Principal’s Report
SHANE DUPUY
‘It’s going around’
Seemingly, every year we go through a period where just about everyone we know has a family member unwell. In a school setting, this seems to be magnified tenfold.
Aside from physical illness, in the adult world, it is becoming more accepted to take a mental health day. Interestingly, this focus on individual mental well-being is cascading down to students.
It has been reported that more than one-third of young people are experiencing some form of mental health difficulty, and whilst it’s important to recognise that allowing your child to take a day off to focus on their mental health can be beneficial in preventing more serious issues from developing, it may not always be the best decision. At PBC, aside from outstanding teachers, we are fortunate to have in-house Guidance Officers as well as Year Advisors, Coordinators and teacher aides to offer support. We are proactive in advising our students of how to seek support and are there to help them should the need arise. However, as we all know, consistent attendance makes a huge difference to learning and well-being outcomes, thus, when a child is able, they should be at school.
Teachers and specialist staff know their students well and will often identify when a student is struggling, whether that be academically, socially or emotionally. When this occurs, it’s important that open lines of communication are shared with families. Signs a student may need closer monitoring include resistance to attendance, changed behaviours, complaints of illness such as stomach aches and headaches, friendship issues, increased anxiety or sliding grades. As parents, we may be tempted to allow our child to stay home, but in many instances, this may do more harm than good. By staying at home, we are setting a precedence of believing that avoiding the problem will fix it. As we mature, we soon realise that the longer it takes to face our fears, the harder it gets. If we allow our students to associate school with threats and challenges, the harder it is to get them back. At PBC, students are taught to ask themselves, “Is this a threat, a challenge, or an opportunity to learn and grow?”
Whilst there is no denying, particularly through the colder months, there is always illness going around, sometimes it’s important to sit down with your child to find out if there are more underlying issues and working out a plan on how to overcome them.
As a central component of our strategic plan, we value well-being learning and have implemented programs such as ‘Grow Your Mind’, we’ve run termly well-being days in the secondary school, and participated in a range of awareness days. In 2025, we will introduce another program, ‘The Resilience Project’. There is a clear mandate from the Board down, the well-being of our community is paramount.
College Coordinator Report
ALEC WAREING
As we progress through the term, I invite our community to reflect on the value of service to others. This theme encourages us to consider how our actions can positively impact those around us.
Have you found opportunities to assist someone in need? Have you contributed your time and effort to help your classmates, teachers, or local community?
At PBC, the spirit of service is alive and thriving. Our staff dedicate their time beyond regular hours to run E-Sports and Art Club, or by providing extra academic support to students. Likewise, our younger students show remarkable care by regularly coming to admin with friends for support I have been told 5 is not to many), whether it’s for an ice pack or help wiping mud off. We also greatly appreciate our parents and carers who volunteer their time to assist with various school activities. These examples highlight the numerous ways our community comes together to support one another.
By engaging in acts of service, we nurture empathy and foster a supportive environment. Let’s challenge ourselves to seek out ways to serve others and make a meaningful difference.
Student Services
As a part of our engagement with the National Day Against Bullying and Violence, students in Grades Prep to Year 6 focussed upon developing the important life skill of determining whether behaviour is Rude, Mean, Bullying or Conflict, using our Grow Your Mind wellbeing framework. If you have a few spare moments, please ask you child about how they grew their mind with this learning.
SPOTLIGHT ON CAREERS
Community Wellbeing and Engagement
Our third Secondary Wellbeing Day will be held on Friday 6th September. This is sure to be an extremely valuable and exciting day for all involved. Our feature wellbeing event will be a full-day immersive experience with world renowned motivational speaker Lorin Nicholson. Students will also participate in a PBC-inspired AMAZING RACE! This is sure to generate excitement, competition and collaboration with trivia, physical and mental challenges that have all been designed with fun, camaraderie and our PBC spirit in mind.
We hope to instil a sense of belonging and inclusivity amongst our cohort whilst building resilience and growing stronger friendships. These days are compulsory and an important part of the Pastoral Curriculum. We are looking forward to a day of fun, collegiality and most importantly a day out the classroom together, exploring the world and continuing to build lifelong friendships.
University Pathways
UniSC Early Offer Guarantee
Year 12 students are reminded to submit their applications via the UniSC website, to secure their Uni place, nice and early! Come and see me if you would like further assistance.
Griffith University
Year 12 students can receive an early offer to study based on their ATAR or IB Diploma studies, VET qualification or by completing a Griffith Head Start (GUESTS) program. Students can apply by selecting an eligible degree on their QTAC application and submitting it before 14 October.
Looking to the future, Griffith College’s Class of 2024 Scholarship for Trimester 1, 2025. Valued at $10,000, this scholarship will support a deserving Year 12 graduate to pursue their dream career through higher education. This is a non-academic merit-based scholarship. Applications close Wednesday 25 September 2024. For more information, go to: futurestudents@griffith.edu.au or call 1800 073 875.
Griffith Film School portfolio applications now open
(Applications close Wednesday, 4 September)
Creativity is more than just grades and success comes in many forms. Students can apply to study the Bachelor of Animation and the Bachelor of Film and Screen Media Production by submitting a creative portfolio that shows off their skill, creativity, personality and potential.
Axial Training: Barista and RSA Two-Day Short Course
To complement the suite of Hospitality learning experiences here at the College, I am excited to share with you the information that enrolments are now open for the next sessions of the incredibly popular Axial Training Barista / RSA two-day short course held during the September school holiday period on Monday 16 – 17 September, in the Peregian Beach College Hospitality kitchen.
Axial Training are passionate about preparing them for meaningful and purposeful lives in industry and study, whilst affording them world-class opportunities to reach their ideal career aspirations. Axial Training is proud to offer a range of short course programs to Queensland secondary school students, providing pathways to further study, employment or Apprenticeship and Traineeship opportunities.
