Compass No 443 - January 2017 | Pacific Lutheran College

From the Principal

Quality, A Focus For Life

Quality, though hard to define, is something we all know. We know when we see it, feel it, hear it, smell it, taste it, experience it or live it. Quality is a characteristic for us to strive for, in our relationships with others and with God, in our learning, in all that we do and who we are. As part of the Pacific learning community our goal is to live lives of high worth, where we do good and be good for ourselves and others as a habit in life.

Quality starts from within. It means having the courage and hopefulness to not settle for being or giving our second best. There is intentionality, choice and an uncompromising pursuit of worth, through always giving of our best. Every time we are to begin something, or interact with someone, we have a choice. The mindfulness and courage to make a choice and the persistence to see it through will determine the quality of the outcome.

We are challenged to be people of quality who together enhance a quality community where people thrive. We do so out of love for other people and a desire to make a difference for each other and for those beyond our community. In our relationships we show compassion, acceptance, humility, act justly and have the capacity to grow through forgiveness. As we start the year, this is what God is calling each one of us to do for ourselves and each other. As parents, students and staff, each of us has an important part to play. To make the best use of our gifts for the betterment of others. This involves us celebrating progress, learning through our mistakes, persisting through challenge and disappointment and having patience when stumbling blocks appear. It means bringing our best selves into every moment. It requires personal discipline, perception, prioritising, persistence, passion and is enabled through prayer.

Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives. (William A. Foster)

Principal's Log

Welcome to the start of the 2017 school year. It has been exciting to see young people come into the College across Kindergarten to Year 12. There has been great energy and good focus and I thank the teachers and administration staff for the effort they have put into ensuring that young people from 3 year olds to 18 year olds have had a smooth start to the year. Thank you to our parents for your organisation and preparation for the start of the year and patience with the traffic.

Well done to all of our students who have started with very good spirit and purpose. Prep children enjoyed their first day hunting around the College for the green sheep, meeting many people and seeing new places on the way. The start of the year was enhanced by our Year 12 student leaders, who on their own initiative, hung welcoming signs throughout the Middle and Senior College and blew bubbles around the junior students as they returned to school on Monday.

Thank you to all students and parents for their support of the Year 6-12 Commencement Service where we enjoyed the didgeridoo and welcome to country provided by Mr Kerry Neill of the Gubbi Gubbi people and commended ourselves into God’s care and guidance as we welcomed students and families, rededicated continuing staff and installed new staff and the student leaders. Thank you to Mr Kerry Neill, Pastor Tim Jarick and Ms Anita Morton and her team for their leadership of this event.

Social media is a valuable communication tool for learning, networking and social connection. Many different groups within the College also make use of social media pages to connect. To safeguard people and to ensure the College is compliant with the many legislative requirements of our community including Privacy, Discrimination, Bullying and Harassment, the College has developed Social Media policies for staff, students and parents in consultation with Lutheran Education Queensland. These policies provide clear guidelines for the use of social media to ensure that we protect people from publishing material that breaches these legal requirements. Our community has been very positive in its use of social media and we encourage all parents to make themselves familiar with the concise version of the policy later in this newsletter and the full policy available in Parent Lounge.

We welcome Ms Margaret Gunn as the new Director of Staff. Ms Gunn was previously the Dean of Co-Curricular at Brisbane Girls Grammar where she had also been the Head of Mathematics. Ms Gunn is a passionate and talented educator, leader and sports coach with highly developed organisational and interpersonal skills. We also welcome Mr Brett Kersnovske as the Acting Head of Sport (Year 7-12). Mr Kersnovske was previously Head of Sport at Grace Lutheran College Caboolture Campus. Ms Emma Lendrum is teaching Food Technology, having previously taught Hospitality and Physical Education in Canberra where she also held a variety of leadership roles. Mrs Emma Middleton is teaching Information Technology and Business Education to Middle and Senior College students. Mrs Middleton has previously taught in the United Kingdom where she was accredited as a Digital Technologies Coach and also fulfilled the role of Senior Examiner for the Level 3 ICT Diploma. She worked in International Schools before moving to Queensland where she has most recently worked within Education Queensland. We have also enjoyed welcoming Ms Ceilidh Peers who is teaching English and SOSE across the Middle and Senior College. Ms Peers joins us after successfully completing her prac teaching at the College last year.

We welcome back Ms Sue Arahill (Director of Teaching and Learning) and Mrs Gisela Hohls (Science and Biology Teacher) from long service leave and Mrs Kirsty Ridley (Foundation College Teacher) from maternity leave. We also welcome Mr Mark Hauser to his new role as Head of Mumba House.

We look forward to the various information evenings over the coming weeks and encourage all families to take the opportunity to learn more about the next phase of learning for their children.

May God equip us to be people who strive for quality in ourselves and are “upstanders” who encourage and inspire it in others.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal

From the College Pastor

Advance Australia Where?

On Tuesday night at the Middle and Senior College Opening Service, our time started with students and staff processing into the building to the sound of the Didgeridoo. Together, with Mr Kerry Neill’s personal Welcome to Country, it was a wonderful way to open the new school year. Directly after this opening, our College community sang the National Anthem to the spirited accompaniment of Mr Adrian King on the grand piano. Having the presence of an indigenous leader who played a cultural instrument, followed by singing Advance Australia Fair was a very complimentary way to begin the service. It was a reminder for all present, of who we are as a nation. Our country of Australia, which is culturally diverse, can and should honour the original inhabitants of the land. The land in which we live together.

As we celebrate Australia Day this week and focus on the thread of social justice and equality, I encourage you to reflect on your understanding of the indigenous culture and history of our nation.

No matter what you think about the date and purpose of our national holiday, we are all citizens of a great multicultural country, which is blessed with an amazing land and people. To quote the national anthem, we live in a land that is “girt by sea” but “abounds in nature’s gifts of beauty rich and rare” and “for those who’ve come across the seas we’ve boundless plains to share”. As our nation celebrates this week, whether it is over a BBQ, a game of backyard cricket, or talking with friends or family, it is worth thinking about these issues of equality and justice within our own country. In the climate of the world today, are we a welcoming country? Are we willing to share the gifts God has blessed our country with? Are these values we sing about in the national anthem, values we put into practice as a nation? Do we treat all people with fairness and equality? How do we provide justice for people of all ages, cultures, and religions?

A Prayer for Australia Day…

We thank you Lord God, for our nation. As we celebrate Australia day help us to not take for granted the freedoms and prosperity we experience in our ‘lucky country’. Give us a deep awareness of the indigenous people and of all people who have immigrated here. Help us on Australia day to celebrate the diversity of culture in our land and the many blessings you have given us. Amen.

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

Important Notices

Social Media Guidelines For Parents

In a world of increasing connectivity, the sharing of information in the College environment continues to develop. The College uses Facebook as a platform to share information to both our immediate and extended communities. A number of parents have also created year level and interest group pages to communicate with each other and disseminate information.

Using social media platforms, such as Facebook, to share information related to the College, students, parents and staff comes with a degree of legal and social responsibility. To help clarify and assist parents with what is acceptable to post or share on social media sites, the College has developed a Social Media Policy specifically for parents. This policy, in its entirety, can be accessed online through the Parent Lounge. The College encourages parents to set and maintain high ethical standards in their use of social networking. Your posts and comments should help build and support the College community and your online behaviour should reflect the same standards of honesty, respect, and consideration that you use face-to-face and be in accordance with the Christian ethos of the College.

Parent operated Facebook pages or groups play an important role in the changing landscape of modern communication. In developing the policy and guidelines, the College aims to assist our community to avoid any issues that could arise through sharing information on social media.

Following is a summary of the policy’s key points:

Parents need to be mindful of copyright, privacy, defamation, contempt of court, discrimination, harassment, other applicable laws and College policies. This includes not disclosing full names of children and other identifying information such as class lists.
Parents should not disclose any confidential information, post or respond to material that is offensive, obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, bullying, discriminatory, hateful, racist, sexist, infringes copyright, constitutes a contempt of court, breaches a Court suppression order, or is otherwise unlawful.
Under no circumstances should disrespectful or offensive comments be made about students, parents, staff or the College in general. Parents are requested not to comment on or forward unsupported information, e.g. rumours concerning the College, or comment or post material that might otherwise cause damage to the College’s reputation or bring it into disrepute.
Be mindful that, by posting your comments and having online conversations on Social Media sites you are broadcasting to the world. Even with the strictest privacy settings be aware that comments expressed via social networking pages under the impression of a ‘private conversation’ may still end up being shared into a more public domain, even with privacy settings on maximum.
The College’s anti-bullying and harassment policies apply to activities that are both online and in the physical workplace.
Before posting photographs and/or videos, permission should be sought from the subject. This is especially the case where photographs and/or videos include parents of students and/or staff members of the College. No photographs of students of the College (with the exception of a parent/s own children and where approved by the relevant parent/s from time to time) are to be posted;
Parents should never discuss sensitive College matters with staff or other parents using Facebook, blogs and other Social Media outlets. As noted above, when posting, even on the strictest privacy settings, parents should act on the assumption that all postings are in the public domain.

