A Race To The End
The Camp Term
A constant topic of discussion for 2020 has been COVID-19. With this, there have been many changes to the schooling program for the year, including the consideration of dates to facilitate and schedule school camps. We have been very fortunate that, whilst we had to postpone or cancel camps that were scheduled earlier in the year, we have been able to secure dates during Term Four for the majority of year levels who attend an annual camp. This was great news given the importance of our Outdoor Education program, and how valuable camps can be to students and their growth beyond the classroom. So, with that said, we seem to have unofficially branded Term Four as “The Camp Term”, since most weeks in Term Four will see a year level away at camp.
Flashing School Zone Signs at the Junior Campus
The Department of Transport and Main Roads have made contact with the College to advise that they have been reviewing all school zones within Queensland and have acknowledged that road safety in the Rogers Parade West school zone could be improved by the installation of flashing school zone signs. Works to replace the existing school zone signs on Rogers Parade West with flashing school zone signs are in place to commence in the next four weeks. The installation of flashing school zone signs improves visibility of school zones, serving as an active reminder for motorists to slow down.
We love the way our families have adapted to different pick up and drop off procedures this year, and how smoothly traffic on both campuses generally flows, particularly around pick up. We don’t see that changing for the remainder of the year, so we thank you for your efforts in this area and ask you all to continue with the patience and care we’ve seen so much of.
Finance Reins Held by a New Driver
In a previous article I advised that our Business Manager Tim Grandy would be relocating back to interstate. I am pleased to announce Stephen Greener was appointed and has commenced as our new Business Manager at the College. Stephen comes to us from another Lutheran school and brings with him a wealth of experience. We warmly welcome Stephen to our Prince of Peace Community.
Blessings
Simon Hughes
Head of College
Book Week Parade
On the last day of Term 3 both campuses celebrated the joy of literature by dressing up as their favourite book character. Book Week always has a festive vibe full of colour and fun; unfortunately this year COVID-19 restrictions did not permit parents and carers to attend the traditional costume parade, however we have created this Photo Gallery in the MyPoP section of the College website with lots of fabulous photos from both campuses for you to enjoy.
The Dash to the 2020 Finish Line!
It has been so wonderful to see our students back and ready to go for the final term of 2020—and what a term we have ahead of us. Before we could even put our first newsletter out, we have already had Year 5 Camp. This week sees the Year 2 also students enjoying their first camp experience, and next week our Year 4 students will be off to Luther Heights! Yes indeed, it is time to hold onto our hats.
Term 4 is certainly the term to pay very close attention to our emails as important information is disseminated for key dates in this term, as well as important details for the 2021 school year. Just a quick reminder that ALL information regarding class placements for 2021 are to be emailed through to jmolkentin@princeofpeace.qld.edu.au by this Friday 16 October. For further details on what can be included and considered, please refer to my ‘Class Placements—2021’ article in the final newsletter from Term 3, in the Junior Campus section
The New Playground
We are very excited about the prospect of opening up our new playground for play in the next couple of weeks. This week the final sandstone blocks were put in place and we are now just awaiting the engineering safety certificate to allow us to begin using this area. We are forever grateful to Andrew Brenchley and his team from Everything Outside who have designed and built a spectacular area for our students.
Special mention must also go to Rachel Saurini, our super talented Mural Artist for adding her spashes of colour to this area.
Day for Daniel – Friday 30 October 2020
Once again the Junior Campus is participating in Day for Daniel; a National Day of action for raising awareness of child safety, protection and prevention. The Year 6 Student leaders along with class teachers, have planned some special activities and events for the day to help make a positive and memorable learning experience.
On this day, students and parents are encouraged to come dressed wearing something red and bring a gold coin donation. All monies raised will go directly to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. We encourage all families to log onto the Day for Daniel website and utilise some of the incredible resources at home. Our teachers will also be using these resources in the classroom.
Anxiety & Avoidance in Children
*this article was written by Brisbane-based Psychologist Kate McLisky (BPsySc, MAPS)
Everyone experiences anxiety to some degree and a small amount of anxiety is productive. For example, worry about being late can help us to get out of bed in the morning, and worry about our health might help us to make healthier lifestyle choices. These examples of anxiety are very different, however, from the way we have come to view anxiety today. Anxiety becomes problematic when it begins to impair your day-to-day life, and becomes overwhelming or distressing. Anxiety in children can be grouped into four main types:
Social anxiety describes worry about social interactions and usually focuses on others’ judgment of them. Social anxiety is different from shyness, in that it will cause more distress and is characterised by avoidance of social events such as speaking in front of others; going to parties or social events; eating, drinking or writing in front of others or waiting in line.