The cost of the two-day course is only $250.00, with all learning materials (including milk / coffee) and resources provided. Successful students earn two QCE points
Units:
SITHFAB025 Prepare & Serve Espresso Coffee
SITXFSA005 Use Hygienic Practices for Food Safety
SITHFAB021 Provide Responsible Service of Alcohol
SITXFSA006 Participate in Safe Food Handling Practice
Each course is limited to a maximum of 12 students, which is on a “first in first served” process.
“Empower your journey, explore your potential, and pave your path to success! Keep striving, keep learning, and keep reaching for your dreams. Your future awaits!”
Mrs Heather Hagemann
Careers & VET Pathways Coordinator
Year 11/12 Advisor
Library News
Hello Emu Readers
I am excited to announce our upcoming Book Week Parade!
Friday 23 August at 1.30pm in the Kelly Library
Book Week is an annual celebration of Australian children’s literature, organised by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA). This year’s theme is Reading is Magic.
We encourage students to dress up as their favourite book character for the parade. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to showcase their creativity and love for reading.
Costumes should be appropriate for school, students may bring the book featuring their character if they would like to, and we would love families to attend.
We look forward to seeing the imaginative costumes and celebrating the joy of reading together.
I’m expecting Book Club Issue 5 purchases this week, these will be delivered directly to your child’s class. Thank you to those families that support our Book Club.
Issue 6 has arrived and was delivered to all primary students this week. This latest issue closes Friday 30 August so please have your orders in by then, and take advantage of Scholastic’s $5 promo.
Yours in reading every day,
Miss Tania
Save the date:
Year 3 & 4 – MIND
This term in MIND Year 3 and 4 students are learning about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths). They have spent the last three weeks learning about how robots solve problems and how they use a set of instructions to work. They designed a robot to solve a problem we have (such as ocean pollution) and this week created that robot from spare parts. They included elements such as sensors to ‘see’ and ‘hear’, levers and buttons to control the robot, and screens and speakers so the robot could give us information. They are looking forward to exploring more about how technology can help us over the second half of the term by creating stop motion videos to teach others about the Grow Your Mind animals.
Rebecca Davies
Hello everyone! Next term we are holding our PBC fate and the art department will be working with each class of primary students to create, what are set to be, some stunning pieces of art to sell at our fate auction. We are looking for donations so that we can reduce our costs as much as possible.
Perhaps you have one of the following items laying around the house, wondering if you will ever use it… if so, we can help your trash to become our treasure.
- Large canvases that can be repurposed – for large scale, group artworks (square or rectangular – it doesn’t matter if it’s in an existing frame and/or is already painted).
- One Large sheet of MDF – 1cm thick ‘ish’ – anything around 1 meter squared.
- Large photo frames x 2 – the bigger the better. If you have something you are not using anymore or considering throwing away, I am sure we can probably make the size work for our collaborative artworks!
Please email me as soon as you are able to, with any questions or possible items that you think would be appropriate. a.carpenter@pbc.qld.edu.au
Thank you so much in advance.
Ms Carpenter 😀
PIPS
Japanese Sister School Visit Recap – 2024
On Saturday, 27th July, 12 students from our Japanese Sister School, Josei Gakuen High School, arrived in Australia. It was a fun-filled two weeks that included integration sessions with our amazing PBC Australian buddies from Years 7 to 10.
The Japanese students enjoyed visits to the Australia Zoo, boomerang throwing, a Mt Coolum climb, English lessons, surfing, and more!
The Josei Gakuen students also shared with our students fascinating facts about their school in Osaka, a beautiful traditional dance, and their school song, and introduced us to some famous Japanese snacks. Our PBC students had a fantastic time sharing these lessons with the Josei Gakuen students and loved trying the snacks!
A huge thank you to our amazing student buddies who welcomed them and included them during their lunchtime breaks and classes. Your kindness and generosity made a big difference!
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our very supportive host families—without you, these programs would not be possible.
This visit has further strengthened our friendships with this beautiful Japanese school community, fostering greater understanding, awareness, empathy and openness to other cultures and their ways of life.
This exchange also supports our own PBC students’ development of language, communication skills, and confidence. It was truly an unforgettable experience for them that will last a lifetime.
It was with a few tears, we said goodbye to them on Friday 9th August. We can’t wait to see them again next year when they visit and when we make our way to Japan for the first PBC Japan Tour in 2025!
Mrs Samantha Williams, Japanese Teacher
Nippers
It’s not too late to join Coolum Beach SLSC Nippers for the 2024-25 summer season!
We currently have spaces available in our Under 11 to Under 13 age groups*.
Make great friends, be active, and learn vital skills to enjoy the beach safely with the great team at Coolum Beach SLSC Nippers.
Don’t miss out, register to be a Coolum Nipper today – here https://www.coolumsurfclub.com.au/nippers
*Our U6, U7, U8 & U9 age groups are full.
Housekeeping
School Administration Housekeeping.
- The email address to use for all correspondence relating to student absences is absentees@pbc.qld.edu.au. You can also lodge an absence via the form on the website located here.
- Correspondence from the College will generally be sent out from admin@pbc.qld.edu.au. Please add admin@pbc.qld.edu.au to your address books so that our emails to you don’t go to your junk email folder.
You can also lodge an absence via the form on the website located here. - Don’t forget to order canteen through the My School Connect app – orders are to be placed no later than 8.10 am.
- When signing students in late or signing them out early please ensure to put a reason in the text box for College records.
- Please ensure students are in their correct uniform, we are going to be checking to make sure that the uniform policy guidelines are being followed, this includes correct footwear with formal uniforms.