Dear Peace Community,

As the 2023 school year comes to a close, I would like to thank the Peace community for a positive and rewarding year. We have prepared a strong foundation for future growth, while also recognising the achievements of our staff and students throughout the year.

I especially would like to thank the College Council, staff, students, and families for their encouragement and support of me as the new Principal of Peace. We are blessed to have a positive and engaging community who have embraced the direction the college is going.

Year 12 Celebrations

At the time of writing, we are in the midst of Year 12's final week of their secondary journey. Celebration Assembly, pastoral farewells, Presentation Ceremony, the Formal and Graduation Ceremony all form a part of this special week. We thank our Graduating Class of 2023 for the contribution they have made to the Peace community and wish them all the best as they commence a new chapter in their lives.

Preparations for 2024

As pointed out in my last newsletter article, we have made some adjustments to our college timetable to provide a simpler, regular routine for our students each week. In addition, we are making some structural changes to our Pastoral Care structure to continue to support student wellbeing.

Our P-5 structure will remain in place, with the Directors of Primary supporting classroom teachers.

Our Year 6/7 students will be supported by Mr Gabriel de Guzman, as our Head of Year 6/7, along with a team of teachers dedicated to our Year 6/7 students.

For our Year 8-12 students, we are moving to a hybrid model of care, with House Co-ordinators supporting a vertical House structure and Head of Year leaders managing the needs of each year group. In addition, we have moved to both a year level and House structure for our Home Groups, with four House Home Groups for each year level. This will make our Home Groups smaller (15-18 students), with a stronger connection for staff, students, and families. More information regarding these adjustments will come out in the coming weeks, with the clear goal of providing greater personalised support and attention for every student.

College’s New Vision, Mission, and Values

Since the beginning of the year, the College Council has undertaken a review of the vision, mission, and values of Peace Lutheran College. These key statements describe who we are, where we are going, and what we hold to be important.

The adjustments preserve much of the original intent from earlier statements produced by the college, with greater clarity on what makes Peace unique and special.

Over the next six to 12 months, the older statements will gradually be replaced with the newly adopted statements below.

VISION - To be a transformational Christian learning community.

MISSION - To be a place of Christian faith and excellence in learning where people are inspired, cared for, and equipped to be active contributors in the world.

TAG LINE - Nurturing hearts. Inspiring minds.

Peace Lutheran College Community Values

• Integrity – To live with humility, forgiveness, and authenticity.
• Excellence – To strive daily for personal best in all dimensions of life.
• Honour – To give dignity and worth to people and place.
• Empathy – To foster a servant heart, with compassion toward others.

Revised Strategic Plan

In addition to the newly adopted Vision, Mission, and Values statements, the College Council has also approved an updated Strategic Plan to give greater clarity on the future direction of the college for the next three years, with clearer strategic objectives. These strategic objectives are divided into five 'essential' objectives and five 'enabler' objectives.

The 'essential' objectives are built around the College’s core business – Mission and Ministry; Teaching and Learning; Student Well-being and Relationships; Beyond the Classroom; and Community and Culture.

The 'enabler' objectives are built around areas of the College that support the College’s core business – Leadership and Governance; Staff and Human Resources; Buildings and Grounds; Business and Finance; and Marketing and Enrolments.

Within each of these objectives are strategic priorities which give a specific focus. These details can be found in the full Strategic Plan document available on our website.

2024 Priorities

Next year, as a part of our Strategic Plan, the College will have a specific focus on three key areas:

• Creative approaches to learning – implementing curriculum initiatives to support differentiation, creativity, and innovation in teaching and learning.
• Cultivating connections - enhancing relationships within the College and fostering partnerships beyond through ongoing embedding of restorative practices, service learning, and building a sense of community.
• Building future capacity – supporting student and staff capacity building in resilience, creativity, and leadership, developing an expanded extra-curricular program that fosters capacity building, and improving administrative efficiencies to support teaching and learning.

We look forward to sharing the journey with you.

Shane Jurecky
Principal

The end of the school year is upon us once more, and it is always a time of great reflection. It is often only when we look back, that we realise just how far we have come, and just how much progress our wonderful students have made. It is not always easy, but often it is at times of challenge when we grow the most.

As we close the year, we would like to extend sincere thanks to everyone within our PLC Community for a great year. Thank you for your feedback, your honesty, your commitment, and your support - all of this is integral to our success. Thank you to:

• our students
• our College families
• our teachers and learning assistants
• our non-teaching staff

Thank you for a great year, and we look forward to working with you all to make 2024 even better.

