Campus News
A Message to our Year 12 Students in the Thick of Exams
In the final week of Year 12 classes, one of our teachers gave each of their students a gift – a small glass jar with a Play-Doh model inside. It’s a gift that works on many layers. First and foremost, it’s something tangible to interact with while studying; allowing a moment of colourful and playful distraction to let the mind wander and reset. At a deeper level, it’s also emblematic of who our TLC students are; malleable, capable of change, and not prone to breaking. The Play-Doh can be moulded to reflect how they feel, shaped to remind them of who they want to be, a lightning rod to collect their stresses, a lesson that what is true today may not be true tomorrow and an important prompt to remind us that ‘this too shall pass’ and only that which can change can continue. It’s a simple gift to help our students navigate a complex world.
In this edition of Tidings, our Head of Secondary, Mr Mathew Stein has shared an article written by the psychologist Karen Young on her Hey Sigmund website. We hope you enjoy the following reading; it certainly resonated with Mathew and his deep interest in holistic education.
We’re behind you, cheering you on to the finish line. You might be feeling stressed, overwhelmed, confused and tired – we understand that, but keep going. Give it everything you’ve got – you’re nearly there – and know that whatever happens next, you’ve got what it takes for an amazing life. Your final grades won’t change that.
During the next few weeks, remember that nothing that happens now has to determine what happens next. The potential in you is breathtaking, whether you’ve realised it yet or not. There will be choices, twists and turns in your path, and a lot of that path won’t be anything like you imagined. That’s one of the beautiful things about life. Sometimes things will work out exactly as you thought, and sometimes things will be different. It’s in the unexpected that the magic happens so take notice of your disappointments – they are often opportunities, disguised as something else.
As you sit down to your exams you owe it to yourself to work hard and do your best, but know that the results won’t be a measure of you. There is no exam, block of exams, or assessment that will even come close to showing what you are capable of, or the life that’s waiting for you. Exams will test your memory and your understanding of a particular concept, not your intelligence. They’ll show you what you are capable of during a few particular hours of a few particular days in a few particular subjects. It might be a subject that lights up your potential, or it might not.
Education is powerful, but some of the most powerful things your time at school would have given you won’t be found on the periodic table or between the dog-eared pages of a maths book. Your education has given you the capacity to have a voice and a presence – whether that’s through the way you use words, the way you create, the way you play sport or perform – or maybe it’s something else. It’s shown you that setbacks are temporary, disappointment doesn’t last, and courage can lift you out of anything. It’s given you opportunities to flourish your resilience and your wisdom about the way the world works. It’s shown you a lot about people, and given you insight that can only come from experiencing good ones and not so good ones. It’s taught you about the relationships to seek out and the ones to steer clear of – you’ll come across plenty of both. Hopefully, above all else, education has taught you that you can learn anything and do anything when you put in the effort.
It’s important to work hard and give it everything you’ve got, but know that there are so many more things about you that will determine the life you have. Most of the things, if not all of the things that will make you successful, happy and give you a wonderful life will not be measured by the exams you’re about to take.
They can’t test the person you are. They can’t test the way people you haven’t met yet will want to know you, love you, have you as part of their team or leading it. They can’t test your creativity, your courage, your wisdom, your resilience or your intelligence. You have the potential for greatness – whatever that looks like for you. Don’t let a grade tell you otherwise. Here’s why …
Your brain is going through a growth spurt – a massive one. It’s been on fire since you were about 12 and it will keep going until you’re about 24, so you’re only partway through. You might not have yet discovered some of the things you’ll be good at. Your brain is hungry to learn and the exciting thing is that you’re about to enter a stage of your life where you get to decide what to feed it. You get to decide what to learn, what to excel at, where to put your time and energy.
Your path will be crooked, unexpected and beautiful, which is exactly the way it should be. Don’t let any of the bends or detours change your belief in your own potential, or the wonderful depth and richness of you.
Most important of all, know that we’re behind you all the way.
Community
COVID Update
As of 14 October 2022, it is no longer mandatory for Queenslanders to self-isolate at home when they test positive to COVID-19. Qld Health strongly recommends that anyone who tests positive to COVID:
- stay home to isolate until you no longer have acute respiratory symptoms. This includes the absence of a fever for at least 24 hours, without using fever-reducing painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
- avoid entering hospitals, residential aged care facilities and disability accommodation services for at least 7 days and only when you no longer have any symptoms
- wear a face mask in an indoor setting and if you are unable to physically distance outside for at least 7 days after testing positive to COVID-19.
If you get COVID-19, or have symptoms, follow the steps below. These important steps protect yourself and others.
- avoid contact with people who are a higher risk of severe disease
- wash hands regularly
- practice good respiratory hygiene (such as covering your cough)
If you have a positive COVID-19 test using a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) at home, report your positive RAT result to Queensland Health. It’s likely you will have been in contact with other people while you were infectious. It's possible you have spread the virus to others (without knowing) in the 2 days before you had symptoms or found out you have COVID-19. If you have been in contact with anyone during that period, you need to tell them you have COVID-19 so they can monitor their own health and get tested if they feel unwell. This might include your workplace or the place you study, or if you have children, the school or childcare they go to.
Managing your symptoms and health
Most people who are fully vaccinated will be able to care for themselves at home, like you would for other viruses. You may have symptoms like a fever, cough, headache or a sore throat. You may feel unwell for a day or 2, and then start to feel better. Some fully vaccinated people will have no symptoms at all.
You should seek medical advice if you:
- are not improving after 2 or 3 days, or are getting sicker
- have a chronic health condition
- are pregnant.
For more information:
‘Guidelines for a person diagnosed with COVID-19 or symptoms of acute respiratory infection’, which replaces the Management of Diagnosed Cases of COVID-19 and Close Contacts Direction (No. 5).
The Guidelines for a close contact in Queensland - COVID-19 also provides information for those who have been in contact with a person who has tested positive to COVID-19.
At The Lakes College, we continue to prioritise the safety of our students and staff so ask that parents/carers remain vigilant in ensuring their child does not attend school if unwell.
Local Events
Kokoda - Free Digital Detox Program for ages 12-14 years
Invitation to attend the International Sport Summit:
