Compass No. 501 June 2018

It is important that we take time to rest, rejuvenate and have fun.  Through taking time to rest and have fun, our bodies and brains have time to recover and refresh and we live our life in full colour.  Ensuring we get enough sleep daily, enables us to fight infections, conserve energy, consolidate memories, enhance brain development and discharge emotions through dreaming.  During holidays getting outdoors, exercising, connecting physically with people and nature, reading books, doing something new and different also refreshes us both physically and mentally.  Through taking proper breaks we improve our memory, capacity to think and creativity.  We become calmer, get better perspectives and make better judgments.  Disconnecting from devices and connecting with nature is particularly beneficial.

We are wired to rest.  It is worth noting that on the 7^th day God rested.  Jewish tradition also had a day of rest embedded in the weekly rhythm of life. 

Principal’s Log

Seeing assessments and reports as times for reflection and learning rather than a judgment is an important life skill to develop.  It is important to reflect on and celebrate the personal strengths or approaches that have aided learning to progress and then for the young person to reflect on the one thing that they can do to lift learning for each area.  Celebrating strengths, taking responsibility and a no excuses approach, helps young people to grow a sense of self-efficacy.  Personally, writing down short-term goals of actions for a specified time period also helps young people to build stepping stones of success that can be celebrated or adjusted.  A SMS will come out in the holiday period when reports are available through Student Café and Parent Lounge. Families are encouraged to sit together and have a learning focused conversation where there is good space for celebration, self-reflection from a strengths perspective and action. Please click here for instructions on how to access school reports…

At the end of the term we farewell and thank our College nurse Mrs Sophie Morton who has provided great care and support for many students, their families and staff. We also farewell and thank Mrs Romona Woods who has provided great support for the science learning of Middle and Senior College students in her role as Science Laboratory Assistant. Staff and students have appreciated her calm, patient professionalism in her role.  We wish both Mrs Morton and Mrs Woods all the best for their future paths.

We thank Ms Michelle McMillan who has very capably fulfilled the role of Acting Head of Middle College Teaching and Learning and Mrs Rae Hall the Acting Head of English over the first semester.  Both Ms McMillan and Mrs Hall have contributed strongly to the ongoing growth of students and staff in their respective roles.  Mrs Hall will return to the role of Head of Middle College Teaching and Learning as Mrs Cox returns as Head of English next term.

This term has seen young people engage in many opportunities that have enhanced growth in the academic, sporting, cultural, service, spiritual and wellbeing dimensions of their lives.  We thank staff, parents and students for their gifts of time and talent that have fostered this growth so richly.  We thank God for the many blessings he has brought into this community through its people and community connections.  We trust that everyone has a well-earned rest and returns rejuvenated for next term.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal

In a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. You know that, don’t you? So run in a way that will get you the prize. All who take part in the games train hard. They do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25

What do you think is the most watched sporting event in the world? Is it the Olympic Games or is it the FIFA World Cup that has been played in Russia at the moment? Apparently according to a google search there are four billion football fans in the world and over three billion people watched the last World Cup in 2014. That means nearly 1 in every two people on the planet watched football that year. The numbers are down this year and the Socceroos haven’t played as well as some have expected but nonetheless Australians still love watching sport whether it be State of Origin or the Olympics, cricket, netball or other codes of football.

As we watch sport and finish off the term strong we are reminded of a sporting analogy in the Bible. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul uses the image of a runner in a race who trains hard to win the prize, the crown. Paul is picking up on the rituals of the ancient Olympic Games. He writes that the athlete trains and runs to win a temporary prize, however, our prize in running the race of life is eternal. The goal that we run towards is Jesus Christ. To grow in knowing Jesus and living for him and telling others of him. Paul knew this and did this more than anyone else. He lived for Jesus and wanted to share the message of his life, death and rising with the whole world. Since Paul’s time Jesus has affected and influenced more people over the history of the world than any other person. The number of people who have run towards Jesus throughout time even eclipses the number of people who watch the World Cup or the Olympics. Jesus engages us unlike any other person because he is able to offer us hope, forgiveness and eternal life.