We wish you all a joyful and refreshing Christmas break.

Grace and peace,

Laura Robinson and Christina Jacobsen
Directors of Primary

Prep Nativity

During the final assembly of the year, our Prep students treated the rest of the Primary School to their own interpretation of the Christmas story. As usual, the Preppies looked stunningly cute, and the songs were full of festive cheer, we were so proud of their bravery in performing in front of an audience for the very first time. Well done Preps!

You can view all the photos from the morning at the Peace Lutheran College Facebook post.

Year 1 PBL - Forces & Motion

The Year 1 students have enjoyed participating in a range of experiments to explore different types of force and motion.

When investigating floating and sinking, they were given a challenge to work in a group to design a boat that would float. The children followed the design process to brainstorm, design, and then create their boat. The last step of the challenge was to test the boats on the water and see which boat could hold the most marbles before sinking. There was much-excited discussion about the shape and design of the three boats that held the most marbles.

The next design task when learning about push and pull motion was to design a balloon racer with a Christmas theme. The students worked independently to design their ultimate racer!

Year 2 - The Science of SOUND

One of the highlights of Term 4 for Year 2 was our new Science unit centred around sound. We had lots of fun conducting experiments and making observations around sound. We found out that not only can you hear sound, but you can also feel it and see it! We made our own guitars out of used tissue boxes, tubes, and rubber bands and everyone had fun taking part in this activity.

At the end of the term, we used what we had learned about how musical instruments make sound – striking, blowing, scraping, and shaking. Students made their own instruments after choosing materials and the method of making sound. We then used these to present ‘Operation Happiness’ as part of our PBL unit and performed ‘Christ the King of Christmas’ by Colin Buchanan for the Year 10 Drama Class as they had performed for us in Term 3. It was a lovely activity, a little noisy at times, but everyone had fun and learned along the way.

Year 3 Science

If the sun is 400 times wider than the moon, why do the sun and the moon look the same size in the sky? This was just one of the questions that Year 3 investigated as part of their unit ‘Spinning in Space’.

Year 4 Christian Studies

Year 4 has been learning about how people serve God and was fortunate to have Mr. Vaughn Woodward come to talk to the students about what he does and why it is so important.

Mr. Woodward works for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), and he told students about what MAF does and stands for. He told students about all the remote places they fly to, like Nepal, PNG, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Cambodia, and Haiti. Students found it very interesting to learn about all the different people and places they help. He also shared many pictures of the hard landing and take-off runways the pilots had to fly on.

Year 5 Leadership

Holloways Beach Education Centre

This term, Year 5 took part in a program at Holloways Beach Outdoor Education Centre, designed to enhance leadership and teamwork skills. Students were challenged to move out of their comfort zone and support others to do the same. Every single student was successful in facing their fears and finding their inner resilience and strength, whilst also being able to lift and support their fellow students. We were incredibly proud of our Year 5 cohort.

Year 5 Mayor

This term Year 5 has been learning about the key values that underpin Australia's democracy and have explored the key features of the electoral process. They have developed their own model town and used the preferential voting system to elect their very own Mayor of Forgotten Island.

Year 6 Visits the Cairns Recycling Centre

On Thursday 26 October, our Year 6 students visited the Cairns Council Waste and Recycling facility. The excursion was linked to their unit on Persuasive Communication, with the recurrent theme of sustainability and leadership also a focus. The aim of the program is to better educate our younger generation in waste and recycling, which seeks to encourage them to make sustainable choices well into the future. Council's Waste Education Program excursion helped our students learn how to reduce and reuse their waste and recycle right. We learned that each and every one of us can play an important role in rethinking what we do with our waste by encouraging others to become instruments of change at school, at home, and when they are out in the community.

Year 6 - $20 Boss

During Term 4, our Year 6 students were involved in an exciting program known as the $20 Boss Project. This initiative allowed students to gain valuable entrepreneurial experience by creating, launching, and operating their own ventures, all with a modest $20 of funding. Market day was amazing, and there was a buzz of excited students, as cars were washed, snacks and goodies were purchased and the smell of the sausage sizzle drifted throughout Primary School. Our Year 6 students were in their element, and not only created a wide range of innovative products and services, but also gained valuable real-world experience, and learned many new skills. Well done Year 6!

