Compass No. 615 July 2021

The threads this term focus on things like high expectations, family support at school, creative activities and learning restraint. We begin, though, with the thread of positive peer influence. This thread is about children and young people who influence their friends and model responsible behaviour. The thread is really about the interactions between friends and learning to be good friends.

Jesus befriended all sorts of people he came across when he walked the earth. Tax collectors, fishermen, soldiers, women, and children. At one point, he said to his twelve closest friends, the disciples; I do not call you servants anymore. Instead, I have called you friends (John 15:15). For three years, Jesus befriended a varied bunch of companions. He showed his disciples how to treat people radically different from the religious teachers and rulers. He welcomed all people, whether they were seen as ugly or unattractive and rejected by the popular in-crowd. The positive way Jesus related to and befriended people had a profound effect on them. It changed and transformed them because through him they tasted God’s grace and forgiveness.

That’s what positive peer influence and a healthy friendship is all about; showing care, trust and respect to our mates. The same sort of trust, respect and friendship Jesus shows us. May the Lord Jesus Christ give you and your children generous, resilient hearts as you live with and forgive your friends and model it in all your relationships.

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

I welcome you all back for Term 3 and I hope that all families have had a chance to rest and recuperate in preparation for the start of Semester Two. It is an especially warm welcome to new students and their families as we begin a close relationship supporting you in your journey with us.

I am sure that many of you have heard the term ‘resilience’. Many of you would have needed to demonstrate resilience at many times in your lives. The capacity to develop resilience will continue to grow over time as we experience new and challenging events. Resilience has been referred to as wellbeing under pressure. Leading Australian psychologist, Andrew Fuller, has described resilience as “the happy knack of bungy jumping through the pitfalls of life.” Founder of the ‘Resilience Doughnut’, Lyn Worsley, suggests resilience is “the process of continual development of personal competence while navigating and negotiating with available resources in the face of adversity.” Certainly, the news over the holidays drew my attention to the fact that many people the world over have needed to demonstrate resilience. What also drew my attention, was the work, including podcasts by Dr Justin Coulson, founder of Happy Families. In particular he and his wife in one of their podcasts, spoke about parents and carers jobs is “not to fix every challenge that your child faces…the more you fix, the more you disable your child. Rather be there as a support as they look to find solutions (when they’re not emotional).” For younger people it may be that you fix it with them but having them lead the process. https://www.happyfamilies.com.au/

As we commence a new term it would be natural that we may experience a bit of a shock getting back into routine. Indeed, our prayer at assembly referred to us asking God for persistence as we re-adjust back into classes. Whilst we hope all students have a smooth term, it is only natural that there will be some ‘pitfalls’ along the way. The most important thing is that we are there to support them as they navigate events and find solutions to their problems.

‘Steps’ Year 8 Outdoor Education

Please join me in wishing Year 8 students all the best as they embark on their Outdoor Education Program next week from 19th to 23rd July. I thank Ms Kim Wood for her leadership of this program and the staff who will be supporting her and the students during this time. There is a tremendous amount of organising that takes place well in advance of any program that occurs and we are grateful to have someone of Ms Wood’s calibre leading the way and shaping the programs for various cohorts in the College.

Student Handbooks

I would like to remind families that all students in Years 6 to 12 need to have their handbook with them for each lesson. This document is a conduit for maintaining open lines of communication between school and home and complements the other means of communication with staff and students. I would kindly ask that Years 6 to 10 have their handbooks signed weekly and that for Years 6 to 12 students, if they are late arriving or departing early then the appropriate slip is filled out in advance please.

Mr Ben Ryan, Director of Students

So many times, over the years we have all asked someone how they are. So often it is a cursory question or a common courtesy to each other. The busyness that surrounds our days rarely lends the time to be able to really dissect how someone really is. Fortunately, the growing movement around having conversations about wellbeing and kindness has shone a light in areas once seen as off-limits or uncomfortable. More and more we are asking one another how we are and taking the time to reflect and listen to each other. Listening with empathy is a powerful technique.

Our students are no different. With a continual news cycle our students are incidentally interacting with subjects and conversations that have the potential to worry young minds.

Our theme this term focuses on the notion of wellbeing and what it means to be “well”. But it would be remiss to expect any one to be in a state of bliss all the time! Life requires persistence, and tenacity. Our students require discomfort and resilience for them to comprehend and construct a sense of wellness.  Every day we are faced with situations that present uncertainty. The skills and attributes that we arm ourselves with as we navigate challenging times, are the systems that allow us to rebuild and manage our sense of self.

Building our state of mind can be a complicated initiative. Steve Biddulph, the author of Raising Boys and Raising Girls, has written a new book Fully Human. Within this book, Steve describes the mind as a four-storey building. On the ground floor is healthy eating, exercising, and resting well to sustain physical health. The second storey is our feelings, where and how we emotionally respond to the evolving landscapes around us. The third storey is our logic. How we think through issues with reasoning and facts. The fourth floor is our connection to the “something bigger”. Our faith, our relationships, the environment, mindfulness etc. One floor cannot survive without the other. He states that by spending the appropriate time in each “floor” we are building our wellness and self-awareness. By understanding that we can at times can get stuck on a floor, we build our skills to move and build our personal wellness.

