You will find this on all our materials and displayed prominently around the school in classrooms, the MPC and so on.  Having established our purpose to help students to live well as God intended, we need a picture of what such a person might look and live like. 

The Graduate Profile contains five key focal points for us as a school which we trust parents will acknowledge and seek to support. We do not expect every student to conform to the profile by the time they reach Year 12, we in fact hope they strive to be increasingly conformed to it as they move on through life.

We begin with Godly in Character as the starting point. We desire that our students come to know God and enter relationship with him through what Jesus Christ has done on the cross. This re-union with their Creator leads to a transformation of their character so that they become an image of Jesus who is a living example for us of what it means to be fully human. To have Godly character is to exhibit the characteristics of the God-human, Jesus Christ, portrayed for us in the Scriptures.

To be collaborative arises from the belief that we are designed to belong to a group, to the family of God’s people, and to contribute to the harmony of the group and the welfare of society. Being collaborative means putting others first and at times laying aside our own desires and needs in favour of serving others and contributing to a good cause.

A life-long learner is one who recognises that we live in an amazing and complex world created by an infinite God so there is an unending supply of new things to learn. Growth is normal for a human being and a Godly person commits to a lifestyle of learning to be that person. They also learn about the world in which we live so they can exercise their commission to care for the world and develop it.

Creative and critical thinkers are necessary for us to fulfill the Creation Mandate to develop society for human flourishing. Being made in the image of the Creator God, we are naturally imbued with creativity which needs to be released and utilised for good. Recognising we live in a fallen and broken world means we constantly ask good questions about what is wrong and how can restore it. We don’t just accept things as they are but seek the truth, recognising that in our humanness, we will have limited understanding.

Finally, we are created for community so engaging in society is natural to us. We are individuals but we are first created for fellowship. We are called to engage with each other in helpful and supportive ways for the betterment of society. We do not live for ourselves but for God and others, so we look for ways to contribute through positive action to the flourishing of all.

Imagine what a wonderful world we might live in, if we all worked to conform to this profile. We seek to model this to our students and then encourage them to be like this.

It has been a very busy start to the year.  The students have made a consistent start to their studies for the year and teachers have reported that it has been a calm start through all Year groups.

Just a reminder if you have any issues, your child’s teacher or Year Advisor is the first port of call.

The Year Advisors are: Year 7 - Mrs Kerrie Rochford, Year 8 - Mr Daniel Witanowski, Year 9 - Mr Jon Oppel, Year 10 - Mr Chris Haines, Year 11 - Mr James Wright, and Year 12 - Mr Matthew Newell. 

Year 7 Camp

Our Year 7 camp is on this Wednesday 16 February.  Please make sure to be vigilant about meeting all the requirements sent to you in relation to the camp. 

If your child is ill, please do not send them on the camp.

Students are to be at school no later than 7:15am on Wednesday morning please.

Uniform

The grace period for getting uniform correct is now passed. It is time for students to wear the uniform correctly.  Uniform needs to meet the expectation of the Uniform Policy and if it does not then Uniform Detentions will be issued. 

GPCC Swimming Carnival

Our GPCC Secondary Swimming Carnival is coming up on Friday 25 February 2022 at Mingara. A reminder that this is a compulsory school event.

When: Friday 25 February 2022

Venue: Mingara Leisure Centre

Time: Carnival will begin at 9:00am and conclude at 2:30pm 

What to wear/bring: House colours, sports uniform, recess and lunch 

Transport: All students are required to make their own way to and from the carnival.  If your child cannot make their own way to the carnival, there will be limited seating available on the College bus. Please note the bus will arrive at the carnival after the first event which commences at 9.00am.

If students require transport on the College bus, the first bus will depart GPCC at 8:30am (last bus will be departing at 8:50am) and return by 3:00pm.  

Please indicate on Parent Lounge (not at the Office) by Tuesday 22 February 2022 if your child requires bus transport. 

If your child requires bus transport you will need to log into your Parent Lounge and in 'Events and Payments' locate the events named:

1. TRANSPORT TO 2022 GPCC SECONDARY SWIMMING CARNIVAL and/or;
2. TRANSPORT FROM 2022 GPCC SECONDARY SWIMMING CARNIVAL

and tick the bus transport options.

Note: Once seating capacity is reached on the bus, we cannot accept any student requests for transport to and/or from the carnival.

Years 11 and 12 Parent/Teacher Night will be held Tuesday, 22 February 2022 for Years 11 and 12 (depending on COVID restrictions).

Year 7 Meet the Teacher and Faculty Night will be held on Tuesday, 8March 2022 in the MPC (depending on COVID restrictions). 

Secondary School Thanksgiving and Academic Assembly 

Congratulations to all our students who received awards for 2021 at our Secondary Thanksgiving and Academic Assembly last Monday. 

Visit our website for more details and photos: https://www.gpcc.nsw.edu.au/education-learning/secondary-7-12/secondary-thanksgiving-and-academic-assembly-2021

Year 9 Visual Arts Excursion to Pearl Beach 

Our Year 9 VA students enjoyed a wonderful day on Thursday in the sunshine at Pearl Beach, compiling a collection of their sketches, paintings and photos for a landscape artwork to be completed in class.