Mr Monopoly

Our College was in great suspense as students awaited the arrival of a mystery guest this term. There were many very proud and excited students when they realised that we had been given our very own place on the Monopoly Board Cairns edition. To mark the occasion, students were treated to a sausage sizzle celebration, and two lucky students in every year level won their very own Cairns Edition Monopoly set.

Swimming

Term 4 saw the start of our swimming program at Smithfield Pool. We were incredibly proud not only of the effort put in by our students but also of the compliments that they received in relation to their behavior and attitude whilst at the pool.

Japanese Calligraphy

In Japanese this term many of our students have been learning the skill of brush calligraphy. I think you’ll agree that our Year 4 students have done a great job.

Remembrance Day Art

This year to commemorate Remembrance Day, Primary School took part in the RSL Draw to Remember campaign. Mrs. Watts worked with a number of students to create their own commemorative chalk mural for Remembrance Day. The results were stunning and served as a fitting reminder of the sacrifices that were made.

Instrumental Showcase

This term we were delighted to present to parents and friends, an evening of instrumental entertainment. Coordinated, arranged, and conducted by Ms. Hannah Trotter and Mrs. Stacey Watt, this event allowed our students to showcase their many talents. Performances ranged from solos and duets to collective performances from the Peace Concert Band and more. All who were there had a wonderful evening and we were blown away by the skill, dedication, and professionalism displayed by all of our students.

A very big thank you to those staff who had a hand in pulling our Showcase Evening together. It was an inspirational night for all students and their families.

Voting for 2024 Captains

This term we faced the challenging task of selecting the new Primary School Captains for 2024. We had a record number of students putting themselves forward for these positions, and they all did a fantastic job. Every single one of them presented themselves with dignity and professionalism whilst delivering a speech to their House peers. They were all very credible candidates and they should all be very proud that they had the courage to put themselves forward, and that they did so to such a high standard.

Christmas Concert

As always our Christmas Concert was a joyous occasion where parents and friends were entertained with performances by each Primary school class demonstrating their musical talent. Mrs. Stacey Watt organised and conducted the special day, and everyone embraced the festive cheer.

We also had several special numbers performed by a Primary School dance group, our Peace Concert Band led by Ms. Trotter, and the Primary Choir led by Mrs. Watt.

Thank you, to all involved for their phenomenal efforts in ‘pulling’ this all together. It was a ‘cracker’ of a show!

Head to the Peace Lutheran College Facebook page to view videos of the wonderful student performances from this event.

Primary School Fun Day

After the Primary School Christmas concert, our students all took part in a well-deserved day of fun.

Teachers arranged a carousel of fun activities, and students moved around all of the Primary School classrooms taking part in a different activity in each room. Activities included a Paperchain Challenge, Paper Planes, Trivia Kahoot, a Movie, Christmas Clay Modeling, Sand Art, and a well-needed Recharge Station. It was a fabulous day and was enjoyed by students and teachers alike.

Visit the Peace Lutheran College Facebook post to view all the fun photos from the day.

Presentation Morning

It was an absolute honour for us to host our Primary School Presentation Morning this term. Students from across all year levels of Primary School were recognised for their achievements across the categories of academics, encouragement, sports, instrumental music, service, and leadership. Congratulations to all recipients.

Prep Transition Program

During Term 4, we welcomed our 2024 Prep students into our school as part of our Prep transition program. The children were introduced to their teachers, classrooms, and classmates, while parents were offered weekly information sessions that covered subjects ranging from learning to read, to motor skill development, to how to use our School App and the Parent Portal. We are delighted to welcome these families into our Peace community.

Bump Up Day

The last Monday of Term 4, is referred to as ‘Bump Up’ day here at PLC. On the morning of this day, students move into their next year so they can get a taste of what their classroom and teachers will look like next year.

This is a time of both excitement and nervousness for students and teachers alike, but we hope it will put minds at rest, and allow our students to enjoy their holidays and look forward to the new year ahead. There were definitely lots of smiles on the day, so things are looking good so far!

It was wonderful to see our relaxed and stylish Year 12 students at the Cairns Convention Centre in Week 7. The venue was buzzing with excitement as the graduating seniors and college staff pulled out all the stops to stage a dazzling Formal. The evening began with our glamorous students arriving in all kinds of weird and wonderful modes of transport to a waiting crowd of parental paparazzi.

After enjoying drinks in the atmospheric surroundings of the foyer and engaging in some professional photo opportunities, the guests were seated in the beautifully decorated conference room. All enjoyed a wonderful evening. The location and effort put into the presentations made for a very enjoyable night. A huge thank you to all the students and staff who gave up considerable amounts of their time to make it happen.

