25 July 2019

Newsletter Articles

Important Dates

Gilroy on the Go

Yr 10 Work Experience

During the last week of Term 2, our Yr 10 students attended Work Experience as part of our College’s Work Experience Program at local businesses and schools around the district, Townsville and Cardwell. Thank you to the work places and schools that supported our students for the three days.

A glimpse of some of the students during the three days.

Cultural Day Yr 7 – Mungalla Station

Yr 8 English

Last term, students in Yr 8 English studied poetry, specifically ballads. They had to write a six-stanza ballad about Gilroy and another of their own choice.

Students had to adhere to a strict meter and rhyme pattern: iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter and either an ABAB or an ABCB rhyming pattern.

Below are some examples of their work.

A Day at Gilroy

I get on the bus each morning
Always crazy and loud
Unholy language and actions
No one talks to the crowd

We all arrive at school at 8
Most are tired and so sad
But then all of our friends arrive
And we never felt bad

After period 1 to 3
Then let the fun begin
Everyone is always laughing
Not one without a grin

After period 4 to 5
We all walk to get food
Everyone sits at the tables
Not one in a bad mood

Gilroy is an amazing school
We follow the Lord’s book
Most of the teachers are so kind
Smiles everywhere you look

I love doing cooking and art
Doing them makes me glad
I like to be creative too
It helps me when I’m mad

By Cadey McMurray

Lovely Lunchtimes

A lunchtime at Gilroy College
Is really really fun
It is my favourite time of day
Enjoyed by everyone

The tuckshop is where you can find
Lots of students talking
Because they all work really hard
A break they’re deserving

G Block is the place you can find
The year sevens and eights
Eating their lunch and playing games
With their fellow classmates

You wonder what these students do
While time is passing by?
Handball and Basketball is the
New craze, give it a try!

But while the others are playing
My friends and I will chat
At silver tables under trees
And I’m grateful for that

Sadly the bell then rings for class
We have some work to do
But I'm not sad, ’cause I have next
Lunch to look forward to.

By Mia Serra

Music is life itself

Whatever you may be feeling
Music will support you
From when you feel bright as the sun
To when you’re down and blue

But not all songs are based around
Happiness and sadness
There are plenty of emotions
Like love and loneliness

There are loud dance tracks perfect for
A night out on the town
Or a slow song for when you are
At home just winding down

There’s also times when you feel pain
And there is no one there
Bob Marley said “music heals all”
It truly does, I swear

It doesn’t matter what you feel
Kids still have work to do
Music helps some kids work faster
Finish before work’s due

Music can move lots of people
People just like yourself
A quote from Louis Armstrong says
“Music is life itself”

By Mia Serra

Samantha Steps Up for Dressage Competition

Yr 9 student and local pony club rider Samantha Scott recently travelled south to the Maryborough to take part in the Pony Club Queensland State Dressage Championships.

Samantha competed in a Preliminary Dressage class of 30 horse and rider combinations, and finished the competition with an individual 5th place from Day 1, coming 13th overall at the end of the two days of competition.

This is quite an amazing achievement, particularly as this was Samantha’s first experience at a state-level competition, in a very tough field of riders.

P.A.R.T.Y Program

On Tuesday 25 June, myself and 17 other Yr 11 students had the opportunity to participate in the P.A.R.T.Y. (Prevention of Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth) Program at the Townsville Hospital. Throughout the day, we visited the Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department, Morgue, Trauma Ward and Allied Health Gyms. The staff (police, firefighters, ambulance officers, nurses, doctors, dieticians, speech pathologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists) talked to us about their roles in treating, caring for and rehabilitating trauma patients and their family members. We also had the opportunity to visit a real life patient who was coming out of surgery and hear from a trauma accident survivor who had quadriplegia because of poor decisions made in his youth.

The day was highly interactive and included many activities that helped us to understand what it could be like to be in a serious accident, such as model scenarios in the Resuscitation and Intensive Care Units (ICU) and attempting to complete trivial tasks with physical impairments and braces.

