19 September 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

Save the Date: 2020 Yr 7 Parent Information Night

Appraisal for Christine Timms

Dear Parents and Staff,

Mrs Christine Timms, Assistant to the Principal Religious Education, currently is in the process of undertaking her performance appraisal and we are seeking feedback from you. Please find the link HERE, and I would appreciate if you could find the time to complete the survey. Anonymous contributions will not be considered.

Many thanks for your assistance and I look forward to receiving your input.

Laurence Hosking
Education Consultant

GAMIN Camp

Recently our Indigenous students spent 2 days on Warragamay Country at Abergowrie. This year, one of the directives from CEO was to incorporate men's and women's business somehow during the year, so we chose to do this on our camp. Students were involved in the preparation and cooking of a traditional Kup Muri from start to finish. Led by Frank Smallwood and Paul Dezolt, the students prepared the vegetables and meat and were then able to taste the end result for dinner on Thursday night. On Thursday afternoon, we had the Deadly Aunties visit from Townsville and teach the kids how to do traditional Torres Strait weaving. We also had the Abergowrie Dance Troupes (both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders) teach the kids some traditional dance and show them how they paint their bodies ready for different ceremonies. Students were able to participate in various aboriginal art activities as well.

The next morning, students all participated in Dadirri. I have included a link to some information about Dadirri, written by Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr. I have read her reflection over and over again, as it really resonates with me at the moment and I just find it beautifully written. Do yourself a favour and have a read!

I strongly believe that the positive outcomes of allowing our indigenous students the opportunity to keep learning about their culture and fostering pride in their culture is also invaluable.

Andrea Groundwater

RUOK?

Kate Stringini
Guidance Counsellor

Lost Property

Our ‘Lost Property’ basket is overflowing. Jumpers, lunchboxes, shoes, and hats. All unnamed (that we can see). Please have your child check the table set up outside of Student Reception for any lost items and PLEASE NAME ALL ITEMS!

GSM Cup 2019

From the Principal

Dear Gilroy Santa Maria College Community

Over the last few weeks, I along with our senior leadership team have been interviewing numerous students throughout our district who would like to attend our school in 2020. Most of the interviews are for our Yr 7 cohort, but we also have many enrolments scattered throughout the other year levels. I’m pleased to share that our Yr 7 class looks like having over seventy students, by far our largest intake for many years. During my interviews, I always ask why they want to attend our school. The responses vary from “mum and dad told me I am”, “my older brothers went here”, “my friends are coming here” and many others. However, the two comments which are often mentioned, and I’m always pleased to hear are that students feel we are a safe school and a place that they will receive a good education. Our Yr6 transition days play a huge role in these students becoming comfortable within our environment, they see how friendly our older students are towards them and see for themselves our students enjoying our beautiful grounds playing touch football, handball, basketball or sitting with their friends chatting. They see the school for the calm place it is, conducive to good teaching and learning.

Recently, we received our school NAPLAN results. NAPLAN is the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy. This is a series of tests for all Australian students in Yrs 3, 5, 7, and 9. NAPLAN school data is helpful in identifying trends as well as ascertaining strengths and weaknesses in various areas. I’m pleased to report that Gilroy performed well in many areas, but it also identified other areas that we can improve. We also look at individual results to see if they align with our own school results and identify discrepancies. All Yr 7 and 9 parents and carers should have received a hard copy of their child’s report recently with explanatory documentation. If you have any queries, please contact us.

This Friday, we have our Fun Run at Forrest Beach. It really is a great day with games and activities and a walk/run along Forrest Beach. I ask that families don’t see this day as a chance for an early holiday and support this community and character-building event. It does take considerable effort to complete the trek along the beach, but I firmly believe the best feeling you can experience is the satisfaction of completing a difficult task. Special thanks to our P&F who are sponsoring the day including transport, food and drinks for everyone.

It is amazing how quickly the year has progressed. Our Yr 12’s have only six weeks next term, while all other year levels have eight weeks of school. There will be many important events in the coming weeks so please continue to read the newsletter, Compass and Gilroy Facebook page for updates.

A safe and happy holiday to all families, remembering that school begins on Tuesday 8 October as Monday 7 October is the Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday. Please also note Monday 21 October is a Pupil-Free Day next term.

God Bless

John Nuttall
jnuttall@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au

From the Acting Assistant Principal (Administration & Curriculum)

Hello Everyone

As we near the end of Term 3 and the completion of exams today, I would like to congratulate students on their efforts towards their exams. Students who were absent for exams in Yrs 7-10 may need to catch up these exams next term. They will need to ensure that they see their teacher at the beginning of next term. Students in Yrs 11 and 12 who missed any exams must present a medical certificate to cover their absence.

Tomorrow we have the Annual School Fun Run. Students will have assembly under S block to commence the day before being transported to Forrest Beach for their walk and activities for the rest of the day. Students will arrive back at school by 3:00pm for buses. This has traditionally been a great day, enjoyed by all our students and I hope to see everyone. It is an excellent way to end the term with friends at the beach!