When we zoom out on the life of a student at the College, we see that these four floors are covered through the experiences that they encounter. They are challenged physically and educated about self-care. Our You Can Do It program is focused on student recognition of emotions and regulation and how they can help build capacity. Our curriculum develops logic and problem solving. Our Lutheran values and positive school’s framework show that without a sense of something bigger than themselves, we are less than we can be. The analogy of the whole child is encapsulated beautifully by these attributes.

This journey is not possible without the support of the wider community and we are thankful for the continuing support of your children in their journey here at the college. We look forward to supporting your child during the remainder of this term and beyond.

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

Term 3 is a busy time for careers events, with the Tertiary Studies Expo in Brisbane and the Careers Expo here on the Sunshine Coast, as well as all the university Open Days. Here is a list of events for all who are interested:

Tertiary Studies Expo – at Brisbane Showgrounds – Saturday and Sunday, 17-18 July

USC (University of the Sunshine Coast) – Open Day Online – Sunday 18 July

Sunshine Coast Careers Expo – Venue 114, Bokarina – Tuesday 20 July, 3pm-6pm

ACU (Australian Catholic University) – Open Day (Brisbane Campus) – 7 August

Bond University – Open Day Online – 24 July

Griffith University – Open House (Online) – 12 July-20 August

Griffith – Open Day (Nathan, Gold Coast and Southbank campuses) – Sunday 8 August

QUT (Qld University of Technology) – Open Day – 24 July on-campus; 25 July online

Meet USC – on-campus Open Day – Sunday 1 August

UQ (University of Qld) – Open Day (St Lucia campus) – Sunday 1 August

In each case further information is available on the individual university website. Registration is required for some events.

Early offers for ACU have now commenced

The ACU Guarantee program, Australian Catholic University’s early offer scheme, is accepting applications right up until 24th September. ACU has already started issuing offers to successful applicants, and these offers will continue right through into October. If you are applying for a course at ACU in 2022, you can apply for an early ACU Guarantee offer now. Details of the program are available here: https://www.acu.edu.au/

Aviation trades 2022 pre-apprenticeship Intake

Aviation Australia has opened enrolments for pre-apprenticeship courses in Aeroskills (Avionics), Aeroskills (Mechanical), and Aeroskills (Structures). Each of these courses are pre-cursors to Aircraft Maintenance Engineering apprenticeships in the chosen area. These courses will commence in January 2022, and are available to all Year 12 school leavers. For further information go to https://aviationaustralia.aero/

Mrs Wanda Hayes, Head of Career Development

A good parent is someone who strives to make decisions in the best interest of the child. A good parent doesn’t have to be perfect. No one is perfect. No child is perfect either. Keeping this in mind is important when we set our expectations. Successful parenting is not about achieving perfection. But it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t work towards that goal. Set high standards for ourselves first and then our children second. We serve as role models for them. Click on the link below for more information.

https://www.parentingforbrain.com/

Thank you for the great response to the announcement of our Aussie World Family Fun Night.  It’s exciting to see so many of you have already reserved your tickets for this whole of school community event.

This celebration of Pacific’s 20th year is a wonderful opportunity for us to join together as a community and look forward to the next 20 years!

Get your tickets at Flexischools Aussie World Tickets or scan the QR code to link.

Junior Car Park Space Auction

Congratulations to the winners of the Reserved Car Park Space!  Your donation helps Friends of Pacific to support our College Community.  It was an exciting bidding process with so many families vying for this coveted space.  We thank you all for supporting us in this.

Quote of the Week

“Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns.”

- Author unknown.

Click here to follow our Friends of Pacific Facebook page.

Mrs Jenny Lee, Friends of Pacific Chairperson

The library staff are sad to say goodbye to Ms Madison Dearnaley who is finishing this week. Ms Dearnaley has been a favourite with staff and students alike and we will miss her warm manner, extensive knowledge of children’s literature and amazing IT skills. Good luck, Maddy!

Book Club

Book Club orders went out this week to students in Prep to Year 7. Please place orders online by Sunday 25th July.

Book Week

This term we are gearing up towards Book Week in Week 7. This year’s theme is Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds. Mrs Griffin has been busy over the holidays creating an amazing display. Pop into the library to have a look. More information will be forthcoming about our Book Week competitions and activities, including, of course, our dress up day.

Clay Creatures

The library staff hosted a clay creatures session at the staff retreat day this week. Staff got creative using clay, craft materials and found natural objects to make a sculpture. The tactile, sensory nature of the activity encouraged mindfulness and playful exploration and was a very popular session on the day.

Ms Narelle Keen, Teacher Librarian

Sharing a common mission and ministry with Pacific Lutheran College

“Growing in faith and sharing God’s love with others”

Weekly worship services are held at 14 Bombala Terrace Caloundra at 8.30am and 9.30am. We are thankful that we are able to meet together each week for worship. As we do this, there are still physical distancing, signing in, and hygiene requirements we need to follow in order to ensure the health and safety of everyone in our community.

Our worship services are intergenerational with a blend of traditional and contemporary.

You’re welcome to follow us on Facebook and visit our Church webpage.

All are welcome at any of our services.

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

16                        SC Schools Basketball Competition Commences

19-23                  Year 8 Outdoor Education Program Woodford

20                        Year 11 Leadership Day 2

20                        Year 6-12 Parent Conferences

20-21                  Year P-5 Parents Conferences

27                        9-12yrs District Athletics

27                        Year 10 2022 Subject Selection Eventing (6pm)

28                        Year 12 Tertiary Information Evening (6pm)