I trust you have read my email regarding our move to ban the use of mobile devices during break times. We already ban them in Primary and in Secondary, phones are already banned during class.  Thank you to the many parents who have emailed in expressing their support for this move.

I had a very good conversation with a student who was questioning why those who do not have an over-use or reliance problem also needed to be included in the ban. This is a great question but as I reminded him, our society often imposes rules on all of us even though many of us do not need the rule. The majority sometimes relinquish their right to something to help those for whom that practice is an issue. For Christian people, this is in line with the Scripture’s call to us to put others first and to consider Jesus’ example who laid aside His own rights in order to serve us.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have concerns for your child. We have some children who are reliant on their devices for a range of valid reasons, although I think we can always find a way to support them without breaching our new requirement.

Thanks also to those who responded to the traffic and bus email. I realise that in sending out the email to you all, it is personalised to you but I am writing to the community not to you personally – my apologies if you felt accused of doing something you did not and are not doing! I will try to make my communication clearer in future.

We are planning to get a traffic engineer to review our traffic issues and to see if we can come up with a better process for the afternoon pickup. Just because something has been approved does not mean it is the best solution nor the most workable. Bear with us as we try to make this safer and more efficient.

I am a proponent of the idea of a partnership between school and home in education. I believe we need to commit to each other in the education of our children and make it a priority to maintain positive relationships. If either party gets too demanding of the other, it is hard to work out positive solutions. As a school, we are committed to doing our best for your child and sometimes that involves discipline and correction. We are not picking on your child but seeking to help them grow in character and capacity.

All of us as parents have experiences of our children disappointing us with their behaviour or attitude at times. They are growing and will make mistakes. It is as we work together not against each other, that they will become strong and mature individuals.

It has been so lovely to have sunshine again. It lifts our spirits and helps with behaviour. With more rain forecast, let’s be patient with our children and creative about how we help them cope with rainy days, COVID isolation and the general pressures of modern life. When we do this in partnership, it is easier all round.

A reminder to please keep your child/children at home if they have COVID-19 symptoms, even if they test negative. 

Uniform is not the most important aspect of school.

It does however, provide a sense of identity and belonging to a school community. It also gives a level of professional attire to students that they will often have to adhere to in the world of employment.

We are continuing our focus on uniform and making sure that it is worn correctly to the expectations of the Uniform Policy.

In the eyes of students there is an idea that when a rule is enforced that it is unfair and arguments ensue.

In the end if our students do not meet the expectation of the Uniform Policy, they will get a Uniform Detention. I have asked staff to follow through with the expectation of our students following the Uniform Policy; there is no need for argument or conflict as students have been warned.

The following areas are the most common issues with uniform and if you could encourage adherence in these areas the issue will dissipate.

1. Shirts untucked for boys.
2. Skirts too short.
3. Sports uniform worn on non-practical days.
4. Incorrect school shoes and socks.
5. Too much jewellery.
6. No black belt for boys with the formal uniform.

Our GPCC Secondary Athletics Carnival is coming up on Thursday 17 March 2022 at Mingara. A reminder that this is a compulsory school event.  

When: Thursday 17 March 2022 

Venue: Mingara Regional Athletics 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. 

Booking Transport for GPCC Athletics Carnival

Our Events module is back online and we thank you for your patience. You are now required to please book your child's seat on the Parent Lounge.

Please log into the Parent Lounge and locate the Events named which is listed in the Events and Payments tab:

1. Transport to the Secondary Athletics Carnival
   
   
2. Transport from the Secondary Athletics Carnival

When the appropriate boxes are ticked, you will need to select "Accept" in the box below the cost box, and then select "Save" at the bottom of the page to complete the acceptance.

You will need to read and acknowledge the attachments, terms and conditions by no later than 4.00pm on Tuesday 15 March 2022.

Chapel/Life in Week 9

In Week 9, ChapelLife will run on Thursday 24 March (instead of Wednesday).

With mental health being our focus in Weeks 8-10 of this term, special guest speaker Collett Smart will be addressing our students at Chapel, and later in the evening will run a Parent Seminar on 'Parenting with Purpose - Raising Resilient Kids'.

Please see our Community News section for more information.

Fundraiser

Tonga Focus Week  

Week 9 (21-25 March) will be a fundraising focus week for Tonga relief.  There will be a number of different activities happening during this week.  More details next week.  

Years 7-10 Parent/Teacher Interviews

Parent/ Teacher Interviews for Years 7 to 10 students will be held on Tuesday 5 April 2022 in the MPC.

More information on how to book these interviews will be advised soon.

Year 11 Biology   

Year 11 Biology students underwent their first Practical Assessment today investigating how enzymes are affected by temperature, pH, and concentration of reactants and products. All students were engaged and collaborated well, stayed on task and got some excellent results. Well done Year 11 Biology!

Book Club

Issue 2 orders are due online LOGIN (scholastic.com.au) by Wednesday 23 March. The YVCS now has their own school account. If you did not receive your Issue 1 order please email me, nvanwyk@gpcc.nsw.edu.au

Student Contributions in The Messenger