22 August 2019

Newsletter Articles

Important Dates

Important Emails

Yr 7 & 8 Co-ordinator: Mr Matthew Giliberto mgiliberto1@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au
Yr 9 & 10 Co-ordinator: Mr Matthew Schrodter mschrodter@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au
Yr 11 & 12 Co-ordinator: Mr Claude Cianciullo ccianciullo@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au
Acting Assistant Principal Pastoral Care: klahtinen@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au
Acting Assistant Principal Administration & Curriculum: jdevietti@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au
Assistant Principal Religious Education: ctimms1@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au
Principal: jnuttall@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au

Gilroy on the Go

Food Technology & Hospitality Department

We have just completed our first trimester rotation for Yr 7A. They have spent the term being introduced to experiences in food preparation, hygiene, kitchen safety, nutrition and sustainability. The students thoroughly enjoyed their time in our department and were all keen enthusiasts in replicating what was learned at school, in their own kitchens at home. This final week saw them use their mixing skills to make berry muffins. Next week we welcome 7B to food technology.

Our Yr 10 students have spent this term studying Asian Cuisine and the wonderful food influences brought to Australia. Students have specifically engaged in food topics surrounding Asian immigration including the Chinese influence on the gold rush and how it influenced Australia’s interest in consuming Asian foods. Maeve O’Meara’s Food Safari documentaries have given the students a cultural background to specific flavours and unique dishes specific to each Asian country. Students have studied specifically these regions and been introduced to practical cookery including Thai and Indonesian Curries, Asian desserts, Hawker Style- Yum Cha dishes and Stir-fries. Our woks have become our staple tool and students have learnt the palette of Asian flavours involving sweet, sour and salty, whilst looking at the unique ingredients used to complete the Asian flavour formula. Over the last few weeks, students have enjoyed making, Coconut-Lychee Sago Pudding, Japanese Sushi, Jajangmyeon-Korean Pork Stir-fry, Spring Rolls & Rice Paper Rolls. Next week we hope to participate in making a class Tom Yum Goong- which is a sour soup destined to make our tastebuds dance. Students are also keen to learn to create a traditional Indian Butter Chicken.

Ms Danielle Mastrippolito

Foodies Club News

Have you ever heard of a “Spider Drink or Ice Cream Float”?

An ice cream float or ice cream soda, coke float, or spider, is a chilled beverage that consists of ice cream in either a soft drink or in a mixture of flavoured syrup and carbonated water. The ice cream float was invented by Robert McCay Green in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , in 1874 during the Franklin Institute's semicentennial celebration. The traditional story is that, on a particularly hot day, Mr Green ran out of ice for the flavoured drinks he was selling and used vanilla ice cream from a neighbouring vendor, thus inventing a new drink.

So what does this have to do with sustainability? Well….. we had an abundance of oranges left over from Food Technology and ice cream and soda water from our Hospitality beverages unit. We set ourselves a task, what to do with oranges, soda water and ice-cream! Prior to making an ice-cream float, we made our own “Sunkist” orange soft drink by mixing soda water, sugar & freshly squeezed orange juice. It did taste like the real thing. We then added this to ice-cream placed in a cup, however the trick to making our ice-cream float, was to have the ice-cream in the cup first, and once we poured our homemade Sunkist, our ice-cream, “floated” or “popped” to the top. From a scientific background, this would not have happened if we added the ice cream to the Sunkist. Lucky Ms Coyle was present to explain the phenomenon. Our Foodies Club members enjoyed them immensely.

So…what to do with our leftover orange skins, make a spray cleaner using cleaning vinegar and oranges, which will infuse over a few days and once placed in a spray bottle, can be used as a safe bench cleaner. Our members are also loving the responsibility of caring for our balcony garden using recycled food scraps.

Ms Danielle Mastrippolito & Ms Roseanne Coyle.

School Social

Interhouse Athletics Carnival

Interschool Athletics Carnival

Principal

Dear Gilroy Santa Maria College Community

The term continues to be a busy one for our students and staff. Congratulations to everyone involved in two important community events recently. Firstly, many of our students were involved in the Ingham Arts Festival. We certainly have some talented students as many received prizes and commendations. It is wonderful to see students having the courage to perform or publicly displaying their artwork. I thank our art and music teachers for organising and encouraging our participation.

