Compass No. 611 June 2021

From the Principal

Compassion and Empathy

Compassion grows when we focus more on what is the same, rather than what is different. Having empathy for someone means we understand the perspective or circumstances of that person or group.  Often, we empathise with those who are more like ourselves.  When we focus on compassion, we recognise the common humanity of all people and have a strong desire to help people irrespective of background and circumstances.  The thought of “how can I help”, dominates.   Compassion involves deliberate action, it is solution focused and generative.  Compassion can be expressed through deep listening, small acts of kindness, encouraging others and serving in response to “how can I help”?

God’s encouragement to love our neighbour as ourselves is a reminder of the importance of caring for self and others.  To care for others, we also need to care for ourselves.  We need to be accepting of mistakes we make and learn through them, be self-aware and ensure we have rest, recreation and connection.  Our interactions can then be informed from the perspective of, “How can I help?”.     

Four Reasons Why Compassion Is Better For Humanity Than Empathy (forbes.com)
Principal's Log

Our Da Vinci Teams have been performing extraordinarily well as they have competed against schools from across Queensland this week. We congratulate all students on their participation and celebrate that our Year 5 team have placed 1st in Science, Cartography and Ideation and 3rd in Maths, achieving 3rd overall. Our Year 6 team received a 3rd in Art and Poetry. The Year 7 team came 2nd in Science and 3rd in Creative Producers and Ideation and our Year 8s placed 1st in Engineering and 2nd in Ideation. Our Year 9 and 10 teams are looking forward to competing today. We thank Mrs Belchamber, Mrs Darr, Miss Byerlee, Mrs Sydes, Mr Block and Mrs Hosking for their preparation of the students. It is exciting to see our students do so well in the Ideation section of the competition where the focus was on design thinking, collaboration and innovation. This is a celebration of the focus on the development of thinking and creativity in learning here at Pacific.

Congratulations to our robotics teams who took advantage of the opportunity to compete in the RoboRave competition at The University of Sunshine Coast on Sunday. It is great seeing students enjoy this experience. Thank you to Mrs Janine Stone for her leadership.

It has also been exciting to hear about the launch of the Beyond Pacific program which aims to assist senior students to identify and profile characteristics and strengths that will enhance their employability in the future.  The program focuses on the four categories of character, leadership, community and work readiness.  Beyond Pacific involves students developing a profile through their senior years.  Our Head of Career Development Mrs Wanda Hayes and Director of Learning Ms Sue Arahill have developed this program and are now excited to launch it and invite parents to be a member of the reference committee.  Parents of all students are encouraged to read the article from the Careers Department and consider ways in which they might support this innovative program.

Our netball teams have performed well in the Monday night Fisherman’s Road competition with four teams reaching the semi-finals.  Four teams also competed in the Vicki Wilson Competition on the Caloundra Show holiday, with two of the teams finishing second.  We wish our teams all be best as they move to the next level of competition.

As part of our program to enhance our Forest, 10 nesting boxes were installed by our Environmental Pacific Action Group (EPAG).  The boxes will provide extra homes for animals within the ecosystem.  Thank you to Ms Kim Wood and the EPAG for leading this initiative.

We wish our Year 6-10 students all the best as they complete important assessments in the coming week.  Every small step makes a difference and we encourage young people to approach the preparation for these tests in a calm, planned way.

May God enhance our ability to act with compassion.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal

From the College Pastor

Compassion

A great spiritual teacher of the 21st century once said that; technology (has) really increased human ability. But technology cannot produce compassion.

Compassion means showing mercy, sympathy, empathy, kindness, and care towards others. That gut-wrenching pull on your emotions enables you to literally ‘suffer with’ another human being. That is the origin and derivation of the word compassion, to ‘suffer with’. That is what Jesus showed when he healed the blind, sick and lame and crowds followed him. Jesus demonstrated fully what it means to suffer with us when he died an ugly, painful death on the cross for us. In Jesus, God came to earth to suffer with his people.

This makes compassion such an essential virtue for us to model and cultivate in the children and teenagers of today. Important because our world of technology cannot teach compassion. Compassion does not come from looking at a screen or talking into a phone. It can be evoked through these means, but it is most vividly experienced and learnt by one person sitting down with another person and learning something of their pain, their troubles. Compassion means being so affected by another person’s needs that our hearts are opened and changed as we put our love into action by attending to them. It is exercising the ability to reach out, walk in another’s shoes, be open and responsive to the concerns, and active in caring for others. It is sharing in the presence of God as we care for one another.

