Calming the Storm

According to the Prime Minister this week, we are heading into territory as a society that we have not seen in Australia since the end of World War One. We will be making changes to the way our society runs for, I believe, the majority of 2020 and I’m sure some things will be different forever. The news cycle, with perhaps a little bit of additional hysteria thrown in, currently seems to be trying to work at a sprint when, really, we are looking at a very long marathon where we need to plan and pace ourselves. It is possible that schools will close to students this year for a time; however, that is very unlikely in the short term. I have always been intrigued by the story of ‘’Jesus Calms the Storm” from Mark 4:35-41 for many reasons and it resonates with me, particularly right now.

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Perhaps the storm here can be fear. I can hear current-day disciples waking Jesus to ask, “Teacher, don’t you care if we run out of toilet paper?”. It can seem like life is getting out of control sometimes. But, we can learn from Jesus’ calmness in a storm. We know, despite the media hype, that we won’t actually run out of toilet paper, or pasta, or many other things in reality. But here is where we get to be missional. In the way we respond—the way we act at this time—we have the opportunity at Prince of Peace to be a reflection of Jesus to those around us. To be a point of calmness in a storm. There are actually some opportunities here for our College and our society. Things will have to be different this year, and through this difference, we may find opportunities to do things in a way that is better.

Now, that said, there are some members of our communities, both within PoP and the wider community as a whole, who we know are extremely vulnerable at this time and we must ensure we do all we can to support them and look after them. That is serious and we must treat it so—showing additional care and love to them. But we must also look to be measured, thoughtful and Christ-like in our response.

Blessings

Simon Hughes
Head of College

Talking to Kids about the Coronavirus

Click to the picture to download this illustrated child friendly explanation of coronavirus

News of the coronavirus is everywhere, from the front page of every news stream, to the playground at school. Many parents are wondering how to discuss this topic in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be. Here is some advice from the Child Mind Institute.

Don’t be afraid to discuss the coronavirus. Most children will have already heard about the virus or seen people wearing face masks, so parents shouldn’t avoid talking about it. Not talking about something can actually make kids worry more. Look at the conversation as an opportunity to convey the facts and set the emotional tone. Your goal is to help your children feel informed and get fact-based information that is likely more reassuring than whatever they’re hearing from their friends or on the news.

Be developmentally appropriate. Don’t volunteer too much information, as this may be overwhelming. Instead, try to answer your child’s questions. Do your best to answer honestly and clearly. It’s okay if you can’t answer everything; being available to your child is what matters.

Take your cues from your child. Invite your child to tell you anything they may have heard about the coronavirus, and how they feel. Give them ample opportunity to ask questions. You want to be prepared to answer (but not prompt) questions. Your goal is to avoid encouraging frightening fantasies.

Deal with your own anxiety. When you’re feeling most anxious or panicked, isn’t the time to talk to your kids about what’s happening with the coronavirus. If you notice that you are feeling anxious, take some time to calm down before trying to have a conversation or answer your child’s questions.

Be reassuring. Children are very egocentric, so hearing about the coronavirus on the news may be enough to make them seriously worry that they’ll catch it. It’s helpful to reassure your child and remind them that kids actually seem to have milder symptoms.

Focus on what you’re doing to stay safe. An important way to reassure kids is to emphasize the safety precautions that you are taking. Kids feel empowered when they know what to do to keep themselves safe. We know that the coronavirus is transmitted mostly by coughing and touching surfaces. The current recommendations are to thoroughly wash your hands as the primary means of staying healthy. So remind kids that they are taking care of themselves by washing their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds (or the length of two “Happy Birthday” songs). They should do this when they come in from outside, before they eat, and after blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing or using the bathroom. If kids ask about face masks, explain that the experts at the CDC say they aren’t necessary for most people. If kids see people wearing face masks, explain that those people are being extra cautious.

Stick to routine. We don’t like uncertainty, so staying rooted in routines and predictability is going to be helpful right now. This is particularly important if your child’s school or day care shuts down. Structured days with regular mealtimes, learning times and bedtimes are an essential part of keeping kids happy and healthy.

Keep talking. Tell kids that you will continue to keep them updated as you learn more. Let them know that the lines of communication are going to be open. You can say, ‘Even though we don’t have the answers to everything right now, know that once we know more, mum or dad will let you know, too.’

