In this issue

Senior News…

It has been GREAT to see students return to school this week.

We trust they feel rested, renewed, and ready for Term 4!

Year 11 Leadership Camp

During the last week of Term 3, our Year 11’s attended leadership camp at Emu Gully, Helidon, which is based around the ANZAC’s; of working together and leaving no one behind. They experienced a vast array of activities, and each game and activity increasingly worked on building character, respect, and of leading by example. A “Can Do” attitude was evident in all and each student gave their very own 100%. As these students embark on their final year of schooling, they are all leaders, all role models, for Parklands Christian College. Time and again the students displayed courage and determination in facing, at times, very confronting situations. They stepped up as the intensity of each activity increased teachers and camp facilitators saw how they supported each other really well.

The model of the servant leader is the most fitting style that we look to for our student leaders at Parklands. It is these types of qualities we have observed in many. Well done to all of our Year 11 students!

Senior College Attendance

If your child is healthy, we expect them to be at school as we want to see them achieve their best (which correlates with healthy attendance statistics).

However, if your child is unwell, thank you for keeping them at home so they can recuperate and get better.

In Senior, when absent for an exam or assignment submission, a medical certificate MUST be obtained and a copy provided to Student Services or Mrs Degen. This is in line with QCAAs strict guidelines on missing an assessment due date and covers your child so they can catch up an assessment.

Certificate Courses & VET Work

If you child is undertaking a certificate course, they must prioritise completing all module work by the set time. For Year 12, most due dates are September-October as there are very important deadlines to ensure there is time for trainers to mark assessments and for training organisations to upload results to QCAA. Once finalised, your child will see this locked into their MyQCE account. If you have any concerns, please speak to your child (and their individual teachers and trainers) about when this final due date will be. If the final date is missed, QCE certification may not occur this year as QCAA has very strict due dates. Should you have nay queries, please contact Liz Lenton at: elenton@parklands.qld.edu.au

Year 10 Subject Changes

Year 10 should now be settled into their classes that match up with their Year 11 subject choices.

If this isn’t the case, or if your child has had a change of pathway, we are encouraging them to speak with their teachers, Head of Year 10 – Miss Matthews, Mrs Lenton or Ms Wallis this week and complete a Subject Change Request form.

As Term 4 is a short term, we have requested all paperwork to be completed by Monday 9th October.

Year 11 Update

In Year 11, many General (ATAR) subjects commence Year 12 work (Unit 3) this term. Your Year 11 child has been encouraged to start the term off strongly by taking study notes. A reminder, that for General Maths and Science classes, there is the requirement to know the Unit 3 and Unit 4 work for External Exams at the end of Year 12 (1 year’s worth of work). By taking and keeping solid notes from Term 4 2023, your child can be best prepared for their final school exams.

If you have any questions about this, please ask your child’s teachers, Head of Year 11 – Mrs Furlonger, Mrs Lenton or Ms Wallis.

Year 12 Update

Year 12 students have three weeks of normal classes this term prior to the external examination block.

We request full attendance EVERY DAY and that our Year 12’s keep working through their teacher’s feedback from trial exams. It’s very important that all assignment and module work is completed in full, to gain passes in all the Applied subjects and Vocational classes.

We are praying for motivation, good health, and calm as your Year 12 child continues to work hard on further revision and assessment to finish off their formal schooling strongly.

We cannot wait and are all looking forward to celebrating with Year 12’s in their final week of school!

Our prayers are with all students as they work hard in this short Term.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any support. The best contact is through Student Services or via email at: rwallis@parklands.qld.edu.au

Blessings,
Rebecca Wallis
Head of Senior College

We find ourselves amid a fast-finishing year with Term 4 well and truly underway. Students have 8 weeks till the conclusion of classes, and then we are another holiday break yet again. The finish will feel like a whirlwind, but there are many activities and opportunities for students to experience between now and the end of the school year.

Secondary Awards Night – November 14

The highlight event for the year, Secondary Awards Night, happens on the evening of November 14. Secondary students and staff gather with the college community to celebrate the achievements of the Parklands student body. It is a formal evening, with students and staff in their best uniforms. It is important for students to be aware of our college presentation policy regarding hair, makeup and uniform, and to ensure that they are prepared correctly for this end of year event, as they should be for each day of school.

