In this issue

I believe that charity begins at home!

Here is why: Back in my childhood, beggars used to knock on our door to ask for food. My parents would invite them to sit with us around the table and share in the family meal. I looked at the strange men with eyes wide open as the first seeds for compassion and care were sown into my heart. I remembered the Good Samaritan who showed kindness and generosity to a foreigner: My parents were like him! Charity does begin at home.

I also believe that if charity begins at home, it should not end there. Hence, as an extension of the home, charity continues at Parklands. The seeds of compassion and care start growing as children are given opportunities to love their “neighbour” – first their friends; then all other school students; people they meet during their volunteering hours in Year 10; and finally even the poorest of the poor living in the slums of Cambodia.

By attending our mission trip during the school holidays, some of our brave senior students chose to allow their compassionate hearts to be enlarged by including the people of Cambodia. I had the amazing privilege to accompany them on this trip during the school holidays. It was an eye-opener for me.

Could I urge you to read my report on this trip! It explains what we do in Cambodia and more importantly, why. It’s important for all of us at Parklands to know.

It is my prayer for our students that charity begins at home, continues at school and eventually becomes part of our children’s lives, whatever that may look like for them. We are all called to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” (Proverbs 31:8) and to “not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18). We are asked to care for the poor, the disabled, the lame, the blind, the marginalised, the widows, orphans and foreigners – in short, anyone who cannot repay us, and we will be blessed (John 14:14).

This is what makes life worth living: The Good Life is the life lived for others. It is in giving that we receive.

Please find my Cambodia Mission Trip report in this newsletter.

God bless
Mr Johannes Solymosi

I had the privilege to attend the Parklands Cambodia Mission Trip for the first time. Please find below my report on our trip and importantly, my reflections on the importance of this program.

Itinerary

The first few days in Phnom Penh were about acclimatisation as we first had to digest a severe culture shock. The traffic in the Cambodian capital, the rubbish and the smells, the lack of proper plumbing, the fear of stomach bugs, etc. made me feel far out of my comfort zone. At the same time, we were introduced to a myriad of people and different NGOs who are all tackling the many roots and consequences of severe poverty from different angles. It was fascinating to learn first-hand about how RAW Impact and other organisations approach the many issues in this country and by doing so contribute to the intricate and complex system of care for the poor, destitute and powerless. We also visited historical sites that taught us how the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot caused this country to spin into a social and economic disaster that is responsible for many of the country’s issues of today.

Because of the recent widespread flooding in Cambodia that also impacted Taskor village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, we didn’t do our usual building program there. Instead, our first day in Taskor was spent running a Family Fun Day for the kids of that village. There were 270 children for whom RAW Impact and the three schools visiting at that time had organised a program. We did various craft activities, ran health education classes and I got to be a music teacher again to teach the kids new songs. What a wonderful experience to connect with the children of this community, see them smile and laugh just like our kids over here. It was most beautiful.

Our second day in Taskor was about distributing much-needed food to families who were identified as most in need of emergency care. Most of those families live on not much more than $1 per day or have fallen prey to enormous debts and hence when a natural disaster strikes, they have little to no means to support themselves. We went out in boats to visit these families, sat in their houses (consisting of one room shared by a whole family) and talked to them about their stories. Some of them live in slums that could get evicted with less than 24 hours’ notice, in houses whose bamboo floors dangerously creaked under our weight. Many of the local RAW crew grew up in similar conditions and helped us to be culturally sensitive (and not to be poverty tourists). What a privilege it was to meet these people and especially those kids who had attended the day before. They were all so precious.

Our next stop was in a provincial town further north, where RAW has “adopted” one of the poorest communities in Cambodia called Ko Ki. Most of the people living there had been living in slums elsewhere and had been relocated by the government without the necessary support to thrive there. To empower these people, RAW Impact is working towards building an industry around the growing of bamboo in which the locals can be employed. It’s a big vision and our little part in this was to build a storage shed for the heavy machinery that is needed for it. We spent three days labouring in the heat and mud and saw most of the structure get completed. It was an amazing experience to contribute to something that meaningful, and a great lesson in sustainability and how even small contributions are part of the whole picture.

By the time we were finished in Ko Ki, we were absolutely exhausted. But going home then would’ve been premature. Instead, we were treated with a few nights in a nice hotel in Siem Reap, and a day program that included a visit to Angkor Wat, an awe-inspiring cultural heritage site of the Khmer Empire from the 12th century. This site is deeply connected with the cultural identity and pride of the Khmer people – and something you must experience to understand the Khmer.

The trip leaves me with many thoughts about our missions program: How it benefits not only some of the poorest of the poor in Cambodia but also in profound ways our students and staff, our school as a whole, and even our society that needs young people who have learned to look beyond themselves, who are not ignorant of the suffering and problems faced by the billions of people around the world and who are prepared to do their part to alleviate suffering in a way that only they can do.

