Compass No. 625 October 2021

Crossing boundaries to connect with those who are different can be a powerful learning experience. A learning experience that can change and affect us spiritually. Whenever students are involved in a service-learning experience, there is the potential for boundaries to be crossed, for the usual power dynamics to be reversed, for the opportunity to learn what it means to come as a guest. This is what Jesus meant when he told a story about a wedding banquet in Luke 12:12-14;

When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you.

Jesus speaks here of radical hospitality. The type of hospitality that welcomes the stranger and invites the poor, the sick the disabled. We do not often have many places in our society where we share food with people who are not friends, family members, acquaintances. Our social interactions revolve around the transactional and those people that we know the most. However, in these verses, we find out that being hospitable to the stranger puts us in a different place. A space where we are blessed by the other rather than us offering something or doing some good for them. Jesus is teaching us here something that Lutheran schools would call service-learning. By serving others, particularly the stranger, the marginalized, the poor, we learn what it means to be a guest and receive the blessing of God.

Coming as a guest, service-learning, welcoming the stranger are ways children and young people can learn independence, maturity, and grow spiritually.

May God bless you this final term of the year.

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

A warm welcome back for the commencement of Term 4. I hope that returning families have enjoyed the opportunities to rest and recharge as we prepare for the final term of year. I also especially hope that for new families, we as a College, have made you feel welcomed. I especially pray that your young person finds great joy, in making new connections with their peers before the end of the year.

Several years ago, Rita Pierson achieved quite an amount of attention for a TED talk she gave in relation to the passion she had for working with children as an educator and advocate for those less fortunate. Within her talk she had used the words “Every child needs a champion” and became a powerful statement for her gaining not only notoriety, but also as a clear reminder to all educators (and indeed all adults) that every child needs someone in their lives who will advocate for them and be a positive influence in their lives. Sadly, Rita Pierson passed away only a few months after her famous and oft-quoted talk.

Nevertheless, her legacy remains, and I am drawn to her speech, at this time, when I consider the Peer Support training our Year 9 cohort will undertake next week. We are very fortunate to have several qualified Peer Support training facilitators, who will work with small groups of Year 9 students. The training day will develop their skills and competencies in leadership, relationship building, and peer mentoring. The outcome of which is that the Year 9 students will not only act as mentors to the 2022 Year 7 cohort, but also as their champions at school and in PCG.

Middle College Orientation

As previously mentioned in Dr Dolling’s September letter, there will be an orientation morning for all current Year 5 and 6 students at the College on Tuesday 12th October. This is an incredibly important opportunity for these students to increase their understanding of Middle College, from a pastoral and academic perspective, and the staff they will be working with into 2022. An information letter outlining specifics for the day will have been sent to families, however, please be aware that your young person should wear their sport uniform, including their sport hat, bring a water bottle, and morning tea and lunch.

Year 9 Outdoor Education

In Week 3 our Year 9 cohort leave for their Outdoor Education program at Kenilworth. This is a significant step for the cohort as they spend close to a fortnight away with their peers and supporting staff. It is the culmination of our compulsory outdoor education programs from Years 3-9. Consequently, we hope that students really engage as future leaders and change makers prior to their entry into Senior College next year. We would encourage all students to tap into the suite of skills they have developed over many years of outdoor education and equally, reflect on their learning from the Rite Journey program. I sincerely thank Ms Kim Wood, Head of Outdoor Education for her leadership, commitment, and care to the students and staff attending. We wish them a safe and positive time away.

Mr Ben Ryan, Director of Students

Welcome back to the final term for 2021, and a warm welcome to families new to Pacific this term. Term 4 is always such a busy term, and we look forward to engaging with the numerous events and celebrations that the end of the year brings. It was wonderful to be surrounded by the business and industry of the students returning to class this week.  

Social and Emotional Blockers 

This term in our You Can Do It program; we will be focusing on social and emotional blockers. These can be defined as worrying, feeling down, anger, not paying attention and procrastination. They are called "blockers", as they can sometimes block our way forward to building success and striving to achieve. During the term, the students will be encouraged to become "lifesavers". The example pictured suggests that techniques for unblocking worries may include  

• Self-talk 
• Taking positive action 

• Talking to someone and  
• Calming down through actions and thoughts

No one practice or method works for everyone. Our aim is to provide a range of strategies for our students to use when and where they are needed.  

