Legacy Cup
On Monday our houses competed in the Legacy Cup. This competition is not about a competing to find out who is the fastest or strongest but rather we compete in a much less traditional way. The competition on Monday was about serving our community. In the Senior School, 180 students walked through the Beerwah community collecting rubbish. This was a great way to demonstrate service to our community. Congratulations to Zion House who won this stage of the Legacy Cup.
The Spirit of ANZAC
On ANZAC day the College was well represented at the Beerwah march and service. It was wonderful to see so many young people paying their respects. The main speaker on the day was the son of one of our Beerwah veterans. In his message he spoke of how many countries try to forget whilst in Australia it seems we always try to remember. The reason he gave for this was because, as a nation, we have always fought for peace. We celebrate the Spirit of the ANZACs and the qualities of endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour, and, of course, mateship. These characteristics are encouraged daily at the College
Celebration of Student Achievements in Term 1
We celebrate success at the start of each term by recognising those students who have worked hard the previous term and achieved excellent results. At our last Assembly we handed out certificates of academic excellence to
- Students who work hard and got Very Good for effort in all or all but one of their subjects; and
- Students achieved an A for overall achievement in at least half their subjects.
On assembly I handed out 20 certificates for Excellence in Effort and a further 22 certificates for excellence in overall grades. This means that approximately 11% of our students are receiving academic excellence certificates. I congratulate all those who have worked so hard.
Dangers of Smartphones
Technology is a privilege and with it comes a great deal of responsibility. Recently I read a couple of articles about the dangers of some smartphone apps. If you place this technology into the hands of your child then I encourage you to maintain an active dialogue with them about the use of the technology and the way it can be abused and how it can ultimately be extremely dangerous. Please read/watch these:
- 22 April, 2014 – Channel 7 Sunrise
- 16 April, 2014 – 7 dangerous Apps that parents need to know about
Kristin Peaks states “I know it’s overwhelming to keep up with your kids and their online habits. But just remember to check their phones often, and even more importantly have real life conversations with them. Discuss the dangers of the Apps and make sure they understand the need to keep personal information private.”
After School detentions
Some students have been failing to attend an afterschool detention and whilst we endeavour to accommodate genuine issues parents may have with collection of students and other family constraints, we believe that some students are abusing this system. Therefore students who do not attend an after school detention without giving an excuse will be internally suspended. Please note that our Care and Conduct Handbook on the Connect website outlines our Behaviour Management Policy. Please click on this link to view the table which summarises some of the types of behaviour and consequences that will be generally issued at GCCC.
Parent Teacher Interviews
This week we had parent teacher interviews. If you were unable to get to the interviews then please make contact with your child’s teachers and ensure that communication is kept open and regular. I am reminded of our College Mission statement:
The College seeks to work together with parents and will endeavour to provide the human and practical resources, the environment, the encouragement and the opportunities to develop the gifts and talents God has given their children so that they may respond to and fulfil the call of God in their lives.
Let’s continue to work together to develop the gifts and talents God has given these young men and women.
David Heyworth, Head of Senior School