Compass No. 572 May 2020

From the Principal

Courage To Be The Best We Can Be

To be the best we can be takes courage. There will be times where we will need to take a stand against a group mentality or to risk popularity to do what we know is right. It takes courage to stand by someone considered an outsider and welcome them in. At other times we need to have the courage to risk failure as we try new things or push ourselves to the next level. It takes courage to persist in the face of barriers or criticism, to focus on the positive and to believe we have the capability to find ways together to a better way of being. To live our lives well requires all of us to have that quiet but persistent courage to stand tall and to learn through standing for what is right, building on strengths and learning through giving things a go.

To have courage requires us to have faith and hope. Where we have faith and hope that God walks with us in that journey and enables us to stand tall, we are free to live our lives abundantly unfettered by fear or the weight of other’s expectations. Like Daniel, we can walk with courage into any lion’s den to do what is right or to grow our capacity to do good and shine the light of hope.

Principal's Log

There has been a surge of energy this week as we have welcomed back our Year 2-10 students into the College. Staff and students across Prep – Year 12 have been excited to reconnect with each other. Students have seamlessly settled into their learning which is a credit to them, their teachers and parents for the continuity of learning that has been sustained through the online learning phase.

We wish Charles Box all the best as he prepares to take part in the International Future Problem Solving Competition next week. Instead of travelling to the United States as originally planned, Charles, as one of approximately 35 Australian students, will join and compete against people from around the world online to consider the issues around Terraforming. We congratulate Charles on his success so far and thank Mrs Jo Belchamber, Miss Adelle Byerlee and their team for the guidance and support of all of our Future Problem Solving members.

Middle and Senior College students and teachers are adapting quickly to changes from vertical pastoral care groupings to year level-based house groupings known as Pastoral House Groups (PHG). Pacific Action Group meetings, which involve students from different year levels, are occurring online through Teams. Instrumental music students of all ages are continuing to meet with their tutors online. Through all of these changes, staff and students are adjusting quickly to optimise their relationships and learning and to take advantage of opportunities that emerge.

We continue to plan for the return of Outdoor Education, Sport and Music ensembles in line with the changes to broader community restrictions as set by the government. Some of the detail of changes to events are listed later in the newsletter. Next week we will recommence onsite enrolment tours whilst maintaining strict protocols around gatherings, social distancing and hygiene.

In relation to the new guidelines for student illness, a number of parents have asked for clarification around children with sniffles or other respiratory symptoms. At this stage, any student or staff member who presents with respiratory symptoms, including sniffles, must stay at home. Where families believe this is due to allergies, they will need to have written communication from their doctor explaining this and giving them permission to attend school. We have appreciated parents notifying us when family members are being tested for COVID-19 and we strongly encourage all families to do this.

An email has been sent today outlining changes to exam conditions for Year 10 students and arrangements for Middle College exams. Students and parents can also access this information in Nav, under Notices.

Thank you to our parents for the way you are adapting to changes around student drop off and pick up. It has gone very well for the first week with everyone back and more students travelling by car. Parents are asked to time their arrival at school to the time their oldest child finishes to reduce congestion around pick up time. For Prep – Year 2 students this is at 2.50pm, Year 3-5 is 3.00pm and our Year 6-12 students is 3.15pm. Younger children will be supervised by staff until older siblings join them. As a reminder, families with children in Prep – Year 2 and older siblings should use the P-2 car park. We will continue to refine our drop off and pick up procedures to make this process as smooth as possible for families. Updates will be communicated to parents via email.

Finally, we remind families that tomorrow, Friday 29^th May, is the Caloundra Show Holiday and as such the College will be closed.

May God grant us the faith and courage to be the best we can be.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal

From the College Pastor

Courage

In Chapel this week, we heard the story of Peter denying Jesus three times. After Jesus was arrested and taken away to be interrogated, Peter is there lurking in the background, waiting to see what the authorities and powers will do to Jesus. While observing at a distance, Peter is recognised by people in the crowd and questioned by them three times. Each time Peter lacks the courage to confess that he is a friend and a follower of Jesus. Each of these three times, he denies Jesus. What is it that Peter displays here, is it weakness, fear or cowardice? What is the opposite of courage? Whatever it is, Peter certainly does feel it, desperately, because at the time Jesus looks at him, Peter fatefully cries.