The program has enabled us to better recognize injury-producing situations, make prevention choices and adopt behaviours and actions that minimise risk. This was a confronting and educating experience that will stick with us forever and we would highly recommend the program to future students.

Allanis Melvin

Kids Do Better When Parents Are Involved in School Life

Recent research confirms that family involvement in education can help children move up the social and economic ladder, regardless of background.

So instead of hoping to win Lotto to set kids up for life, we can encourage them to be optimistic, resilient and able to manage their emotions, all of which help them to do their best.

For tips and ideas on how to effectively support your child’s education and future success, and make your own life a bit easier in the process, you can now do the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program for free in Queensland including self-help and online. (There are Teen Triple P programs too.)

For details, or to get started today, go to the link below:

Kate Stringini
Guidance Counsellor

QISSN Wrap up 2019

Over the Term 2 School Holidays, the Open Netball Team, along with the Open Rugby League Team, travelled to Bundaberg to compete at the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball and Rugby League Carnivals (QISSN and QISSRL).

This year, nine girls were chosen to represent their school at the carnival held in Bundaberg over 5 days.

Training began in Term 1, and the girls showed dedication and commitment to training, as well as juggling their school and work commitments.

The journey to QISSN began on Saturday 29 June, when the group of players and staff departed late Saturday evening for the long bus trip down to Bundaberg. All students attended the opening ceremony, which always lives up to expectations, kicking the event off with a bang.

It is truly a sight to see all 48 Rugby League teams and 64 Netball teams, along with their coaching staff, packed into a hall participating in the ceremony together.

Captain Rachel Morelli led the way on our first day with some terrific shooting, missing very few of her shots. We got our win on the first day in our second game in a tight match against Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mount Isa, 18 – 15. A highlight of the week was on day three against St Mary’s Catholic College, Cairns. With the Footy team watching and also family watching on the livestream, the girls put in their best performance of the week, and most importantly, each player contributed effectively.

Special mention must go to our defensive duo Alicia Galipo and Akema Greenaway who stepped up for us each and every game against tough opposition. In her final year, Alana Romano showed wonderful leadership on and off the court. Each player made positive contributions to the team and they all should be very proud of themselves.

We were placed in a very tough pool, however, throughout the carnival the girls showed great resilience to keep fighting even through injuries and sickness. The girls gelled together well off the field which made the experience a very rewarding one.

The week itself is a wonderful experience for players in both the Netball and Rugby League teams, and they will no doubt look back on the week as a highlight of their time at Gilroy.

Well done to the girls who showed commitment to all aspects of QISSN 2019; from training to fundraising, while still maintaining their school and work commitments.

I would like to thank Mrs Groundwater (Manager) and Miss Cerqui (Assistant Coach) for all of their help not only in Bundaberg, but also throughout the year.

Results:

Ashley Sartor (Coach)

Principal

Dear Gilroy Santa Maria College Community

It hasn’t taken long for the busyness of this term to be upon us. As I write this newsletter article, our Yr 9 students have just departed for four days camping at a cattle property near Ravenshoe. This camp is very popular with the students and staff alike, where comfort and warmth of home will be missed. Apart from the genuine experience of camping, they will participate in many bushcraft activities which for many students will be new experiences. I thank Mr Schrodter for organising this great experience and to the staff who have volunteered to attend the camp.

It doesn’t stop this week with many of our students attending the annual Catholic Education Mulkadee Arts Festival. Our students along with hundreds of students from Catholic Schools in the Townsville Diocese are experiencing a variety of artistic workshops throughout the week delivered from some of the best artistic tutors and teachers in the country. Their week will culminate this Friday night when they perform in Concert Finale at the Townsville Entertainment Centre. The theme for this Friday’s concert is Peter Pan. We wish them all the best and I thank Ms Linley Cerqui for coordinating our participation in this terrific event.