Impact in Cambodia

• Due to our fundraising at school and our partnership with RAW Impact, two poorest-of-the-poor communities in Cambodia are being empowered to rise above the desperate circumstances that make children most vulnerable to being exploited and neglected.
• The choice of RAW Impact as a partner is a good one as this organisation doesn’t simplify the problems of poverty by limiting itself to one isolated challenge, such as rescuing children from sex trafficking. Rather, they use a sustainable and culturally sensitive approach to community development that aims to address the whole complexity of the poverty cycle.
• Our contribution adds to the hope and wellbeing of families in the villages of Taskor and Ko Ki, which makes vulnerable children safer in their families.
• Our support cannot solve all the poverty-related problems in Cambodia and not even only in those two villages, but that’s not the point. The poor will always be with us, as Jesus said. Our calling as Christians is to do not more and not less than our allotted part in the ongoing care for the poor.

Impact on Parklands students

• For students that attend our mission trips, poverty transforms from being a mere concept to a reality. It puts faces on poverty.
• By visiting and interacting with RAW Impact and the various NGOs that are also visited, it becomes clear that poverty cannot be seen simplistically. It is a complex issue in its causes and effects.
• This complexity requires collaboration. Students experience how people and organisations can work together to alleviate the causes and effects of poverty from different angles. No one person or organisation can do it alone.
• They participate in development projects that are based on the principles of cultural sensitivity and sustainability and understand that a one-size-fits-all approach cannot work.
• They also experience that they themselves have the power to contribute to solving enormous world problems in many ways, large and small. If they have once made a real difference to alleviate suffering, they will know that they can do so again.
• Students experience their privileged position by reflecting on their life and that of others. This instils a sense of Christian responsibility: to whom much is given, much is expected.
• They have an opportunity for immense personal growth through comfort-zone-stretching experiences in a very foreign environment. This growth doesn’t only happen during the two weeks of the trip. It happens during the months of preparation in our Cambodian classes and even more so, in the weeks and months after the trip as students reflect on their experiences.
• Many other learning experiences occur during this trip, such as: exposure to a different culture; communicating in a foreign language; and understanding how historical events (e.g. the Khmer Empire; the genocide by the Khmer Rouge) can dramatically shape the life of a country.

Benefits to our school

• Our missions program gives us the ability to offer an international perspective as part of our educational program that is becoming increasingly important in a globalised world.
• Further, it gives us the opportunity to offer real-life learning experiences about third world problems associated with extreme poverty that are valuable far beyond mere textbook knowledge.
• Most importantly, it provides us with the opportunity to offer learning experiences that directly relate to the Christian purpose of our school.

Why this is important in the context of Australian education

In our increasingly self-absorbed society, we need people who are ready to look beyond themselves; who are compassionate; and who have seen and experienced the dark side of our world. They are not ignorant of the suffering and problems faced by billions of people, and have experienced some ways that they can help. Those people will be more likely to identify opportunities to make a positive impact not only in Cambodia but around the world as well as at home.

Could this not be done in easier ways?

Compassion, love and care can be ideas that we may fully endorse but never enact. The Bible speaks of faith in the same way: without action, it is not really faith. For these values to develop, a first-hand experience is absolutely necessary. It needs to be personal and we must come face-to-face with the people we are to care for, especially if they are different to us. It needs to involve “doing” rather than just thinking.

There are very worthwhile causes and people who require our love and compassion in Australia and closer to home. In choosing Cambodia, we have a mission field that takes us further out of our comfort zone than most places closer to home. The more different and challenging the environment, the greater the potential for personal development and change, and the more cause for self-reflection about the things and life we take for granted.

In summary, we have something very good going on here at Parklands. Our missions program is second to none that I have seen or heard of. Our missions coordinator has perfected the students’ preparation in Cambodian classes, developed an itinerary that maximises the impact, enjoyment and safety of our students, and provides support for the re-integration and after-care of students once they arrive back in their normal life with their new experiences weighing on them.

Other opportunities and approaches exist and many of them would certainly be valuable too; however, we have developed a unique Parklands approach to missions and a fruitful partnership with RAW and it will be good for us to protect and grow what we have.

Please phone 3297 0577 during work hours or 0473 681 426 any other time.

11 Hillcrest Road, Park Ridge Q 4125
Email: admin@parklands.qld.edu.au

 /pccnews
 @parklandsnews

Modern Square Dancing

Come & Try flyer with border & pics

Logan Hockey Club

Summer hockey 2018 flyer

New Swim Club

See attachment for further information.

flyer_col_print_rev

Queensland Cadet Bushmen Recruits

QCB-180905-1244 Recruiting Montage

Baseball

Come and try BASEBALL each Tuesday from 5.30pm to 7.00pm

Do you like to throw and hit a ball and enjoy playing in a friendly fun team? Then come and give baseball at Southern Stars a try.

