YOUR CHILD’S WELLBEING
There is no silver bullet to caring for and growing your own and your children’s wellbeing. Just like the dashboard in your car, no single gauge tells you how well your car is running, but rather it is a combination of all of the important information you possess. The gold standard model for wellbeing is PERMAH, and your own and your children’s wellbeing relies on a combination of all of them. A shortfall in one adversely affects the others. As James Baldwin said, “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” Below are some of examples of things you can do as a family to help ensure each of the elements of PERMAH are healthy.
P– Positive Emotions + Gratitude: it is the frequency of positive emotions, not their intensity, which has the greatest influence on growing your own and your children’s wellbeing. For everyone, social connection is the best way to achieve this. To self-generate positive emotions, try these things: exercise first thing every morning, text a friend who is struggling, aim to do three kind acts every day and Facetime grandparents.
E – Engagement + Mindfulness: your own negative mind chatter, which causes you to experience fight or flight responses will probably be the biggest thing for you to control and overcome. Remember your children are likely to imitate you. To focus yourself try: create positive I can and I will self-talk statements to combat the negatives, colour in for ten minutes and breathe deeply and slowly.
R – Relationships + Empathy: other people are the best antidotes for life’s ups and downs. Use Zoom, Skype and Google Hangout for you and your children to see happy and smiling faces, break out Uno, Scrabble and other fun games to generate laughter, have fun cooking up hot cross buns, and do Wellbeing Fitness Challenges together.
M – Meaning + Purpose: in these times, feelings of vulnerability are perfectly normal for both you and your children. To relieve these feelings, having a strong sense of purpose to focus on something bigger than yourselves to devote your energies to, will assist. As a family, make cards to drop in the letterboxes of elderly people in your street, make fun family videos, and as a family follow and learn about a caring charity.
A – Accomplishment + Optimism: to cultivate feelings of optimism in your family that together you can influence your own futures, set a goal at home every day. Try starting a vegetable garden with your children, paint a room or piece of furniture, do one extra sit up or push up, encourage your children to complete one thing at a time from their teachers or an online wellbeing activity.
H – Health + Strengths: to keep your own and your children’s immune systems strong, focus on the big five – healthy fresh eating, one hour’s exercise, at least 8 hours sleep, drinking plenty of water and looking on the bright side of life. An uplifting family activity is to identify your top character strengths by doing the free online Strengths Survey at www.viacharacter.org. Everyone puts their strengths on the fridge and tries spotting them.
Acknowledgement: Mick Walsh. Should you have any queries, or would like further support, please contact Mick via the websites www.learningcurve.com.au for staff, and www.learningcurveathome.com for parents.
Blessings,
Simon Hughes
Head of College
Interviews for Prep 2022 to Commence Shortly
Interviews for all Prep 2022 students will commence shortly. If you have not already registered your child, please fill in this Online Enrolment Form (you can also find it linked on our website home page). If you have any friends who are interested in learning about the College, they can also fill in the Enrolment application or attend our next Junior Campus Open Morning on Thursday 18 March at 8:45am. If you have any questions, please contact our Marketing and Enrolments Manager Donna Cook on 3872 5710 or via email enrolments@princeofpeace.qld.edu.au.
On Friday 12 March 2021, Prince of Peace Lutheran College will recognise National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.
The NDA is Australia’s key bullying prevention event for schools. The theme for 2021 is ‘Take Action Together.’ The aim is to elevate student voice and empower young Australians to join the national conversation. Students are at the heart of the NDA and are a big part of the solution to prevent bullying. The NDA is an opportunity to bring our whole school community together, students, staff and families, to send a powerful message that bullying and violence are never okay, and to promote our school’s bullying prevention strategies.
What can I do to help my child or other children?
Talk to your school – If you are concerned that your child or any other child is being bullied, harassed or physically hurt, talk to your school.
