Commonwealth at 75
Back in 1949, the modern Commonwealth, a replacement for the older British Empire was founded. It now consists of approximately one third of the population of the planet and, this year, turns 75 years old. As with any good milestone birthday, celebrations have been underway this year and one of those is the publication of a book that looks both back over that period, but also into the future. In looking forward, the Commonwealth has placed a particular focus on education and culture, along with trade, health, the environment and innovation, and has wanted to use stories as the backbone for the publication. The publication will likely be used as part of all Commonwealth Parliament openings and celebrations.
This might seem like a curious focal point for a newsletter article, but Prince of Peace Lutheran College is one of those stories!  St James’s House is working closely with the History of Parliament Trust and contacted Prince of Peace Lutheran College to be a valued member of this project. To my understanding, there are (only!) around a dozen or so schools across the Commonwealth that have been invited to be a featured school as part of this, and a little earlier this year the Commonwealth contacted us to be one of those schools. In speaking with them around our selection, our focus on a holistic and contemporary approach to education, our emphasis on the pathway of each student and our vision to see each one able to contribute positively to their communities and society and be courageous in doing so was noted. The publishers also noted the importance of our commitment to a faith-based education also aligns with the King’s advocation of faith in education.
Just recently I was interviewed by Russell Myers, one of the official royal correspondents (who coincidently appeared on Sunrise the following morning!) and was privileged to be able to spend nearly an hour discussing our fabulous school. Without even having to look outside of our own Lutheran Education community in Australia of 80 schools, we know there are numerous examples of schools doing amazing things in their communities and for their students. But, we are humbled and honoured to be part of such a unique and important milestone. The book will be released in October this year, as part of the Commonwealth’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
Every blessing for the week ahead.
Simon Hughes
Head of College
This Friday is a Normal School Day
Please be reminded that this Friday 30 August is not pupil-free for Prince of Peace students, but will be a normal school Friday.
Junior Campus
Open Morning
Unforgettable Adventures: The Magic of School Camps
School camps are such a special chapter in our students’ lives—moments filled with growth and discovery that are hard to replicate in the classroom. Whether it’s the thrill of their very first camp in Year 2, the team-building and excitement of Year 3, or the bigger challenges and triumphs faced in Year 5, each camp experience plays a powerful role in shaping who our students are becoming.
At camp, students step bravely outside their comfort zones, building resilience and self-confidence with every new challenge. The Year 2 camp gives them that first taste of independence, while the Year 3 camp opens the door to teamwork and a sense of adventure. By Year 5, they’re embracing leadership roles and tackling activities that truly test their physical and mental limits.
But it’s more than just the activities—it’s the memories made with friends, the laughs shared around the campfire, and the stronger connections formed with peers and teachers. These moments nurture friendships and build a sense of community and empathy that lasts long after camp is over.
I am deeply grateful to our incredible staff and parents who head to camp with such energy and excitement. It’s a busy and often exhausting time, but watching our students grow in so many ways makes it all so rewarding.
Celebrating Dads Donuts and Design
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our Father’s Day Breakfast. It was truly special to see our community come together, connect, and enjoy some delicious donuts while spending quality time with one another. The energy and creativity were contagious, and it was heartwarming to watch dads and their kids bond over design projects and share a few laughs along the way.
We loved how you joined in the Lego Challenges.
It was a lovely way to honour dads and the special part they play in our lives. We hope that you have a fabulous Father’s Day this weekend.
We’re so grateful for everyone’s involvement in making this event a blast, and we can’t wait to do it again!
Thank You for a Wonderful Father’s Day Stall!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Father’s Day Stall such a success!
It was fantastic to see the excitement on the children’s faces as they carefully chose special gifts for their dads.
We couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of our dedicated volunteers and the wonderful P&F team who worked so hard to bring it all together.
Your efforts made this event truly memorable for our students and their families. Thank you!
Be Blessed
Anne-Marie Schmidt
Head of Campus – Junior
The Importance of Gratitude
As we move towards the end of Term 3, we want to take a moment to reflect on the  importance of gratitude in our lives and our school community. Gratitude is more than just saying “thank you.” It’s about recognising the good things we have, the kindness others show us, and the opportunities we encounter each day.
Practising gratitude helps us develop a positive mindset. It reminds us to focus on the good, even when things don’t go exactly as planned. When our students express gratitude, they build stronger relationships with their peers and teachers, creating a supportive and caring environment at our school.
We encourage our students to find small moments of gratitude throughout their day. Whether it’s appreciating a friend’s help, enjoying a sunny day, or being thankful for the chance to learn something new, these moments can make a big difference.
