Building Community
This year we initiated a new Captain’s position called Faith and Community Captains. Their role is to help build community at the school and encourage our students in their Christian walk. At the start of the year these captains, along with our College Captains went on a leadership camp called Momentum. They came away invigorated and ready to make an impact on our students. This was followed up at the start of this term with a leadership training day called Revive. Last week we had a group called Peer Power speak to our Year 12s on Leading a Legacy where as student leaders, they were enabled to identify effective and ineffective ways in which they lead. It examined how we place certain values on different social groups within the school community and how to bridge these divides. The workshop was focussed strongly on practical relational communication skills the students could use to more effectively connect with those they do and don’t know.
After this session, the Year 11s were presented a different program called T.E.A.M Dynamic. They were joined by the Year 12 Captains to help bridge the divide that sometimes exists between the grades. This session highlighted the unique personality profile of every individual. Rather than ‘label’ people, it encouraged students to become more aware of their own strengths and challenges. Our students learned to respect diversity within the cohort thus moving towards unity. Students were able to identify their own strengths and weaknesses, and then apply this process to the group as a whole. The end result was students growing in understanding of themselves and their peers, thereby generating a greater cohesion.
We are following on from these sessions with a special program for our Year 10s later in the year. We will be splitting the year level into males and females and allowing them to explore the special God given characteristics of their gender. Boys will be doing a program called Being a Bloke which is designed to inspire and provoke our young men to consider what is the essence of healthy masculinity and becoming a man (rights and responsibilities). Our young ladies will be doing a program called Beyond the Mascara which is designed to encourage students to consider how they view and value what it is to be a healthy female in today’s society.
In the final week of this term the Year 11s will be going on camp. Half way through the camp a group of our Year 12 Captains will be joining the Year 11 students and leading one of the evening programs. This is the first time we have taken Year 12s along on a Year 11 camp to act as mentors as they pass on the mantle of leadership. This is recognised on Awards Night when our College Captains of 2016 perform the Ceremony of the Charter and pass on the leadership of our student body to those Captains appointed for 2017.
Other happenings in Senior…
Cross Country: our interhouse cross country was a huge success. It was so pleasing to see the level of participation from our students. Thank you to the parents as well for your support of this event. S
Athletics: On 25 May we have our Interhouse Athletics’ competition. This is a Wednesday so it is important that Year 11 and 12 students clear their calendars and ensure they are able to attend. It is students’ responsibility to let employers know that they cannot work this day. This day is considered compulsory. Students who cannot attend must see me with a suitable explanation.
GCC’s Got Talent: next Thursday we hold our Term 2 Legacy Cup Competition that celebrates the many varied talents of our students. Each house can nominate a maximum of three entries to compete. This event seems to grow each year and we are looking forward the performances that students will do next week.
ANZAC March: Thank you for your support for this event. It is such a great testimony to our wider 
community when so many students turn up to march and remember those who sacrificed so much for our freedom.
Parent Teacher Interviews: Please do not feel that Parent Teacher Interviews are the only time to contact a teacher. Anytime you have a concern or a query, please contact your child’s teachers as soon as possible. I always encourage Senior students to become more independent learners and get them to discuss issues they may have with staff as well but if that is not getting your concerns answered then email or phone teachers directly. Next term Parent Teacher Interviews will be held in Week 2 on 26 July.
Year 10 Work Experience: I’m pleased to hear that our students were fantastic ambassadors for the College and learnt a great deal during their work experience. Overall, the feedback from both employers and students has been very positive. You can see the photos here and read more about it in the Future Pathways article.
Study Skills Seminars: Again we partnered with Elevate Education who presented sessions to our Year 10s and 11s on time management and memory mnemonics. The feedback from our student surveys was very positive and I’m pleased that they are becoming more strategic learners.
Drug Education: At the end of last year our College applied for a grant for Drug Education and I’m pleased to report that we received funding for this. We are now investigating how we can use this to benefit our students. We will also be partnering with Technitest, a Sunshine Coast company who, as one of their services, performs drug and alcohol testing of employees in the workplace.
David Heyworth, Head of Senior School