8 March 2019

Newsletter Articles

Important Dates

Gilroy on the Go

Transition Dates

Lions Youth of The Year

Ash Wednesday

World Day of Prayer

From Gamers@Gilroy

On Saturday 2 March, the first Gamers’ night for 2019 was held in the Function Room.

Twenty-five keen gamers gathered their gear and met for an evening of both retro and recent games on consoles ranging from Sean Moloney’s high-end gaming PC, Kubby’s Nintendo 64, a plethora of X-Box 1’s an X-Box 360, a Nintendo Switch and a few PS4’s.

Mario Party and Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64 was a favourite among some of the older gamers while the original Call of Duty was still popular on those who brought their PC’s. Joe Exelby deserves a mention as the best player of COD on the night. It was good to see some new faces and some more girls getting involved as well. By all accounts, everyone had an enjoyable evening.

Gamers@Gilroy is certainly helping the local economy, especially Domino’s Pizza, who provided gamers with around 15 pizzas on the night. Gamers’ evenings are usually held in week 5 of each term, just before assessment begins. If you are interested in joining next term, be sure to listen to notices in homeroom.

Michael Matthews

Principal

Dear Gilroy Santa Maria College Community

Last week I attended the Yr 7 Camp at the Echo Creek Adventure Centre south-west of Tully. It is located in beautiful country and previously formed part of the vast King Ranch property which was one of Australia’s largest cattle empires in the 60’ and 70’s. Our students and staff enjoyed their comfortable camping conditions and completed many challenging activities. They abseiled, rock climbed, made rafts and conquered the obstacle course. All the time working in teams, cooperating and importantly getting to know each other. In Yr 7, we have so many students coming from many different schools, so on this camp there is a focus on children making new friends and interacting with different classmates. From my observation this goal was achieved, and the students were terrific, I was proud of them as I was the staff members who led them.

Last Monday we eventually were able to conduct our Interhouse Swimming Carnival. The level of participation in most events was terrific and it was obvious that everyone enjoyed the day. Congratulations to our student leaders who did a great job encouraging their respective teams, their efforts were noticed by many and they set the tone for a colourful and spirited day. A big thank you to Mrs Cerutti for organising a wonderful carnival and to all the staff who helped on the day. Well done to the Rice House who were again the victors, they again take the lead in our yearlong house competition, the GSM Cup. We also had many great individual performances with twelve school records being broken. One record had been held since 1975. Congratulations to all the students who will be selected for our Gilroy Swimming Team and will compete at the Twilight Interschool Carnival next Wednesday 13 March.

On Tuesday evening I attended the Lions Youth of the Year competition. We had three young ladies enter the competition, they were Mary Galletly, Eliza Carr and Ava Stanford. As contestants in the competition, the students had to complete an application form stating their achievements and goals for the future. They attended an interview last Saturday and then on Tuesday evening presented a five-minute speech plus had to respond to two impromptu questions. It was a terrific experience for them, and they were all a credit to themselves and great ambassadors for our college. Congratulations to Ava Stanford who was judged the winner and to Eliza Carr who took out the public speaking prize. Ava will now move to the next stage of the competition to be held in Tully. We wish her the best.

This week we celebrated Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent, a time for reflection and self-sacrifice. Our school community came together for a liturgy and we welcomed Fr Mobin to our Gilroy community. Fr Mobin is a new priest to our parish and will be assisting Fr Damian with his ministry. I’m sure he will become a familiar face within our school.

God Bless
John Nuttall

From the Acting Assistant Principal
(Administration & Curriculum)

Life at Gilroy Santa Maria College is always very busy. We have held the Swimming Carnival, Induction Mass, some sporting trials and 2 year level Camps despite a rocky start to the year.

Thank you to those who attended the Study and Assessment Information Evening. I hope you found the evening useful and informative. If anyone would like to see the presentation, please contact the front office and it can be emailed to you. Also, available from Student Reception for $5 each are Success Companion Booklets. This may be a useful learning tool for students on how to study.