Exam Week and Assessments

Middle School classes in term 4 work right up to the end of the year, with learning and assessment occurring through to the final week of term. Our Middle School exam block occurs in the last week of term, week 8. It is important that students are present for this time, and we would request that families who wish to take holidays earlier than this possibly refrain from this practice as this affects
the learning and achievements of your children. While we understand that circumstances can occur which are out of control, we would encourage a priority to be given to the school term. Our students are completed their year of learning two weeks before the state school system, allowing space for families to engage in holidays before much of the state. Please feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss this further.

Middle School Leadership – 2024

In the next couple of weeks, we are going to commence the process of selecting Middle School Leaders for 2024. Students will have the opportunity to nominate for the role, which will result in an interview process with myself, and a staff vote. From these, 4 students will be selected from our Year 8 cohort to be the Leaders for 2024.

Self-Control

Many of us who observe society today may argue that self-control is a lacking feature. Many news stories can be found of decisions made without thought for reason or control, resulting in consequences that do not work out well for others. One of the key values that the bible highlights in the book of Galatians, chapter 5, is self-control. In amongst a list of virtues such as Love, Joy, Peace, Patience (and others: The Fruit of the Spirit) Self-Control, listed at the end, anchors this list together.

The truth is, these other values cannot be achieved without self-control helping to direct the choices that we make. And this is why there is such an encouragement from us as a college for students to exercise self-control in all situations. Our education with students includes many different strategies around the choices which we can make as individuals, especially in the heat of a moment. Self-control makes a great difference in the way we resolve conflict, and in the way we affirm others, and will be a key value we continue to encourage.

I encourage each of us to consider the different ways we seek to exercise self-control in our day to day lives, and may we seek the Lord’s guidance in achieving this.

I pray for all our families to be blessed at this time. May we have a smooth journey through term 4 as we navigate it together.

Blessing,
Mr Colin Elvery
Head of Middle School

Welcome to Term 4! There has been a buzz of enthusiasm around the school as we welcome the students and staff back to the final term of 2023. I hope you were able to enjoy some time with your children over the past two weeks – creating memories. I was very blessed to create amazing memories with some of our year 10, 11 and 12 students and staff On Country. Let’s continue to embrace these moments and build a treasure trove of memories.

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” (Psalms 127:3)

Fill the World With Song

The aim of Together Sing is to raise awareness of the value of Music Education and singing together to improve mental health and wellbeing. Research shows that the use of music interventions (listening to music, singing and music therapy) can create significant improvements in mental health (Harvard Health, 2023). The 2023 song Fill the World with Song has been specifically composed for the occasion. During Mental Health Week (October 7–15), along with other participating schools and community groups, Parklands primary students will perform the song together and be immersed in the joy and benefits of making music together.

New Building Classroom Layout – 2024

While building projects, particularly at the current time, are impacted by numerous factors and timeframes are often delayed, we remain positive and prayerful that our Primary classes will move into the new buildings for the beginning of 2024. While years 1, 2 and 6 classroom movement are planned to occur in the last week of Term 4, classes will not operate from the new classrooms until the new year. As indicated in the last newsletter all primary home classes will be in the new buildings next year. To do this, year 5 and 6 will be positioned next to other year levels, rather than beside each other. The diagram below shows the plan for classroom layout for 2024. Plans for year 6 classes to be located within middle school facilities are underway for during Stage 3 building, to accommodate growth as we move to being a three stream primary school.

Welcoming our 2024 Prep Students

During Term 4 you are likely to see little people, with an adult, visiting Parklands. Thank you in advance for making them feel welcome. Smooth transitions from Kindergarten to Prep have positive outcomes in terms of academic achievement, social development, and student wellbeing. Therefore, we have planned a thorough transition program to familiarise our little learners as they enter the Prep year. Thank you for your additional patience in the car park on the following days.