Ms. Potts, Ms. Allen, and her Year 12 student team warrant a particular mention for the wonderful week of retreat activities, awards ceremony, and celebrations culminating in the brilliant graduation send-off.

2023 Graduation

Our Year 12 students graduated in a very moving chapel of celebration and reflection. Some wonderful music and readings followed student tributes. Finally, the graduating students took the opportunity to thank their family, friends, and College staff who have supported them over the years with floral tributes.

In their final week, students made the most of their remaining time together. They provided lunch for all secondary students as well as staging a Year 12 students staff breakfast. This was followed by an opportunity to access some solid advice from Queensland Fire & Emergency Services (QFES) through their “RAAP” program.

Boarding students had time to spend some quality time with their families, some of whom had travelled considerable distances to be in attendance at the events.

The final week for Year 12 is an opportunity for our graduates to reflect on their time here and thank everyone in the school community who has helped them along the way.

QFES Road Safety Presentation 2023

Queensland Fire & Emergency Services delivered a presentation on campus to the Year 12 students as part of the final week activities. A senior officer spoke to the students about staying safe on the road as a young and inexperienced driver. This timely message was equally important for those students who are passengers of friends with newly acquired licenses.

Good luck and God bless our graduates of 2023.

Peter Cummings
Director of Secondary

I would like to congratulate our newly elected College Captains for 2024 and I am very much looking forward to working with them next year.

• Mark Carpenter (Service)
• Atlanta Escott (Culture)
• Elisha Kilderry (Academics)
• Ella Nulley (Sport)

Our Year 11 Biology students enjoyed the opportunity to get out into nature at Holloways Beach Environmental Centre in Week 6 for a 2-day field trip. Students spent time gathering samples and taking measurements in the Mangroves to provide valuable data for their assessments next year, as they begin their summative units of study.

The students enjoyed the opportunity to cruise up the riverine ecosystem with the expert guidance of HBEC staff - the area boasts a myriad of wildlife to enjoy as well as a peaceful oasis to relax in. Students competed in Bird Spotting Bingo in between collecting water sample readings, a modest size crocodile was also part of the itinerary.

Students in Year 11 have now completed the full course of Religion and Ethics, allowing them to move to six subject lines in Year 12. To support continued spiritual growth, the College will provide spiritual retreat opportunities for students in Years 11 and 12 during 2024. We are excited about the possibilities to reset, recharge, ask big questions, and explore the ways that God can be at work in people’s lives.

Students in Year 10 have completed the first two units of Religion and Ethics, and it is pleasing to see that some students have elected to study Religion and Ethics as a formal subject in Year 11.

Here are some photos of recent artworks that were created to respond to the focus question: How can I have an active appreciation for the religious and cultural differences of others?

The artist's statements have been very enlightening, highlighting a healthy respect for all people and their beliefs, while acknowledging why it is important for a person to not feel as though they need to give up what they believe when doing so.

Juanita Eime

Director of Culture

Led by Mrs. Cummings, the Environment Group recently engaged in extensive planting in an effort to enhance the Technology area surrounds. The group members have done a fantastic job through the year beautifying the school grounds, recycling school waste, and setting a fine example of service to our community. We are always looking for new recruits to continue the good work, and participation in such initiatives always provides positive comments for job references and other applications.

Any students who are interested in joining PLC's Environment Group in 2024 should speak with Mrs. Cummings.

Congratulations to Cathryn (Milyn House), Naomi and Marianna (Heiwa House), Tyson (Frieden House), and Heinz (Mari Mari House), our newly elected Boarding House leaders for 2024.

Our Boarders’ Christmas dinner was a beautiful opportunity to gather with the amazing support staff who have kept Peace Boarding humming along in 2023. We are grateful for you all.

Wishing all our Boarding students and their families a safe and blessed time over the Christmas season.

As the year draws to a close, I want to thank all families for working in partnership with the College to support their children to grow and flourish. Parent engagement and feedback are important aspects of our journey together as a community of faith and excellence in learning. This year, by working in partnership with families, and by keeping communication open, we have been able to:

• Improve student overall attendance rates across the College
• Provide onsite and online ways to discuss student progress and wellbeing
• Discuss ways to work restoratively to resolve conflict and repair broken relationships
• Celebrate together the gifts and talents of our students involved in performances, concerts, and sporting events
• Identify meaningful ways to support individual students
• Provide regular worship services at the College during term time, inviting the Boarding students and wider community to join us

For each person who has come to an event on campus this year, thank you. For those families who have interacted with us online or via phone calls, thank you for your time to do so. In 2024, we look forward to more opportunities to welcome families to visit our beautiful campus or make connections online, as we continue building stronger partnerships.

