Open Day 16 May 10am to 2pm
Open Day is tomorrow and I am really looking forward to the event. Each year I am hugely impressed by the hard work and dedication of our students and staff which make this such a great event. We always have lots of positive feedback from visitors about Open Day but what they mention the most are our students.
Our students are the stars of Open Day. Whether it is serving a cake and coffee with a smile, being an enthusiastic tour guide, greeting visitors as they arrive or participating in one of the many performances, our students are the stand out success of our Open Day.
I am very aware that it is thanks to you as parents that help our students shine. I really appreciate the time you take out of your Saturday to bring your children to College in their full uniform so they are in time to perform their various duties.
The animal nursery and jumping castle were such big hits that we have brought them back again. Due to the increased size of the College with the opening of the new Year 1 buildings we have hired a trackless train to provide free rides for all of our visitors wanting to explore the campus in a more leisurely way.
The Open Day program is on the home page of our website and hard copies will be handed out on the day but you can also click here if you would like to go directly to the program. I look forward to seeing you all on the day.
Flood Policy
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the parents and students who coped with the extensive delays and inconveniences with such good grace during the flooding that happened on Friday 2 May. It was a scary time for parents whose children were on delayed buses and I appreciate the decency shown by them in this stressful time.
I also want to thank all the bus companies and everyone else who went above and beyond to take good care of the students and ensure their safety and comfort. We heard stories of one bus where a parent went out and bought snacks for all the children; another busload was taken care of by the generosity of a nearby cafe. Even though it was a hazardous time, it was good to see everyone pitch in and take care of each other with such big-hearted spirit.
We knew rain was forecast but there was no hint of the severity that hit our local area in particular. First thing Monday after the event, we held a debrief and from that we are formulating a specific Flood Policy. When this is finalised, it will be on our website so everyone is aware of the procedure if something like this were to happen again.
Feed a Farmer Day
The same day as the big wet we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch put on by our Agricultural Science and Hospitality students. Jade King sent out invitations to all the local farmers who have been helping with our Ag program. The big wet worked in favour for once and farmers who normally would not be able to get away from their duties, were able to attend and we ended up with about 60 people at the lunch. Jade roasted a pig on a spit and the Hospitality students provided the rest. It was a great event and I am very proud of our Hospitality and Agricultural Science students.
Cross Country Carnivals
Last week we enjoyed all three Cross Country Carnivals in one week so the Sports and Maintenance Departments have been very busy.
We were blessed with perfect weather for each event and our students rose to the occasion by doing their best and by embodying our core principles of excellence and respect. There was a great atmosphere of cheering the other teams and none of the nasty stuff that can sometimes attach itself to competitive sporting events.
There are photos (lots) and articles on the Cross Country carnivals later on in this newsletter. Many of you may have already seen the photos on our Facebook page.
Children pick up a lot of their behaviour from parents and your attitude of cheering everyone on in good sportsmanship will go a long way in helping your children become mature, respectful and of good character.
NAPLAN
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual national assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students in these year levels participated in tests for Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (i.e. spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy this week. Children in these year levels have been undergoing a comprehensive preparation program that looks at, amongst other things, test-taking skills, question familiarity and refreshment of previous learning.
These tests provide parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests. NAPLAN does not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance.
Non-Government Transport Assistance Scheme
Many of you may be eligible for the Government Schools Transport Assistance Scheme. The link is on our website under College Life, Bus and Transport Services or you can click here to take you straight to the website. IMPORTANT: The deadline for subsidy applications is the 31 May so you will need to act quickly.
Speed limit 10 km/h slow down!
Please adhere to the strict speed of 10 km/h around the College. I have been noticing that, due to the better flow of the traffic, speeds have been creeping up to unacceptable levels. Remember there are 930+ children around this campus at any one particular time and we need to be mindful of every one of them. Even if you are running late the safety of our children must be our first priority. Imagine if one of our students got hit by a car travelling at 20 or 30km/h; it is a horrible thought.
Pave the way to learning
This is an important reminder that the P and F are having a fund raiser which is called “Pave the Way to Learning.” This project involves buying a custom engraved brick to be paved into a new path on our campus.
All College families are invited to purchase a personalised brick and the P and F have opened this opportunity to GCC staff members. As a young College we have a lot of history in front of us and I invite you to be part of that history by commemorating your families’ time at GCC.
One brick costs $30 and is tax deductible. This is a great fund raiser because not only does it help beautify the College, it doesn’t involve eating and selling copious amounts of chocolate!
All the information is on our website.