29 April 2021

Newsletter Articles

Essential Emails

From the Principal

Dear Gilroy Santa Maria College Community,

It gives me great pleasure to write my first newsletter article as Principal of Gilroy Santa Maria College. Today (Tuesday) is officially my first day 'on the job' at Gilroy Santa Maria and I feel honoured to be given the opportunity to lead this great school. In preparation for my transition to GSM, I was fortunate to be able to spend considerable time last week attending events which has helped me hit the ground running and embrace the Catholic Education way of operation. Last week I attended the P&F meeting on Wednesday night, on Thursday I was at the school all day and was introduced to the school at the ANZAC Liturgy, in the afternoon I also attended the staff meeting and the School Board meeting in the evening. On Friday I had meetings at the Townsville Catholic Education Office and on Sunday I travelled to Cardwell to attend the ANZAC dawn service and the Cardwell Commemoration Ceremony with our students. To say I experienced ‘information overload’ is an understatement, however I feel well informed and part of the College community.

Throughout my introduction to Gilroy Santa Maria, I have felt a great sense of pride and community involvement and I have been made to feel welcome and overwhelmed with the messages of congratulations and the well wishes from students, staff, parents and TCEO. I do look forward to building relationships and networks with you all and continuing to deliver enhanced learning opportunities and spiritual growth for our students.

I welcome our families back to Term 2 and challenge all students to be organised and promptly settle into effective study patterns as this term will pass us by very quickly. Personally, last week felt like the start of a new school year with the non-stop wet season rain, minor flooding and disrupted bus runs - we could have been forgiven for thinking it was February.

My ‘start up’ at Gilroy Santa Maria College has been very smooth due to the professionalism and co-operation of many staff members contributing to ensure that I had the necessary information and tools to easily become part of the GSM team. In particular, I acknowledge and thank Mrs Melissa Carr for her efforts in introducing me to the many facets of the College and ensuring there were no surprises waiting for me. Melissa has done an amazing job as acting Principal and I trust she will reflect on the past months and appreciate the knowledge and experience she has gained as a school leader.

In closing, I look forward with great anticipation to being part of, and embracing everything Gilroy Santa Maria College has to offer and looking for opportunities to make our College even better.

God bless

Kevin Barnes
Principal

Around The School

ANZAC Day Services

Year 12 Retreat

Homeroom Trivia Winner 11B!

From the Assistant Principal (Administration & Curriculum)

Dear Gilroy Santa Maria College Community,

I would like to officially welcome our new College Principal Mr Kevin Barnes to our school community. Kevin was introduced to our students on our whole school Assembly last Thursday and also attended our P & F and Board meetings last week which gave him a great insight into how we operate. Kevin is a former student of Gilroy and has worked in a number of School Senior Leadership roles in our Community. I am sure our College community will make him feel very welcome. I would like to thank Mrs Joan Devietti for her time in the role of Acting Assistant Principal of Administration & Curriculum during Term 1 whilst I filled the role of Principal.

Parent / Teacher/ Student Interviews will be conducted on:

Thursday 13 May from 3:10pm through to 7:20pm (10 minute time slots).

Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews are a valuable component of successful home-school relationships and I encourage all parents/carers to attend. I would also strongly encourage your child to accompany you to the interview as this results in a consistent message being communicated to all parties.

The interview schedule consists of 10-minute time slots and you are able to book back-to back interviews. The interview system will be open to parents/carers to make bookings from 9:00am Wednesday 5 May until 3:00pm Wednesday 12 May.

After bookings close, you will only be able to view your bookings. Should you need to make any last minute cancellations or changes, you will need to contact Student Reception on 4776 2888.

