Compass No. 573 June 2020

From the Principal

Mutual Respect Builds Identity, Empathy and Community

Mutual respect builds identity, empathy and community. There are two ways we can think about the social norms that enable people within communities to live and thrive together. We can think about them as rules and boundaries enforced by others or we can think about them as the natural responses that grow from mutual respect, empathy and a desire for individual and community identity and purpose. We move to the next level when we are able to make choices based on respect rather than the power of someone to enforce. At school and within families, there are boundaries that keep us safe and help us to thrive. Growing empathy and a deeper understanding of our responsibility towards the wellbeing of others helps us to be empowered to look beyond boundaries as limiting fences and to see them as steps towards the greater good.

When Luther unpacked the meaning behind the Ten Commandments, he included explanations that revolved around positive responses to God’s love for us in each of them. These included the instruction to call on God in hours of need, to honour our father and mother, to support our neighbour in their every need, for mothers and fathers to love and honour each other, to help people to protect their belongings, to put the best construction on everything and to speak kindly and to encourage people to use their gifts. Luther prompted people to think more deeply and to live in response to and empowered by God’s grace and love. When we do this in community for each other we grow deeply and well.

Principal's Log

Building on the continuity that has occurred earlier this term, Middle and Senior College students are preparing for and engaging in formal assessments. Teachers across P-12 are also formalising their judgments about student progress in preparation for formal reporting at the end of this semester. For our Middle and Senior College students it is important that they prepare progressively for the upcoming assessments and seek assistance as required from their teachers. Each small step in learning is really an investment in every student’s future. Middle and Senior College students have been encouraged to focus on each individual step and to know that every small step counts.

Mr Terry Clark has informed the College that he will be resigning at the end of the term to take up a teaching position at Caloundra City Private. We will formally farewell and thank Mr Clark at the end of the term and wish him well in his remaining weeks here at the College. Mrs Shelley Hogan will be returning from maternity leave at the start of Term 3 and will take over Mr Clark’s class. We are pleased to announce that Dr Ashwita Venkatesh will be joining the College at the start of Term 3 as a Middle and Senior College Maths and Science teacher. Dr Ashwita Venkatesh will commence at the College later this term to get to know students and the College in readiness for her start next term.

May God equip us to live respectful, empowered lives in response to His love and grace.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal

From the College Pastor

Boundaries

“Dehumanising others crosses that line.” – Brené Brown

People crossing boundaries are plentiful at the moment. In the United States, we are seeing many images on our screens of people taking the law into their own hands and going beyond peaceful protesting to chaotic scenes of destruction, vandalism and stealing. All of this disruption started because of the outrage against several police officers who dehumanised someone in a way that led to their death. And in our backyard, we are not exempt from this as Indigenous people have also been dehumanised at various times throughout the European history of our country.

The intention of the thread we are focusing on this fortnight is boundaries within the school context. But if we broaden our thinking to boundaries within the general community, they exist to keep our communities safe so people can go about their day to day lives in peace and order. Boundaries also exist to show us what is right and what is wrong and how we are to act in ways that value every life and treats every person no matter what their colour, religion or economic status, with care, dignity and respect. We humanise people rather than dehumanise them because of the worth God places on every human being. We are all created in the image of God, so when we dehumanise someone, we cross that line as Brené Brown puts it. We enter into the territory of treating another person as an object, an animal, a thing. Boundaries exist then to help us see the humanity in each person and in each situation even when the boundary lines might appear to be grey.

As we reflect on the boundaries in our school and the general community at the moment may we also reflect on the reasons why we have them and how God uses them for our safety and protection.

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

From the Director of Students

Clear Openings

I recently read a tweet from a teacher that suggested we were heading into Week 46 of Term 2. I should clarify that it was not a teacher from Pacific! In a similarly exhaustive tone, another tweet noted it felt it was May 236th. Within the context of both their tweets there was certainly a desire to make people smile and for me it did. Nevertheless, it also made me contemplate a little more deeply just how incredibly hard all members of the College community have worked to ensure the continuity of academic and pastoral care and the fatigue that I am sure we have all experienced at some point these past few months. Thankfully, with students returning to College, we are witnessing the exuberance and vitality of young people as they reconnect with their peers and teachers.

The return also sees us working and learning together within community boundaries. The vast majority of students have understood the need to work within these boundaries and we thank them all for this commitment. Fortunately, Pacific students understand that our school boundaries grow naturally out of our core values of Care, Dignity and Respect, which are visible in the many high-quality interactions that take place on any given day. I also encourage our young people to take the opportunity to view boundaries as guides that enable us to have identity, safety and respectful relationships.