This term, our students and staff were asked to add to our ‘Dis’ Wall. Our Dis  Wall displays the many things that we appreciate and give thanks for. ‘Dis’ comes from The Resilience Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J93pi0Hg_s which talks about a child called Stanzin who is grateful for absolutely everything in his life and encourages others to be the same.
Let’s all make an effort to practice gratitude daily, both at school and at home. By doing so, we can foster a more positive, kind, and connected community here at Prince of Peace.
Gardiner Chess Competition
Some of our Chess Club students attended the Gardiner Chess competition held at Nudgee College on Thursday 15 August.
The students performed well in a competition involving over 250 students from the Northside primary schools, showing exemplary Chess manners and representing themselves, their team and Prince of Peace with enthusiasm and positive sporting behaviour.
Grandparents & Special Friends Day
We wish to offer a heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful grandparents and special friends who were able to attend our recent breakfast and celebration morning. Thanks for all the love, wisdom and experience that you nurture your grandchildren with during their formative years. This was a special day to honour you while creating long-lasting memories.
Visit our Photo Gallery with all the photos from Grandparents Day »
Blessings,
Coreta Lennon
Deputy Head of Campus – Junior
Learning Through Doing
A Hands-On Approach to Mathematics in Lower Primary
In the early years of education, fostering a deep understanding of mathematical concepts is crucial for building a strong foundation in numeracy. At our school, we have embraced a hands-on approach to mathematics through the innovative “Learning Through Doing” program.
“Learning Through Doing” is a mathematics program that emphasises practical learning, where students engage in activities that require them to actively apply mathematical concepts in real-world contexts. Rather than focusing solely on abstract numbers and symbols, this program encourages students to explore, manipulate, and experiment with materials and scenarios that bring mathematics to life.
Our approach to running the “Learning Through Doing” program in lower primary involves several key strategies:
- Interactive Lessons: Lessons are designed to be interactive, with students participating in activities that require them to solve problems, make predictions, and test their ideas. For example, instead of simply learning to count, students might group objects, measure quantities, or create patterns using physical items like blocks, counters, or everyday objects.
- Collaborative Learning: Students often work in pairs or small groups, promoting collaboration and communication. This peer interaction helps students articulate their thinking, learn from others, and develop critical social skills alongside their mathematical understanding.
- Real-World Connections: We integrate real-world scenarios into our lessons to help students see the relevance of mathematics in their daily lives. Whether it’s calculating the number of items needed for a class project, measuring ingredients for a recipe, or creating a simple budget, students learn that mathematics is a vital tool they can use outside the classroom.
- Ongoing Assessment and Reflection: Assessment is integrated into the learning process, with teachers observing students’ participation, understanding, and ability to apply concepts. Reflection is also a key component, with students encouraged to discuss what they have learned, how they arrived at solutions, and what strategies worked best for them.
The “Learning Through Doing” program has been well-received by both students and teachers. Students are more engaged in their learning, showing increased curiosity and enthusiasm for mathematics. By making learning tangible and relevant, the program helps demystify mathematics, reducing anxiety and building a positive attitude towards the subject.
Moreover, the skills developed through this program extend beyond mathematics. Students learn to think critically, work collaboratively, and approach problems with creativity and resilience—skills that are essential for lifelong learning.
Happy learning!
Rebekah Bruyn
Learning Coach
Book Week Parade and Book & Blankets!
Oh yes, we do love Book Week at Prince of Peace, celebrating the love of reading, story and larger than life worlds and characters. Last week both campuses brought so many characters to life at the annual parade and it was wonderful to see our community once again passionately supporting the event. A huge thanks to all the parents and special friends who came along to enjoy it while to encouraging the children on. Thanks of course also for the very apparent time and effort that was put into creating so many inspiring costumes.
Visit our Photo Gallery with all the photos from the Book Week Parade and Book and Blankets »
After-School Code Camp for Term 4
Course: Coding
Day: Tuesday
Dates: 8 October to 26 November 2024 (8 sessions)
Times: 3:00pm – 4:15pm (75 mins)
Booking Link: www.codecamp.com.au/poplc
Grandparents & Special Friends Day
We were delighted to welcome over 200 grandparents/special friends and their grandchildren to the Middle and Senior Campus on Friday 16 August. We know that grandparents and our special friends are such an important part of family life, for passing on the human and religious heritage which is so essential for each and every society. How important it is to have intergenerational exchanges and dialogue, especially within the context of the family.
Children and the elderly build the future of peoples: children because they lead history forward, the elderly because they transmit the experience and wisdom of their lives. This relationship and this dialogue between generations is a treasure to be preserved and strengthened.