If you come across online remarks outside the spirit or intent of this policy, you are encouraged to pass these posts to the Principal, who will consider such comments on a case-by-case basis.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this issue, please contact the College on 5436 7300.

Accessing Parent Lounge

Through Parent Lounge, parents can access their child’s timetable information and school reports, the College calendar and also relevant Policy and Procedures documents. Please follow the instructions outlined below to access Parent Lounge.

Open your internet browser and type the address: http://www.pacificlutheran.qld.edu.au/ to go the College’s official website. On the home, scroll to the bottom of the page and select ‘My PLC’. From here, click on the ‘Visit Parent Lounge’ tab.

You will need to login to Parent Lounge using the following details, which can both be found in the top right corner of your fee statement.

Username: your five-digit family account number.

Password: your BPAY reference number.

When leaving the Parent Lounge, it is important that you end the session by using the ‘logout’ option.

From the Director of Staff

Meet Ms Margaret Gunn

The beginning of a new school year is always exciting and full of the promise of new challenges and possibilities but this year, my first at Pacific Lutheran College, feels particularly special. In considering how I can best contribute to the Pacific staff and community, I have also been reflecting back to identify experiences, knowledge and expertise that may be of benefit for our community.

With almost 30 years of teaching experience as a Health and Physical Education and Mathematics teacher across eight schools and three states and fifteen years of middle and senior leadership positions, the most recent being at Brisbane Girls Grammar School, there is much to consider (and remember!). Of course, schools and student learning are not confined by classrooms and regular school days and I look forward to being involved in the co-curricular aspects of the College as I hold an enduring belief in the value of life-wide learning opportunities (and a particular passion for sport).

I firmly believe that an education that integrates the academic, extra-curricular, personal and spiritual development of each student is fundamental in developing accomplished young people who will contribute to their world - creatively, confidently and with compassion.

I look forward to meeting and chatting with you personally throughout the year.

Ms Margaret Gunn, Director of Staff

From the Director of Students

Welcome

Students returned on Monday with smiling faces and lots of stories to share. We thank them for the positive way that they have settled into the new academic year.

Early this term in their Pastoral Care Groups, students will be discussing the character strengths of a flourishing life. The character strengths are based on the research of Dr Martin Seligman that asks what is it that enables you to cultivate your talents, to build deep, lasting relationships with others and to contribute meaningfully to the world.

Mr Brendan Delaney, Director of Students

From the Head of Staff and Students P-5

Welcome

Welcome to Pacific Lutheran College in 2017. It has been wonderful to witness the excitement and enthusiasm of students as they entered into the school year. They have returned to the College invigorated after their vacation and, along with staff, look forward to an exciting year of learning and growing together.

Prep – Year 5 Information Evening

The Prep – Year 5 Parent Information Evening will be held next Wednesday 1^st February, commencing at 7.00pm in room L14. Following a number of short introductory talks, parents will move to their child’s classroom where teachers will outline their programs for the year and their expectations regarding homework, behaviour and assessment. As the learning journey at Pacific is one shared between staff, students and families, we strongly encourage parents to attend this evening.

General Housekeeping

Communication With Staff

Often, parents need to communicate information to teachers regarding changes to their child’s routine or exemption from participation in sport, specialist lessons or activities due to injury or illness. Each morning, parents verbally advise teachers of such changes.

To avoid confusion and to ensure students are where they are meant to be, particularly at the end of the day, we ask all parents to put these changes in writing. All teachers can be contacted by email and Prep – Year 2 teachers can also be contacted through their classroom communication books. A short note can also be sent with students to advise their teachers of any changes.

Use of Playgrounds After School

As the College continues to grow, the availability of play equipment has also increased. The Year 1 play area is a great resource used by students during school break times. After school, once children are released into their parent’s care, we ask parents to be vigilant in monitoring their children’s behaviour whilst on the College grounds.

The Year 1 playground in particular is licensed to After School Hours Care (ASHC) from 3.00pm and is only available to students who are attending ASHC. This week, a child was injured and there have been occasions when children enrolled at the College and their siblings have been observed to be playing on play equipment without supervision.

Whilst under the care of College staff each day, children’s interactions and the nature of their play is closely monitored. Whilst on the College grounds after school, it would be appreciated if parents could continue to reinforce the standards of acceptable and safe play and monitor their children’s use of play equipment.

