Compass No. 599 February 2021

In our College community, we believe that no one is here by accident; every life has worth, meaning, value and purpose. God has created us and given us gifts and talents to discover and use for others' blessing and service. Our job as parents and as educators is to encourage students to identify their gifts, strengths, and abilities to find satisfaction and meaning as they use them for others in our community and the wider world. We also believe that we all need times of reflection on our meaning and purpose in life so that growth and transformation can happen by God’s grace.

For many young people and adults, finding our purpose can be an unfolding journey that may take many years, experiences and challenges. Our journey is to search for this meaning and purpose God has in store for us through school and life. Sometimes our purposes change, sometimes people change, sometimes life and its direction changes. Whatever the case may be for you, God promises to be with you in your searching for purpose.

Some helpful questions to ask in you or your young person is searching for their purposes in life are:

• What matters to me?
• What gets me excited about each new day?
• What are my talents, interests, passions?
• What dreams do I have for the future?
• If I could do only one thing with my life, what would it be?

Prayer: Lord, sometimes it seems like we can easily lose our direction in life. We become disorientated and don’t know where we are going. Give us this week a strong sense of purpose in all that we do. Surround us with people of hope who model to us optimism, meaning and motivation. Grow in us your purposes for our life. In Jesus name. Amen.

First Communion

Any Year 4 or 5 families who are interested in First Communion for their children are invited to contact Pastor Tim for more information: tjarick@pacluth.qld.edu.au or 5436 7353.

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

Restorative Practices – The Steps

You may recall my first newsletter of the year briefly outlining the core purpose of utilising restorative practices at the College; ‘to repair relationships between individuals when at times they become frayed’. This week, I would like to outline the nature of how we engage students in this process. The following steps would be taken in the case of two students having had a breakdown in their relationship, where one or both have been affected.

Step 1: The invitation. Each student is individually invited to be a part of the conversation and whilst it is voluntary, as a College community we encourage all parties to attend and at times will seek parental support. We also advise parents of our intent at this point.

Step 2: The preparation. Students are provided with both an explanation of what they might experience throughout the process as well as some questions that they might like to prepare responses to.

Step 3: The conversation. A restorative meeting is conducted by a trained member of staff in a safe space. Ideally, it is facilitated by a neutral member of staff. Where appropriate, a support person for each student may be invited to attend. An agreement is signed by all attendees at the conclusion with follow-up dates noted and recorded on student files.

Step 4: The follow-up. This is crucial in ensuring students feel supported beyond the initial meeting and to ascertain how interactions have been with each student. A further follow up would occur two weeks and a month post-incident. We would note the outcome of these follow ups on each of their records and connect with families to ensure they are kept informed.

If you would like to connect with the College to seek clarity on any or all of these steps, please get in touch with your child’s Head of House, Mr Mark Hauser (Head of Senior Students) or myself. I will continue unpacking aspects of the restorative process in future newsletters.

Mr Ben Ryan, Director of Students

Restorative Approaches

A crucial part of the Pastoral Care process at Pacific is the attention and faith given to supporting students through restorative frameworks. It is the purpose of restorative practice to build or mend relationships that are worthy of maintaining. Restorative circles can take many forms and serve many purposes. Restorative conferencing can be a process that addresses wrongdoing and conflict and can seek to repair damage to relationships.

The implementation of Circle Time is an important part of our framework. Circle Time is a practical way to skill young people to listen with understanding, tune into feelings and begin to see the world from others’ viewpoint. These Circle Times are intentionally timetabled into classes to build and maintain relationships and encourage a sense of belonging. The ‘grab and go’ Circle Time kit covers such topic as dealing with arguments, what we need when we are hurt and blaming versus fixing. The skills built within this environment aim to build our students' capacity further to navigate the sometimes-confusing world of interpersonal relationships.

At times, relationships and actions of others can impact the wellbeing of others. At Pacific, we use these events as learning experiences and give voice to all sides to encourage a holistic view of what has transpired.

As a College we encourage our students to be vocal about such incidents whilst at school. Circle Times and restorative conferencing provide an avenue for children to articulate any potential issues that may have occurred. Our hope as a College is that we are encouraging agency within our students to speak up in a safe and supportive environment and undertake the due process to restore the relationships that may have suffered harm. These restorative processes can be the beginning of a journey to repair harm, and at times, require continuous monitoring. Communication is vital, and I encourage you to keep in close contact with your child’s classroom teacher should you need to give further information or need clarification on wellbeing matters.

