Mr Peter McLellan | Head of Secondary

The history of Green Point Christian College includes wonderful times and also sad times. It is through our history we can better understand who we are as a school and our culture. Two years ago on 15 May, one of our staff members, Mr Mark Welch passed away. His passing is part of our history and he helped shape us through his work in the Technologies Department of our College. It is good to remember people who influenced us for who we are today.

A reminder of what I sent in an email this week for things to focus on during the next few weeks to return to normal routines.

1) Uniform has not been up to standard for some students. The length of many of the girls’ shorts and skirts are too short. If they no longer fit, the expectation is that new items will need to be purchased.

Only GPCC school jackets should be worn to school as a number of students are consistently turning up with other styles of clothing.

Uniform should also be neat and tidy and worn correctly (not dishevelled).

2) Attendance – we want to get to as much consistency as possible in attending school.

We understand that some students are returning on a gradual basis and this is fine if parents are making this choice. It becomes difficult when students are coming to school and then they are making decisions with their friends to not attend on the next day. Once you have decided for your child to return full-time, that needs to be a permanent expectation for your child.

3) 7-Eleven is not an option for any student at this point in time. We allow Year 12 students as part of their privileges to go there during a day, however being careful with our social distancing, we do not want any students going to the service station including Year 12.

Top 5 Tips for Dealing with HSC Stress
Every student approaches their upcoming HSC exams differently, but if you are in panic mode, follow our stress management advice to help you get through this challenging time. Remember, if you are feeling particularly overwhelmed, do not be afraid to reach out to your teachers, tutors or a parent – they too have been through this and came out alive! Here’s how to deal with HSC stress:

(1) Don’t be unrealistic:
You have spent most of your life at school, so you know your capabilities and limits. The key thing is to do your best, and that will always be good enough. Keep telling yourself this every time you feel overwhelmed with pressure to be top of the class.

(2) Take time out: It’s not healthy to constantly have your nose in a book. So drawing up a realistic revision schedule and sticking to it is a great way to stay focused. Don’t forget to include some time for relaxation away from your books.

(3) Get some exercise: Not only is it a great way to deal with HSC stress, but a quick 15 minute jog around the block will max out your concentration span.

(4) Don’t listen to your friends: Chances are, they won’t tell you they spent all weekend studying for fear of looking daggy. On the other hand, there will be some of your friends who will tell you they will just "wing" the exams. Don’t use them as a benchmark – know what you have to do and do it.

(5) Revise methodically: Rote learning is not particularly useful, so write out important dates, facts, or passages and stick notes around your house in plain sight. After a while, these facts will sink in without any extra effort on your part.

Year 10Y Geography

130,000 tonnes of plastic finds its way into waterways and into the ocean every year (WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Australia, 2019).

Year 10Y Geography are studying Environment Change and Management. The students conducted a litter audit of the boundary between the oval fence and Egans Creek last week, to investigate the nature of plastic pollution at school.

A few sport equipment articles and some tyres were the large items collected, but by far food packing was the most frequent culprit.

Packaged food wrappers accounted for 60 litter items and there were 100 pieces of clingwrap.

Students were surprised at the number of items and how many were plastic. There was some interest in who may be most responsible, but due to run-off and wind conditions, it was concluded that it is a College wide responsibility. There is further scope for audits in different areas focusing on microplastics and other single use plastic.

Well done to these students.