OP Interviews

Nancy Douglas and I conducted Yr 12 OP Interviews last week. All students are progressing well and are thinking about their futures beyond Gilroy. Students will need to continue to explore the QTAC website, think about different career pathways, prepare a resume and more. Mrs Nancy Douglas, our Career Advisor, is always willing to help and guide students if further assistance is required.

OP Intensive Training Day

Mr Matthew Rigby is a Literacy coach from Go Grammar Consulting Brisbane and is consulted by several secondary schools to assist them in their QCS preparation. Our OP-eligible students missed the previously scheduled training course in week 1 due to flooding, so this will now be held on Friday 5 April 2019 which is a normal school day. All Year 12 OP Eligible students are required to attend this course in the function room at Gilroy Santa Maria College.

Following this intensive training, students will participate in practice QCS tests throughout the year in preparation for the formal test.

DRAFTS

Parents often become confused on the level of teacher input that is allowed when students submit drafts. The following is from the QCAA Academic Integrity Course which outlines clearly the rules for all teachers. I hope you find this important information useful.

• Teachers can provide feedback on a maximum of one draft of each student’s response.
• Providing feedback is a consultative process, not a marking process. Teachers should not allocate a result for the draft student response.
• Feedback on a draft must not compromise the authenticity of student work.
• Teacher may not introduce new ideas, language or research to improve the quality of student responses.
• Teacher may indicate some key errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and calculations, and remind students that the draft requires more editing, but should not edit or correct all errors in a draft.

Also Teachers may use a range of suitable strategies to provide feedback on the draft response. Possible strategies include:

• Written feedback
• Verbal feedback
• Feedback provided through questioning
• A summary of feedback and advice to the whole class.

Reporting

Please be advised of the following dates in relation to student reporting

• Term 1 – No reports issued
• Term 2 - Interim Reports 7 May 2019 followed by Parent/ Teacher/Student Interviews Thursday 23 May 2019
• Term 3 - Semester 1 REPORT (early term 3 - July)
• Term 4 - Semester 2 REPORT (end term 4 - December)

Term 1 Assessment and Exams

As we are now nearing towards the end of Term 1, students are well underway with assessments. Term 1 exams will commence on Monday 1 April for most students, however, students in year 11 have exams from next week (week 7). All year 11 and 12 students and parents have been emailed with the exam timetable.

Senior students have been made aware that there will be no block exams. As such all students will be expected to be at school until 3pm Friday 5 April. Teaching and learning will continue. This is vital in all grades especially with the loss of time at the beginning of this term. The New QCE System also demands that every available teaching and learning minute is necessary. I ask parents and carers to please endeavour to have students at school each and every school day as teaching must and does continue after assessment is completed.

The exam timetable will be available on COMPASS from next week for all students. Students will be shown in homerooms how to access their exam timetable schedule on COMPASS. Parents can also view their child’s exam schedule on COMPASS. In the student’s timetable, exams are displayed in green and show all details. Students will also have entered their exams into their diaries. If there are any concerns with accessing this information on COMPASS then please seek assistance from the homeroom teachers, student reception or Colin Valinoti from the IT department.

New QCE System

QCAA have a section on their website specifically for Parents and Student of year 11 and 10 students.

QCAA have also compiled important resources specifically for students who are studying General subjects e.g. Biology, General Mathematics, Modern History. These resource include sample assessments. Please take the time to investigate the resources available. They can be accessed via the link below.

NAPLAN

Students in year 7 and 9 will be required to complete NAPLAN Testing in Term 2. This will be held from 14 -17 May throughout Australia. Please use the link below for further information.

God Bless
Joan Devietti

From the Assistant Principal
(Religious Education)

It is always a privilege to be invited to participate in World Day of Prayer. This year’s prayer service was for the women of Slovenia and the challenges they face in their daily lives. The theme was ‘Come – Everything is Ready’ taken from the Gospel of Luke 14:15-24. It was a reminder to us of God’s generous mercy for us all and the call for us to be the people who invite and welcome all into the community. I would like to thank everyone from St Patrick’s Church who were involved in the preparation of the beautiful service and lovely morning tea. There are a few photos attached of the school representatives from Gilroy, St Teresa’s and Ingham High.