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

This week we installed our Year 6 and 9 Student Leaders. It is always a privilege to work with young people who have demonstrated courage in putting themselves forward to serve their community. I am sure that when asked to list the qualities of a good leader, there would be many that come to mind; brave, visionary, dependable, organised, good communicator, servant and empathetic. Naturally, in our College’s context, we would expect a leader to be a servant to all and this is a quality that will be developed in our young people, regardless of whether they are a leader or not. Nonetheless, the quality I hope our leaders, and indeed all our students develop, is that of integrity; the capacity to do the right thing, even when no one is watching. Fortunately, we are part of a community that reinforces the need to have a working moral compass that develops student capacity to make correct choices no matter the situation. I ask you to join with me in congratulating the following students. I especially ask that you pray for them as they embark on this journey.

Year 6

Mumba	Bula	Wira
Kalei Kimmins Noella Finney Joseph Woods Oliver Dunstan	Rachel Monroe Porscha Taylor Lennon Biggs Nathan Russell	Tilly Bignell Sophie Garden Harper Hogg Jared King

 

Year 9

Mumba	Bula	Wira
Scott Hiley Cooper Kiernan Marina Krueger Meleika Clarke	Bridgette Cooper Kiana Campbell Jai Britton Cooper Whatham	Georgia Frohmuller Jessica Lloyd Blake Dines Luke Harrys

 

Year 6 Leadership Conference

On Thursday 18th February, the Year 6 Leaders attended a leadership conference at Venue 114 with other Year 5 and 6 students from the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane. This was a fantastic conference that gave students the opportunity to build their confidence in front of others and equipped them with many skills, ideas and tools to present their ideas. We look forward to seeing the ways that the Year 6 Leaders are going to contribute to our College community this year. We thank Mrs Linda Sydes for her leadership in nurturing these young leaders.

Respect Online

Currently in Personal Development lessons, Year 8 students are exploring what it means to be respectful online and the legal implications of the choices they make in the digital space. This builds upon the learning from Year 7 when they completed modules from the Digital Licence program. We live in an ever increasingly digital world and as such it is more important than ever to remind our young people that we need to exhibit the same decision-making processes online as we would in the real world. It may be something as simple as the sage old advice, if you can’t say something nice about someone, then don’t say anything at all. I quite like the advice, think before you post. The e-Safety Commissioner provides a wealth of resources for all community members and dealing with all manner of topics. I encourage you to have a look at what the website offers and as always, reach out to your child’s Pastoral Care Group teacher or Head of House if you require further support in this domain. It can be quite daunting and we welcome a united partnership as we navigate this space.

Mr Ben Ryan, Director of Students

Since its inception, Pacific has always prided itself as a community that cares. I have enjoyed being in many Junior College learning spaces where these concepts have been investigated by students. I have been proud of the way our students are wearing their uniform and caring for self. I have been involved in discussions with our Year 5 cohort about how we can engage in service learning to support others and I have witnessed multiple examples of students caring for our environment, taking responsibility of their belongings and collecting waste around the grounds. It shows that our students are leading by example and showing real agency in making our College a positive place to learn and grow in.

Parent Connectors

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Friends of Pacific Annual General Meeting. Since its inception, the College's strength has been the engagement of the broader community in building and maintaining of culture. As we continue to grow and evolve as a College, we consistently reflect on how best to engage with parents, carers and grandparents in all College elements. Traditionally in Junior College, classes have had a parent representative. The consensus that was reached with the Friends of Pacific was that the reference points for parent reps be re-visited and, in the process, renamed as parent connectors with a primary role of supporting connection into the College community. These reference points are in the process of being finalised in conjunction with Friends of Pacific and further details surrounding how to be involved will be communicated in the near future.

Take care and God bless.

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

Students sometimes say they cannot do a maths problem, without actually engaging with it. Often this comes back to confidence and sometimes it is that the problem is designed to be complex or unfamiliar. Students are encouraged to re-read the problem, underline or highlight the key information (stem) and what is asked (cue), translate the information given into the language of maths by summarising ‘what I know’ and ‘need to know’ and writing down any rules related to the topic. It is better for learning to have a go and get a question wrong than not attempt it.