Separation anxiety is the common and normal fear of being away from parents or carers. Separation anxiety usually begins at around 8 months and reaches its peak around 14-18 months. It usually goes away gradually throughout early childhood, although sometimes continues into middle childhood.
Generalised anxiety includes worry about lots of things: health, schoolwork, school or sports performance, money, parents’ emotional states, personal safety or world events. Children with generalised anxiety may feel the need to be perfect and can be highly critical of themselves when they do not attain their high expectations of themselves.
Specific phobias These commonly include fear of animals, insects, blood, heights, closed spaces, the dark or flying.
Avoidance
Where there is anxiety, there is always avoidance. When an individual feels anxious or uncomfortable, it is natural to attempt to rid oneself of fear. Avoidance happens to be the most effective short-term method of relieving anxiety available to most people. Someone who is afraid of dogs, for example, may feel fear when they see a dog. A natural reaction is to move away from the dog, which will instantly eliminate their fear. In the long-term, however, anxiety will grow each time the person is near a dog and, because the child is not learning that the dog might not be scary and that their anxiety will naturally decrease over time, their fear is validated and reinforced.
How can I help?
Anxiety grows in avoidance in the same way mould grows in the dark and damp! The most effective way to help an anxious child is to allow them to have safe, graduated exposure to the source of their fear until the fear decreases naturally and without avoidance. Small steps towards facing their fear are rewarded and repeated until no anxiety occurs when a stimulus is presented. For example, a child with a phobia of dogs might begin by looking at a picture of a dog, then work toward seeing a dog from a distance, standing near a dog holding a parent’s hand, patting a small or friendly dog on a leash holding a parent’s hand, and finally patting a dog on their own.
Effective treatment of anxiety is available for children and is best supported by a psychologist or counsellor.
Kate enjoys working with children, adolescents, parents, families and adults and is experienced in treating behavioural issues such as anger and aggression, depression anxiety & stress, personality disorders, trauma & abuse, relationship issues and parenting skills training. Kate is comfortable working with children and adolescents with diagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Kate is passionate about working with people of all ages to form meaningful connections and work collaboratively towards achievable goals.
For other helpful articles, see the following link: https://www.childaware.com.au/useful_topics.html
Katrina Valencia
Head of Junior Campus
As the term starts, our Year 12 students are on countdown to the external exams, while for other year levels the Outdoor Education program begins to wrap up for the year. It is our hope that the lessons that are learnt at camps will serve our Year 12 students well as they enter Remote External Assessment Preparation (REAP) next week.
With Year 9 experiencing Mt Binga last term, and our Year 10 and 11 students engaging in camps during the past couple of weeks, I have been reflecting on the importance of Outdoor Education.
- It builds community
Whether it is Mt Binga, or the experiences at Emu Gully, students are motivated to work together in groups, which can improve social skills, as they learn to manage conflicts, communicate, and cooperate with their peers in a more effective manner. At Emu Gully, the groups need to navigate a stretcher up and down challenging surfaces at night in stealth, or the cold and slippery undulations in the Kokoda Challenge. These experiences help to build a sense of “us”—we can do this together. - It raises expectations and standards
During our camping programs, expectations are raised for students. And because of the supportive community and the new exciting setting, students consistently rise to these standards and expectations. The lessons learnt by risk taking in a safe environment, and embracing “growth through challenge” will serve them well in life. - It increases connection
As the students navigate the challenges placed before them, they are connected to the process of being a community, and they feel an increased connection to being part of it. As students sit and reflect together, and look at the stars and affirm each other, or complete projects/challenges, they experience a sense of “we achieved that”. - It builds culture
Cultures share a common language, values, purpose, and connection to a place as a fundamental expression of who they are. The opportunity to chill out around the campfire of an evening is a highlight of the day, and possibly the first time that many students have been truly responsible for their own entertainment without technology. When students recall their experience at Prince of Peace they always mention a camp and how they are proud of working hard, the great outdoors, having fun, and the food—all hallmarks of developed cultures. - It develops positive feelings and memories around school and the outdoors
Students embrace the opportunity to engage in their yearly camp. Thankfully, all of our students have been able to engage in their normal camp, despite the challenges of 2020.
So as our Outdoor Education experiences come to a completion, we affirm our students for their willingness to learn these lessons and embrace the opportunity for both personal and group growth. We wish our students all the best as they embrace the challenges of Term 4.
Michelle Nisbet
Head of Senior Campus
It’s Rocket Science!
