Compass no 649 - June 2022

Last week in chapel, we heard about the importance and significance of the Fourth Commandment – “honour your father and your mother”. This is the first of God’s commandments that has a promise; that God will look after us.

There is something special about the family unit in God’s eyes. He values it highly and wants it to be a harmonious and loving environment where we are helping each other and honouring each other. This week, the thread looks at the role parents play in the development of the family unit.

My father was an elite Rugby Union player. He played for the Australian Wallabies (back in the 70s). In order to get there, he had to undergo rigorous training and be disciplined in all that he did. Unfortunately, back then they didn’t have the same advances in training techniques or nutrition that we know of today, but he still found a way! His whole philosophy was to push himself as hard as his body could take. Like any elite athlete, he disciplined his body to improve and adapt to the imposed demands he placed on it. If he would have just simply maintained his regular lifestyle, he would never have gotten to the international stage of the sport.

But there had to be a line. Push yourself too hard, and you can injure yourself and do irreparable damage. He needed to engage in the right kind of training (physically, mentally, and spiritually) for him to succeed.

In this week’s bible reading (Ephesians 6:1-4) God acknowledges the disciple that is required by parents to their children but also warns of making sure that children are brought up and “trained” in the right way. The right training is essential for the spiritual growth of children and is more important today, than ever before. God recognises this and urges adults too, to honour their children and bring them up with the right training.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honour your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Mr Mark Hauser, College Chaplain

Year 10 students and parents are invited to attend a presentation on Wednesday 15^th June that unpacks the Queensland Certificate of Education and provides information about Senior College academic pathways.  Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks (ATARs) and alternate study patterns and pathways will also be discussed. This evening will be an important precursor to the 2022 Subject Selection Expo on Wednesday 13^th July.

Both parents and students are strongly encouraged to attend to gain insights into the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority and the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre’s processes and the multiple ways that students may approach their senior course of study.

The evening will begin at 6.00pm in the Pacific Lutheran College gymnasium and conclude at approximately 7.00pm.

Ms Anne-Marie Gerlach, Head of Learning Senior College

Our Middle College students are very busy studying for exams and working on assignments as we approach the end of Semester 1. This signals a direct, explicit need for focusing on time management to ensure students can comfortably and confidently handle these added pressures. Some ideas for students and parents to consider:

• No screens/devices in bedrooms
• A visual calendar with times allocated to each subject area
• Healthy breakfast each morning
• Daily exercise
• Minimum of 8 hours of unbroken sleep per night

We encourage all students and parents to explore some very helpful hints and tips to assist our young people in successfully navigating this time of year. A perfect place to start is ‘School TV’ located on the Pacific Lutheran College website. There are some wonderfully practical ideas that can be implemented easily in your home and can help your child to achieve their potential.

https://pacificlutheran.qld.schooltv.me/newsletter/exam-jitters

Mr Brett Kersnovske, Head of Middle College (Acting)

To develop a basic understanding of maths children need to learn how to solve even the most difficult maths problems. These difficult maths problems are typically word problems. Teaching children how to solve word problems in maths is critical if they are to develop a full understanding of maths.

Children can typically solve a maths problem presented in numbers and equations. However, when the same maths problem is written in a paragraph or sentence format, many children have difficulty sorting the important information from the distracting information. It is not the fact they cannot solve the maths problem in most cases, it is simply they do not know a plan or strategy for solving the problem.

Strategies for Maths Problem Solving

The key to solving maths word problems is to have a plan or strategy, which works in any maths word problem-solving situation. For children having problems with maths word problems, the following 12 tips are provided to help children become good problem solvers.

1. Read the problem carefully looking for clues and important information. Write down the clues, underline them, or highlight the clues.
2. If necessary, rewrite the problem to help find these clues.
3. Look for clues to determine which maths operation is needed to solve the problem, for example, addition, subtraction, etc. Look for key words like sum, difference, product, perimeter, area, etc. They lead to the operation needed to solve the problem.
4. Look for what is needed to solve the problem, for example: how many are left, the total will be, everyone gets red, everyone gets one of each, etc.
5. Use variable symbols, such as “X” for missing information.
6. Eliminate all non-essential information by drawing a line through distracting information.
7. Draw sketches, drawings, and models to see the problem.
8. Is the word problem similar to previous work, if so, how was it solved?
9. Develop a plan based on the information determined to be important for solving the problem.
10. Carry out the plan using the maths operations which were determined would find the answer.
11. Does the answer seem reasonable, if it does then it is probably ok – if not then check the work.
12. Work the problem in reverse or backward, starting with the answer to see if you wind up with your original problem.