Our school community welcomed Father Mobin with the celebration of the Ash Wednesday Liturgy. This was the first time Father has celebrated with us and we look forward to his continual involvement at our school.

Last Sunday 3 March, I took Mary Galletly and Ethan Hillyard to Townsville for the Youth Commissioning Mass. During mass Bishop Tim blessed student leaders representing catholic schools from the diocese, the YCS organisation and other Youth Ministry groups in Townsville. In the Bishop’s homily he spoke about the Church and how young people today need to take up the role of spreading the Gospel and continuing the mission of Jesus in the world. It was a powerful message for those attending and one that I hope will inspire this generation to be God’s presence today and in the future.

This Sunday 10 March is our first combined Youth Mass for 2019, it will be held at St Patrick’s Church at 7:00pm. As usual we will have our combined school’s choir and band ready to lead us in song. Please join us in this celebration of the Eucharist and the youth in our community.

Ash Wednesday marks the Beginning of Lent. Lent invites us to clean up our lives, throw out the rubbish and reclaim the spirit within that appreciates being alive, it offers us an invaluable opportunity to renew our love for one another, our family, our friends and our neighbours. The three traditional ways of preparation during Lent are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. They are very practical ways to challenge ourselves to a closer following of Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to become really new and alive people at Easter.

I leave you today with a prayer for Lent.

God Bless
Christine Timms

From the Acting Assistant Principal
(Pastoral Care)

Wow, what a busy start to the year! In the last couple of weeks alone, we have had class Masses, Yr 7 Camp, Art Camp, Vinnies Club, Herbert River Sport Trials and the Interhouse Swimming Carnival. So with all these extra-curricular activities going on, why get involved?

Some students worry that participating in extracurricular may take too much time from their studies; however this is not the case. Studies show that participating in such events can actually improve your academic performance as well as your overall outlook on life! Some other benefits of meaningful extracurricular activities include, increasing self-esteem, making new friends and learning life skills such as public speaking, goal setting, time management, teamwork and leadership. They can also help with employment opportunities and look great on a resume. So the question I ask is not, why get involved, but rather, why not?

Speaking of extra-curricular activities, I would like to congratulate the Student Representative Council (SRC) members. Every homeroom from Yrs 7 - 11 has selected one representative who will act as a voice, conveying ideas, concerns and questions back to the SRC at regular meetings. Our first meeting was held last Thursday where we set goals and brainstormed ideas for 2019. Once again, congratulations to the following members:

Brady Catalano & Ewan Duffy (Yr 7); Bonnie Molloy, Michael Russo & Alvin George (Yr 8); Katie Groundwater & Hayden Girgenti (Yr 9); Lauren Watt & Paige Girgenti (Yr 10); Allanis Melvin & Alicia Galipo (Yr 11).

Blessings
Karen Lahtinen

From the Business Manager

School fees are due on 22 March 2019.

The Diocesan Levy of $5 is also payable Term 1 and Term 3 please do not forget to include this amount in your payments.

Discount amounts are as follows:

A 3% discount is applicable if you pay the term fee by the due date. The amounts are as follows.

• One Child - $25.60
• Two Children - $44.75
• Three or more Children - $59.25

There is also a 5% discount on fees if you pay the full year fees by the due date. Amounts are as follows:

• One Child - $170.65
• Two Children - $298.40
• Three or more Children - $395

This discount is only on the Tuition fee not the subject levies.

There are a number of ways to pay for school fees, either weekly, fortnightly, monthly or by term. There are also a number of ways to pay, direct debit, credit card, cash or cheque. If paying by direct debit please do not forget to enter your Family Code (found on your School fee Statement). If you have paid without entering a family code, please contact the school to verify payment.

BANK DETAILS are as follows:

WESTPAC Ingham
BSB - 034-187
Account Number – 145 925
Name – Gilroy Santa Maria College

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. The sooner you make contact the sooner we can work together for a solution.

Ros Giuliano

Careers

FINDING THE BALANCE - Study (Diary Page 108)

Now and then you might get the feeling of falling into a giant, black hole of study commitments. Finding a balance between study and relaxation is not only important for your state of mind, but also for the quality of your study, as it will lessen your chances of feeling overwhelmed.

