New Look Newsletter
We have been working on ways to improve our communication for some time. The newsletter is an important means of passing on information but we are aware that some of you are having problems with the older format. Some of the challenges include the newsletter being too big to download quickly and too large to read and navigate your way through the information.
For this reason, we have created a new way of passing on newsletter information. Rather than the emailed link taking you to a PDF version of the newsletter, the email will contain a list of hyperlinked stories that have been uploaded onto the home page of our website. You can click on any story that grabs your interest and the link will take you directly to that article.
Once you are in the article you will see a menu to the left which lists stories according to section. Sections are in alphabetical order and include: Library, Middle School, P and F, Prep, Primary, Principal, Senior School, Sport, Staff and Community News. Simply click on the category that interests you or click on All News to see every article that has been uploaded during the last fortnight. You will see a photo and the first sentence of the article – just enough to know if you want to click on the link and read more.
Other benefits of this system are that we can upload many more photos without slowing or freezing your computer and we can post stories and photos as they happen. For example, the stories and photo galleries for the Primary and Secondary District Swimming Carnivals were uploaded on Monday 25 February.
This means that the old format of the newsletter (what you are currently reading) will simply be text only and still be available on the GCCC website under College Life, Newsletters. You have the choice of downloading a simple PDF document quickly but without any photos or clicking onto the website links.
DANGER – IMPORTANT WARNING
The majority of children injured or killed in school transportation incidents are injured outside the bus. Most are struck by motorists who just can’t see a child when they walk out between buses or cars. I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is to instil good safety practices in your children by repeatedly talking with them and modelling safe behaviour yourself.
I have been horrified to witness many occasions when children are not using the crossing and are instead walking across the road from between the buses. What is worse is that these children are with an adult or parent! There are lots of things young children can forget or don’t understand properly but as parents, we know the dangers and should behave accordingly.
If someone is hit by a car even going 20km per hour they have a 10% chance of being killed and the incidence of injury is higher again. Around 70% of car to pedestrian collisions occur when the motorist is travelling within the speed limit so even though we will continue to exhort drivers to be vigilant, the need to encourage and model safe practices for our children is even more important.
I am asking all parents, guardians and adults to display the G.R.E.A.T. values of our College to other members of the GCCC community in the car park and around the College. Show GODLINESS by loving one another (no road rage); show RESPECT by not parking in the disabled car parks; display EXCELLENCE in adhering to the road rules; have the right ATTITUDE in considering others, be TEACHABLE and teach your children to only cross at the crossings.
School Photos
You will see by the calendar on the GCCC website that it is once again school photo time. Prep to Year 6 will have their photo taken on Tuesday 5 March and Year 7 to Year 12 (plus siblings) will have their photos taken on Tuesday 12 March. The photo catch up day is scheduled for Thursday 14 March.
Please ensure that your child is correctly attired for these days. If they need a haircut, please attend to that. Middle and Senior School male students must wear ties. If you don’t yet have a tie, please visit the Uniform Shop urgently.
Let me encourage you to take some time to teach your son how to tie his tie before the school photo day. In previous years, the photo process has been held up considerably by students turning up without their ties on and then not knowing how to tie them correctly.
Students who are not correctly attired or whose haircut is deemed to be inappropriate will not have their photo taken.
P and F Family Fun Day
It was very disappointing to have to postpone the P and F Family Fun Day due to lack of responses.
This event is now scheduled for Saturday, 16 March from 11am to 3pm so please take a minute to RSVP your attendance to [email protected] so food, drinks and events can be planned in plenty of time.
This event has always been a highlight in the College calendar and I am looking forward to seeing you all there.
Mike Curtis, Principal