• Wednesday 11 October 9am – Prep for Me: Kindy into Prep Transition #1
• Friday 27 October 9am – Ready for Prep: Kindy into Prep Transition #2
• Tuesday 7 November 3:30pm – Set for Prep: Kindy into Prep Transition #3
• Friday 19 January 8:30am – It’s a Go for Prep: Kindy into Prep Transition #4

Date Claimers

• Friday October 20 – Cubing Club Summer Championships
• Friday October 20 – Year 4 Star Gazing Night
• Friday November 10 – Carols Night
• Friday November 17 – Primary Awards Night

Many Blessings,
Anne-Maree
akingston@parklands.qld.edu.au

Senior News…

It has been GREAT to see students return to school this week.

We trust they feel rested, renewed, and ready for Term 4!

Year 11 Leadership Camp

During the last week of Term 3, our Year 11’s attended leadership camp at Emu Gully, Helidon, which is based around the ANZAC’s; of working together and leaving no one behind. They experienced a vast array of activities, and each game and activity increasingly worked on building character, respect, and of leading by example. A “Can Do” attitude was evident in all and each student gave their very own 100%. As these students embark on their final year of schooling, they are all leaders, all role models, for Parklands Christian College. Time and again the students displayed courage and determination in facing, at times, very confronting situations. They stepped up as the intensity of each activity increased teachers and camp facilitators saw how they supported each other really well.

The model of the servant leader is the most fitting style that we look to for our student leaders at Parklands. It is these types of qualities we have observed in many. Well done to all of our Year 11 students!

Senior College Attendance

If your child is healthy, we expect them to be at school as we want to see them achieve their best (which correlates with healthy attendance statistics).

However, if your child is unwell, thank you for keeping them at home so they can recuperate and get better.

In Senior, when absent for an exam or assignment submission, a medical certificate MUST be obtained and a copy provided to Student Services or Mrs Degen. This is in line with QCAAs strict guidelines on missing an assessment due date and covers your child so they can catch up an assessment.

Certificate Courses & VET Work

If you child is undertaking a certificate course, they must prioritise completing all module work by the set time. For Year 12, most due dates are September-October as there are very important deadlines to ensure there is time for trainers to mark assessments and for training organisations to upload results to QCAA. Once finalised, your child will see this locked into their MyQCE account. If you have any concerns, please speak to your child (and their individual teachers and trainers) about when this final due date will be. If the final date is missed, QCE certification may not occur this year as QCAA has very strict due dates. Should you have nay queries, please contact Liz Lenton at: elenton@parklands.qld.edu.au

Year 10 Subject Changes

Year 10 should now be settled into their classes that match up with their Year 11 subject choices.

If this isn’t the case, or if your child has had a change of pathway, we are encouraging them to speak with their teachers, Head of Year 10 – Miss Matthews, Mrs Lenton or Ms Wallis this week and complete a Subject Change Request form.

As Term 4 is a short term, we have requested all paperwork to be completed by Monday 9^th October.

Year 11 Update

In Year 11, many General (ATAR) subjects commence Year 12 work (Unit 3) this term. Your Year 11 child has been encouraged to start the term off strongly by taking study notes. A reminder, that for General Maths and Science classes, there is the requirement to know the Unit 3 and Unit 4 work for External Exams at the end of Year 12 (1 year’s worth of work). By taking and keeping solid notes from Term 4 2023, your child can be best prepared for their final school exams.

If you have any questions about this, please ask your child’s teachers, Head of Year 11 – Mrs Furlonger, Mrs Lenton or Ms Wallis.

Year 12 Update

Year 12 students have three weeks of normal classes this term prior to the external examination block.

We request full attendance EVERY DAY and that our Year 12’s keep working through their teacher’s feedback from trial exams. It’s very important that all assignment and module work is completed in full, to gain passes in all the Applied subjects and Vocational classes.

We are praying for motivation, good health, and calm as your Year 12 child continues to work hard on further revision and assessment to finish off their formal schooling strongly.

We cannot wait and are all looking forward to celebrating with Year 12’s in their final week of school!

Our prayers are with all students as they work hard in this short Term.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any support. The best contact is through Student Services or via email at: rwallis@parklands.qld.edu.au

Blessings,

Mrs Rebecca Wallis
Head of Senior College

Year 1

Year 1 ended a jam packed term 3 with International Dot Day! We demonstrated our unique and vibrant imaginations and created some wonderful images all starting with just one dot.

