No Images? Click here Dear Friend of PLC World Kindness DayThe date decreed for World Kindness Day is 13 November (yesterday). The purpose of World Kindness Day is to look beyond ourselves, beyond the boundaries of our country, beyond our culture, our race, our religion; and realise, we are citizens of the world. Human KindnessIn the last week, much of the East Coast of Australia has battled horrendous bushfires. We have been witness to numerous acts of human kindness that have played out in the news and on social media. We have seen people welcome strangers into their homes, neighbours fighting fires to save each other’s homes, people comforting those who have lost everything they own, and others grieving with friends who have lost family members. Looking Beyond OurselvesAs a School, our own thoughts and prayers are with the thousands of people whose lives are currently being impacted and whose homes remain under threat. If there was a time this year to look beyond ourselves and our own borders, it is right now. German writer and statesman, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, once described kindness as ‘the golden chain by which society is bound’. This seems quite fitting, as so many communities have required that golden chain. We all have things that really matter to us and resonate with our personal values. For me, the very simple concept of ‘kindness’ is something that has always been important to me, as a person and a teacher working with young people. Before you speak, ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid. What Does It Mean To 'Be Kind'?As simple a concept as it is, the older I become, the more I realise that it is not always so simple to define. Does it mean to be nice to other people? Does it mean to make other people happy? Does it mean to do the right thing and ‘good’ things as often as possible? When I was young, I thought that it was all of these things. As I have grown older and gained more experience in life, I have learnt that it means so much more. Treating Ourselves With KindnessI have learnt that kindness doesn’t just relate to how we treat or behave towards others, it actually starts with how we treat ourselves. As much as I thought as a young person that it was, being kind is not the same as being ‘nice’ – at times being kind actually means disappointing people. Sometimes being kind is hard. Kindness is also rooted in empathy and compassion. Kindness is finding compassion and understanding for where another person might be in their life and their journey. It's also about having self-compassion and understanding where you are in your own life and journey. To show empathy and kindness to another person,
we must be able to show it to ourselves. Noise During Pick-Up and Drop-OffSpeaking of kindness, please be kind to our Year 12s as they write exams by keeping the noise down during pick-ups and drop-offs. - Cate Begbie, Principal Sophie (Year 12) is Raising Awareness for Organ DonationAcross Australia, many families are waiting for a suitable organ match to come up for a loved one. The wait is usually somewhere between six months and a couple of years, or, too often than not, it doesn’t come at all. Illness can come out of nowhere; it can be sudden and unexpected, and can happen to someone who is otherwise very healthy. My mother became inexplicably ill in 2011 and has undergone two heart transplants now; one in 2012 and the other a couple of weeks ago. I am trying to raise awareness around organ donation in Australia and encourage more people to sign up as donors by sharing my experience with illness in a family and what a miracle it is when a donor is found. Read my story here. If you are willing to register as a donor, click here and make a monumental difference in someone's life. It only takes 30 seconds to sign up! - Sophie Michael, PLC Year 12 Student Junior School End of Year AssemblyDate: Monday 9 December Senior School Speech NightDate: Thursday 12 December Peppermint Grove Carols by CandlelightDate: Sunday 15 December Please note that all parent events are listed in the Communications & Engagement section of Links. Dealing With DisappointmentNext week, we will be informing students and parents of their classes for 2020, in preparation for Orientation Day. This is a very exciting time for the students, however, some will possibly be disappointed or upset. As parents, it is important to guide and support the girls as best as we can. How we model the response to disappointment will teach our children much about how to respond when faced with disappointment in the future. We all want our children to demonstrate resilience and grit when faced with adversity, and must model this to them as parents and guide them through any such challenges. In this instance, you may speak to your daughter about the benefits of a new class environment, and how change is an important part of growing up. The classes have been created using the students' ‘friendship lists', as well as the invaluable knowledge of the class teachers and Junior School Deputies, Learning Enrichment Co-ordinator, Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator and Junior School Psychologist. Orientation DayOrientation Day on Friday 22 November will be a wonderful day where the students get to know their new teachers, as well as fellow students. We are looking forward to this lovely day! - Richard Wright, Head of Junior School Junior School Orientation DayDate: Friday 22 November Chapel Years 2 to 6 – hosted by Class 5HDate: Wednesday 20 November Pre-Primary NativityDate: Wednesday 27 November Year 6 Final AssemblyDate: Friday 29 November Junior School End of Year AssemblyDate: Monday 9 December Transitioning to Senior School'No', I said firmly at the suggestion of starting school. 