As we finish term two strong, even in the wet weather, as we watch our favourite sporting teams compete, may we run towards the goal of life, Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life.

Ps Tim Jarick, College Pastor

As we come to the end of another semester of pastoral care at Pacific it is worth reflecting on what care means in modern education. Ian Morris - Head of Well-being at Wellington College in the UK, defines care as a non-judgemental attitude which extends in a number of directions: self, others, our environment and so on. Care is predicated on empathy, the ability to feel as others feel and take on their perspective and it emphasises the importance of friendships and relationships.

In Ancient Greece Aristotle wrote that compassion and community are essential to a life well-lived. The German philosopher Heidegger took this further when he understood care as paying attention to everything in our existence, that enables a person to live fully. For Heidegger the notion that there is a gap between where a person ends, and the world begins is a mistaken one. The world is not fragmented and atomised, it is unified into webs of meaning and connection by human beings.

 At Pacific we encourage students to adopt an attitude of care towards themselves, their learning and towards others. Over the past semester students have been experiencing the value of social connection and the importance of empathy and compassion for others. They have had to co-operate and build friendships with others. Over the holidays it could be a chance for students to have some self-reflection to help them see that if one takes a compassionate view of himself or herself, real growth and improvement in our relations with others is possible.

Therefore, a little self-reflection on how their relationships went this semester will help students grow emotionally. Along with that they should aim to get plenty of sleep, eat a healthy diet and in Doctor Michael Carr-Greg’s words for every hour of screen time they should have an hour of green time. I hope all families have a safe and happy holiday.

Mr Brendan Delaney, Head of Senior School Students

With the school holidays just around the corner the latest topic on School TV regarding the detrimental effects to well-being, mental health and brain development caused by the amount of time children, adolescents and young adults spend on on-line gaming is both relevant and concerning.

As I am sure many of you are aware the latest gaming craze ‘Fortnite’ is fast becoming an issue for students and families. For many young people, the addictive nature of this game is having adverse effects on children’s behaviour and affecting their mental health. With over 125 million registered players worldwide, this game encourages players to battle each other to death using a variety of weaponry.

With an age rating of 13+, this game raises many cybersafety concerns. Unfortunately, it allows unmoderated chat between players, leaving children exposed to be contactable by 'randomers' online. This function alone makes it unsuitable for primary aged children. 

In light of last week’s announcement from the World Health Organisation now recognising “gaming disorder” as a mental health issue, this special report will help parents gain a greater insight into Fortnite and the concerns surrounding it. Parents are encouraged to reassess their gaming allowances and better manage technology usage at home.

This week School TV features some excellent resources to give parents and carers a factual, well researched account of the impacts gaming can have on children, adolescents and young adults.

Here is the link to your special report :

http://pacificlutheran.qld.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/online-game-fortnite-special-report

As always, School TV welcomes your feedback, and trust you find great value in this special report.

Mr David Druery, Head of Staff and Students P-5 and Mrs Annie Williams, College Counsellor

ALL THE FUN OF THE RIDES! SECURE YOUR EARLY BIRD UNLIMITED RIDES PASS!

Eleven unlimited fun-filled rides and amusements for $35.  PLUS… Free keyring for all passes ordered by July 20! Secure your Early Bird wristband pass via this link: https://www.flexischools.com.au.  You’ll be informed via an email on the holidays when you can purchase.

SWAP CASH FOR CURRENCY ON-LINE

Please note, all OCEANfest stalls will be cashless and will accept OCEANfest currency and/or EFTPOS. Simply swap cash for OCEANfest Currency on-line or at any of our swap booths to enjoy the festivities.