Hats

Students and parents are reminded that the College hat is an important element of the school uniform. A number of students are already presenting to school each day without a hat. During break times, students need to wear a hat or they are required to stay out of the sun. Students should also be wearing their hats when travelling to and from the College.

Uniforms

Students in Years 1-5 may only wear their sports uniform to school on the days they have HPE. Years 4 and 5 students may also wear their HPE uniforms to school on Thursdays. Students might also be requested to wear their sports uniform to school for carnivals or excursions. On all other occasions students should attend school in their formal uniform.

If for some reason your child is unable to wear the correct uniform to school, please send a note to your child’s class teacher. A uniform reminder letter will be forwarded to parents whose children are in the wrong uniform and haven’t presented a note to their class teacher.

Mr David Druery, Head of Staff and Students P-5

Food for Thought

Mistakes Parents Make When Talking to Their Children

Communicating effectively with our children takes time and energy. We need to become aware of our own feelings and automatic reactions so we can slow down enough and choose a more mindful way. Following through with consequences teaches kids limits, while listening and granting autonomy teaches kids respect. Be sure to take care of yourself enough so that you have this type of mindful energy for your kids. This may mean re-examining your priorities and letting some things go. Kids who have respectful, engaged, consistent parents learn to regulate their own emotions more effectively, feel better about themselves and are able to have more loving relationships as adults. Learn more at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201209/worst-mistakes-parents-make-when-talking-kids.

Ms Annie Williams, College Counsellor

Library News

Code Club

Code Club will commence next Wednesday 1^st February for students in Years 4-6. Students who are new to Code Club will need to return a permission form to the library.

Library Monitors

Library Monitors will commence work in Week 3 of Term 1. We will have a lunch and training session on Monday 6^th February.

Book Club

The first Book Club forms for the year were distributed this week. Orders need to be in by next Friday 3^rd February.

Kids' Classics Challenge

This year, the library is introducing a Classics Challenge where students in Years 3-7 are challenged to read classic children’s fiction such as Treasure Island, The Secret Garden and The Jungle Book. A challenge booklet is available from the library. Prizes will be awarded for every five books read from the list.

Harry Potter Week

Thursday 2^nd February is International Harry Potter Book Night. To celebrate, the library will be running a week of competitions and events during lunchtimes in Week 2. Students can nominate which Hogwarts house they want to be in and earn house points by completing activities. The student with the most house points at the end of the week will receive a prize. The activities are listed below.

Monday: Diagon Alley treasure hunt.

Tuesday: Make a wand.

Wednesday: Quick draw challenge.

Thursday: Who’s who in Harry Potter?

Friday: Quiz.

All week: Colouring in competition, word search and spot the difference.

Ms Nell Keen, Teacher Librarian

Secondary College

Outbound Exchange Program

As we begin 2017, we welcome senior students Mali Davis and Lauren Petersen to back Pacific. Mali and Lauren were the first students to participate in a one-term exchange at our Japanese sister school, Seishin Gakuen. Both girls spent much of Term 3 preparing for the exchange and finally, spent approximately 10 weeks experiencing student life in Japan. Both girls have reflected on their experience below:

“If you asked me what my most amazing experience to date is, I would say, without a doubt, it was my Japanese exchange. Everything about the trip was perfect; the people, the culture, the food, it was extraordinary. Although my host sister, Chise, was not in my class, I had four shadow students to look after me: Miku, Mayu, Suzuna, and Aina. Everyone at Seishin made me feel so welcome that there wasn’t a day where I wanted to go home. Not only were the people amazing, but also the opportunities I had were endless. I had the privilege of joining the Kyuudou club (Japanese Archery). Kyuudou is immensely difficult as it is all about technique, but thanks to my fellow club members, I was able to thoroughly enjoy it. From that experience, I plan to continue Kyuudou back in Australia. Mali and I also joined the tea ceremony club every Tuesday, which was filled with green tea, traditional sweets and chatting to our new friends. Outside of school, my host sister, shadow students and other friends took me to many different places including Disneyland, Harajuku (a district in Tokyo), Kashima Jingu (the local Shinto shrine), Sawara Autumn Festival and an Onsen as well as to countless restaurants. My host family made me feel so comfortable and treated me as one of their own. All in all, I wish I could do it again and I hope that the future exchange students will have the same, if not better, experience as me.”