This term we are looking forward to all things Christmas! We will be reading imaginative and informative texts about Christmas and will be working our way through the scriptures leading up to our Saviour’s birth.

We will be learning about money, direction, chance and halves in math lessons and creating maps in HASS and learning how we hear sound and see light in our Science lessons.

Looking forward to a fabulous term 4!

Take care from the Year 1 team.

Year 2

September in Year 2 was a fast, furious, and fun-loving month! The students enjoyed their design technology building project which combined their knowledge of the forces used in science with materials and resources to make a push pull vehicle Their creativity never ceases to amaze us! Throughout the assessments at the beginning of September, the students showed their strengths and confidence as we wrote our narratives and used mental math strategies for addition and subtraction. Parklands was blessed to enjoy a day to celebrate checking on each other. “Are You OK Day” prompted conversations and new friendships as we sat on the lawn on a beautiful Queensland afternoon. We hope you all had an amazing holiday. We are looking forward to this term with great anticipation as we prepare our year two students to embrace Year Three with confidence and brain power! We are especially working on friendships this term and exploring how unique we all are, as God made each one of us perfectly perfect!

Year 3

Year 3 had a great month in September. The highlight was our excursion to Summerlands Camel Farm. Students learnt so much about Camels but also about how food is produced in Australia. We also learnt about different types of products and how some animals make farming more sustainable in Australia. Students tried camel milk, camel cheese and camel sausage. The best part was feeding and patting the camels, we even got to pat a baby camel. It was a day of fun experiences but also hands on learning.

As always, Year 3 loves our Science units. They are always so keen to understand how the world around them works and to partake in hands-on learning through experimentation and getting outside. We concluded our States of Matter Science unit by making slime!

Year 3 also enjoyed their last week of term 3 by celebrating Auslan week. Students made a deaf flag, completed a sign language word search and made a poster which included their name in sign language and English. They also had fun making a card that said ‘I love you’ in Auslan to give to someone that they cared about. It was great to celebrate Auslan week and our last week of term 3!

Students had a wonderful break and we are now looking forward to the short but fun term 4. We look forward to celebrating all things Christmas and also doing all of the ‘lasts’ for Year 3!

Year 3 Team
Mrs Dayna Davis, Mrs Renée Imms, Mrs Sue Martin and Mrs Christine Uwamurera

Cubing Club

Students always amaze me how much they learn at Cubing Club each week! So many students have learnt to solve the 3×3 cube this year and have moved onto other cubes and faster methods to solve the cube.

We are all super excited about our next Cubing Competition! The PCC Cubing Summer Championships will be held on Friday the 20th October 2023 from 3.15pm-5.45pm at the BSC. Any students at PCC are welcome to compete in the competition, even if they do not attend Cubing Club.

Summer Championships 2023 is fielding 3 events: 3×3, 2×2 and pyraminx. Students are also able to compete to solve each level of the cube if they are not competing for times. We will have ‘white cross’, ‘1st Layer’ & ‘2nd Layer’ events to start our competition.

If you would like to compete at Summer Championships, please click on the link below to register. The competition is open to both Primary and Secondary students. Registration for the competition closes on Friday 13th October 2023 at 3pm.

Please register for Summer Championships via this link: https://forms.gle/uLM7XFD3YCyRcdDWA

I look forward to seeing you at our Summer Championships!

Dayna Davis
Cubing Club Coordinator

As we begin Term 4, the Careers and VET department continues to see the hard work come into fruition for many of our students as they begin to receive early offers for university degrees, sign up for school-based and full time apprenticeships and traineeships, complete the Parklands Work Experience program, complete certificate qualifications at school and Tafe at School, and successfully apply and interview for part time jobs. The Parklands facebook page has highlighted a few of our students’ success stories and as we are so proud of their commitment and achievements.

Year 9 students began their final rotation in the Career Education program was launched during Home Classes, with our final class group exploring their strengths in relation to future occupations. Our Year 9 students have been the first of their year level to experience our Virtual Reality (VR) world of career exploration through Work Window on our Oculus Quests, throughout the year. Their Career Education program has informed them both in their immediate subject selections for year 10, 2024, and in their long term career development journey.

