Principal’s Log

We hope that families have had the time to strengthen their understanding of learning at the College through reading all or parts of the Compass Review that was sent home last week. Sharing with young people the opportunities within the College including stories of Alumni is a simple way parents can engage in the learning of their children. Reflecting with children about the journey of Alumni including how the stories reflect students’ learnings at school or at home can inspire young people or reinforce the important life lessons they have encountered. Discussion about different articles might open up new opportunities or provide insight for parents into the learning their children are gaining from the different experiences they encounter at the College.

Every 3-4 years the College conducts a comprehensive whole school survey managed by external consultants as part of our whole school improvement process.  We will be conducting the survey again this year using MMG as our external consultants. Parents and staff will receive a letter via email providing further detail about the survey process on Friday, 16th August.  We expect the survey to be open from Friday, 23rd  August.  All staff, Year 5-12 students and all parents will be invited to provide feedback. We strongly encourage all families to complete this survey to support the ongoing development of the College.

We congratulate Mrs Jenny Lee and Mrs Rita Williams who were presented with Kawana Community Awards by Mr Jarrod Bleijie last Friday. Both Jenny and Rita received these awards in recognition of their many years of outstanding service to the Friends of Pacific, Pacific FC and the College. We thank Jenny and Rita and the many volunteers who enable us to provide greater opportunity for our students and families.

Students have enjoyed their scavenging adventure as part of Science Week- Nature Quest Adventure. This inclusive event spanned five lunchtimes, involving all students from Kindergarten to Year 12. The library was the central hub, for this immersive experience which combined a scavenger hunt and bird feeder making activity, to spark excitement amongst students. We thank Head of Science Mrs Claire Richards and the science team for inspiring a love of science through these activities.

We congratulate our mountain bikers who performed well in the Rocky Trail Academy Sunshine Coast Schools Mountain Bike Competition. All students had the opportunity to showcase their skills and a number of students finished in the top 10 in their respective categories. We thank Mr Chris Bartlett who has been supporting the students to hone their skills during the Friday afternoon sport sessions and for leading the participation of students in this competition. Thank you to volunteers, Dean Harding, Charles Ford and Mark McCallum for their assistance.

Our Senior Volleyball students enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the Senior Schools Volleyball Tournament held at the Gold Coast.  This competition attracted teams from across Queensland and served as a culminating event for our senior volleyballers. Our teams competed well, with the Senior Girls finishing 6th and the Senior Boys 4th in their divisions. We thank Miss Sarah Ashdown, Mrs Leah Croke, Mr Paul Brace and Miss Georgie Snelling for leading our teams and giving of their time.

We look forward to the energy, fun and challenge of the Battle of the Bands Trivia tomorrow night and thank our Friends of Pacific team led by Ms Jan Watman for their organisation.

We wish our Year 6 students and staff all the best for their learning experience in Canberra next week. We thank Mr Paul Brace, Mrs Mel Percival, Ms Sophia Rule and Mr Stuart Pohlner for their preparation, and look forward to hearing of the Year 6 teams’ learnings on their return at the end of next week.

We give a prayer of thanks for the gifts that God brings into our community through our parents. We pray that God would encourage and guide our parents and fill them with joy.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal