Compass No. 574 June 2020

From the Principal

Taking The Long View

When we are in the midst of challenging circumstances it is always good to pause and take the long view. We can ask ourselves, what of this situation will matter at the end of the year, next year or beyond the next five years. Focusing on what will matter helps us to switch down our emotions and identify what is important. As students have completed assessment in the middle and senior years and start to get results back, this type of reflective thinking about what can be learnt and taken forward, is particularly important. For all of us when we find ourselves in challenging times, focusing on what is important, helps us to identify potential steps forward for improving our situation. We can move from frustration to action. As we take the long view, we can also step back and consider the impact on others and move forward with empathy.

As we move forward, God invites us to place our trust in Him. He prompts us, “Be Still and Know I am God”. He promises that He will provide for all of our needs. We can pray for God to guide us and let go of our concerns for the present and the future. By letting go and trusting in God, all things become less tangled, light shines in and a way forward emerges.

Principal's Log

We congratulate Charles Box on representing Australia in the Future Problem Solving Virtual International Conference last week. Charles was selected as the Australian flag bearer and enjoyed the opportunity to compete and to interact with like-minded young people from around the world. This was a tremendous achievement and opportunity and we thank Mrs Jo Belchamber for her leadership. We look forward to ongoing opportunity for our students as they prepare for the National Future Problem Solving competition later in the year.

We continue to see new ideas being trialled with students across the College being invited to participate in a Virtual Cross Country and a Virtual Surfing Competition. The Virtual Surfing Competition also provides the opportunity for young film makers to grow and share their skills as they compete for the filming and editing section of the competition. We thank Mr Darren Hooper and Mrs Natalie Campbell for their creativity and leadership.

The College continues to build on its environmental focus through a recent addition in our Industrial Technology Centre. One of the environmental challenges currently facing Australia is our disposal of plastics. The College has purchased a plastics shredder which reduces plastics down to granule size which allows remolding and reusing different types of plastics. The machine had to be purchased from Europe as no similar product exists in Australia. Perhaps use of this machine might inspire one of our young people to lead the way in solving Australia’s recycling problems on a larger scale. We thank Mr Learoyd and his team for their ongoing innovation in the area of Industrial Technology.

Lutheran Education Queensland has announced a moratorium on building within schools until at least September of this year while there remains some uncertainty about the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the broader community. This will mean that at this time we are unable to go to tender as expected for the Year 3-5 building, which we had hoped would commence at the start of next term. The College Council remains committed to the ongoing enhancement of facilities while being mindful of the financial needs and capacity of our community. We will work with Lutheran Education Queensland to develop a plan for the timing of this construction, which is ready to go to tender, taking our local school context into account which appears to be very positive.

As restrictions have eased, staff and students have enjoyed the return to broader co-curricular experiences with modified ways of operating to maximise social distancing and hygiene. Instrumental teachers have returned to the College and our Year 3-5 strings and Year 5-6 bands have also restarted. We look forward to more of our ensemble groups being able to rehearse next week. Friday sport for Year 7-10 students got underway last week and we are planning for further expansion of sport at the start of next term in line with restrictions being lifted further in the broader community. Planning for the Year 8 Outdoor Education experience is also underway with our provider and the College making significant adjustments to be COVID-19 safe, in line with the expected move to Stage 3 by the start of next term. Year 8 parents will receive communication about this in the coming days.

In all circumstances, we pray that God would give us the capacity to trust in Him, to be still and focus on the long view.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal 

From the College Pastor

Anxieties and Exams

So, don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:34)

Jesus said these words to his disciples in the context of people worrying about whether we have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. But at this time of the school term, we sometimes have the anxiety of students who worry whether they have studied enough for exams. Do you remember getting worried about a big exam or test at school the night before? Deadlines of assignments and the pressure of exams can weigh heavily on the minds of students no matter what their age. It seems as humans, we are creatures who inherently worry about what’s going or what’s not going to happen to us.