In reflection, Term 3 was very much focused on supporting our Year 12 students in their university applications to QTAC and/or other interstate tertiary admissions centers, and overseas universities. Students are supported as they navigate the application process, applying for early entry and/or scholarships, realising the adjustment factors available to them and researching appropriate pathway courses.

We had a number of Year 10, 11 and 12 students completed work experience through the Parklands Work Experience program during the holidays. Our students shine in the workplace and as a result have either been offered an apprenticeship or are working towards interviewing for an apprenticeship with the host company. We are grateful for our community industry connections who we can team with to provide our students with safe, real-world opportunities and future employment.

Finally, we would like to acknowledge our wonderful VET teachers and trainers at Parklands who work every day with our students to help them achieve success and complete their certificate qualifications. Thank you Mr Andrew Flaxman, Mr Phil Uren, Mr Josh Leembruggen, Mr Daniel Millward, Mrs Dianne Furlonger, Mrs Jemma Rowney, Mrs May Chow, Ms Rebecca Stevens and Ms Rebecca Wallis, for your amazing work with our students. We value you!

Eph 5:18b-19 “Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms & hymns & spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.”

Welcome to Term 4! We hope you have been able to have a relaxing holiday, & are ready for the final run into the end of the year. There are still many exciting performances to come, so plenty still happening in the Music department!

Arts Gala

The most grand thing on our Arts calendar for term 4, and in fact for the year, is our Arts Gala which is happening on Wed 18^th October, with the formal programme beginning at 6pm. There will be food available for purchase from 5pm, along with several outdoor exhibitions of student works to enjoy before the main programme. All our College Ensembles & Choirs will perform, along with  selection of numbers from “Annie” the musical as performed in term 3, as well as other performances from many areas of the College. Mark it in your diaries now, it’s shaping up to be a great night!

Lunchtime Concerts

As part of the Give It A Go! programme, both the Give It A Go! Band & Petite Strings treated our Primary school to lunchtime concerts in the last few weeks of last term. Besides being a great opportunity for the Give It A Go! students to perform for their peers, it’s also a fantastic chance for other students to see & hear these instruments live, and hopefully inspire them to think about learning an instrument too.

Lessons & Rehearsals

All instrumental lessons & rehearsals begin right away for Term 4, firs thing Tuesday morning! Give It A Go! lesson will continue to the end of week 6, and all other lessons will finish at the end of week 7. Choir & Ensemble rehearsals will continue until the week indicated by their director:

Ensemble & Choir rehearsal schedule:

All Choirs are open to all students regardless of whether or not they’re having lessons, and no experience is necessary. We are particularly keen to have more students in our Secondary Choir, especially those who do music as a subject. For a small amount of time each week, just 1 hour, students will reap many benefits & have a great time.

The Give It A Go! Band & Petite Strings are generally reserved for students in the Give It A Go! Programme as they cater for beginner students, although other beginners may also join. Other wind, brass & percussion students having lessons at school will play in the Wind Ensemble, and other string students having lessons at the College will play in Andante Strings. Any other students who have lessons outside the College are also welcome to join the appropriate ensemble!

Give It A Go! Band Programme

GIAG lessons are humming along well & students are learning plenty! Year 3 students will very soon be starting their enrolment process, so your child may come home talking about playing an instrument. There will be an information letter coming in a few weeks, so please have a read of that & watch the Youtube video for details about how the programme works.

Instruments on offer in the Give It A Go! Band Programme include:

–       Flute
–       Clarinet
–       Saxophone
–       Trumpet
–       Trombone
–       Euphonium
–       Percussion (includes drums, auxiliary & mallet percussion)
–       Violin
–       Viola
–       Cello
–       Double Bass

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 students only

This is a one year beginner programme for Year 4 students, giving them the opportunity to learn a woodwind, brass, string or percussion instrument in small groups during school time. There is a one-off $400 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 & would like to be involved, please contact us at instruments@parklands.qld.edu.au

2. Private lessons

Private lessons are available for piano, guitar, drum kit, voice, 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 $33/30mins.

