Compass No. 631 November 2021

This week we farewell our Year 12s in our 20th Anniversary as a College. From our first year with 37 Year 12s, who graduated in 2005, to this year when we have 77 Year 12s, our Senior College has certainly grown over the years. Our College has also established wonderful traditions to help our graduates say goodbye to the school community as they are farewelled and transition to life after secondary education.

One of the activities I have been involved in over the last week of school for the Year 12s, is the labyrinth. The labyrinth is part of the spiritual culture of the school and can be described simply as a flat patterned path that can be used as a walking meditation or prayer. The College has an outdoor labyrinth on the edge of the campus near the rainforest across from the ovals. Each year, the Year 12 students get to walk the outdoor labyrinth to acknowledge the transition they are undergoing. They were encouraged to walk the labyrinth path slowly but with intent, reflecting on anything they wished to leave behind as they contemplated entering a new chapter in their lives. A prayer from the late College Pastor Rick Zweck on a plaque at the labyrinth entrance was read with the Year 12s after each of their walks. It is a beautiful prayer expressing the journey of walking the road, the pilgrimage of living life with others and with God.  It is a wonderful prayer of blessing for our graduating class of 2021.

Set out!  You were born for the road.

Set out!  You have a meeting to keep,

Where? With whom?

Perhaps with yourself.

Set out!  Yours steps will be your words –

The road your song, the weariness your prayers.

And at the end your silence will speak to you.

Set out! Alone or with others –

But get out of yourself!

You have created rivals – you will find companions.

You envisaged enemies – you will find brothers and sisters.

Set out!  Your head does not know where your feet are leading your heart.

Set out!  You were born for the road – the pilgrim’s road.

Someone is coming to meet you – is seeking you

In the shrine at the end of the road – in the shrine in the depths of your heart.

He is your peace. He is your joy!

Go!  God already walks with you!

Blessings

Mr Tim Jarick, College Pastor

A fortnight ago I wrote about change within the context of being comfortable with the uncomfortable and being able to accept change as an everyday part of life. You may recall the New Ways November calendar which I shared. I wonder how many of us actioned at least one of the challenges up to the middle of November? Crucially, stepping out of our comfort zone to enact change requires amongst other things, effort. This week we have had a concentrated focus on the departing class of 2021. There is great joy as friends reminisce of years gone by, friendships made, lessons learnt, and the excitement of what is to come.

Whilst reflecting on the past is important, and being present in the moment is necessary, my wish for the graduating class of 2022 is for them to be future focused agents of change. More so than ever before, our society requires young people with drive, courage, compassion, agency, and creativity. I would hope that through their Pacific journey they have individually and collectively, grown in their capacity to enact change for the greater good having been shaped by the core values of the College; Care, Dignity, and Respect. We thank you, the families, for being their support network as we lived, learned and laughed together. We thank them for their contribution over the years and wish them well for their future endeavours.

Personal Best

Martin Luther is credited with saying, “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” Over the last several days, students across Middle College and Year 10 have certainly picked up their pen or used a laptop to complete their end of year examinations for several subjects. Whilst Luther’s quote here may be seen as challenging, I would encourage our young people to consider its deeper meaning. Certainly, as a community, we have learning as our purpose and indeed we collectively strive to embed within our young people’s thinking, a genuine desire to exhibit dispositions that point to a culture of academic excellence. To this end, I would encourage all students to aim for their personal best. Ultimately though, this is one metric of a student’s life at the College, and I would encourage honest reflection, as grades come through, about where they can not only improve, but also where they have shown kindness, compassion, and respect for others throughout the year.

STEM Showcase

I was thoroughly impressed, and equally challenged to keep pace with the STEM experts and future innovators, who displayed their creations for the community STEM and IT showcase. Once again, I was in awe at the extent to which students spoke so freely, confidently and competently, about their projects. I congratulate Mr Wes Warner and his team for their leadership, and the families and staff who supported this wonderful evening.

Uniform

Whilst the vast majority of students in Middle and Senior College are presenting well, there has been a number of students who have been identified as not having the correct hat with them or a hat that needs replacing. I would encourage families to connect with Mrs Peta King in the Uniform Shop to arrange for a new formal hat if your child’s hat is looking worse for wear.