For many in our world today the worry is what’s going to happen to us on the other side of the coronavirus? What will the world of the ‘new normal’ look like? Are we still going to be able to do the public things that we took for granted? Worry can easily creep into our emotional thinking when we are confronted with what we cannot control. And, if we have learnt anything in recent months, it is there are more things than we realise that we cannot control. Learning to cease from worrying begins with letting go of control, being aware of the present moment and relying on God for all things. As Jesus said; Worrying about the ‘what ifs’ of tomorrow will add more anxiety to us, why not pause, take a breath and name that worry to God. Letting go of our worries in prayer is an excellent way of beginning to deal with them.

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

From the Head of Senior Students

Year 11 Leadership Day

Last week, the Year 11 cohort engaged in their first leadership day with LYQ. As with most things so far this term, the structure of the day was a little different, with the program being delivered online. The session focussed on what leadership meant to the cohort and aimed to get students thinking about how leadership looks in the everyday patterns of school life. It was great to see students engaging with the LYQ facilitators and to hear their responses as they shared their thinking throughout the day.

As part of the Senior College, we encourage all Year 11 students to consider themselves as leaders and continue to set a positive example among their peers and other year levels. The formation of Pastoral House Groups this term has provided a great opportunity for this.

The Year 11 cohort will engage in another Leadership Day early in Term 3, just before leadership applications and interviews take place. I look forward to walking with this cohort as they continue to build on their leadership throughout the remainder of the year.

Senior College Defensive Driver Course

Next term, Pacific was scheduled to take part in a Defensive Driver Course through the RACQ in Brisbane. Last year the course proved to be a highly valuable opportunity for Senior College students. With current restrictions in place, we have put a hold on this year’s course for now. When we are able to offer this program again we will advertise to the student body. The practical course deals with defensive driving at speed (controlled), in wet conditions, course manoeuvring and theoretical applications and demonstrations as well. In order to join this program, students must have their L-plates as a minimum. Stay tuned for more information about this.

Mr Mark Hauser, Head of Senior College Students

From the Head of Staff and Students P-5

Resilience

During our virtual assemblies this term, Prep – Year 5 students have been revisiting the components of our You Can Do It Program. Over the last two weeks, we have been examining resilience.

Building resilience is essential to help us navigate our daily lives. Especially when we have confrontations with difficult people, make wrong choices, get bad results, encounter negative situations that are beyond our control or struggle with day to day things that are boring, difficult or what we consider a waste of time.

We all face such difficulties with varying levels of resilience. Teaching children the skills to support the development of resilience is an important facet of growth and development.

Some of our Year 5 students shared their thoughts about what it means to be resilient:

  • To keep giving your best even if you’re in doubt – Amy
  • Being resilient means that you bounce back, keep trying and try not let anything bring you down – Ben
  • Resilience means getting back up again even if times get tough – Tilly

We are continually surrounded by examples of resilience and there are many figures throughout history who have demonstrated great resilience against all odds. This week at assembly, we acknowledged Mabo Day, which fell on 3rd June. Students were reminded of the resilience that Eddie Mabo showed during his campaign for Indigenous land rights to be recognised in Australia.

School Boundaries

Our College thread of school boundaries has served as a timely reminder as students have returned to the College with different guidelines to maintain our safety. Our pastoral care logo with the cross at its centre, reminds us that our boundaries are there to preserve the care, dignity and respect we have for each other. The crossing of these boundaries has the potential to impact the individual rights of others and we continue to remind our students of the importance of making good choices, in line with our College ethos.

We remind students and families to ensure they are presenting to the College in line with our uniform guidelines and thank families for the way they are supporting the College with the drop off and pick up of students in both car parks.

Mobile Device Use

Finally, a reminder about mobile use across the Foundation and Junior College. If students are in possession of a device capable of communication such as a phone or smart watch, it must be switched to standby whilst the student is at school. At no stage are students to contact parents directly via their device. All communication needs to be through the P-5 student reception.

Take care and God bless.

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

Food for Thought

Mindfulness for Children

Habits formed early in life will inform behaviours in adulthood. With mindfulness, we have the opportunity to give our children the habit of being peaceful, kind and accepting. For children, mindfulness can offer relief from whatever difficulties they might be encountering in life.