We believe that parent involvement at school matters, and are excited to work in partnership with families:

You may like to view this short clip about why parent involvement at school matters.

Each day, we value the strong, long-lasting relationships we are building with our families. A highlight for this year, we had 16 students in Year 12 who graduated this year and have journeyed with the College since Prep. Congratulations to all Year 12 students and families. It was a pleasure to meet with many of you during the graduation week and hear your positive stories of special moments at the College. We are proud of each graduate; who you are and who you are becoming. We pray that you will use your God-given gifts and talents in service to others as alumni of the College, and we look forward in anticipation to hearing more about your story in the future.

Juanita Eime
Director of Culture

Our first year of partnership with Real Schools has provided opportunities for rich discussion with staff, students, and families about what it looks like when someone in the community makes a mistake. Our expert facilitator, Kirsty Lush, has visited the College three times throughout the year to provide specific and targeted professional development for a range of staff members including teachers, teacher aides, administration staff, Boarding supervisors, and bus drivers. We also welcomed parents to the College and online for our first restorative practices information session.

Restorative practices are a way of interacting with others that can be beneficial in the home environment. Kirsty Lush will be revisiting the College to provide whole-college professional development in January. There will also be further parent information sessions about restorative practices and video resources released during 2024.

_{Graphic Notes by Laura Chow Reeve / Radical Roadmaps}

A restorative approach is a relational way to build a healthy and strong community where we acknowledge that all people make mistakes and we can have complex conversations around what to do next. This year, we have actively addressed the following areas:

• Relationships – Strong relationships are needed to effectively work and learn together as a community. We acknowledge that relationships can be damaged or broken through the actions or words of others. We seek to support students and families to work through each situation in a respectful way while exploring the relationships involved.
• Respect – Each person (and family) is unique and deeply valued within our community. Each person involved is to be shown respect, even when they have made a mistake. We take time to understand the hurt that may have been caused by a person’s words and/or actions, and we work with all involved to explore and discuss ways to work respectfully and positively within the community.
• Responsibility – Acknowledging the breakdown of relationships and the ways a person’s words and/or actions impact how a person perceives they have been disrespected then allows for responsibility to be taken. In many cases, we work with young people who have made a mistake that they deeply regret because they can see the impact on another person. Taking responsibility for what has occurred means that the person is willing to change their behaviour and communicate a respectful resolution that starts to build relationships and uplifts the other.
• Repair – In our discussions with young people who make mistakes, we seek to fix the situation in a fair way that meets the needs of all. Each context is different, yet the process and the expectation of being respectful towards each other remains. In some cases, natural consequences will be in place for actions and/or words that have impacted another person or group. In all cases, we ask those involved to think about and articulate some “I will…” statements. An example is, “I will play fairly by the rules when we play so you can feel safe to join in”, or, “I will stop doing/saying [ACTION/WORDS] because I now understand how it was upsetting you and not showing you respect that you deserve”.
• (Education) – As part of a community of faith and excellence in teaching and learning, we provide opportunities for all members of our community to learn about ourselves and consider how our words and actions impact others. In some cases, students will be asked to attend additional support and education sessions to understand in greater detail the impact of their actions on themselves or others. These education sessions are a crucial step to support young people to avoid repeating the behaviour and receiving the help and support they need to do and be better within our community.
• Restore – As a community that views each person as loved and valued by God, we seek to restore relationships to a point where all people can genuinely respect each other. The people involved in the restorative process are asked to agree on ways to move into a positive and productive future as members of the College community. This step is designed to ensure that we don’t keep dragging up what has happened, as a source of shame or dragging down, but focus on the commitments made within the “I will…” statements, which showed each person’s willingness to value and respect each other.
• Deterrent – After working through this process, it is now very clear what the College's expectations for behaviour and respectful relationships are. Therefore, should the young person choose to continue the behaviour, they are showing by their words and/or actions that they do not value being part of the community.

The benefits this year of exploring a restorative practices approach have been reduced external suspensions and increased educational sessions for students in both Primary School and Secondary School on a range of behavioural topics. We are finding that students appreciate the personalised support given to work through big and small mistakes made with supportive adults, and students demonstrate greater openness to considering how to make things better for all involved when they can see and understand another’s perspective.