Thank you to all the families for your continued support and partnership in 2021. The manner in which students have risen to the occasion so many times is testament to the collaborative nature of our Pacific community. I look forward to 2022, with the excitement that a new year and the new Buran House will bring. I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and a safe and relaxing time over the holidays with loved ones.

Mr Ben Ryan, Director of Students

As the year ends, I would like to take the time to reflect on the journey of the current Year 5 students. Toward the end of last year, we began meeting as small groups to chart a course as they prepared for their final year in the Junior College.

As a cohort, they identified a need to give back more to our College community and as a result, the Gawun was born. This will forever be their legacy. Not only has it been heart-warming to see the interactions and support that our Gawun leaders have provided, they have also learnt more about themselves as individuals and as leaders. Their involvement in playground events, encouraging learning with younger students and supporting our Foundation College onto the school grounds in the mornings, has provided tangible examples of the impact that our young people can have on each other. 

I would like to thank the transitioning class of Year 5 in 2021, for the dedication shown to their learning, for their warmth and sense of humour, and their commitment to many important causes both within the college and in the community. As a Junior College, we look with interest as to what the remainder of your journey at Pacific will hold. 

We also acknowledge our Year 2 cohort as they transition from the Foundation to the Junior College. We celebrate the gifts that have been nurtured through your time in the Foundation College and we look forward to continued growth as you enter your next phase of learning. We are excited to welcome the cohort into our new Junior College Learning Space at the beginning of next year.  

Wellbeing growth

As this is my last Compass article for the year, I would like to make special mention of Mrs Sarah Atkinson and Miss Kathryn Eccles who have worked hard to provide Assembly messages and clear and relevant direction of the social and emotional growth of students in the Junior School. Pastoral care of students and the promotion of the message at school and home provides a connection so parents and carers have a strong understanding of the messages addressed here at school.  

Ceremonies and celebrations 

Next week we will begin to formally commend the achievement by our junior school students, staff and families with an Academic Awards Ceremony on Friday 26th November and Prep to 5 Closing Service on Monday 29th of November. An email setting out more specific details was sent home this week. With our COVID safe plan still in place, all events will be ticketed events and open to the community in a reduced capacity.  

End of Year functions 

As has been the case for the majority of the year, students sharing of food is not permissible for the end of the year class parties and events. These guidelines extend to bringing food items such as candy canes and lollies for distribution to other class members. We ask you to follow the direction communicated by your child’s teacher regarding end of year functions. 

As the end of the year is nearly upon us, I would like to thank the wider PLC community for the way you have supported our staff and students in changing circumstances. We truly appreciate the way you have supported the restrictions and changes that have needed to be implemented. I hope that you all have a safe and restful Christmas and we look forward to having a more conventional beginning to the start of our 2022 school year. 

Take care and God bless

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

This image is one that often pops up on Facebook news feeds. It paints the picture that, if you want to enjoy the professional orchestras, musicals and operas, then you have to start with a healthy school music program. Schools are often where these skills are first taught. This is where passion begins!

This week, we saw this passion first-hand, as our Year 5 and 6 Multi Instrumental Program and our Year 3 and 4 Strings Program held their end of year concerts. These concerts were a celebration of the hard work of our students throughout the year, as they learnt the fundamental skills of their instruments and discovered the joy of playing in an ensemble. Each year, the quality of these concerts improves, and this year was no exception. Well done to all of the students and music tutors involved and thank you to the parents and grandparents who came along to listen!

As the year draws to a close, the Music Department is busy assessing instruments to see what needs to be repaired. Please see below for a guide on instruments for the end of year:

Year 3 Strings – Instruments to be returned in their Week 7 or 8 Strings lesson

Year 4 Strings – Instruments to be returned in their Week 7 Strings lesson, except for those performing in Junior Strings at the P – 5 Closing Service

Year 5 – Instruments assessed in their Week 7 band lesson.  Most students will bring their instrument home for the holidays, with only those needing repairs collected over the holidays.

Year 6 – Instruments returned in their Week 7 band lesson, except for those performing with Junior Concert Band at the P – 5 Closing Service.

We ask again that anyone who has performed with an ensemble throughout the year, who is not continuing next year, returns any sheet music and their PLC Music folder to the Music Department.