If you are interested and would like information, please contact:

Nathan  –  0407 014 529 or
Karen – 0421 773 768 email us at

southernstarsbaseballclub@gmail.com

Greenbank Cricket Club

New season starts October and will go through until March 2019. All ages 5 and above, male and female. Junior Players $165 for a season which includes club shirt and hat.

Call Shane Harris on 0411 129 952 or email greenbankcricket@gmail.com

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%

Welcome back to Term 4! We hope you all had a wonderful relaxing break and are ready for another fun-filled term! Here we are, already in the last term of the year. Wow this year seems to be going by so quickly! We had an extremely busy term 3. It has been such a blessing for us to be able to meet so many new families and have the opportunity to fellowship with all our families at the different events that have been held.

Last month The Friendlies Spring Dance had over 200 kids plus their parents up and dancing the night away. What an incredible time everyone had! Active8 4 Kids definitely had everyone out on the dance floor, they did an amazing job at keeping all the kids entertained. So many happy faces as the kids laughed and danced the night away. It was an absolute joy to see so many parents up having a dance with their kids too. Thank you to Michelle and Sandra from The Coffee Club, Browns Plains Village Square, they are always at all of our events supporting us and keeping the coffee flowing. We also had four Year 10 Active Volunteers who joined our team for the evening. They even managed to be out on the dance floor interacting with our Primary Students. Well done James, Kallen, Reuben and Toby, your help was greatly appreciated! It has been a pleasure having you as part of our team this year. Congratulations to everyone involved in making this a fabulous night.

At the start of the year we were collecting Coles Sports for Schools vouchers. As a school we were able to collect 51977 vouchers! We were then able to redeem the vouchers for a range of sporting equipment for free! At the end of term 3 the sporting equipment arrived from Coles. Check out some of the equipment we received! Thank you to everyone and their families who were able to collect vouchers!

We have been overwhelmed from the support we had for the Cadbury Freddo Chocolate fundraiser. Thank you so much to all the families who participated. Thanks to all of you, all of the boxes of chocolates are now sold.

A big shout out to our Friendlies Team, each and everyone plays an equally important role to ensure that all of our events run smoothly! The Friendlies are parents of children in our school community who are dedicated to sharing God’s love while working in unity to ensure that all of our community events run smoothly. We share a passion for our God, our kids and our school community. Everyone from our school community is welcome to come along and join us at any of our meetings or events.

Our next Friendlies meeting is on Friday 12^th October 2018 at 6.45pm at Jimboomba Maccas. Everyone is welcome to attend! If you would like more information about The Friendlies or any of our events or fundraisers, please email Angela Marsh friendlies@parklands.qld.edu.au

Keep Smiling
The Friendlies Team

Technology/Screen Time

It is amazing to think that our phones and many watches now have 100x – 10000x the computing power that took man to the moon. I hear stories of people gathering to watch the landing on the moon as not everyone had a TV. These days most households have up to 2 devices per person that people could be watching, in colour, whatever they want and whenever they want. Digital media, technology and screen time has increased significantly and has become a normal and in some cases necessary part of life.

So how do we manage this? How do we make sure that our children do not become mindlessly glued to the screen? Here are a few ideas to try out at home:

Create a plan

Sit down as a family and work out a plan. Write this down so you remember what it is you are trying to achieve and gain from this. Your child does not need to see the plan but it helps if you have a strategy. You can use the following as a guide for your plan.

What is your goal?

Is your goal with your child connection? How are you wanting to interact with your child? What example do you want to show them? Write down what goal you have with the screen time in your house both for adults and for children. What are you wanting to achieve?

Know your Child and your Values

What are your family values? What character traits do you want your child to have?

What do you know about your child- what are their dislikes and likes, hobbies etc.? What can they handle and what is it that they struggle with? Some people have great self-control while others need to work harder at this. How does your child manage responsibility?  What are their responsibilities? How can you increase their experience of responsibility- ie. chores, attend training or other extra circular activities, plan or attend a family event or just enjoy the outdoors?

Set Clear rules and boundaries

You are the adult and the parent. You make the final decision. Set clear rules around screen time use. Such as:

• Parent has access to spot checks on use, emails, text messages and other social media
• Screen time occurs in public areas of the house (no bedrooms)
• Screen time occurs after homework and chores are complete
• Screen time may be reduced to weekends except for school work
• Screen free time – plan this into your schedule (ie. Sunday afternoons)
• Screens off an hour before going to bed – minimum at least 15mins ( this allows the brain to calm down and get into the right patterns for sleep)
• Wi-Fi to be turned off by 10pm every night (if you can hit this goal you are probably doing a great job managing screen time responsibly)
• Be consistent – Once you have established the family rules/guidelines with screen time STICK to them. No matter how you feel this is a boundary that you have set up and your child needs to know they can trust your word. If they chose to fight this rule one afternoon, use the LOKOP one liners – Fun or room? If they consistently ask you for screen time. Yes you can as soon as (add in the job or condition that you need to have meet).
• Age /Maturity appropriateness – There are ratings for a reason. Use these as a bench mark to work from and be aware of what they are wanting to play or watch. What works for one child may not for another. Just because their friends are playing this game or watching that show or movie does not mean that it is good/right or appropriate for them. So what is the level of your child and work with that, yes it may be different for each child. They will say that is not fair, your answer could be – I know… probably so…
• Stay up to date with their usage

