Compass No. 591 November 2020

Our thread over these next two weeks is Cultural Competence. This means that as a school community, we want our children and young people to improving their knowledge of, and increase their comfort with, people of different cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds. An excellent place to start in developing this competency is to remind ourselves of Pacific’s partnership with the people of Cambodia.

For 10 years, Pacific has been supporting the people of Cambodia through the Lutheran Church of Cambodia. During this time, the College has sent four teams of students and staff to visit the country. On these trips, students have visited church and school communities in the capital city of Phnom Penn and a small village in a province north of the capital called Phum Krus. More than $40 000 has been raised by our College community to support students with books and stationery, laptops and scholarships.

The purpose of these visits is not just to raise money or for students to have an overseas trip. Our partnership enables students to immerse themselves in Cambodian history and culture, learn what it means to be part of a Christian community in a majority Buddhist country and engage in service learning projects. We come as guests to a foreign country and learn from people who have so little but teach us so much.

Jesus said; “love your enemies, love your neighbour, love those who are different, those who do not love you in return”. Jesus invites us to think ‘twice’ about old ways of doing things, to break away from the ‘tribe’ mentality. We are not merely people of ‘many races’ with different languages, cultures and appearances. We are people who are all loved by God equally. Despite our cultural differences, we reach out to embrace people of all nations and backgrounds. In doing this, we are living the love of God for our world.

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

We are truly blessed to be living on the Sunshine Coast. Especially at this time of year when spring brings new growth, the mornings start more brightly and mild temperatures enable us to explore and enjoy the great outdoors. One of the benefits of sunlight is supporting the brains release of serotonin, the hormone responsible for giving you a more positive mood, helping you stay calm and focused. It is these benefits that will support our young people in Middle College and Year 10 as they work toward their final examinations for the year. Likewise, it is the prior planning they do in purposefully studying for their assessments that will ensure they are well prepared.

Year 6 Ocean Awareness

During this term, our Year 6 students have had the opportunity to engage in weekly Ocean Awareness lessons that promote both physical activity and awareness of how to interact with the ocean. Thank you to Mr Darren Hooper and Mrs Natalie Campbell for their leadership of this program as well as Mr Stuart Pohlner, Mrs Linda Sydes Mrs Kim Kiernan and supporting staff for their involvement. The benefits of learning about the ocean is crucial as the warmer weather and end of year approaches.

Middle College Orientation

It was with great delight that I was able to address the Year 6 cohort on Monday as they began their Middle College Orientation morning. It was the first time in many months that I have had an audience in the College Gym and I thank Year 6 for their energy and attentiveness as they listened to the exciting opportunities that exist as they transition into Year 7 next year. I thank Ms Leigh Finter, Mr Brett Kersnovske and Mr Damien Evans for sharing their insights with the students on what it means to be in Year 7.

Year 5 students had the opportunity to hear from Mrs Rae Hall and the Year 6 teachers about what school will be like as they transition into the Middle College next year. I thank Mr Stuart Pohlner, Mrs Linda Sydes and Mrs Kim Kiernan for sharing their words of wisdom with students.

Following the morning briefings, students then had the opportunity to engage in a curriculum program that provided them with experiences across a range of subjects. I was particularly interested in the Science class Mr Andrew Block led, whereby students were required to work in small groups to determine the pH levels of various liquids. It is safe to say there was a mixture of collaboration, energy and genuine curiosity in identifying which was most acidic or alkaline. Thank you to Mrs Rae Hall for her leadership in organising and collaborating with staff to ensure the day was a success.

We look forward to welcoming new Middle College students to our campus for their Orientation Day on Friday 22nd January 2021.

Mr Ben Ryan, Director of Students

The Story We Tell Others

At our Junior College assemblies over the last two weeks, we have been continuing to explore the concept of PERMA and how we use its elements to improve our wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. When we explore Engagement, Relationships and Meaning within the structure of PERMA, we are building our capacity to engage with tasks and each other as well as find meaning and clarity in our relationships. In short, we focus on our heart, our mind, our own sense of self and the sense of self in others.

Along with this message, we are continuing to explore the story of ourselves. Through our choices, actions and words we are writing stories of the people we are or want to be. When we are kind to others with our words, we are writing a story that others view positively. When we back our words with choices that match, we are continuing to build our personal story. This message is summed up by the quote, “Our words tell the story and our actions tell the truth”. When we err or damage relationships, our trust in God helps us understand our choices and redeem our story in the eyes of others.

Outdoor Education

Over the past two weeks, I have had the pleasure of attending the Year 3 and 4 Outdoor Education Experiences at Alexandra Headlands and Luther Heights respectively. Both camps have been shining examples of the great learning and valuable experiences that occur in the outdoors. Personal capacity and extending our limits mean different things to different people. For some, it is leaping off a flying fox, for others, it is spending a night away from home. It is a privilege to be involved with such powerful learning opportunities and especially see greater connections between the learning in our classrooms and the experiences that occur outdoors on camp.

The support and guidance provided by staff to our students is exemplary on these camps. I especially want to thank Ms Kim Wood for her organisation of our outdoor experiences. Along with Ms Genessa Lee, Ms Wood has brilliantly adapted to the challenges of this year to ensure all students and staff have had positive and memorable experiences. We also thank Mrs Fiona Schefe, Mr Steve Healy, Mr Scott Massie, Mrs Karen Vorster, Mrs Amanda Empson, Mr Joe Doran, Mrs Sarah Atkinson, Ms Pia Henricksen and Mrs Sara Taverner for their support of these camps.

Christmas Casual Clothes Day

A tradition we all look forward to in Term 4 is the K-5 Carols Evening. As with other events this year, we will be bringing the carols to you, in the comfort of your own homes! We will be pre-recording the event next Tuesday 10th November and then hosting the concert online on the scheduled date of Friday 27th November.