I was thrilled to attend the Rugby League and Netball Confraternity Carnivals in Bundaberg over the recent school holidays. Both teams performed well, and I was proud to be cheering them on as both teams demonstrated tremendous sportsmanship and were great ambassadors for our College. Thanks to our tireless staff members who gave up the first week of their holidays to look after our teams, this is a huge commitment which I greatly appreciate.

Next week we celebrate Catholic Education Week. Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all Catholic Schools to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos. The theme of CEW 2019 is “Many Voices. One Spirit”. The theme is designed to bring feelings of energy, enthusiasm, love, joy, values, relationships, togetherness, learning, unity and belonging – all ideals relevant to Catholic schools in Queensland. We will be celebrating Catholic Education Week with a combined Hinchinbrook Catholic Schools Mass next Wednesday morning; additionally we will be sending representatives to the Diocesan Mass in Townsville on Monday.

A feature of next week’s celebrations will be two members of our school community receiving important recognitions. Firstly, the Deus Caritas Est Christian Living Award will be awarded to one of our Yr 12 students, Mary Galletly. Mary was nominated for her lived commitment to Christian living in how they treat others, a commitment to the life of the Church and living life to the full - hopeful, compassionate, merciful and kind.

The second recipient will be Mrs Joan Devietti who will be receiving the Spirit of Catholic Education Award. Since beginning teaching at Gilroy in 2000, Joan has demonstrated an outstanding commitment and service to our students, our community and local Parish. Joan is an excellent teacher and has positively influenced and mentored many students and staff members over several years. In her specialist teaching area of Mathematics, she is respected for her knowledge and extraordinary commitment to the success of her students. Her generosity to offer extra support and assistance to all students throughout the school is well known and appreciated. I’m sure you would agree Joan is a worthy recipient of this award.

Semester 1 Report Cards can be accessed this week through Compass, hard copies will also be mailed out. We have slightly changed the format of the report card this semester by including a grade for behaviour and effort as well as a result for different subjects. We have also looked to streamline our comments by including more comments that state how a student can improve and removing much of the educational jargon.

A reminder to families that our third Yr 6 Transition Day is being held this Thursday 25 July from 8:30am-11:30am.

God Bless
John Nuttall
jnuttall@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au

From the Acting Assistant Principal (Administration & Curriculum)

Welcome back to Term 3.

The first 2 weeks of Term 3 certainly has jolted everyone back into school mode. Yr 7 enjoyed Cultural Day last Friday, finding it an interesting and enjoyable experience. Thanks must go to the students for making the most of the day and the activities. Thanks also to the staff for organising the day at Mungalla Station. A special mention must go to Aramai Cassady who was on work placement. As a group leader, Aramai confidently shared information about traditional customs, practices and tools used in our local area with the students giving them a real insight into the Indigenous culture of our area.

This week, Yr 9 have headed to Woodleigh Station for an outdoor education camp. This camp is always the students favourite, experiencing real camping and learning how to enjoy life and each other without electronic devices!

Yr 12 QCS Practice was held on the last day of Term 2. Students’ papers have been sent away for marking. Students will receive individualised feedback comments, which they should use to work on improving their results. The actual QCS test is on Tuesday 3 September and Wednesday 4 September this term. Students will continue to have their QCS preparation lesson until their QCS Exams to ensure they are as prepared and confident as they can be. Practice makes perfect!

Some Yr 12 students also took the opportunity to attend the JCU experience day last week. Another step towards their future for those seeking tertiary next year.

Term 3 Assessment Planners have been emailed to all students and parents/carers. In addition, students in Yr 7 have received a hard copy. Please ensure that your child refers to the assessment calendar and is organised with their required work. Organisation is the key to success.

Ideas to organise yourself:

• Create a study space that is free of distractions and has everything within reach.
• Keep a calendar on your wall and list the dates of your assessments.
• Get into a routine and set aside blocks of study time each day.
• Build 'free' time into each day for something you enjoy.
• Take regular breaks and move around to keep your mind and body active.
• Limit distractions such as social media.
• Allocate time each week to catch up with friends and family.

