I keep a globe shaped puzzle of the world on my desk, and visitors to my office often comment on it. It’s one of the most challenging puzzles I own - only 240 pieces, but tough to fit together and the vast expanses of blue sea makes it fiendishly difficult to place. The last pieces were the most tricky, threatening to make the whole shape collapse. Finally, late one night, I delicately placed the North Pole on the earth, put the world on the kitchen table with great satisfaction and went to bed.
The next morning, I woke up and walked out to the kitchen. I noticed a puzzle piece on the floor of the hallway. I thought that was a little weird as I was sure I’d put all the pieces in and none were missing. But then I turned into the kitchen…and there were puzzle pieces all over the floor. In fact, I found 239 pieces scattered throughout the kitchen, living room, dining room. I retrieved a good part of Australia (or probably only Australia, it might have been part of Asia) from under the fridge, and other countries from all sorts of other places.
It didn’t take me too long to figure out what happened. The culprit was our playful little kitten. I should have been able to anticipate what the kitten would do with a fun, hollow, cardboard ball during the long, boring hours while people were asleep; but alas it was too late – overnight, my world had gone to pieces.
There are so many ways that our world can go to pieces: crime, war, famine, droughts and other natural disasters. In our own lives, we might have to deal with divorce or family break-ups, illness, falling out with friends, difficulties in our work or studies, or like these last few months - with a global pandemic that has overturned all our lives. Like my globe, our world has been shattered overnight.
However, my globe is now back together. I didn’t have the heart or the energy to piece it together myself at the time – students dropping into my office at school helped piece my world back together again. We need good friends and loved ones around us when our world falls apart (even if they are only with us at a socially appropriate distance). This is what God promises us – when we feel that our world has fallen apart, he will be there for us and not at all distanced from us. We have the good news of Christ’s birth, and his death and resurrection – he has come to a shattered world filled with tragedy, sinfulness and brokenness. As the Bible reminds us, there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God.
The world may be a somewhat broken place, but thanks be to God: The Lord has come to help us pick up the pieces!
Chaplain Kirsten
Around the College
NEWS FROM THE LANGER LIBRARY: ONLINE BOOKSURF PROGRAM
Targeting 35 English classes and over 730 students, the Langer Library Junior High BookSurf Program encourages Years 7-9 students to develop a love of reading by engaging them with Australian and international literature, proposing a wide range of text formats and inspiring a vibrant culture of lifelong learning.
Since the beginning of Term 2, our 'At Home Learning - BookSurf Program' has switched to online delivery. Once a fortnight, Mrs Lewis and Madame Cracknell organise short zoom lessons to keep in touch with our students and teachers and to promote the Library’s collection. While we are looking forward to seeing learners face to face again, it is nice to 'meet' in other settings and we acknowledge students’ consistent engagement and positive digital citizenship skills during our sessions.
Following an initial fortnight themed around ANZAC day, we are now discussing science fiction as a genre across three Year Levels and recommending over 20 Sci-Fi must-reads and classics paper books, eBooks and audiobooks to celebrate 'May the 4th' (Star Wars Day).
On Firefly, our BookSurf blogs have been created by Year Level, recapitulating the titles seen during the program and allowing students to further explore the richness of the Langer Library’s Catalogue. Those pages also point to the 'Sora' application (instructions here) which allows students to borrow digital resources from the Langer Library, but can also be easily configured to centralise access to additional collections, such as the Brisbane City Council Library and the Queensland State Library (free memberships available).
And to conclude: we would like to ask our students: “While you are At Home Learning, is your four footed pet with you when you are reading?"
If so, send us a photo for our Langer Library web page.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Anne Reynaud Cracknell Teacher Librarian
Academic Matters
From the Academic Hub
Well it was music to our ears – the hustle and bustle of the Year 11 and Year 12 locker areas on Monday morning. It is fantastic to have some of our students back on campus and in the classroom. Talking with many students, they found the Learning at Home experience interesting and whilst it had its benefits, the majority of students are grateful to be back in the classroom with their peers and teachers. The two difficulties with working from home that the student mentioned the most:
Distractions at home (Netflix, gaming, fridge, phone)
Not being able to ask the teacher and questions immediately
We are impressed with the volume and depth of work that some students completed and thank them all for their perseverance. I would also like to thank our teachers for their continued Plus Ultra approach to Teaching and Learning.
We look forward to the rest of the cohorts to return to school. The QCAA have published a concise factsheet on effective study strategies for learning at home. These range from colour coding levels of mastery to interleaved practice, which many of our students already practice in their Maths classes daily. Please see the link below:
Term One Interim Reports will be released this week. This reporting period covers COVID-19 AFFECTED Teaching and Learning, Term 1 2020. The reports for Years 7-10 will display an Academic Progress (indicative) grade. Year 11 and 12 students will be able to access their results as they become available via Firefly. Details on reporting, how to access Firefly grades and plans for Parent Teacher discussions will be sent in an email to parents this week.
Rachael Turnbull
Head of 7-12 Curriculum
German Language Diploma Achievements
Late last year, seven St Peters students took part in the Deutches Sprachdiplom-I (German Language Diploma-I) examinations, conducted through the Brisbane German Language School. The BGLS is accredited to administer the program, which is run through the German Central Agency for Overseas Schooling, and gives formal certification of students’ proficiency in Germany.
Congratulations to Nicholas C and Matthew C for attaining the Zertifikat level in the testing, and to Lauren D, Alexandra J, Jarrod M, Olivia S and Ian W for gaining the full Diploma! This is an excellent achievement for these students to attain this level in Year 11, and exceptional in Ian W’s case to do it in Year 9!
While no formal presentation of the certificates and diplomas has been possible this year, we would like to acknowledge the students’ talent and results and give our thanks to the Brisbane German Language School for this wonderful opportunity.
Live Webinar: Study in Germany
Interested students and parents are warmly invited to the 'Study in Germany' Webinar and information session, live on Friday 22 May, 3:00pm, presented by staff of the German Academic Exchange Service, Sydney. While our current location of study may not be much further away than the dining room table, possibilities for future pathways will remain broad and Germany as a destination for overseas students has grown in popularity, particularly due to their low or absent tuition fees for foreign and domestic students.
Last week I wrote to you about the excitement that was building around having the youngest students back on campus. This eventuality didn’t disappoint. On Monday morning, we welcomed our Prep and Year 1 students who were as equally excited to see their teachers. I hope that you felt this even though this time around it had to be observed from a distance.
Thanks to you, as parents, for the work you had done to prepare your child to return so confidently.
The Preppies were immersed in all things 'R', bringing their toy Rabbits for company on Monday, making red rockets, as well as simply enjoying each other’s company this week. It felt as though our Year Ones had never been away, slipping straight back into the returns created at the commencement of the year. They were even able to catch up with their specialist lessons on their first day back!
Drop Off and Pick Up protocols
Thanks to all the parents who read and heeded our new drop off and pick up protocols for Prep and Year 1 students. While there were a few early tweaks that had to be made, for the most part these new routines have worked smoothly and efficiently.
These will be communicated to the remainder of the Primary families next week, along with clarification about the pick-up and drop off arrangements for Upper Primary students. I am sure you will take the time to read these to make the transition back to school as smooth as possible.
At Home Learning
For the students in Years 2 – 6, the routines of At Home Learning continued. Now that we are well into these routines, we are also noticing that some students are beginning to struggle with maintaining momentum with this platform. We acknowledge that this is not uncommon and teachers will support children who may be feeling less motivated now than before. If your child is showing signs of slowing down, or struggling with any work, please contact their teacher who will encourage and support them.
We hope that our return to school date won’t be delayed, and so in all likelihood, we will be returning to school on Monday 25 May. There will be changes to the way school will operate for the safety of all members and we will be sending out further details next week in preparation for this.
One area of At Home Learning that students continue to enjoy are the Sandpit activities. With extra down time, many children have chosen to complete then share their project with the teachers who are responsible for the activity. Below are some examples of student work. Others have commented about enjoying the opportunity to get active with Hip Hop, work outs or Dance club; or learn a new song with Miss Ritchie!
Please find the link to my Term 2 report for the Primary Years Parent Support Group below:
With students in Junior High continuing to engage in At Home Learning for the next two weeks, the Junior High community essentially remains physically isolated. However, the recent relaxing of a number of social restrictions by both the State and Federal Governments has resulted in a more positive outlook as we navigate the next few weeks. It is therefore timely, that the most recent Character Strength focus in Junior High has been on ‘Hope’. As explained to the students through our virtual Assembly last week, Hope has to do with positive expectations about the future. It involves optimistic thinking and focusing on good things to come. But Hope is more than a feel-good emotion. It is an action-oriented strength involving the motivation and confidence that goals can be reached, and also that many effective pathways can be found in order to get to a desired future.
Optimism and hope are closely linked and are essentially based on positive attitudes and beliefs.
Research findings on the benefits of the strength of Hope found that Hope, with its inherent basis in optimism, is one of the two-character strengths most associated with life satisfaction and wellbeing. People who are hopeful are less likely to be anxious or depressed. If they do become anxious or unhappy, those feelings tend not to overwhelm them and generally pass.
It is likely that we have all observed that hopeful and optimistic people are often healthier, happier, and more successful than those who are melancholy or pessimistic about their lives and their futures. Having Hope can lead to living a longer life because hopeful people live with the belief that things will get better, that life will improve, that things will turn out well and that good things will come. In these troubling times of the global pandemic and economic uncertainty, and as we navigate the return to face-to-face teaching and learning in the coming weeks, elements of anxiety may be evident in both staff and students. It is having and developing the Character Strength of Hope that will help ensure we remain positive and are thus better able to manage any stress or challenges encountered. We encourage our Junior High community to stay positive and have Hope.
Ironbark Update – 9ABCD
Mr Trethan, Year 9 Coordinator, has recently contacted all parents of the 9CD group in relation to their child’s attendance at Ironbark and communicated the latest information and advice as it currently stands. The following information summarises the key points of these communications.
The College remains committed to all Year 9 students attending Ironbark. Our preference is for the 9CD students to attend Ironbark before the commencement of Term 3, if it is deemed safe to do so. Current health advice is that school camps and outdoor education centres are to remain closed until further notice. We are, however, conscious that advice can change in a short period of time. A promising sign is that some Year Levels of students have been allowed to return to Queensland schools and to some boarding facilities. With this in mind, although the planned departure date for 9CD of 26 May is in doubt, we are reluctant to cancel the 9CD program prematurely if the opportunity for attendance arises in the coming weeks.
We would like to reaffirm the College’s strong commitment to the Ironbark program and to ensuring that students in both 9AB and 9CD have the opportunity to participate in this life-changing experience. The reorganisation of over 100 students presents a significant challenge, but keeping options open at this point enhances our capacity to be able to provide the Ironbark experience in the coming months.
We appreciate the patience, understanding and support shown by students, parents and staff as we respond in accordance with Health Department directives and explore options and structures that we hope will allow us to provide the Ironbark program for all Year 9 students in 2020. The College will continue to communicate any developments to the Junior High community as and when the situation is clarified.
At Home Extra-Curricular Activities
Despite being physically isolated from their friends and classmates this term and unable to engage in the many cocurricular activities usually available on campus, our Junior High students have not been inactive. Many have enthusiastically taken advantage of the range of extra-curricular activities offered by staff in the afternoons, as well as getting involved themselves in many unique and interesting pastimes. On the right, are just some of the ways our students have been keeping themselves busy at home in recent weeks.
Kelly Fox Acting Head of Junior High
Senior School
Senior School
It has been wonderful to welcome back the majority of our Years 11 and 12 students on campus for face to face learning this week, and we certainly look forward to seeing the Year 10’s in the coming weeks.
It would appear that students have enjoyed the opportunity to see their friends and teachers again, and whilst school life as we remember it may not look or feel familiar at the moment, we are certainly taking our first cautious steps towards ‘the new normal’.
I can appreciate that as a student there are some mixed messages in regard to Government and Health authority advice on social distancing expectations at school during these uncertain times. As per previous communication with students from myself, Mr Kotzur and the Year Level Coordinators, it is imperative that whilst in the classroom students need to be mindful and respectful of others, ensuring appropriate physical distance is kept between themselves and their teacher - at least 1.5 meters apart. They also need to follow any further protocols that teachers have implemented in their classroom to ensure they feel comfortable. I know how committed our staff are to assist, support and teach and they have been challenged to change their teaching practice in order to do so in a classroom environment whilst keeping themselves and others safe.
Much of the confusion relating to social distancing seems to exist outside the classroom, particularly before school and during break times. Students are well aware of health authority advice received and there are many signs and reminders around our campus encouraging them to do the right thing.
The message to students continues to be they need to keep 1.5m apart to demonstrate social distancing. We can’t stress that enough, because our success in the coming weeks and months will entirely depend on our collective ability to practice social distancing and if we don’t do that, unfortunately we will see a situation where we potentially go backwards and that is not something any of us want to see.
My hope for students moving forward is that they can return to the co-curricular activities that I know they value and enjoy so much - the opportunity to represent their school in sport or perform in a concert in front of a full auditorium. I know how much they are looking forward to events such as the Valedictory, Guard of Honour and Year 11 Dinner Dance, going on excursions, domestic and international tours. Most importantly we want our students in classes with their teachers, here on campus. These are the things to look forward to, but as a community we all need to do the right thing, both inside and out of the classroom.
It is likely that these social distancing measures will be in place for the weeks and months ahead, so these practices are something that we all need to get familiar with. It’s important that we change our habits and that is not an easy thing to do, however, it’s important we start strong and keep it going for as long as required. Our actions, choices and behaviours send a message to others in our community - we need to do the right thing and look after each other.
I encourage you to continue to have these conversations with your students in support of our ongoing reminders here at school. If you would like any further clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Stay safe.
