Compass No. 543 August 2019

What is the difference between being clever and being wise? Our Bible reading from the New Testament letter of James gives us a clue into what this difference might be.

The letter of James is a very practical book that focuses on what a good life looks like. It focuses on wisdom and a faith that works and is active. It sounds a lot like the Book of Proverbs, which we heard from last week. The clue from James as to the difference between being clever and wise is this. There is one type of wisdom that is from above and there is one type of wisdom that is from below. The wisdom from above (from heaven) is, as James puts it, humble, pure, peace-loving, considerate of others, full of mercy, impartial and sincere. The other wisdom from below (from earth) harbours envy and selfish ambition. It boasts, it denies, it thrives in disorder and even harms others.

The difference between these two types of wisdom is that the wisdom from above, the wisdom from God, is concerned about others. It is not selfish, envious or unthinking towards others. It is always aware of and takes others into consideration at all times. It is outward focused.

That’s the difference between a wise and clever person. A wise person puts their knowledge and skill into practice for the benefit of others, not just themselves. They move beyond selFISHness to selfLESSness. To put it another way, you could say that a selfish person stinks like a bad fish. No one wants to hang around them for that long. You can put up with a selfish person for a little, but eventually, the stink becomes too much. Whereas a selfless person not only thinks of others but helps other people. They think of themselves less and more of others.

That’s really what our thread, engagement at school, is about too. When we engage in our learning and in our school, we see that the purpose is not just for us to be the best people we can be; the purpose is to see how we can use what God has given us to bless, help and serve others. That’s true wisdom from above.

Walk my Way

 On Sunday, Pacific staff, parents and students had an early start to raise awareness and funds for refugee children in Africa. The Pacific team joined 230 people from other Lutheran Schools and Churches for the Australian Lutheran World Service’s ‘Walk my Way’ event.

We started at Good Shepherd Lutheran College in Noosaville for registration, breakfast and a worship service before walking to Peregian Beach and finishing at Luther Heights Campsite in Coolum. As well as walking the 25-kilometre route, the Pacific team has so far raised more than $2100. This will enable more than 80 children to attend school in refugee camps like Kakuma in Kenya and in Djibouti.

Thank you to all the members of the Pacific community who have supported this project including parents, staff, students and the Year 6 cohort and teachers. If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, please visit the following link: https://walkmyway.org.au/teams/pacific-lutheran-college.

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

This week, the College Captains attended an invitation-only afternoon tea with the Honourable Mr Jarrod Bleijie at his office in Kawana. It was a great opportunity to network with other school leaders from our local area and to get some perspective on what leadership means on a grander-scale (like running an electorate). One of the things that Mr Bleijie spoke about, in response to a question asked of him, was what drove him to turn to politics. What stood out to me, was that he did not have any political interest until a defining moment in 1995 turned his attention to the political arena. It was in this year that Jarrod found a passion for speaking for the public and trying to help others, that proved to be the catalyst for his drive in his chosen career. And he has never looked back.

Around this time of year, students are asked to be making decisions that will affect their future. Year 12 students are considering their post-schooling options, Year 11 students are reflecting on their progress and leadership and Year 10 students are choosing subjects for Year 11 and 12. When making these decisions, it is important for students to reflect on what really drives them; for it is passion that often leads to success.

At assembly this week, we celebrated Senior College students who had achieved outstanding results in their academic subjects in Semester 1. We congratulate these students for the time and effort that they put into their subjects and the standard that they achieved throughout Semester 1.

I hope that you all find what drives and inspires you throughout your time at school.

Mr Mark Hauser, Head of Senior College Students

At the College, addressing any problem between students focuses on a restorative approach, developing resilience and instilling a culture that promotes support. The restorative approach looks at:

• What happened?
• Who’s been harmed?
• What needs to happen to repair some of that harm?