Organise your work by:

• Forward planning — understand the components of each task and how long they might take.
• Time management — make a plan and allow for unexpected events such as technology issues (they will always happen!) or changes in personal circumstances.
• Manage multiple deadlines — divide each assessment task into smaller 30-minute tasks (essay plan, essay introduction, essay body, etc.) and slot these into your calendar.

All students’ reports can be accessed on COMPASS and have been mailed home this week. I would like to congratulate students who have tried their best and received results that they are proud of. It does take a lot of time, organisation and determination to perform your best and achieve one's potential. Any issues with subjects or results should be attended to immediately. Please call the teacher concerned or myself.

Yr 10 Senior Schooling Information Night will be held on Thursday 22 August. If you have a student currently in Yr 10 then please enter this date into your diary. The information delivered on this evening will be vital for students and parents who are entering the New QCE Senior system. On the evening, there will also be an opportunity for students and parents to discuss subjects with teachers.

As I stated in previous newsletters, the New QCE System demands that students are very aware of certain verbs called Cognitive Verbs. Teachers will use these verbs in their teaching and assessment for all subjects across all grades. It is vital that students understand what the verb is asking them to do in order to answer the question correctly. All verbs and their definitions are in the school diary and on the walls of each classroom.

The cognitive verb for this newsletter is APPLY, please use this link to get to the poster. Apply

Of particular interest is the suggested “sentence starters” which students may find useful.

As always, if anyone has any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me either by phone or email. I hope that everyone has a great term.

God Bless
Joan Devietti
jdevietti@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au

From the Assistant Principal (Religious Education)

Australian Catholic Youth Festival - ACYF

In December this year a group of 22 students from Gilroy Santa Maria and St Teresa’s College will be heading to Perth for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival. The Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) is a national gathering of Catholic young people established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. It exists to provide young people with opportunities to deepen their relationship with Jesus, be empowered to be disciples in the world today and encounter and celebrate the vitality of the Church in Australia. During the event, students will be able to listen to and discuss the issues and challenges in the lives of young Catholics in Australia, as well as be exposed to social justice and action, liturgy, Catholic music and prayer.

For this trip to occur, our students are holding a variety of fundraising ventures to help with the cost of going. Presently students are selling tickets in a weber BBQ at Masses across the district. The first event is the movie premier of ‘Fast and Furious – Hobbs and Shaw’, Thursday August 1. Doors will open at 6:00pm with light refreshments, with the movie commencing at 7:00pm. Tickets will be on sale at student reception and at the Kelly Theatre on the night.

Last weekend’s Gospel reading at Mass was about Jesus’ visit to the two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha is rushing around frantically serving their guests, while Mary sits at Jesus feet listening as he speaks. It is easy to imagine that Martha would be feeling irritated and frustrated that she is doing all the work while Mary sits and listens. Jesus tells Martha to stop worrying and choose the path that Mary has, to take time out and listen.

It can become so easy for us to get wrapped up in all the things we need to do and the things that need to be accomplished that we lose sight of what the most important thing is. The highest priority in our lives needs to be choosing the good part, as Mary did: to learn of Jesus so that we can become like Him. To rise above all the noise world and seek out what we should value. One way would be to take time out each day for prayer or quiet reflection, giving us the time to block out the distractions of our daily lives, school, work, stresses, social media, and ‘just be’, asking God for his guidance. This week’s prayer is about ‘just being’.

Next week we celebrate Catholic Education Week. It is an opportunity for all 306 Catholic Schools in Queensland to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos. Catholic Education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society. In 2019, the theme for the week is “Many Voices. One Spirit.” On Monday, John Nuttall and I will be taking the school captains and prefects to the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Townsville to represent our school in a diocesan celebration. On Wednesday Mass will be celebrated for all the Catholic Schools in our district. Everyone is welcome to join us at 9:30am at St Patrick’s Church for this Mass.