What are they up to? What are they watching and what are they playing? Who are they talking with and too? What is that game about and what do you need to do in the game. The latest game craze at the moment is Fortnite. What is the rating for this game? Do you know what it is and what they need to do in this game? Regularly check and ask questions, even have a go yourself and make this a connection point with your child.

Know their school work

Keep informed about what tasks are required for their subjects. Sometimes they will need to access technology, but there are may tasks that do not require this. Parents can fall into the trap of thinking because their child is ‘studying’ they are using technology appropriately. This is a myth, study and exam week results in the highest incidents of online bulling across Australia. Why? Students are bored, easily distracted and stressed. This is a terrible combination for reacting negatively toward peers. During weeks 8 and 9 of term please turn up the vigilance!!!

Communicate with your kids

Talk with your child. Ask them about the screen time they are doing, what game are they playing and what shows are they watching? What is it about or what do you need to do? Why is this fun to watch this or play this? Join in, sit down and watch with them for a moment, play the game with them or watch them play and ask questions. Be interested in their interests and their screen time activities.

• 30am – 3.20pm

Whilst your child is at school they are required to use their technology for class work only. If a student needs to contact a parent they are required to phone them from student services. We ask parents to please refrain from texting or emailing their child during school hours.

For further information please check these out:

Coffee, Kids and Crazy podcast – Back to school and Screentime – By Loving on Purpose – Brittney Serpell

Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner  – Information on online safety and screen time activities

Common Sense Media – Check on ratings, content and storylines. Plus many other resources.

Cyber Safety Solutions – Learn about safety for your child whilst online.

Family Contracts for Screen time – Use one of their templates or just use this as a guide when you write your own!

Welcome to the adventure of building great relationships with your child around appropriate use of technology. Enjoy your time with your child teaching, modelling and monitoring the screen time world!

Enrolment Process – all Instrumental lessons

Please note that from the beginning of 2019, all instrumental enrolments will be handled through the Music Centre by the Instrumental Music Co-ordinator. If your child is already learning piano, drums, guitar or strings, you will need to fill out a College enrolment form. Enrolments will be continuous until we receive notification of withdrawal from you, so you will not have to fill out a new form each year. Forms will be available from your child’s teacher during this term, and we would appreciate them being returned before the end of the school year as this will assist us enormously with planning & scheduling for 2019.

Instrumental Music

Give It A Go! Band Programme

We are entering the final term of our first year of the Give It A Go! Band Programme. It has been so rewarding to see so many students experiencing instrumental music at this level for the first time, and hearing so many of them enjoying the experience & doing so well. Give It A Go! lessons will run until week 6, and College instruments will need to be returned at that last lesson in week 6.

We have also developed a way for these students to continue lessons next year in a slightly different format. More information will be available in the next few weeks about how this year’s Give It A Go! students can continue learning in 2019.

At the same time we have been preparing to make offers to students who will be in Year 5 in 2019 to participate in next year’s Give It A Go! Band Programme. The Year 4’s all had the opportunity to try playing the instruments we are offering next year, and it was wonderful to see the excitement on their faces! This programme will from now on be offered each year to Year 5 students, as an introductory experience for instrumental music. We are unable to offer everyone a place, sadly, but we do have capacity for about half the cohort to participate. These offers will be made in week 1 of Term 4 – watch your inboxes!

Our final performances for the year are also coming up in the next few weeks, in the form of Carols on the Green. Look out for some outstanding students there!

Choirs

Of course all of our Choirs, both Primary & Secondary, are preparing for Carols on the Green also. These students have learned much through their experiences in the Choirs this year, and we hope they will continue in 2019, either in the same choir or the next Primary choir, and now our Year 6’s can continue on into Secondary Choir in 2019!

Finally, a huge Congratulations to Amy Finch in Year 6 who has been accepted to participate in the first ever SHEP Primary Choir programme. SHEP (State Honours Ensemble Programme) is a set of events run by the Queensland Conservatorium of Music which bring together the top vocalists & instrumentalists from across the state with guest conductors & teachers for a weekend of rehearsals & fun, culminating in a concert for their parents & friends. Amy was chosen from a field of over 1800 applicants, so we are thrilled that she will be representing Parklands at this inaugural event. Well done, Amy!