Year 7-10 Exams

We wish all Year 7-10 students the best as they prepare for their examinations in Week 8. I encourage all students to seek assistance from their class teachers in the first instance if they have any concerns in the lead up to their exams. We understand that whilst this may be a stressful time for some students it is also important to acknowledge that research indicates stress prepares us for challenges. Dr Alison Willis, an educational researcher from USC, has spent 10 years looking at the effects of stress and trauma on student learning. In that time, she has determined that not only does stress cause us to care, adults play a crucial role in empowering students by the way we talk to them and the language we use. In community, we will continue to walk calmly and talk gently with our students as they head into the next phase of their learning journey.

Mr Ben Ryan, Director of Students

From the Head of Learning K-5

Semester 1 Reports

At Pacific we have several ways that we report. These include:

Semester reports – written reports against year level Achievement Standards.
Three way conferences – the sharing of progress, learning goals and assessment data.
Student led conferences – student to parent demonstrations of understanding and application.
Digital portfolio – student and teacher constructed portfolio demonstrating and celebrating learning growth.

As a College, we are accountable to meet mandatory requirements for reporting. Two of these mandatory requirements include providing parents with two written reports in an academic year and using a five-point scale for reporting. Student progress is assessed according to the level of attainment of knowledge, concepts and approaches to learning (skills) that they have attained along a continuum.

Semester 1 Reports will be uploaded onto the TASS Parent Lounge at the end of this semester and you will receive an SMS when the reports are ready for accessing. Due to changed circumstances this semester with online learning, student achievement levels are indicative of teacher judgements of your child’s progress this year.

We trust that you will find your child’s report informative as it sits alongside the evidence of your child’s learning available on Seesaw and Nav. No doubt you would have seen firsthand many of the learning activities and teacher feedback over the past few weeks!

Mrs Sue Zweck, Head of Learning K-5

Food for Thought

Kindness

In a competitive society, kindness can sometimes be viewed as a weak quality. But, kindness is a powerful force which underpins everything we do and everything we are. It is what bonds our relationships, gives our lives meaning and builds our self-esteem. It turns out that kindness may also help us live longer, healthier lives.

In his latest book ‘The 5 Side Effects of Kindness’, Dr David R. Hamilton outlines the many and varied benefits of this natural human phenomenon. Hamilton looks at studies that have shown that individuals who act with compassion and kindness over an extended period of time, experience an increase in positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, hope and contentment, as well as an increase in their levels of happiness and self-esteem.

Learn more about the five side effects of kindness at: https://drdavidhamilton.com/.

Mrs Annie Williams, College Counsellor

Library News

Bookmarks

This week in our bookmarks section, we bring you some brand new books that have landed on the Pacific Library shelves!

Junior Readers

‘How To Be A Giraffe’ by Thea Baker

Joffrey is a giraffe. At least, he thinks he is. He has a giraffe nose and neck and a giraffe mane and tail. But he doesn’t have spots. Instead, he has stripes. Joffrey sets out to see what else he might be. It turns out he isn’t a bee and certainly not an elephant, but maybe a crocodile? As Joffrey explores all the things that make him different from the other animals, he learns a few things about being himself. This is a great picture book to share and read aloud together. The artwork is beautifully vibrant and the story has such a wonderful message about being yourself.

Middle Readers

‘The January Stars’ by Kate Constable

When 12-year-old Clancy’s parents leave on an emergency family trip to New Zealand, she and her older sister Tash convince their parents they will be fine to stay with their aunt. But when their aunt also leaves to stay with friends, the girls find themselves alone. They decide to visit their grandfather in his aged-care facility and thanks to a slight incident with a cat, an open door, run-away residents and an angry nurse, the girls find themselves on the run with their Pa. The girls must pool their resources and stop their constant fighting if they are going to outrun the growing number of adults that seem to be chasing them! This is a wonderful cross-generational story about family, memories and love.

Senior Readers

‘One Of Us Is Next’ by Karen M McManus

If you like mystery novels or read and loved ‘One Of Us Is Lying’ then you are definitely going to want to get your hands on ‘One Of Us Is Next’. As the titles suggests, this sequel returns readers to Bayview High. Three narrators, Phoebe, Maeve and Knox, work together to solve the mystery of who is behind an anonymous game of truth and dare that is set to turn deadly. With so many twists and secrets about to be spilled, you’ll probably want to read this in one sitting. If not, maybe just don’t turn off the lights right after reading. Enjoy!