- Lauren Petersen

“Last year I spent two months in a country I'd never been to. Travelling provides the upmost perspective on life and flips the entirety of your existence upside down. A substantial part of my stay involved being completely confused. In Japan I learnt what it means to understand, because you definitely know when you do not. So much of our lives is a steady and consistent level of learning and expanding of our understanding. A very quick way to change everything about that linear growth is to live in a place like Japan and attend school, without your teachers, friends or loved ones.

In most circumstances I had no clue. None whatsoever. That's incredibly terrifying, but it's also incredibly interesting and empowering. For my entire stay I learnt something new almost every moment. That's powerful.

In Japan I learnt to value learning as one of the most important things in my life. I've learnt as a person there are very few things that are more important than relationships and learning. We have a pretty amazing opportunity to access those things in our community. I have incredible respect for my education, that is not only my 12 years of school… it goes beyond that. I'm very grateful to Hauser Sensei, Pietrala Sensei, Schlotterbach Sensei, Stone Sensei, Mr Delaney and Dr Dolling for their active and selfless involvement in working tirelessly to provide the best opportunity I could have been blessed with. I'd also like to thank the Pacific community for your kindness and support before, during and after my exchange. I cannot wait to be involved in future relationships with Seishin Gakuen and its beautiful community. I wish the very best of luck to the 2017 Japan Trip and the 2017 Outbound Exchange students. Japan will forever be a massive part of my education and my life and I will be forever grateful. ありがとうございました”

- Mali Davis

The Outbound Exchange program is open to Year 10 students studying Japanese. Information about the program will be distributed later this term.

Mrs Michiko Hauser, Head of Japanese 6-12

Mathematics

Year 11 and 12 Mathematics B Students

All graphics calculators can be purchased directly from our preferred supplier, Abacus. To order, please visit: www.abacuscalculators.com.au. Our school ID code is: PACIFICLUTHQLD

There are two options available:

FX9860GII, which is an alternate model of the same calculator that has been used in the past; or
FXCG20AU, which has a colour screen.

Both calculators perform the same functions that are required in Mathematics B and C. If the calculators are ordered online by Monday 6^th February, they will be delivered to the College by Monday 20^th February. The Maths B teachers are aware of this and will be teaching with this in mind. Please email, phone or talk to me or your teacher if you have any questions.

After School Tutorials

To support students academically, the College offers Mathematics tutorials for students in Years 7-12. These tutorials are on Monday afternoons and are in rooms L13/L14 from 3.20pm to 4.20pm. Students are welcome to come along for a quiet place to complete class work, homework or seek assistance. The expectation is that they remain within the room until 4.20pm, unless picked up earlier by a parent. After school tutorials will commence this coming Monday 30^th January.

Mr Adam Doyle, Head of Mathematics

Outdoor Education Program

Year 9 and 10 Camp – June 2017

Parents with children in Years 9 and 10 are requested to take note of the Parent Information Evenings that are scheduled in the coming weeks. At these meetings, parents will hear the two options open to their families for the Year 9 and 10 camps this year. At the conclusion of the meetings, parents and students will be requested to commit to one of the options so that preparations and planning can formally commence. It is essential that a member of each family from Year 9 and 10 is present at these meetings.

Year 9 Parent Information Evening: Tuesday 7^th February at 6.00pm (after the Rite Journey Calling Ceremony but before the Middle College Information Evening). Information regarding the Rite Journey Calling will be home next week.
Year 10 Parent Information Evening: Tuesday 21^st February at 6.30pm.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

At this week’s Middle and Senior College assembly, the following students received certificates and badges for completing their Duke of Edinburgh Award:

Silver Awards – Liam Dines and Matt Daniec
Bronze Awards – Josie Bradshaw and Thomas Turner

These students have worked on achieving their awards for over six months, showing amazing drive and self-motivation throughout this time. Currently, the College has over 40 students enrolled in the program with four students in the process of completing their Gold Awards.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award and Duke of Edinburgh Bridge Award are open to all students who are 12 years and older. Students complete a number of activities across the fields of Skill Development, Voluntary and Community Service, Physical Recreation and an Expedition or Exploration. Further information about the awards can be obtained by emailing Dr Peter McMahon at: pmcmahon@pacluth.qld.edu.au or students can speak directly with Dr McMahon.