Zechariah 4:10 says “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” I believe that is a word in season for us right now, I believe the Lord is rejoicing in our small beginnings, and that from these beginnings He will grow these students, He will grow our College, and He will glorify His name in this area. We are raising next-generation worshippers, and I think the Lord loves to see that! Thankyou to the whole College community for your support throughout this year, and especially to Mr Solymosi who has been 110% behind the Give It A Go! Band Programme from before the beginning. The best is yet to come!

Mrs Alison Harbottle

Week 10 of Term 3 saw the Year 10 cohort venture out into the “real world” and participate in work experience.   Students travelled far and wide with some venturing out of the Logan region which adds to the positive experience.

Work experience is one of the most valuable activities that a student can do to support their career choices and personal development.

Work experience provides students with time at a workplace to learn about an occupation or industry. Students may observe others doing their job, try various tasks or do a combination of watching and working. It is an opportunity to develop skills and networks, learn about the world of work and to decide what kinds of things they would like to do.

Parklands students secured their placement in a variety of industries including retail, local council gymnasium and aquatic centre, veterinary, hairdressing, automotive mechanics, computer and animation technology, administration, Queensland Police, cake baking and design, Magistrates Court, graphic design, magazine publication, hospitality, child care, fashion, food retail, fencing trade, food preparation, butchery,  Arboriculture , bus and coach fabrication, dental, skincare and beautician clinic, education and film.

The feedback received from employers was very positive on all levels; we are very proud of the hard work completed by all the students and wish to thank all the employers for their support and encouragement.

Alumni students graduate

Jarryd Parkinson

After 4 years of crawling through roofs and studying hard at Tafe, 2014 graduate Jarryd Parkinson is now a fully qualified electrician. Jarryd is grateful to his family and friends for all their encouragement and support and for the foundations of education and care received during his time at Parklands.
Congratulations Jarryd!

Brittney Jackson

We are super proud of (2014 Alumni) Pilot Officer Brittney Jackson. Congratulations on your recent graduation at the Royal Australian Air Force Officers’ Training School Brittney….we look forward to following your adventures!!

Alicia Payne

Year 12 student, Alicia, spent the last two days of her term break working on location at Grand Plaza and gaining valuable work experience with personal stylist, Susie The Stylist. Fashion and styling are a passion of Alicia’s and we are grateful to Grand Plaza and Susie for providing this valuable opportunity for our student.

Mission Students Stories:

Written by Tianna Curling Year 12 Student

Since being back in Australia the one question everyone keeps asking is what was your favourite part and what impacted you the most about Cambodia? Every time I just go quiet and don’t have the correct words. I can’t pin point exactly how I feel and that’s unlike me as I always have something to say. Saying that, I loved the whole experience and it was a very impacting trip. It made me realise how good I’ve got it and that I shouldn’t take anything for granted and make the most of my good life. Those family’s in Cambodia don’t have the lives that we have. They are living on as little as 1 bowl of rice a day to feed their family of 6, surrounded by bodies of water where only boats can be used to go too and from. Seeing how life changing a bag of rice and noodles can be to a family meant a lot. These family’s have got literally nothing yet they have the biggest smiles on their faces that just light up the room. It’s truly amazing.

But it wasn’t until I heard Salins story who is one of the media boys that works for raw impact that everything really hit home and made me realise how lucky I have it. A Khmer boy who grew up like the kids in these villages who has come to achieve amazing things working for raw and is one of the most talented people I know. It was truly inspiring how much RAW can make a difference in people’s lives. This trip is one I will never forget and will cherish forever.

Written by Shannon Green Year 12 Student

With confidence, I can say that taking a step of out my comfort zone to travel to Cambodia was the BEST decision I have ever made. I was exposed to a kind of poverty I cannot comprehend, a kind of poverty I believe shouldn’t exist in our world. Yet amongst the sadness of what I was seeing, my heart continued to be filled by the beautiful smiles and unexplainable happiness of the local people who’s lives I became a part of for a short period of time. These people taught me to be grateful for every single part of my life, inspired me to be resilient through harder times and reminded me that there is always a reason to smile and show love towards others. I knew I was travelling to Cambodia to make a difference in the lives of others, but words can’t properly comprehend the difference it made to my life too.

Here are some of my amazing team members and I pictured with Mrs Pov. Mrs Pov’s house was destroyed in the recent flooding and her husband built this temporary shack on a tiny strip of land beside the road. The stress of the floods and relocating proved too much for Mr Pov and he sadly passed away 4 weeks ago. With only 3 flimsy walls to this shack, Mrs Pov is often wet and always vulnerable now on her own.

With a need to now provide for herself and her 2 adult children and grandchildren, Mrs Pov borrowed $50 from a friend to purchase enough items to start a little roadside shop. This loan has become a huge burden and brought shame on the family as it could possibly take up to 10 years to repay. Mrs Pov is only earning up to 75cents a day from her shop and still needs to pay for her own living expenses such as food and water daily.

