting Finland at the top of education in the world said recently about Australia that since 2011 most teenagers carried smartphones in their pockets and, as a consequence, the time 12 to 16 year olds spend each day watching digital screens has exploded," He said that, " the consequences of screen time have affected students’ learning in schools, especially in reading, mathematics and science, subjects that all require concentration, attention, and perseverance to do well." As a school and as a society, we are so caught up in social media that it has consumed us with the need to connect and interact with others. As someone who has lived in both worlds of before and after smart phones, I will leave you with what the creator of Apple products, Steve Jobs said about smart phones and social media. "Your time on earth is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." I urge students to please not get trapped into being addicted to your phone. Your time on earth is limited, engage with your friends, enjoy what is around you and live the life you were meant to live.

On a final note, I would like to take this opportunity to remember the passing of a long-time friend of Gilroy Santa Maria College, Mr Andy Barra. Andy was associated with Gilroy for many years and is remembered for his many contributions to the College. On a personal note I would like to acknowledge his contribution in taking many Gilroy Confraternity and QISSN teams by bus to annual Rugby League and Netball carnivals throughout Queensland. As was customary in Andy’s everyday life, he always had a fantastic attitude towards our students and there was nothing that was ever too hard when it came to ensuring the players were happy and content. On behalf of the College I would like to extend my sincere condolences to his partner, Debbie and their families. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all at this very sad time.

God Bless
Peter Groundwater

From the Acting Assistant Principal
(Administration & Curriculum)

Hello everyone,

Term 2 Exams and Reports

I would like to congratulate students on their examination efforts this week. Students who are seriously committed, putting in the effort both in class and at home will always reap their just rewards.

“ There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.” —Michael Phelps

Along with some commendable results there will also be some students 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 afterschool 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 their subject teacher or myself.

Semester One Report Cards will be mailed home to parents in the school holidays. These reports will also be accessible on COMPASS, see link below to learn how to access your child’s Reports.

Term 3

Some year levels will be undertaking various alternate programs in Week 1 of next term. Please refer to the schedule below for more information.

OP students in Yrs 11 and 12 will also be having OP prediction interviews in the first few weeks of next term. All OP eligible students will receive an information letter outlining the procedure for this. All parents are invited and encouraged to attend these interviews if available. The information letter will ask parents to sign and return to the office as acknowledgement of parental awareness of the meeting. Both Mrs Nancy Douglas, Careers Advisor, and I conduct these interviews and they have proven to be invaluable in preparing students for further studies and in career planning.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about your child's academic progress please contact me and we can discuss this.

God Bless
Joan Devietti

From the Assistant Principal
(Religious Education)

Week 8 saw us off to Magnetic Island with our Yr 8 cohort, embarking on the ‘Friendship Retreat’. Over the three days, students were immersed in activities revolving around friendship makers and breakers, physical team building activities, trust walks and quality down-time focusing on being with our mates and enjoying their company. The student response to the whole experience was truly amazing and showed those present how well this year level works together at developing friendships and relationships. The highlight of the retreat is always the Mass held on Thursday night. Students prayerfully shared what they were grateful for in their lives as well as those who needed our prayers of hope and support.

Thank you to all our students for their excellent behaviour and the way they conducted themselves over the three days. Another thankyou goes to the teaching staff, Mr Barbagallo, Mrs Cianciullo, Miss Cerqui and Mr Giliberto for giving up their time to help and Father Damian for his continued role in the spiritual formation of our students.

We have been on the path to building youth involvement in our parish with the introduction of Youth Masses twice per term involving students from Gilroy and St Teresa’s College. This, overall, has gone from strength to strength. Last Sunday night’s Mass was wonderful, from Bible Trivia, pizzas and Mass, in the words of Sister Thao, we are nourished both physically and spiritually.

I would like to take this time to wish everyone a relaxing and happy holiday. For those of you who are travelling, stay safe and I look forward to seeing your smiling facing next term. This week’s prayer is dedicated to taking the time to rest and unwind.

God bless
Christine Timms

From the Acting Assistant Principal
(Pastoral Care)

One of the great qualities of Gilroy Santa Maria is the willingness of staff to give up their time and often their lunch breaks to help students. We are never short of volunteers or helpers when it comes to extra-curricular activities at school.

When you walk around at lunch or after school there is tutoring going on in the library or in other specialist rooms, for example; teachers helping students finish projects in the TTC. Being exam week students should be taking advantage of this to help with any last-minute study concerns or questions.

The various sports teams that are currently being organised, managed and coached with teachers donating their time not only during lunchtimes but afterschool as well to ensure students get the opportunity to compete.

Additional to our sports and academic, is our school debating and chess teams that quite often travel outside of Ingham and require time and support from teachers. The hard work is paying off for these students, with a quite successful season thus far.