'I won’t go!' As the youngest of four sisters who were already at school, my mornings, thus far, had been spent blissfully enjoying tea and scones and the uninterrupted attentions of my mother. My heart pounded as I was dropped at the classroom to start my formal education, but I was having none of it and set about planning my escape. The window of the little village school was just low enough to climb out and, once free, I set off home for tea, scones and a much-needed hug. My plan would have been far more successful if my best friend, Joanne, hadn’t caught her skirt in the window, alerting the teacher to our great escape. The transition to Senior School was another destabilising moment for my young self, as I tried to forge an identity marred by my three older sisters who had gone before me. Now, many years later, I find myself examining my own school experiences while contemplating potential transition anxieties of our future Year 7s. Early adolescence marks the beginning of huge social, emotional and physical changes that form part of the journey of maturing from a child to adulthood. M.J. Elias wrote an article entitled 'Transitioning to Middle School (2002)' in which he notes that ‘each transition during adolescence represents a rite of passage’. The move from Junior School to Senior School does not always get the attention that it deserves. This transition is a very important phase of students' lives and can significantly add to the confusion they are already experiencing due to the social, emotional and physical changes of adolescence. Starting Senior School can present a number of new challenges; different teachers for each subject, more homework, more assessments, tougher behavioral standards, organising lockers, changes of uniform, peer pressures, and lots of places to get lost. Develop Me HubAs a team, the Develop ME Hub has researched a significant body of literature regarding transitioning, as well as reflected on personal experiences. This has deepened our understanding of what the girls will go through during this time. PLC's Transition ProgrammePLC provides an environment for students to develop socio-emotional skills, build relationships, and develop a sense of belonging within their new surroundings. The Transition Programme helps students to gain the necessary skills they require to navigate their own individual ‘rite of passage’ and the three-day programme is designed to assist them (and their parents) in acclimatising to life in the Senior School. It includes a friendship programme, a resilience ‘kit’ gifted by our current Year 7 students, a timetable tour, understanding our character strengths, email etiquette, using Outlook Calendar and House Tutor Group activities. Henry Ford said 'Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realise this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward' (Henry Ford Quotes, n.d.). With careful thought and planning, transitioning from Junior School to Senior School can provide so many positive experiences for our incoming students. Develop ME Hub Day - 28 NovemberOn Thursday 28 November, our Year 7 and Year 8 students will take part in the Develop ME Hub Day. Ms Cavallaro and Ms Jones have been working with the girls to create Resilience Kits, which they will gift to our new Year 7s at the start of Term 1 2020. The idea behind the 'kit’ is for our current Year 7s to pass on some valuable advice and support on how to transition to Senior School. Following this activity, the girls will be reviewing their Personal Learning Plans, reflecting on their progress this year, and thinking about goals they wish to achieve next year. Ms Raja-Snijder and Ms Brandenburg have organised the House Tutors to meet with each student in Year 8 to reflect on their Personal Learning Plans, to acknowledge their achievements in reaching their goals and to contemplate possible goals they would like to set for next year. During Period 5, the girls will take part in Bubble Bash and Tabloid Sports on the Oval, and during Period 6, there will be a very special Year Meeting in the Lighthouse to celebrate their time in the Develop ME Hub and wish them well as they transition into Year 9. Victoria Kelleher, Deputy Head of Senior School – Years 7 & 8 Student AchievmentsThe Ipswich Poetry Festival is an annual poetry writing competition giving poets of all ages the opportunity to compete for over $6,500 in prizes. This year, three PLC girls were short-listed for prizes: Hunter Smith (Year 12), Allegra Pestell (Year 12) and Helen Lovegrove (Year 10). Helen Lovegrove (Year 10) was also awarded third prize in the Queensland Times Award for her poem ‘To Split A Pomegranate’. Three PLC girls have qualified for the National All Schools Athletics Championships!