Ms Madison Dearnaley, Teacher Librarian

From the Head of Career Development

QCE and Beyond Careers Expo

In response to COVID-19 restrictions, InspirED are hosting a Virtual QCE and Beyond Careers Expo for all Year 10-12 students and parents from 17th to 21st June.

Visit virtual booths from more than 80 university and higher education providers and access faculty-specific information. Ask live questions or book a video chat with student advisors. Find out more and register here.

Bursaries for Year 12 Students

Federal Member for Fisher, Mr Andrew Wallace MP, is offering bursaries for Year 12 students who live in the Fisher electorate and are planning to enter an apprenticeship or traineeship next year. Each bursary consists of three payments of $1000 over the course of this year. Applications close on 15th June. For more information or to apply, visit: https://www.andrewwallacemp.com.au/.

University Applications – Year 12 Students

The time is fast approaching for tertiary-bound Year 12 students to get their university applications organised. If you haven’t already done so, please request an appointment to see Mrs Wanda Hayes to discuss your options. Students and parents please note a couple of key points.

Applications will open in the first week of August and it’s not possible to apply before then.
Year 12 students will have access to general information sessions at school during their Personal Development lessons to help them prepare to make their applications.
During Term 3, Mrs Wanda Hayes will also run a webinar for Pacific students and parents about the university application process.
Applications for most courses in Queensland will remain open right through to early December.
USC’s Early Offer Guarantee applications also open in the first week of August – more information will follow closer to the time.

CQU Webinar

CQU is offering a Year 12 parent webinar Tuesday 16th June from 4.00pm to 5.00pm. The webinar will include information on:

Opportunities for students after high school;
Making career choices;
Where to find course information including entry requirements;
How to apply;
Alternate pathways;
Course fees;
Scholarships, and
What comes after application.

For further information and to register, click here.

Griffith University Webinar

Griffith University is also offering a Year 11-12 parent and student information webinar on Tuesday 16th June. This webinar will run from 5.00pm – 7.00pm. For registration and further information, visit: griffith.edu.au/parent-student-info-webinars.

The webinar will include:

QTAC and Griffith Pathways presentations; and
Online chat with student advisors.

Webinar Overload?

If you want to see both of the above webinars but are concerned about the time commitment, remember that webinars are usually recorded. If you register in advance, you will receive the recording, whether or not you attend the live event. So, register now and then you can watch the webinars at a time convenient for you!

Mrs Wanda Hayes, Head of Career Development

Sport News

Year 7-12 Semester 2 Interschool Sport Sign Up

Working within the current guidelines and the easing of restrictions, schools are hoping to move ahead with co-curricular sport in Term 3 under strict hygiene and safety protocols. Year 7-12 students have been advised how to sign up for these sports on Nav.

If your child would like to represent Pacific in any of the sports below, they need to click on the Year 7-12 Nav Sport page and complete the Term 3 and 4 Interschool Sport sign up survey.

Friday Night Basketball Competition
SCISSA Touch Football Competition (Wednesday)
Sunshine Coast Secondary Schools Rugby Union Competition (Wednesday TBC)
Sunshine Coast Schools Water Polo Competition (Monday)

These sign ups were due to be completed by Wednesday of this week, however if there are still students who want to join a team, they have until this Friday 5th June to complete their sign up before we finalise team nominations.

Interhouse Virutal Cross Country Event

This week, students have begun participating in the Interhouse Virtual Cross Country Carnival during their Physical Education lessons and also at home.

Students are encouraged to run or walk for their house until Friday 19th June. The house with the greatest number of kilometres will be crowned the Inaugural Virtual Cross Country champions!

House champion presentations will be split across Foundation College (Prep – Year 2), Junior College (Year 3-6) and Senior College (Year 7-12) at the completion of the event.

Students who log a large number of kilometres for their house will also be recognised with a certificate of achievement. To qualify for this, students will need to achieve the following:

Prep – Year 2 – 10 kilometres
Year 3-5 – 30 kilometres
Year 6-9 – 40 kilometres
Year 11-12 – 50 kilometres

Students are reminded to screenshot their run summary and email it to: PLCsport@pacluth.qld.edu.au in order to log kilometres for their house.

Student safety is paramount and we ask all students to warm up correctly and have parent permission before completing any at home run sessions. Primary aged students need to complete at home run sessions under parent supervision.

For more information, click here.

Mr Darren Hooper, Head of Sport