Through the work I have done in this position I have come across a valuable resource that assists parents and students experiencing difficult issues such as bullying, anxiety, and communication and study concerns. The website provides different activities and videos aimed at supporting individuals and families, providing a quick and meaningful learning experiences

I would like to take the time to thank all the Teachers and School Officers involved in the Confraternity and QISSN teams this year. A lot of extra time and effort goes into these teams throughout the whole year as well as giving up their holidays to make these events happen. Good luck to all involved, we will be cheering you on from Ingham.

It’s been a long term and I’m sure everyone is looking forward to having a break and coming back fresh for Term 3. Enjoy your holidays and stay safe.

Blessings
Matthew Schrodter

From the Business Manager

Krispy Kremes will be available for collection from Monday 25 June from 3:00pm onwards from the Multi-Purpose Hall. If you have ordered any, can you please call into the school to collect them.

School fees are now overdue with reminder notices sent this week. Please contact the school so a payment plan can be arranged.

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

10 Tips for Improving Your Self-Esteem

In a nutshell, self-esteem is your opinion of yourself and your abilities. It can be high, low or somewhere in-between. While everyone occasionally has doubts about themselves, low self-esteem can leave you feeling insecure and unmotivated. You might be able to identify a few things that are affecting your opinion of yourself (maybe you’re being bullied, or you might be feeling lonely), or it could be a mystery. Either way, there are heaps of things you can do to improve your self-esteem.

1. Be nice to yourself

That little voice that tells you you’re killin’ it (or not) is way more powerful than you might think. Make an effort to be kind to yourself and, if you do slip up, try to challenge any negative thoughts. A good rule of thumb is to speak to yourself in the same way that you’d speak to your mates. This can be really hard at first, but practise makes perfect. If you want a few pointers, check out our tips for practising positive self-talk.

2. You do you

Comparing yourself to other people is a sure-fire way to start feeling crummy. Try to focus on your own goals and achievements, rather than measuring them against someone else’s. Nobody needs that kind of pressure!

3. Get movin’

Exercise is a great way to increase motivation, practise setting goals and build confidence. Breaking a sweat also cues the body to release endorphins, the feel-good hormones.

4. Nobody’s perfect

Always strive to be the best version of yourself, but it’s also important to accept that perfection is an unrealistic goal.

5. Remember that everyone makes mistakes

You’ve got to make mistakes in order to learn and grow, so try not to beat yourself up if you forget to hit CTRL+S on a super-important assignment. Everyone’s been there.

6. Focus on what you can change

It’s easy to get hung up on all the things that are out of your control, but it won’t achieve much. Instead, try to focus your energy on identifying the things that are within your control and seeing what you can do about them.

7. Do what makes you happy

If you spend time doing the things you enjoy, you’re more likely to think positively. Try to schedule in a little you-time every day. Whether that’s time spent reading, cooking or just conking out on the couch for a bit, if it makes you happy, make time for it.

8. Celebrate the small stuff

You got up on time this morning. Tick. You poached your eggs to perfection. Winning. Celebrating the small victories is a great way to build confidence and start feeling better about yourself.

9. Be a pal

Being helpful and considerate to other people will certainly boost their mood, but it’ll also make you feel pretty good about yourself.

10. Surround yourself with a supportive squad

Find people who make you feel good about yourself and avoid those who tend to trigger your negative thinking.

Academic Support

Indigenous Homework Support

Indigenous Homework Program/Tutoring is now finished for Term 2 and will resume week 3 of Term 3.

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 is any query regarding this roster or you are unavailable to attend, please contact Sandra Benedetto Home [4776 5321] Jodie Lino Home [4776 5718]

Winter Uniform

As the weather becomes cooler students often need to wear additional clothes. School Jumpers can be purchased through Duffys Mensland or Ingham Underages. Parents are asked to ensure names are clearly visible on all items of clothing, as it is easier to return an item which is clearly labelled.

1. Jackets / Jumpers
   Girls - Navy Cardigan with School Logo or Unisex Navy Spray Jacket with School Logo
   Boys - Unisex Navy Spray Jacket with School Logo

1. Track Suits / Track Pants
   Track suits / track pants are not part of the compulsory school uniform; however, students may wear a pair of plain blue / navy track pants when they are travelling to school on the cool mornings but must be removed once at school.
   NO other coloured pants or multi-coloured track pants are acceptable.

1. Beanies / Knit Hats
   These are not part of the school uniform and should not be worn.

What’s Happening in the Parish

Mass for Diamond Jubilee of Religious Profession of seven Sisters of Mercy:

Sisters Anita Ready, Marie Therese Langan, Mary Philomena Lowth, Regina O’Riordan, Josephine Martyn, Paul Mary Hindom and Nina Barra will celebrate their Diamond Jubilee of Religious Profession at a Mass on: Wednesday 27 June commencing at 10:00am at St Joseph’s Church Fryer Street, North Ward. You are welcome to join the Sisters of Mercy and the Jubilarians, at this Celebration Mass.

Please note that we will have a monster celebration for Sr Nina on the actual 60th anniversary of her profession on 8 December.

Father Damian McGrath
Parish Priest
Ingham Region Catholic Parishes

District News

Pop Up Boredom Busters Flyers for the Upcoming July School Holidays

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