Principal's Log

The OECD Education 2030 Position Paper (http://www.oecd.org/education/2030/oecd-education-2030-position-paper.pdf) describes education as “equipping learners with agency and a sense of purpose to shape their own lives and contribute to the lives of others”. This OECD project aimed to investigate the skills, knowledge and capabilities that will best equip young people for a rapidly changing future and the instructional processes that would best lead to these outcomes. The position paper outlines the learning cultures schools and jurisdictions will need to best prepare students for the future. Pacific’s focus on developing a Culture of Thinking through a focus on Teaching for Understanding and the planned development of social emotional and spiritual capacities resonated strongly with the hoped for culture described within the paper. A further key cultural element was the importance of teachers being effective learners. This is certainly a strength of the College. We also hope to encourage our parents to be learners that contribute strongly to a positive learning culture as well. I commend the first eight pages of this document to you as parents, staff and students as a reflective tool for your role within the enhancement of this culture and as a point of celebration of the rich purposeful culture of learning at the College.

It was pleasing to see our cohort of 2017 being recognised by the Courier Mail in the top 50 schools in the state for the percentage of OP eligible students who achieved an OP 1-5. Yesterday, I attended the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) Medical Science Breakfast with Olivia McCluskey and her mother, 19 other students and their school representatives and families to celebrate the first cohort of students who will begin the medical science degree at USC. The need for persistence and flexibility was evident as USC Vice Chancellor and President Professor Greg Hill outlined the history of the process to introduce the course to the university. It was a delight to be part of this important historical moment on the coast.

One of our hopes for the future is to find ways for our students to engage with the parents of our community as mentors for our young people. In her article this week, our Careers Counsellor Mrs Natasha Purcell has asked for those people who are willing to have our students engage in work experience through the holiday periods to make contact with her at npurcell@pacluth.qld.edu.au. Further opportunities for parent involvement in mentoring will unfold throughout the year. Parents who have ideas of ways in which they could be involved in the mentoring of our students are also invited to email these ideas to Mrs Purcell.

As construction of the new administration and learning space commenced this week, it was sad to see the trees that were planted in the College’s first year being knocked down. As development at the College progresses, we will continue our strong environmental focus and will plant new trees not only to replace the ones that are lost but also to increase the number of native trees that are on our grounds.

We pray that God would give all staff, students and parents a clear sense of the purpose they have as members of our community.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal