Compass No. 514 October 2018

Would you call Serena Williams, after her US Open Final, a positive role model? What about the former Australian Cricket captain Ricky Ponting, who appears on many gambling advertisements between televised sporting games? Sporting heroes and ‘sheroes’ are under great pressure to be positive, well behaved, responsible role models for children and young people around the world. Post sporting careers these people are challenged to endorse many organisations and corporations to make a living. They are always in the spotlight and the causes they support indicate what sort of values they encourage. Which leads to the question, what exactly makes a positive role model? In the context of sport is a positive role model someone who accepts the umpire’s decision no matter what?  Are they someone who keeps their cool at breaking point? Someone who displays good sportsmanship and respects other players and referees? Are they someone who treats all women and men the same, honouring and not devaluing them?

In Middle Senior Chapel during the week I asked students who their role models are? I was surprised that most of the responses were not sporting stars, celebrities, or musicians but real flesh and blood people with whom they have close relationships, parents, grandparents, siblings and friends. In one of the most famous parables of Jesus, we have the story of family relationships where a father is presented as a positive role model. What does this father in the parable of the lost son do, to be such a positive role model?  Luke 15:20 sums it up; but while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. The father is compassionate enough to give his son space to make mistakes, grow and learn. The father treats all people including the slaves and servants as equal to his sons. The father does not give up on his lost son but is there for him ready to receive him when he returns with open arms. The father doesn’t cut the son off even after his mistakes but restores him to the family and celebrates his return. The father in Jesus parable is a reflection of our Heavenly Father who is the most positive role model we can have.

What is a positive role model? A positive role model is someone we have a close relationship with, who spends time with us and has great compassion for us.

Ps Tim Jarick, College Pastor

On the 13th of October a group of parents, students and staff met during the Strategic Planning Day to discuss where to in the next four years for wellbeing and formation. Firstly, I would like to thank all the participants for their time, deep thinking and positive energy. The meeting began by asking participants to write on post-it-notes and then display what capabilities we would like to see in PLC graduates in 2030. Mentioned multiple times were resilience, care for others, compassion, empathy, confidence, adaptability, environmentally concerned, happy, reflective and spiritual. Some other key capabilities mentioned were strong convictions about who they are and what they can achieve, humble, tolerant, connected, strong values and optimistic.

As the morning progressed we discussed what is good and distinctive about wellbeing at Pacific. Much of our conversation revolved around the ten Lutheran values and acceptance, forgiveness, support, respect and the College’s gentle culture. Finally, we spent time discussing what we want to preserve, add and change. This will be a basis for further discussion over coming weeks as we centre in on some key goals for the next four years.

Well done to the Year 6 students and teachers for the many positive comments they received on the recent Canberra trip. More will be shared about this exciting event in coming weeks. The Middle College Orientation Evening for Year Five Parents and new students is at 7.00pm, Monday 5^th November.

Mr Brendan Delaney, Director of Students

Year 3 Camp

Next week on Thursday 1^st November, Year 3 students depart the College to attend their first Outdoor Education Camp at Luther Heights.  Can parents/guardians please ensure all medical/consent forms are completed and returned to your child’s classroom teacher.

Day for Daniel

Friday 26^th October is Day for Daniel.  As parents we are all familiar with Daniel’s story and appreciate the great work his parents have done through the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.  At P-5 assembly next week I will be reminding students of the need to be safe when travelling to and from school. This message is centred upon reminding students not to get into cars or go with strangers. There are numerous excellent resources available on-line (see below for examples) to support this important message of child safety.

http://www.danielmorcombe.com.au/foundation_red.html

http://www.napcan.org.au/home

http://www.mychildsafety.net/stranger-danger.html

It would be great for parents to discuss and re-enforce this important message with their children of all ages. The single most important thing to remember when teaching your children about stranger danger is to instill confidence, rather than fear.

Bandana Day

At the last P-5 Assembly we were joined by two year twelve students who spoke passionately about Bandana Day, which is also celebrated on Friday, 26^th October and the important work done by CanTeen in its support for young people from 12-25 years of age who have cancer. One of these young men spoke from first-hand experience about how important the work of CanTeen is.  Your support of this cause is much appreciated. Large numbers of bandanas have been purchased and certainly have added colour and excitement to Grandparents Day. 

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

Snap Map has attracted a lot of media attention as the location-based aspect means that a user can choose to share their location with others. Because there are so many young people using the app this potential sharing is a cause for concern for parents and carers in particular. Given that Snapchat’s largest demographic is 18- to 24-year-olds and the minimum age for creating an account is 13, Snap Map could potentially put younger users in a situation where their location is unwittingly shared with “friends” they don’t know in person or putting them at risk of stalking or bullying. Consequently, Snap Map has been criticised by many as dangerous.

Many young people know about the dangers of sharing personal information but think that it does not apply to them. Young people do need to be more aware of some of the risks and challenges when they go online. However, used in the right way this app can be so useful. Indeed, some parents have commented that they are able to feel confident using the Snap Map application so that they know where their children are at all times.

Please click here for more details:

Mrs Annie Williams, School Counsellor

Annual General Meeting

We warmly invite all new and current families, together with College staff to attend our Annual General Meeting. Please join us for wine and cheese at 6.30pm on Tuesday 19^th November in the College Library. With planning already underway for our 2019 events, we look forward to welcoming many new faces to our volunteer committee!

