Compass No 671 - February 2023

This week Mrs Gricks, College Chaplain has prepared a video for us to enjoy. Students share with us the highlights of their first week back at Pacific and we engage in the thread ‘Integrity’, which was led by our College Captains at the 6-12 Chapel this week. Our leaders explored the story of the ‘Good Samaritan’ and provided advice through an interview process on how to walk and live with integrity. During the video, Mrs Gricks asks our Junior College students who they know in our community who walks and lives with integrity.

Mrs Gricks is excited to share with the community more about what we do at Pacific in the spiritual life and mission of the College. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs Gricks (hgricks@pacluth.qld.edu.au) with a prayer request or if you wish to discuss Chapel messages further.

Please click on the link below to view the video.

 

Mrs Holly Gricks, College Chaplain and Teacher - Christian Studies

Senior Leadership

Pacific has a proud tradition of growing strong, capable student leaders.  This year’s Year 12 Executive Leadership team, comprising of the College Captains, Vice Captains, Action Captains, House Captains and Vice Captains have drawn upon the College’s 2023 theme of purpose, engagement and co-agency by setting areas of focus for Semester 1 and goals to achieve by end of Term 1.  Action Group meetings commenced this week across the areas of Academic, Cultural, Environmental, Sport, Spirituality and Service, Technology, and Student Wellbeing. Students from Years 6 – 12 were encouraged to attend these meetings to support Action Captains with their focus areas and goals for 2023. Attendance at all meetings was very high, indicating student voice and co-agency are very much valued by Middle and Senior College students at Pacific. In preparation for the 7-12 Swimming Carnival, Tuesday 7^th February, House Captains and Vice Captains also met with Heads of House to discuss competition strategies and House spirit.

Year 12 Leadership Day and Year 2 Buddies

This week, Year 12 students engaged in their final Leadership Day, led by Lutheran Youth Queensland.  This important day of connection, reflection and setting cohesive expectations of self and each other for their final year together was a well-received day. Keeping with Pacific’s traditions, Year 12 students met their Year 2 buddies and received their Year 12 jersey and badge from Dr Dolling. 

Year 11 Information Evening

On Tuesday evening, Year 11 students and parents were invited to attend a very informative Year 11 Information Evening, with presentations from Ms Leigh Finter, Head of Senior College Students, Ms Anne-Marie Gerlach, Head of Learning Senior College, and Mrs Wanda Hayes, Head of Careers.  This presentation was recorded and will be shared on NAV for families who were not in attendance.  Next Tuesday, 7^th February parents and students are invited to attend the Year 10 Information Evening, held in the College gymnasium from 6.00pm with a focus on welcoming students to Senior College, subject selections, co-curricular and service opportunities, leadership, purpose, engagement and co-agency.

Year 10 Leadership Day

On Thursday, Year 10 students experienced their first Leadership Day with a theme of connection, cohesion and community building. Year 10 students shared their expectations of what being a Senior College student should look, feel and sound like and how both individually and collectively the cohort can achieve this.  Year 10 students enjoyed being challenged and were encouraged to grow and take risks by the Lutheran Youth Queensland team and to embrace the Senior College journey.

Ms Leigh Finter, Head of Senior College Students

Welcome to Pacific Lutheran College in 2023. It was lovely to unite with many continuing families as well as new families during the week at the P-5 Information session and to begin the year as a connected community. Thank you to those who were able to attend. 

Parent Engagement 

A great strength of the Pacific community has always been the willingness of parents and families to support the College community by being involved in activities that strengthen relationships and foster opportunities for our students.

Parents and guardians also have the opportunity to be involved as parent connectors across the College. The role of a Parent Connector will be to serve as a link between the College and our community through a range of activities such as welcoming new families and providing social opportunities within year levels. 

At times, Parent Connectors will also be called upon to support the various functions and events held by the College and Friends of Pacific. We are hoping that we may have several connectors per year level to provide support for each other and the wider community. An expression of interest will be emailed home this week.

Another rich opportunity the wider community can engage within the College is volunteering. There will be many chances to give service through schemes like parent reading, excursions, and helping in the tuckshop during the year. 

Recently, legislation around volunteering changed, and all volunteers are now required to undergo mandatory training once a year to comply with this change. Volunteers will be unable to engage with students unless this training has occurred. 

As such, Pacific will be providing opportunities to understand these changes and engage in this training. These dates are marked on the school calendar, and the first session will be on the 8^th of February via Zoom and a second, in-person session will be offered in the library the following day, the 9^th of Feb. 

Registration can be made through this link Volunteering at Pacific 2023  

General Housekeeping

Communication with College Staff

Often parents need to communicate information to their child’s teachers regarding changes in routine and exemption from participation in sports, specialist lessons or activities due to injury or illness. To avoid confusion and ensure students are where they are meant to be, particularly at the end of the day, we ask that parents put all of these changes in writing. All teachers can be contacted by email. Students in Years 3-5 will also receive a student diary, which has space for notes of this nature.