Secondly, was the performance of our athletes at the recent Interschool Athletics Carnival. The level of participation was exemplary and there was a terrific attitude and spirit. Apart from our competitors, our spectators were in great numbers and good voice. It was an enjoyable day thanks to the cooperation of staff and students alike. As a bonus, we achieved great success with our girls winning the Junior and Overall Trophies. This year our girls have won all three overall trophies at the Interschool Swimming, Cross Country and now Athletics. The boys also performed well and should also be proud of their efforts. Thanks to Mrs Cerutti for all her work in preparing our team and for the excellent job, she has done all year organising our sporting program and carnivals throughout the year.

Last Friday was a big day for many of our senior teachers, as it was the day new assessment items were sent to the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) to be endorsed. This a new procedure introduced as part of the New QCE System, which our current Yr 11 students have begun operating under this year. Previously teachers would design their own assessment items, the students would complete that assessment and then a sample of the completed assessments were collected by QCAA so results could be compared across schools and at times adjustments to results were made. Under the new system, all Yr 12 assessment items written by the teachers must now be endorsed by QCAA before it can be given to the students for completion. The goal being that across Queensland there will be more consistency and less situations whereby an assessment is too easy or too hard for a particular group of students. I know our teachers have been working hard to complete these assessment items and with anything new and unknown it adds to the complexity of the task. I thank them all for the work they have done, not only completing these assessment tasks but everything needed to ensure the New QCE System is rolled out successfully at our college. I also thank Mrs Joan Devietti, our Assistant Principal Curriculum/Administration for the excellent job she has done driving the implementation of this new system.

A reminder to all current Yr 10 parents/carers and students that our New QCE and Senior Subject Information Evening will be conducted this Thursday 22 August from 6:30pm in the Function Room.

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

From the Acting Assistant Principal
(Administration & Curriculum)

Hello Parents and Students,

Senior Students

Last week, the Careers Advisor, Nancy Douglas and I met with all Yr 12 OP eligible students. These interviews were very valuable with discussions on current student progression, future aspirations/pathways and student well-being. QTAC applications are now open; students are encouraged to begin completing their QTAC applications for tertiary education. Students having difficulties with this should seek Mrs Douglas’ expertise and advice as soon as possible.

The QCS test in Week 8 is fast approaching. QCS is on Tuesday 2 September and Wednesday 3 September. Students are now thoroughly prepared for and know what to expect in this test. Students have also received results and feedback based on their practice QCS Test conducted in Week 10 of Term 2. Each student has been given advice on areas where they can improve and should focus. This advice and the results are available online through students’ Mighty Mind portal and students are able to navigate this site. Please encourage your son/daughter to read the individual feedback provided and to actively work towards improving in their weak areas so as to be best prepared for this test.

The introduction of external assessment in General subjects * is a key feature of the new QCE system. All Yr 11 Parents and Students should have received an email about the External exams for General subjects that students will be required to undertake from 26 October 2020. Gilroy Santa Maria College is working hard to best prepare these students. To give students a sense of what external assessment will be like, the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) has published sample papers on its website via the link below. Students were shown how to access these samples and all samples of assessment on this website in Homeroom. Gilroy Santa Maria College will incorporate these sample resources in our teaching and learning program to help our students prepare for next year. Part of this preparation at GSM will be the sitting of MOCK external exams prior to October 2020. In the meantime, students and parents are strongly encouraged to view the sample papers.

Tracking students is an important part of progressing through senior. With Yr 11 students having now completed a semester of their senior and of the New QCE System, Nancy Douglas and I will begin meeting with all Yr 11 students this week. Similar to the Yr 12 students, these interviews are very valuable with discussions on current student progression, future aspirations/pathways and student well being.

Yr 10 Transition to Senior

The Yr 10 Senior Schooling evening is being held this week on Thursday 22 August at 6:30pm in the Function Room. Parents and students have been emailed and are strongly encouraged to attend. Parents and students will have the opportunity to talk to teachers about the expectations of each of the General and Applied subjects and their content and assessment. In addition, teachers who are experienced in the VET certificate courses will also be available. Students will be expected to submit their subject choices by 9:00am Wednesday 28 August electronically and also to student reception. From this information, lines will be drawn. The next phase includes SET Plan interviews with every student and their Parent/Carer. These will be held early Term 4. Interviews will review the suitability of the selected subjects to ensuring that each student is on a suitable career pathway.