Excerpt taken from https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/

Parents, you have got this! For years you have been guiding, reassuring and nurturing your children. For small children it may be useful to use this illustrated child friendly explanation of coronavirus to help facilitate your discussion. Remain in contact with calm and reliable sources, spend time together with your family creating memories and generally, keep on keeping on!

National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence is Postponed

The college has received advice directly from National Organisers of National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence asking all schools to postpone this week’s event.

We regret to advise that the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA) on Friday 20 March 2020 is postponed.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience and acknowledge the time and dedication schools have already invested into planning events and activities. This decision to postpone the NDA has been made with the health and safety of students, staff and school communities as the priority. 

As such, tomorrow Friday 20 March will be a regular school day on both Campuses and students are to wear their usual Friday school uniform. The anti-bullying message will continue be shared in class but any planned activities will now be held over until a new date is announced.

Year 3 – 12 Cross Country is Cancelled

Unfortunately due to coronavirus we have had to cancel the Year 3 – 12 Cross Country that was scheduled for Tuesday 31 March.

Katrina Valencia
Head of Junior Campus

SHARP Reading at Prince of Peace

We know that strong reading skills for our students will support them to be lifelong learners and that the ability to read and understand are crucial in this ever changing world. This year the Junior Campus teachers have been involved in Reading professional development. Not only has this involved SHARP reading workshops at the start of the year with staff but this week one of the directors from the company – Hilton Ayrey is spending time in classes to individually coach teachers.

SHARP reading is based in New Zealand and Hilton (who has been in Australian for over two weeks now) will be spending most of the week at Prince of Peace supporting staff to refine their skills. I am so thankful that we are able to access such experts and that at POP our teachers embrace the challenge of learning new skills.

How does SHARP reading help us? SHARP reading give us a framework for reading instruction and a developmental progression for the learner who moves from decoding through to high level comprehension. It uses “best practice” teacher and learning methodologies that support the learner and provides direction for the teacher. This approach to reading instruction comes highly recommended, particularly from other Lutheran Schools who are using it, and has shown improved results for students.

You may have heard your child talking about practicing their SHARP reading skills. If your child is in Year 3 or above, you may also have heard them say, “I think this means…” and explaining what they believe the passage or sentence means. Or if they are in lower year levels, they might be telling you the things that they remember from the page they have just read.

As the week unfolds, I encourage you to talk to your child about Mr Ayrey – the special guest who helped with reading this week. Happy reading everyone.

Anne-Marie Schmidt
Deputy Head of Junior Campus

We are currently living in unprecedented times, people of all ages are concerned about the spread of the coronavirus.

While taking advice from the experts, it is our intention to normalise routines. How do we manage all of the emotions that are emerging currently?  Here are some ideas:

1. Normalise Anxiety

Adults can help young people appreciate that healthy anxiety has a purpose: It alerts us to potential threats and helps us move toward safety. We can encourage teenagers to channel their discomfort into useful action, like following these recommendations:

• Wash your hands frequently—regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
• When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth with a flexed elbow and or tissue. Throw tissues into a bin, and wash hands immediately.
• Maintain social distancing—maintain at least a 1.5 metre distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
• Stay home if you feel unwell.
• Avoid handshakes and high fives.

2. Shift the Spotlight

During difficult times, research suggests that teenagers feel better when they turn their attention to supporting others. Knowing this, we can remind teenagers that we wash our hands and follow other health recommendations not only to protect ourselves, but also to ease the strain on our health services. Encourage teenagers to get their information from reliable sources and reassure them that plans are in place.

3. Be Hopeful

Listen to the medical experts and take appropriate measures (wash your hands, etc.) But we need to replace our fear with faith, and trust that God loves us and is with us always. Phil. 4 reminds us, ‘Don’t worry about anything and pray about everything!’

Things we can do

1. Be practical about hygiene and safety
2. Remember we aren’t being careful for us, but for those who are vulnerable in our community
3. And in all things take your worries to God

Please regularly consult our Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates page in MyPoP, the College will be using this page to communicate important information and updates regarding this rapidly evolving situation.

We pray for all those impacted by the coronavirus:

Jesus, come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love.

Heal those who are sick with the virus. May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care.

Jesus Christ, healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow.

Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May they know your protection and peace.

Be with the leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve.

We ask this in your name. Amen

NAPLAN Online

For several reasons, the College decided last year to take up the option of voluntarily moving to online NAPLAN testing one year before it becomes compulsory in 2021. In anticipation of the official tests in May, we will be conducting a practice test on Monday 23 March for Year 9 and Wednesday 25 March for Year 7. The purpose of this exercise is to continue to familiarise students with the use of a locked down browser, and how to navigate elements of the tests. Please note: These tests will not be marked and, as such, there will be no data available regarding student performance.