Keeping safe in our neighbourhoods. 

Our thread for this week surrounds the community and the role it plays in keeping each other safe. Growing up in a small town, I knew there were eyes on me no matter where I went. There was nowhere to hide! Information was relayed, and in hindsight, there was safety in knowing that there were many avenues to turn if there was a problem.  

Fortunately, examples of actual harm to our children in their neighbourhoods are rare, and our communities' connection is strong. Unfortunately, many of us are aware of the devastating impact that the disappearance of Daniel Morcombe had on his family and the community in general. In the passing years, his family have fought hard to make sure that his memory will live on through the foundation and every year the child safety message is communicated through the Day for Daniel on the 29th of this month.  

The foundation website https://danielmorcombe.com.au/ has many resources about how we may equip our children to understand and read signs that aim to keep them safe. These resources are age-appropriate and cover a range of topics. In the lead up to Day for Daniel this year, I will be covering some of these messages in our assemblies this term, and I encourage you to peruse the resources and discuss their contents with your children.  

Outdoor Education Program 

We wish the Year 3 students and staff a safe and enjoyable time during their first outdoor education experience attending Alexandra Headlands this Thursday and Friday. There was much excitement when I spoke with many of the Year 3s earlier this week. We thank Ms Kim Wood and her team for their planning and implementation and look forward to hearing about their experiences when they return. 

New flags from the Member for Fisher 

On Tuesday, we were fortunate to have a visit from the Federal Member for Fisher, Mr Andrew Wallace MP, who presented our Year 5 cohort with a new set of flags, on behalf of the College. Mr Wallace gave freely of his time with the students and dealt with some curly questions as well! He was impressed with the knowledge of our students and their understanding of civics and citizenship. I want to thank him for making an effort to make the experience authentic and meaningful for our students.

Take care, and God bless, 

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

If you are thinking of applying to go to a US College after finishing High School, then you probably want to sit the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Students’ SAT results are used by nearly all US Colleges as part of their admissions process. PLC is an official SAT Testing Centre: the only one on the Sunshine Coast. We will be holding a free practice session for interested PLC students on Saturday 30th October. This is an opportunity to see how the test works, so you know how to prepare for the real thing. The practice session will run on similar lines to a real testing session and will use an official practice test. If you are interested in sitting the SAT practice test, please register your interest by emailing Wanda Hayes. Only students who have pre-registered will be admitted on the day

Navy Virtual Maritime Warfare Officer Information Session (Year 10 to 12)

This Defence Force recruiting event is an interactive live presentation with current serving Navy Maritime Warfare Officers, and is your opportunity to find out more about life in the Navy on the land and out at sea, including a virtual submarine tour. This event will also give you a chance to ask the serving Officers questions about the lifestyle and their experience in the Australian Defence Force; and the steps they took to joining the Australian Defence Force. The event will be held on Tuesday 12th October from 6:00pm on Google Meets. To register go to https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/events/event/P11ZOGC

Current vacancies for school leavers: Apprenticeships and Traineeships (Year 12)

The following vacancies are open right now for applications from school leavers. Email Ian Learoyd or Wanda Hayes quickly if you are interested in applying: these opportunities will not be available for long.

• Pastrycook apprenticeship in Warana
• Carpentry apprenticeship on the Sunshine Coast
• Landscaping apprenticeships in SE Queensland, NSW and Victoria

Mrs Wanda Hayes, Head of Career Development 

Are you Ready to Ride?

Aussie World Family Fun Night 22 October 2021, 5 – 9pm

We are very excited to be celebrating the College’s 20th Anniversary and look forward to gathering together as a community at the upcoming Aussie World Family Fun Night.

There is just over 2 weeks now until this exciting event, if you’ve not yet ordered your tickets you can purchase them on Flexischools Aussie World Tickets or scan the QR code to link

Next Meeting

Friends of Pacific meets on the third Tuesday of each month with our next meeting to be held on October 26th.  We meet in the College Library at 6:30pm and all are welcome.