Kind regards,
David Rushmore
Sport
Sport
"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself." – Henry Ford
Boys Sport Coordinator: Luke Donatini
Girls Sport Coordinator: Anne-Marie Champion
Primary Sport Coordinator: Peter Dawson
We warmly welcome back our Years 11 and 12 students this week. It’s great to see the smiles, laughter and general happiness of students around the College once again.
Though our older students are back, we still encourage all Years 7 to 12 students to keep engaging in physical activity through the resources Sports House has up on Firefly.
If you have any questions about any of sport specific, please email the relevant Coordinators of your interested sport.
We look forward to you joining in on these sessions and enjoying what has been put together.
Old Scholar Sporting Highlights
This week we are honoured to showcase three wonderful past scholars who achieved sporting highs in their respective sports; Moses Sorovi, Rodney Hauser and Kerry Schreiber.
Name: Moses Sorovi
Graduated from St Peters: 2013
Sport: Rugby Union
Achievements:
Queensland Schoolboys (2013)
Australian Schoolboys (2013)
Queensland Indigenous Under 18s (2013)
Queensland Under 20s (2016)
Brisbane City (2015-2016)
Queensland Reds (2017- 2020)
Moses Sorovi will embark on his fourth season at Ballymore in 2020 after making his St.George Queensland Reds debut in 2017.
An electric scrumhalf, Sorovi possesses a bullet pass, speed and instinctual playmaking that presents him as a constant threat on the field.
He was elevated to the St.George Queensland Reds senior squad ahead of the 2017 season, following strong performances for the Queensland U20s, University of Queensland and Brisbane City.
A proud QRU Indigenous Program Ambassador, Sorovi hails from Thursday Island – a small island of 2,610 people in the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, north of the Cape York Peninsula. He first moved to Brisbane to pursue schooling opportunities with St. Peters Lutheran College.
(Courtesy of Queensland Reds Rugby Union)
Name: Rodney Graham Hauser
Graduated from St Peters: 1970
Sport: Rugby Union
Achievements:
Played for Queensland Reds
Played for Australia (Wallabies)
Rod made his test match debut verse Japan at Sydney, 2 August, 1975. His rugby career playing for Australia spanned four years and he played his last test match v Ireland at Sydney, 16 June, 1979.
Hauser was born 31 March 1952 in Laidley, Queensland. As an Australia Rugby player, he excelled as a scrum-half and claimed a total of 15 international rugby caps for Australia. During his Rugby Union days Rod played in New Zealand, Tonga, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States, including the first match between America and Australia in 1976.
After his career with the Wallabies ended in 1979, he returned to St Peter’s Lutheran College where he taught and stayed for four years.
Name: Kerry Schreiber (nee Jukes)
Graduated from St Peters: 1984
Sport: Middle & Long Distance Running
Achievements: (amongst many others)
National Podium Finish National Schools Cross Country and 3km Track & Field
Under 20 10Km Australian Record Holder 1985
Represented Australia - IAAF Women's World 15Km Road Championships 1986, Lisbon, Portugal
Represented Australia - IAAF Women's World 15Km Road Championships 1988, Adelaide, Australia
8th Gold Coast Marathon, Australia 1992
Represented Australia - The International Singapore Marathon 1992
Kerry was a home-grown western suburbs student whose running was discovered and developed right in the backyard of St peters Lutheran College. Kerry only started running at the age of 16 when she was encouraged by coaches to attend some St Peters training on Mayer Oval and within 12 months in her final year of school, she competed in both the national cross country and 3km track events placing nationally in both. At the end of Year 12 Kerry competed in a famous distance running event called Zatopek breaking the U20 Australian record for 10km on the track gaining attention from selectors for further international competitions ahead.
Kerry was 'Jukesey' to her friends but gained the nickname ‘the pocket rocket' by others. Kerry went on to hold state and national records for half marathons, cross country and road running events but her greatest achievements were representing Australian in four international competitions in the late 80’s to 90’s. These included two world 15km international woman’s road running championships in Lisbon, Portugal and in Adelaide, Australia, The International Ekiden Relays in Yokahoma, Japan, and The International Singapore Marathon.
Kerry reflects often on her running career and feels privileged to have the opportunities she had in a time when woman’s sport was starting to flourish.
“It was a really fantastic era to be running as woman in the late 80’s and 90’s because the marathon and other woman’s distance running competitions only became accepted Olympic events for woman in the 1980’s, and in the 1990’s Australian distance running for woman was encouraged, supported and housed some extremely talented athletes. Competition was tough, and we were the pioneers for woman’s distance running for the future… well that’s how we felt as a group of young women."
Woman’s distance running during this time gained great media coverage and support and was well represented in a huge fun run culture that existed during this era. It was the best time to be a female distance runner!
Community
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