Inspirational Neighbours
Like many times throughout life, certain events take place that resonate particularly strongly with people in different ways, and often you can recount exactly what you were doing when you received the news. Our world is continuing to change at a rapidly fast pace and with that has come the need to adapt to challenging times and news of worldly events. We have heard of the very sad passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September. Often, children ask questions surrounding news of this calibre and I recommend that you take the time to speak with your children openly about any questions they may have. The Queen was a very devout Christian, and spoke often about service to others, mentioning on occasion that one of her favourite and important teachings from the bible is the parable of the Good Samaritan.
One of Queen Elizabeth II’s famous quotes was:
To be inspirational you don’t have to save lives or win medals. ‘I often draw strength from meeting ordinary people doing extraordinary things: volunteers, carers, community organisers and good neighbours; unsung heroes whose quiet dedication makes them special. They are an inspiration to those who know them.’ (At the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, 2016)
The Queen spoke in this quote, of inspirational people in service, and yet she was often an inspiration to many, serving in her role for nearly 71 years.
We are very fortunate in our community to be surrounded by our own ordinary people who do extraordinary things. It is with much gratitude I extend a thank you to those people that volunteer their time to serve others in not only our community but in the wider community… they are an inspiration!
I wish our staff and families a restful school holiday break and look forward to welcoming our students back at the start of Term 4. I leave you with the following bible verse from 1 Peter 4:10:
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace
Every blessing for the week ahead.
Simon Hughes
Head of College
Intention to Leave Notifications
To assist with our 2023 planning, if your child will not be attending the College in 2023, please notify us in writing before Tuesday 4 October 2022. In doing so, it will ensure that you meet your contractual obligations. Please contact your Head of Campus or Donna Cook, Community Development and Enrolments Manager, if you have any questions.
Notifications can be sent to dcook@princeofpeace.qld.edu.au or school@princeofpeace.qld.edu.au
Thanks to Our Volunteers!
We had a very successful Father’s Day Stall—the children seemed to really love everything that was on offer, spending lots of time making decisions on what they should buy for dad/stepdad/granddad/etc. We hope that all the dads received lots of great gifts and had a fabulous day.
We missed the Year 9 students at the Middle and Senior Campus stall while they were enjoying their experiences on camp at Mt Binga, I’m sure that they remembered their dads on Father’s Day even though they were away.
I would like to thank all the wonderful people who volunteered and helped out at both campuses—without you the children wouldn’t be able to enjoy this experience, it is such a joy to see their faces light up when they decide on a present for their loved ones. So thank you for again helping to make this a successful event; thanks also to the bakers and lovely ladies who came up with the special treats ideas for this event—your efforts are truly valued.
A special thanks to Rebecca (our P&F President) for all the help you gave in the lead up, and behind the scenes, to make this look effortless and seamless. You are a gem!
See you all next year.
Andrea Rhind
Tuckshop is Wrapping Up
After what will have been 4 years, tuckshop as we know it, will be finishing up at the end of 2022.
What started as an ‘unknown’ initiative by Maggie Laptev and myself in 2019, tuckshop took off from the very first day with over 200 brownies ordered! Wow, we couldn’t believe it.
It has continued to be highly successful, in terms of popularity, profitability, and the excited voices and smiles of hundreds of children. Our aim has always been to offer home baked, freshly prepared, healthy choices, BUT FUN! and keeping the structure and pricing simple for parents.
Over the coming POPCORNs I will include ‘Year in Review’ articles as we look back on our efforts and highlights.
2019
2019 was awesome!—it was pre-COVID (do you remember those times?), and we ran our full 12 tuckshop days during the year. We had orders written on brown paper bags and filled with many 20c and 10c coins, as families emptied out their coin jars, and children got used to putting their orders into the classroom tuckshop baskets. The banking weighed a tonne!
We were on a huge learning curve too—juggling high numbers of orders, oven space, best meal plans, and how to package and serve items. A constant and reliable volunteer base of parents kept us rolling on and bellies full.
500+ homemade sausage rolls, 250+ choc Easter nests, 135 nachos, + cheeseburgers, fish n chips, lasagna, bento boxes, meatball subs, chicken burgers and wraps, cupcakes, cookies, and choc-dipped strawberries… there were so many popular items! Not so the chicken broccoli pasta salad—but we gave it a go!
Enjoy these pics from the tuckshop year of 2019
Annette Jacobs
Tuckshop Convenor
Learning Futures – Learning Now!
One of the best things about working in schools is the lack of “the ordinary”. The recent swarm of bees that descended outside the Year 5 rooms was a great reminder about the unexpected, the excitement of discovering new things and the importance of problem solving—and of course collaboration. Who knew that it is “Swarming Season” or that our bees were full of honey—which we’ll taste in about 6 weeks’ time? Thank you Mrs Williams, who personally knew a bee keeper who helped us deal with this situation.
Learning at PoP
In a school, there is always an interesting conversation, a “light bulb learning moment”, an idea, a project, a challenge or a problem. Term 3 2022 has certainly had its fair share of challenges, yet despite these, learning has been in abundance. I’ve seen it, in and around the campus in many ways:
- Groups of Year 6 students busy planning their businesses for Term 4
- Prep measuring and using their water pump to discover more about capacity
- Year 3 students excitably predicting which type of chocolate melts fastest during science lessons
- Year 5 students sorting rubbish as they begin a unit of work on sustainability
These examples are a sliver of the learning experiences that have happened in the last couple of weeks. I am thankful that ‘learning’ has moved beyond the notion that it is something that is done to children; all sitting quietly, practicing and memorising content.
At PoP, learning is active. It requires communication, curiosity, questioning, collaboration and much more. The skills of problem solving, critical thinking, negotiation and collaboration are key in the development of any learner, along with risk-taking and resilience.
As we head toward the school holidays, we know that learning does not stop. I encourage you to revel in those extraordinary moments of learning and be curious about the journey your child is on.
May you be blessed by the holiday experiences to come, and find some time to recharge before the madness that is Term 4 begins!
Anne-Marie Schmidt
Head of Campus – Junior
Finishing Well
Wow! What a term it has been! We could not have imagined the tumultuous year that 2022 has turned out to be. With recent illness, floods, mould and local wildlife, we have seen our community thrown into unpredictability and uncertainty. We just do not know what lies around the corner. What we do know is, that at some point there will be an end.
In everything we do, whether we choose it or not, there is a finish point—the day the last baby leaves the nest; the moment we pack up and move house; the time we tick off a completed task. But it is how we finish our season that is important.
If we quit before it’s finished or run defeated to the finish line, we might miss the growth that occurs through the struggle.
I once read an interesting article about some scientists who had constructed a biosphere in the Arizona desert. This biosphere was a huge steel and glass enclosure with purified air, clean water, lots of natural light and nutrient-rich soil. It was intended to provide ideal conditions for the flora and fauna within. However, scientists discovered that when trees within the biosphere reached a certain height, they would just fall over. This perplexed the scientists until they realised that the biosphere was missing a critical element: wind. In their natural environment, trees are buffeted by wind. They respond to the added pressure and agitation by growing stronger bark and deeper roots to increase their stability.
In our self-made biospheres, we waste a lot of time and energy trying to stay comfortable and protected. We fear the stresses of change and challenge, but like the wind, it is those stresses and challenges that make us stronger. When we expand our comfort zone and face challenges, it allows us to develop strength and helps us to grow. This is what we want to instil in our children.
Every assignment or season, God calls us to offer an eternal perspective. And sometimes I have a hard time remembering this through my temporary thoughts. But as I’m holding onto the verse below from 1 Peter 5:10, I’m reminding my soul that there is restoration, confirmation and strength coming my way—if I don’t give up.
Beneath the layers of fear when a season is ending, or not going according to our plans, is this thread of courage from our God. God sees our efforts and hard work in each season as He prepares us to move to the next.
But how we finish this project might determine our next assignment.
The following verse offers each of us a little hope, a little determination, a little strength to keep going:
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” — 1 Peter 5:10.
While it’s tempting to quit before it’s finished, today I want to encourage you to lean into the faithfulness of God and finish well.
R U OK?
This past week our college community asked the important question, are you okay? R U OK? Day is our National Day of Action dedicated to reminding everyone that every day is the day to ask, “are you OK?” and support those struggling with life’s ups and downs.
For students, learning how to support their peers and talk about how they feel is such an important life lesson, so where better to start than in the classroom? On the Junior Campus, we had a dedicated group of Year 6 students and staff who organised and ran a number of activities throughout the day to promote kindness to one another and checking in with each other. It was wonderful to see our students acknowledging this day and really focusing their efforts on keeping our community safe. Remember, you don’t need to be an expert to have an R U OK? conversation. Listening and giving someone your time might be just what they need to help them through.
Ask R U OK? No qualifications needed because a conversation could change a life.
Blessings,
Coreta Lennon
Deputy Head of Campus – Junior
Date Saver — Junior Campus Fluoro DISCO !
The College is holding a Fluoro Disco, that will be a fun-filled dazzling extravaganza of lights and music, to be held on 21 October.
There will be two age-related sessions, with times being:
Prep – Year 3: 5pm – 6.15pm
Year 4 – Year 6: 7pm – 8.15pm
Tickets are on sale here at $12 each, with close of ticket sales on 14 October.
How we learn through Inquiry – Cultivating Curiosity
Inquiry-based learning is an education approach that focuses on investigation and problem-solving. Inquiry-based learning is different from traditional approaches because it reverses the order of learning. Instead of presenting information, or ‘the answer’, up-front, teachers start with a range of scenarios, questions and problems for students to navigate.
Inquiry-based learning prioritises problems that require critical and creative thinking so students can develop their abilities to ask questions, design investigations, interpret evidence, form explanations and arguments, and communicate findings.
At Prince of Peace inquiry is done through our project-based learning (PBL). In project-based learning, students develop “knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.” (Buck Institute for Education)
One aspect of inquiry is that of cultivating curiosity. Curiosity involves wondering, questioning and marvelling at the world around us.
How does this look in the classroom?
- Using our beautiful outdoor spaces to learn beyond the classroom
- Resisting the temptation to explain everything and answer every question
- Designing experiences that activate the senses and cause students to wonder and explore
- Inviting learners to share their own theories about how the world works
- Welcoming and provoking uncertainty
Last week Year 5 had their senses activated when their teachers tipped out a bin full of rubbish for them to sort through! Students weren’t given much information about how they needed to sort but they worked out for themselves different categories. They were surprised at the amount of food that had been discarded as well as the waste that could be recycled. This led them to thinking about solutions for this real-world problem.
Continuing to cultivate a sense of curiosity in our students encourages them to wonder about how the world works and how we can create solutions to make a difference.
Rebekah Bruyn
Learning Coach
Transforming Hands, Hearts, and Minds
The last fortnight has seen transformation of rich learning experiences, when hearts, hands and minds came together as audiences watched the Year 8 Musical, and as we visited the Year 9 students at Mt Binga Outdoor Camp. These two experiences remind us of living life in process. These practical and real-world learning experiences empower our young people to problem solve together, be creative with the resources they have, and overcome personal challenges for the betterment of their community.
As we saw each student in Year 8 take the stage, they courageously owned each moment that they were on the stage for. This took the teamwork of their peers and teachers to coach them to this moment, and the encouragement of parents and special friends in their lives who were in the audience. We thank Mrs Linda Brady, Mrs Lisa Rachow, and Mr Richard Stevens for co-creating the Year 8 musical for 2022 and giving our young people this important rite of passage into their final year of Middle School. It is in the beginning of finding who they are as a community of learners, that leads them into the Ubuntu Program in Year 9.
It was a real privilege to visit Mt Binga Camp this week and see our Year 9 students live in community with each other and the camp staff. From the moment I arrived they were sharing their highlights and challenges with me around the campfire. They shared stories with me about their reflection journal time in God’s creation, cooking their meals, doing daily chores around the farm to participating in circle time. To this point, all students had partaken in the 4-day hike and camp expedition, living on the farm, high ropes challenges and then preparing for the solo camp-out challenge. We look forward to the final day this weekend where parents and family come to hear the closing presentations from students and staff and tour the camp site.
One moment that has stayed with me as I drove back from Mt Binga, were these sketches below that were drawn by a Year 9 student in journal reflection time. I love the perspective of time, space and solitude that has been captured in these images. The sketch of students being who they are in reflection time is such a gift to us—may this image inspire you to make time in your life to relate to God in nature, away from technology and the routines of working life and be present in living in relationship with others.
May this holiday break provide our young people, parents, teachers, and support staff time to connect with place and people. May we be reminded of the gifts that each of us bring to each other in our school community and personal lives, as we seek to continue to nurture the God-given potential in our community.
Sarah Hoff-Zweck
Head of Campus (Middle and Senior)
Feedback on Assessment
At the end of Term 3, students will receive feedback on assessment throughout the term. This feedback is given progressively, and results can be viewed on SEQTA under Assessment. Parents are encouraged to view these results and feedback and seek clarification with their child on how they feel they can progress into Term 4 in setting learning goals.
Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews will occur in Term 4 on Thursday 6 October (Week 1) from 3:30pm-6:30pm. Bookings will be made available through SOBS online booking system and will be communicated via a direct message on SEQTA. These are the last formal interview times for the school year; however, parents are always more than welcome to contact teachers for feedback over the phone or in person.
Term 4 brings timetable changes for most of our students from Year 7 to 9 with term-by-term subject rotations. Please note that there is limited change for elective subjects in Years 8 to 9 due to how the timetable is structured in the previous year and most subjects have wait lists. If you have any questions the first point of contact is your child’s Year Level Coordinator. Term 4 timetable will be available for students to view during the upcoming term break.
Careers @ PoP
Reflecting on the past couple of weeks, this passage from Jeremiah has never sat so strong with me. It is humbling to know that I am just a conduit for these young people to realise that their futures are bright with an amazing array of choices and opportunities.
Over the past few weeks, most of the Year 10’s and a member of their family came to meet with me to work through course counselling and subject selections for Year 11. Some of the questions that I ask and work through with students is what do they enjoy, or what makes them happy? When our young people are sitting in a subject that provides interest and passion, they are more likely to want to work hard and achieve a sense of success.