Click here to follow our Friends of Pacific Facebook page.

Mrs Jenny Lee, Friends of Pacific Chairperson

Family and staff are invited to come and watch the Speech and Drama students perform on Saturday 16 October. This is part of the ASCA exam process and Pamela Cassidy will be our ASCA examiner on the day. The audience will be entertained by students from Year 5 to 12 performing everything from drama and improvisations to poetry and prose. Please let me know if you will be attending by emailing your contact details to lmckibben@pacluth.qld.edu.au.

There will be three sessions during the day starting at 9am, 11am and 1.15pm. Click here for a schedule of students' performance times. The exact location within the school will be confirmed by next week. 

Mrs Lisa McKibben, Speech and Drama Tutor

After missing out last year due to Covid, the Scholastic Book Fair is once again coming to the library. From Monday 18th to Thursday 21st October, the Book Fair will be set up in the library foyer and open from 8am until 4pm. A wide range of picture books, non-fiction and novels will be on display for purchase, starting at just $5. Credit card facilities will be available.

Lunchtime Activities

Lunchtime activities are always popular in the library. We run craft activities for primary students on Tuesdays and for secondary students on Wednesdays, as well as virtual reality, board games and STEM activities.

View the Primary program here

View the Secondary program here

Ms Narelle Keen, Head of Library

State Titles Success

A number of Pacific FC players attended two representative soccer tournaments over the September holidays, the Football Queensland Community Cup and the Queensland Christian Soccer Association State Titles.

We were fortunate enough for two teams to be crowned State Champions at the QCSA State Titles at Redbank.

• U14 Sunshine Coast South Boys - Angus Friend, Josh Groll and Patrick Dale
• U16 Sunshine Coast South Boys - Matt Kirby, Luke Harrys, Ethan Haas and Alex Lee 

Additionally, U13 Sunshine Coast South placed 3rd (Nicholas Currey and Joey Harrys) and U16 Sunshine Coast Girls placed 4th (Zaida Williams and Jessica Lloyd).

We congratulate all the players on their commitment to training over the past 18 months as the events were cancelled in 2020 due to Covid restrictions and delayed this year due to the wet weather in May.

Rep Prep at PLC

In preparation for the representative trials, Pacific FC and K3 Coaching will host two FREE Rep Prep sessions.

Date: Wednesday 13th October and Wednesday 20th October, 3.30-4.30pm.

Venue: PLC fields – meet at the soccer canteen

Please indicate your attendance via our booking site: https://www.pacificsoccerfc.com/shop

From birth years:
U9 Academy (2013) through to U18 Boys and U19 Girls

SCCSA Representative Trials

General Representative Commitments - will vary from year to year 

• Squad training by the age group Rep Coach every Monday for 1.5 hours
• Mini Rep Carnival - April - this helps prepare teams for the State Titles
• Friendly games 
• State Titles - Saturday 1st May & Monday 3rd May   
• Challenge Cup - July
• Community Cup - September
• Scenic Rim Cup (Beaudesert) - September for age groups U10 - U13
• Gold Coast Cup
• National Titles - U14, U17, U16 Girls and U21, senior Men, senior women.  Players are eligible to try out for State Selection - National Titles are held September/October

Click here to register for the SCSSA Representative Trials on 23rd October.

Follow our Insta and Facebook pages to see all the action.

Mrs Rita Williams, Pacific FC President

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 9.00am. 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)

7-8       Year 3 Outdoor Education Program (Alexandra Headland)

11        Year 4-6 SCISSA Training (3.15-4.15pm)

12        2022 Middle College Orientation Day

12        2022 Middle College Information Evening (6pm)

13-22   Year 11 Exams

15        20 Year Anniversary Chapel Service

18        Year 4-6 SCISSA Training (3.15-4.15pm)

18-29   Year 9 Outdoor Education Program (Kenilworth)

22        Grandparents and Friends Day

22        Aussie World Family Fun Night

25        Year 12 External Assessment Commences

25        Year 4-6 SCISSA Training (3.15-4.15pm)

26        Friends of Pacific (6.30pm)

27        Pacific Pulse Surf Contest

27        Year 12 2022 Information Evening (6pm)