As part of our flood relief work with Raw Impact, we were able to deliver a food package consisting of a months worth of rice, noodles, soy and fish sauce, salt, sugar and other food items. She was so grateful and allowed us to spend time with her, chatting, hearing her story and then our team prayed for her.

As heart breaking Mrs Pov’s story is, she is just one of many…it was such a privilege to be able to help her and make a difference in her life in this small way.

Written by Elisabeth Degen, Year 12 College Captain

The College Mission Trip to Cambodia changed my life and I am so glad that I decided to go.

This day would have to be one of my favourites in my whole life. We travelled to extremely poverty struck areas, slum villages just across the river from Phnom Penh. Some of the homes we saw had been so flooded that the water was at the roof and others were small shacks sitting just inches above the filthy water. Still, even in such devastation and poverty there were so many happy communities with smiling villagers shouting “Suesaday!” (Hello!) at those who pass by. These beautiful families lacked basic life necessities that nobody should ever have to go without.  As we recognised that this was not okay, our school missions team through Raw Impact, provided a food package to some of the poorest and most vulnerable families in this village. We prayed for them, showed them that they are important and told them that they are not forgotten. We were able to show them that God loves them deeply. What a blessing to be able to make a small difference in the lives of those who need it the most.

Isabelle Podlich’s Artistic Roller Skating Championship Results

In July Isabelle Podlich travelled to Perth for the Australian Artistic Roller Skating Championships.

Isabelle had an extremely successful National Championships, achieving many personal goals and podium finishes.  She was 1 of only 3 Australian International level Juvenile freeskaters competing in 2 freeskating programs (short and long programs) at the competition – with one competitor from Victoria and another from South Australia.

Each event was highly competitive with the best of each State skating their hearts out for the chance to win! Isabelle’s final placings for the week of competition were:

Juvenile Girls Figures – Bronze Medal
Precision (Team event) – Gold Medal
Juvenile Girls Freeskating – 4th place out of 8 skaters
Open Short Ladies Freeskating – (5th place out of 9 skaters)

Isabelle also competed in her final competition of the year last weekend and came away with 2 first places in Juvenile Figures and Juvenile Freeskating and also took home the Overall 1^st place trophies in both of those disciplines – a fantastic end to an amazing year.

Futsal Qld

Futsal Queensland are looking to run a weekly comp at our school. Please see the flyer for more details and contact information.

Hot to apply for a GetStarted Voucher

https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/getinthegame/getstarted/apply

Carols on the Green

Date: 2 November 6:00pm – 8:00pm

You are invited to attend our annual Carols on the Green.  Join us on Friday 2 November as we celebrate the birth of  Christ.  Bring a picnic rug and enjoy an evening of carolling.  This special family friendly carols event will be held outdoors from 6:00pm behind the Administration building, off the side of our top oval.

Bring a picnic or avail yourself to our sausage sizzle and drinks which will be on sale for the duration of the evening. We will reserve the slope for all those bringing picnic rugs, but for those families needing seating, we can accommodate BYO camping chairs on the lower area in front of the stage. Please note this is a non-alcoholic and non-smoking event.

Carols on the Green Program:

6:00pm—8:00pm: Carols on the Green

Hamper Gift Giving

6:00pm—8:00pm: Available to purchase

• Sausage Sizzle, Soft Drinks & Coffee (Coffee by “Coffee Revelation”)
• Glow Sticks/Toys
• RAWimpact Cambodia Products
• SHE Rescue Christmas Gifts

Parklands Christmas Appeal

Christmas is a time when we celebrate God’s greatest gift to humanity, Jesus.  To celebrate this precious gift, we want to give to those in our local community who are in need. Join us on 2 November with your Parklands Hamper Bag containing your choice of non-perishable items below.

Every family will have received a Parklands Hamper.  Please Note: If you are unable to attend the carols, please drop your hamper bag (with or without groceries) into Student Services.

How to order your Extra-curricular and Sporting Group Photos for Parklands Christian College

On Thursday 11th and Friday 12th October, MSP Photography will be on site to take the extra-curricular and sporting group photos, including a ‘Whole College’ Photo.

These photos are available for purchase through payment envelope.

Personalised payment envelopes listing all the photos your child appeared in will be sent home on approx. 16 Oct.  Please read the instructions on these envelopes for your preferred method of payment.

If you wish to purchase a ‘Whole College’ Photo, these payment envelopes will be available from Student Services. Please follow the instructions on these envelopes for your preferred method of payment.

You have until Thursday 25th October, 2018 to purchase at this price.

Orders placed after this date will incur a $20 late fee (as the images will then be archived).