In this way, the focus is on the harm that has been done and the obligation this brings to those responsible to ‘right the wrong’ as much as possible. It’s an approach that seeks to develop an understanding of the harm caused by the wrongdoer’s behaviour so they can best try to make amends to those most affected. In this way, it’s an educative approach. It also ensures that those who have been most affected by the wrongdoing have the opportunity to be involved in the resolution. 

Research now clearly articulates that short-term ‘solutions’ alone, like punishing students, do not improve the relationships and social factors that can cause bullying. Although the bullying may stop in the short-term, unless these factors are addressed, it is likely to reoccur or become covert.

All Prep – Year 2 students have begun preparing for their Athletics Carnival, which will be held on Monday 2^nd September. The Carnival will start at 1.00pm and conclude by 3.00pm. Parents are most welcome at this exciting event.

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

If you’ve had a child at school for more than a few years, chances are that there have been times when you have considered whether to ‘step in’ when your child is experiencing difficulty. Working out what requires your intervention can be tricky. 

An important part of being a parent is helping children learn to deal with disappointments and difficulties. Helping our children recognise emotions and deal with them, without being crushed by them, teaches our children emotional resilience.

Click here to learn more.

Mrs Annie Williams, College Counsellor

The Pacific Blockbuster Trivia Night is shaping up to be bigger than Ben-Hur. Tables are selling faster than tickets to the Star Wars Trilogy or Bohemian Rhapsody. We’re now at 95% capacity, so don’t delay in booking your table.

There will be a fully stocked Blockbuster Bar and you’re invited to BYO food and table decorations. Come dressed as a character from your favourite movie for more laughs. If you're stuck for dress up ideas, here are a few tips: Go Back to the Future with Game of Thrones. Call on the Ghostbusters or Mrs Doubtfire and bring along your friends from Madagascar. It might be Mission Impossible to find an Incredibles outfit but it will be worth seeing the School of Rock.

There will also be some amazing prizes up for grabs for the trivia winners and round winners, Fast and Furious table challenges and The Devil Wears Prada best-dressed themed tables and individuals. Don’t miss the raffle and live auction prizes – generously donated by F45 Training, Ramanda Resort Golden Beach, Sunstate Jewellers, Harrys on Buderim, Scratchy Nails, Sunshine White, the College and loads more. If your business would like to be part of the night by donating a prize, please contact: fop@pacluth.qld.edu.au.

Click here to download the booking form. Complete the details and return via email to: fop@pacluth.qld.edu.au.

IRONMAN 70.3 Volunteering Opportunities

Want the best seat in the house? Want to gain experience in the event industry? Pacific is volunteering with IRONMAN 70.3 on Sunday 8^th September and we are looking for parents and Middle / Senior College helpers who would like to join the Pacific / FoP volunteer team. It’s a six-hour commitment at Mooloolaba and promises to be a rewarding experience. Volunteers receive a t-shirt and a cap and will generally be helping on drink stations. Pacific will receive a donation for every volunteer we provide on the day, which will help us raise funds for the installation of more water refill stations at the College. If you would like more information or can commit to helping out, please contact Allyson Sarvari on 0402 276 988 or email: fop@pacluth.qld.edu.au.

Father’s Day Stall

FoP will host the annual Father’s Day Stall for Prep-Year 12 students on Wednesday 28^th August. All gifts are $5 each. If parents have an hour or two to spare on the morning to help out, please contact our stall coordinator, Mrs Teena Thompson or email: fop@pacluth.qld.edu.au.

Next Meeting

Please join us for our next meeting at 6.30pm on Tuesday 20^th August in the library.

Mrs Jenny Lee, FoP Chairperson

In the lead up to our Book Week celebrations, this week students across Prep – Year 8 were fortunate to hear from visiting authors and illustrators. On Monday, our Prep – Year 2 classes met Emma Middleton, who is extremely creative. Emma has been a ballerina, performer, singer, artist and writer. She has written two picture books of her own and illustrated many others. Her presentation involved music, puppetry and lots of audience involvement as children learnt about the elements of a story.