3. Shared lessons

Shared lessons are available for all of the above instruments except piano, guitar & voice. Lessons are again scheduled mostly during school time, & fees are also billed by & payable directly to the instrumental teachers at $20/30mins for a Group of 2 or $15/30mins for a Group of 3, pending availability.

Enrolment forms can be downloaded below, and are also available by emailing instruments@parklands.qld.edu.au

02 PCC Instrumental Tuition Program guidelines and enrolment

SELF-CARE

As we settle into term 4, ‘the last quarter’ and looking at the final tests and assessments of the school year, it is a great time to take a look at how we are taking care of our wellbeing, both as students and as parents! According to the Oxford English Dictionary, self-care can be defined as “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.” Self-care is a deliberate activity to maintain or improve our physical, emotional or mental health. It includes activities that revitalise us, bring joy and a sense of well-being to our lives. It is not selfish but allows us to look after ourselves which benefits our health, welfare and relationships.

Self-care for students

Self-care for children and young people is about helping them to learn how to look after themselves so that they can stay mentally and physically healthy. Self-care is unique to everyone so it requires some reflection and thought in order to find out what is best for each person. Taking care of physical and mental wellbeing can help students to stay focussed, motivated, energised and reduce stress, frustration and anxiety.  Three of the major pathways to wellbeing include SLEEP, MOVEMENT and NUTRITION.  

SLEEP

Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things we can do to maintain wellbeing. Sleep lets our mind recharge and process information. It’s the only part of the day that our body gets to rest and repair. Sleep can help us feel better, think more clearly and concentrate better. It gives us energy to complete tasks and can make us more alert. Without enough sleep you may have problems with thinking, concentrating, memory, reaction times and mood. The Sleep Health Foundation recommends that school age children up to the age of 13 years old get approximately 9-11 hours of sleep each night and teenagers aged 14-17 years get 8-10 hours.

Here’s some reasons why sleep is important:

• People feel more anxious at night. This is because the limbic system fires up late at night, causing heightened emotions. This is meant to happen when you are actually asleep!
• Sleep is essential for cleaning out toxins that build up in your brain. Accumulation of these toxins can impact on brain and mental health.
• Being sleep-deprived can raise your overall anxiety levels in your everyday life.
• The neocortex (your ‘smart brain’) is downgraded when you are tired, which means you are more likely to make risky or emotional decisions. This is one reason why there are increased incidents of cyberbullying, car accidents, drug use, self-harm and suicide at night. 

MOVEMENT

Exercise has social, emotional and health benefits, including increased concentration, increased confidence, reduced risk of diseases and reduced aggression.

Physical activity can help you to:

• Build a strong body and mind
• Reduce stress
• Feel good
• Manage moods
• Gain more energy
• Sleep better

Exercise doesn’t have to be in a sweaty gym – that’s not everyone’s cup of tea! There are so many ways to exercise and they all count! Kick a footy at the park, take a bush walk, or head to the beach for a swim (when the weather warms up!). You can even do a YouTube Pilates class or try a dance battle on your gaming console! Stick to a routine or mix it up – find what works for you! It’s time to move your body!

NUTRITION

We all know that what we eat has a huge effect on our lives, yet growing a good relationship with food isn’t often the first thing that comes to mind when we think about self-care. Good nutrition is the ultimate form of self-care. And while it may not feel like a deep tissue massage, its benefits on your stress, mood, digestion, and overall health absolutely compliment every other beautiful self-care practice you do for your mind and body.

VIEW FOOD AS FUEL

Just as we need petrol in our car to get us to where we need to go, we need food to fuel our mind and body. If our body needs Premium fuel but we are filling it with a regular, blended fuel, our body won’t work the way we need it to, especially in times of stress or tiredness. Our bodies are more compatible with premium fuel (good nutrition) which helps our body to work in the following ways:

• Helps us grow
• Supports learning
• Vital for mental health
• Maintains blood glucose levels
• Provides energy
• Improves the immune system
• Increases happiness

For more in-depth nutritional information, see a local professional such as a nutritionist or dietician.

