In this issue

It has been wonderful to see students and families return for the new academic year. During our orientation program, senior students have been challenged to think about their goals for the year ahead and to make some practical applications in getting organised to start the year off strongly. As we are well into the second week of Term, all seniors should have established a nightly study and revision routine, which will assist in the busy weeks ahead.

Academic success is not simply to do with ones intellectual ability but has much to do with a well-developed study skills. Setting up and maintaining effective routines for study habits to take place is key for the start of the year.  For some senior students, the problem can be in organising themselves to use their time in a structured and planned manner.

We ask that parents continue to offer assistance by encouraging your child to talk through their goals and to make use of both a diary (electronic or paper version) and to develop a study planner. Parents can also assist greatly by ensuring that their child has a dedicated workspace for study. A regular study area then becomes a recognised space that students can withdraw to by habit, where they can settle down quickly to organised and effective study. Students are encouraged to only have items on desks that relate to their study, keeping it clear of other gear which may cause distractions.

Senior students have been encouraged to use their diaries on a daily basis, for keeping track of important dates. This year’s booklist recommended the “myHomework Student Planner”  APP. This is optional, however, all students must have some form of personal diary.

Other areas to assist with being organised include:

• Subject Websites

Weekly Overviews + Due Dates + Resources

• Year level Assessment Schedules

A snapshot of due dates emailed home early in each term. Please note, this can be subject to change.

• Senior College Calendar

For live and up-to-date information on assessment and key dates, accessible through your child’s account.

Recently, an outline of the before, during and after school tutorial sessions was emailed to families and students. These include a variety of free programs run by secondary staff who are passionate about supporting student learning.

Secondary Tutoring Program 2020

There are parental permission forms that need returning, for before or after school workshops. One of the many and varied workshops is our Zenith Club, run on a Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon and coordinated by Miss Abby Dixon. Zenith Cub is supervised by a variety of teachers. Your child may request to have a particular teacher meet at Zenith, when requiring extra support.

Year 10 and Year 11 students are able to request a change of subject up until Friday 14^th February, after which subjects are locked in for the semester. If your child is feeling unsure about their academic pathway, please encourage them to speak with Mrs Hudson (Vocational Education & Training Officer), their Pastoral Care (PC) teacher, Abby Dixon (Year 10 Coordinator) or myself. We are passionate about senior students knowing there are options and to be in a pathway that matches their interest, skillset and ability – so they can work towards their God given potential.

I trust that your child has had a positive start to the new school year. If your child needs any assistance in organising a study schedule, please encourage them to see their Pastoral Care teacher or myself. It is important that there is a balance between academic demands, involvements in extra-curricular activities as well as time for relaxation and enjoyment.

If you have any questions or concerns about Senior College I would be very happy to meet and talk in person. Please make contact through the College office or via email at: rwallis@parklands.qld.edu.au

PCC Parent Prayer group

All are welcome to attend our Prayer Group meeting at Student Services at 8:30am on the following dates:

Monday 3rd February 2020
Monday 2nd March 2020
Monday 30th March 2020

Soccer

www.parkridgesoccer.majestri.com.au

Netball

Futsal

Park Ridge Cricket

Park Ridge Panthers Cricket Club is inviting players 8-16 years old to sign-on using: playcricket.com.au for the coming season, use 4125 as the postcode when asked, then select Park Ridge Panthers CC and follow the prompts.   Any Questions, contact Lewis Mills on 0413 656 058 concerning the sign-on procedure, training starting 16/9/19 at 6pm at Hubner Road, Park Ridge.

Lewis Mills Mob:  0413 656 058

Moon Lee Tae Kwon Do

Colin Garrick is currently conducting Moon Lee Tae Kwon Do self defence classes in the Baskerville Centre, Parklands Christian College, on Monday afternoons 3.30 to 4.30pm.

There is currently space for another 10 students.  He is offering a FREE Uniform (value $60) to all new  participants.
The first class is a FREE trial class and we have generous  family discounts.

Free Dental Care

FREE DENTAL CARE

Park Ridge Healing Rooms

Free Hotshots Tennis

PARK RIDGE TENNIS

A new season of Hot Shots Tennis Coaching is starting soon, a free trial lesson is available so anyone can come and have a go.