Lucia Masciullo, award-winning illustrator of more than 40 picture books and novels, spoke to Year 3-5 students about her journey to become an illustrator. She then gave them a short class in how to draw.

Year 6-8 students had the opportunity to meet Brian Falkner, best known for his young adult thrillers and science fiction. As the author of more than 20 books, Brian also teaches creative writing and runs holiday camps for aspiring young writers.

The following LibGuides have been added this week (password is plc).

• Year 8 Science: Electricity http://libguides.pacluth.qld.edu.au/home/electricity
• Year 11 Biology: Unit 2 https://libguides.pacluth.qld.edu.au/home/biologyunit2

Get ready for the Book Week costume day! All students from Prep – Year 6 are invited to dress up as a book character on Wednesday 21^st August, to celebrate the love and power of reading. There will be a photo booth set up in the library on the day where students can have photos taken with their friends.

For easy costume ideas for teenagers, have a look at: https://www.penguin.com.au/activities/1711-need-a-book-week-costume-quickly or http://www.scholastic.com.au/dressuptime.

Ms Nell Keen, Head of Library

This week, two senior debating teams participated in the Fisher Schools Debating Competition. Both teams competed extremely well with PLC 2 winning the first round of debates before they were narrowly defeated by Chancellor State College in a grand final debate about the importance of free speech. Mr Andrew Wallace MP awarded the most persuasive speech of the night to Michael Hewitt and the future parliamentarian award to Reuben Taverner. Mr Wallace commended all Pacific students on their skills and the way in which they represented the College. Congratulations to Noah Beasley, Lachlan Buchanan, Alexander Jose, Austin Beasley, Michael Hewitt, Reuben Taverner and Rebekah Pierce.

International Study

Next Monday 19^th August, Mrs Wanda Hayes will host a webinar for parents and students who are interested in exploring their options for university study overseas. This will include information about how to access scholarship options. The webinar will be broadcast live from 5.00 – 5.30pm on Monday 19^th August. The presentation will also be recorded and made available to interested people who are unable to attend. Please click here to register.

Mrs Wanda Hayes, Head of Career Development

On Tuesday, a team of 43 students from Years 3-7 represented Pacific at the annual Inter-Lutheran Athletics Carnival held at USC. The quality of speed, skill and athletic performance on display was outstanding with a number of records broken during the carnival. Some of these records have stood for more than a decade.

I am pleased to announce that Pacific was crowned the overall champions at the end of the carnival, which is a fantastic result. It was a team effort on the day, but I would also like to recognise some outstanding individual performances. Listed below are students who finished in the top three places for their events on the day:

Congratulations also to Jaz Edmondstone and Danica Cockburn who broke records at the carnival. Jaz and Hamish Carroll were also named Pacific’s champion athletes, well done!

Afterschool SCISSA training for Term 3 commences next Monday 4^th August. Afterschool training is from 3.15pm – 4.15pm and the training dates can be found on the College calendar.  

Please note that if your child has selected water polo for their SCISSA sport, they will train each Monday afternoon at the Kawana Aquatic Centre. Students will be transported to training by bus, but parents will need to pick up their child at the end of training at 4.15pm. 

Students who have selected AFL or water polo as their sport will also need to purchase a mouthguard. As per SCISSA rules, students must wear a mouthguard whilst participating in these sports during trial games and Gala Days. Students without a mouthguard will not be permitted to play.

The Prep – Year 2 Athletics carnival will be held in Week 8 on Monday 2^nd September. Please note that there has been a slight change to the start time listed on the College calendar, with the first events starting at 1.00pm. The carnival will conclude at 3.00pm and families are welcome to come along and support their child on the day. 

