It’s hard to believe we only opened the Lighthouse in April of this year. As we continue to grow our practices with this amazing new building, it’s also timely to reflect on how the Lighthouse has opened our eyes to new opportunities and already influenced our behaviours.

When setting our sights high in the development of a game-changing project like the PLC Lighthouse we are constantly evaluating whether we are meeting our own expectations and also the expectations of our community. What we say we are doing and what is actually happening is a great indicator of where we are at any given day.

As we near the end of 2018, we thought we’d share with you what a day in the PLC Lighthouse actually looks and feels like.

Monday 12 November 2018

Before School

The Lighthouse opens its doors at 6.00 am. Sophie, one of our Lighthouse reception staff members, turns on the diffuser and the scent of lemon grass begins wafting through the building, signalling the start of a new week. Our first class of the day, at 7.00 am, is a fitness class for Years 7 – 12 students who are put through their paces using the equipment in the circuit and cardiorooms by instructor Liv from O2 Active. Meanwhile, some of our Year 10 students sign in to use the cardio equipment and complete their own exercise regime.

Jo Norcott, our Lighthouse Physio, is in the consultants’ room treating students who have booked appointments and can be seen showing them how to complete their rehab programme using the equipment in the Fitness Centre. Down in the Lighthouse Café, a group of students are enjoying the famous warmed Banana Bread whilst huddled around a table playing a game of Connect 4. Our Wellbeing Captain, Bella, pops in to finalise her plans for recognising World Kindness Day the following day.

During School

Our Year 8s hustle into the Studios for their Lighthouse Learning lesson. In Ms Dorrington’s class they are discussing helpful thinking and self-talk from the SenseAbility programme, which explains that while we can’t control all of the events in our lives, we can control how we think about them and, consequently, how we feel about them and what we do as a result.

The Year 4 students have ventured over from the Junior School and are using the Movement Room to practise their end of year assembly dance item. They happily offer to perform their ‘work in progress routine’ to the delight of a group of Old Collegians who were visiting the Lighthouse from overseas. 

In the Community Room today we are also hosting the Summers Society and Dr Hadwen is proudly walking attendees through the building to share with them our current and future ideas for the Lighthouse and wellbeing programmes. Meanwhile, one of our current Year 12 girls wanders in to the Lighthouse to use the Recharge Room for a short nap as she prepares for her last school exam ever in the afternoon.

During lunchtime, the Year 8s this year have been the most frequent visitors to the Lighthouse and they are again signing in to do some mindful colouring in the Expressive Arts Room or borrowing a headset to take some time out in the meditation room.

In the afternoon, a class of Year 7s in their Lighthouse Learning lesson are using the Fitness Centre, undertaking circuit training as they complete a fitness unit this term. One of the other classes are in the studios learning about being Cyber Savy through discussing strategies that help to keep you safe online and identifying who you can talk to if you need help. The senior students are cooking in the Food room with the wonderful smell of baked goods traveling up to the floors above.

After School

Monday afternoons are one of the Lighthouse’s busiest for co-curricular programmes and the building really feels alive. The Junior School students burst through the reception door full of energy as they head up to Kindy Karate in the Movement Room or down to the Community Room for Science Bites.

Our Lead Psychologist, Daleen Engelbrecht, is busy with her team preparing the materials for the Colour My World class in the Expressive Arts
room. Today, the class of both Junior and Senior School students are creating their own mood bear. This includes stuffing, sewing and decorating the bear. The end products are colourful and the girls proudly show off their creative work to anyone walking by.

Different students stop to play the new baby grand piano in the Lighthouse Reception area, on loan from the Music Department, entertaining parents as they wait to collect their daughters from the afternoon’s co-curricular activities. The Speech and Drama students are practising the skills they’ve been working on all year in the studios.

This term, different departments have been using the Workshop room to host their staff professional development sessions and today we see members of the Maths Department in the Lighthouse. Food Science staff are in the Food room learning new skills and Japanese recipes from a guest chef for their professional learning.

The Lighthouse closes at 7.00 pm and the day ends with two open fitness classes on offer which are the popular Body Ride (spin) class and Boxilates which are open, so you see both students and staff earning a sweat alongside each other. A number of staff and students also sign in to end their day with a workout in the Fitness Centre before heading home.

A snapshot of one day in the PLC Lighthouse to remind us of what we have achieved so far and all we hope to achieve in the future.

– Written by Chonny James, PLC Director of Wellbeing 

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