Problem Solving in Maths is Personal

The ability to solve problems is the foundation of mathematics. For a student in any year level in school, the road to understanding maths is through the problem-solving gateway. To develop the ability to solve problems, children need to make a personal connection as they visualise, touch, and see the problem.

All parents can do problem-solving at home. For example:

• How many songs can be downloaded from iTunes for $7.75?
• How much to charge a neighbor for cutting their grass?
• How many cars do I need to wash to buy a new game, when charging $5.00 for each car wash?
• How many marbles will fit inside a jar? First, determine the volume in the jar. Next, determine a reasonable estimate of the number of marbles by using similar materials.
• When cooking, use fractions when baking.

Geometry Maths Problems

How about seeing what geometric shapes are in your home or outside the home? Geometry is everywhere in homes and nature, examples include:

• Traffic Signs – octagon, square, round, etc.
• Bicycles – using “Pi x d” to find the circumference or “Pi x r²” for the area of their bike’s wheels.
• Windows – square, circle, rectangle, etc.
• Walls, Floors, Ceilings – rectangle, right angles, perpendicular, parallel, etc.
• Trees and Bushes – oval, 2 dimensional, 3 dimensional, Round, Cone, etc.
• Swing Sets and other playground equipment – triangle, square, rectangle, etc.
• Pythagorean’s Theorem – how to determine a right angle of anything being constructed to ensure the corner is exactly 90 degrees.

There are so many more possibilities, just get your children to look at what they see.

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

Last weekend, 6 Middle College music students attended the State Honours Ensemble Programme at the Brisbane Conservatorium of Music in conjunction with Griffith University. The students attended two days of rehearsals with renowned conductors. Their weekends culminated in a final concert on Sunday to showcase the work they had done all weekend. Congratulations go out to, Cooper Darlington, Emily Studiman, Jax Bautista, Kahlea Jones, Joseph Modlin & Charlie Schefe.

Ensembles Concert

The music department has been working incredibly hard to prepare for their upcoming Ensembles Concert next Friday 17^th at 6.00pm in the PLC Gymnasium. Booking information has been sent out via email but if you have missed it the details can be found here. Please register using the link found here. Food and drinks will be available to pre-order or on the night. The students are excited to show you what they have been working on all year.

Mrs Helen Williams, Head of Instrumental Music (P-12)

Generation Innovation Challenge (Years 9-12)

The GI Challenge is seeking a talented group of budding young entrepreneurs to join the 2022 Generation Innovation Challenge. The GI Challenge is a FREE 12-week program for Sunshine Coast locals aged 15 to 25 to unleash their innovation and launch their dream business, and in the process, stand a chance to win a $10,000 prize package!

Whether you’re wanting to leverage new technology, put your own stamp on a familiar product or service, or tackle a social or environmental challenge, enterprises of all kinds are welcome at the GI Challenge.

Your future beckons:

• Learn business fundamentals and get the edge in any career path
• Network with our sponsors, the Coast’s leading business minds
• Experience one-to-one mentoring and support
• Be part of something big: join the Coast’s thriving startup ecosystem

Click here for our flyer and here for key dates. Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

For more information and to register visit the Generation Innovation website.

CQ University Parents and Year 12s Webinar (Year 12)

CQ University’s Parents and Year 12s Webinar is available for all Year 12 students and their parents on Tuesday 14^th June from 4.00pm – 5.00pm AEST.

The webinar will walk parents, students, and teachers through the post Year 12 transition, including information on:

• Opportunities after high school
• Making career choices
• Where to find course information, including entry requirements
• How to apply
• Alternate pathways
• Course fees
• Scholarships
• What comes after applying

PLC Tertiary Applications information evening for Year 12 students and parents (Year 12)

There will be a Tertiary Applications information evening for Year 12 students and parents on Tuesday 26^th July. The evening, hosted by Mrs Wanda Hayes will provide information on:

• How the Tertiary Applications process works in Queensland and in other States
• Early offer schemes at Queensland universities and how to apply for them
• Applying for university scholarships
• The special consideration process and how to apply
• How to manage the university application and offer process

Tertiary applications for current Year 12 students do not open until early August.