OTHER SELF-CARE

These three form the foundation for good self-care, both for children and adults. Further to these everyone is different! We are all made and wired differently and self-care is often a journey of discovering what works for us – kids included. Here are some other self-care techniques that you could test out and see if they revitalise you, bring you joy and help to restore your wellbeing:

• Get around nature –a beach stroll or bush walk can be good for the soul and is proven to reduce stress and increase wellbeing
• Tick some things off your list – sometimes our to do list can seem overwhelming but if we give ourselves space to get some jobs done we’ve been meaning to do, we will have achieved something and it always feels good to kick some goals!
• Creative writing – expression through writing can be a great outlet for emotions and allows the brain sometime to breathe and dream – away from study and text books!
• Organising and de-cluttering – The process (and results) of putting things in their place can improve mood and state of mind.
• Spend one-on-one time with God – when we connect with our Creator, the one who loves us and knows us best, it allows us to renew our hope, peace and strength in Him.
• Time away from screens – turn it off and leave your screen at home for some uninterrupted time to yourself without the distraction of notifications
• A long, hot shower can do wonders
• Do something fun every day! Fun helps to balance out stress, produces feel-good hormones and helps to promote creativity, energy and overall cognition!
• Start a gratitude journal – there’s a growing body of research showing the benefits of gratitude. Studies have found that gratitude can help people sleep better, lower stress and improve interpersonal relationships.

By incorporating self–care activities into our regular routine, we give our body and mind time to rest, reset, and rejuvenate, in order to enhance our health and wellbeing. Look after yourselves and find what works for you!

Books of the month

Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess – Dr Caroline Leaf

Our mental mess is frequently aggravated by a chaotic world and sustained by an inability to manage our runaway thoughts. But we shouldn’t settle into this mental mess as if it’s just our new normal. There’s hope and help available to us–and the road to healthier thoughts and peak happiness may actually be shorter than you think. Backed by clinical research and illustrated with compelling case studies, Dr. Caroline Leaf provides a scientifically proven five-step plan to find and eliminate the root of anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts in your life so you can experience dramatically improved mental and physical health. In just 21 days, you can start to clean up your mental mess and be on the road to wholeness, peace, and happiness.

How to Help Your Child Clean Up Their Mental Mess – Dr Caroline Leaf

• Every Parent’s Guide to Supporting Their Child’s Mental Health

  Increasingly, children ages 3-10 are struggling with anxiety, depression, and mental health challenges. These can be brought on by many factors–stress at home, upheavals in society, breaks in routine, isolation from friends, bullying or social pressure–and if left unaddressed, they follow kids into their teens and adulthood, causing mental, emotional, and relational problems that will steal their peace and joy.

Bestselling author Dr. Caroline Leaf helps you teach your kids how to
· recognize negative feelings and respond in a healthy way
· navigate a world that can feel scary and overwhelming
· manage uncomfortable or challenging situations
· replace toxic thoughts with brain-building practices that produce better outcomes
· develop resilience and emotional strength

Based on up-to-date research, clearly illustrated with case studies, and practically applied to the problems kids are facing today, How to Help Your Child Clean Up Their Mental Mess is what parents, caretakers, teachers, and counselors have been waiting for. Dr. Leaf shares a clear and effective five-step plan to teach your child how to manage their mind so they can live a life with greater resilience, health, and happiness.

Since the early 1980s Dr Caroline Leaf has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health, and the formation of memory. She frequently lectures to audiences worldwide, linking scientific principles of the brain to spiritual, intellectual and emotional issues in simple and practical ways. She speaks on diverse topics relating to how the mind controls the brain through optimal thinking, and hence improved brain performance.

We highly recommend all of Dr Caroline Leaf’s works and regularly discuss her podcasts, research and books as a team. You can find out more about her work at DrLeaf.com.

The Friendlies Committee has had an incredible year of fostering connections and organising memorable events within our school community.  As we enter the last term of 2023, we want to take a moment to reflect on the year and share our excitement for the upcoming year.   The Friendlies are committed to creating a welcoming and engaging environment for all families, and we look forward to even greater participation in 2024. 

