Building capacity of self, others, and faith.
Building capacity of self, others, and faith.
Recognising and building our state of mind can be a complicated initiative. Steve Biddulph, the author of Raising Boys and Raising Girls, recently wrote a 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 “something bigger”, our faith, our relationships, the environment and, 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 get stuck on a floor, we build our skills to move and build our wellbeing.
The framework attached to the Pacific Way identifies the three themes of “Me”, “We”, and “See” as holistically combining to form a complete picture of the development of the whole child. This term, during assemblies, and in addition to achievement, we will be looking in detail at the “We” component of individuals who relate to each other, how we learn together, what is a Christian community and how learning in the outdoors supports our relationships.
The “We” of The Pacific Way aims to build the attributes involved with collaboration. Humans are social beings, and as much as some of us relish a time to be alone, our connection with others helps us better understand ourselves.
One of the statements involved in the Pacific Way speaks of listening, valuing difference and celebrating the potential of others. Every day across the college, I am privileged to witness interactions that touch on these signposts. Conversations between students and staff allow the opportunity to listen and learn from each other and realise that the skills each of us possess are unique and enrich the lives of all around us. Listening supports us to celebrate the learning and growth in each other and reminds us that our differences often unite us the most.
This term has seen the continued expansion of our service leadership model in Year 5. Our leaders have continued discussions from our Leadership Day at the end of Term One to develop ways to assist others. Our leaders are easily identifiable by their high-vis vests on and make a real impact in our College. Our leaders have been busy helping students enter the College from the Foundation Carpark, supporting readers, and helping in the playground and the library spaces.
In addition to this, a group of students took part in the developmental project day of the council-run program Kids in Action. This year’s theme involves HEAR on Country; are you listening? The students will visit the University of the Sunshine Coast and undertake a range of workshops designed to highlight the connected nature of systems and interwoven links of what is current on Country. Their next steps are to work as a team to develop a plan about an identified issue from the day and present their project to other students in the project later in the year. I thank the dedication and enthusiasm of the students, as this requires significant extra work on their part. Their passion for service significantly impacts other Junior Students, and they learn a lot about themselves in the process.
These opportunities happen with a significant commitment from our Year Five teaching team and in particular, Mrs Luanne Pollard, who is the driving force behind the Kids in Action Initiative.
Carparking and Drop-off
Parents and guardians are reminded that due to congestion in all carparks both, before and after school, we ask that all users of the drop-off space remain with their vehicles whilst picking up and dropping off children. All carparks function well when used as designed and we ask that you keep this front of mind when utilising these spaces. Your co-operation with this is greatly appreciated.
Mr Damian Davis, Head of Staff and Students P-5