Parents can help by asking a few key questions to get your child started. What do you know about this topic? Does it relate to class work or is it an extension on that? How is it different or similar to what you’ve seen before? Is there an example in the text/notes/Khan Academy etc? Are there any key terms you don’t understand? Check the answer and work backwards. Have your child read the questions and explain their approach to the solution, ensuring they understand the necessary steps.

Tackling an unfamiliar problem is a fantastic way to develop resilience as the answer may take a couple of attempts. Learning to cope and deal with not having the immediate satisfaction of the correct answer is an important step in the development of resilience. Having said that, if your child is regularly having difficulty please encourage them to let their teacher know and to attend a Maths Support Session for extra assistance. To be confident with maths, your child needs to understand why maths works, not just how to carry out procedures and apply formulas. Talking about maths problems and different ways of solving them can help strengthen your child's overall mathematical understanding.

Mrs Patricia Hosking, Head of Mathematics

Researchers and professionals who treat kids with ADHD often report that emotions play a big role in the daily difficulties’ kids face. Kids with ADHD don’t have different emotions than other kids. They feel hurt, anger, sadness, discouragement and worry just like everyone else does.

What’s different for many kids with ADHD is that these feelings seem to be more frequent and intense. They also seem to last longer and get in the way of everyday life. For more information click here.

Mrs Annie Williams, College Counsellor

Mooloolaba Tri Volunteering Opportunity

Pacific is volunteering at the Mooloolaba Tri on Saturday 13th March from 10.00am to 4.30pm and we are looking for 20 parents and Senior College helpers who would like to join our team. It’s a six-hour commitment at Mooloolaba and promises to be a rewarding experience assisting competitors to rack their bike prior to the race on Sunday. Volunteers receive a t-shirt and food pack. Pacific will receive a donation for every volunteer we provide on the day. If you would like more information or can commit to helping, please see Ms Angela Hill in the Wellbeing Centre or contact Mrs Jenny Lee via email: Friends of Pacific: fop@pacluth.qld.edu.au.

Mrs Jenny Lee, Friends of Pacific Chairperson

Week 2 saw the Year 7 students, both new and continuing, packing their bags and dodging the summer morning downpour to excitedly head for Camp Somerset. Primed with the theme of ‘Connections’, students were embarking on four days of outdoor learning focused on building new friendships, strengthening their teamwork skills and enjoying some time in the great outdoors. Whilst the notion of being in a group with unfamiliar people was testing for the cohort, they took these challenges in their stride and embraced every opportunity in front of them. Students spent four days working to support each other through the different obstacles that come with hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, high ropes activities and camping out. Students soon realised that we all have different strengths that we can share to support each other within our community in times of challenge. Well done to the Year 7 cohort for the way they embraced their outdoor learning experience this year, we were blessed with great weather conditions and made wonderful memories to last a lifetime. Thank you to the staff who gave of their time to support student learning outdoors; Mr Alex O’Connor, Mr Andrew Block, Mrs Leah Croke, Mr Ben Ryan, Mr Brett Kersnovske, Mr Josh Danzey and Pastor Tim Jarick.

Duke of Edinburgh and Bridge Awards

The Duke of Edinburgh Award and it’s younger sibling the Bridge Award, are internationally recognised leadership and personal development awards operating in more than 120 countries world-wide. The Dukes Award is open to all young people aged 14-24, while the Bridge Award is for those aged 11-14. The Awards focus on personal development and leadership skills; it is a non-competitive, enjoyable, voluntary and balanced program, which requires some student agency and commitment outside the usual College curriculum. It is a program that enables young people to demonstrate self-development within an internationally recognised framework.

Both awards follow the same format at age-appropriate levels of challenge. The Bridge Award has level 1 and 2 and the Dukes Award comprises of three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold – each progressively more challenging. Each level is made up of four sections: Service, Skills, Physical Recreation and Adventurous Journeys and at the completion of each Dukes level, QCE points are awarded.

If you would like to be involved in the Duke of Edinburgh or Bridge Award and spend time exploring the world around you, please get in touch with Ms Kim Wood (Head of Outdoor Education) on kwood@pacluth.qld.edu.au.

Ms Kim Wood, Head of Outdoor Education

This year, the Music Department welcomed Noeleen Eden and Alison George to our team of Music Tutors. 

Noeleen comes with a wealth of experience as both a curriculum Music teacher and as an Instrumental Music specialist. This year, she has taken on teaching our oboe and bassoon students. Noeleen was a fantastic support on the recent Music Camp as she took sectionals and bolstered our ensembles. She still has availability to take on more students and there are still some oboes available for hire. Please contact Mrs Helen Williams if you are interested in taking lessons: helenw@pacluth.qld.edu.au.   