Our College Fete and Bush Dance are definitely highlights from this year’s calendar.   Both events definitely ticked the fun box and cultivated strong community connections.   Our committee also hosted numerous BBQs throughout this year.   While we are proud of the food we serve, what we love the most is the connection these events bring amongst our College families.   The humble BBQ has allowed us to connect on a personal level and build a sense of unity among our diverse school community.   

We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to our Committee Chair, Allan Morris, for all his hard work and dedication to our college community throughout the past year.   Allan always turns up with a smile and a million ways to be generous.  After a big year of building our Friendlies Committee and all that entails, Allan has finished up as our Chair.  

We are excited to announce that Kate Harbourn will be stepping in as our new Chair.   Kate is not new to Friendlies – she has been serving as part of our team for the past year.   The Harbourns are a local family, with a long connection with Parklands.   As well as being an amazing wife and mum, Kate also runs a local honey business.  Please join us in welcoming her as she leads our Friendlies into 2024.

While it is hard to grasp that 2024 is fast approaching, we are actually looking forward to the new year.  We have exciting plans and initiatives in the works, and want to encourage even more families to get involved.  Your involvement can take many forms, from volunteering at events to joining a planning committee.  Together, we can make our school community even stronger and more vibrant.

If you would like to get involved or have any ideas/suggestions, we would love to hear from you.   Please email us at friendlies@parklands.qld.edu.au   Your voice and contributions are highly valued.

Hope to hear from you,

The Friendlies Committee  

Park Ridge Pirates Junior Football Club

Park Ridge Panthers FC

Foster Carers Needed

You-Be-You-Newsletter

1.You-Be-You-Information-Kit

In Sync Kids OT have a satellite clinic within Parklands Christian College providing private Occupational Therapy Services specifically to students of the school. In Sync Kids Occupational Therapy specialises in sensory integration and neurodevelopment.  Kelsey Hackett is the Occupational Therapist and point of contact for the satellite clinic within Parklands Christian College.

Kelsey Hackett has experience working as a paediatric occupational therapist since 2015 in the United States and has relocated to Brisbane in 2021. She has her Bachelors of Psychology and Master of Occupational Therapy degree. She has worked in the clinic-based and school-based settings with children of all ages and a wide range of diagnoses for the past 7 years.

For any additional information regarding Occupational Therapy services, please contact Kelsey Hackett kelsey.hackett@insynckidsot.com  and feel free to look at the In Sync Kids OT website for more information http://www.insynckidsot.com

Free Dental Care

FREE DENTAL CARE

Tuckshop news

The tuckshop will be open EVERY day this year, Monday-Friday!

Secondary Students please note all hot food purchased from the Tuckshop needs to be preordered online.

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 2023

Enrolment Flyer

Parklands Outside School Hours Care is situated within the school grounds of Parklands Christian College.

The OSHC service caters for children from Prep to Year 12, operating before and after school care and also vacation care.  Prep children who are starting their first year of schooling are able to attend vacation care commencing January 2023.   Before-school care offers a simple but nutritious breakfast for the children and activities and programs are based on the children’s interests, ideas and feedback.  During the school term, the service operates daily from: 6.30am-8.30am, and 3pm-6pm (with office staff available from 2pm).  Vacation Care runs from 6.30am-6pm.

Parklands OSHC has qualified educators and is an open-door service that welcomes and encourages all family’s input, suggestions and feedback.

Should you wish to discuss any care needs, please pop in to see us or contact us via:

Phone.  3297 0577 \ 0417 009 408

Email:    parklandsbookings@bigpond.com

Please note a current enrolment is required for all bookings including casual and emergency care bookings.

We look forward to assisting with all your care needs.

Miss Rachel

Parklands OSHC

Uniform Shop Hours

(School Days Only)
Mondays 8.00am – 10.00am
Tuesdays 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Thursdays 2.00pm – 4.00pm

Uniform Shop Location Address/Parking:

24 Hillcrest Rd, Park Ridge Qld 4125 (located on the left hand side, at the end of Hillcrest road).

For further information:
Phone: (07) 3380 4256
Email: service@theschoollocker.com.au

Uniform Shop Facebook Page/PCCUniforms

Purchase Uniforms Online

 SHOP ONLINE @theschoollocker.com.au/schools/parklands-christian-college