God bless
Christine Timms

Be in my life,
Be in my breath;
Be in my walk,
Be in my rest.
Be in this humble heart of mine;
Be ever present in my mind.

Be in my hands,
Be in my feet;
Be in my eyes
And in my speech.
Be in the smile I give away;
Be in each healing word I say.

Be in my work,
Be in my play;
Be in the struggles of each day.

Be in my joy,
Be in my pain;
Be in my loss,
Be in my gain.
Be in my thoughts,
Be in my song;
Be in my spirit all day long.

Be in my prayers,
At dawn's first light;
Be in my dreams,
all through the night.

The prayer of my heart
Forever shall be;
I in You and You in me.

Amen.

From the Acting Assistant Principal (Pastoral Care)

Extracurricular Activities:

We are well into the swing of Term 3, which is notoriously the busiest of the terms. As always, there are many extracurricular activities on offer. In the past two weeks, alone we have had Yr 12 students visit the JCU Open Day, Yr 7 students at Mungalla Station, performing arts students at Mulkadee Youth Arts Festival, Yr 9 students on Camp at Woodleigh and our third Yr 6 transition day. Please encourage your child to get involved with College life as extracurricular activities can actually increase academic performance, heighten self-esteem and provide opportunities to learn important life and social skills.

Pastoral Care Reminder:

As always, if you have any concerns regarding the pastoral care of your child, please do not hesitate to get in contact with their pastoral leader, Principal Mr John Nuttall or myself via email or through the School Office.

Yr 7 & 8: Mr Matthew Giliberto mgiliberto1@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au
Yr 9 & 10: Mr Matthew Schrodter mschrodter@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au
Yr 11 & 12: Mr Claude Cianciullo ccianciullo@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au
Assistant Principal Pastoral Care: klahtinen@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au
Principal: jnuttall@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au

Blessings
Karen Lahtinen

From the Business Manager

Term 3 School fees have been issued; please keep an eye out for them. If you have not received them, please contact the school.

Term 3 School Fees are due 16 August 2019

Report cards have been sent home this week, included with the report card is a family details form, if there are any changes to your contact details please complete the form and return it to the office.

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

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

Last week some of our Yr 12 students visited JCU for their Open Day.

QTAC

QTAC will be open for 2020 applications as of Thursday 1 August.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Nancy Douglas

Sports Update

Welcome back to Term 3 Sports News.

On behalf of the College, I would like to wish Brayden Spina and Lucy Biviano all the best as they travel down to Brisbane this week to represent North Queensland for Soccer.

Good luck to Alana Romano who will be travelling down to Brisbane then on to Carina this Friday to complete in the North Queensland Invitational Team for Girls Rugby League. Best wishes and safe travels.

Interhouse Athletics

A reminder to all students that have nominated for events in our upcoming Interhouse Athletics carnival, that training should be well and truly underway. Our Interhouse Athletics Carnival will commence on Wednesday 7 August and conclude on Friday 9 August (Week 4).

Students are urged to listen out for further information over the coming weeks regarding the Interhouse Athletics Carnival via the School Newsletter, Whole School Assembly and Student Morning Notices. Best of luck to McAuley, Rice and O’Meara houses for this event!

Athletics Carnival - Pre Events

Note: Boys and Girls will be on the same day

P&F News

Our Parents & Friends Committee would like to order shirts for our volunteers. If you are part of our P & F or would like to join us for meetings and fundraising events please click on the following link and add your name to the list so a shirt can be allocated to you. If you have any questions please contact myself or P & F Committee President Peter Staples through the school office.

Kindest Regards

Karen Lahtinen

Academic Support

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

Indigenous Homework Support and English Support

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

Start time is preferably 8:30am - 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:

Father Damian McGrath
Parish Priest
Ingham Region Catholic Parishes

Around the District

Junior Soccer

Junior Soccer is back on Wednesday nights at 5:45pm at the Clubhouse. It is no longer at the showgrounds.

Emma Sanderson
Secretary

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