Year 8 Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) Incursion

Kylie McGillivray from MAF, visited our Year 8 Biblical Studies classes as part of the MAF School Partnership program. They aim to offer students a unique opportunity to learn about the thrilling world of adventure, hope and mission opportunities available through MAF.

Through tailor-made school presentations and Virtual Reality experiences, students will be inspired to think about how they too can be part of real, life-changing work, both now and in the future. 

Applications for HSC Disability Provisions 

Disability provisions in the HSC are practical adjustments designed to assist students who would otherwise have difficulty demonstrating what they know in an exam.

Students must meet disability criteria and provide evidence such as confirmation of diagnosis via documentation from an external professional. This information is then submitted to NESA for review and a determination of eligibility made.

Applications are due by Week 10 of Term 1.

If you wish to find out more or would like to apply for provisions, please phone Sarah Brown at the College or email sbrown@gpcc.nsw.edu.au

NSW 2022 Adolescent Vaccination Program for Year 7 Students 

Immunisation is the simplest and most effective way of protecting people against vaccine preventable diseases. NSW Health and the Central Coast Local Health District are providing the opportunity for routine scheduled adolescent vaccinations to all Year 7 students over a series of visits in 2022.

A team of specially trained nurses will provide the following vaccinations: 

1. Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (Whooping Cough) vaccine

This is a single booster dose.

2. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine

This is a two dose course with at least six months between dose 1 and dose 2. 

What to do if you want your child vaccinated at school 

Parents/carers are advised to:

Read the 2022 program information kit sent home this week.

In blue or black pen, complete the consent form and sign for the vaccination(s) you wish your child to receive.

Return the completed consent form to the school prior to the first clinic day on Wednesday 23 February 2022. 

Please note: No vaccine will be given at any school vaccination clinic unless the original consent form is signed and returned by the parent/carer.

What if I have submitted a signed consent form and my child is absent on the clinic date? 

The consent form will be retained by the School Immunisation Team, who will make every effort to 'catch up' with your child throughout the year. SMS messages will also be sent to your nominated mobile phone with advice on the 'catch up' process. 

What if I am late submitting the consent form but still want my child vaccinated?

Complete and sign the consent form and return it to the school as soon as possible. The immunisation team will check for any new forms and your child will be vaccinated at the next available school clinic.

If you need a new form please contact the school or the Public Health Unit on 4320 9730, (option 2).

What to do if you do not want your child vaccinated at school?

If you do not wish for your child to receive any of the vaccinations being offered DO NOT RETURN THE CONSENT FORM to the school. It is recommended that you notify the school that you do not wish for your child to participate in the program. 

For more information about the NSW School Vaccination Program:

Go to www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation or contact the Central Coast Public Health Unit Immunisation Co-ordinator on 4320 9730, (option 2).

Last Friday we held our 2022 Primary Swimming Carnival at Mingara Aquatic Centre. We had a wonderful day where many students displayed excellent swimming skills, teamwork and enthusiasm. I was very impressed with the cheering and encouragement coming from the grandstand, in addition to the action happening in the pool.

A special mention goes to Reef M who broke the 11yrs Boys 50m Butterfly record with a super-fast time of 38.13 seconds. Well done Reef!

We look forward to taking a strong squad to the THACCCSA Zone Swimming Carnival on 17 February where many children will have the chance to showcase their skills once more.

Age Champions and the winning House will be announced at a Chapel service in the near future.

I would like to thank the teachers and Parent Helpers who helped make the day so special.

GPCC Sport Teams

With sport events resuming in 2022, we are looking forward to sending our teams to a number of Gala Days and competitions in Primary School.

Students will have a chance to trial for these school teams over the coming terms and will need to keep a close eye on the notices for when trials are held.

The protocol for team selection is as follows:

• Students register their interest in signing up, listing:
• Playing experience, including years played
• Preferable positions played
• Rep experience
• Teams have at least two trials before final selection 
• Once teams have been chosen, they will aim to have many training sessions before a competition

Please email Mr McSwan before these dates if your child (Years 5 and 6 only) would like to be considered. They need to be currently playing in the sport and have several years experience (preferably at a Representative level):

CSSA Sport dates

Friday 4 March - CSSA Primary Soccer Trials- Nominations close 25 February

CIS Sport dates

Friday 4 March - CIS Primary AFL Trials- Nominations close 25 February

Dates for your Calendar

PRIMARY

School Carnivals

TBC      (Term 3)     - GPCC K-2 Swimming Carnival (Peninsula Leisure Centre)

TBC                          - GPCC Primary Cross Country Carnival (Hylton Moore)

Friday 29 April        - GPCC Infants and Primary Athletics Carnival (Mingara)

Book Club

Issue 1 orders are due online LOGIN (scholastic.com.au) by Friday 18 February. Classes have been changed for 2022, Secondary students can order under my name (Nicole van Wyk) and I will let them know when orders are in the Library.

Library Lovers Day

Monday 14 February is Library Lovers Day. Students can enjoy the discovery of exciting novels in all genres and to uncover something new to read. The theme for 2022 is 'Show the Love'. We have asked our staff to nominate their favourite childhood book and these are on display in the Primary Library with a sticker on the front to let you know which teacher has chosen that particular book. There are also chocolates, bookmarks and activities for students visiting the Library on Monday.

Story Time - Term 1

Story time will not run onsite during Term 1. A program is being sent down to preschool students, however we are hoping to be able to resume in Term 2, restrictions allowing.