Instructions on booking your interviews can be viewed at the link below:

Melissa Carr
Assistant Principal
(Administration & Curriculum)

Calendar Term 2

MUSICAL 2021

Tickets now available from the College office

Year 12 Retreat

Written by Isabella Melara – Year 12 Student and College Captain

The perfect beginning of the end, the end of our time at Gilroy. On the last week of Term 1, our Year 12 cohort had our final school retreat together at Tinaroo’s Genazzano centre. Together we focused on what the next chapters of our lives would look like and the journey we would take to get there. Self-reflection and gratitude were our focus during our days away. We took time to write positive affirmations to each other, go swimming in the lake, play volleyball and simply sit together to talk and reconnect. There were many opportunities to rekindle old friendships, strengthen the existing relationships and foster new connections.

On our final night we had a beautiful liturgy where we individually shared something we were grateful for, prayed for something we believed needed prayer and read letters that our parents had written us. Can I just say there were alot of tears..

Our Year 12 retreat was both emotionally and spiritually fulfilling, connecting with the beautiful surrounding nature, our year 12 family and our inner selves. It is a memory, I am sure, that we will all treasure for many years to come.

Pick up/ Drop off Zone

Please be reminded that you must not use the back dirt road behind our SMC (Hall). Cars are to enter via the front entrance of our school, go through the round-a-bout and go back the way you came (Through the front entrance of the school).

Thank you for your understanding.

Assistant Principal Religious Education

Dear Gilroy Santa Maria College Community,

Firstly, I would like to welcome back all staff and students to Term 2. I hope you all had a holy and relaxing Easter break. Despite the rain and mud, it has been a good start to the term. Also welcome to Mr Kevin Barnes, our new College Principal.

During the last week of Term 1, I had the privilege of taking the year 12 cohort on retreat at Genazzano’s. Along with Ms Rand, Mr Barbagallo, Ms Coyle and Mr Stewart, we enjoyed time out from the hustle and bustle of life and school to engage in activities centred around looking at where we have come from and where we are heading to this year and beyond. The commitment of the students was astounding and a credit to their strength of character and devotion to the college. Thank you to the staff who attended and helped with the organisation of the retreat and to the students for their participation.

Easter is a time of celebration. From Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, Jesus’ death of the cross, to his resurrection from the dead, this time is a celebration of Jesus love for us all. As we enter this new term at school, let us be reminded of Jesus ultimate sacrifice of love. Let us continue to serve those in need, treat others the way we would like to be treated and ultimately be the presence of Jesus in our school community!

God bless,

Christine Timms
Assistant Principal Religious Education

Careers & Work Placement

Apprenticeship News

Congratulations to Myles Tessieri (pictured below) who has recently signed up to a School Based Apprenticeship completing a Certificate III in Engineering with Jackson Welding and Fabrication

On Thursday 22nd April, Wilmar Victoria Mill hosted a Women In Trades day. Five of our senior students attended, along with some Ingham High School students, to gain some knowledge around the different trades and job opportunities that Wilmar have on offer. The students participated in a safety induction, tested sugar quality in the laboratory, spoke to engineers about current projects, witnessed demonstrations in the electrical, fitting & turning and boiler making workshops. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this valuable experience. A big thank you to Wilmar for allowing our students this wonderful opportunity.

Struggling at school

Please look into the web address below to find out more information about a government initiative that is focused on changing negative attitudes towards school and empower students to confidently face challenges that arise both in and outside of class, as well as providing direction for life beyond school. It gears towards self-empowerment and the belief that change happens when youth embrace ‘their different’ and find a hobby or passion that drives them and provides direction – unlocking doors of opportunity along the way.

How to help your child succeed

Success looks different for every child. If your child is struggling at school or refusing to go to school, knowing you are on their side is what matters most.

There is no one-size-fits-all simple solution to achieving success, but there are things you can do to help.

Recognising your child’s ‘little wins’ will allow them to experience the thrill and endorphin hit of achievement. This builds their confidence and motivates them to want more. When you put the ‘little wins’ together, they can make a big difference.

The Spark their Future website has tips on how to help your child succeed at school including a short video.

Visit the Spark their Future website for more information.

God Bless

Louise Costabeber
Careers Advisor

WORK PLACEMENT

In Week 10 of Term 2 (Tuesday 22 – Thursday 24 June), the Yr 10 students will have the opportunity to complete a three-day block of Work Experience. This activity is compulsory and will be undertaken by all Yr 10 students.