In this busy, technology-filled world of ours, how can we together support one another as parents and as teachers to raise compassionate young people who can walk in the shoes of others?

We pray, Lord Jesus, you showed great compassion on the crowds that followed you. Fill us with the same compassion to extend it to the young people in our lives. Give us hearts that not only suffer with people but also hands that act on people’s needs. Bless us with your compassion as we share it with others today. Amen. 

Pastor Tim Jarick, College Pastor

From the Director of Students

Altitude Day

Last Tuesday, our Year 9 Student Leadership team were afforded the opportunity to attend Altitude Day at Maroochydore. A positive education and leadership event, Altitude Day is designed to empower and inspire. Together with other like-minded teenagers from a dozen Sunshine Coast schools, students listened to three inspiring keynote speakers and learnt how to activate their leadership capacity within their own context. Perhaps most importantly they had the opportunity to connect and engage in dialogue with other student leaders, sharing ideas and passions, in a relaxed atmosphere. I look forward to working with these Middle College leaders in the months ahead as they consider what type of project they wish to pursue for the benefit of the Pacific community.

Middle College Exams

Next week from the 8th to 11th June, Middle College will be involved in examinations. Students should enter this period confident of the progress they have made throughout the course of this term and Semester One. Whilst the bulk of preparing for examinations occurs during the previous weeks and months, it is crucial for students to stay committed to their studies and further revision of material covered in their classes. Importantly, students should be reminded that there is a significant support crew around them and we encourage any student to connect with their class teacher in the first instance if they require further guidance. We wish all students well and particularly students in Year 7 who might be new to this form of assessment.

Youturn it Up – Save the Date

On Saturday 19th June from 3pm at Nightquarter Birtinya, there will be a host of performers taking part in a concert to raise awareness of the important work Youturn do in the community. Youturn is a charity that supports young people experiencing homelessness and mental health issues on the Sunshine Coast and we have recently committed our support to them. Importantly we have former students Sam and Tim Aitken (SAMETIME) performing as one of the acts. For more information and to book tickets please head to Youturn it Up concert using the secret discount code: YOUTURN50

God bless.

Mr Ben Ryan, Director of Students

From the Head of Staff and Students P-5

The Domino Effect

At this week’s Year 3-5 assembly I showed the students a video of a quadruple domino display spectacularly succumbing into a multi-coloured pile. As we know, these displays can be triggered by the smallest amount of force, in this case, one intentional push of a finger resulted in many hours of work, collapsing to the ground.

The students volunteered potential reasons for what this has to do with our relationships, many of them insightful and exhibiting a deep understanding of the impact that we have on each other and what may happen as a result.

In many ways, schools are the perfect place to learn about each other and how our words and actions translate into choices. Unfamiliar situations, experiences and new relationships provide a platform to build our flexibility when working with others. Supported and restorative frameworks guide our students in reflecting on ways we have the power to put people down or lift others up. The power of forgiveness serves as a reminder that as humans, we are not perfect and once we understand this, we better understand the viewpoints of others and how we may reconcile our differences.

This fortnight’s thread of compassion dovetails into this terms theme of relationships and getting along. Growing empathy and compassion in our young people is arguably the most powerful tool we can equip our young people with. Often our imperfections are our greatest strength and by viewing our interactions through a lens of compassion, we gain a greater understanding of ourselves and the impact that we have on the “dominos” around us.

School TV

An intrinsic and important element of an education at Pacific Lutheran is the recognition by parents, staff and students of effective communication and a cooperative approach in the success of each child’s education.

Today, parents face a multitude of modern day challenges in raising happy, well and resilient young people. Whilst there is a great deal of information available, this can often be confusing and overwhelming for parents looking for guidance.

The information on SchoolTV is easily digestible in video and newsletter form and includes insights and input from leading professionals in child and adolescent development Dr Michael Carr-Gregg. SchoolTV is designed to empower you as parents with credible and sound information plus realistic and practical ongoing support strategies. Topics include Anxiety, Diet and Nutrition, Dealing with School Transitions, and Online Safety etc.

Parents can access the site at http://pacificlutheran.qld.schooltv.me/ and click on ‘Launch SchoolTV’

Outdoor Education

Preparations for the Year 5 Outdoor Education Experience in week 9 are well underway and we remind all families connected to Year 5 that the relevant documentation as well as a recording of the information evening is available via the Year 5 Nav Outdoor Education page. We thank Ms Kim Wood and the Year 5 team for their preparation of this important event in the Year 5 calendar and look forward to sharing the learning and experiences gained when they return.