Days later, Jesus appears to Peter after His death and resurrection. The risen Jesus comes to Peter in love and questions him three times, “Do you love me?”. Each time Peter replies with courage and purpose; “Yes, I do Lord”. On the third time, Jesus commissions Peter to go out and tell the good news of what he has done. From this encounter with the risen Lord Jesus, we know Peter lived the rest of his life as a man of great courage. He knew the Lord was with him and loved him. The Lord forgave him when he denied him. From the unlikely place of betrayal, courage grew for Peter. The great fantasy writer and Christian, J. R. R. Tolkien once said; “Courage is found in unlikely places”.

When we feel that courage has gone far away from us, this story of Peter reminds us to call out to the Lord. God promises to be with us and to help us. He loves us and is able to grow great courage in us from the most unlikely of places and situations. May God give you courage in the challenges and concerns you face this week.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the courage you grow in us even when we feel like we have not done enough. Give your courage to those who are carrying challenges at this moment. Amen.

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

From the Head of Senior College Students

Pastoral House Groups

It has been great to see all students back at school this week and engaging in face-to-face learning again. In talking with students over the past few weeks, most have developed a new appreciation for the social interactions that the school environment brings both in their interactions with other students, but also with their teachers in lessons. I commend all students for their engagement and persistence with their learning from home and thank parents for their support of their children during this time.

In order to maintain the safety and wellbeing of our community, it is important that all students are mindful of the restrictions and guidelines in place at the College. One of the biggest changes we’ve had to adapt to this week is the mixing of year levels, which is currently restricted under government guidelines. This has presented many challenges for us as a community as there have been many friendships formed across year levels due to the sub-groups that exist at the College and our vertical Pastoral Care Groups.

The pastoral care system and wellbeing of students are vital components of a Pacific education so it is important that we continue to support students in this way. Therefore, students have been allocated pastoral groups within their own year and house levels (Pastoral House Groups) so that they can maintain their social interactions with one another and have a teacher who is pastorally there for them throughout the rest of the term. We encourage students and families to be in contact with their PCG, PHG and Heads of House if there are any day to day concerns this term. We thank students and staff for their ongoing flexibility and adaptability.

Uniform Expectations

With students return to school this week, we have also changed to the winter uniform. It’s been pleasing to see the majority of students maintaining a high standard of presentation as we transition back to learning on campus. Parents and students are reminded that formal uniform items are to be worn with the formal uniform and sport uniform items are to be worn with sports uniform. There should not be mixing of one set of uniform with the other, in particular sports jackets and formal jumpers or sports hats and formal hats. Senior College students are to be wearing their blazers to and from school each day and all boys need ties and navy or black socks under their long pants (no coloured socks) as per the College uniform policy.

A reminder that for girls, make-up of any form (foundation, false nails or eye-lash extensions) are not allowed and should not be worn to school. Normal jewellery expectations as per the handbook still apply. For all students, hats still need to be worn (on heads) to and from school and during breaks.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school for clarification.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge and thank the College Captains for their tireless efforts, thoughts and ideas throughout the year so far. It has been tremendously refreshing and energising to work with such a motivated and enthusiastic group of leaders who have continued to provide guidance and support to those throughout the whole College during these times.

Mr Mark Hauser, Head of Senior College Students

From the Head of Staff and Students P-5

Welcome Back Year 2-5!

It was uplifting to see so many happy students (and parents!) at the car park on Monday morning as we welcomed back students across Years 2-5. The College was once again filled with the noise and energy of children playing and learning together!

The thread across the College last week was courage. Central to the theme of courage, is the story of David and Goliath. David was faced with a formidable challenge and his task seemed insurmountable. With school returning this week, I began reflecting on the last few months. The challenges we have faced as a community and wider as a nation, have been huge. We needed to be courageous and decisive to face the tasks that confronted us. The Pacific community has met the challenge positively and we have all grown as learners and community. Thank you!

Drop Off and Pick Up

We thank you for the way in which you have supported the change in process to student drop off and pick up. Your support when accessing the car parks and coordinating your pickup times has enabled our P-2 car park to function as smoothly as possible.

A reminder that the P-2 is available for all parents with a child in the Foundation College or students across P-2 with additional children in Years 3 and above. For student safety, parents are asked to avoid parking in the lined zoned near the crossing.

Students across Years 3-5 are required to be collected from the Year 3-12 drop off to maximise space across the P-2 car park. Laminated name tags for families in Years 3-5 will be sent home from next week to assist staff with identifying families in the Year 3-12 carpark at pick up. We ask that all laminated cards are displayed in the most prominent place possible in your vehicles.

Students who are walking or riding to school must engage in hand sanitation when moving onto the school grounds. Parents who ride with their child may escort their child to the bike racks, but not enter further onto the school grounds.