Mr Darren Hooper, Head of Junior Sport

Queensland Canoeing will be running a kayaking supervisor course on Friday 23^rd and Saturday 24^th August at Currimundi Lake. So far, we have four confirmed participants, but a few other spots are available for those interested in training in kayaking instruction and water safety. If interested, please contact Mr Gary Graves as soon as possible on 0407 370 747 or ggraves@pacluth.qld.edu.au. It would be great to have a number of Pacific parents qualified to allow students to paddle in smaller groups at training sessions.

The Monday Night Water Polo season commenced this week, with two of our three teams taking to the water. Both teams thoroughly enjoyed getting back in the pool after a successful season last year and have now stepped up into the Intermediate Divisions, playing against Year 9 and 10 students. Although the score lines aren’t in our favour, we saw some excellent performances and great sportsmanship. Well done to all players. We look forward to the Senior Girls starting their season next week.

Mr Brett Kersnovske, Head of Sport

Congratulations to Patrick Dale (U13 Pacific Eels) who has received a Terry Reynolds nomination for SCCSA Representative Player of the Year. The winner will be announced at the upcoming Adermann Awards evening on Friday 13^th September.

Upcoming Events

• Round 17 – 10^th August and Round 18 – 17^th August are both away games.
• Saturday 24^th August is our last home game for the season with the U6 and U7 Rooball Carnival. All U6-U10 carnival locations and times are now available for viewing at: http://www.sccsa.org.au.
• 24^th and 31^st August and 7^th September: U11-U14 semi, prelim and grand final matches.
• Friday 13^th September: U11+ SCCSA Adermann Night (SCCSA invite only). Our table theme is South Africa.
• Sunday 15^th September: Pacific FC end of season family fun day and presentations at the College. All Pacific FC families welcome.
• 12^th, 19^th and 26^th October: SCCSA Representative Trials for the 2020 season (U10-U16) at Mudjimba Multisport. All current U9 (born 2010) – U16 players are welcome to trial.

We have a new menu for Term 3, with lots of favourites and new daily specials! View the new menu at: https://www.pacificlutheran.qld.edu.au/sites/default/files/Tuckshop%20Menu%20T3.pdf.

If reading about this delicious menu has tantalised your tastebuds, why not consider assisting in the tuckshop?! We would love to have your company, even if you only have an hour to spare. We love meeting the families of the children that we serve each day. If you’re interested in lending a hand, please email: tuckshop@pacluth.qld.edu.au.

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

Sunday Worship Times St Mark’s Church @ Pacific 9.30am Pacific Lutheran College (Entry via Red Cedar Drive, Meridan Plains) Google Maps St Mark's Lutheran @ Pacific   Are you looking for a friendly church where young people, old people, children, families and singles are appreciated, empowered and encouraged to grow as Christians? Everyone is welcome! Get in touch: Pastor Ray Morris 0429 856 532 ray.morris@lca.org.au www.stmarkslutherancaloundra.net

Pastor Ray, St Mark’s Lutheran Church

12                    Years 4-6 SCISSA Training (3.15-4.15pm)

12-16              National Science Week

13                    Year 9 2020 Information Evening (6.00pm)

13-16              Year 5 Camp – Bornhoffen

15-16              13-19yrs District Athletics Carnival

17                    Friends of Pacific Trivia Night (6.30pm)

19                    Trimester 3 Commences

                         Years 4-6 SCISSA Training (3.15-4.15pm)

19-23              Book Week

20                    Staff and Co-Curricular Photo Day

                         Year 9 Camp Information Evening (6.00pm)

                         Friends of Pacific (6.30pm)

22                    Years 4-6 SCISSA Trial Games

25                    St Mark’s @ Pacific Grow and Share Event – Pet Blessing (9.30am)

26                    Years 4-6 SCISSA Training (3.15-4.15pm)

27                    Year 6 Canberra Tour Information Evening (6.00pm)

28                    Friends of Pacific Father’s Day Stall

29-30              13-19yrs Regional Athletics Carnival

30                    Celebrating Dads’ Breakfast (7.00am)