All new pupils receive a Free Racquet & Hot Shots T-Shirt on sign up.

We have lessons that run every afternoon, for all ages & levels. Mini Hotshots for 4-7 year olds, Hot Shot programs for 7-12 year olds & advanced groups for 12-17yr olds. For adults we have Cardio Tennis, Social  comps and lessons every week night & now a new Fast 4 comp for players starting or getting back into tennis, the Fast 4 format goes for just over an hour.

To book in or to arrange a free trial phone Paul or Steph on 32000354.

Mr. Gary Cully
Principal

I write this article as I wait to walk down to the Back to School Barbeque.  This event is one of those special moments in our year when parents of kids from Prep to Year 12 come together as part of the larger Parklands Family. These connections are special to me and many of my staff, but I do sometimes wonder how much we truly appreciate the value of connections like this.  I believe that Schools and Churches represent one of the few remaining vestiges of traditional community in our society.  The notion of ‘community’ is changing, and some of the modern methods of social connection are beyond my comprehension.  For instance, my son “connects” with his cousins through an online gaming community.  To me this seems amazing, high tech and not a little bewildering.  It’s not lost on me that my 11 year old son is connected with relatives hundreds of kilometres away, in ways that I am yet to fully comprehend.  Similarly my daughters connect with friends from the Philippines via Messenger, and share images and stories within a community that crosses seas and continents.  It’s impressive!

We are all made for connection, and in our modern high tech world, there seems to be no limits to how we can connect in a community.  As a parent, my challenge is to appreciate the vast number of ways our kids can connect and familiarize myself with the many and varied ways the modern child communicates and interacts with friends, gamers, and online groups.  I may not really want to know how to post an image on Instagram, but for the safety and connection with my children, I will.  I don’t enjoy gaming, but to connect with my boy, I will.  Our kids will ever be drawn to connection, and their chosen medium is increasingly via methods that only a generation ago were things of Science Fiction & Fantasy. I realise that if I am going to stay connecting to my kids, I must boldly go where I have never gone before, and participate in an online world. However, I do want my kids to meet me half way.

In an attempt to connect with my kids and know their interests, they need to appreciate that they too have a responsibility to stay connected with me.  It’s hard to convince an 11 year old boy to put his iPad down and “come join the family”!  It’s even harder to suggest to a teenage girl that life won’t end if they don’t reply to that post until after joining the family for dinner.  Yet, it is their responsibility to connect with their parents and siblings, because that’s what families do, and it’s important to stay connected. These are the modern trials of parenting, and it’s tough, at times down right annoying and it takes fortitude.

So which community is your child connected to?  Is there balance?  Are you uncomfortable with whom they are connected?  If your answers to these questions cause you to uncomfortably pause, I feel your pain, you are not alone.  I want my kids ‘community’ to be with people I know and understand.  I want them to explore the world, but not at the expense of family, and good relationships.  I need to know they are safe, learning good values, and participating in healthy communities and build them up and enrich their lives.  I can’t say I am winning on all these fronts yet, but I pray for my kids each day that they might find great connections with people, that will endure and give them joy. And I encourage us all to similarly pray and watch over our children and encourage good connections in great communities.

As I walked to the end of the jetty, I noticed these foreboding steps (photo below) leading into the bay. This resonated with how I felt about walking into 2020, like I am heading down these steps into the ocean of life, learning, fun and cameraderie that is 2020. We don’t know what exactly we will face, but we know that there will be highs and lows, because, well, life. The descriptor of “foreboding steps” reflects my headspace at the time, standing at the top of the steps looking sceptically at what is to come. Some of our students may be feeling that way too.

For our Year 7 students, the water of a secondary school may look quite intimidating, though hopefully a little exciting too. Our senior students face the choppy waters of the new senior system, which appears unfamiliar to both them and their parents. And for our middle schoolers, the water holds the challenges of navigating teen life, a rapidly developing brain, changing relationships, and learning how to be social and working out who they are and their place in the world.

