Compass No 419 - May 2016 | Pacific Lutheran College

From the Principal

Appreciation - Focus on Excellent Things

We all experience moments of wonder and appreciation when we gaze upon the beauty of a magnificent sunrise or sunset, the purity of an athlete’s move when they kick the goal, the artist’s brushstroke on a canvas or the last swirl on a beautifully decorated cupcake. Each one of us has received unique gifts and talents from God.

So having been given a precious gift, do we hide it in the back of a cupboard? We can all think of gifts that have been so treasured and loved that they are now well worn. Our own gifts and talents should become like those much loved gifts, often used and polished to perfection through constant service. God urges us each to develop our gifts and talents and to use them in the service of others.

Mrs Tanya Crooks, Acting Principal

From the Acting Principal

Acting Principal's Log

As always, it has been a busy week at the College with many members of the community polishing their gifts and talents and using them for the benefit of others. Our senior students brought smiles and moved audience members to tears in their wonderful production of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ on Friday and Saturday at the Caloundra Events Centre. Congratulations to Mrs Janine Delaney, staff and students who were involved. Our famous Pacific hospitality was also evident as Mrs Colleen Beattie and her team of staff and students supported the event by serving culinary delights prior to the Saturday night performance.

Congratulations to our Year 9 and 10 students who participated in the Mayor’s Technology Challenge this year. The finals were held on Wednesday and two of our teams were presented with awards. The Surf Tracker team won a collaboration award, with tickets to an innovation conference worth $250. The Music Maestro team won third prize overall, with a $500 gift voucher for JB-HiFi and an ASUS gaming laptop for the College valued at $2000. Well done to all students who participated in the challenge. Thank you also to Mrs Janine Stone for her support and guidance of our teams.

If you enjoyed the hospitality last Saturday, then consider booking a table at the upcoming Boatshed Dinner to be held on Tuesday 31^st May 2016. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to prepare, host and run a restaurant with the support of Mrs Colleen Beattie, Mrs Rhana Holt and the Boatshed staff. Having attended myself last year I can confidently say that the food and service were first class and many Pacific families and staff felt very blessed to attend. Tables are available to book, so do not hesitate to contact the College for further information.

This week, the College also conducted a fire drill as part of our regular safety procedures. Both staff and students are to be commended for the efficient way that they participated. We also had the first of our two photo days and students presented to the gym well dressed and a credit to the College. Next Tuesday, photos will be held for our Year 12 students as well as our P-5 students, some ensembles and a last chance for family photos to be taken.

Finally, tomorrow marks the installation of Pastor Tim Jarick as the College Pastor. This special service will be held in the gymnasium at 8.30am. The installation rite will be led by Bishop Paul Smith and involve members of our community including our local pastor, Pastor Ray Morris. It will be a pleasure to formally welcome Pastor Tim and his family to the Pacific community. Parents and friends of Pacific Lutheran College are welcome to attend the service.

May God continue to bless us all as we seek to use wisely and considerately the gifts we have all been given.

Mrs Tanya Crooks, Acting Principal

From the College Pastor

Anxiety and Prayer

I did a silly thing recently. I lost a USB memory stick that had a lot of important data from my previous job. I left it in the gym after the Junior College Chapel on Friday and forgot to go back and find it. First of all, I was frustrated that I lost it in the first place. Second, I gave myself a guilt trip, “If only I had gone back to where it was last seen and obtained it before it went missing, I wouldn’t be in this situation”. And finally, desperation set in as I fully realised how much data I had lost, the years of work that had suddenly disappeared.

Feeling anxious when we lose valuable things or worrying about people who are dear to us can affect our hearts and minds. The negative thought patterns of guilt and frustration can plague our minds and snowball into our hearts. It is easy to get anxious over many things in our lives. Jesus said to His disciples, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have enough worries of its own”. And Paul in his letter to the Philippians (4:6-7) said, “Do not worry about anything”.