New Zealand Expedition December 2017

Planning is now well underway for the expeditions taking place at the end of the year. The experience is open to students in Years 9-12 and their parents. This year, two expedition options are being planned. Expedition A will depart on Wednesday 21^st November. This expedition will see the group mountain biking, tramping, canoeing and rafting from Greymouth on the west coast to the Clarence River district on the east coast of the south island. Expedition B will depart on Wednesday 6^th December and will join Expedition A at the Boyle River Outdoor Education Centre, completing the journey as one group. The group will then undertake a four-day tramp in Lewis Pass, three-day mountain bike ride and five days rafting on the Clarence River. The expeditions will return on Wednesday 20^th December.

An information evening is being held prior to the Year 12 Parent Information Evening on Tuesday 14^th February at 5.30pm in D8. Interested students and parents are requested to email Dr McMahon at: pmcmahon@pacluth.qld.edu.au to advise of their interest in the expedition and/or attendance at this information evening.

Senior Voluntary Holiday Outdoor Education Programs

At the Middle and Senior College assembly this week, students heard about the holiday programs on offer in 2017. The programs are open to Years 10, 11 and 12 students and parents. These are voluntary, user pays, programs where students attending play an active role in planning the adventure. The programs offered this year are:

Seven day White Water Canoeing Expedition from 2^nd – 8^th April on either the Clarence or Nymboida Rivers;
Five day Mt Barney and Barney Creek Tramp from 26^th – 30^th June; and
Seven day Mountain Bike Expedition from 17^th – 23^rd September in Northern New South Wales.

Meetings for the White Water Canoeing Expedition will occur next week and information letters will distributed at these meetings.

Dr Peter McMahon, Head of Outdoor Education

Cultural News

College Musical 2017

A talented cast of 40 students and a team of staff are ready to begin rehearsals for this year’s College musical, ‘Sideshow’. Auditions were held last year and all of those involved are very excited to begin. ‘Sideshow’ is a musical for the whole family and is based on the true story of Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who were ‘discovered’ in a sideshow and eventually became famous on the Vaudeville stage. The fabulous music, exciting staging and heart-warming story of acceptance and friendship graced Broadway in 2014 and now it’s Pacific’s turn to bring it to The Events Centre, Caloundra!

We wish the cast, staff and crew all the best as they sing, dance and act their way towards the stage in May.

Mrs Janine Delaney, Director

From the Head of Career Development

Career Goals and Planning

Welcome back to the 2017 school year. To those students entering or continuing in the senior phase, I look forward to working closely with you and your family this year with an emphasis on Quality, A Focus For Life.

As the school year begins and learning goals are set within study areas, it is worth reflecting on previous or new career goals and the actions that you may need to take this year to extend your career development. This may involve raising your self-awareness; taking up opportunities within the College or beyond including work experience or work shadowing experiences in career areas of interest or accepting opportunities which lead to your own personal development; it may be focusing on decision making or taking actions to make informed decisions such as visiting career expos, tertiary open days or information sessions. Make a commitment to yourself to take that first or next step.

If you haven’t already visited the Pacific Lutheran College Careers website, I encourage you to take a moment to have a quick look: http://www.pacificlutherancareers.com/. It provides a central location for information about the senior phase and post-school options, many links to a range of areas, a calendar of events (set alerts to have them emailed to you weekly) and a secure student section for career planning.

I look forward to seeing you all at the upcoming Information Evenings.

Mrs Natasha Purcell, Careers Counsellor

Junior Sport

Year 3-6 Swim Carnival

As always, swimming starts the year off in sport with Year 3-6 students participating in trials at Kawana Aquatics Centre on Wednesday this week. Based on their results, students will be seeded in either A, B or C divisions for the carnival next week.

The carnival will begin around 9.30am and will be finished by 2.30pm. Students will need to be in their coloured house shirts and travel to and from the carnival by bus from the College. Further information about the carnival can be accessed through CareMonkey.

SCISSA Sport

SCISSA trials will begin on Monday afternoon in Week 3, during after school training from 3.15pm – 4.15pm. For any new families, SCISSA stands for Sunshine Coast Independent Schools Sport Association. During Semester 1 and 2 at Pacific, students from Years 4-6 participate in a range of sport competitions organised through SCISSA. Students train for their sport on Thursday (during school) and Monday afternoons as well as play two warm-up trial games against other SCISSA schools. At the end of each term, students will participate in a round robin Gala Day, which also includes finals.

Kayaking and dance will again be offered to students this year during SCISSA. Dance will begin in Term 1 with students training to perform at various events during the year. The kayaking program will begin at the start of Term 2 with students training for the state marathon and sprint championship in Term 3 and 4.

More detailed information regarding SCISSA trials and the sports available to students has been sent out to parents this week via CareMonkey.