We face water that may be choppy at times, but we will link arms, as we metaphorically did in 2019, and support each other through it. Some staff, students and parents may actually enjoy the unique challenges of those moments and their strengths will come to the forefront. At other times, the water will be calm, sun shining, cool breeze, and we’ll have some fun throwing a beach ball around. Those who struggle with catching a ball (is my metaphor wearing thin here?!!) will have the support of the others.

Until this point in early January, I’d been examining the waters of 2020 with some hesitancy. To be honest, 2019 was quite wearying with the varied challenges that we faced, notably implementing the biggest change in Queensland schooling in forty years. But as I walked along this stretch of water, I reflected on how well God held Parklands through 2019, and the wonderful team that I was surrounded with, as we worked together to maintain a loving school community that helped each individual thrive. As that gratitude swelled and I gave thanks for each of the successes, small and large, that we experienced in 2019, I felt the excitement for the new year build, along with the confidence that our God is with us.

I now find myself on the precipice of 2020, ready to run down those steps, grinning, to bombdive into the water. Will you link arms with me and embrace the adventure that is the waters of 2020 together?

PS where in Brisbane do you think these photos were taken? Send me your guess at Twitter:@exigua, linkedin:Jess Grounds, or jgrounds@parklands.qld.edu.au. I may have let the location slip at Assembly, so ask your child for a hint!

Year 7 have officially started the academic year!

This year as a part of orientation students, their Pastoral Care teacher, Mr. Elvery, Mrs. Braun, as well as the student’s main subject teachers has 2 and a half days of orientation, connection and fun.

The students, in their Pastoral Care classes participated in activities designed to form connections and bond as a class and cohort, as well as establish powerful relationships with their teachers. They went on a scavenger hunt around the college with Mr. Elvery, played games and bonded with their Pastoral Care teacher and discussed their goals for the year and received their Year 7 wristband with Mrs. Braun.

The students were also immersed in the setting up of iPads, learning to use their new college diary and the processes and daily organisation needed in Secondary.

Being organised and prepared for class can be a struggle for many Year 7 students. Previously they may have had a tidy tray or place in a single classroom to keep their belongings. Whereas, now they are moving around classrooms, carrying materials required for a morning or afternoon session and remembering different subject requirements for different days.

Some ideas to help organise your child are to:

• Have an area set aside for school items
• Only pack for what is needed for the day
• Have a separate box for books and texts not used that day
• Label all items
• Have the timetable and booklist on display
• Pack the night before
• Talk to your child about how being organised is a healthy habit and skill that can be transferred to their sport team, music lesson, part-time job and life in the coming years. Not just a chore you use for school.

Being organised is a skill and healthy habit that takes time and a lot of practice. You child will need a lot of help, a lot of reminders and a lot of love to develop this skill.

Thank you to the many parents and students who attended the annual Back to School Barbeque on Monday night. It was wonderful to meet and connect with so many families within our college.

If you have any queries, you may contact us via the College office on 3380 4200 or via email at: abraun@parklands.qld.edu.au

Mrs. Alanah Braun
Year 7 Coordinator

Welcome back, I trust you took the opportunity to meet the Primary teachers at the Back to School BBQ, to ‘settle in’ and become accustomed to Parkland’s processes and procedures?
A special ‘Welcome’ to all our new parents and students. If unsure about anything, please feel free to ask a teacher, TA, Student Services, RTC or myself.

ROSIA RD CARPARK and DROP OFF AREAS

In wishing to keep all our students safe, here is a reminder of what we do to make the “Drop Of”’ process easier, quicker and more practical for parents: In order to speed up the PREP drop off & sign in, we ask parents to pull into the ‘Prep drop off bays’ just in front of the Prep classes, where staff and Grade 6 leaders will be present to assist ‘Preppies’ get bags out and then escort them directly into class. A teacher at the stairs, with class lists will sign in your prep child without you even having to get out of the car! The Prep student will then follow their day’s procedure once ‘signed in’ and in the classroom!