Next year, we will be starting an Intermediate Concert Band in addition to our existing Junior and Senior Concert Band. To ensure students are placed in the band that best matches their ability, we will be auditioning students in Week 8. Audition times were emailed out on Monday.  Please make sure you check your email and know what time your audition is.  Auditions will be held in MC3.  Please contact Mrs Helen Williams or Mrs Aleisha Tuaine with any questions.

Thank you for your support and encouragement throughout 2021!

Mrs Aleisha Tuaine, Head of Music

Regulate Your Own Emotions

Kids learn to manage their emotions when their parents’ model how it's done.

Connect with Your Child

From tantrums to texting, the secret of happy parenting is a close relationship with your child. Without that connection, we have little influence (”My kids won’t listen!”) and parenting becomes exhausting. Click on the link below for more examples

https://www.ahaparenting.com/read/Emotional-intelligence-examples

Mrs Annie Williams College Counsellor 

Warm thanks to all in our College Community who have supported Friends of Pacific throughout 2021. We have enjoyed the opportunities this year has presented to join together in service for our College community. Sincere thanks to our 2021 Friends of Pacific committee members:

• Vice Chairperson: Teena Thompson
• Treasurer: Belinda Watman
• Executive Committee Members: Rita Williams (Senior College), Peter Embleton (Middle College), Louise Walker (Junior College) and Marianne Jones (Foundation College).

Special thanks to Mrs Allyson Sarvari for her ongoing commitment and support to Friends of Pacific and the Pacific community.

College Christmas Carols BBQ

We look forward to hosting the Christmas Carols BBQ on Friday 26th November. Thanks to the families who have volunteered to help at this event, PLC’s Food Tech staff and to our 2022 Senior Student Leadership Team who’ll be joining in the fun.

Click here to follow our Friends of Pacific Facebook page.

Mrs Jenny Lee, Friends of Pacific Chairperson

Next week there will be no borrowing, as the library staff are conducting stock take. Students should return all their library books next week. Textbooks, class novels and music books should be returned when your class teacher indicates. In the final week of term, students who have returned all of this year’s books may borrow as many books as they like for the holidays.

Ms Narelle Keen, Head of Library

SCSS Basketball

Well done to our Junior Boys Team 2 and Intermediate Boys Team 1 for making the Grand Finals in the All Schools’ competition on Friday night. The Junior Boys fought valiantly but came runners up to a spirited Nambour Christian College team. The team never gave up and there are great signs for their continued progress into next year. The Intermediate Boys had a tough battle against Mt Creek SHS and for a lot of the game, there was very little to split the sides. Our boys dug deep, kept their composure and ended up running away with the game in the last quarter. They were well deserved winners and champions of their division. Well done!

Competitive Sport News

Uniforms

We would like to thank all the families who have found and returned uniforms from the year. We are still chasing quite a number of uniforms so we are asking students to please do a thorough check for any PLC items and return them by the end of next week. We want to provide students with a playing uniform if they are in a competitive team, and having all items returned in a timely manner will give us the best chance to do so.

Term 1 2022

It is obviously a very early reminder, but I wanted to flag the sports that will be on offer in Term 1. We would like to see as many students as possible take up these opportunities and am looking forward to seeing an increased number of students engage in our teams in 2022. Some sports like Netball have already had some sign ups and trials, while more information on the other sports will be out early next year. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Sport Department if you would like further information.

Fraser Coast Rugby 7s

PLC will be looking to enter teams again into this competition which is run at Hervey Bay in Term 1. We are looking at expressions of interest from students who wish to attend this carnival. The divisions that will be offered are U13/U15/Open Boys and Open Girls. We will base our nominations on student interest. Students can register their interest by going on NAV next week and completing a short survey.

Mr Cameron West-McInnes, Head of Sport 

Sharing a common mission and ministry with Pacific Lutheran College

“Growing in faith and sharing God’s love with others”

Weekly worship services are held at 14 Bombala Terrace Caloundra at 9.00am. We are thankful that we 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)

19        Year 12 Farewell Chapel (8.30am)

            Year 12 Formal (5pm)

23        Year 10 Leadership Day 2

25        Year 9 Rite Journey Homecoming (5pm)

26        K-5 Carols Evening (5pm)

29        P-5 Closing Service

30        Year 6-11 Closing Service

            Academic Year Concludes