Presentation

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many families who continue to support their child by encouraging them to take responsibility to present themselves in line with uniform expectations of the college. Our message around care for self, reflects how we meet our expectations as one and by wearing our uniform correctly, we are sending an unsaid message about the respect for ourselves and our community. As the weather cools, we ask parents to continue to name clothing as it is often discarded during the day as the weather warms. Naming these items ensures they return to their owner as quickly as possible.

Take care and God bless.

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

From the Head of Learning Senior College

Year 11 2022 Information Evening

Year 10 students and their parents are invited to attend a presentation on Wednesday 16th June that unpacks the Queensland Certificate of Education and provides information about Senior College academic pathways.  Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks or ATARs and alternate study patterns and pathways will be discussed.  This evening will be an important precursor to the 2022 Subject Selection Expo on 14th July. Both parents and students are strongly encouraged to attend, to gain insights into the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority and the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre’s processes, and the multiple ways that students may approach their senior course of study.

Ms Anne-Marie Gerlach, Head of Learning Senior College

From the Head of Learning Enrichment

The da Vinci Decathlon 2021

Selected students in Years 5-10 competed at the Queensland da Vinci Decathlon at St Joseph’s Nudgee College this week. This tournament is an academic ‘Decathlon with a Difference’ with challenging tasks and an emphasis on higher order thinking and collaboration. Hundreds of students from around the state competed in ten academic tasks, namely Cartography, Legacy, Engineering, Mathematics, Code Breaking, Ideation, Art and Poetry, Science, English and Creative Producers. This year’s theme was ‘Chance’, which applied to all disciplines.

All teams were highly engaged, performing commendably as excellent ambassadors for the College. They achieved exceptional results, particularly in the Ideation event, which requires design thinking, collaboration and innovation.

Results:

Year 5

  • Science – 1st place
  • Cartography – 1st place
  • Maths – 3rd place
  • Ideation – 1st place
  • + 3rd overall

 

Year 6

  • Art and Poetry – 2nd place

Year 7

  • Creative Producers – 3rd place
  • Science – 2nd place
  • Ideation – 3rd place

Year 8

  • Engineering – 1st place
  • Ideation – 2nd place

 

Years 9 and 10 are competing on 3rd June.  Special thanks to Mrs Darr, Miss Byerlee, Mrs Sydes, Mr Block, Mrs Hosking and Mrs Belchamber for coaching.

Mrs Jo Belchamber, Head of Learning Enrichment P-12

From the Head of Outdoor Education

World Environment Day

World Environment Day will be held on 5th June and this year the theme is “Ecosystem Restoration”

Do you know about our College rainforest on the South-Eastern corner of the College?

The Sunshine Coast Council has recently assessed our College remnant rainforest as an ecologically important piece of sub-tropical lowland rainforest with less than 10% of this type of forest remaining here on the Coast.  Our forest has been assessed to be made up of open Melaleuca forest, as well as endangered Notophyll vine forest.  As such, the College has selected to be part of the voluntary Land for Wildlife conservation program aimed at protecting, enhancing and rehabilitating native flora and fauna species.

Contributing to our ecosystem restoration, last Wednesday saw the Environmental Pacific Action Group install 10 nesting boxes in the rainforest.  These boxes will provide much needed habitat for hollow dwelling animals in our local ecosystem.  Thanks to a number of Year 8 students who assisted in the creation of these hollow log homes as part of their Outdoor Education experience last year.  Special thanks to Mr Ben Dutton, Mr Josh Cummins, Mrs Elley Wood, Holly Ubrihien and Mac Gallagher for their efforts in installing the boxes and Ms Belinda Till for capturing the moment for us.

The College is partnering with the Sunshine Coast Council to implement a weed management and restoration plan for the ongoing management of this special piece of forest, for generations to come.

Ms Kim Wood, Head of Outdoor Education

Food for Thought

Does gratitude reduce stress?

People who are grateful feel less pain, less stress, suffer insomnia less, have stronger immune systems, experience healthier relationships, and do better academically and professionally. Overall, it can boost both your mental and your physical health. For more information click on the link below 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/

Mrs Annie Williams College Counsellor

Friends of Pacific

Pacific Together

Pacific Together is a discreet helping-hand offered by Friends of Pacific, in conjunction with Pastor Tim, to College families in times of need. 