Congratulations, girls.
Device-Free Nights ChallengeLast term, PLC girls were invited to take part in our Device-Free Nights Challenge during eSmart Week. This prompted many discussions at school and at home about the use of personal devices at night and the potential implications on wellbeing. A total of 74 girls took part in the challenge across the Junior School and Senior School, with the total of device-free nights reaching 439. In the Junior School, Year 1 had the highest percentage of participants, and in the Senior School, the highest number of participants came from Year 10 McNeil. Thanks to our generous community sponsors, this effort by the girls has resulted in a combined donation of $200 for Headspace, to support youth mental health initiatives. 2020 Year 10 Quest Programme & Year 9 Innovation Project LaunchThe current Year 9 students will soon have the exciting opportunity to select their nominated Quest programme for 2020. The Quest programmes offer a wonderful opportunity for students to learn beyond the walls of the School campus. Each option offers students many opportunities to learn about themselves, others, and the world around them. The experiences will build resilience, independence, interdependence, and for overseas ventures, cultural awareness and international mindedness. We have scheduled the Quest Information Evening for Year 9 students and parents to be on the same evening as the Year 9 Innovation Project Launch. The event will be held on Thursday 21 November, in the Beth Blackwood Senior School. The Quest Information segment will run from 6.00 pm – 7.25 pm, followed by the Innovation Project from 7.30 pm – 8.30 pm. It is compulsory for students to attend both events. During the Quest Information session there will be two presentations on each of the Quest programmes on offer in 2020. After the Quest evening, students will go online and submit their top three preferences in order of which programme they would most like to participate in. By the end of term, students and parents will be advised of their successful 2020 Quest programme. Extensive details on each programme offered in 2020 is available on the Student and Parent Connect (SEQTA). Year 9 2020 Canberra TourPLC, in conjunction with Scotch College, is conducting an optional tour to Canberra during the Term 2 July School Holidays (Friday 3 July to Saturday 11 July 2020). This tour has been structured to have both an educational and recreational component. The educational component of the tour has been designed to support the Civics and Citizenship unit of inquiry covered in the Year 9 Humanities course. Principal's AssemblyDate: Friday 15 November Cooking for A Cause - Year 9 Family Service ProjectDate: Thursday 21 November Quest Information Evening & Innovation Project Pitch - Year 9sDate: Thursday 21 November The Performing Arts ShowcaseDate: Thursday 28 November PLC Parents Pastoral CareOur Pastoral Care Co-ordinator, Tammy Edwards would like to pass on a huge thank you to the PLC community for their support with pastoral care. The families have been amazing with their help and support to families in need. We would like to thank Tammy Edwards who has been the PLC Parents Pastoral Care Co-ordinator for the last three years and has done a fabulous job. In 2020, we welcome Junior School parent, Jackie Lee to the role and wish her well! PLC Parents Annual MeetingThe PLC Parents Annual Meeting was held last week. Thank you to everyone who played a volunteer role in 2019. From the Executive, to Year Group Representatives and Open Garden Day volunteers, your time and effort ensures that our PLC support network continues to build. The minutes of the meeting can be found here. The new Executive for 2020 has been elected and includes the following: Executive
Other
We are currently seeking a Junior School Parent Representative Co-ordinator. If you are interested in this role please contact Melinda Hayes or Kate McGee. We are also seeking expressions of interest from parents for the roles of Parent Year Representatives. If you are interested in taking on these roles for 2020, please contact your current Year Reps or Gill Fairweather gillfairweather@me.com by the end of the term. Farm2Fork 2020Farm2Fork will be taking place on March 14 2020 and planning is well underway. Should any parents or wider PLC community members wish to participate as a donor, volunteer or cook/chef, please contact Michelle Barrett on the details below. Michelle Barrett, Chair - PLC Parents Year 7 End of Year Parent FunctionDate: Friday 22 November |