Work Experience is an important educational experience. It provides invaluable insight into the workplace and helps students develop the skills and qualities they will need for a successful transition into working life. It also provides a firsthand experience for students to explore and evaluate the career pathway of interest.

It is important that students choose their work experience placement carefully and find a placement in which they have a genuine interest. Many students in the past have been successful in obtaining part time work or a school-based traineeship/apprenticeship following work experience.

Due to COVID-19, students should ensure they follow their workplace guidelines.

It is expected that:

• students work the normal hours of the business
• students complete the 3 full days at their placement
• no payment is received
• the student follows the COVID-19 Guidelines
• the student arranges private transport to and from work
• the student makes the first contact with the placement
• the student completes the form (white) and returns it to Student Reception by Tuesday 11 May 2021

On the completion of the above process, students will be issued with a ‘Work Experience Placements for School Students’ form (yellow). This is required to be signed by the student, a parent/carer and the workplace contact and then returned to Student Reception for our records.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS: If your child is wishing to go to any of the following businesses, the College will make the initial contact for placement.

• Wilmar (due to COVID-19 restrictions, Wilmar has limited places)
• Hinchinbrook Shire Council/ Townsville City Council
• Primary schools

Unfortunately, due to confidentiality, the Ingham Hospital and Townsville Hospital are unable to take students, so please do not contact them.

Students also need to be mindful of any requirements they need prior to placement. For example, White Card for entering a construction site, appropriate work wear and boots etc.

Please contact Julie Zanghi at the school on 47762888 or email jzanghi1@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions or need assistance with this process.

Julie Zanghi
Work Experience Coordinator

Julie Zanghi
Work Placement Co-ordinator

Assistant Principal Pastoral

Dear Families,

I hope everyone enjoyed some dry weather over the holidays and got away somewhere to relax and reset. It has been a wet start to Term 2, but we are doing our best to keep students dry and entertained at lunch times.

We are once again tightening up on our uniform standards here at Gilroy Santa Maria and would like your support from home making sure your child leaves home dressed correctly for school. Getting these small things right helps later in life and helps students prepare for the workplace. Our cross country has had to be postponed due to the wet weather and farmers not able to access headlands to get these slashed. We will continue to work with the farmers but may have to run an alternate course this year due to time constraints of the Herbert River and NQ trials. We will keep everyone posted as we know more.

It was also great to see the level of participation at the ANZAC Day ceremonies over the weekend. Educating students/children about the history of this day and supporting them to come along to the parade each year is fantastic, and I thank all families who were involved.

The Resilience Project

This week’s Pastoral focus for our TRP program is Empathy.

Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s thoughts and feelings from their perspective.

Brain imaging data shows that being kind to others registers in the brain as more like eating chocolate than like fulfilling an obligation to do what’s right (e.g., eating brussel sprouts)!

Research shows that practicing empathy such as performing acts of kindness, taps into our brain’s ‘mirror neurons’, builds compassion and our behaviour becomes more social and community-based.

I ask you to please watch the following video, it has a great message and something we all could be doing/showing more of.

Part 3: Empathy of the series here:

Here’s an activity to practise empathy and kindness:

1. Reflect on someone in your life who could benefit from an act of kindness today. It could be a friend who would love some affirmation about their work, your pet who deserves an extra treat, or a family member who would love a phone call or text message.
2. Make a plan for who you are going to gift an act of kindness to, and what you are going to do.
3. If you want to add accountability to your plan, share it with someone else and encourage them to do the same thing.
4. Follow up with each other in a few days time, to ask how it went!

God Bless

Mr Matthew Schrodter
Assistant Principal - Pastoral

Young Vinnies

Young Vinnies: What is it? What do they do?

This year our Young Vinnies group is trying something new: A COOK UP CLUB! Our aim is to have a cook up once a term where we will prepare several meals suitable for freezing. These meals will be donated to the Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre (HUB) who will distribute them to people / families in our community in need of support. Our first cook up will be this Friday from 3pm to 6pm. Our students have organised fundraising activities to raise money for ingredients. We have already completed an Easter Raffle and have a free dress day scheduled for week 9 of this term. At the moment, the students are selling frozen cups during the second break. This is a great initiative, and we will keep you informed of our progress.