If you or someone you know within our College community needs extra support anytime during the year, the Pacific Together care group may be able to help in some small way or offer a care package in times of need.

We invite you to contact Pastor Tim Jarick or Pacific Together via FoP email: fop@pacluth.qld.edu.au

Next Meeting

Friends of Pacific meets on the third Tuesday of each month with our next meeting to be held on June 15th.  We meet in the College Library at 6:30pm and all are welcome.

Quote of the Week

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.”

– Oscar Wilde.

Click here to follow our Friends of Pacific Facebook page.

Mrs Jenny Lee, Friends of Pacific Chairperson

Library News

Author visit for Years 3-5

On Tuesday, all students in Years 3-5 will see author R.A. Spratt. She is a writer for dozens of television programmes and the author of 24 books, including detective series Friday Barnes, comedy series Nanny Piggins, and mystery series The Peski Kids. If students would like to purchase one of her books to be signed, please follow this link https://education.qbd.com.au/. The books will be delivered to the school on the day of the author visit.

Merge Cubes and Flowers

This week in the library, students experimented with making merge cubes. A merge cube, when viewed through an online app allows students to hold a 3D object in their hand and examine it from all sides. Students had fun examining dinosaurs, animals, buildings and the human organs. In our craft day, students made flowers out of patty pans.

Ms Narelle Keen, Teacher Librarian

College News

RoboRave

On Sunday 30th May, the annual RoboRave Australia was held at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) as part of the RoboRave International event. The day was live screened to over 30 countries around the world.

RoboRave is an international series of robotics events based out of Albuquerque USA, with challenges aimed at students from primary school age up to university adults.  RoboCoast has been chosen as the Australian annual event organiser, with a view to hosting the annual RoboRave International in 2024, in partnership with USC. 250 teams were present at Sunday’s event from schools across Queensland.

RoboRave included several competition challenges:

  • Sumo-Lego (high school, middle school or elementary school only)
  • Open sumo
  • Alpine climb
  • Line follow
  • Megabot challenge
  • Entrepreneurial challenge.

Four teams represented Pacific Lutheran College with all teams registered in the Sumo-Lego challenge.

The four teams were:

  • Big 4 - Dylan Casement and Angus Edwards
  • No Brainer - Aston Hogg
  • Terminator - Vinny Clarke and Lucas Hitchman
  • Vinnie - Riley Shepherd

After several rounds of the tournament, Riley managed to make the final of the competition but unfortunately was beaten in the first round of the final.

The students had a great day and they worked tirelessly to not only improve their designs but to modify their code to meet the challenges presented.

A fabulous day all round. A huge thanks to these dedicated Robotics students.

Mrs Janine Stone, Robotics Co-Ordinator.

Pacific Lutheran Kindergarten & Early Learning Service

Together we are raising funds with Entertainment. Choose a Membership that is right for you.  Visit: Pacific Lutheran Kindergarten & Early Learning Service (entdigital.net)

Mrs Ann Barwick, Administration Assistant

Cultural News

Semester One Ensembles Concert

The Music Department warmly invite you to attend our Semester One Ensembles Concert on Thursday 24th June.  This year, we will be hosting this exciting evening in the Pacific Lutheran gymnasium, offering families the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed dinner as our ensembles perform.  There will be curries and hotdogs available to purchase on the evening, with a bar available for soft drink, wine and beer.  There is also an option to pre-order a cheese box at registration. (very limited numbers available on the night).  EFTPOS and cash sales will be available.

The concert will begin at 6pm, with doors and food stands opening from 5.30pm.  Pre-registration is necessary, so please follow this link to register your attendance https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZW2NL8X.  We look forward to sharing the hard work of our students with you on what promises to be an exciting evening!

Mrs Aleisha Tuaine, Head of Department – Music

From the Head of Career Development

Introducing 'Beyond Pacific'

Our students’ success in the world Beyond Pacific will depend on their ability to articulate their strengths, talents and interests; as well as their ability to identify opportunities and position themselves to take advantage of those opportunities. 

Beyond Pacific is a new program, unique to Pacific Lutheran which will provide a structure that supports students to seek and capitalise upon opportunities to develop their employability.  The program will help them select and engage with learning and personal development activities that are aligned with their strengths and interests. It will also help students recognise and acknowledge the value of their own achievements.

Any Senior College student can participate in Beyond Pacific.

Beyond Pacific tracks students’ participation in school-based activities in four categories. The categories are:

  • Character
  • Leadership
  • Community
  • Work Readiness

There are a wide variety of activities that are included in the program. Most of them are regular school activities that students already engage in.