Schools can help – A safe and supportive school environment can help prevent bullying. Students should feel and be safe everywhere at school: in the classrooms, the library, the toilets, the bus, and the playground. Everyone at school can work together to create an environment where bullying is not acceptable. The best outcomes for your child will be achieved by you and the school working together.
Bullying outside the school – If bullying happens online or via text messages outside school report it to the school, especially if other children from the school are involved or it is making your child uncomfortable at school. Schools are aware of the potential harmful effects of bullying, including cyberbullying, on young people and take reports of bullying seriously.
Talk to your school immediately – The sooner the school receives information about a bullying issue the quicker they can respond. School staff understand that it can be distressing to report that your child is being bullied. They will try to support you and your child as much as possible and include you in discussions about strategies that could be used.
What should I do?
- Contact the school and make an appointment to discuss the issue.
- Do not directly approach any other student or their family.
- Ask the school for a copy of your school’s policies and any handouts on bullying.
- Work with your child’s school to solve the problem by establishing a plan for dealing with the current situation and future bullying incidents.
Schools must follow privacy laws and may not be able to tell you everything that has taken place, especially about any other children involved. These laws also keep you and your child’s information private too.
We are very excited to celebrate and recognise this special day in the Junior School. Our wonderful Year 6 Student Leaders have been preparing a day of fun activities, kicked off by a very special worship service in the Shed. All students, staff and parents are encouraged to wear orange on this day and join with us as we continue to educate our children and community about the harm caused by bullying and violence.
While we are unable to host parents for our Chapel service on Friday 12 March, we are delighted to invite all parents to join us for worship in the Shed on Sunday 14 March beginning at 5:00pm. This will be an opportunity for our wider Prince of Peace Community (Church and College) to come together in worship in celebration. This service will be followed by a sausage sizzle in the Green Room. We hope to see you there.
Katrina Valencia
Head of Junior Campus
Clarity in Teaching and Learning – Bump-It-Up Walls
A significant part of making learning clearer and more visible for our students is the use of Bump-It-Up Walls. You may have already heard students talking about Bump-It-Up Walls. So what are they all about?
A Bump-it-up Wall is a way to provide students with a visual scaffold that helps learners know how to improve, or ‘bump up’ to the next level of achievement. The display includes levelled examples of work.
The purpose of a Bump-It-Up Wall is to show students that through self-assessment:
- learning gets better with feedback and successive attempts,
- improvement is possible,
- work can always get better,
- students look for ways to improve and never settle for the first attempt.
Science prediction questions
Editing writing samples
Elements of grammar
Bump-It-Up Walls help teachers communicate clear expectations and help students develop the thinking skills required to become evaluators of their work. What it takes to get to the next level is shown on the wall and discussed in class. Together, students and teachers co-construct what is required to move the piece of work from a low to a high level. Students having the ability to self-assess leads to greater self-awareness and a better understanding of themselves as learners.
We look forward to sharing our learning journey with you as we continue to work in partnership to nurture our students’ God-given potential.
Rebekah Bruyn
Learning Coach
Supporting our Children to Grow, Learn and Thrive
There is no doubt that children are an absolute joy. They bring life, love, vitality, curiosity, laughter, play and so much more to our lives. There are also times when the parenting journey is difficult and filled with challenges.
When those challenging times occur, we can spend a lot of time thinking, worrying, feeling stressed, blaming, or worse, as we work to ease those challenges. If those challenges are based around behaviour, what are some simple and effective ideas that can help?
- Focus on reinforcing the desired behaviour rather than what not to do
- Teach, discuss, role play and explain desired behaviours
- Be consistent
Let me explain a little further with a few specific points that I’ve taken from Dr Anthea Rhodes, a practising developmental and behavioural paediatrician at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.
Keeping rules simple and easy to understand
Discuss rules with children, write them down and repeat them. Considering children’s suggestions for rules is also effective. A few simple rules that work well with children include:
- Help each other
- Take care of our belongings
- Say please and thank you
- Be kind to each other
Remind them of reasons for rules and discuss, role play what they can do differently.
