Principal`s Greetings What`s On ..

Principal’s Greetings
Dear parents/carers,
Those of you who attended our Art Show on Friday evening would surely
agree that it was a relaxing time together as a community.
Our P&F did a remarkable job of having the vision and then also the
execution to make it a wonderful night that raised some funds, but also
celebrated the creative expression of many Encounter students. It was
supported especially well through so many pieces of art being on
display, and a lovely way to spend the end of the week.
Many of you would know that Year 12 exams have now concluded. It
brings to mind that in twelve months we will be celebrating this very
milestone with our first Year 12 students. We are currently planning some
unique events, rites of passage and other ways in which we will support
our Year 12s in a very Encounter way when they begin in earnest on
February 1.
TERM 4, WEEK 7, 2015
Monday 23rd November
Year 10 & 11 Exams
Tuesday 24th November
Year 10 & 11 Exams
Wednesday 25th November
Year 10 & 11 Exams
Volunteer End of Year Celebration
Thursday 26th November
Year 10 & 11 Exams
May God bless your week.
Friday 27th November
SHINE - Year 2 Miss Vaughan
Early Learning Transition Visit
9:45am -10:30am
Year 10 ABW @ Tatachilla
Year 11 Transition Day
Kelvin
Reflection
What’s On ..
submitted by Adam Pfeiffer
TERM 4, WEEK 8, 2015
Trusting in God¹s Plan When it Doesn¹t Reflect Your Own
Monday 30th November
Year 10 ABW
We live in an age where we are expected to have our lives, for the
most part, mapped out.
And at this time of the year life gets really Busy and we constantly get
pulled in all sorts of directions.
Tuesday 1st December
Year 10 ABW
There is certainly nothing wrong with planning things out; however,
sticking too close to our plans may lead us to ignore the idea of life
going in any direction other than what we have worked so hard to
steer it towards.
We may be inadvertently preventing God from revealing His plan for
our life (a plan that is infinitely greater than anything we could ever
try to put into place).
Even in times when we are busy or do not understand what is
happening in our lives, God gives us the strength to close our eyes,
take a deep breath and say to him, “³God I know it’s your plan, just
help me through it²“; whether that means patiently waiting for God to
act in your life, answer a prayer or reveal His truth to you.
Wednesday 2nd December
Year 10 ABW
Junior School Christmas Concert
2:00pm A Christmas Encounter
Thursday 3rd December
Year 10 ABW
Friday 4th December
Year 10 ABW @ Tatachilla
Early Learning Transition Visit
9:45am -10:30am
A Christmas Encounter
Junior School Christmas
Concert
Wednesday 2nd December 2015,
2:00pm @ Kondole.
Matinee only performance.
Celebration!
Nippy’s Come ‘N’ Tri Triathlon
College News
.
Commonsense Media
If you have any children who seem overly concerned about recent
world events this useful link may assist you to explain the news to them.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/explaining-the-news-toour-kids?utm_source=November+2015++Paris+Attacks&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly
Stationery 2016
Families will be receiving information with regards to Stationery
purchasing for 2016 via Australia Post. Please contact the front office if
you do not receive the information by Friday 13th November.
Term 4 Library news
Encounter students Makai Whitbourne,
Isabella Porteous, Georgia Nash and Finn
Porteou s
comp eted
ov er
the
weekend at Barmera in the Nippy’s Come
‘N’ Tri event including a 200m swim, 8km
bike ride and a 2km run.
All students did really well and enjoyed the
weekend.
Art Show Success!
Dear wonderful Encounter families,
What a year it has been in our wonderful new Nest! Our students have
been able to take advantage of this magnificent space each day:
lessons with teachers, study time, reading and borrowing time, viewing
clips on our big screen as well as relaxing, creating or making during
lunchtimes. Having a slide at the end of lessons has also been a
favourite amongst staff and students. It has been great to see students
take ownership and look after the Nest. If you haven’t had a chance
to check out the Nest yet, please come in and have a look around!