The students and families involved in formal restorative sessions this year have given us valuable feedback about what works well and ways we can improve the ways we communicate about the ways we work restoratively.

Here are some images from education sessions designed to increase emotional literacy. Students were given a deck of cards featuring facial expressions associated with particular emotions. After quite a lot of discussion, these images were sorted. Further discussion occurred about which emotions were positive (motivating to do something good) or negative (holding a person back or at risk of behaving in an inappropriate way). The students resorted to the images to identify three groups. One of the students stated, “The emotions in the middle could make you feel positive or negative, depending on what you do next”.

As we journey into 2024, we hope that our communication around what we are trying to achieve as a restorative and relational school provides greater confidence for parents and caregivers as we work in partnership to support all learners.

We look forward to inviting families to join us for additional parent information sessions about restorative practices.

Juanita Eime
Director of Culture

End-of-year celebrations and rituals are important for our community. We have been blessed to welcome many families onto campus to celebrate significant milestones for all students across the College K – 12.

The gifts and talents of our students were on display at the recent Instrumental Music Showcase evening, Prep Nativity chapel, Primary Christmas concert, Year 9 RITE Journey Graduation, Primary and Secondary Presentation events, and Year 12 graduation events, all of which highlighted the God-given gifts and talents of our students across varying ages. Thank you to all staff for your dedication and time to support and attend these special occasions which provide enriching opportunities for our students. It was a joy to see so many families join us for these key events.

Did you know? Playing a musical instrument in a band or ensemble, or taking part in a concert or performance with a group of peers, helps students to:

• Develop an awareness of self and others
• Develop listening skills and patience
• Develop an ability to complement and work with others
• Develops a strong sense of belongingness
• Develop self-discipline
• Develop self-confidence to try something new

Congratulations to all students who have tried something new this year, or who have continued to practice and refine an existing skill or talent.

At the end of Term 3, students had the opportunity to enrich their cultural awareness by traveling to Japan (language and culture) or New Zealand (ski trip). Both of these international tours were supported by staff members who gave up their time during the school holidays to support our students to have an enriching experience by traveling to a different country. It is said that travel is the only thing that you spend money on that makes you richer. While on the Japan trip, students practiced their Japanese skills, became further aware of social norms within another country, and represented the College well. Some students had maintained their connections with students from Japan who had visited the College and organised to meet with the students when we were in Kyoto.

Many of our Secondary School students had the adventure of a lifetime over the September school holidays, flying across the ditch to enjoy the wonders of New Zealand. The intrepid crew went jet-boating in Waimakariri Gorge, visited the significant Quake City museum in Christchurch, went ice-skating, and even had time for some shopping! Even in downtime, they were amazed by the stunning scenery in what is definitely a beautiful part of the world.

The Year 12s surprised us on Monday of Week 7 with some minor disruption as part of their “Muck Up Day”. The Peace Centre was suitably “tipped” and for the first year in a long time, we had an impressive Year 12 cohort banner displayed from the senior secondary buildings. Thank you, Year 12s for making your last week fun, safe, and a great way to finish the year.

This year, students have had rich opportunities during their Pastoral Care lessons to explore emotional literacy and develop personal and social skills. We have had a particular focus on increasing vocabulary associated with emotions to support students in articulating how they are feeling with greater detail and clarity. Have you seen an emotions wheel?

There are many more emotions that people experience and we recognise that emotions and combinations of emotions are complex. In 2024, we will continue to work with all members of our community to build further emotional literacy. To read more about the emotions wheel.

One activity that can be implemented at home or when travelling in the car during the holidays is ‘emotion word tennis’. How to play: One person starts with a word to label an emotion, and the next person says a new word. The pair keep swapping words for emotions until either a person is unable to think of a new word or an emotion word is accidentally repeated.

How many words labelling emotions can your family identify over the summer break?

Four ways to play:

• Words for emotions only, one at a time, like a game of tennis
• Words for emotions, the other person tries to show an appropriate facial expression each time
• Challenge: A word for an emotion is stated, and the other person makes a statement about when a person may feel this way (The ‘why’). Learn more about this challenge.
• Consider ranking the words to label emotions. Which ones would be at the top or bottom of a list? Why? Can you add new and interesting words to describe emotions to the list? Learn more here.