As students complete these activities, they will naturally develop personal attributes, capabilities and skills that will be seen as valuable to employers. But sometimes students are not easily able to fully recognise or describe the benefits of these activities in terms of capability and skills development.

Beyond Pacific provides templates to help students identify and analyse the benefits of the activities they participate in. When students complete and submit these templates, they can earn Beyond Pacific credits. The more activities students participate in, the more Beyond Pacific credits they will accumulate.

Students will also be able to request, at any time, a copy of their Beyond Pacific profile, which lists all the activities they have gained credit for, and the attributes, capabilities and skills they have demonstrated. Students can use this list to create or update their resume when they apply for jobs.

Beyond Pacific will be overseen by a Reference Group, consisting of staff, student, parent and employer representatives.

For more information, or if you are interested in volunteering to be a member of the Beyond Pacific Reference Group, please contact Mrs Wanda Hayes.

Mrs Wanda Hayes, Head of Career Development

Sport News

Senior Sport

SCISSA Volleyball

Congratulations to the Open Boys Volleyball Team for their well deserved win on Wednesday. It was a great effort by our Open Girls teams against Matthew Flinders Anglican College, however both went down in hard fought games. There is only one week left of SCISSA Volleyball before finals. Best of luck to all teams for their final round.

Well done to the following students for being awarded MVP this week:

  • Yasmin Richters
  • Ainslie Colton
  • William Newton
  • Noah Beasley

Netball

Well done to all our Monday Night Netball teams for their strong efforts in the last game of the regular season. Thank you to all the committed students and staff who participated in these fixtures across both terms. It was a huge effort! Congratulations in particular to our 4 teams who will compete in semi-finals next Monday. PLC Crystal, Amber, Emerald and Pearl. All the best!

Round 9

Team

Results

MVP

PLC Crystal

Won

Orly Sillar

PLC Amber

Won

Ruby O'Brien

PLC Emerald

Won

Evie Richters

PLC Jade

Lost

Ava Stanieg

PLC Opal

BYE

 

PLC Pearl

Won

Makani Campbell

PLC Sapphire

Loss

Katie Graves

 

SCSS Rugby Union

This week marks the last round of regular fixtures for the U13s and U16s Pacific Lutheran teams. While it has been a tough season at times, the boys have continued to develop their skills as players and showed tremendous grit, character and perseverance over the course of the season. There is still plenty of Rugby to come in Term 4 with the SCISSA 7s competition, along with the start of preparations for 2022.

Vicki Wilson Netball

Last Friday, 4 teams from Pacific Lutheran competed in the Vicki Wilson trials at Fisherman’s Road Complex. It was an awesome achievement to have so many girls involved considering it was the Caloundra Show Holiday. This is a highly contested, competitive netball event and it was a great experience for our students. While there were mixed results overall on the day, Pacific ended up having two teams finish second in their pools, which is a considerable achievement. While this big event is now out of the way, there is still Monday Night Netball Finals and Indoor Netball Championships to go.

Mr Cameron West-McInnes, Head of Sport

Uniform Shop

Winter Uniforms

Winter is nearly upon us and it is time for Jumpers and Jackets.

The Uniform Shop currently has a full range of Formal Jumpers in stock for Year 1-12 students. Currently Sports Jackets for Prep – Year 12 are in stock in sizes 4 and 8-14 as well as L-XXL. All other sizes in Sports Jackets are on order. They will be available for order on FlexiSchools once the stock arrives in store, so please keep an eye on the website.

Trousers for all Year 10-12 students are available in store and online for the Winter Uniform. A reminder that blazers are a requirement for Years 10-12 as part of the Winter Uniform.

If you need to come into the Uniform Shop for a fitting, please ensure you make an appointment by calling the Main Reception on 5436 7300. The Uniform Shop hours are Wednesday to Friday (term time) from 8.00am – 10.00am.

Mrs Peta King, Uniform Shop Coordinator

St Mark’s Lutheran Church

Worship @ St Mark's

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)

Upcoming Dates

June

3                         Year 7-12 Athletics Carnival – USC

7                         Year 4-6 SCISSA Training (3.15-4.15pm)

7-11                    Year 10 Exams

8                         Year 3-5 Author Visit

8-11                    Middle College Exams

16                       Year 11 2022 QCE Information Evening (6pm)

15-17                  Year 5 Outdoor Education Program

24                       K-12 Chapel Ensembles Concert