The end of the year is fast approaching, which means it’s almost time
for our annual library stocktake. To help this happen smoothly, we’d
really appreciate your help. ALL library books need to be returned by
Wednesday November 25th and all Middle/Senior School text books
need to be returned by Friday November 27th. Books can be easily
misplaced, so please search your house carefully for any books that
may be hiding behind bookshelves, under beds, in the back of the
car, down the back of the couch, etc! To avoid having these books
charged to your account, please return them on time. If you have any
questions about this, please come and see us at any time.
Thank you,
Sally Judd & Skye Grivell
Teacher Librarians
Host families needed for our Japanese Sister School, Kogakuin.
Encounter will host 4 high school students for the entire 1st Term in 2016
(10 weeks). I already have 3 definite offers for the 10 weeks. Thank you.
Students arrive in the last week of the summer holidays and then spend
mornings learning English and settling in before beginning the College
year as enrolled students.
The time may be divided into two 5 week blocks if 10 weeks is too
much. A generous payment is made to the host families to cover costs.
We still require a host family for our female student. There are many
benefits to those who become actively involved in such cross cultural
experiences.
Japanese students are selected for this homestay based on their
maturity and suitability as ambassadors. They should have a
reasonable grasp of English, but will still encounter language
difficulties. All that is required is 3 meals a day, a bed, and an open
heart. Police check is required at no expense to you.
If you would like to know more, please contact Trish Walker
[email protected], the Front Office or Bryce Walker
on 0401 587545, or by email: [email protected]
Save the Date
Our 2015 Awards Ceremony is at 9am on the final Wednesday of term,
9th December, and closing Shine at 2:30pm with dismissal at normal
time of 3:15pm. All welcome.
Vote for Encounter
This year Wakakirri is awarding a People’s Choice Award. Click on the
link below and “love” Encounter to help us to be in the running.
SA Primary People's Choice Award: Encounter Lutheran College http://
www.wakakirri.com/mainsite/sa-primary-peoples-choice-awardencounter-lutheran-college/
Remembrance Day Service 2015
Spring Showcase Concert
Parentingideas - Helping kids deal with horrifying news - Special Update
Terrorist events in Europe in recent days have reverberated around the world. Graphic images have
been brought into our living rooms and onto our devices via the media over the last few weeks, and
will continue to do so in the immediate future.
But what about the impact of the event and the subsequent media coverage on children and
young people?
As adults we all want our children to live carefree lives and keep them from the pain and even
horror of tragedies such as terror attacks. In reality we can’t do this.
So what is a parent, teacher, or other caring adult to do when such events fill the airwaves and the
consciousness of society?
Here are some ideas:
1. Reassure children that they are safe. The consistency of the images can be frightening for young
children who don’t understand the notion of distance and have difficulty distinguishing between
reality and fiction. Let them know that while this event is indeed happening it will not affect them
directly.
2. Explain what happened. Sounds obvious but it’s important not to simply assume that children and
young people understand what’s happened. Be calm and stick the facts, using a map to show
older children where it happened.
3. Be available. Let kids know that it is okay to talk about the unpleasant events. Listen to what they
think and feel. By listening, you can find out if they have misunderstandings, and you can learn more
about the support that they need. You do not need to explain more than they are ready to hear,
but be willing to answer their questions.
4. Help children process what they see and hear, particularly through television. Children are good
observers but can be poor interpreters of events that are out of their level of understanding.
5. Support children’s concerns for others. They may have genuine concerns for the suffering that will
occur and they may need an outlet for those concerns. It is heartwarming to see this empathy in
children for the concerns of others.
6. Let them explore feelings beyond fear. Many children may feel sad or even angry with these
events so let them express the full range of emotions.
7. Avoid keeping the television on all the time. The visual nature of the media means that images
are repeated over and over, which can be both distressing to some and desensitising to others.
8. Be aware of your own actions. Children will take their cues from you and if they see you focusing
on it in an unhealthy way then they will focus on it too. Let them know that it is happening but it
should not dominate their lives.
Children’s worlds can be affected in ways that we can’t even conceive of so adults need to be
both sensitive to children’s needs and mindful of what they say and how they act in front of
children.