Alison recently graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and is now undertaking a Masters in Education. She has joined us as a double bass specialist and general strings teacher. In addition to her double bass students, she has also taken on violin and viola students. Alison also has lesson availability, so if your child is interested in learning a string instrument, please contact Mrs Helen Williams for enrolment details, helenw@pacluth.qld.edu.au.  

While it is fantastic to see the growth happening in the Music Department, it does mean that lesson places are filling fast. Anyone considering learning an instrument is encouraged to return their enrolment form as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Mrs Aleisha Tuaine, Head of Music

The University Showcase is coming to Pacific again on Wednesday 10th March. This is a fantastic opportunity for our Year 12 students to hear from and speak to representatives from a wide range of Universities, as well as QTAC, TAFE and Defence Force Recruiting. All Year 12 students will be attending. The Showcase will be held in the Gym, from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.

Mrs Wanda Hayes, Head of Career Development

Week 5 Results

Team	Result	MVP
Jnr Girls Volleyball	PLC 0 – ILC 2 PLC 0 – SUN 2	Holly King
Int Girls Volleyball 1	PLC 2 – ILC 0 PLC 2 – NCC 0	April Romagnoli Katie Graves
Int Girls Volleyball 2	PLC 0 – MFAC 2	Gabrielle Rattey
Int Girls Volleyball 3	PLC 0 – GCC 2	Lucy Dimond
Int Girls Volleyball 4	PLC 2 – SUN 1	Zoe Nankivell
Int Boys Volleyball 1	PLC 2 – NCC 0	Sean Turnbull
Int Boys Volleyball 2	PLC 0 – SUN 2	Wil Evans
Boys Soccer 1	PLC 0 – SAAC 0 PLC 1 – SUN 0	Will Newton Dafydd Thomas and Liam Russell
Boys Soccer 2	BYE	-

 

Swimming at Pacific

It has been a big few weeks of swimming at Pacific! Well done to all students who have been involved in the various events, including Swim Trials, Inter-House Carnivals and District Swimming Carnival.

Year 7-12 Inter-House Carnival

It was fantastic day at Nambour Aquatic Centre for our students, with plenty of sun, swimming and spirit on show. A big thank you to all students who came along and participated in the carnival, whether it was swimming in multiple events, giving the pool noodle relay a go or simply cheering as loud as possible for your House. A special congratulations to Emily Lengenberg for breaking the College records for 50m butterfly and freestyle!

Congratulations to Bula House, who narrowly edged out Wira to take out the top spot as Champion House. Mumba was the winner of the Spirit Trophy. Their chants, encouragement and general enthusiasm set a great tone for the carnival.

• Bula: 2968
• Wira: 2938
• Mumba: 2828

Well done also to all our Age Champions and Runners up from the day:

Age	Champions	Runners Up
12 yrs Girls	Emily Lengenberg	Amelia Pike
12 yrs Boys	Joshua Brouw	Louie McCormac
13 yrs Girls	Zoe Woods	Evie Richters
13 yrs Boys	Charlie Schefe	Tristan Mahon
14 yrs Girls	Ainslie Carter	Jessica Hutton
14 yrs Boys	Wil Evans	Sullivan Devine
15 yrs Girls	Bridgette Cooper	Macey Winter Oliver
15 yrs Boys	Scott Hiley	Charles Garland
16 yrs Girls	Imogen Hiley	Maggie Princehorn
16 yrs Boys	Cooper Schwab	Cody Proeger
17 yrs Girls	Cosette Winter	Yasmin Richters and Kaylea Jackson
17 yrs Boys	Thomas Grey	Alexander Jose

 

District Swimming

Thank you to all students who attended the recent district swimming trials. It was fantastic to have such dedicated students represent Pacific at this level. I want to particularly highlight the efforts of many members of the 13-19 years team who jumped into extra events and made relays happen. While a top five finish for our senior team will have to wait for another year, it was fantastic to see our 9-12 years team take out fifth place at their carnival, as detailed below.

A team of 48 students represented the College at the 9-12 years carnival and it was a fantastic day of swimming with a number of excellent individual and team performances. As well as finishing in fifth place, our team also placed fourth in the percentage points, based on each school’s population.