The Arts

This past week, students have been participating in the annual Ingham Junior Arts Festival. Every experience is always very valued by those who participate. Congratulations to all students on a great effort.

Athletics Day

Last Friday the annual Interschool Athletics Carnival was held. A great day was had, and it is always a pleasure to witness students doing their best. I acknowledge and thank the many competitors and supporters who made themselves available to represent or support their school, their school spirit is valued. Thank you to Mrs Cerutti who has made an enormous effort to ensure the College was at its best. Her work is faultless and her enthusiasm shines through.

Assessment

The second half of the term is always busy with assessment. I trust that students are busily completing these tasks and revising for exams. Revision should never be left for the last few weeks; it should be constant and consistent throughout the term. As I said in the last newsletter, successful students:

• have good organizational skills
• can manage their time well
• consistently and constantly revise practice
• seek help when needed

A reminder that the school’s Academic Support Program is available to all students Monday-Friday during second lunch and after school Monday and Wednesday. Teachers also meet at the request of the students. Attending these sessions is a very important medium for catching up on work missed and/or gaining additional support when required.

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 all students should be doing. This course on the QCAA outlines clearly the rules for all teachers. I hope you find this 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.

Please also be aware of the College’s procedures regarding missed work and assessment:

• It is imperative that if your child misses an exam for any reason that the College is notified. Students in Yrs 11 and 12 must also supply a Medical Certificate upon return to school that covers them for any missed assessment.
• Students Requesting Work for Short-Term and Long-Term Absences: The school expectation is that students will see their classroom teacher when they return to school for work they have missed due to any absence. Most learning areas are using Google Classrooms so students should be able to access missed content and course work at any time.
• Parents/Students Gaining Access to Past Exam Papers: No student will be given copies/access to past exam papers as this remains the intellectual property of the school.
• No student can conduct their exam prior to the scheduled date.

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

From the Assistant Principal
(Religious Education)

It has been wonderful news to hear that Deacon Emene Kelemete has been accepted for Ordination as a Priest. Emene has become a part of our Parish and School Community learning under the guidance of Father Damian over the past months. His ordination will occur on Thursday 31 October at 7:00pm at Edmund Rice Hall, Ignatius Park College. Emene has also asked for the Gilroy and St Teresa’s Combined Choir to sing Psalm 23 at the Mass. It will be a beautiful way for our school to be a part of this special occasion. Please keep Emene in your prayers.

Next Saturday morning, 31 August from 8:00am to 12 noon, the ACYF students and parents will be selling cakes and sweets behind Coles to fundraise for their trip to Perth. Come and enjoy the array of goodies available. We will also be selling tickets in a Webber barbeque.

This week’s prayer is a prayer for courage, the courage to stand up for what is right, knowing that God is with us always.

God bless
Christine Timms

From the Acting Assistant Principal
(Pastoral Care)

School Culture:

If you were there for the conclusion of the Interschool Athletics Carnival last Friday, then you would have seen all three schools get up on the track and do two entire dances together. This was really magnificent to see and I think everyone there felt a sense of pride for all of the students in our community and their ability to confidently get up, give it a go, dance and have some fun. This initiative was led by our Gilroy Santa Maria Student Leaders who have all done a fantastic job this year promoting, encouraging and developing our College culture. The same was done at our Interhouse Athletics Carnival earlier in the term and all students had such a good time that the leaders felt they wanted to share the experience with the other schools.

I would like to thank the staff at our College for working very closely with our senior leaders to help make their last year the best it can possibly be, specifically, Erin Cerutti as Sports Coordinator, Claude Cianciullo as their Pastoral Leader, Debbie Greeff as their Homeroom Teacher and Amy Squires who organises our school socials and other fundraisers.

The impact that performing arts has had on our College culture over the past couple of years should also not be understated. Thank-you to Linley Cerqui for her efforts with our School Musical and Mulkadee Youth Arts Festival and to Chantal Bullock for introducing the dance rotation into our school arts program.

Finally, a massive thank-you and congratulations to our senior leaders for their tremendous efforts so far this year. You have certainly done yourselves and your college proud and the recent athletics carnivals were yet another example of this.

Air Force Simulator:

This Friday the Air Force Simulator Experience (AFSE) will be visiting out College. This free, Government funded motivation program travels the country visiting schools with the aim to develop interest among young people in aviation careers. Several groups of students throughout the day will be given the opportunity to experience the simulator including our STEM Club, Extension Maths class, Physics class and those students who are Air Force Cadets. If your child is interested in a career in the Air Force please let me know before Friday and we can endeavour to secure a spot for them in the program.