Say what you mean
Use “do” instead of “don’t” whenever possible. Choose your words carefully, especially when you are guiding children’s behaviour. Keep sentences short and simple. Focus on what to do rather than what not to do.
- Try saying, “Slow down and walk” instead of “stop running”
- Try saying, “Hold my hand” instead of “don’t touch anything”
- Try saying, “Keep your feet on the floor” instead of “don’t climb on the table”
- Try saying, “Use a quiet voice inside” instead of “stop shouting”
Catch children being good
All children want attention. It is better to give them positive attention for good behaviour than negative attention for misbehaviour. Comment on something positive about each child, each day. Better yet, strive for several times a day and share the good news. When children have done something positive acknowledge it in front of other people.
Encourage like a good coach instead of a cheerleader
A cheerleader shouts general praise, “What a great job!” or “What a beautiful picture.” A good coach tells you what you’re doing right, uses praise as a teaching tool, and lets you know why they are proud of you. If a child sets the table, you might say, “When you played in the park, I saw you sharing the toys in the sandpit with Tom. You used your words to explain what you wanted!”
Use play activities to teach social skills
Become a character in your child’s pretend play and show them how to use good manners and be kind. Read children’s books that show how they resolve problems. Play “what if” games and encourage them to act out ways to work together.
Teach children how to resolve conflict and solve problems
Help children to recognise and name feelings, identify problems clearly, come up with ideas for solving the problem, and try possible solutions. Sometimes it will be important to not only have a Plan A to solve a problem, but also a Plan B, C, D.
Teach children how to correct their misbehaviour
If a child throws food onto the floor give them a broom and show them how to clean it up. If they draw on the wall, give them a wet cloth to clean the wall. Even if they cannot successfully clean up the entire mess alone, participating in clean-up teaches them that their actions have consequences. Over time, experiencing consequences helps children learn self-control.
“Children’s brains are wired for attention. The best type of attention to give a child is a positive response to desired behaviour as it encourages them to behave that way,” she said.
There are many ways to work with children and help them to interact safely in community and these are just a few good reminders.
Anne-Marie Schmidt
Deputy Head of Junior Campus P-6
Over the last week, Mr Klupp, Mr Veentjer and myself have had the pleasure of speaking to the 20 candidates who applied for a leadership position. Overwhelmingly, at the heart of their decisions is a choice to serve and a desire to empower their peers to shine. 25% of the cohort where prepared to serve. I affirm all those students who took the risk to apply for a leadership position. On Thursday, we will install our new Middle School Leaders for 2021, however at that time we will be reminded that we are all leaders. Leadership is not about a badge, it is about influence and service. We remind our students of their potential as leaders and their capacity to build up their peers, encourage and act with integrity.
Congratulations to the following students:
School Captains:
Jasmine Everitt
Freya Forbes-Schutz
Bradman:
Dylan Turley
Eloise King
Jackson:
Flynn Bohan
Jemima Maud-Singh
Fraser:
Alexis Hulcombe
Nathan Lilly
Laver:
Charlotte Scott
Ryan Eaglestone
We are working to encourage students with commendations—blue Stars which are recorded on SEQTA. We want to acknowledge students for going the extra step.
We are pleased to announce that all the Senior Campus students are now connected to SEQTA. We encourage parents to activate their SEQTA Engage account, if you need us to resend the activation email please let us know. Interim reports are due to be released next week via SEQTA.
We are working toward all College communication being disseminated via SEQTA ; the system is proving to be a wonderful resource.
Discord
We have become aware of some of our young people using Discord as a way to communicate. You may not be aware of it’s purpose as it is rarely mentioned when we talk about social media platforms. However, it has over 100 million users and is a popular way that gamers communicate.
The main focus of this app is to consume video content and connect and communicate with others. The platform offers text, image, video, and audio options, plus screen share and video chat.