All orders will be processed after the cut off date advised above, and distributed through the school within approximately 21 days.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss any aspect of your photo day experience with us, please contact our office on 3848 3946 or by email on admin.seq@msp.com.au

Welcome back to the start of an exciting and very busy Term 4

I trust that you had an enjoyable, relaxing school holiday spent with family and friends or just enjoyed having the children at home and not having to prepare lunches, do homework, stress to get them to school prepared and on time?

We are continuing to review our process and procedures in the Primary in order to ensure the school is one in which our CLEAR values of Christlikeness, Learning, Excellence, Attitude and Respect are presented and followed daily.

Labeled Uniforms

For the start of term 4, can you kindly check that ALL of your child’s Uniform Items and Lunch Boxes and Drink Bottles are clearly labeled with their name? Can we also please ask that you assist us in ensuring the students are correctly dressed in the right uniform each day? We are experiencing students wearing their sport uniforms when not required and have also noticed that some students are starting to mix and match their uniforms. If unsure about uniform items or correct uniform requirements, please feel free to check the school’s website, contact your child’s teacher or the RTC.

End of Day Procedures

Students may be collected anytime from 2.30pm but will unfortunately miss Structured Play time.

Students leaving in Structured Play need to be electronically signed out either in the Undercover Area or up at Student Services.

At the end of Structured Play (3.05pm), students go to class, line up for class roll call, collect their ports / bags and are taken up to the Undercover Area. They are only allowed to leave the Under Cover Area of an afternoon, when collected by a guardian or older sibling. No student can leave the Undercover Area without any supervision. At 3.30pm those students that have not been collected, will be taken up to Student Services until collected.

Thank you for not requesting students to make their way ‘on their own’ and meet you at the car. If you need them before 3.30pm, please come up to the Undercover Area and collect them there.

Thank you for your support and assistance in this regard as we wish to keep all our students safe and accounted for!

2019 Class Placements

“I have learned to be content” (Philippians 4:11)

We believe God has a destiny for every student in our school. He has already placed within them the skills, gifts and talents that they need so as to become the person God intended them to be. We are also blessed to have excellent teachers at Parklands because of God’s call on their life.

Class teachers, Aides, all specialist teachers, RTC, LE Staff and myself spend an enormous amount of time discussing, praying about and working through the issues involved with student & class teacher placements and in trying to ensure that classes are well balanced. The matters of learning style, academic ability, behavioural concerns, student & staff personality, friendships, as well as social and emotional needs are earnestly discussed in the whole class selection process!

A reminder, due to the fact that we know the children and teacher / class environment, we do not accommodate requests from parents to swap class placements. It is an extremely difficult task that is complicated by requests for and against staff and other students or friends. We ask that you would pray for wisdom and discernment for us as they look to care for and meet the needs of each student.

Thank you for your understanding and support in this regard and look forward to seeing a wonderful working relationship continue to develop between teacher, student and parent!

iPad and eLearning in 2019

In wishing to offer our senior Primary students every opportunity to use technology in class to assist with and improve their learning, we will continue to allow the Year 5 and 6 students to make use of or bring iPads to school next year. This follows on with the trend in education to promote eLearning and the use of modern electronic devices in Senior Primary! Feedback from staff, parents and the Year 5 & 6 students about iPad use has been very positive.

The secret to confident kids

By: Michael Grose

The first habit from Stephen Covey’s wonderful book “The 7 habits of highly effective people” states that we should start every project or undertaking with the end in mind.

This principle holds true for any activity whether it’s planting your veggie patch; renovating a house or raising children. When you know what you are trying to achieve then choosing the right strategies becomes easy.  The end game or goal for parents and teachers is Redundancy. Yep, you read it right. Your job is to make yourself redundant as an adult from the children you raise and teach at the earliest appropriate, possible age. When redundancy is your aim most of your time, effort and energy will go into promoting independence.  You’ll stop doing things for kids and start giving them opportunities to do things themselves.  You’ll spend most of your active parenting and teaching time teaching, explaining and prodding your child toward independence.

Independence leads to the 4 C’s

When independence becomes your priority then suddenly you’ve found a pathway to the development of other positive qualities and traits in your children including the key four – confidence, competence, creativity and character.

Here’s how:

• Confidence comes from facing your fears and doing things for yourself.
• Competence comes from the opportunity to develop self-mastery that independence offers.
• Creativity is developed when kids solve problems themselves as opposed to someone solving them on their behalf, or worse, keeping kids safe. It’s amazing how resourceful kids can be when they are given the chance to resolve their own problems.
• Character, which is essential for success, is forged under hardship and is needed if kids are to live a sturdy life. Kids need to be exposed to disappointment, failure and conflict if character strengths such as grit and perseverance are too be forged.
• Independence takes many forms and adults are the gatekeepers for children’s independence.
• Allowing kids to take responsibility and own their own problems builds confidence and competence. Start by expecting kids to help out at home and at school. Look for ways to develop self-help skills and don’t take their problems on as your problems.