Blessings
Karen Lahtinen

From the Business Manager

REMINDER

Term 3 School Fees are now overdue.

MULTI-SCHOOL FAMILY FEE DISCOUNTS

As of 2015, a new fee structure gives families discounted fees for the second, third and subsequent children across both secondary and primary systemic Catholic schools in the Townsville Diocese.

To take advantage of these extended fee discount, parents/carers should contact the principal of the primary school, informing them of older siblings attending a systemic Catholic secondary school. Diocesan Tuition fee discounts will be applied accordingly.

PENSIONER AND HEALTH CARE CARD HOLDERS FEE DISCOUNTS

In addition to these family fee discounts, parents/carers with a means tested Australian government health care or pensioner concession card may be eligible to receive a significant discount to tuition fees. Card must be in the name of the parent/carer ( not the child/student ).

Families without these cards who are experiencing financial difficulty should speak with their school Principal to apply for special consideration.

No child will be denied enrolment due to financial difficulty. Parent/carers should discuss this matter with the school principal who will treat the situation with understanding, sensitivity and confidentiality.

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

At CQUniversity Australia you don’t have to compromise to be what you want to be. With a huge range of TAFE and university courses on offer, and the option to study on campus at one of 20+ national locations or online via our renowned and flexible distance education mode, you can study what, where and how you like.

So get the complete picture on the best choice for you at one of our upcoming Open Days. You can explore our facilities, meet teaching staff and current students, get career advice and scout out the best study options for you. If you can’t make it to an event, we’ve also got an Online Open Day.

Register for Townsville Open Day now for a chance to win!

Register now to be kept up to date with event information and go into the draw to win a MacBook Air. Plus by registering, you will receive a welcome pack when you visit the registration table on the day. Terms and Conditions apply.

CQUniversity Online Open Day

Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Between 3:00pm and 6:00pm (AEST)

Jump in and out of information sessions and chat forums to get the answers you’re looking for about studying a TAFE or university qualification at CQUniversity. Hosted online via Zoom web conference and in Facebook Messenger; login details provided upon registration.

Nancy Douglas

Sports Update

Week 6!

Interhouse Athletics Carnival:

On Friday 9 August, the Gilroy Santa Maria Interhouse Athletics Carnival was held in perfect conditions. This day was a culmination of all athletics events held for each age group running over the past 4 weeks to determine a champion House. This year Rice proved far too strong on the day taking the Gilroy over-all Interhouse Athletics Champions! The Gilroy Santa Maria Spirit award was awarded to the team that showed encouragement, participation and courage, this year that team was McAuley. Special congratulations go out to both Alicia Galipo, who broke 16 Yrs Discus and Shot Put record, and Alana Romano, who broke the 17 Yrs and Open Age Girls Discus record with a throw of 31.66m. M Chaffey who threw 27.45m had previously held this record since 1988.

Other strong performances on the day came from our various age champions:

Boys

Girls

These students are to be congratulated on their sporting achievements during our Interhouse Athletics Carnival.

Interschool Athletics Carnival:

Last Friday, saw high school students from around the Ingham district, gathering at George Day Oval for the 2019 Interschool Athletics Carnival. Conditions were overcast with scattered showers as all Gilroy Santa Maria athletes and students prepared to give their all for their school. Throughout the day, there were many athletes competing in various events, and even more spectators cheering them on and encouraging the athletes. This worked wonders for our junior girls who took out the Junior girls Interschool Athletics Champions! This was a tremendous result for our school, one which can be attributed to the fact that all students, not only the girls, turned up for one another to continually fill events leading to a result that our entire Gilroy Santa Maria community can be proud of.

Congratulations must go to our Interschool Athletics Age Champions Cara Elliott (12 Yrs girl) and Bonne-Jaye Molloy (14 Yrs girls) for their outstanding individual athletic performances through the Interschool Athletics Carnival. Also a special congratulations goes to Alicia Galipo who broke the 16 Yr girls, Shot Put record by 75cm! Excellent work Alicia.

There were other outstanding performances from Gilroy students during Friday’s carnival, with the names of the students chosen in the Herbert River Secondary School Athletics Team will be notified soon.

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

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