The minimum age for users is 13 years, but the app does not require verification at sign up. Discord does not offer parental controls, with no password protection or restriction on content. The danger is that younger users may be exposed to inappropriate content. The best way to protect your child is to ensure that they only interact with users who are known friends.
Set some suggested boundaries for Discord Use:
- Set daily limits for the amount of time spent on Discord.
- Establish rules about whom your child can interact with online (chat and video calls).
- Set boundaries for appropriateness of language and topics which can be discussed on Discord and remind them that their digital footprint cannot be erased.
We will continue to support you in your endeavours, by promoting digital citizenship here at school.
Michelle Nisbet
Head of Senior Campus
Enjoy these photos of the Senior Jersey Presentation, the first rite of passage for the Class of 2021.
Senior Campus Sport
It has been a very busy start to the year for PoP students on the Senior Campus. On February 10, our Middle and Senior School students participated in the swimming carnival held at Albany Creek Leisure Centre. It was a fantastic day with students participating in both competitive and novelty events. It was great to see so many students getting in and having a go to earn points for their house.
The race for the shield was tight all day with the lead changing on numerous occasions. By the end of the day though, Jackson house reigned supreme with a total of 960 points, followed closely by Bradman house on 908 points. Fraser finished in third position with Laver taking out fourth spot.
Congratulations to the following students who showcased exceptional skill and endurance throughout the day to be crowned Age Champion.
12 years – Shirley Campbell and Hannes Forbes-Schutz
13 years – Georgia Bean and Harvey Turnell
14 years – Freya Forbes-Schutz and Lewyn Turnell
15 years – Charlotte Scott and Elijah Beard
16 years – Heidi Noon and Jonas Forbes-Schutz
17 years and above – Isabelle Till and Mattias Forbes-Schutz
Our King and Queen of the Pool was a fascinating affair with both races going down to the wire. Congratulations to our champions this year — Talitha Montgomery and Mattias Forbes-Schutz.
Throughout the competition, we had a total of 17 records broken. This is a wonderful achievement by our students listed below, who were also recognised last week at assembly.
Hannes Forbes-Schutz – 100m freestyle, 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and the 50m backstroke records.
Georgia Bean – 50m butterfly record
Lewyn Turnell – 50m butterfly record
Charlotte Scott – 100m freestyle record
Heidi Noon – 50m backstroke record
Isabelle Till – 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle and the 100m freestyle records
Mattias Forbes-Schutz – 100m freestyle record
Adam Rowland – 50m breaststroke
Thomas Quine – 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke
Levi Larder – 50m breaststroke.
Finally a huge thank you to Miss Denning and all the staff for their assistance in ensuring the day ran smoothly and on time!
Wizards Basketball Qualifying Tournament
Our Senior Boys participated in the Wizards Schools League Qualifying Tournament last week, unfortunately missing out against Mt Maria. It was a fantastic opportunity to be a part of this highly competitive qualifying tournament. All boys played with heart and integrity, and represented our college gallantly. Well done to the following players.
Kaleb Rail (Year 11)
Matthew Bunn (Year 12)
Keanan Kapp (Year 12)
Harrison Jones (Year 12)
Jono Muir (Year 12)
Harley Birkin (Year 12)
Gabe Kassiou (Year 11)
Ben Fingland (Year 12)
Tyler Noakes (Year 11)
Met North Regional Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to the following students who participated in the Met North Regional Swimming Carnival on the 24 and 25 of February at Lawnton Aquatic Centre.
Shirley Campbell, Chai Harvey, Hannes Forbes-Schutz, Levi Larder, Georgia Bean, Nicole Montgomery, Freya Forbes-Schutz, Amber Paul, Emily Warbuton, Charlotte Scott, Grayce Stephenson, Gideon Beard, Jonas Forbes-Schutz, Isabelle Till, Talitha Montgomery, Mattias Forbes-Schutz and Tyler Noakes.