CareMonkey

Thank you to the abundance of families who have created and/or updated their CareMonkey accounts and student care profiles for the start of 2017. If you have not yet seen an invitation to create your child’s profile, please check your Junk Mail folder. If you cannot find the email request or have any questions, please contact our Sports Aide, Mrs Natalie Campbell. Emails will come from CareMonkey Administrator and will generally have a subject heading stating “Pacific Lutheran College is requesting….”.

Current notices for Year 3-6 parents in CareMonkey:

2017 Primary Swimming Carnival. This is information only and should give you an option to acknowledge receipt. It also asks you if you are interested in helping at the carnival and to selection an option.
2017 Primary Sport Consent Form. This has a letter to review and then online consent for selection.
Year 4-6 SCISSA Sport. This is information only and should give you an option to acknowledge receipt.

Armidale Rugby Carnival

The Armidale Rugby Carnival is an annual event that Pacific has attended since 2009. Held from the 7^th – 9^th April, students travel to Armidale and stay in boarding accommodation at the school. The carnival is attended by up to 50 schools and clubs from around Queensland and New South Wales and offers students the opportunity to play four shortened games on Saturday and a final on Sunday. It has been a highlight on the calendar for many years. If your son is turning 11 or 12 this year and would be interested in attending this carnival, please contact Mr Darren Hooper for further information.

Mr Darren Hooper, Head of Junior Sport

Secondary Sport

Meet Mr Brett Kersnovske

I have taught in several Queensland schools over the past 14 years and have been the Head of Sport for the last seven years, most recently at Grace Lutheran College’s Caboolture Campus. I am very grateful for the opportunity to work at such a fantastic school as Pacific Lutheran College and I look forward to working closely with students and parents over the course year. In my down time, I like to play hockey, go surfing and spend time with my beautiful wife and two kids, Levi and Indie. Thank you all for welcoming me so warmly and I look forward to another fruitful year of sport at the College.

Sports Communication

Parents: Please ensure you have signed up to CareMonkey. You should have received an email with a link to the site. All permission and information letters for all sporting events will be uploaded here. With the simple click of a button, you can give your consent, without the need for paper!

Current notices for Year 7-12 parents in CareMonkey:

2017 Sport – Year 7-12 Parents Letter. This is information only and should give you an option to acknowledge receipt.
2017 Sports – Year 7-12 Consent Form. This has a letter to review and then online consent for selection.
Years 7-12 Swimming Carnival and Trials – This is information only and should give you an option to acknowledge receipt.

If you have not yet seen an invitation to create your child’s profile, please check your Junk Mail folder. If you cannot find the email request or have any questions, please contact our Sports Aide, Mrs Natalie Campbell. Emails will come from CareMonkey Administrator and will generally have a subject heading stating “Pacific Lutheran College is requesting….”.

Students: Student sporting information will be distributed via the Student Notices and on Schoology. They are reminded to check these two areas daily to ensure they are up to speed with all things sport. Students should already have signed up for Schoology or reactivated their profile from last year, with the CODE: PCZQG-QPQHX

Student Success

Over the weekend, Year 11 student Kaylee McKeown broke the Australian AllComers record in the 15yrs Girls 200m IM at the Victorian Open Championships, with a time of 2:14.82. Well done to Kaylee on this fantastic achievement! In April, Kaylee will be participating in the Australian Open and Age Championships. We wish her the best of luck at these upcoming events.

Recently, College Vice Captain, Beau Blake completed a month long kite surfing riding tour from Brisbane to Melbourne and across to Western Australia. Beau competes on an international level in his sport and this year will be travelling to Indonesia, Fiji, United States of America and South Africa for various competitions. We wish Beau the best of luck in his endeavours this year.

Mr Brett Kersnovske, Head of Sport

Club Sport

Pacific Soccer Update

Free Come and Try Sessions

This season, Pacific Soccer, in-conjunction with the Brisbane Roar, is running free Come and Try Sessions at the College. Please click here to download the flyer.

Registration and Fees

This season, players can sign-on online at: http://www.sccsa.org.au/ or by visiting the College at the following dates and times:

Tuesday 31^st January 2.45pm – 3.30pm (outside Prep building)
Saturday 4^th February 9.00am – 11.00am (Soccer Canteen)
Tuesday 7^th February 3.00pm – 4.30pm (Soccer Canteen)

The 2017 registration costs, including insurance fees are outlined below:

U6-U8: $135
U9-U10: $155
U11+: $170

Please check our Pacific Soccer Facebook page for further information: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=415996788535422

Mrs Jenny Lee, Pacific Soccer Registrar

PLC Netball Club Update

Happy New Year and welcome back to another year. Over the break, the Committee has been working to ensure the ongoing growth and prosperity of the Club. This notice aims to provide you with an update and to seek your assistance in achieving a smooth transition into the 2017 season.