Mrs Wanda Hayes, Head of Career Development

Unfortunately, the mental health of young people has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. As many families settle back into pre-COVID routines, there seems to be a pervasive sense of optimism about what lies ahead.

Unfortunately, children and teens are not immune to what is now being termed the “psychological pandemic”. Young people are at risk of not achieving the primary demands of developmental tasks such as procuring independence, identity formation, as well as obtaining and maintaining peer relationships. What kids need most in the current environment is support, understanding, empathy, and encouragement from caring adults. They live up or down to the expectations we set for them.

If there is a remedy to the adversity caused by the pandemic, then it is the building of resilience. Resilience is the capacity to face, overcome, be strengthened, and transformed by adversity. There are 7 integral and interrelated components that make up being resilient that can help young people thrive and develop healthy coping strategies.

This Special Report explores the “7 C’s of Resilience” and includes suggested strategies on how adult carers can best facilitate them. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one, or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://pacificlutheran.qld.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-building-resilience-post-pandemic

Mrs Annie Williams, College Counsellor

A huge thank to our AMAZING BBQ team, who fed over 1000 students, spectators and parents at the Junior and Middle/Senior Athletics Day as well as the Year 4-6 Gala Day. Special mention to Mrs Teena Thompson and Mrs Allyson Sarvari for their organisation and commitment to hosting these events for the Pacific community. I’m sure all College families appreciate the effort and time involved in the planning to ensure the days ran smoothly for everyone. Thank you!

Upcoming

Our Junior Car Park Auction will open online soon for Term 3 and 4.

Father’s Day Stall

•          Wednesday 31^st August – All gifts $5

Pacific Lutheran College Soiree – An Evening Gala Celebration

•          Saturday 29^th October

•          This is a ticketed College event, which will be hosted by Pacific Lutheran College, College Council, and Friends of Pacific

If you can help at any of these events (even for an hour or so) and have completed the PLC Volunteer Induction, please let us know. Email: fop@pacluth.qld.edu.au

Volunteering at Pacific

Hosting events is only possible thanks to the efforts of those in our College Community who give so generously of their time. If you are interested in volunteering with the College, induction sessions are run once a term and are marked on the College calendar, the next session being Friday 12th August at 9.00am. Please contact Kim Bonello kbonello@pacluth.qld.edu.au to register your interest in attending this course.

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is 6.30pm on Tuesday 21^st June in the Pacific Lutheran College Library. All are welcome to attend.

Click here to follow our Friends of Pacific Facebook page.

Mrs Jenny Lee, Friends of Pacific Chairperson

The following libguides were added this week to help students with their assignments. The password to access them is plc.

12 Biology https://libguides.pacluth.qld.edu.au/bio_unit4

2 HASS – local history topics

• Australia Zoo https://libguides.pacluth.qld.edu.au/zoo
• Glass House Mountains https://libguides.pacluth.qld.edu.au/glasshouse
• Kings Beach https://libguides.pacluth.qld.edu.au/kingsbeach
• PLC’s history https://libguides.pacluth.qld.edu.au/plc
• Sunshine Coast University Hospital https://libguides.pacluth.qld.edu.au/scuh

“Telling Stories” Writing Competition

Students in Years 4-12 are invited to submit a short story to the Telling Stories writing competition. The theme for this year’s competition is “I wonder why?” There are cash prizes for the top five stories in each age group. Entries must be submitted to Ms Keen by Friday 9^th September. The entry form, with conditions of entry, is attached here.

To celebrate the inclusion of the new senior category, the USC Creative Writing team is offering a one-on-one mentorship with one of their lecturers to the 1^st Prize winner of the senior category. The top five seniors will receive free admission to a series of writing workshops offered by the Sunshine Institute of Creative Writing.

Holiday Writing Camp and Workshop

If you’re a budding author aged 7-14 you might like to go to the Write Like an Author event – including a one-day workshop and a three-day camp. For more information, see the attached flyer here.

Ms Narelle Keen, Head of Library

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 9.00am. We are thankful that we can meet together each week for worship. As we do this, there are still physical distancing, 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)

13       Year 6 Tree Planting Excursion

16       Ensembles Concert

16       Year 2 Amazing Race Excursion

18       Year 12 Retreat – Luther Heights

20       Year 7 Outdoor Education Program

21       Friends of Pacific meeting