All students performed well and were great representatives for our college. Well done to all!
We have two teams playing in the Arana Futsal League.
This week, we feature the U13/U14 team who have been playing futsal since late November on a Friday evening.
They are the only mixed team in the competition. Each week, we have seen improvement. We thank the team for their commitment and teamwork. They should be very proud of their efforts.
We thank the parents for their willingness to facilitate their participation.
Gabby Collman
Senior Campus Sports Coordinator
Junior Campus Music News
Recorder Belts: Year 4 students are practicing hard to earn their next Recorder Karate Belt. Once they’ve achieved Blue Belt they may join the Recorder Ensemble. I’m so thrilled to see so many students eager to challenge themselves to the next level.
Instrumental Music: Please remember to text or call your child’s instrumental tutor if your child is away from school or unable to attend their lesson that day. Tutors will have also sent out invoices for the term. As a courtesy to our tutors, please ensure these are paid for asap.
Honours Choir: Due to illness, there is still time to audition for Honours Choir. Rehearsals will commence in Week 7 on Thursday mornings before school.
Junior Band: We are looking for any students who might learn a woodwind or brass instrument to join our Junior Band. Rehearsals are Thursday lunch times in the drum room.
Should you have any questions about the instrumental, choral or classroom music program on the Junior Campus, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sherree Cudney
Junior Campus Music
Senior Campus Music News
Kicking off 2021, our Soloists on Show Concert, Tuesday 16 March at 6pm, will feature the best of our individual performers. Drawn from across the Senior Campus this concert will be a feast of talent and an inspiration for all of us. Nominate NOW through your music teacher or tutor. The standards are delightfully high and it will certainly be worth the evening out. Our first Academic Music Extension student James Trembath will be a feature of this year’s Concert.
Sunday 28 March 6pm, we are off to see Come From Away at QPAC. Tickets should be paid for by now and we will notify you when they are ready to collect. Over 50 people from the broader school community will be attending, well done.
Stay tuned for more…
Linda Brady
Senior Campus Curriculum Leader of Music and Coordinator of Extra-Curricular Music
Worship
Sunday 7 March
Worship Service 9am
Together@5pm—Andy Hagstrom will be sharing the message this week.
Uniform Shop
The uniform shop is located on the Junior Campus – park opposite reception and follow the signs to the shop under the Year 3 building. We carry all items of Prince of Peace uniform for both Junior and Senior campus, including lunch bags, soccer socks, food technology aprons, Chess Club and Music uniforms. The shop is open 7.30am to 9.30am Tuesdays and 2.00pm to 4.00pm Thursdays during term time. Orders can be placed anytime from The School Locker Website with either home or school delivery (PICK UP option). If you would like items delivered to your child’s class, please enter your child’s name and class in the second address line and items can be delivered to your child’s teacher.
In addition, The School Locker has a super-store located at 5-6 Burke Crescent, North Lakes, which is open 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and 9.00am to 3.00pm Saturdays. The School Locker aims to be a “one-stop shop” for school supplies – carrying all items of Prince of Peace uniform, plus school shoes, generic stationery, technology including Apple Tech Service department, instrumental, and sporting equipment. We are happy to match prices with any Australian suppliers so please check out our range.
Years 3-12: Cross Country Carnival is in three weeks on Wednesday 24 March. Get your HOUSE COLOURS on! We have coloured house shirts, coloured hair ribbons, and of course our reversible coloured bucket hats! (only $15 each) BRADMAN– bottle green, FRASER – Royal Blue, LAVER – Yellow, and JACKSON – Red.
Technology Items: We have in the campus shop Verbatim headphones both with, $12.95, and without microphones now reduced to $7, useful for quiet learning at home, gaming, and Zoom conferences with friends/family.
Second Hand: If you wish to buy or sell second hand uniforms, please visit our very active PoP Second Hand Uniform Buy & Sell Facebook group.