CENT AUCTION COLLECTION CONTINUES

It’s great to see so many gifts in the baskets for the Cent Auction Collection! To create the prizes for the Cent Auction, it begins with each junior class and pastoral care group (PCG) collecting new, donated items based on a theme. Laundry baskets are in each K to Year 6 classroom and these will be used to store the donated items. For Years 7-12, each PCG group is asked to decide upon a larger item and pool their money.  For a list of the basket themes, go to the OCEANfest website - https://www.pacificlutheran.qld.edu.au/news-events/oceanfest     

MAHALO TO OUR MOST RECENT SPONSORS

•  Anytime Fitness Currimundi
• Dr Douglas Maclean – Hip, Knee and Shoulder Surgeon
• Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital
• Computercut Signs Caloundra
• Sunshine Coast Performing Arts College
• Smart Garage Doors and Gates Moffat Beach
• Sunshine Coast Pool Care
• Dance Empire Sunshine Coast
• Zarraffa’s Currimundi
• Tides Waterfront Dining Caloundra

CALL FOR HELPERS AT THE YEAR 7-12 SPORTS DAY BBQ STALL

If you can help out for a few hours on the FoP BBQ stall, Monday 23 July at the SC University, please email FoP: fop@pacluth.qld.edu.au. We cannot run the stall without helpers so please indicate your availability.

NEXT FOP MEETING: TUESDAY 24 JULY

Our next Friends of Pacific meeting will be held on Tuesday 24 July from 6.30pm in the College Library.  All welcome to attend.

Mrs Jenny Lee, FoP Chairperson                      

Are you looking for something fun for your children to do over the upcoming Holidays?  Pacific OSHC vacation care has a program that will keep children of all ages entertained all holidays.  We have fun incursions and excursions planned to include going to the movies and bowling, as well as groups coming to the service to teach us African dancing and a magician will blow us away with his magic.

We will also be busy cooking up a storm for our OSHC Kitchen Rules, being creative at our art show and cheering for either QLD or NSW on our State of Origin day.  These holidays are not to be missed. You can download the full program and booking form from the College website, contact us via our email oshc@pacluth.qld.edu.au or call in to see us.

Mrs Natalie Sorbello, Educational Leader

Geek Girls

The new programme for term 3 was issued to students in Years 4 and 5 this week. This has been a very popular activity this term and we look forward to more fun and learning next term.

Voices on the Coast

The Voices on the Coast Literature Festival is the first week back after the holidays. Students in Years 7-12 will be attending on the Thursday and Year 4-6 will be on Friday. The list of students attending has been posted in the library.

Snow Globes

Last week, students celebrated the start of winter by making snow globes. Using jars, glycerine, glitter and plastic animals, students had fun creating their own works of art. 

Ms Nell Keen, Head of Library

Stop Motion Animation Club

We have been learning how to make simple animations using the Stop Motion App at the library. When making the animation, the students not only need to work out how to create a storyline and how to carefully move the LEGO pieces but also how to be patient. The stop motion animation takes time to build; it requires precision. The students also learn to use their imagination and their creative thinking and to bring their ideas into the animation. This animation club has been very popular at the library. We started on a weekly basis, but it has been so popular that students have been coming to the library every lunch time to work on their animation project. The Animation Club will continue next term and new members are welcome.  

Mrs Lily Smith, Library Technician

Wednesday 27^th was an extraordinary day for our Year 5 classes.  Led by the internationally published educator and presenter, Eric Frangenheim, the students unravelled the mystery and intrigue of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

The students were led through a series of thinking routines and strategies from noisy round-robins to silent shuffles.  They explored their understanding of vocabulary and big picture concepts and they learned to work collaboratively as teams with a range of peers.

The pace was fast and filled with humour as Eric encouraged and extracted deeper thinking from our engaged and actively participating students.  It was a brilliant experience for both the students, staff and the number of parents and teachers that joined us.  We all feel more ‘extraordinary’ for the time spent together.

As Eric re-iterated, Learning is a ‘verb’ and we must actively engage together, for the world is about ‘us’.

Mrs Lu Pollard, Junior College Teacher

The school holidays are a time to rest and restore, but also provide an opportunity to experience and explore, particularly whilst the focus is not as intensively on academic and sporting pursuits as may be the case during the school term.

An important strategy in career exploration is experiencing the job you are interested in.  This can be undertaken in many ways:

• Work observation - spending a day or more with someone already in the job at their workplace
• Career interview – developing a list of questions and interviewing someone already in a job you are investigating
• Work experience – spending some time (a week if possible) in the job
• Investigating courses by visiting institutions and talking to providers about their courses. Many Universities and private colleges run campus tours over the holidays.
• Getting a casual job or volunteering in your job of interest
• Doing a course or workshop that relates to the type of work you want to do – there are many holiday workshops on offer from various institutions and often through the local council or libraries.

Careers websites offer an alternative way of exploring options. The sites below offer a variety of activities and links to information that can also be used for broad or in-depth career or course information.

Pacific Lutheran College Careers https://pacificlutherancareers.com/  - Explore occupations, study options, key dates for events, watch videos on a variety of career options or create a resume in the ‘Student Secure Area’ by registering an account or logging in.

My Future https://myfuture.edu.au/ register an account and log in to explore occupation and pathway options with labour market information. There are also videos on various jobs, interactive bulls-eye charts and career quizzes.

The Good Universities Guide https://www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au/ - a comprehensive site for comparing courses across Australia.

My Skills https://www.myskills.gov.au/ exploring vocational education and training options and course providers, career stories, videos and the skills that are in demand in the labour market.

University of the Sunshine Coast Holiday Workshops

USC is offering a number of STEM-related vacation camps at the Sippy Downs campus during the upcoming school holidays.  The eDiscovery Vacation camps are for school students aged between 8-14 years.  For more information on dates and topics and to register visit www.usc.edu.au/eDiscovery 

Mrs Natasha Purcell, Careers Counsellor

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week we had five teams participate in the South East Queensland Schools Futsal Titles. All teams played extremely well and represented PLC admirably! The standard of play was extremely high with several soccer excellence schools attending.  The students thoroughly enjoyed the chance to play in this competition and will be back bigger and stronger next year. A big thank you to Mrs Leah Croke, Mrs Sara Whitelaw, Mr Duncan McNee, Mr Brendan Delaney, Mrs Virginia Schlotterbach and Mr Matthais Schlotterbach for their hand over the term with these passionate futsal players. Well done.  

Mr Brett Kersnovske, Head of Sport

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

Calling all parents, grandparents and friends of the Pacific community! If you can volunteer for only 45 minutes, (from 12.45 to 1.30pm) then we'd love to hear from you! We have volunteer positions available to serve at the front counter.  We would love to see some new faces at the Tuckshop this term! Your time and effort will be most appreciated by staff and students. If you are unsure about what is involved, please feel free to pop in, meet our Tuckshop Convenor and have a look around. There are jobs to suit everyone and it’s a great way to meet new people and lend a helping hand. Click here to download the Volunteer Form.

Ms Carrie Dickson, Tuckshop Convenor

Pastor Ray Morris, St Mark’s Lutheran Church Caloundra

WHEN: Monday 9^th – Tuesday 10^th July

WHERE: 462 Maroochydore Road, Kunda Park, QLD 4558

Cost $180 (includes camp t-shirt)

Boys and Girls ages 7-17

SESSION TIMES:  10.00am – 2.00pm (Lunch break 12.00 -12.30pm)

Bring a packed lunch, water bottle and sunscreen.

Registration: http:/ / georgecowiefootball.com/camps

Please collect any lost property before the end of term. Unfortunately, any clothing that is not marked or named is donated back to the uniform shop and sold. There are many drink bottles, shoes, hats, jackets and jumpers in the lost property which is located in the main office.

17       Term 3 Commences

           Year 11 2019 Subject Selection Evening (6.00pm)

18       Years 7-12 SCISSA Touch Begins

           Year 8 Camp Information Evening (6.00pm)

20       Year 7-12 Schools Basketball Begins

23       Year 7-12 Athletics Carnival – USC (8.30am-3.00pm)

24       Year 6-12 Parent Teacher Interviews (6.00pm)

           Sunshine Coast Careers Expo

           Friends of Pacific (6.30pm)

25       Primary Lutheran Athletics Carnival