Michelle Nisbet
Head of Senior Campus

Teens and Sleep

In the last month Ms Nisbet and I have met with each Year 12 student. These ‘check-ins’ have promoted wonderful conversations with each student.

We discussed academic care, health and well-being and the journey towards the end of their senior schooling years.

Some key areas were uncovered, one being the difficulty that many young people today find in ‘switching off’ at night.

It is not necessarily only the tech-active young adults who struggle to switch off and let the body rest. Current research suggests that young people need at least eight hours of sleep each night. This can be difficult for many teenagers to attain.

To help teens switch off, we encourage the following suggestions:

• Reduce phone and computer use at least an hour prior to sleep
• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine prior to sleep
• Encourage at least one ‘early’ night per week (where a teen may get 10 hours sleep)
• Try to be organised with a schedule and study/assessment plan—don’t cram and end up having late nights/early mornings
• Get active during the day, so that they feel more physically tired at night.
• Set up a comfortable sleep environment
• Set up a regular wake-up time

Regular sleep does help the body function and it goes hand in hand with adequate nutrition. For further information about helping your teenager sleep, this web page has some excellent ideas.

SRC News

This past week the Student Representative Council met. The Council seeks to obtain the ‘voice’ from their pastoral care group, and then come together to share, discuss and make decisions that impact the student body.

The group recently assisted with Shrove Tuesday and the serving of 300 pancakes. This week the council discussed the possibility of another cold water drinking trough at the College. The idea was viewed with plenty of positivity and reps will be taking this suggestion back to their groups for feedback. This initiative was raised several weeks ago by Middle-School Leader, Jonas Forbes-Schutz, who also suggested some possible fundraising ideas.

Student representatives also agreed to helping the Lutheran Church of Australia’s mission appeal. This appeal is based on students, families and the extended school community collecting used postage stamps and bringing them to school. The used stamps are then sent to the LCA International Mission who prepare them for packing and sale to stamp collectors and the like. If families have used postage stamps, could they please tear them off envelopes and send these to the student Reception where collection containers will be available. We thank all families in advance for helping with such a great cause.

Getting Exam Ready!

As we approach exams and assessment deadlines it is mindful to help our students become prepared. Andrew Fuller, a leading Australian Clinical Psychologist, has the following tips for students:

Write Out your Worries

One  strategy to deal with the stress of an upcoming test or exam is to grab a piece of paper one or two days before the test and write down all your concerns about it. Write out an answer to the question, ‘What would happen if I fail this test?’ Then write out an answer to the next question, ‘If I did fail what would happen then?’ Read your written answers aloud to yourself.

Even if doing well on this test or exam is really, really important to you, knowing your fears will calm you. Knowing the answer to the question, ‘If I did fail, what would happen then?’ helps you to make a backup plan.

Chew Something

Okay, you’ve done all of that and you still feel nervy. Another strategy is to eat or chew on something either before or during the test or exam. Check with your teacher that chewing something is allowed in test and exam rooms. If chewing is not allowed, at least chew something just before entering the test. Some jellybeans or fruit would be ideal.

Stress happens when we feel we are in a dangerous situation. It is an automatic process that we can’t completely control. Eating or chewing on something sends a signal to your body that says, ‘Well, if I’m chewing something I can’t be in total danger, so relax a bit.’

Focus on Now

Stress can spin your head. It can have you thinking all sorts of weird ideas. Stress can have you remembering that time you failed all those years ago, or that time you were so embarrassed by something. Stress can also blow things out of all proportion and have you predicting bad things in your future.

The past is no longer with you and the future hasn’t happened yet. Worrying has never changed anything in the past and predictions about the future are usually wrong.

Doing well on a test or exam means you need to focus on the question in front of you now. Keep reminding yourself, ‘What do I need to do right now?’

Breathe Out — S L O W L Y

When you feel stressed, one of the fastest ways to calm down is to breathe out slowly. We all have a calm down system that is controlled by our breathing. If you breathe out and count silently to yourself, ‘one thousand, two thousand, three thousand’, you will start to feel calmer.

Stand Tall, Walk Proud

Your brain is incredibly intelligent. But! Your brain is also incredibly stupid. It believes what you tell it. This means if you stand up and maintain a powerful posture your body sends a signal to your brain that tells it you are feeling in charge of things and it can reduce the stress hormones.