All Grade 1-6 students and parents will follow the “normal” drop off or parking procedures where students can individually walk up or be escorted up to the undercover area by parents once they have parked in the lower car park bays. If using the Drop Off Area just past the Pedestrian Crossing, please don’t leave your car or park in any of these Drop Off bays. Parents are reminded not to drop off students on the bend near the top exit gate of the Rosia Rd Car Park. If crossing the internal road, please only cross at the Pedestrian Crossing!
ALL student pick up is as per the usual procedure, where parents may park in any available bay and go and collect students from Prep, the Undercover Area or Playground. Students are asked to remain in the Undercover Area until 3.30pm unless collected by a guardian or older sibling. Please drive slowly (20klm) and carefully through the school car parks, especially vigilant around the pedestrian crossing! Remind students to be careful with bags while moving between cars so as not to cause any marks or damage!

Morning and afternoon procedures

On arrival in the morning, students are to put their bags in the port racks outside their classroom and then make their way to the supervised Undercover Area where they can play games and be ready for the start of day and assembly.
In the afternoon students can be collected, signed out on the iPads from 2.30pm onwards in the Undercover Area.
We ask that no students leave the Undercover Area on their own, without a guardian or older sibling BEFORE 3.30pm.

NEW Morning Tea Procedures

In wishing to give students the opportunity to eat and play through their day, we’ve extended the morning break time to match lunch, being 30 minutes. Students will sit and eat their food for 15 minutes before being released to go and play for the remainder of both breaks.

UNIFORMS

Can we please ask that you assist us in ensuring the students are correctly dressed in the right uniform each day? We don’t wish to experience students wearing their sport uniforms when not required or mix and match their academic with sport uniforms. If unsure about uniform items or correct uniform requirements, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher, TA, the RTC or check the school’s website.
Would you please be so kind as to ensure that ALL uniform items, lunch and water bottles are clearly labeled with the student’s name?

COMMUNICATION

Can I please take this time to remind you of important information about Primary School communication procedures?
– Teachers ask that IF you have a concern or question about class work, assignments, class process or procedure, class bahaviour, calendar events etc. that you please contact the teachers directly. They are your first port of call!
– If you require information about specialist lessons, please contact the following specific staff members directly:
HPE – Mr. Lewis,
Music – Mrs. Patane,
Art – Mrs. Bazley,
Library – Mrs. Jill Kerr
Student Services — Mrs. Oxley or Mrs. Abolins
RTC – Ms. Godwin, Mrs. Broughton, Miss. Robinson or Mr. Crawford
– If you wish to discuss a matter further after having spoken to the relevant teacher, would you kindly then contact me through Student Services?

AUSLAN (LOTE – Language other than English)

We are very excited to announce the introduction of AUSLAN (sign language) into Years 5-8 at Parklands. Dr. Beth Tailby, a completely DEAF, very accomplished Auslan teacher will be presenting lessons to the Primary Yr. 5 & 6 students on a Thursday for a semester each.
Students will learn the alphabet, numbers etc. and the basic art of being able to sign!

Protecting our Anaphylactic students

‘Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction which is potentially life threatening. It should always be treated as a medical emergency, requiring immediate treatment! Most cases of anaphylaxis occur after a person with a severe allergy is exposed to the allergen to which they are allergic – usually a food, insect sting or medication’.
The intent of this article is to assist in preventing anaphylaxis and to provide advice for minimizing the risk of anaphylaxis at Parklands, including our “Before and After School Hours Care facility”.

On advice from Anaphylaxis Australia, we do not have a ‘total Nut-Free school’ because there are so many different allergens such as dairy and some fruits, the total focus cannot only be on nuts.

Of course we wish to do all we can to protect those students who could have an Anaphylactic reaction so we at school have put in steps / measures to protect them and this is what we ask parents to do to assist us.

We ask that you kindly avoid sending in:

• Any fresh nuts
• Spreads containing nuts (e.g. peanut butter and Nutella)
• Muesli bars or biscuits that list nuts as an ingredient
• Packages of mixed fruit that contain nuts
• Chocolate bars that contain nuts (e.g. picnic, snickers)
• Talk to the teacher before sending food to school for parties.
• If your child eats peanut butter before school, please make sure they wash their hands before coming to school.

Products with a “may contain traces of nuts” warning is ok to bring to school but just should not be shared. In this instance, also remind students to wash their hands after eating such products! Thank you for your understanding, patience, flexibility and support in this regard. Please don’t hesitate to ask a teacher or staff member if there is ANYTHING you need clarified!

Looking forward to a great year of working together!