We give thanks for the great wisdom and experience, which is passed from generation to generation, and we celebrate the gifts all our ancestors have forged for us – the gifts of life and love. We give thanks for all of the guidance and encouragement of Grandparents and Special Friends in our lives, and we feel honoured to be able to share this time together in community together.
We thank every student who either supported their Grandparents/Special Friend, Year 7-11 student leaders who were speakers, musicians and performers, AV technicians and Year 9 student leaders who helped prepare and serve food. We also thank the staff who put together this special occasion from our Grounds and Reception staff, Marketing staff, Music and Pop Productions staff and Senior Leadership Team.
It is our hope that this day filled our hearts with joy and reminded us all of the precious gift of Grandparents and our elders and the importance of intergenerational connections.
Visit our Photo Gallery with all the photos from Grandparents Day »
Bookweek Parade Magic
We thank students, staff, and parents for their wonderful support and range of character dress ups from books or novels at our Middle and Senior Campus Book Week parade last week. This year’s theme of Book Week Reading is Magic, enabled all to contemplate the special characters and stories that have captured the imagination in our lives.
We especially thank our English teachers for the way they weave their magical teaching of the English language for all students, using the gift of words to bring stories to life.
We are thankful for the hope, inspiration, joy, lessons that are learnt through the rich tradition of story telling and may we continue to keep this tradition alive in our present and future generations.
Visit our Photo Gallery with all the photos from the Book Week Parade »
Mt Binga Journey
It was an honour to visit Mt Binga Group 2 last week to see our young people flourishing through the challenges of life in the outdoors. The new stories that have become a part of these young people’s lives will forever remain in their hearts and minds for years to come.
I felt blessed to share in their experiences for the day and join in cooking in the cabin’s kitchens, afternoon job time, horse riding, high ropes course and visiting the boy’s hike.
We continue to follow their journey on the Mt Binga Outdoor Education Facebook page and keep the students and staff in our prayers for the last two weeks of this transformational journey.
We look forward to families reuniting on the Mt Binga Family Celebration Morning on Saturday 7 September from 9:00am-11:00am. The students will present their experiences to their families and Mt Binga staff, so make sure families plan for being present the whole of this time.
Father’s Day Stall
Thank you to our wonderful parent helpers for hosting the P&F Father’s Day stall on the Middle and Senior Campus last week.
We are so grateful for the parent volunteers who give of their time to see our young people’s and families’ lives enriched through these events.
Our PoP dads are special people in our young people’s lives, and we hope that these presents bring them laughter, joy and love.
We wish all of our PoP dads a very special Father’s Day on Sunday 1 September and give thanks to for the unique people that God has made you to be.
Closing reflections….
We keep in our prayers Year 12s as they sit their Mock Exams and that they learn from this experience and are open and responsive to the feedback from their teachers. We also pray for our Year 11s as they also sit Exams to gain an experience of an Exam block as they enter Term 4 and begin IA1 assessment in their Year 12 journey.
We also pray for our Year 8s as they prepare for their Musical performance in Week 9 on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 September in the Auditorium. May the light of Christ shine in their hearts and give you hope and strength as they take the stage to perform for their family and friends.
Sarah Hoff-Zweck
Head of Campus – Middle and Senior
Building Unity in Community
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17
Our Senior Student Leaders 2024/25 are actively Building Unity in Community by clearly defining the 4Rs that will be the ‘norms’ or expectations of each other as a Year 11/12 cohort. The Resilience Project program has been used to problem solve and develop solutions to cohort specific issues, and then move forward to establish leadership teams and design projects generated by the students for students on the Middle and Senior Campus – this is student voice and choice in action – so powerful when we work together! The Senior Leaders are organising lunch time activities for Week 10 with a focus on R U Ok? Day, celebrated on Thursday 12th September, when students can wear a yellow accessory with their College uniform.
The MSC Student Leadership Council (SLC) work tirelessly to achieve the desires of students and promote student voice. The SLC are often called upon to assist with College events and at the Winter Carnival they ran the second-hand books and games stall from donations from our families to raise over $800. At Grandparents Day, the SLC penned a poem and performed this to the delight of our grandparents and special friends. Recently two members of the SLC, Abigal Tay (Year 12) and William Govan (Year 11), designed and implemented eSports Mario Kart competition at lunch times for students from Year 7-12. Big THANKS to Mrs Rebekah Bruyn for sharing the switches from the Junior Campus with us! Also, two Year 8 students in the SLC, Tristan Oberhardt and Dallas-Rose Smith, were outstanding Tour Guides who helped the Senior & Middle Student Leaders at MSC Open Day. Finally, Kai Elbers, our Year 10 SLC member has been busy representing PoP outside of school:
This year as the Year 10 Lord Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council Delegate for Prince of Peace College, I was invited to represent both the College and the community at the Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Australia’s Luminous Lantern Parade at Southbank in August. At the parade, I helped carry the Brisbane City Town Hall Lantern. As a delegate this year on the Lord Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, I work with The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Brisbane Adrian Schrinner, Councillors from different Wards and other Year 10 students from across Brisbane City Council’s area. I have attended one meeting of the Council each school term, with one final meeting for the year to be held in November.
