Compass No 640 - March 2022

The Netflix series ‘The Crown’ covers all the pressures, scandals, and changes in the world and family of Queen Elizabeth. If you watch it, it is a captivating story. Amid all that she encounters, she remains steadfastly loyal to her duties and service of “the crown” as she leads Britain and the Commonwealth.

This Sunday, Christians around the world celebrate another person of royalty. A Jewish man who claimed to be King of you and me. On Palm Sunday, Christians remember Jesus’ entry into the ancient city of Jerusalem before his death and rising again at Easter. As a member of the line of the royal family of David, Jesus rides into Jerusalem as King with crowds cheering. He is, however, a different kind of king; he is a King without a Crown. He rides into the city not in a princely carriage, chariot, or even on a stunning stallion but on a borrowed donkey. He didn’t even own the animal. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem reflected the way he lived his life and how he saw himself as a crownless king.

People looked to Jesus wanting a powerful man who would usurp the government, but they got a servant king, an upside-down Messiah, a poor humble man who would soon be killed and wear a crown of thorns. Some people at the time got it; others didn’t. Today some people get who Jesus is, and others don’t. People still look for an all-powerful King who uses force, but Jesus shows us a different kind of God. A king who brings peace and hope to a troubled, conflicted world without might. 

This is good news that God comes to us in this unexpected, upside-down way. We want proof from God that he is the mighty king of the universe, and what does God give us? He sends us a humble man on a borrowed donkey. We want God to get rid of our enemies, and what does God say to us? Love them. You can do it. I give you my love that sacrifices itself for others. We want God to be the spectacular miracle-maker to solve our problems and pain. God says, trust me. You are not alone. I will lead you through it.

As we progress through to the last week of term, may God give you hope. The hope that comes from a different sort of king, a King without a Crown.

Rev. Tim Jarick, College Pastor

This week the College community came together to celebrate the installation of our Year 12 College Captains, Pacific Action Group Captains and House Captains.

The service was a wonderful way of acknowledging the leadership that has already been demonstrated by our Year 12 Leadership Executive team, and for our College community to come together in our recognition of their efforts. 

Year 7 Students Build Connections

Due to the postponement of the Year 7 Outdoor Education Experience, this term in Personal Development lessons, students have engaged in a variety of community-building activities, where students developed connections, and appreciated Pacific’s culture, ethos, and core Lutheran values. On Tuesday 22nd March, students participated in a Building Connections Day, led by Lutheran Youth Queensland and Year 7 core teachers.  It was a day full of positive energy, engagement, and relationship building. The Year 7 Outdoor Education Experience has been rescheduled for later in Term Two. 

Year 10 Peer Mentoring Day 2

On Wednesday 23rd of March, Year 10 students continued their journey of growing capacity to lead and mentor Year 7 students at the Year 10 Peer Mentoring Day, led by trained Peer Mentoring and Support Pastoral Care Group Teachers and Heads of House.

The day commenced with teachers leading activities, slowly transitioning to Year 10 students facilitating and leading with the aim of growing confidence to support our Middle College students in their Pastoral Care Groups.

Year 10 students will have the opportunity in Week 10, Term 1 to apply for a Peer Mentor leadership role within their Pastoral Care Group and work with a small team in growing their capacity to lead, support, and mentor Year 7 students for the remainder of this year.

Ms Leigh Finter, Acting Director of Students 

In 2020, Federal, State, and Territory Education Ministers agreed that all schools will transition to delivering NAPLAN online by 2022.

Benefits of conducting online NAPLAN testing include:

• 'tailored testing', which gives students questions better suited to their ability, resulting in more precise results
• improving student engagement through computer-based tests.

NAPLAN testing window

• 10th – 20th May 2022
• Catch-up tests will be available during this time, catch-ups for Year 3 Writing must be completed by 13th May.

Please find attached a link to Parent Information here.

Mrs Sue Zweck, Head of Teaching and Learning K-5

 

Recently Mrs. Hayes, Head of Career Development, invited students to apply for a crash course in building satellites at Griffith University. Three Middle College students, Emily Studiman (Year 9), Sam Roberts (Year 8), and Ryan Dent (Year 7) attended the event which was part of the 2022 World Science Festival Mission Control’s Apprentice Program.