Year 9 STEM and Year 10 Physics blasted off on Friday with an incursion from It’s Rocket Science Adventures.
Students explored the fundamentals of aerospace design, reviewed ratios and applied fair testing and STEM tools. ‘Flight Controller’ Patrick monitored radio telemetry to record the flight data from water rocket launches, which used parachute recovery to preserve the microbit recorder.
Junior Campus Sport
Cross Country
Hannes Forbes-Schutz (Year 6) competed in the Queensland Cross Country Championships at Limestone Park in Ipswich on Saturday 5 September and came 11th in the 11yrs Boys age group. He ran his 3km event in 10:40 min and missed out on getting into QLD Merit Team by 1 place (2 seconds).
An awesome effort, Hannes!
Darren Lawrance
Junior Campus PE and Sport
Junior Campus Music News
Junior Band
We’d love to see more members join our Junior Band. It’s a small but enthusiastic group who rehearse each Thursday lunch time. I encourage students learning a woodwind or brass instrument to come along and give it a go!
Choirs
On Friday 13 November, the choirs will be recording a video to showcase the songs they’ve learnt this year. Choir uniforms will be required for this. Please let myself or Mrs Valencia know if you do not have a choir uniform. The t-shirts are available from the uniform shop or School Locker for $35. Long black dress pants can be purchased at Target, K-mart, Lowes etc.
Australian Girl’s Choir
A representative from the AGC visited our school on Monday at 11:30am. Several girls attended the workshop and enjoyed the experience.
Instrumental Showcase Evening
Notes will have been sent home to our instrumental students inviting them to perform at the Instrumental Showcase on Tuesday 3 November. Due to COVID restrictions, numbers are limited so permission forms must be returned by Friday 30 October. This performance is particularly for our upper primary students. If you have not received a notice of this performance opportunity, please let me know.
Lunch Time Concerts
For our younger instrumental students, a number of lunch time concerts will be held in the Music Room. Students may invite friends to watch them perform. I’m happy to video any performance by your child and send it to you. Times to be confirmed asap.
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
Worship
Sunday 18 October
Worship Service 9am
Together@5pm this Sunday
Stationery Aid
Stationery Aid is a volunteer-based, not for profit initiative that collects, sorts, cleans, renews and repacks excess and used stationery items that are in good working condition, to prevent them from going to landfill.
We currently have 215 disadvantaged families across 13 schools in Brisbane North, usually with multiple children that are in need of essentials such as food, clothing and school stationery booklist packs for 2021. We also have a school in North Queensland which will receive a number of our donated stationery packs per grade for those students that commence school without their school stationery packs.
There is a blue Stationery Aid recycling bin located at both the Junior and Senior Campus. If you have stationery items in your household that are no longer required, please send them along to school or drop them into the blue wheelie bin provided at each Campus office.
Defence School Mentor Program
The Defence School Mentor (DSM) Program provides funding to schools to minimise the impact of the mobile lifestyle on Defence students’ education. The DSM Program assists Defence students and their families with changing 
schools, integrating into the school community and providing support during parental absences. This funding provided by the Defence Forces allows for the employment of a DSM to work within the school to raise awareness of the Defence lifestyle and to support students of Defence families.
If you are a Defence family or have served in the past, I encourage you to make contact with Mrs Lyndell Burden to see how she may be able to support you and your family on your journey here at Prince of Peace. Mrs Burden can be contacted via email lburden@princeofpeace.qld.edu.au or via phone on 3872 5700 (Junior Campus) or 3872 5600 (Senior Campus).
Mrs Burden will be working 9am till 4pm on-site on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and will be sharing her time between both the Junior and Senior Campuses as she supports our Defence families across our College.
Uniform Shop
The Uniform Shop is located on the Junior Campus—park opposite reception and follow the signs to the shop under the Year 1 and 2 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 Campus shop is open Tuesdays and Thursdays 8.00am to 10.00am during term times. 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 Wendy will arrange delivery for you.
In addition, The School Locker has a super-store located at 5-6 Burke Crescent, Northlakes, which is open 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and 9.00am to 3.00pm Saturdays. The super store also carries technology items (Apple authorised repairer), stationery, shoes, instrumental and sporting goods, making the trip well worth the visit. Items can also ordered online for pickup or home delivery for a small fee.
Back to School Fittings: We are happy to fit you anytime during shop hours—no appointment required. The School Locker have a 60 day size guarantee—we will refund or exchange any items in shop condition. Our experienced staff also can also advise on the best fit for comfort and value.
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.