Making time to spend with friends and keeping up with sport or music during exam time will actually help you focus and improve your memory because you’ll be less stressed and you brain will have had a rest.

Having said that, if you think you are over-committed, you should talk to a parent, teacher or other mentor and work on ways to incorporate some down time into your schedule.

MOTIVATION (Diary Page 118)

Motivation allows you to take action to achieve your goals. It is a combination of your beliefs, desires and values.

If you place great importance and value on something, you are more likely to be motivated to achieve it.

Please see Page 118 of the Student Diary for further information on how to achieve success in three simple steps:

1. Recognise your beliefs, desires and values
2. List your strengths and weaknesses
3. Establish goals based on your desires, taking into account your strengths and weaknesses

JOB OUTLOOK

Job Outlook is a website provided by the Australian Government which makes it easy to find and understand career information.

Use the career profiles on Job Outlook to learn about the future outlook, pay, main tasks, and physical and other demands of careers that interest you. Find out about the skills, knowledge and abilities you may need to get and keep a job. When you are ready to take action, follow links to job vacancies and related courses.

If you are not sure what sort or work you want to do or are considering a career change, the Career Quiz can help you to think about your work preferences and to get ideas for careers you can aim for.

Job Outlook provides a simple snapshot of the industries and careers that are likely to be in demand in 5 years. This can be useful information when you are thinking about future study and career options.

Thank you

Nancy Douglas

Sports News

Inter house Swimming Carnival:

The Inter house sporting competition for 2019 has started with a huge splash with Rice House taking out the title of champions at this year’s Swimming Carnival. This is now 6 in a row for Rice, and house captains Andrew Finocchiaro and Rachel Torrisi were delighted with the result.

In hot and humid conditions, competitors from Rice, McAuley and O’Meara enjoyed a great day of spirited swimming. New records were set and many personal bests were achieved throughout the carnival as swimmers from every house gave their all in the quest for swimming’s top prize.

Hopefully our Gilroy swim team, can repeat these magnificent efforts at the up and coming Inter School carnival on Wednesday night 13 March. All students are to be commended for their great spirit and their fantastic level of behaviour throughout the day.

RESULTS:

Overall Winners: Rice
Junior Boys: O'Meara
Junior Girls: Rice
Senior Boys: O'Meara
Senior Girls: Rice
Spirit Award: McAuley

AGE CHAMPIONS:

12 Boys: Codey Masters
12 Girls: Lucy Tento
13 Boys: Evan Girgenti
13 Girls: Grace Moloney
14 Boys: Sean Maloney
14 Girls: Eve Tento
15 Boys: Nicholas Di Bella
15 Girls: Kyra Giandomenico
16 Boys: Bailey McKee
16 Girls: Trinity Reinaudo
17 Boys: Bhodi Simpson
17 Girls: Cheylsea Molloy

RECORDS BROKEN:

12 Boys 100m Freestyle: Codey Masters
12 Boys 50m Freestyle: Codey Masters
12 Boys 50m Backstroke: Ryan Rutherford
12 Boys 50 Butterfly: Codey Masters
12 Girls 100m Freestyle: Cara Elliott
12 Girls 50m Freestyle: Lucy Tento
12 Girls 50m Breastroke: Lucy Tento
12 Girls 50m Backstroke: Lucy Tento
12 Girls 50m Butterfly: Lucy Tento
13 Girls 50m Freestyle: Grace Moloney
14 Girls 50m Breastroke: Trinity Reinaudo
14 Boys 50m Breatroke: Sean Moloney
15 Boys 100m Freestyle: Nicholas Di Bella

Herbert River Secondary School representatives:

It has been a busy Term 1 for Herbert River Secondary School sporting teams with Herbert River teams being selected to then trial for North Queensland Region teams. Gilroy Santa Maria has been well represented in these Herbert River Secondary School teams with students being selected for the following:

Herbert River Region Rugby League, Netball and Squash trials for Open and under 15 age groups were held around the district over the past two weeks. All of these students are to be commended not only their sporting ability in making these teams, but their exemplary behaviour and sportsmanship shown throughout these trials. Well done and we wish these students the best of luck at their respective trials.