Uniforms

A reminder that the College hat is an essential element of the College uniform. During breaks, students need to wear a hat, or they are required to stay out of the sun. Students should also wear their hats when travelling to and from the College.

Students in Years 1-5 may only wear their sports uniforms to school on the days they have HPE. Years 4 and 5 students may also wear their HPE uniforms to school on Thursdays. There may also be occasions during the year when students are requested to wear their sports uniform to school for carnivals or excursions. On all other occasions, students should attend school in their formal uniform.

If, for some reason, your child is unable to wear the correct uniform to school, please send a note to your child’s class teacher. A uniform reminder letter will be forwarded to parents whose children are in the wrong uniform without a note.

Car Parks

A reminder to all parents and students that they are to use the appropriate car park at the beginning and the end of the day. Prep-Year 2 students can use the front car park. Students across Years 3-12 are to use the Senior drop-off or car park at the western side of the College. 

Families are reminded that at present there is construction occurring in the College in an area adjacent to the Red Cedar Drive access point. Families are asked to use alternative access points as using this entrance has the potential to place students into an unsafe environment.

Additionally, parents are asked to use designated drop-off spots within the College as concerns have been raised within the community regarding the dropping off of students near Kawana Way. The lights that mark the intersection of Woodlands Blvd and Kawana way are particularly busy at the beginning and end of the days and in the interest of student safety, we ask that families use the P-2 carpark and 3-12 drop-off spaces during these times. 

Take care, and God bless.

Mr Damian Davis, Head of Staff and Students P-5

Paid work experience with Grandshake (Year 12)

Grandshake is looking for senior students with a passion for educating kids - direct tutoring experience is not necessary!  If you have an interest in learning about STEM, coding and robotics programs then they want you to apply.

What does this role involve?

•          Teaching basic principles of code through fun games and challenges in classes after school and during holidays.

•          Become part of a large national team of tutors and teach at schools near home or online (accessible for regional students).

•          Great work-study balance as classes are outside of school hours.

Details

•          All instructors will require a paid blue card and COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

•          No prior coding experience is necessary. All training provided.

•          Competitive hourly rate with a flexible schedule.

Interested students can start by joining Grandshake, and enrolling in upskilling microprograms and virtual work experience journeys. You will then be able to apply for these paid tutoring roles with one of Grandshake's partners, Junior Engineers.  

Would you like to design the cover of this year’s QTAC Guide? (Year 12)

The QTAC Guide provides school leavers with information about their higher education options across Queensland. This year they are running a competition for Queensland Year 12 students to design the front cover of the QTAC Guide with their interpretation of the concept, "Choose the Future."

The winner will have their artwork published on the front cover of the QTAC Guide, with over 50,000 copies distributed to their fellow students throughout Queensland. The winner will also receive a Google Nest Mini.

Entries close Friday 17^th February 2023. Full competition details are available on the home page of the QTAC website.

Queensland Theatre Student Pathways (Years 10-12)

Are you a high school student in Years 10-12 wondering what careers there are in the theatre industry?

Queensland Theatre employs over 50 staff members in various roles across workshop, wardrobe, production, programming, education, finance, marketing, operations, front of house, ticketing and philanthropy! Through our Student Pathways Program, you'll get a chance to meet them all, experience the work we do first-hand, and get your hands dirty building your own season with the help of our team.

Applications for our 2023 Student Pathways program are now open!

Learn more here.

Queensland Theatre North Qld Residency Week (Years 9-12)

Applications are now open for Theatre Residency Week North Queensland!

Presented by Queensland Theatre, Theatre iNQ and Kirwan State High School, TRWNQ is an intensive theatre camp for students in Years 9–12. It is the longest-running theatre program of its kind in Australia and over the past five decades, young actors from all over the country have attended the camp and participated in workshops, masterclasses and other performance activities.

Learn more here.

Queensland Theatre Circa Academy (all ages)

Are you inspired by our Senior Musical Production Pippin this year? Your journey into the world of circus starts here.

Circa Academy offers exceptional training programs with one of the world’s leading circus companies.

Spanning from early childhood play to pre-professional development, Circa’s programs build physical and creative skills in a safe, non-competitive environment with some of Australia’s best trainers. Weekly classes are in Brisbane: there are some classes available on Saturdays.

Find out more and register now!

Learn more here.

AYAC | Youth Advisory Group Info Session (Years 6-12)

We’re inviting you to join an information session on 30^th January all about the newly announced Australian Government Youth Advisory Groups.

The Australian Government Youth Advisory Groups present new opportunities for you to work with federal departments and agencies to take action on the issues that matter to you. The five advisory groups are:

•          First Nations

•          Mental Health and Wellbeing

•          Promotion of STEM

•          Climate Change and Conference of the Parties (COP)

•          Safe and Supported: The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021-31

This event is open to everyone, but we encourage you to become a member of AYAC. It’s free to join at ayac.org.au/join.