The Year 12’s are also experiencing the awesomeness of Gods plans for their futures. They are currently working through tertiary course selections and/or job applications for their life after PoP. Part of my role, that I thoroughly enjoy, is seeing the directions that God takes them in. So far we have had applications made from Townsville, down to the Gold Coast. We also have had our first few early offers to ACU and UniSC. What this means is that students have been offered a provisional place in their course of choice prior to sitting external exams. Although they still need to pass their external exams, the pressures of the unknown have been taken away from them and they can concentrate on doing the best they can in the exams. This process will be progressing from now through to the end of the year. I will highlight some of the student achievements in future editions of POPCORN.
Blessings,
Mrs Julie Grosas
Careers and VET Leader
Middle & Senior Campus Sport
Met North Track and Field Representatives
Following on from last week’s article, we have received final confirmation of those students who will be attending the Queensland State Track and Field Championships on the 13-16 October. We wish you all the best!
Hannes Forbes-Schutz: 1500m
Freya Forbes-Schutz: 3000m and 2000m Steeplechase
Jonas Forbes-Schutz: 1500m, 3000m and 2000m Steeplechase
Addison Houslip: 800m and 1500m
Chloe Noon: 800m, 1500m, 3000m and 2000m Steeplechase
Heidi Noon: 400m, 800m, 1500m and 3000m
All Schools Challenge: Aus Cycling
A massive congratulations to Thomas Tucker who took out the gold medal at the National All Schools Cycling Challenge a couple of weeks ago.
Thomas competed in the Year 11-12 BMX expert category.
It was the first time that Thomas had the opportunity to compete for his school in his sport. Outstanding achievement Tom!
National Triathlon Championships
Another title for Addison Houslip!
This time Addison is the Australian National Triathlon Champion for the 13-14yrs age group.
It kicks of a very busy period of time for Addison as she is also contesting events at the National Cycling Championships next week! A wonderful achievement Addison!
Gabby Collman
Sports Coordinator
HPE, Science and Mathematics Teacher
Junior Campus Music News
Junior Campus Choir Photos
Photos will be taken during rehearsals in Week 2 Term 4 for the Yearbook. Please ensure your child wears their choir uniform to school to rehearsal that week. A reminder will be sent prior.
Classroom Music
Boomwhackers have been the flavour of the week with Year 5 learning to play the Tetris theme.
Boomwhackers are individual colourful plastic tubes, each colour produces its own musical note and are so much fun to play. Playing these crazy instruments also teaches collaboration and team work.
Our Prep students made a ‘Snail Trail’ to keep the beat. So cute!
Should you have any questions about the instrumental, choral or classroom music program on the Junior Campus, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sherree Cudney
Junior Campus Music
Middle & Senior Campus Music News
Thank you all for your dedication to the music program in 2022. As we close Term 3 we farewell our seniors into external exams. Our younger leaders are stepping up now and this is a good time for us to build proficiency and skills for next year. All of our ensemble rehearsals will proceed as normal.
So many of our Year 8 musicians shone in last week’s Year 8 Musical—Johnny and the Bomb. Georgia Bean, Wyatt Handley and Samuel Roche created an enthusiastic and uplifting live band under the guidance of Mr Stevens. There were some stunning vocal soloists with Holly Starr, Freya Garrad, Lousie Hegner and Ava Downie stand-outs. It was so good to hear this young talent coming through. Congratulations to all of the Year 8s for two really fun and engaging shows.
We are currently in planning for a Combined Christmas Event, with both the Middle & Senior and Junior Campus music ensembles and the Prince of Peace Church. The date is Saturday 26 November. Please put this into your diaries. As many students as possible will be involved, with many of the older students who will actually have finished the day before offering their service. This is a true statement of who they are, and displays the depth of commitment of these young people.
Please note that Term 4 is no longer the wind-down-time that it might once have been—at least not on the Senior Campus! Many Year 11 students will be beginning their Senior programs, and some have their first assessment pieces due at the end of term. This is the way to think about our ensemble work too. We will welcome back our Year 9s from Mt Binga camp with renewed energy. The Year 8 and 10 students will have camps but I ask that our students maintain their focus and the routines which have served them so well throughout the year. Ensemble rehearsals will be on every week regardless.
Keep saying yes to those appointment reminders!
Let’s make music!
Linda Brady
Middle & Senior Campus Curriculum Leader of Music and Coordinator of Extra-Curricular Music
Worship
Sunday 18 September
9am Worship
Youth@PoP — 3:30 to 5pm. Basketball and sausage sizzle at the Junior Campus.
5pm Together@5
Please keep an eye on the Prince of Peace Church Facebook page for service updates.
September 2022 Vacation Care
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