“When something works and lovely things happen” was the description given by a teacher working in the pastoral care space recently. Students were encouraged to record inspirational messages for each other as encouragement to finish the year well.

In 2024, we will refer to these specific cohort classes with a different title, rather than Pastoral Care. This name change will reflect that ‘pastoral care’ is something we do all the time for people who are part of a Lutheran school community. Pastoral care for each individual within our community is the “expression of a caring partnership between the school community (students, staff, families), the Christian church and the wider community. It integrates the academic, social, emotional and spiritual dimensions so that an environment of care pervades the entire school community.

Pastoral care encompasses three important elements: emotional support, behaviour management and restorative practices and structured curriculum time for social, emotional and spiritual development and service.

Pastoral care is central to the culture of Lutheran education as it actively supports its mission and ministry. It permeates all aspects of life in the school or Early Childhood Service and builds genuine community.” (Lutheran Education Australia, 2023).

In 2024, if your child notices a new space on their timetable labelled as a “new subject” with a name they don’t recognise, it could well be that this is the new name we have chosen to reflect the sessions that focus on personal and social development skills for each cohort.

Have you visited the Learning Centre to view the Lego Emotions Minifig? Students in Primary School earlier this year were able to work with Mrs Marcelle Humphries to articulate new words for emotions that people can feel. The face on the Lego Emotions Minifig can move to show a different emotion. Supporting young children to recognise facial expressions and interpret how a person may be feeling can allow them to respond more appropriately in a range of situations.

During a session on empathy, students articulated different ways they want to see empathy lived out in the College community. There are so many ways to care for others in our community, and this discussion provided much food for thought about what students experience. One of my favourite responses on this page was similar to the Bible verse, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Luke 6:31; Matthew 7:12). As a Christian community, we deeply care about the experiences of others and want the best for them. This is something very special about our community.

Each term, Pastor Adam provides a mini-retreat for staff across the College. The theme for Term 4 included a focus on the names of the four candles of an Advent wreath: Love, Joy, Peace, and Hope.

Staff had an opportunity to reflect on each of these themes and respond to open-ended questions after reading short Bible passages. Sometimes, there was collective discussion and sometimes there were moments for quiet contemplation and prayer. Thank you, Pastor Adam, for providing the staff team an opportunity to take time out to reconnect, reflect, and refocus. It was powerful to be able to light a candle for peace and take time to pray for those experiencing hardship and conflict of any kind.

At the time of writing this, it’s almost ‘Black Friday’ which is November 23^rd. Black Friday has become a more well-known event in Australia over recent years. You have no doubt heard about it from all the ads in the media and social media, as nearly every retail business is having a Black Friday sale.

While it is now a worldwide thing, it started in the United States. The day after Thanksgiving in America begins the unofficial “holiday shopping season,” the time of year when retailers move from operating “in the red” and at a loss, to operating “in the black” and making a profit. Stores offer crazy low prices to lure customers in, hoping they will in turn spend a lot of money on gifts.

Obviously, there is the temptation to spend too much, regardless of bargains and sales. And we need to remember that while God blesses us with our wealth and means, “a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15), and “it is better to give than to receive “(Acts 22:35).

We might be able to get bargains on the commercialised Black Friday, but there is another “Black Friday”, a day when the greatest price is paid for the greatest gift ever given. These days we call it “Good Friday” but it is also known as the original Black Friday. 2000 years ago, an innocent man gave His life so that others might live. Jesus, God the Son, left His heavenly home to be born into an ordinary family and live an ordinary life in an ordinary town until He began His extraordinary ministry on earth. For three years, He healed the hurting, taught those who would listen, and preached the Truth to all. The conclusion of His time on earth was paying the price for the sins of the world, past, present, and future, and providing the gift of eternal life to any who receive it. In a word, He paid the debt that we owe, a debt we were powerless to pay.

Now that is something to be thankful for, and something worth celebrating at Christmas time and for all time.

Thank You, Lord, for paying the debt we owe. Thank You for rising from the dead in victory, giving us the opportunity to live in victory. May we keep You as our focus in the days and weeks to come, and be ever ready to share the real reason for the season.

God bless,

Pastor Adam

Each year, Peace Lutheran College supports a number of appeals and charitable organisations and we invite members of the College community to support these causes as they are able. This year we are again encouraging the support of the Salvation Army and Australian Lutheran World Service. Any assistance given to either of the appeals is greatly appreciated.