Key Dates

11^th February: Sign-on day at Caloundra Indoor Sports Stadium 9.00am to 11.00am.
18^th February: Sign-on day at Caloundra Indoor Sports Stadium 9.00am to 11.00am.
11^th March: March past and round robin grading competition. This is effectively the commencement of the season.
20^th May: Sunshine Coast Lightning v NSW Swifts at USC Stadium. Proposed club function. Diary filler at this stage, more details to follow.
12^th July: Club AGM.
10^th September: End of Year Function. Details to be advised.

Registration

Registration this year will be online via the My Netball website. This option provides you the ability to register and make payment from the comfort of your own living room. We are still awaiting Netball Queensland to finalise the setup and will advise once the system goes live.

Expressions of Interest

Whilst the registration process will finalise membership and teams, it is requested that if you are returning and have not already done so, could you please send an email stating your intensions (coltont@iinet.net.au). The purpose of this is to provide the Committee with the maximum time to undertake targeted recruitment to ensure we have the numbers for each team. Expressions of interest are non-binding.

Uniforms

The uniform for this year is the netball dress and all players MUST use this style. This is a Caloundra Netball requirement, so your assistance on this matter would be appreciated. There are a number of changes to the uniform process this year, most importantly being that the club has decided to provide a ‘hire’ option. The cost of the ‘hire’ option is $30 per year. The uniform ‘hire’ process will be undertaken in three phases as follows:

Registration: When you register online you select your fees and the hire option. You will automatically be billed or both. If you register and then change your mind and wish to hire, no problem, go back online and select the hire option only this time. My Netball will then notify the Committee and we can liaise with you to ensure you have your dress before the season starts.
23^rd January to 19^th February: Those who already own a dress and would like to move to the ‘hire’ option, return your current dress to the uniform shop as if you were going to sell it and the club will purchase it at $60 for good condition dresses and $30 for poor condition dresses. This option also applies to those who have a dress and do not intent to return as a player this year.
From 20^th February onwards: We will issue the dresses for the upcoming season. Details of this process will be provided in due course.

If you want to purchase your own dress or re-use the dress you already have, that’s OK you can do this. Hire is not and never will be mandatory. If you already have a dress, when registering only select the registration fee option.

Fees

PLC Netball is committed to providing a ‘value for money’ product and we have managed to reduce the cost of playing for this year. The fees for 2017 are as follows:

Registration: $165
Uniform Hire: $30

This represents a saving of between $30 and $95 over last year depending on your circumstances. There are 18 rounds for the season, excluding finals, so that works out at $10.80 a week, all-inclusive.

More details will be provided in upcoming editions of Compass. If you have any questions, please ask and I look forward to working with you all during the season.

Mr Trevor Colton, President PLC Netball Club

Uniform Shop

Opening Hours and Online Ordering

The Uniform Shop is open from 8.00am to 9.30am every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Orders can be placed online via www.flexischools.com.au and will be delivered to your child the following day.

Mrs Peta King, Uniform Shop Convenor

Church News

St Mark's Lutheran Church Caloundra

Pastor Ray Morris, St Mark’s Lutheran Church Caloundra

General Notices

Sunshine Coast Football – 2017 Sign On

Upcoming Dates

January

30	Student ID Photos
31	Year 12 Leadership Day
	13-19yrs District Trial Day 1
	Year 11 Information Evening (7.00pm)

February

1	P-5 Parent Information Evening (7.00pm)
1-3	Year 7 Camp - Somerset
2	Years 3-6 Swim Carnival - Kawana Pool (9.00am - 2.30pm)
7	Safer Internet Day
	13-19yrs District Trial Day 2
	Year 9 Camp Information Evening and Rite Journey Departure (6.00pm)
	Middle College Information Evening (7.00pm)
8	Music Information Evening (7.00pm)
9	Year 7-12 Swim Carnival - Nambour Pool (8.30am - 3.00pm)
14	Year 12 Information Evening (7.00pm)
15	9-12yrs District Swim Carnival
16	13-19yrs District Swim Carnival

Compass No 443 - January 2017

LEARNING JOURNEY

ENROLMENTS

NEWS

MY PLC

Growing people to make a difference