Emily reports that the experience was very rewarding. “We got to hold a tiny circuit board worth approximately $7,000 and learned that communication with Mars can take up to seven months. I have a different perspective on satellites and space technology now - how far it's come because I expected the satellites to be massive not tiny little cubes.” Ryan also relished this experience, adding that the circuit board they held would be launched into space later this year. Students also enjoyed exploring the university campus and facilities, especially the Engineering and Aviation Building.

As an educational experience, Emily rated the course 50/10 and encouraged other Middle College students to make the most of opportunities to extend their thinking through attending events like this. Thanks to Mrs. Hayes for sharing it with the community.

Mrs Jo Belchamber, Head of Learning Middle College

The missionary William Carey is well known for saying “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” He was encouraging us to think big and go beyond what is expected – dare to dream. Learning Enrichment is all about thinking beyond our limits. Enriching the learning of our high-ability learners is about providing students with the opportunity to not just aim high but to soar.

Who are High Ability Learners?

Highly able learners are those who are working or have the potential to work, ahead of other learners their age. They may be working, or have the potential to work, at a higher level across the whole curriculum or in one or more curricular area. They may have different areas of interest and might be very knowledgeable in a particular or several field/s.

Some Traits of High Ability Learners:

1. They are curious and ask a lot of questions about the world around them and may ask detailed questions to satisfy their thirst for knowledge.
2. They take their own approach to assignments. 
3. They have a large vocabulary and prefer adult conversation. They often understand and use more words than their peers, including abstract and figurative language. This may be due to their reading habits and exposure to more advanced texts.
4. They have original ideas. These learners are original thinkers and able to access abstract reasoning and bring together ideas from different areas.
5. They are cognitively advanced and able to self-teach new skills. They learn quickly and do not require as much practice as other learners to develop new skills.
6. They are sensitive to their environment and are very alert and tuned into their environment.
7. They have strong feelings. These learners may be quite opinionated and have strong feelings about topics that are important to them. They can also be more aware of the opinions and feelings of other people.

Miss. Byerlee and I recently attended a Focus Group meeting, attended by teaching staff with a particular professional interest in the College’s approach to High Ability Learners.

The key points discussed were:

• The whole college approach to creating limitless opportunities for high-ability learners.
• Connecting with universities that have successfully researched high-ability learners and their learning needs.
• An update and celebration of Pacific Plus
• Engaging highly able learners in the classroom

The LEC makes connections across the college and the uniqueness of each individual student is what makes our College a beautiful place to be. I think William Carey was highlighting how each individual has a responsibility to do their very best for God. Ephesians 3 v20, focuses on how we can attempt great things for God by knowing that His mighty power is at work in us, so we can accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think!

Mrs Chantal McAllister, Head of Learning Enrichment P-12

Breathing is an automatic function of the body that is controlled by the respiratory centre of the brain. When we feel stressed, our breathing rate and pattern change as part of the ‘fight-or-flight’ response.

Fortunately, we also have the power to deliberately change our own breathing. Scientific studies have shown that controlling your breath can help to manage stress and stress-related conditions. Breath control is also used in practices such as yoga, tai chi, and some forms of meditation. Many people use their breathing to help promote relaxation and reduce stress. For more information click on the link below

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

Mrs Annie Williams, College Counsellor

Disco Thank you

The P-9 discos, held on Friday afternoon and evening, were a fabulous opportunity to get dressed up and dance. We thank FOP members Teena Thompson, Allyson Sarvari, Louise Walker, Renae Costa, and Jane Hill for helping with the afternoon tea set and organisation. Proceeds from the tickets and Casual Clothes Day will go toward the AWLS Children of the Ukraine Fund.

Gala Day BBQ Thank you

We would like to thank Allyson Sarvari and Teena Thompson for running a canteen today at Meridan Fields for the first SCISSA Touch Rugby Gala Day of the year.

Upcoming date claimers

Mother’s Day stall – 4th May

Trivia Night – 20th August

Click here to follow our Friends of Pacific Facebook page.

Mrs Jenny Lee, Friends of Pacific Chairperson

This week in the library, students have been invited to cut out a yellow or blue heart and add their message of support to our display honouring Ukraine. This has resulted in lots of discussion and empathy about what is occurring overseas. On our craft days, our junior students made green shamrocks for St Patrick’s Day, as well as some very hungry caterpillars, and our senior students used washi tape to decorate their notebooks.