Well done to the following students who finished in the top three places in events during the day.

Name	Event	Place
Toby Moore, Harry Pike, Gemma Bryce, Scarlett van den Hurk	9 Years 4 x 50m Mixed Medley Relay	3rd
Toby Moore	9 Years Boys 50m Freestyle	3rd
Emily Lengenberg	12 Years Girls 50m Freestyle 12 Year Girls 50m Backstroke 12 Year Girls 50m Butterfly	3rd 1st 1st
Sam Schefe	11 Years Boys 50m Breaststroke 11 Years Boys 50m Butterfly	3rd 3rd
Gemma Bryce	9 Years Girls 50m Freestyle 9 Years Girls 50m Breaststroke	1st 2nd
Euan Lengenberg	10 Years Boys 50m Backstroke 10 Year Boys 50m Butterfly	1st 3rd
Scarlett van den Hurk	9 Years Girls 50m Backstroke	1st
Gemma Bryce, Scarlett van den Hurk, Isabella Fioraso, Bailee Kiernan	9 Years Girls 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay	3rd
Euan Lengenberg, Oscar Hagan, Max Mortimer-Short, Angus Sallie	10 Years Boys 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay	1st

 

Congratulations also the following students who were announced as age champions or runners up in their age groups on the day.

• Gemma Bryce – 2nd place 9 Years Girls
• Scarlett van den Hurk – 3rd place 9 Years Girls
• Euan Lengenberg – 2nd place 10 Years Boys
• Sam Schefe – 3rd place 11 Years Boys
• Emily Lengenberg – 1st place 12 Years Girls

Lastly, well done to the following students who have been selected in the Independent District Swimming team to compete at the upcoming Sunshine Coast Regional Swimming Carnival: Emily Lengenberg, Euan Lengenberg, Josh Brouw, Mae Clarke, Abby Novosel and Sam Schefe. We wish these students all the best for the carnival.

Student Recognition – District Sport

Congratulations to the following students for their selection in District Sport teams:

Basketball	10-12 Girls	Aliyah Abi-Fares
Swimming	10-19 Team	Emily Lengenberg Josh Brouw Mae Clarke Sam Schefe Abby Novosel Euan Lengenberg
Netball	16-19 Girls	Maggie Princehorn Competing with Northern District

 

Street Smarts T20 Cricket Challenge

Pacific will be entering an intermediate boys’ team in the upcoming Street Smarts T20 Cricket Challenge, which will be held on Friday 12th March. Students who are in Year 7-9 who would like to trial for this team are asked to email Mr Stuart Pohlner (spohlner@pacluth.qld.edu.au) to register their interest.

Trials will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday during lunchtime. Students who are trialling will need to bring their own cricket gear on these days for the trials.

Mr Darren Hooper, Head of Junior Sport and Mr Cameron West-McInnes, Head of Sport

Many of life’s big lessons are learnt before beginning school. Learning how to interact, the power of curiosity and the importance of love and understanding. We believe that nurturing your child’s character and sense of wonderment is as important as keeping them safe.

You and your child will benefit from:

• A qualified and experienced team;
• Engaging and purposeful play-based learning, embracing children’s thinking and collaboration;
• A spacious modern facility, full of natural light that supports social interactions between children of different ages;
• A mud kitchen, climbing tree, rainforest walks, library experiences and special visits;
• A foundation of Christian values;
• Being a part of Pacific Lutheran College’s welcoming community; and
• Enrolments that commence from two-years-of-age.

For more information, please contact the centre directly on 5436 7377.

Ms Julie McCosker, Service Leader

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 8.30am and 9.30am. We are thankful that we are able to meet together each week for worship. As we do this, there are still physical distancing, signing in, and hygiene requirements we need to follow in order 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)

1                          Year 4-6 SCISSA Training (3.15pm – 4.15pm)

                            Sunshine Coast Schools Netball Commences

3                          10-19yrs Regional Swim Carnival

5                          International Women’s Day Breakfast (7.00am)

                            Musical Camp Departs

                            Senior Trish Buckley Volleyball – Round 1

7                          Musical Camp Returns

8                          Year 4-6 SCISSA Training (3.15pm – 4.15pm)

11                        Year 4-6 SCISSA Trial Game – SCC

12                        Senior Trish Buckley Volleyball – Round 2

13                        Music Scholarship Test

13-14                  Duke of Edinburgh – Adventurous Journey