Once again, we thank you for your patience as we continue to improve our processes to ensure your children remain safe.

P-5 Uniform Expectations

A reminder that all students need to be adhering of the College’s uniform policy. Formal jumpers are to be worn with the formal uniform only and accompanied by leather shoes. Correct socks must also be worn. The sports uniform can be accompanied by the sports jumper and runners.

The full uniform policy is available in the Parent Handbook, which was posted home at the beginning of the year. It is also accessible through the Nav Parent Portal, under Policies and Procedures: https://nav.pacluth.qld.edu.au/login/.

Parents can make bookings to visit the Uniform Shop by phoning Reception on 5436 7300 or make purchases online through Flexischools: https://www.flexischools.com.au/.

Items From Home

With the current restrictions in place, I would like to remind parents and students that items from home (other than laptops, devices and learning materials) are not permitted to be brought into school. This includes sport equipment, beyblades, cards and soft toys. Unfortunately, this also includes birthday treats such as cakes and ice blocks. We understand this is disappointing, but we are hopeful there will be a time to celebrate birthdays on campus in the future. We thank you for your ongoing support.

Take care and God bless.

Mr Damian Davis, Head of Staff and Students P-5

Food for Thought

SchoolTV Special Report: Coronavirus – The Transition Back

As lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease, we enter a time of transition and adjustment. The circumstances of this situation have significantly impacted us all. Many young people may be excited at the prospect of restrictions being lifted; others may have mixed emotions. Reactions will differ depending on how well they cope with stress and change. Keeping a check on your child’s mental health and wellbeing as they adjust to new routines will be vitally important.

There is still a lot of uncertainty ahead of us, so focusing on the things you can control or enjoy doing or even value, can help establish predictability and familiarity for the whole family. Parents should provide young people with reassurance by acknowledging any concerns and fears they may have at this time.

In this Special Report, SchoolTV provides some ideas to cope with the transition and adjustment. The report is available at: https://pacificlutheran.qld.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-coronavirus-transition-back.

Mrs Annie Williams, College Counsellor

Important Notices

Term 2 Events

Due to the restrictions still in place with COVID-19, following is a summary of changes to scheduled events for the remainder of Term 2.

P-12 Photo Day – Postponed to Term 3
SCISSA Training, Trial Days and Gala Days for Term 2 – Cancelled
Year 3-6 Athletics Carnival – On hold
Year 3-5 Author Visit – Cancelled
10-19yrs Regional Cross Country – Cancelled
Ensembles Concert – Cancelled
Year 8 Camp Information Evening – Online delivery TBC
Friends of Pacific June Meeting – Online. Agenda items can be emailed to fop@pacluth.qld.edu.au by Tuesday 9^th June.
P-2 and Year 3-12 Cross Country Carnivals – Virtual competition
Year 4-6 SCISSA Photos – On hold
Year 7-12 Athletics Carnival and Events – On hold
Year 4 Camp – Postponed to Term 4
K-12 Chapel – Online

We will continue to review these activities in accordance with government advice and guidelines and further advice will be provided as we move into Term 3. We thank you for your patience and support as we continue to adjust to the current evolving situation.

Ms Marg Gunn, Director of Staff

Year 7 and 10 School-Based Vaccinations

Due to the delayed return to school this term, the Year 7 and Year 10 school-based vaccinations have also been delayed.

The revised details are as follows.

Thursday 29^th October:

Year 7 – HPV (dose 1) and dTpa
Year 10 – Meningococcal ACWY

Year 7 students who receive the HPV dose 1 on 29^th October will have a letter emailed/posted to Parents/Guardians to advise when the HPV dose 2 is available from their GP, after the 6 month and 1 day minimum time period has passed.

Mrs Sharon Middleton and Mrs Maree Hooper, College Nurses

College News

Future Problem Solving – International Competition

Next week, Senior College student Charles Box will compete in the Future Problem Solving International Conference. Charles was invited to participate at the international level after winning his division of the Australian competition last year. There are only approximately 35 Australian representatives competing at the event so it is a phenomenal achievement to reach this level. The conference was going to be held in the United States, but with the current COVID-19 travel restrictions, it will be held virtually, with competitors from around the world connecting digitally for both the competition and networking events.

Charles is competing in the Individual Middle Division and this year’s topic is Terraforming. In a two-hour period, Charles will develop eight solution ideas to eight challenges and then submit his response booklet online. Terraforming is the process of deliberately modifying a planet or place’s atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to the environment of Earth so it is suitable for human life. Charles has a keen personal interest on this topic, which has assisted with his preparation for the event.