Thank you

Year 1

Welcome to all our wonderful families to Year 1 2020!

Well done on surviving the first week back. The children did extremely well and are beginning to adjust to the school routine once again, after a very long holiday break.

We had a great time getting to know one another and enjoyed participating in lots of back to school activities. We also talked about our holiday adventures and worked hard to write and draw about the highlights.

We can’t wait to see what the year will hold for all of us and are excited to dive into our learning! The students particularly showed a keen interest in our science topic for this term – living things. Everyone was keen to share what they already knew about living things and could tell us about many interesting creatures from around the world.

Looking forward to a wonderful year ahead. We can’t wait to share our adventures with you!

Year 2

Welcome back to 2020!

The grade 2 students have had an awesome start with lots of learning already happening. This term we are investigating life cycles of various living things, and learning about our local indigenous country Yugumbeh. The students will be applying their learning from History and Science into an English Information report.

We’ve been establishing a good reading habit each day and encourage you to continue the love of reading at home. Pictured below is 2K opening up book parcels and exploring which genre of book they like to read. You will also see Grade 2M pictured during their reading time enjoying reading.

Miss McNabb, Mrs Hollenberg and myself look forward to getting to know you throughout the year and encourage you to stay involved in your child’s learning journey.

Yours sincerely,
Julie Koplick

Visit by Registered Nurse for Free Prep Vision Screening

Good vision is important for a child’s educational, physical and social development. Vision screening is therefore vital in early childhood, particularly for conditions such as ‘lazy eye’, which if not detected early can lead to blindness.

A Registered Nurse will be visiting the school in 2020 to commence vision screening for all Prep Year children.  If you wish to have your child participate in this free vision screening program, please complete and sign the consent form sent home with your child and return this to your child’s class teacher as soon as possible.   You will be advised in writing of the outcome of your child’s screening.

Please note that if your child has had a vision assessment in the past 12 months it is not necessary for him/her to participate in this screening program.  If this is the case, please complete the consent form and indicate that you do not wish for your child to participate, and ensure that you follow the schedule of reviews recommended by your eye health professional.

The consent forms will be getting sent home to prep families (via prep student) on the first day of school. Forms need to be returned by Friday 7th Feb.

Welcome back to school in 2020! This year promises to be another year of growth & excitement in the Parklands Instrumental Music Programme as we welcome our new Give It A Go! students and continue to encourage our existing students to continue to learn & grow. There are lots of ways for your child to be involved in music at Parklands! We’ve received lots of new enrolment forms already, which is great to see – you can start music lessons at any time of the year, please download the attached file to access more information and an enrolment form.

Lessons & Rehearsals

Instrumental music lessons will commence from week 2 of Term 1, with the exception of Give It A Go! lessons which will commence in week 4. Choir & Ensemble rehearsals will also begin within the first few weeks of Term 1, again with the exception of the Give It A Go! Band which will commence in Term 2. Further information from Ensemble & Choir directors will be available closer to these start dates.

Ensembles & Choirs include:
–       Primary Junior Choir (Year 2 & 3)
–       Primary Senior Choir (Years 4-6)
–       Secondary Choir (Years 7-12)
–       Wind Ensemble (Years 4-12, woodwind, brass & percussion students with minimum 12 months experience)

Give It A Go! Band Programme

We’re excited to be welcoming our third group of Give It A Go! students this year, and we are in fact beginning to open places up to Year 4 students as well. Emails will be going home to Year 4 students in the next few weeks with more information, but this is an exciting development in our Give It A Go! Band Programme. If you or your child are interested in being a part of this programme, please read the point 1 below regarding costs & inclusions.

Instruments on offer in the Give It A Go! Band Programme will include:
–       Flute
–       Clarinet
–       Saxophone
–       Trumpet
–       Trombone
–       Percussion (includes drums, auxiliary & mallet percussion)

There are a number of ways to be part of our growing Instrumental Programme – here’s how your child can be involved:

1. Give It A Go! Band Programme – Year 4-6 students only

This is a one year beginner programme for Year 4-6 students, giving them the opportunity to learn a woodwind, brass or percussion instrument in small groups during school time. There is a one-off $500 levy for the year which covers all lessons & band rehearsals, a tuition book & use of a school instrument for one year. Many places for this are currently filled, however we do have a number of vacancies across most instruments. If your child is in Year 4-6, would like to be involved & hasn’t already received an offer, please contact us at instruments@parklands.qld.edu.au

2. Private lessons

Private lessons are available for piano, guitar, drum kit, most woodwind & and all brass & stringed instruments. Lessons are scheduled mostly during school time, & fees are billed by & payable directly to the instrumental teachers at $30/30mins.