How on earth is it possible to do that? To not worry when things weigh us down in this life?

Well Paul’s antidote for anxiety is to pray. He says, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”. In giving our worries and anxieties to God in prayer, He will gift us with His peace. Prayer is the only way we can deal with the things in life that are too much for us. In prayer we learn to give to God and depend on someone much bigger and brighter than us.

Martin Luther summed this up well in one of his last letters to his wife, when she was greatly concerned about his health. He wrote, “Pray and let God worry”. May we do the same when we next lose something!

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

From the Head of Senior Students

Community Connections

An important component in the development of students is inspiring them to adopt a sense of civic responsibility in the communities they live in (beyond the school context). This weekend, a number of Year 12 students are participating in the 'Relay for Life' charity event, which is strongly supported by some of our parents too.

This is an initiative organised by a group of senior students on top of and external to the College's term focus fundraising for the Salvation Army. All of these students are also collecting next Sunday at the Red Shield Appeal.

Working with young people to provide opportunities where they can volunteer their time to assist others is a pursuit that will immensely benefit their personal growth and lifelong experiences. It is great to see students take initiative and serve beyond the school context. We continue to grow young people to think beyond self, given the many service-learning opportunities at Pacific.

Photo Reminder: Year 12 Students

Please note that next Tuesday 24^th May, we will be taking the cohort, individual, class and leadership photos for Year 12 students. Please meet at the gym by 7.35am dressed in full winter uniform (as per page 18, Student Handbook).

Students are required to be on time for this photo, as photos WILL be taken regardless of attendance (i.e. we cannot hold up the schedule if you are late) due to a tight schedule for the remainder of the day.

Click here to download the Year 12 photo schedule.

Pacific Lutheran Alumni

Are you a past student of Pacific Lutheran College? We are interested in hearing from and connecting with past students of Pacific Lutheran College for our upcoming Compass Review magazine. If you are able to contribute to this College publication, please email: kstone@pacluth.qld.edu.au for more information.

We look forward to hearing from more Pacific Lutheran Alumni in the near future.

Miss Kim Stone, Head of Senior College Students

From the Head of Staff and Students P-5

Important Upcoming Dates

As we enter Week 7 of the term, there are a number of important upcoming events to note. Please see below for further information. Also, a reminder that next Friday 27^th May is a public holiday for the Caloundra Show Day.

Under Eights Week

Under Eights Week is an initiative of the Early Childhood Australia Queensland Branch and will run from 21^st to 28^th May this year. This is the 60^th year the initiative has been running and the theme is ‘Early Learning, Everyone Benefits; Queensland Celebrating 60 Years of Under Eights Week’.

Our Early Learning Service and students from Prep to Year 2 will celebrate Under Eights Week on Thursday 26^th May from 9.00am to 10.30am. Come along and join us for a morning of fun and laughter as we celebrate early childhood. As part of our celebrations this year, we are inviting children to design and make a party hat to be worn and judged on the day.

If you would like to help out on the day or in the lead up, please email Mrs Anne Phythian at aphythian@pacluth.qld.edu.au.

Free Clothes Day

A free clothes day will be held on Wednesday 25^th May to support the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal. Students are requested to make a gold coin donation and if possible bring along non-perishable food items to donate. As winter nears, the Salvation Army and other charities report record numbers of requests for assistance are being received on the Sunshine Coast.

NAPLAN

Last week, this year’s NAPLAN testing program was completed by Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students. Congratulations to all students who completed the four strands of tests on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Thank you to all staff for encouraging, supporting and preparing students in the lead up and during the testing process.

Prep - Year 2 Cross Country

This term, all students from Prep to Year 2 have been busily training for the Cross Country Carnival, which will be held on Wednesday 15^th June from 9.00am. A letter providing further details of this event will be sent home this week. All parents are warmly invited to attend and support their children’s participation in the event.

Developing Emotional Resilience in Children

Emotional resilience is essential in dealing with our day-to-day lives. It can help us cope with confrontations, making choices, negative situations that are beyond our control and tasks that are boring, difficult or what we consider a waste of time.

As adults we generally face such difficulties with varying levels of resilience. Developing emotional resilience in our children is an important facet of their growth and development.

As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, a negative event doesn’t necessarily cause us to feel down or worried, but rather how we think about the event. Negative habits of mind greatly fuel emotional discomfort. These negative mindsets include self-downing, the need to be perfect, the need for approval, the “I can’t do it or I can’t be bothered” mindset and being intolerant of others. Eliminating these negative mindsets can be challenging. Over the next few weeks I would like to share some strategies from the You Can Do It Program, which may help eliminate or balance these negative mindsets.

To Eliminate ‘Self-Downing’

Explain to children that they have many characteristics – some good and some not so good. Have children come up with five good things about themselves, their skills, talents and personality and five things that could be improved on. You can help children if they get stuck. Then, you should explain that because they possess good qualities, it never makes sense to think “I’m hopeless” or “I’m a loser” when something bad happens. Instead, encourage them to think, “When a bad thing happens, I do not lose my good points. I am still me – capable and likeable”.

Other suggestions for eliminating the tendency of self-downing include:

Viewing your child in a positive way.
Showing interest and excitement about non-curricular areas of his/her skills, interests and personal strengths.
Exposing your child to a variety of extra-curricular activities where they are likely to be successful.
Keeping a record with your child of all their positive characteristics.
Acknowledging your child when they handle adverse situations with little or no ‘self-downing’.
Modeling self-accepting behaviours when something bad happens to you (e.g. “I wasn’t elected to be on the committee. While this is disappointing, I’m still me – a capable and likeable person”).

Being emotionally resilient helps us to ‘tough it out’ and stay on top of situations emotionally, rather than letting them take control of us.

Mr David Druery, Head of Staff and Students P-5

Important Notices

School Photos

Prep – Year 5 and remaining sibling photos will be taken next Tuesday 24^th May. Sibling photos that weren’t taken this week will be taken during morning tea and lunch breaks next Tuesday.

Photos can be ordered and paid for online using a secure online platform. Orders placed online DO NOT require an envelope, cash/cheques or paperwork returned to school. Photos can also be purchased in the traditional manner using an envelope, with cash/cheque enclosed.

To place your order, visit www.advancedlife.com.au and enter the code B7H 8V9 RRH. This code can also be found printed on your envelope. To ensure smooth running on photo days, online orders for Sibling / Family Photos will be cut off at 12.00am the night before our photo day to allow a list to be compiled. Sibling photos can still be ordered after the online cut-off date by collecting an envelope from the office and returning the envelope on photo day to the photographers with your payment enclosed.

All online orders should be placed before our day of photography.

Student Awards

Stars of the Week

This Week Monday 16^th May

Prep: Peach Cookson, Amelia Walsh, Abbey Linfoot and Cooper Ridley.

Year 1: Jackson Ackerman.

Year 2: Leah McFadyen, Zaice McLachlan, Nate Hauser and Rohnan Webb.

Year 3: Mason Pratt, Luela Hooper, Finn Jones, Charlie Ford and Sarah Heeney.

Year 4: Archie Palmer, Ayanna Nath, Taj Turney and Cooper Kiernan.

Year 5: Sam Swan, Isabella Feckner, Zane Holmes and Rani Monro.

You Can Do It Awards

This Week Monday 16^th May

Confidence: Connor Ransome and Benji Vergens-White.

Persistence: Elijah Naus.

Organisation: Sienna Baker.

Getting Along: Sameeha Thompson and Taylah Campbell.

Food for Thought

Teaching Children Self-Esteem

Good self-esteem is essential to a child's development. It is the foundation of everything they do and everything they are. It takes confidence to be a kid. Whether they are starting at a new school or playing a sport for the first time, kids face a lot of uncharted territory.

Naturally, parents want to instill a can-do attitude in their kids so that they'll bravely take on new challenges and, over time, believe in themselves. While each child is a little different, parents can follow some general guidelines to build kids' confidence.

Find out more at: http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/teachingkidsselfesteem.php.

Ms Annie Williams, College Counsellor

OCEANfest

Save the Date!

OCEANfest 2016 Committee

Tuckshop

Menu Revamp

Our menu is getting a revamp! So, it’s out with a few of the old things to make way for some new items!

Introducing Fruit Smoothies!

Each Thursday in May, our new fruit smoothies will be on sale for an introductory price of $3. Two great flavours are available – Berry Crush and Mango.

Berry Crush is made with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, has no dairy, no gluten and is suitable for vegans. Mango is made with mango and pineapple and contains no gluten. Both flavours contain 75g of fruit in every serve, have no artificial flavours or colours and are 99% fat free.

Limited stock is available at this great introductory price, so get in quick!

Say goodbye to Dino Snacks!

In an effort to provide more healthy choices for our students, we will be replacing the Friday Dino Snack choice with crumbed chicken tenders. On Fridays, chicken tenders will be available as a serve of two for $3 and can be accompanied by sweet and sour, sweet chilli, tomato or barbecue sauce for 30c. The tenders will also be available in a wrap or sub for $4.50 with lettuce and your choice of mayo or sauce.

Volunteers

We are always on the lookout for more helpers; so if you have some spare time, feel free to visit the tuckshop to learn about our service. Everyone’s talents are very much appreciated!

Ms Carrie Dickson, Tuckshop Convenor

Library News

Book Club

Book Club order forms are due next Thursday 26^th May as Friday is a public holiday.

Readers' Cup

On Tuesday, the Year 6 Readers’ Cup team will be competing at Immanuel Lutheran College. Good luck to our team who has been busily reading through the set book list and preparing for the challenge.

Voices on the Coast

Lists of the students selected to attend Voices on the Coast are posted on the library noticeboard.

Ms Nell Keen, Teacher Librarian

Junior College

Year 3 Confidently Tackle NAPLAN

Last week, our Year 3 students undertook their first national testing with NAPLAN assessments in reading, language conventions, writing and numeracy. With stripped bare classrooms and re-arranged seating positions, we prepared our little people for the task ahead with conversations, reflections, expectations and of course, content coverage.

To support this change to normal routine, we set up an art activity with puzzle pieces. The students chose a word that resonated with them to write on their puzzle and then broke it up. During NAPLAN week, they slowly withdrew one piece at a time to colour in. At the end of the week, students reconstructed their puzzles to reveal their word. There were words such as faith, love, joy and many more.

Congratulations Year 3, for successfully completing your first formal assessment. Below is a poem written by two students, Hugh and Toby, reflecting on the experience.

N ational assessment

A nxious attempting to do our best

P reparing us for high school

L earning to find spelling mistakes in the text was challenging

A ttitudes must stay positive

N ever forget to do the Victory Dance at the end.

Year 3 Teachers

Secondary College

Hospitality - Boat Shed Dinner

This year's annual Boat Shed Dinner will be held on Tuesday 31^st May. Come and support our Year 12 Hospitality students as they experience running a restaurant. Click here to download further information. Tables are filling quickly, so make sure to contact Mrs Colleen Beattie as soon as possible for reservations.

Mrs Colleen Beattie, Head of Hospitality and Food Technology

From the Head of Career Development

UMAT

Registrations for the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) close on 3^rd June. For more information, visit: https://umat.acer.edu.au/.

Brisbane National Career and Employment Expo

This is Queensland’s largest careers, skills, employment and education event. It will be held on Friday 27^th and Saturday 28^th May at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. The expo will include free career development workshops, a career advice centre and representatives from universities, TAFE Queensland, private providers, various industries and Defence. Keep up-to-date at: http://careersemploymentexpo.com.au/brisbane/.

University News

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) – Additional Entry Requirements

Most courses at QUT do not have prerequisites; they have assumed knowledge. The exceptions to this are the Bachelor of Education courses (which have senior subject prerequisites in English, Maths and Science, depending on the course) and specific courses in the creative industries area. The following creative industry courses at QUT have additional entry requirements:

Bachelor of Design (Honours) (Fashion)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance Performance)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Arts)
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Business/ Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Arts).

Depending on the course, the additional entry requirement may be a portfolio, an audition, an interview, supporting documentation or a combination of these. To learn more about the additional requirements, search the courses at: https://www.qut.edu.au/. In addition to applying to QTAC by 30^th September 2016 (early bird date) for entry to these courses, you are also required to apply online to QUT directly by 9^th September. Late applications will not be accepted.

University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) Brisbane

USC South Bank is located within the TAFE Queensland Brisbane, South Bank campus. USC lecturers and tutors teach the following undergraduate courses at this campus:

Bachelor of Business
Bachelor of Business (Tourism, Leisure and Event Management)
Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting).

Read about the USC South Bank campus and its courses at: http://www.usc.edu.au/learn/the-usc-experience/study-locations/study-at-south-bank.

My Future: My Life

Leaving school can be a daunting experience for any teenager, but for those with a disability it can pose additional challenges. My Future: My Life is designed to support Queensland secondary students with a disability to prepare and plan for life after school. It provides a range of support options, including workshops, transition preparation support and financial support. Visit the My Future: My Life website at: http://www.myfuturemylife.com.au/about/about-my-future-my-life/.

Mrs Natasha Purcell, Careers Counsellor

Junior Sport

SCISSA Training and Term 2 Gala Day

SCISSA training continues next Monday afternoon for all groups. We have our last trial game for this term next Thursday 26^th May against Matthew Flinders Anglican College. This is in preparation for the Term 2 Gala Day, which will be held on Thursday 9^th June.

On the Gala Day, students will need to be at school by 8.15am and meet on the front oval near the gym. Teams will be travelling to various locations around the coast and will need to depart by 8.30am.

Kayaking and dance students will have the opportunity to participate in specialised programs on the day that will either be run here at the College or at locations around the coast.

A reminder to all kayaking students and parents that kayak training occurs each Monday afternoon at Lake Kawana. The College bus will take students to training; however, all students will need to make their own arrangements home after training. Thursday training sessions during SCISSA time are now held at Currimundi Lake. Students will be transported to and from these training sessions, arriving back at the College in time for normal departure at 3.00pm.

Year 3-7 Athletics Carnival

Today students in Year 3-7 participated in their 100m and 200m sprint trials and the discus event for the upcoming Athletics Carnival. The Year 3-7 Athletics Carnival will be held in Week 9 on Tuesday 7^th June at the University of the Sunshine Coast athletics track.

All Year 7 students who are turning 13 this year will still need to attend the Year 3-7 carnival. Any 13-year-old students who would like to represent the College at a district level will need to attend the Year 8-12 carnival next term on Tuesday 26^th July. They will be able to compete against all 13-year-old students from Year 8 at this carnival.

Student Success

Congratulations to Year 6 student Jack Connors, who was recently selected in the Under 12 Sunshine Coast Football team. Jack will now compete at the state championship from 9^th – 12^th June in Stanthorpe. Well done, Jack.

Mr Darren Hooper, Head of Junior Sport

Secondary Sport

SCISSA Volleyball

Well done to the Senior A Boys, Senior A Girls and our Senior B Boys who were all victorious over Glasshouse Christian College in games this week. The Year 11 B Girls also had a narrow win over the Year 12 Girls, while the Year 10 Girls lost in a thrilling game against Suncoast Christian College over three sets.

Please note that there will be NO volleyball training next Tuesday morning.

Once again this week, we will be hosting most teams. Therefore all players will be required to assist with scoring, lines and referee duties either before or after their game.

Next week’s games are as follows:

Team	Venue	Opposition	Time	Duty Team / Bus
11/12 B Boys	SAAC	SAAC 2	4.00pm	Bus departs: 3.05pm Bus returns: 6.00pm
12 B Girls (PLC 2)	SAAC	SAAC 3	4.45pm	Bus departs: 3.05pm Bus returns: 6.00pm
11/12 A Boys	PLC	GSLC	4.00pm	Open Girls
11/12 A Girls	PLC	GSLC	4.45pm	Open Boys
11 B Girls (PLC 3)	PLC	MFAC	4.45pm	Open Boys
10 B Girls (PLC 4)	PLC	SUN 3	4.00pm	Open Girls

** Please note that game times may change slightly as we are still waiting on confirmation of exact times. All parents will be notified via email early next week.

Tennis

Congratulations to our tennis team who have successfully made it into the quarter finals of their season. Next week they participate in the first round of knock-out finals. Their opposition and venue will be announced early next week once draws have been confirmed. Well done to all players and their coach, Mr Nico Prinsloo.

Sunshine Coast Sport Selection

Congratulations to Brooke Tait and Georgia Harle who were selected in the U15 Sunshine Coast Regional Soccer team to compete at the State Championships in July. The championships will be held at Maroochydore this year and we wish the girls all the very best at the next level of competition. It is great to see their skills and efforts rewarded with their team selection.

Well done also to Brooklyn Graves who was selected as a reserve for the U15 Sunshine Coast Girls Basketball team this week. Brooklyn has excelled in basketball over the past few years and it is a great honour to be recognised as a younger aged player in such a competitive field. Congratulations Brooklyn!

Mr Mark Hauser, Head of Sport

Club Sport

Pacific Soccer

Round 7
Extra Rounds - U11B Pacific Cobras
Challenge Cup - 9^th July
Round 8 - 21^st May
Pacific Soccer Contacts

Click here to download the Pacific Soccer newsletter for this week.

Mr Ian Barnes, Pacific Soccer President

Uniform Shop

Opening Hours and Online Ordering

The Uniform Shop is open from 8.00am to 9.30am every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Orders can be placed online via www.flexischools.com.au and will be delivered to your child the following day.

Mrs Peta King, Uniform Shop Coordinator

Church News

St Mark's Lutheran Church Caloundra

Pastor Ray Morris, St Mark’s Lutheran Church Caloundra

General Notices

Entertainment Books

Pacific Lutheran College is fundraising with Entertainment™ again this year. The NEW 2016 | 2017 Entertainment™ Book and Digital Memberships are available now and are packed with thousands of up to 50% OFF and 2-for-1 offers. From every Membership we sell, 20% of the proceeds go towards our fundraising for Pacific Lutheran Kindergarten and Early Learning Centre! Click here to order your book or digital membership: https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/230p536.

Upcoming Dates

May

24	P-5 Photo Day
	Year 9 Altitude Day
26	Under Eights Day
	SCISSA Trial Game 4
27	Caloundra Show Holiday
27-28	Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo
31	10-19yrs Regional Cross Country
	ICAS Science Competition

June

2	Year 4-6 SCISSA Team Photos
3-5	LCAQD Synod
6-10	Senior College Exams
7	Year 3-7 Athletics Carnival - USC (9.00am - 2.30pm)
	Year 9 Camp Information Evening (6.00pm)
8-10	Middle College Exams
9	SCISSA Primary Gala Day 2
13-14	Year 12 QCS Practice
13-24	Year 10 Camp - Uki
23	K-12 Chapel
	Year 7-8 Vaccinations
	Year 4-6 Foundation Cup
	Term 2 Concludes

Compass No 419 - May 2016

LEARNING JOURNEY

ENROLMENTS

NEWS

MY PLC

Growing people to make a difference