Project Based Learning

Over the second week of the holidays several teachers and administrators participated in a three-day virtual course to explore Project-Based Learning, (PBL) through the Buck Institute. This was an exciting opportunity for staff to gain further understanding of this approach to teaching and learning.

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. PBL blends content mastery, meaningful work, and personal connection to create powerful learning experiences, in terms of both academic achievement and students’ personal growth.

Students work on a project over an extended period of time that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience.

As a result, students develop deep content knowledge as well as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills. Project Based Learning unleashes a contagious, creative energy among students and teachers.

Here are just some of the ways that PBL transforms students’ educational experiences:

– Engaged hearts and minds Students actively engage with PBL projects that provide real-world relevance for learning. Students can solve problems that are important to them and their communities.

– Deeper learning PBL leads to deeper understanding and greater retention of content knowledge. Students are better able to apply what they know to new situations.

– Exposure to adults and careers Students interact with adults, businesses and organisations, and their community, and can develop career interests.

– A sense of purpose A great project can be transformative for students. Seeing a real-world impact gives them a sense of agency and purpose.

– Success skills Students gain skills valuable in today’s workplace and in life, such as how to take initiative, work responsibly, solve problems, collaborate in teams, and communicate ideas.

– Rewarding teacher relationships Teachers work closely with active, engaged students doing meaningful work, and share in the rediscovered joy of learning.

– Creativity and technology Students enjoy using a spectrum of technology tools from research and collaboration through product creation and presentation.

We are looking forward to sharing more of what this will look like in our classrooms in the coming months.

Rebekah Bruyn
Learning Coach

Defence News

Term 3 was a busy one for Defence Families. There were the challenging times for the ADF both here and abroad. At school, we acknowledged these events and prayed for those directly involved. Our students of Defence families also came together for lunch during Term 3. At Junior Campus we held a picnic, whilst at Senior Campus it was a pizza party.

During Term 4 we will commemorate Remembrance Day at both campuses.

Please let me know of any parental absences, deployments or exercises, so I can check in on your students. Also, please let me know if you are posting elsewhere and leaving PoP next year.

Kath Price
Defence School Mentor

Where Were You?

“Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” Job 38:1-7

I don’t know how much of the story of Job you might be familiar with. It is a story of a man who is called righteous by God and yet he is tested by the devil. The purpose of the test by the devil is to destroy the faith Job has in his God. It is for Job to be pushed so hard and so far in struggles and loss and grief that he turns away from God and gives up. This work of the devil still remains. He tells us lies about who we are and whose we are. His goal is to destroy our faith in the living God.

So here is the story in a few short sentences. Job loses home, family, livestock and becomes unwell with sores and so on. Yet he doesn’t turn from God. He sits in the dirt and ponders. Then some friends join him and they all start trying to work out what caused all this and what God is doing and so on. Job, after losing everything still trusts God but now he no longer trusts in those things that are temporal, those things that only last for a while compared to eternity, to prove that God is His God. Now in his suffering Job trusts in the wisdom of God. He knows especially in the verses today that God is certainly the God of all.

Do you lose sight of the bigger picture sometimes? Are you thinking that with COVID or other uncertainties in life it is silly to look long term in case it doesn’t happen? Do you ever get tempted to say what’s the point or I am just over it? Maybe you cry out, ‘It’s not fair I just need to get ahead a little in life.’

Friends we cannot live this way. We cannot live without hope for a future even in the face of so much suffering in the world, in your own life. We, like Job, each day need to see that some things don’t last and that if those things are taken away, or we can’t celebrate that party because of COVID—God is still in control. God in His wisdom is shaping you through all the things you experience in life and He is always with you.

In our deepest challenges and struggles, in our deepest pain and suffering, hear God asking you the questions He asked Job. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?

This sums it all up. Where were we when God created the world? Yet God tells us in His next breath—I love you—Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

God cares about you so much that He sent Jesus to suffer and die for your sin, your mistakes, your failure; to set you free to live a new life in Him. God laid the foundations of the earth and He created you. Be at peace when the storms of life hit, as God is always working and He is in charge.

Pastor Mark Gierus
College Pastor

Bookings now open for Term 4 Tennis Lessons at PoP

Students aged 5 – 7 can register for Tennis Lessons before school on Tuesday mornings on the Junior Campus at 7:30am in Term 4. Lessons are run by coaches from Pure Tennis Academy, Ferny Hills. Visit their website for further information.

Junior Campus Sport

Sunshine Coast Primary Allschools Touch

On the last day of Term 3 (Friday 17 September), Prince of Peace sent boys and girls teams to the Sunshine Coast Primary Allschools Touch tournament at the Caboolture Touch Association. The schools who attend this event all put time and effort into the development of touch football. Our rapid improvement in this sport became apparent throughout the day.

The girls—coached by our Defence School Mentor Kath Price—won three and lost two games to finish third out of the six competing teams, while the boys—coached by Regie Fisher our Student Reception / Learning Enrichment Officer—won two, drew one and lost three to finish fourth out of seven. This is a very commendable result as six out of the 12 players in the boys team are in Yr 4.

Well done to all players and a big thank you to our two coaches as well as Bridget Price who refereed on the day.

Darren Lawrance
Junior Campus HPE and Sport

Senior Campus Sport

QUT High School Esports Competition

On Saturday a team from the Senior Campus attended the QUT High School Esports competition. The team consisted of seven students and was the only one in attendance to include girls.

We were competing against 20 other schools and from our first game of League of Legends it was obvious that the other schools had a lot more experience than we had. However we practiced over the day and we won one match.

At the end of the day we had not managed to win the competition but we won the fancy dress and received an award for the school that showed the most qualities in regards to Australian sportsmanship. The students were amazing throughout the whole day and deserve tremendous praise.