3. Shared lessons

Shared lessons are available for all of the above instruments except piano. Lessons are again scheduled mostly during school time, & fees are also billed by & payable directly to the instrumental teachers at $18/30mins for a Group of 2 or $14/30mins for a Group of 3, pending availability. When a Group of 2 or 3 is not available, students will be offered a 20min private lesson for $22/20mins.

Enrolment forms are available for download below, or by emailing instruments@parklands.qld.edu.au

__PCC Music Department Guidelines with form

School Bus Passes for Westside Bus Company and Park Ridge Transit

Students who have a bus pass for travel will be required to obtain a new pass for the 2020 school year. If you are changing schools in 2020 (this includes moving to grade 7) or address you will need to contact our reception on (07) 3802 1233 and we will advise you of how to update your details. To avoid delays in receiving your pass we kindly request that you contact us prior to the end of the school year.

If you have no changes to your details, you will receive your new bus pass in the mail in early January.

Please note that there are limited reception facilities available at our Redbank depot and you should call before attending the depot as we maybe able to assist over the phone.

Bus Routes for Parklands

Please find attached all of the Bus routes, that have been made available to Parklands families.

Bus Queensland now offer 3 pick ups in the afternoon outside Prep with various routes.

• Departing 3:22pm
• Departing 3:31pm
• Departing 3:45pm

As this is a service offered by Bus Queensland (not PCC) please direct all further enquires to Bus Queensland on 3802 1233 or email customers@busqld.com.au

PRT Changes to School Bus Routes (effective 29-01-2019)

6013

6055

6113 (1)

6142

6155

School Transport Assistance Scheme

The Queensland Government offers financial assistance to parents of both state and non-state school students travelling to and from school daily by private arrangement. This is known as STAS (School Transport Assistance Scheme).

Please phone the Gold Coast office on 5630 8857 to clarify your eligibility. Alternatively you can visit their website http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/schooltransport

Parklands Outside School Hours Care is situated within the school grounds of Parklands Christian College in the Prep Building Area.  The service operates for before school, after school and vacation care.  Before and after school care offers a nutritious breakfast/afternoon tea and children are able to engage in a variety of activities based on their interests.

During the school term the service operates from 6:30-8:30am and 3:00-6:00pm (with office staff available from 2pm), and vacation care from 6:30am-6:00pm.  Parklands OSHC have qualified educators and encourage parents and families to pop into the service to discuss any care needs, suggestions or ideas or alternatively via phone 3297 0577 or email: parklandsbookings@bigpond.com.

We currently have limited spots available for before and after school care and advise families that a current 2020 enrolment is required to accept all bookings including emergency care bookings.

We look forward to assisting with all your care needs.

School Fees

Are deducted from your bank account on the 17th unless received by the 10th of each month.

Please ensure funds are in your account one (1) business day before the 17th of the month.

Our Bank Account details are as follows:

BSB: 034115
Account Number: 169944

Please use your surname and initials as reference e.g. ‘J&C Smith’

Term Direct Debit Deduction Dates

• 17th February
• 17th April
• 17th July
• 17th September

Note: Direct Debits that reject from your account due to insufficient funds will incur a $10.00 fee and loss of discount. An additional late fee of $20 will apply to invoices outstanding at the end of the month.

Discounts Available

• Monthly 2%
• Term 5%
• Annual 8%

Term Dates 2020

Tuckshop in need of volunteers

There is an opportunity for parents to contribute to the life of the school by volunteering their time in the tuckshop.

The tuckshop has been growing since moving to the new facility and with growth in sales we would really love your help!

Please contact our Tuckshop Convenor, Marie Rushin, on 0422 637 370 or email tuckshop@parklands.qld.edu.au

Tuckshop Menu 2020

School Days only