For more information, visit: https://www.nytimes.com/.

Mrs Annie Williams, College Counsellor

Important Notices

NCCD - Collection Notice

As part of the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students With Disability (NCCD), the College is required to provide the following information to the Australian Government Department of Education and Training on each student with a disability:

  • The student’s year level;
  • The student’s category of disability (i.e. physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional); and
  • The student’s level of adjustment (i.e. support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive adjustment).

For further information about the NCCD, visit: https://www.nccd.edu.au/. If you have any questions, please contact our Head of Learning Enrichment, Mrs Jo Belchamber on 5436 7300 or jbelchamber@pacluth.qld.edu.au.

Outside School Hours Care

Vacation Care

Do you need care for your children or are you looking for entertainment options these holidays? Pacific's OSHC has a fantastic interactive vacation care program for school aged children. The days are full of fun, laughter and entertainment.

Some of the activities planned for these holidays include a Lego incursion, a Pirate Day and a Teddy Bear’s Picnic. To learn more about our service and view the full program, visit: https://www.pacificlutheran.qld.edu.au.

Mrs Natalie Sorbello, OSHC Service Leader

Library News

Writing Competitions

Telling Stories Writing Competition

Year 4-9 students are invited to submit a story with the title ‘I should have been more careful!’ for this competition. Entries, along with an entry form, must be submitted to Ms Nell Keen via email (nkeen@pacluth.qld.edu.au) by Friday 28th August. For more information, click here. The top prize is $150.

KYD School Writing Prize

For this competition, high school students are invited to submit entries of up to 1500 words (fiction or non-fiction), responding to a current social or political issue. Entries must be submitted to Ms Nell Keen via email (nkeen@pacluth.qld.edu.au) by Friday 28th August. The top prize is $500.

Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Award

Open to students from Prep – Year 12, up to three poems, no longer than 80 lines, may be submitted on the theme ‘We used to live there’. There is a small entry fee and the top prize is $500. Entries close on Tuesday 30th June. For more information, visit: https://dorothea.com.au/How-to-Enter-awards.

Ms Nell Keen, Head of Library

College News

Future Problem Solving - International Competition

Last week, Senior College student Charles Box participated in the Future Problem Solving Virtual International Conference. The conference was originally going to be held in the United States, but with the current COVID-19 travel restrictions, it was moved online, with competitors from around the world connecting virtually for both the competition and networking events.

Charles arrived at school at 6.00am last Friday morning to attend the Opening Service. The service included a virtual flag bearing ceremony. Charles had been selected as the Australian flag bearer and had submitted a photo of himself wearing his Surf Lifesaving uniform, an iconic Aussie outfit! They also played the national anthems of all participating countries. 

Following the service, Charles competed in the Individual Middle Division addressing the topic of Terraforming. The scenario presented to Charles focused on problems in a post-terraformed world. In his response, Charles chose to focus on the political implications of a post-terraformed world. In two-hours, Charles developed eight solution ideas and submitted his booklet online.

Over the weekend, Charles also had the opportunity to participate in a number of networking events online. In place of the traditional memento exchange, participants could engage in an online scavenger hunt using avatars to collect cultural mementos from around the world. Different virtual interaction spaces were also set up, so Charles could network and chat with other students.

The results of the competition were announced at the Closing Service on Wednesday this week. Unfortunately, Charles didn’t place in the top three of his division. However, it is a huge achievement to reach the international level and Charles should be commended on his adaptability as he adjusted to the changing context of the competition. We congratulate Charles on his tremendous success and look forward to the national competition later this year.

Mrs Jo Belchamber, Head of Learning Enrichment

Environmental Pacific Action Group

Incorporating the Environment into the Home

With the changes currently occurring in our broader society, this term the Environmental Pacific Action Group has been focussing on how we can integrate the environment into the home; especially since we are spending significantly more time there!

Starting a DIY project like planting a herb garden or building a bird house can be interactive for children and great for the environment. To be a more environmentally friendly household, consider starting a worm farm, upcycling and recycling and integrating easy lifestyle changes like ‘Meatless Monday’ or walking to school. These upcoming school holidays, why not challenge your family to find an environmental project to take up?