Find out more here.

Endeavour College of Natural Health | Virtual Open Day

Attending a Virtual Open Day is a great way to find out more about studying at Endeavour with the opportunity to Q&A your study and enrolment questions with our admissions team and academics. Whether you’re at home, in an office, or even overseas, you can join our Virtual Open Day on Wednesday 1^st February from wherever you are.

Find out more here.

Queensland Police | Recruiting Seminar – Brisbane

Monday 6^th February 2023

Police officers aren’t born, they’re made. And every little thing you’ve been through made you. You’re already ready.

The Queensland Police Service is recruiting real-life experience, to make a real difference.

Not sure if you:

•          Meet the requirements?

•          Are you the right person for the job?

•          Get paid as a police recruit?

•          How did you progress in the QPS?

•          What is expected during the recruiting process and the cost involved?

These and many more questions will be answered during this Recruiting Information Session.

This information session is conducted by experienced, current serving police officers. Not only will they explain the requirements for entry, but they may also give you an insight into their own experiences.

During the information session, you are welcome to ask questions.

Find out more here.

Mrs Wanda Hayes, Head of Career Development

Online technologies and environments bring many positive benefits for identity, education, social connection, creativity and communication.

But there is potential for harm. There are growing concerns about the amount of time children spend online, the type of material they can access, the personal information and images they may share with people (particularly those they don’t know well), and the risks of being harmed by people they come into contact with online (or of harming others themselves).

Being aware of potential sources of harm and knowing some strategies to use with children are important ways parents can help their children stay safe online. Click on the link below for more information.

Online safety for children | APS (psychology.org.au)

Mrs Annie Williams, College Counsellor

Swimming Support

Thank you to Mrs Allyson Sarvari and Mrs Teena Thompson for supporting PLC staff at the Junior Swimming Carnival this week with refreshments. It was very much appreciated.

Volunteering at PLC

Friends of Pacific play a vital role in strengthening community. As a member, parents have a unique opportunity to grow our College culture and build connections with students and families. 

A child’s transition into adulthood is strengthened with positive adult role models who join the community together. Throughout the year, Friends of Pacific support a variety of events and College initiatives including the annual PLC Open Day, Mother’s and Father’s Day stalls, sport carnivals, trivia nights, golf days, OCEANfest and much more.

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. This term’s induction sessions will be held on Wednesday 8^th February (via Zoom) and Thursday 9^th February (on Campus). Please click on the link to register your interest in attending this course.

Register here to attend Volunteer Induction Session.

2023 AGM

You are invited to the Friends of Pacific AGM and first general meeting for 2023 on Tuesday 21^st February at 6.30pm in the College library.

Nominations for the following Office Bearers are being called:

•          Chairperson

•          Vice-Chairperson

•          Secretary

•          Treasurer

•          Foundation Executive (Prep-Yr 2)

•          Junior Executive (Yr 3-5)

•          Middle Executive (Yr 6-9)

•          Senior Executive (Yr 10-12)

If you would like to nominate for a position and/or attend the upcoming meeting, please RSVP by Friday 3^rd February via email (fop@pacluth.qld.edu.au).

Click here to follow our Friends of Pacific Facebook page.

Mrs Jenny Lee, Friends of Pacific Chairperson

Voices on the Coast Literature Festival

Voices on the Coast is for students in Years 4-12 who love books and creative writing. Held at the University of the Sunshine Coast, students listen to presentations from authors, illustrators, poets and performers. They can also purchase books and have them signed. Years 7-12 students will be attending on Thursday 23^rd February, with Years 4-6 attending the following day. Numbers are limited to 28 students per day.

To apply, parents need to complete the permission form in the Parent Lounge and students need to collect a form from the library to nominate which authors they wish to see. Nominations need to be in by the 10^th of February.

For more information, contact Ms Keen (nkeen@pacluth.qld.edu.au)

Parent Information Evenings and Library Information

It was lovely to speak to so many parents at the P-5 Information Evening about the resources that the library offers for your children. For those who were unable to attend, or who attended the Middle and Senior College Parent Information Evenings, you can visit the Library Parent Information page on Nav. This outlines the various ways the library supports your child’s learning, as well as the lunchtime and extra-curricular activities offered by the library.

Book Club

Book Club order forms went out to students in Years P-6 this week. Order forms come out twice a term and orders must be placed online. Please have your orders in by Monday 6^th February.

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)

6         Year 9 Rite Journey Departure (5.00pm)

7         Year 7-12 Interhouse Swimming Carnival

7         Year 10 Information Evening (6.00pm)

8         Volunteer Induction (via zoom 9.00am)

9         Volunteer Induction (on campus 9.00am)

10       Music Camp departs (3.30pm)