Students have been busy practicing their songs in preparation for next week’s pre-recording. We are encouraging our K-5 students to dress in Christmas clothes for the recording on Tuesday 10th November. This way, our carols will have their traditional festive flare! Please note, the usual casual clothing requirements and standards still apply.  

Take care and god bless.

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

How parents can help their children deal with disappointment

Whether you feel empathy or irritation in the face of your child’s disappointment, both present an opportunity to teach resilience through ‘desirable difficulty’, a psychological theory suggesting that people learn and retain knowledge when faced with measurable challenges. For more information, visit: https://www.washingtonpost.com/.

Mrs Annie Williams, College Counsellor

The final Book Club order forms of the year were sent home this week. Please get your orders in online by Monday morning. A reminder that we no longer accept cash orders.

Book Week Competition Winners

Congratulations to Foundation College student Kruz who created a fabulous crocodile out of recycled materials for our Book Week curious creatures competition. We also had two teams tie for our online treasure hunt, completing all the missions based on the theme. Well done to Brooke, Ellie, Holly, Bella, Emily and Kate.

Junior College students Kylani and Porscha won the ‘guess the micro-monster’ competition and everyone who came dressed in costume for our Book Week parade went into the draw for a prize, with a winner selected from each year level.

Thank you to all students and staff for your engagement with our Book Week activities and competitions.

Australian Reading Hour

Next Thursday 12th November, is the Australian Reading Hour, which is part of the Australia Reads Festival. On this day, everyone is encouraged to sit down with a book for an hour and experience the joy of reading. To celebrate next Thursday, the library will be setting up beanbags and cushions and having a reading-only lunchtime. Students and staff are welcome to bring along a book and join us.

Ms Nell Keen, Head of Library

This has been an extraordinary year for current Year 12 students. The changing landscape means there are now a wider variety of pathways to jobs and new resources available to assist graduating students.

The Federal Government has launched the Your Career website, which includes a huge range of resources that are specifically focused on support for school leavers. School leavers also have free access to direct support from qualified career practitioners to assist them navigate their transition to work or further study, through the School Leavers Information Service (phone 1800 CAREER).

In addition, the Queensland Government has a ‘Year 13’ program that is available to all school leavers. This program connects students to ongoing support beyond school to assist them with their career, employment and study goals. Current Year 12 students who want to access this program need to lodge an Expression of Interest to receive information and advice on:

• Initiatives, subsidies, grants and incentives;
• VET pathways advice and opportunities;
• Employment programs and training opportunities; and
• Information on job search and study pathway goals.

Click here for an Expression of Interest form. Please lodge the completed form via email to: ncoasttraining@desbt.qld.gov.au. Students also have the option of completing an online form. 

Torrens University Speaker Series

Torrens is a private university with a campus in Brisbane, offering courses in Hospitality, Business, Health and Design. They are running a Speaker Series from Thursday 5th November to Thursday 10th December, featuring a fantastic line up of high-profile speakers and interesting careers-related topics. Speakers include sportspeople like Caitlin Bassett, Michael Clarke, Adam Goodes and Dylan Alcott, as well as other celebrities like Manu from My Kitchen Rules and advertising and media personality Todd Sampson. For more information and to register, click here.

Defence Force Recruiting – Upcoming Events

• Defence Officers Information Session: Monday 9th November from 6.00pm at Mooloolaba. Information and registration: https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/events/event/QDOE8GK.
• Caboolture Army Aviation Event: Tuesday 10th November from 3.30pm at Caboolture. Information and registration: https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/events/event/B2KK66X.
• Defence Careers Information Session: Tuesday 24th November from 6pm at Caloundra. Information and registration: https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/events/event/E7P8446.

Mrs Wanda Hayes, Head of Career Development

We are encouraging existing families to arrange your back to school requirements prior to the end of this term as bookings in January will be limited. To make an appointment, please contact the Main Reception on 5436 7300. If uniforms purchased this year need to be exchanged, this can be arranged in the new year (providing the items are still in their original condition and haven’t been worn).

If you have a student in Year 5 going into Year 6 next year, they will require new uniform items. This includes a formal hat for girls and Middle College formal shirt, shorts, hat and tie for boys. Both boys and girls transitioning from Prep into Year 1 next year will require formal uniforms. Swimwear is also required to be worn by all Year 3-12 students for the Swimming Carnivals in Term 1 next year. Please arrange an appointment to try swimwear items on as they cannot be exchanged or refunded once purchased.

Blazers have arrived for Year 9 students and again, appointments can be made to purchase these through the Main Reception.

Mrs Peta King, Uniform Shop Coordinator

We are pleased to announce that we will move forward with fortnightly public worship services at 14 Bombala Terrace on the first and third Sunday of each month. Our care is for the vulnerable and wider community with the resources we have at one location.

Bookings are now available by clicking here or follow us on Facebook and visit our Church webpage. Please contact Janelle on 0488 556 150 for booking assistance.

Weekly online worship for St Mark’s is also available at our Church webpage or Facebook page.

All are welcome.

Pastor Ray Morris, St Mark’s Lutheran Church (0429 856 532 or lutherancaloundra@gmail.com)

Pacific Lutheran College is fundraising with Entertainment™ again this year. Order your Entertainment™ Books and Entertainment™ Digital Memberships today and 20% of the proceeds will go towards Pacific Lutheran Early Learning Centre. For a limited time, when you purchase an Entertainment™ Book, an additional $10 or $20 will also be donated to our Early Learning Centre.

To order your book or digital membership, visit: https://www.entertainment.com.au