Senior student and Environmental PAG member, Holly Ubrihien, has created a poster on indoor plants to help detoxify the air. Well done, Holly! Not only are these plants beneficial, they are also beautiful décor for homes.

Small improvements around the home like indoor plants or herb gardens can increase the quality of the air, as well as assist in boosting our mood and productivity, reducing allergy symptoms and improve our overall quality of life. When possible, the best plants to own are always natives, such as Lemon Myrtle or a Cycad.

If you’re interested in joining the Environmental Pacific Action Group, please email Mr Josh Cummins: jcummins@pacluth.qld.edu.au.  

Georgia Barton and Lachlan Wardle, Environmental Pacific Action Group Captains

From the Head of Career Development

University Open Days This Year

Universities are still working through their decisions on Open Days. Some have already made the decision to offer virtual events to replace their Open Day this year.

If you want to keep up with developments, the best place to start is the QTAC website (www.qtac.edu.au): go to the ‘Courses and Institutions’ menu and then to ‘Open Days and Expos’. There is a tab there for every institution, as well as tabs for all the expos. QTAC is trying to keep this as up to date as possible, but it’s best to check directly with each institution, so there is a link within each institution/expo tab. These links take you to institution website pages where the latest information will be posted. In many cases you can sign up on the institution’s Open Day web page to receive updates.

QCE and Beyond Careers Expo

In response to COVID-19 restrictions, InspirED are hosting a Virtual QCE and Beyond Careers Expo for all Year 10-12 students and parents from 17th to 21st June.

Visit virtual booths from more than 80 university and higher education providers and access faculty-specific information. Ask live questions or book a video chat with student advisors. Find out more and register here.

Mrs Wanda Hayes, Head of Career Development

Sport News

Interhouse Virtual Cross Country Event

The Interhouse Virtual Cross Country is well underway with students clocking up the kilometres for their house. Progressive kilometre totals for the first week are listed below. If we combined all the kilometres run so far, we would have travelled a total distance of approximately 2870km. To give you an idea of how far this is, we have plotted the distance on a map!

As you can see Wira are in front when all year levels are combined. Our primary and middle school students are clocking up some serious kilometres for their houses! There is still eight days left to participate so there is still plenty of time for you to add some kilometres to your house total.

Remember, students are required to screenshot their run summary and email it to PLCsport@pacluth.qld.edu.au in order to log their kilometres. 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.

Virtual Surfing Challenge

The Pacific Boardriders are pleased to announce our inaugural Pacific Pulse Virtual Surfing Challenge. The challenge will be open to all students across Prep – 12, beginning on Friday 26th June (Week 10) and running through until Friday 31st July.

Contest Details

Competitors have five weeks to submit video footage of their two best waves surfed or bodyboarded during this time for judging. There is also a filming and editing section open to students who may not surf but film and edit their friends during the challenge.

Further details about the video submission format will be included in the CareMonkey permission and information email.

Your entries will be judged by our guest judging panel including:

  • Surfing – Reef Hazelwood (Hurley Team Rider and Current WQS and WCT surfer) and Tim Just (Fluid Performance Surfing Coach)
  • Bodyboarding – Michael ‘Eppo’ Eppelstun (1993 World Bodyboarding champion and inventor of the ARS manoeuvre) and Jake Stone (Two Time Australian Bodyboarding Champion and inventor of the Stone Flip manoeuvre).

Contest Requirements

Students who would like to enter need to email Mr Darren Hooper (dhooper@pacluth.qld.edu.au) to register their interest. Parents will then be sent a CareMonkey consent form which needs to completed prior to the contest starting on Friday 26th June. Submissions will not be accepted if you have not received parental consent.

Click here for the competition divisions and prizes up for grabs!

Mr Darren Hooper, Head of Sport

St Mark’s Lutheran Church

Keep in Touch

 

Pastor Ray Morris

0429 856 532

ray.morris@lca.org.au

www.stmarkslutherancaloundra.net


Pastor Ray, St Mark's Lutheran Church