Salvation Army – Christmas Giving Tree

Peace Lutheran College is continuing the tradition of the Christmas Giving Tree. Members of the school community are invited to donate a new toy, gift, or items of food, to be placed under our Christmas tree in the Administration office. These will be passed on to the Salvation Army’s Christmas Gift Appeal and will be given to needy families within Cairns.

The Christmas Tree has been decorated by students and is on display in the front office of the Admin building. Donations can be brought to the front office before the end of the day on Friday 1^st of December, which is the last day of the school year for students. The families in need that benefit from our donations and the work of the Salvation Army are very grateful to receive these items just prior to Christmas Day.

Australian Lutheran World Service – Gifts of Grace

You are also encouraged to support the Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) through their “Gifts of Grace” program. Catalogues are available from the Administration office and the catalogue can also be viewed, and donations made, online. There are many gifts, some under $10, that will make a lasting difference to families and communities overseas that the Lutheran Church is supporting through ALWS.

Trinity Lutheran Church in Cairns invites everyone to attend their Christmas services. Christmas Eve service will be at 6:00 pm Saturday 24^th December, and Christmas Day service will be at 8:00 am Sunday 25^th December.

Peace Lutheran College had four teams playing in the JSS grand finals this year. Congratulations to our boys' Touch Football, boys' Basketball, and AFL teams who were all victorious in Division 1.

Our girl's Basketball team also put in a great performance but unfortunately went down in a close encounter. A big thanks to Freshwater Christian College and St Augustine’s for allowing some of their students to play in our boy's Basketball, girl's Basketball, and AFL teams. Well done to all of the students involved and a huge thank you must go to their coaches; Mr Atkins, Mr Fernandez, Mr Wilkinson, and Mrs MacDermott.It has been another great season of JSS and we say congratulations and well done to all of our students from all of our PLC teams who played with heart throughout this season.

Thank you to all of our dedicated coaches who have supported and mentored these students throughout the season.

Alex Collins
Secondary School Sports Coordinator

The end of the year is nearly here and the Learning Centre is busier than ever. Stocktake time is upon us and we would kindly request all library and textbooks be promptly returned as soon as possible. The only exceptions are current Year 11 students with Year 12 textbooks.

Exciting news this month in the E-book/ Audiobook realm - our online portal, Wheelers, has launched new Decodable and Levelled Readers. This is a great resource for all our students and parents over the holidays and throughout the year.

Have you ever wondered which are the most popular books in the Learning Centre? And, who is the Learning Centre's 'super reader'?

• Top borrower - Emily, Year 4 - 188 books borrowed
• The most popular author - Dav Pilkey - 443 times issued

Miss Marcelle and Miss Tracey would like to thank you for your support in 2023 and we wish everyone a blessed Christmas and look forward to seeing you all in 2024.

PLEASE NOTE: In the event of unforeseen circumstances the above events and associated dates may be subject to change. Please check the Peace Lutheran College website or School App  for the most up-to-date calendar information.

The College has a team of dedicated staff who, together, look out for the pastoral care needs of our students. The Student Welfare Officer may provide support to students over a designated period of time, however, if a student requires ongoing and extensive support, the Student Welfare Officer will liaise with external agencies for further assistance as necessary. It should be clarified that the role of our Student Welfare Officer is not one of a ‘School Counsellor’ and that as a College, we are unable to provide ongoing counselling support.

Meeting with the Student Welfare Officer is via appointment or in emergency situations as the need arises. Our preferred referral process is for parents to please make contact with their child’s Home Group or Classroom Teacher as the initial point of contact. This allows us to consider ways we can best provide appropriate support as a school.

There are a number of community organisations we would recommend as services that may be able to assist you further:

General Practitioner – In many cases, speaking with a GP is the most beneficial first step. Your family GP will be able to assist with advice or appropriate referral avenues and support.

• Family and Child Connect (Ph: 13 32 64)
• Headspace Cairns (Ph: 4041 3780) – Youth Mental Health Centre & Services
• Centacare FNQ (Ph: 4044 0130)
• Relationships Australia (Ph: 1300 364 277)
• Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800)
• Beyond Blue – Anxiety, depression and suicide prevention support
• eSafety Commissioner

We strive to keep you informed through open, efficient communication. The Peace Lutheran College School App, Facebook and Instagram pages are regularly updated with news, events and important notices.

Peace Lutheran College acknowledges the Yirrganydji & Djabugay People, Traditional Custodians of the land in which we live and work. We pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging for they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hopes of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.