Open Boys and Girls Herbert River Touch Football team to participate in the Northern Region Trials on Tuesday the 19 of March. Please Contact Erin Cerutti at the administration office if willing and able to help, or email ecerutti1@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au.

With only a limited amount of time between Herbert River and Northern Region Secondary school trials, it is important that both students and parents use the information given in our Gilroy Santa Maria newsletter, student notices or contact our Sports Coordinator, Erin Cerutti at the school to keep up to date with trial information. Below is a list of the remaining Northern Region and Herbert River Secondary School trials for Term 1.

North Queensland representatives

Congratulations to Cara Elliot and Lucy Tento (Girls Under 12 North Queensland Swimming) for their selection to the North Queensland teams for their respective sports. All the training and hard work has resulted in selection to these teams and from all of us here at Gilroy Santa Maria we wish you the best of luck at your state competition events.

Under 12 years’ age group HR trials:

Touch trials were held February 13 at Ingham State High School oval, congratulations to Brayden Spina, Lucy Biviano and Damien Marino for making the Herbert River team. Training has commenced for this, please let your coach know if you are unable to attend.

Under 12 Rugby League trials will be held Tuesday the 12 March at Ingham State School starting at 3:15p.m. Only 11-12-year-old male players.

Girls will be nominated later in the year. Players that do not bring their paperwork will not be permitted to trial.

It is important for both parents of students within this age group and the students themselves, to understand that information regarding any Herbert River sporting trial is conveyed via whole school assembly, year level assembly, newsletter and student notices. Whilst the Sports Coordinator endeavours to remind and inform students about sporting trials and nominations effectively, it is ultimately up to the students to nominate themselves to be involved in such trials. Any queries regarding this process can be presented to Mrs Cerutti as the Gilroy Sports Coordinator via contact with the school administration office or email: ecerutti1@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au.

Erin Cerutti

Rugby League

On Monday the 11 March an information session for parents, caregivers and students wanting to play Rugby League for Gilroy Santa Maria College as part of the Confraternity Shield Rugby League Tournament held in Bundaberg this year will be held in the Function Room starting at 5:00pm. It is important that all players and their parents and caregivers attend this meeting in order to be informed of all the expectations and requirements of being part of a Gilroy Santa Maria sporting team involved in such a prestigious tournament. Any parent or caregiver who cannot attend but wants to know more about GSM Confraternity rugby league for 2019 can contact Mr Ian Schifilliti (Coach) or Claude Cianciullo (Manager) at the school.

Ian Schifilliti

Academic Suppot

PLEASE NOTE: All students welcome for Homework, Assignments, Academic Tutoring and Organisation.

Indigenous Homework Support

Tuckshop News

VOLUNTEERS ARE ALWAYS NEEDED!!

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

Please note: The NEW lunch times are as follows:

1st Lunch – 10:55am – 11:25am
2nd Lunch – 12:55pm finish 1:25pm

Start time is preferably 8.30 am- 12.00pm or 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 [0427 765 321] - Jodie Lino [0407 904 918]

What’s Happening in the Parish

Ingham Region Catholic Parishes Newsletter

UP Coming Events:

• St Patrick’s Day—Monday 18 March.
• Mass of the Holy Oils, 7.00pm Thursday 11 April, Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Father Damian McGrath
Parish Priest
Ingham Region Catholic Parishes

Young Vinnies Group

Guidance Counsellor

There is a new dangerous and creepy challenge spreading across social media. The “Momo Challenge”, or the “Momo Suicide Challenge”, encourages kids to hurt others, themselves, and eventually to take their own lives.

The challenge has allegedly been the linked to the death of a 12-year-old girl in Argentina. It was reported that she was communicating with the Momo social media account right before she filmed her suicide.

What is the Momo challenge?

Momo is social media account that can be found on Facebook, YouTube and Whatsapp. When a person interacts with the account, they begin to receive pictures of Momo, a terrifying image of a bug-eyed toothless woman. Momo responds almost immediately with threatening messages and violent images to the user. “She” says that she knows personal things about the user and uses fear and threats to challenge the user.