Melissa Graham
Director of Wellbeing – Middle & Senior Campus
Careers @ PoP
Unpacking VET: a webinar for parents
Independent Schools Queensland are running a bespoke and FREE Vocational Education and Training (VET) webinar for parents of Queensland high school students tonight Wednesday 28 August 2024 from 7pm to 8pm.
This webinar is hosted by the Queensland Joint Parent Committee and brings together experts in curriculum, VET and industry to help unpack the opportunities and advantages of combining academic studies with job-ready VET subjects to set young people up for success in the workplace post-school.
A parent with a child studying VET will also share their own family’s experience.
Interested parents can register here.
Julie Grosas
Careers and VET Leader
Junior Campus Sport
NISSA Sport Gala Day
Well done to our Year 4 – 6 students who took part in their NISSA Sport Gala Day last Friday. What a vibrant and action-packed opportunity to celebrate of athleticism, teamwork, and sportsmanship. The variety of sports and activities offered allowed every student to participate and showcase their unique talents. It was a joy to see students of all ages cheering each other on, demonstrating not just skill, but also encouragement and camaraderie. A special thank you to all the coaches, organizers who made this day possible and our wonderful parent and caregiver support. Final NISSA Gala Day – Term 4, Week 3, Friday 18 October.
Thank you to Oz Tag Ferry Hills Club for coming out to our PE classes this week to share their skills and expertise of the game.
We had a fantastic time learning from you and are now excited to apply the new skills they’ve acquired for the rest of the term.
Oz Tag sign up details for local clubs are attached. Registrations are due by this Friday 30 August before competition season starts next week.
Jessica Schneider
Junior Campus PE Teacher & Sport Coordinator
Middle & Senior Campus Sport
Met North Track and Field Carnival
The Met North Track and Field Carnival was held at the Queensland State Athletics Centre at Nathan on 20 and 21 August. PoP sent a team of nine athletes who competed in a variety of events over the course of the two days. All results are list below. Congratulations to all our competitors.
Rayen Mouhli – High Jump 12th
Armaan Naryan – 200m 4th, 800m 12th
Thomas Forbes-Schutz – 800m 11th, 1500m 5th
Olivia Phillips – Shot Put 11th
Ava Downie – Shot Put 13th
Tyson Hulcombe – Shot Put 8th, Discus 12th
Hannes Forbes-Schutz – 800m 3rd, 1500m 1st
Freya Forbes-Schutz – 800m 7th, 1500m 4th
Dylan Turley – Long Jump 9th, 100m 9th, 200m 8th, Discus 10th
Special mention to Hannes and Freya who will progress through to the State Championships on the 11 -14 October at QSAC, Nathan.
If you require any more information, please contact myself via SEQTA or the Middle & Senior Campus via email receptionsc@princeofpeace.qld.edu.au
Gabrielle Collman
Middle & Senior Campus Teacher – Sports Coordinator
Middle & Senior Campus Music News
Senior Farewell Concert
As we wind up term 3 we are focussing on our last weeks with year 12. We are looking forward to celebrating their time in the music program with a special concert featuring them on Thursday 12 September. Please put this date in your diary. It will be our last opportunity as a College to enjoy the amazing music making of these students.
Rehearsals have been a bit tricky across the Block Exams but I am really pleased to see lots of the ensembles continuing their rehearsals even though they are on block. This says something about the role of music in their lives. We all know how important it is to keep the brain balanced with a variety of activities which stimulate us in different ways. Music is so powerful for rest and regulation in our bodies and minds. The habit of regular practice also plays a role in regulating our emotional and mental health.
We are all looking forward to seeing everyone here at the MSC in the new auditorium in week 10.
Book it in.
In the meantime, keep practicing, keep coming to rehearsals, keep listening.
Linda Brady
Middle & Senior Campus Curriculum Leader of Music and Coordinator of Extra-Curricular Music
Worship
Sunday 1 August:
9am Worship
Sunday 8 September:
9am Worship
Please keep an eye on the Prince of Peace Church Facebook page for service updates.