Overdue notices will be sent home this week. Please encourage your children to return their books before the end of term. Students may then borrow extra books for the holidays.

Author, Aleesah Darlison is hosting a book party at Little Book Nook in Palmwoods on Saturday, 2nd April to launch her new book Rusty the Rainbow Bird. See the attached flyer here for more details.

Ms Narelle Keen, Head of Library

Competitive Sports Results

Monday Night Netball - Round 2 - 21st March

Team	Result	MVP
PLC Jade	Won	Amelia Pike
PLC Crystal	Won	Jemma Costa
PLC Amber	Lost	Marcy Negus
PLC Ruby	Lost	Amelia Hopcott
PLC Emerald	Lost	Juliette Kenna
PLC Opal	Won	Gracelyn Brown
PLC Saphire	No Games
PLC Pearl	Won	Evie Way

SCISSA Volleyball

Team	Result	MVP
Junior Boys	PLC 1 - 2 GCC	Matt French
Junior Girls	PLC 1 - 2 SCGS	Madison French
Intermediate Boys 1	PLC 2 - 1 SCGS	Cooper Whatham
Intermediate Girls 3	PLC 1 - 2 SCGS	Amber Hetherington
Intermediate Girls 2	PLC 0 -3 CCPS	Danica Cockburn
Intermediate Girls 1	PLC 2 - 0 SCGS	Jessica Lloyd

Fraser Coast Rugby 7’s

It was an early start for our Rugby 7’s teams last Friday, with students getting on the bus just after 5 am to head to Fraser Coast Anglican College for the annual Fraser Coast 7’s tournament. It was great to see so many students involved this year, with PLC fielding two U13s and one U15s team. The boys performed admirably all day and were competitive against all teams. A special mention goes to the U13A team who made it to the Grand Final but went down against a well-drilled Maryborough side. We are looking forward to much more Rugby as the year progresses!

Junior Sport

Upcoming District Sport Trials

The following sports will have upcoming district trials taking place in early Term Two. If you would like your child to trial in one of these sports, please contact Nat Campbell via email at ncampbell@pacluth.qld.edu.au to register your interest.

Sport	Age	PLC Expression of Interest (closing date)
Hockey	10 - 12 Girls	31st March 22
Hockey	10 – 12 Boys	30th March 22
Rugby Union	11-12 Years	31st March 22
Surfing	13 – 18 Years	21st April 22

Nominations for these sports will not be taken after these closing dates.

3-6 PLC Cross Country Carnival

The Years 3-6 Inter-House Cross Country carnival will take place next Friday 1st April from 10:45 am – 1:00 pm at Meridan Sports Fields, adjacent to the College.

All students are to wear their house sports shirts on the day.  Shoes must be worn at all times and hats should be worn when not racing.  The course has a high potential to be muddy with rain forecast for this coming weekend. I would encourage students to wear old runners and bring a plastic bag, towel, and a spare sports uniform to change into after the race. Students will also need to bring their own plastic drink bottle for use before and after their race.

Course Distances and Order of Events – Updated

*Race times are only a guide and may occur earlier or later than anticipated.

10:45am            Students move over to Meridan Sports fields

11.00am             8 Years Boys/Girls (born 2014) 1km

11.20am             9 Years Boys/Girls (born 2013) 2km

11.40am             10 Years Boys/Girls (born 2012) 2km

12.00am             11 Years Boys/Girls (born 2011) 3km

12.20am             12 Years Boys/Girls (born 2010) 3km

12.40am             Presentations

Years 5/6 Sunshine Coast Primary School Water Polo Competition

Congratulations to our junior Water Polo team who have been playing in the Sunshine Coast Water Polo competition this term. The team has been very successful in the pool rounds and has now qualified for the semi-finals next Monday.

The team plays at 5:00pm against SAAC 6 and if they win this game will progress to the grand final which will be played later that evening.

Good luck to all members of this team!

Mr Cameron West-McInnes, Head of Sport 

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 9.00 am. We are thankful that we can meet each week for worship together. As we do this, there are still physical distancing, signing in, and hygiene requirements we need to follow 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)