Create junior versions of independence

It can be scary and also difficult developing independence in one big step. So smart adults intuitively develop junior versions of independence by breaking up big activities into digestible bits. Want your three year old to make the bed? Then start by arranging the teddies and the pillows (a junior version of making the bed) and let them work their way up from there. Similarly, want your ten year old to walk to school yet it’s currently out of their skillset? Then accompany them most of the way and let them walk the last 200 metres to school on his own. That’s a junior version of walking to school.

In all the noise and commotion about raising kids today it’s easy to forget that the job description for parents hasn’t changed since the dawn of time. Love them, bond with them, teach them and spend time with them. But also work like mad to develop their real independence so they become capable of handling what life will throw their way.

Trusting you have a great term ahead.

Mr Grant Jakins

Year 3 Street Science Incursion

On the last day of Term 3, the Year 3 students were visited by Mel from the Street Science crew.  To begin the day we enjoyed a Science show where the students were able to watch, interact and consolidate their learning about friction, heating and cooling. After the use of flames, liquid nitrogen and friction by the expert, the students split into their class groups to complete experiments themselves.  The first experiment involved testing the temperature of ingredients as they were mixed together. This saw the students using digital thermometers as they watched the temperature of the first mixture go up the second mixture go down.  After this the students experimented as to which surfaces helped ice melt faster and which kept it cold longer.  The students enjoyed the experience and were very talkative and excited to share their findings with each other.

We look forward to learning about animals, their classifications and the biomes they associate with, in Science for Term 4.

Mrs Abbot, Mr Kennedy, Mrs Jones and Mrs Buckley

Year 4 Arts Excursion

During Term 3 Year 4 made an exciting journey to South Bank to visit the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the GOMA Art Gallery. Most of the students hadn’t experienced a live orchestra and were amazed at the wonderful sounds coming from live music as they listened to the “Babar the Elephant” story. Many students have said they are inspired and can’t wait for to be involved in the Give it A Go Band program in 2019.

Lunch was enjoyed by all at South Bank before participating in some fun activities at the “We can be Heroes” children’s exhibition at GOMA. The highlight for the students was making themselves into a digital superhero and seeing themselves on the big screen.

We’d like to thank Mr Jakins and all the parent helpers for giving up their time and assisting in making this fun day such a success.

Primary Arts teachers and Grade 4 teachers.

Carols on the Green

Date: Friday 2nd November 2018 6:00pm – 8:00pm

You are invited to attend our annual Carols on the Green.  Join us on Friday 2 November as we celebrate the birth of  Christ.  Bring a picnic rug and enjoy an evening of carolling.  This special family friendly carols event will be held outdoors from 6:00pm behind the Administration building, off the side of our top oval.

Bring a picnic or avail yourself to our sausage sizzle and drinks which will be on sale for the duration of the evening. We will reserve the slope for all those bringing picnic rugs, but for those families needing seating, we can accommodate BYO camping chairs on the lower area in front of the stage. Please note this is a non-alcoholic and non-smoking event.

Carols on the Green Program:

6:00pm—8:00pm: Carols on the Green

Hamper Gift Giving

6:00pm—8:00pm: Available to purchase

• Sausage Sizzle, Soft Drinks & Coffee (Coffee by “Coffee Revelation”)
• Glow Sticks/Toys
• RAWimpact Cambodia Products
• SHE Rescue Christmas Gifts

Parklands Christmas Appeal

Christmas is a time when we celebrate God’s greatest gift to humanity, Jesus.  To celebrate this precious gift, we want to give to those in our local community who are in need. Join us on 2 November with your Parklands Hamper Bag containing your choice of non-perishable items below.

Every family will have received a Parklands Hamper Bag.  Please Note: If you are unable to attend the carols, please drop your hamper bag (with or without groceries) into Student Services.

How to order your Extra-curricular and Sporting Group Photos for Parklands Christian College

On Thursday 11th and Friday 12th October, MSP Photography will be on site to take the extra-curricular and sporting group photos, including a ‘Whole College’ Photo.

These photos are available for purchase through payment envelope.

Personalised payment envelopes listing all the photos your child appeared in will be sent home on approx. 16 Oct.  Please read the instructions on these envelopes for your preferred method of payment.

If you wish to purchase a ‘Whole College’ Photo, these payment envelopes will be available from Student Services. Please follow the instructions on these envelopes for your preferred method of payment.

You have until Thursday 25th October, 2018 to purchase at this price.

Orders placed after this date will incur a $20 late fee (as the images will then be archived).

All orders will be processed after the cut off date advised above, and distributed through the school within approximately 21 days.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss any aspect of your photo day experience with us, please contact our office on 3848 3946 or by email on admin.seq@msp.com.au

Subject to changes – please check the College Calendar on the College website for more detailed and up to date information on the above.