Mrs Jenny Lee, FoP Chairperson

Elephants’ Toothpaste

The Geek Girls group explored chemical reactions by making “elephants’ toothpaste”. This experiment involves creating an exothermic reaction by adding a catalyst (yeast) to hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide is forced to release its oxygen molecules, creating oxygen and water. The result is a spout of bubbles frothing out of the bottle.

Magazines

New magazine shelving has been added to the senior area, creating an attractive reading space. Senior books have also been moved into the new area, allowing for separation between Middle College and Senior College fiction.

Ms Nell Keen, Head of Library

Our Year 6 cohort have just returned from six days in Canberra. Students were outstanding as they navigated their way through airports, bus transport and numerous visits of the many exclusive sites our Nation’s Capital has to offer. Every day was packed to the brim with unique and rewarding experiences.

Students visited both Old and New Parliament House where they got first-hand knowledge of Australia’s electoral system, Australian Prime Ministers and Federation. We were fortunate enough to witness Question Time and had the honour of meeting our Federal member for Fisher, Mr Andrew Wallace. 

Although sombre and reflective, the Australian War Memorial provided the time and space for students to explore the sacrifice and hardship many men and women experienced to deliver the world of peace they now exist in. Students were also fortunate enough to visit the Governor General at his residence, explore Questacon, CSIRO, Geoscience Centre, Dinosaur Museum, Zoo and Aquarium and National Museum. Such examples of experiential learning help students consolidate their classroom learnings in a real, tangible learning environment.

This vast and complex learning experience would not have been possible without the dedication and support of the Year 6 teachers Mrs Linda Sydes, Mr Damien Johns and Mr Stuart Pohlner who have worked closely with their students throughout the year in preparing them for this experience. We were also extremely well supported by Mr Andrew Block and Mrs Pia Foxlow and Mel Ousley from our Learning Enrichment Department, Miss Georgia Snelling and our Outdoor Education Facilitators Mrs Tegan Luker and Jay Williams. A special mention goes out to Mrs Natalie Campbell who took the reins as Tour Coordinator and ensured that students and staff alike were supported and prepared for each day and its outcomes.

The National Capital Tour is undertaken with assistance from the Federal Government as part of their PACER (Parliament and Civics Educational Rebate) program. The rebate is paid directly to the College upon completion of the tour.

Mr Nicholas Tait, Head of Outdoor Education and Duke of Edinburgh Award Coordinator

The results of the National Finals are as follows:

Global Issues Problem Solving Booklet Senior Division, 5^th Place (Ethan, Karlee, Olivia and Sarah)

Global Issues Problem Solving Booklet Individual Division 6^th Place (Noah)

These are outstanding results in a program that involves hundreds of schools and colleges around Australia. The students proved that they are 21^st Century thinkers who can be creative and collaborative under pressure. The problem was ‘Cloud Storage’ in 2048 and the team generated an action plan to improve the security of cloud storage technology so that the risk of data leakage would be reduced.

Thank you to Mrs Ousley, Ms Scheiwe and Mrs Hohls, who helped prepare the team for the Finals and to Mrs Hall who accompanied us to the event.

We are proud of the achievements of the Future Problem-Solving team and would like to thank them for representing Pacific Lutheran College so admirably at the event.

Mrs Jo Belchamber, Head of Learning Enrichment

Careers with STEM

Are you interested in computer science, coding, cyber security, or want to combine science with animal welfare? You can find out more about these job opportunities and more at CAREERSwithSTEM.com.au  You can download the most recent E-Mag that is packed with lots of job information and personal stories from people who have made great choices in STEM.

USC: Headstart

Headstart is a transition program for Year 11 and 12 students that allows them to study USC courses while still completing high school. Read about the benefits of this program on the USC website.  You can also download the Headstart Guide 2019 from this site.  Applications close on 31 October 2018 for Semester One 2019.

Deadline for written statement and online assessment requirements for education courses QTAC

Students applying for entry into tertiary education courses for 2019 must submit written statements through an online questionnaire to address suitability criteria for the course. These form part of their QTAC application.  These statements must be submitted before the QTAC documentation due dates (see Key dates on the QTAC website or in your QTAC book on Page 20). You must have submitted your statements by 7 December 2018 for the 20 December 2018 and the 14 December 2018 for the 16 January 2019 offer rounds.  Visit the QTAC website to view a Fact Sheet explaining what is required in the written statements.

USQ: Parents’ Guide to Uni

It may be difficult for parents to understand how to relate to their child's new life. USQ have a seven-episode podcast for parents to keep them up to date with what their child will be generally experiencing. You'll hear from other parents, academics, career practitioners and students. Click here to listen.

Queensland Government: Fee-free vocational training for Year 12 graduates

This Queensland Government program supports Queensland Year 12 graduates in transitioning to employment by providing fee-free training for Certificate III qualifications in high priority vocational areas.  Find out more on the Queensland Government Training website.

Mrs Natasha Purcell, Careers Counsellor

Online registration for the 2019 season will be open soon!

If you’re not already on the Pacific FC mailing list and would like to know when registrations open, email your name, player’s name and your best email contact to: PacificFC@pacluth.qld.edu.au.

Mr Matt Gigney, Pacific FC President

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