Remember the 5 Ps

There is an old saying: ‘Perfect preparation predicts powerful performance’. The best way to prepare for a test or exam is to:

• study the whole area you have learned
• test yourself
• sort the areas into those that you answered correctly and those you did not
• re-study the areas you answered incorrectly; re-test yourself
• re-study until you are getting close to 100 per cent right
• test yourself on the entire topic

God bless

Linda Perrett
Acting Deputy Head of Campus

Year 8 Medieval Day

On 21 February, the whole Year 8 cohort got to experience a real life time machine—Medieval Day! We experienced the armour that soldiers would have worn in battle, and hold the types of swords and axes they would have used. We split into two groups to do some hands on activities and discussions. The first was archery where we had a lot of fun firing blunt arrows at a foam target—and these type of arrows were designed to kill rabbits so we didn’t want to get in the way of someone shooting! In my group, the instructor showed us how far the arrows could fire, and it went so far across the oval we lost it.

In the other activity, we experienced tournament combat fighting. We each held a foam sword and shield, and an optional leather helmet, no one used the helmet! First, we were in teams of three and would fight the other team; once each team had competed, we moved into free for all. Overall, the Medieval Day was a great experience.

Ryan Eaglestone 8.3

Lions Youth of the Year Program

Over the last five months Lucas Eaglestone and Samantha Keal in Year 12 have been taking part in the Lions Youth of the Year Program, where students between the ages of 16-18 foster and develop leadership in conjunction with other citizenship qualities. The qualities sought from applicants are academic attainment, leadership, personality, sportsmanship, public speaking and good citizenship.

Sam and Lucas each took part in an interview with a panel of community judges, discussing their cultural, sporting, academic, community involvement and general knowledge.

This was followed by a speech night on Wednesday 4th March where there were student representatives from Prince of Peace, The Gap State High School and Ferny Grove State High School. Students had to talk on two impromptu topics and deliver a prepared speech.

Sam and Lucas showed great poise and confidence, managing the impromptu questions thoughtfully and providing well-articulated responses. Their prepared speeches were engaging and effectively delivered.

The judges took a considerable length of time to make a decision about who would progress to the next round and in the end the student from The Gap State High School went through.

Lucas and Sam were excellent ambassadors for Prince of Peace and today’s youth throughout this process. They were both highly praised by the judges and members of the community who were present.

Lucas says of the experience: ‘It was great public speaking practice, especially in terms of the impromptu questions. The whole process was a valuable experience in putting yourself out there in as positive a way as possible and reflecting on your strengths and accomplishments.”

Sam said: ‘It was a wonderful opportunity to experience a different context for public speaking and the interview process. Although I had some nerves, everyone was very welcoming and it was enjoyable.’

Elizabeth Edwards
Curriculum Leader English

Worship

Sunday 22 March

Worship Service 9am, led by Pastor Kevin

Together@5pm this Sunday, led by Pastor Mark

Thought for the Week

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” (Mother Teresa)

Uniform Shop News

Orders: Orders can be placed by phone or email through the College website using the link on the Uniform Shop Page or on the Home Page, or at anytime from The School Locker Website. Note: If you wish to avoid home delivery fees during term times, nominate delivery to your child’s campus and provide your child’s name and class.  Junior Campus orders will be delivered to your child’s class. Senior Campus orders will be delivered to reception for your child to collect the next day.

Easy Uniform Repairs: We now have iron on hemming tape available in both black and white for easy repairs of skirts, dresses and trouser hems. Only $4.90 per packet (5m).

Label it – Don’t Lose it:  Stikin Name Labels can be handwritten then simply pressed in (no need for ironing or sewing)—they will stay put, even on stretch knit items eg socks and pullovers for at least 40 machine washes. They are also great for plastic lunch boxes and drink bottles (dishwasher and microwave safe).  Pack of 60 Stikins with pen is $29.95.  Plain white iron on labels are $6.95 for pack of 40 labels.

Please ensure that your child’s track jackets, pants and pullovers are named—large handwriting on the white lining is recommended, and using white name labels on dark fabrics eg pullovers are easier to read.  Winter items are often removed during the middle of the day and can easily be misplaced—clear labelling makes it possible to return items to the correct owner.   Thanks for remembering.

Food Technology Students: Now available—Navy full front aprons with adjustable neck, and front pocket, available for $15.00

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

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