Momo starts with simple challenges like waking up at odd hours of the night or overcoming a fear; then the challenges take on a very sinister turn, such as asking you to post photos or videos of cutting your arms or legs, jumping off of a roof, or other dangerous and risky activities.

As the challenges intensify, the last thing Momo pressures you to do is to commit suicide. If the user fails to accept or pass any of the challenges, Momo sends even more threatening and violent images and texts until the user is coerced into doing the challenge. If none of these pressuring tactics work, Momo threatens to visit you in person, or while you’re sleeping and curse you. This can be terrifying to young kids and teens. Others have reported that when they called Momo for a challenge, they heard screams in the background or other creepy noises.

Why are kids choosing to do this Challenge?

There are many reasons; first and foremost the Momo challenge preys on the vulnerability of our kids. The kids most at risk are those who suffer from depression, anxiety and low self esteem. They may be targeted by other kids to interact with the Momo account as a form of cyberbullying and they do not possess the coping skills to deal with the pressure–both from the challenges and from the bullies.

This challenge is especially dangerous because of the immaturity of children and teens; their brains are still actively developing and going through immense changes. They are much more susceptible to peer pressure and feel an intense desire to keep up with their peers or prove themselves. Teenagers are often curious and can feel as if they are unstoppable; they will engage in risky behavior for attention, to gain popularity, and just for the “thrill of it”.

The face of the Momo Challenge: a grotesque image of a woman with distorted features.

What can parents/teachers do?

Kindergarten/Primary...

• Show them it’s not real – Sit down and show them where the original image came from. Explain that Momo doesn’t exist and that she’s not a real person and can’t harm them.
• Teach them about hackers – Explain about doxing, how people can access all kinds of information about people via the internet and use it against them. Talk about how people may appear to be someone online when they’re really someone else. Teach them not to hand out private information or photos to anyone online, or give their phone number to anyone they don’t know.
• Communicate with them regularly – Find out who they’ve been interacting with on their smart devices and games. Ask them what people are talking about at school. Teach them to love and not harm themselves.
• Tell them to speak up – Make sure they come to you if they see the Momo Challenge, so you can be sure they’re not engaging with it or are scared by it. Let them know that even if they have done something bad because of it they are to tell you. You love them and want to protect them no matter what.
• Check their devices – If you’re worried they’re in danger, as a parent you have a right to look at their phone messages and apps. Even if they’re angry with you, it could be necessary.
• Supervise and limit devices – Be cautious about letting kids, especially young ones, access apps like YouTube or online games without you supervising. Use Kids YouTube, restrictive mode and other safety locks wherever possible and also think about limiting screen time in general. Opt for other ways to view videos, like DVDs, instead.

Middle/Senior school...

Talk to your kids about the Momo Challenge. Ask them if they know what it is. Have they heard of it? Have they tried it? If they don’t know about it, share the dangers associated with the challenge. Discuss a plan that includes what they can do if they receive a message with the Momo Challenge.

Check your child’s phone/ Ipod/computer regularly. The Momo challenge is not the first challenge to encourage kids to participate in dangerous activities, and it will not be the last. If your child or teen is engaging in the Momo Challenge, or any other similar challenge, they will probably not volunteer that information to you. Remember you are your child’s greatest protector and you have every right to know the apps your child is using and have every right to check their electronic devices.

Take social media seriously, do not downplay its power in kids lives. Social media can be a means of building friendships and connecting but it is also where most of our kids are bullied, lose confidence, feel isolated, and are exposed to porn and other unhealthy media. Even if they aren’t sure what the Momo Challenge is, they may come upon this in the future, or other bizarre or dangerous “challenges.” Educating our kids will empower them to stay away from challenges such as this, and even encourage them to help their friends.

Keep your relationship with your kids strong and solid. Spend time with them daily, allow them to talk with you about their interests, their friends and their fears. Keep the flow of communication open and consistent. Make sure they know and feel how much you love them.

Have a social media contract with your kids! If your child is on social media, they need guidance and accountability. Knowing what is appropriate to share, what photos to post, and how to respond to other’s social media postings takes practice–and parents are the right people to set an example and teach their kids.

Kate Stringini

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