God Bless

Rita Martin
Teacher (Young Vinnies Co-ordinator)

Breakfast Club!

Have you missed breakfast??

Come along to the Gilroy Santa Maria Breakfast Club which starts next Wednesday 5 May and will continue each Wednesday of the school term.

Venue: Tuckshop area at SMC
Cost: Free!
Menu: Cereal, Toast & Spreads and whatever donations of food come our way.
How can you help? If you enjoy cooking (or are just feeling generous) please feel free to cook something for our breakfast club.

You could contribute to our breakfast club by including something extra for us in your next grocery shop. Suggestions: a box of cereal, a tin of milo, a container of milk, a container of pancake mix, a loaf of bread, a jar of vegemite / jam or any breakfast item. Any donations will be gratefully accepted.

Thank you for your support.

Rita Martin
Teacher

Social Term 2

The Term 2 Social will be on May 6 in the SMC
Entry is $4 in costume and $5 out

From the Business Manager

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Term 2!

Invoices for Term 2 fees and levies will be issued by the end of Week 2. Please keep an eye out in your emails for the statement.

Lots of things happening this term involving payments to the school. Musical, Mulkadee, Confro & QISSN just to name a few. If you are paying into the school bank account, please do not forget to enter a detail and name so I can allocate the payment correctly.

In accordance with the mission, values and ethos of our school, we remain committed to providing an education to all of students regardless of their financial circumstances.

BPAY is our preferred method of payment. The details are on the family statement. You can also pay weekly, fortnightly, monthly or by term by Payway, direct debit, credit card, cash or cheque

As always, if you have any questions or queries, please contact the Principal or myself to discuss the matter. The sooner you make contact the sooner we can work together for a solution.

2021 School Fees

God Bless

Ros Giuliano
Business Manager

Sports News

CROSS COUNTRY NEWS

Unfortunately, due to the wet weather, the Inter-house Cross country has been POSTPONED (was scheduled for Friday 30 April).

We will keep students up to date with dates for the Inter-house, Inter-school, and NQ Cross country events.

NQ SELECTION NEWS

Congratulations to the following students who were selected into the NQ U12 School Girls Netball Team at the recent trials held. They will now compete at the upcoming State Championships.

Ella Kaurila
Jess Furber

Congratulations to ROCKY JENSEN on being selected in to the NQ U12 Rugby League Team to compete at the State Championships!

JCU TSV FIRE – BASKETBALL

See below for more details about this awesome clinic!

Wilmar Ingham Basketball Clinic

FREE

Registrations are now open for you to Join Fire players and Staff in Ingham on the 21st May for a fun filled afternoon.

All skill levels are welcome! Even if you have never touched a basketball we want you there!

Boys and Girls aged between 8 - 17years old.

Fire Players and Staff will teach you all kinds of skills and drills PLUS you'll have loads of fun with different games and activities the staff have planned.

Everyone must register at ourfirefoundation.com.au to participate in the clinic.

More details about the Wilmar clinic will be emailed once you have submitted your registration online

We cant wait to see you all.

Limited spots available.

JCU Townsville Fire

RUGBY LEAGUE NEWS

Our U15 and Open Rugby League teams have a number of upcoming games both at GSM and in Townsville which is excellent. Please ensure the permission notes are returned ASAP – see Mr Schiff if you have not got a note!

English Department

This term students across years 7-9 will be participating in the Premier's Reading Challenge. This is not a competition but a way to encourage students to develop a love of reading for life. Through the challenge, students are given an opportunity to develop their appreciation of the English language and are encouraged to explore and enjoy a wide range of literary texts. The students who complete the challenge have their efforts recognised through the receipt of a Certificate of Achievement signed by the Premier of Queensland, and we plan to present certificates during the Premier's Reading Challenge Celebration weeks in November.