As well as the competition, Charles will also participate in the Opening Ceremony and a networking event online where, through the use of avatars, he will be able to connect with other participants and exchange mementos with other countries.

We congratulate Charles on this huge achievement and wish him the best of luck as he continues with his preparation for the event next week!

Mrs Jo Belchamber, Head of Learning Enrichment

Sport News

Interhouse Virtual Cross Country Event

Due to government guidelines and restrictions, we were unable to hold our Year 3-12 Cross Country Carnival at the end of Term 1 and will be unable to run the Prep – Year 2 Cross Country Carnival scheduled for later this term.

Whilst COVID-19 has prevented us from running these carnivals in our traditional format, we are happy to announce the launch of our Prep – Year 12 Interhouse Virtual Cross Country event, which begins next Monday 1st June and will run until Friday 19th June. The event is open to all students with the winning house will be announced in Week 10.

Students are encouraged to run or walk for their house during this time. The house with the greatest number of kilometres logged will be crowned the Inaugural Virtual Cross Country Champions! Students will be able to log their runs during Physical Education lessons and at home. Student safety is paramount and we ask all students to warm up correctly and have parent permission before completing any at home run sessions. Primary aged students will need to complete at home run sessions under parent supervision.

For more information, click here.

General Sport Update

The current COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines implemented by the government have had significant impact on sport, both here at Pacific and in the wider community. Below is an outline of the most up-to-date information we have at this point in time.

Primary Sport

Year 3-6 District and Regional Cross Country Carnivals have been cancelled for 2020.
Year 3-6 Athletics Carnival scheduled for later this term has been postponed until further notice.
The District and Regional Athletics Carnivals for Term 3 are unable to be run under the Stage 3 restrictions. If restrictions are lifted, these events could potentially occur.
Term 2 SCISSA Gala Day has been cancelled.
All 10-12years Regional Trials have been postponed at this stage.

Looking ahead, there is planning for the Term 3 and 4 SCISSA Gala Days to progress under strict regulations and protocols, which are still being determined in line with the expected government restrictions.

Secondary Sport

Year 7-12 District and Regional Cross Country Carnivals have been cancelled for 2020.
Year 7-12 Athletics Carnival scheduled for later this term has been postponed until further notice.
The District and Regional Athletics Carnivals for Term 3 are unable to be run under the Stage 3 restrictions. If restrictions are lifted, these events could potentially occur.
All representative sport has been postponed until further notice.
All co-curricular sport and training have been cancelled under the current Stage 1 restrictions until further notice.

Year 7-12 Semester 2 Interschool Sport

Working within the current guidelines and the easing of restrictions, schools are hoping to move ahead with co-curricular sport in Term 3 under strict hygiene and safety protocols. Year 7-12 students were advised this week how to sign up for these sports on Nav.

If your child would like to represent Pacific in any of the sports below, they need to click on the Year 7-12 Nav Sport page and complete the Term 3 and 4 Interschool Sport sign up survey.

As a College we would like to enter as many teams as possible, however students who sign up to these sports need to make a commitment to themselves and the team for the duration of the season. If you cannot commit, please do not sign up.

Friday Night Basketball Competition

The season will start in Week 1 of Term 3 with the senior (Year 11 and 12) competition running for nine weeks (including finals matches in Week 8 and 9).

The junior and intermediate (Year 7-10) competitions will begin later in Term 3 and therefore conclude late in Term 4. Please see below for the potential structure:

Important information:

There will be no spectators (including parents) allowed at games due to government restrictions on sporting venues.
As there will be no trials for team, teams will be determined based on previous experience and in consultation with those who sign-up.
Games will be played at venues all around the Sunshine Coast between 4.00pm – 8.00pm each Friday and students will need to organise their own transport to and from venues.

SCISSA Touch Football Competition (Wednesday)

Competition dates: Week 2 – Week 10, Term 3
Age groups: Junior Boys and Girls (Years 7 and 8), Intermediate Boys and Girls (Years 9 and 10) and Senior Boys and Girls (Years 11 and 12)

Sunshine Coast Secondary Schools Rugby Union Competition (Wednesday TBC)

Competition dates: Week 4 – Week 10, Term 3
Age groups: Boys – Under 14 / Under 16 / Under 18 (15-a-side) and Girls – Under 14 / Under 16 / Under 18 (10-a-side)

Sunshine Coast Schools Water Polo Competition (Monday)

Competition dates vary for age groups as follows: