Compass No 438 - October 2016

From the Principal

Always Speak Well of Others

Influence is a subtle and yet powerful characteristic that flows from each of us. Each of us has the capacity to influence what is occurring around us for the better. A powerful way to shape our day-to-day experiences is to always speak well of others and to expect the same from those with whom we interact. Imagine the safe place we create when we focus on what is good. All people are free to be their authentic selves. Individuals, families and groups develop habits of being. Developing a personal habit of always speaking well of others and influencing others to do the same is a powerful way to make a difference.

In the Bible we read the story of Jesus interrupting a crowd who were about to stone a woman. He simply said, “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone”. No one was able to throw a rock. Jesus creates a safe place for us all. We are encouraged to spread that safety to others through recognising the mutuality of our shortcomings and celebrating the strengths and capacities in others and ourselves. Good words create a ripple of possibility.

Principal's Log

The energy and enthusiasm from the young and the more ‘wise’ was palpable during last Friday’s Grandparent’s Day. Grandparents, parents, staff and students enjoyed the meaningful chapel from 2D, the class activities and then being part of performances after a highly appreciated morning tea, provided by our Hospitality students. Thank you to our families for your support and to our staff and students for being such great hosts. We appreciate the leadership of Mr David Druery and Mrs Sue Zweck for the planning of the day, well supported by our grounds, performance and Hospitality teams.

  

Families then enjoyed meandering through the Student Art Exhibition that evening. The Exhibition enabled students across Kindergarten – Year 12 to showcase their works that had been inspired by the leadership of Mrs Denise McMahon, Mrs Kym Rodgers and visiting artists. The ambience of the evening was also enhanced by the jazz singing of past student, Tim Lofthouse. We thank families for their support and Mrs Denise McMahon, Mrs Kym Rodgers and Mrs Rowena Marshall for the year-long work that goes into establishing such a wonderful celebration of student talent.

Friday night also saw a number of basketball teams competing in their grand finals. This season, our basketball culture continued to grow from strength to strength. We congratulate all basketball teams who played throughout the year and particularly those who reached the grand finals. We celebrate with the Junior A Girls, Junior B Boys and Intermediate B Boys who won their finals. The College placed third overall in the competition, which is a credit to the players, supporters and to Mr Mark Hauser and his team of coaches of Mrs Michi Hauser, Mr Lance Hurdle, Mr Matt Lint, Mr Bailey Pointon, Mr Nico Prinsloo, Mr Mitch Turner, Mr Brayden Moor, Mrs Tanya Graves, Mr Scott Crompton and Mr Hayden Warburton.

In a weekend of wins, the kayaking team won the sprint championships on the Gold Coast for the twelfth time in succession after a very early start on Sunday morning. Well done to master coach Mr Gary Graves, well supported by Mrs Colleen Beattie, Mrs Rae Hall and Mrs Natalie Campbell. Thank you to these people and to parents and students for your support of kayaking over the year.

International educational consultant, Mr Mark Church visited the College on Tuesday to lead teachers through their culminating inquiry experience. Together, staff progressed their understanding with Mark’s expert guidance and shared the learnings they had encountered over the year. We thank Ms Sue Arahill, Mrs Rae Hall and Mrs Sue Zweck for the leadership of this opportunity and all of the teachers involved for their commitment to growth and learning.

On Friday 28th October, we celebrate World Teacher’s Day at Pacific. We appreciate the special role that our teachers play in nurturing young people to explore their potential across all dimensions of their lives. Having a personal passion for learning and making a difference for young people is a defining characteristic of our staff. We thank our teachers and the support staff who enable teachers, students and parents to optimise learning opportunities together.

We pray for all those who have been affected by accidents and pray that God will equip us to be people of influence who ripple out words that build others up.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal

From the College Pastor

Safety

In peace I will lie down and sleep. Lord, you alone keep me safe. (Psalm 4:8)

A family ride at a theme park goes horribly wrong and a seemingly safe activity ends in tragedy. An accident happens on the sporting field and we damage our bodies and require surgery. A young adult rides in a fast car and engages in risky behaviour, which has untold consequences for others nearby. We like to think that we live in a safe world where risk is reduced, but that is not always the case. Despite all the technology, educational efforts and risk analysis we have, living in this world is fundamentally risky. Terrorism, tragedy, accidents, death or health issues can strike anyone at any time. At these times, life can seem very random and meaningless. How can we stay sane in such a crazy world? How can trust in the words of this Psalm, that the Lord alone will keep us safe? 

As we mature and live through tragedies and accidents in our life’s journey, we can learn an important lesson. Worrying about our safety or fearing about the future gets us nowhere. Jesus said tomorrow has enough worries of its own. Living in the present moment is what is needed. Looking for God to lead, guide and provide for us, no matter what happens, takes the pressure off ourselves and puts it rightly onto someone bigger than us. God can be found in the midst of tragedy and misfortune. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross we know that he is with us, when we suffer, grieve or are in pain. God risked it all in sending his Son to die for us. Every time we see the cross we are reminded of Jesus’ death and rising, which shows us we can trust in God’s care and concern for us. When we live our lives through the lens of the cross, we can be assured of God’s protection. The Lord alone can keep us safe; we can lie down and sleep in peace.

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

From the Head of Senior Students

10 Year Reunion Celebrations: Class of 2006

We look forward to celebrating with the Class of 2006 at the College on Saturday 26th November. The 10 year reunion provides an opportunity to reconnect with our past students and their families.

Year 12

As we approach the final week of normal classes, we wish our Year 12 graduating class all the best for their final exam block. Following their exam block, Year 12 students will be involved in compulsory alternative days at the College (Tuesday 15th November  to Thursday 17th November from 8.25am to 3.15pm). On these days, students will be involved in seminars and hear from guest speakers on topics focusing on post-secondary schooling life skills. 

At Pacific Lutheran College, we have a positive history of Year 12 students graduating in a quiet, relaxed and respectful manner. We look forward to continued partnerships with parents and guardians as Year 12 students work towards completing their secondary education this year.

Please feel free to contact the Middle/Senior College Administration office if there are any enquiries about upcoming events. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Miss Kim Stone, Head of Senior College Students

From the Head of Staff and Students P-5

Grandparents Day

Grandparents Day was held last Friday and was attended by over 300 grandparents and family members. Our special visitors attended Chapel, spent time in classrooms and then enjoyed a morning tea, prepared by our Hospitality Department. After morning tea, a concert was held for our visitors, which included a variety of solo artists, musical groups and ensembles. Events such as these enrich the learning experience for our students and strengthen our community bonds. We thank all those family members who attended and all the College staff and students who helped make the day such a success.

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

Student Awards

Stars of the Week

This Week Monday 24th October

Prep:  Euan Lengenberg, Stevie Saunders, Joshua Cockburn, Ella Fergusson, Abbey Linfoot, Cody Walker and Thomas Cannon.

Year 1:  Lennon Biggs, Quinn McFadden and Ana-Belle Mogg.

Year 2:  Zaice McLachlan, Aden Temby-Nichols and Talon Paora.

Year 3:  Megan Atkinson, Alex Hughes, River Boyall, Ruby Prosser and Sarah Heeney.

Year 4:  Mahalia Thiele, Marco Huen, Indy Suseno, Elliot Burlone and Kai Sorbello.

Year 5:  Ethan Benson, Hobie Barry, Ella Jarick, Riley Holliday, Jake Whatham and Katie Graves. 

You Can Do It Awards

This Week Monday 24th October

Confidence:  Hannah Walsh and Riley Shepherd.

Persistence:  Tamara Holden, Anna Lumkes and Ned Brandenburg.

Getting Along:  Madison Austin, Amelie Bradley and Emily Lengenberg. 

Other Awards

Mathletics:  Darcy Connors, Talon Paora, Lincon Daniels, Ainslie Cotton, Holly Targato and Kai Sorbello.

MultiLit:  Indy Suseno.

Food for Thought

BFF: When Friendships Change

Friendships obviously play an enormous role in our children’s’ lives. Helping our children deal with relationship issues is an important part of growing up. Helping children through a difficult time helps them develop a higher level of emotional intelligence. This helps them to handle those more complex interpersonal relationships, as they get older.

For more information, visit: http://parentingideasschools.com.au/getattachment/1ebfc4ff-371f-41aa-8360-f3253153448d.

Ms Annie Williams, College Counsellor

Tuckshop

Help Needed

As always at this time of the year, we are short on volunteers at the tuckshop and would love to see some new faces lending a hand during the busy summer period. Please contact Carrie on 5436 7327 or email cldickson@pacluth.qld.edu.au for more information. We thank all our volunteers for their time and commitment during the year; the tuckshop couldn’t operate without you!

Ms Carrie Dickson, Tuckshop Convenor

Library News

Code Club

Congratulations to students Blake Dines, Christian Schlotterbach, Elyse McFadyen, Rhys Veizer and Matthew McKenzie who have successfully completed the Scratch 1 code course. They received their certificates on assembly this week and have now moved on to the next course.

Choc Lit

Our final Choc Lit meeting for the year was held on Thursday during lunchtime in the library. Choc Lit is our senior book group who meet once a month to discuss what they are reading and upcoming new releases, all while enjoying chocolate.  

Ms Nell Keen, Teacher Librarian

Cultural News

Mulan – Tickets On Sale Now!

Tickets for our Year 4-7 Musical Production of Mulan are now on sale at: https://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=228002

Mrs Laura Bonner and Miss Anita Morton

Sport News

Kayaking State Champions

Congratulations to the 41 Pacific kayakers who proudly represented the College at the State Championships on the Gold Coast last weekend. Our kayakers performed exceptionally well in both the double and single events, winning numerous Gold, Silver and Bronze medals over the sprint distances of 200m and 500m. Thank you to our great team of parents who helped out with water safety, transport and other jobs on the day. A special thank you to the students for giving their best and being fantastic representatives of our College. A huge thank you also to Mrs Colleen Beattie, Mrs Rae Hall, Mrs Natalie Campbell and Mr Dion Morgan for coaching and managing the team throughout the year. It was an amazing effort to again win both the Marathon and Sprint Championships in the same year.

Onwards and upwards in 2017!

        

Mr Gary Graves, Kayaking Coordinator

CareMonkey

Please note the following request and activity information has been emailed via CareMonkey this week. 

  • Prep – Year 2: Learn to Swim

If you have not yet seen an email invitation to create your child’s profile, please check your Junk Mail folder. If you cannot find the email request, please contact me. Emails will come through from CareMonkey Administrator and will generally have a subject heading stating, “Pacific Lutheran College is requesting….”.

We appreciate your support of this new system. If you have any concerns with this application or your profile set up please contact me directly.

Mrs Natalie Campbell, Sports Aide

Junior Sport

3-on-3 Basketball Competition (Year 3-6 Students)

Once again, we are holding a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for students in Years 3-6. All students are invited to nominate a team (teams of 3 or 4 with one ‘sub’). All abilities are catered for across three divisions. Games are eight minutes long and all teams will play at least six games on the night.

Date: Friday 4th November (Week 5).

Time: 4.00pm – 6.00pm at the Pacific Gymnasium.

Dress: Design your own team uniform.

Cost: Entry is free!

Nominations Close: Wednesday 2nd November at 9.00am.

Other information: All teams who come in a uniform (and put effort into it) will receive a small prize. There will also be trophies/medallions for the winners of each division.

Mr Mark Hauser, Basketball Coordinator 

Secondary Sport

Basketball Finals Success!

First of all, congratulations to all students who were involved in the Pacific Basketball season this year. It was easily one of the most successful seasons for our College in what is the biggest competition in Queensland. The standard of play and commitment of all students was truly wonderful and there were some great, competitive matches every week. Even those teams that had limited success on the ladder improved their game and gave their best each and every week.  

It has been wonderful to see the progression of skill and enthusiasm for basketball grow over the past six years. This couldn’t have happened without a range of people’s time and efforts. I would personally like to thank Mrs Tanya Graves, Mr Scott Crompton and Mr Nico Prinsloo for their tireless efforts with various teams, the junior program, player development and willingness to help at all levels. Our Friday coaches were also fantastic, so thank you to all who helped throughout the season, including Mrs Michi Hauser, Lance Hurdle, Matt Lint, Bailey Pointon, Mr Nico Prinsloo, Mitch Turner, Brayden Moor, Mrs Tanya Graves, Mr Scott Crompton and Hayden Warburton.

To all the players – well done to each of you. It was a long season, but very worthwhile. We are only just starting to reach our potential and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve in 2017! 

Last Friday night, Pacific was recognised as the third most successful school in the whole competition (one point behind second and only five points behind winning the Champion School trophy, which is only one more top of the table placing). This is a great achievement for the College and one we should all be very proud of.

Congratulations to the Junior B Boys and Intermediate B Boys for winning premierships in very tough games. The Senior C Girls fought valiantly against a very physical Siena Catholic College team and their attitude was very impressive. They carried themselves with poise and represented the College well.

  

A big congratulations to the Junior A Girls, for being the first team in our history to win an A Division premiership in a Sunshine Coast School Sport competition. This means that they are the number one team in their age group on the entire Sunshine Coast, which is a huge achievement. It was a long time coming after two previous finals appearances, however they won very convincingly and thoroughly deserved their accolades. Thank you to Mrs Tanya Graves for coaching them this season.

Finally, thank you to the parents for your support and involvement in driving children to venues, late nights, score-bench duties, extra training sessions and a whole range of sacrifices throughout the season.

All players will be required to return their playing uniforms to Mrs Natalie Campbell by the end of next week.

Water Polo Grand Final!

Earlier in the week, the Senior Girls took on Matthew Flinders Anglican College (MFAC) in the semi-final of the Sunshine Coast Secondary School Water Polo competition. After completing the regular season undefeated, the Pacific girls came in to the game with a lot of confidence and momentum.

From the very start of the match, Pacific dominated play, scoring the first five goals unanswered. MFAC tried hard to come back, but Pacific’s strong defence and great teamwork in attack meant that the opposition didn’t stand a chance. At the end of the game, Pacific won 9-2 and now progress through to the grand final on Monday. The final will be played at the Noosa Aquatic Centre against MFAC 1 at 7.00pm. Go Pacific!

Year 7-10 SCISSA Soccer

Congratulations to our soccer teams who all played in the fourth round of the SCISSA competition. The Junior Girls had a great win (5-1) against Matthew Flinders Anglican College, demonstrating great skill and teamwork to come up with the win. After a good performance last week, the Junior Boys backed up for another great game this week against Sunshine Coast Grammar School. Although they drew the match (1-1), it was their best game of the season so far and was a pleasing result against such strong opposition. The Intermediate boys also recorded a win (2-0) against Immanuel Lutheran College this week. The boys played some of their best football in their game yesterday to easily account for Immanuel and are looking forward to a possible semi-finals berth in three weeks’ time.

Games for Week 5 are as follows:

TEAM TIME VENUE OPP. DETAILS
Jnr Boys 4.00pm PLC GSLC Meet on PLC oval by 3.40pm
Int Boys 4.45pm PLC SAAC Meet on PLC oval by 4.30pm
Jnr Girls 4.45pm NCC NCC Bus departs PLC: 3.30pm
Bus returns PLC: 6.00pm
Returning Sport Uniforms

As the year is winding down and most sport seasons are finished, it is important that all students return their playing uniforms at the end of each season. Rather than us chasing up individual students, it would be greatly appreciated if everyone had a good look through their wardrobes and handed in any Pacific uniforms. Please pass these on to Mrs Natalie Campbell at the sports aide office opposite the tuckshop. Students who do not return uniforms will have the cost billed to their fees at the end of the year.

Athlete of the Year Nominations

Students are invited to complete a ‘Male/Female Athlete of the Year’ nomination form to help us determine the most outstanding athlete of 2016. All students who have represented the College across a number of sports throughout the year are able to complete a nomination form, citing their achievements from school teams through to national level competition. Please note that only participation through school sport pathways is acceptable (not outside of school club/representatives involvement).

Nominations close at the end of Week 5 (Friday 4th November).

Year 7-12 Sports Awards

On Tuesday 15th November, all Year 7-12 students will be involved in the Sports Awards. These will take place in the College gymnasium from 1.50pm – 3.15pm. All students are required to attend, to celebrate our sporting achievements and recognise those who have excelled for the College throughout the year. We have one of the most high-profile athletes in Australia coming along to present students with their awards and also give a brief talk to everyone. It will certainly be an opportunity not to miss.

Mr Mark Hauser, Head of Sport

Uniform Shop

Rite Journey Blazers

Blazers for the Year 9 Rite Journey have arrived. We already have plenty of new and second hand blazers, so if you want to avoid the rush, please contact the uniform shop to see if we have your size. Boys will also require trousers and a belt.

If you have second hand blazers that you wish to sell, please ensure that they are dry cleaned before they are handed into the shop for re-sale.

End of Year Closure and January Assistance

This year, the uniform shop will close on Friday 25th November at 9.30am.

If you are able to assist in the uniform shop from 16th – 20th January next year, please contact Mrs Peta King directly on 5436 7349. There are two timeslots to be filled each day: 8.00am – 12.00pm or 12.00pm – 4.00pm. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

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 Convenor

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

October
27-28 Year 3 Camp - Luther Heights
   
November
3 Year 7-8 Vaccinations
  SCISSA Trial Game 8
7 Middle College Orientation Day
  Middle College Parent Information Evening (7.00pm)
  Year 12 Study Day
8-14 Year 12 Exams
10 SCISSA Primary Gala Day 4
15 Sports Awards
15-17 Year 12 Alternative Days
16-18 Middle College Exams
16-22 Year 10 and 11 Exams
17 Year 4-6 Foundation Council Cup
  Year 12 Graduation - Lake Kawana Community Centre (6.30pm)
18 Year 12 Farewell Chapel (8.30am)
  Year 12 Formal - Sebel Pelican Waters (5.00pm)