If you have a child in years 7-10, please encourage and support their participation in this endeavour by participating in talking about the books and their authors, asking questions, perhaps modeling reading at home.

Reminder: English tutoring is available every Tuesday in C1 unless otherwise stated in the morning notices.

Mrs Nicola Winterbourn
English Teacher

Academic Support Program

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

Tuckshop News

VOLUNTEERS ARE ALWAYS NEEDED!!

Tuckshop Volunteers are only needed to work from 8:30am to 11:30am.

Please note: The NEW lunch times are as follows:

1st Lunch – 10:55am – 11:20am
2nd Lunch – 12:50pm - 1:30pm

Start time is preferably 8:30am – 11:30am 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]

TUCKSHOP MENU

What’s Happening in the Parish

Ingham Region Catholic Parishes Newsletter:

Father Damian McGrath
Parish Priest
Ingham Region Catholic Parishes

Hair & Fashion Show

ESafety Education

NEW webinar: eSafety's guide to parental controls

Our new webinar, eSafety's guide to parental controls, will look at how parents and carers can set up devices and apps to help keep young people safer online.

This webinar is targeted to parents and carers of 5 to 13-year-olds.

Encourage your parent community to register for the webinar. Share this with your school community using the sample text (below), ready for your next email, newsletter, blog post or on your social media channels.

Register for the free webinar, eSafety's guide to parental controls, for parents and carers from the eSafety Commissioner.

The webinar will look at how parents and carers can set up devices and apps to help kids and young people stay safe online.

It will cover:

• the benefits and limitations of parental controls
• how to set up iOS and Android devices for safety
• how to set up popular games and apps like YouTube and Roblox for safety
• using family tech agreements and other parenting strategies to manage online risks
• how eSafety can help when things go wrong.

This webinar will include practical tips, demonstrations and advice.

To register, visit: esafety.gov.au/parents

Learn more

Last chance to register for virtual classrooms

Virtual classrooms are a great resource to help you start the chat about online safety with students in years 3-6. eSafety are offering schools one last chance to register for the popular virtual classrooms Be an eSafe kid; fake news, real harms and Be an eSafe kid: Being an upstander.

Don't miss out. Enrol your class today.

Enrol now

Updated resource: Rewrite Your Story

We are excited to share our updated lesson plans for our award-winning video resource, Rewrite Your Story. They're based on real-life examples of cyberbullying to help prompt discussions in the classroom about young people's experiences and how to get help. Watch the videos and download the lesson plans.

The resource is suitable for students in lower and middle secondary years.

Learn more

2021 Teacher Professional Learning Program

Our professional learning webinar for teachers, Online harmful sexual behaviours, misinformation and emerging technologies, is now available. The webinar is suitable for primary and secondary teachers, counsellors, psychologists and teaching support staff.

Participants who complete the course will be able to:

• identify online harmful sexual behaviours, and develop skills to support students’ knowledge of consent, online respect and refusal skills
• identify the impact of online misinformation and support students to develop skills to critically evaluate information and trusted sources
• explore the social and safety implications of emerging technologies and understand the key safety skills young people will require.

Participants will also receive a certificate for two hours of professional learning.

Enrol now

Responding to cyber abuse

As part of eSafety's Toolkit for Schools, designed to support schools create a safer online environment, we have developed eSafety's Guide to cyber abuse that targets staff. The guide provides advice for Australian schools about how to respond when staff are targets of cyber abuse.

The resources can be used on their own or collectively. Once you’ve downloaded the Respond resources, we encourage you to download the resources from Prepare, Engage and Educate.

Access the toolkit

Resources for Early Years

At eSafety, we know it is never too early to start talking about online safety with young people. Our Early Years program for educators has been designed to help improve online safety for our youngest Australians. You can use the resources developed for families, to help with conversations about online safety.

Access resources

Professional learning for early childhood educators

Equip yourself with online safety skills and knowledge for the early years with our professional learning modules.

Access all four modules, free of charge, through Early Childhood Australia’s

Learning Hub.

Find out more

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