As we look towards Term 4, we still have quite a bit to accomplish before the end of the year. Below is a table of some key events occurring in the first three weeks back at school next term.

I hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable break.

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

From the Assistant Principal (Religious Education)

Christine Timms

From the Acting Assistant Principal (Pastoral Care)

Social Media:

If you regularly read my pastoral report then you would know that I often talk about how social media negatively impacts our students. It is important, however, to recognise that along with the negatives, there are some positives of social media. The 2017 study by the Royal Society for Public Health shows the impact that social media giants, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter, had on the wellbeing of users aged 14 - 24.

From the study, we can see that all four platforms are beneficial for self-expression, self-identity, emotional support and community building. On the flip side, all four were reported to have a very negative impact on sleep, bullying, body image, anxiety and depression and that these problems tend to be particularly severe among frequent users. If you are concerned about your child’s wellbeing in regards to the above issues then I would strongly recommend monitoring, limiting or banning your child’s use on those platforms. For instance, Instagram was found to have a particularly bad impact on user’s body image while bullying tends to be a bigger issue on Facebook and Snapchat.

(Economist.com, 2019)

I shared this data with students on assembly last week along with some tips on how to reduce social media use and addiction, and I would encourage all staff and parents to give them a go as well. The addiction to phones seems to be a much bigger issue than other screen devices such as TV or computer as phones have the ability to be on a person at all times. This is one of the main reasons we have a no-phone policy at school and we appreciate your support in this matter.

1. Turn off Notifications: Every time you hear the ‘ting’ from your phone, receive a message or notification, the “feel-good” hormone; dopamine is released in your brain. Applications are specifically designed to cause this response and as a result can be very addictive. Teenagers are at a higher risk of phone addiction due to the chemistry of their developing brain. Turning off notifications and instead deciding to check your phone at particular times is one simple way to reduce addiction.
2. Remove Social Media off Home Screen: If you have social media applications on your phone home screen you will see these (even if it is only subliminally), every time you check your phone, even if it is to simply look at the time. By removing these from your homescreen, you are less likely to see, think of and use these apps.
3. Only use Social Media on the Computer: A lot of applications can only be accessed via phone, which is a specific design element to make the application more addictive. By deleting applications that you can use on the computer, like Facebook, off your phone, you are limiting the use of the app to times when you actively choose to use it. This will prevent you from subconsciously pulling out your phone and scrolling mindlessly through the newsfeed every time you have a spare moment.
4. Limit Use to Certain Time Periods: Allocating certain periods of time in the day when you use social media apps can also limit your subconscious use. For example, you might have half an hour of time allocated where you can access your phone after school or on a weekend.

We very much appreciate the support from parents in reducing and limiting students’ access to screen time, whether that be TV, phone or computer. By working together to reduce this, we are working to reduce rates of bullying, anxiety and depression in our school community. If you have any ideas of how we can combat this issue together please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Blessings

Karen Lahtinen

From the Business Manager

Office Hours over the School Holidays.

The office will be open over the school holidays please see adjusted hours below.

Monday – Wednesday 8:00am to 4:00pm. Closed for lunch 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Thursday & Friday 8:00am to 3:30pm. Closed for lunch 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Thank you to all who have paid fees to date. If you have not paid recently please do so ASAP. 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.

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

Sports News

Last Friday, six Gilroy Students participated in the Northern Region Secondary Schools Athletics Trials held at the Sports Reserve in Townsville. The students listed below performed admirably on the day and their behavior and conduct whilst representing our school was exemplary.

Alana Romano – 17 Yrs Girls- Shot Put, Discus
Alicia Galipo – 16 Yrs Girls – Shot Put, Discus, Javelin
Kaila Marino – 15 Yrs Girls – 100m, 200m
Jessie Galipo – 13 Yrs Girls - Shot Put, Discus
Bonnie-Jaye Molloy – 14 Yrs Girls - Shot Put
Darcy Di Bella – 14 Yrs Boys - Shot Put

Amongst all these athletes giving their best efforts in their respective events, highlights included Alana Romano winning the 17 Yrs Girls Shot Put & Discus, Alicia Galipo breaking the record for Shot Put and throwing well in Discus and Bonnie-Jaye Molloy breaking her Personal Best record for Shot Put. These three students gained selection in the Northern Region Athletics squad to compete at the Queensland Athletics trials later this year in Cairns. Excellent work girls!

Sports Awards:

As the Sports Awards Assembly is not too far away, I am inviting all parents and students to nominate Gilroy students to be acknowledged for a sporting achievement involved with School Sport during this year. This may involve you or someone you know, representing North Queensland, Queensland or Australia in a registered sporting event inside or outside of school sport. If you would like to be acknowledge, or you know of someone who should be acknowledged, please see Mrs Cerutti with evidence to support the level of achievement ie photo's in rep uniform, gameplay photo's, official programmes, Certificate of Achievement etc.

If you have any questions about this process please contact Mrs Cerutti at the Year level Coordinators room, break 1 or 2 during school, or send an email to ecerutti1@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au

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