In this issue

From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School,
Mr Stephen Klemke.

NAPLAN
NAPLAN reports for Years 7 and 9 were sent home on Friday with each student.  The enclosed NAPLAN report is confidential to parents, the child and the school and it describes your child’s particular skills in reading, writing, language conventions and numeracy on the National Assessment Program scale.   The report shows how your child performed in relation to the national average and the range of achievement for students in their year level, as well as indicating whether your child has achieved the national minimum standard.  It should be noted that results at the extremes of the bands merely indicate that your child is either well above the expected level or below the expected level.  The nature of the NAPLAN tests prevents any more accurate information being derived for students whose results lie outside the expected range.
Please note that VCAA provides only one set of parent reports.  This means if the report is lost the school can provide data, but not in the same format.

‘The Addams Family – A New Musical’ – Don’t miss it!
I am very excited about this year’s production ‘The Addams Family – A New Musical’.  The cast is abounding in talent and its members have been rehearsing and preparing thoroughly for nearly two terms.  Their energy and enthusiasm have been plain for all to see and I am most proud to present this performance.

To the parents who I would have seen waiting in the carpark for the 5:30 pm pick up after a rehearsal, or shuttling their child for a Sunday rehearsal, thank you.  I hope your child is as appreciative as I for your support.

Being a small campus, a production of this size cannot be accomplished without contributions from everyone.  The production has been expertly led by our Head of Performing Arts, Nathan Byrne.  Nathan has overseen all aspects of the production and has fulfilled the roles of Producer, Music Director and Director.  Whilst it has been a labour of love, it is nonetheless a herculean task and I offer to Nathan my sincere thanks.

Jason Addison is a talented artist who has spent many of his weekends designing and building the sets.  Deb Gatti has organised, designed and, in many cases, made the costumes. Gillian Warwick volunteered to be our choreographer and has done a brilliant job.  Susan Guy has provided administrative support and kept the whole project on track.  Melissa Clarke has lent her considerable musical theatre experience to help with casting.  Andie Browne has brought her years of performing arts expertise and supported Nathan in spirit, advice and on many rehearsals.  All of our staff committed to a roster to support Nathan with the rehearsal schedule.

All the above was done with a generosity of spirit and a humility that demonstrates the commitment of our staff to our students.

I hope you decide to see the show, if you do, you will not be disappointed.  All of our performers and backstage crew may be creepy and kooky, but they are also very talented!

Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 September.  Tickets are available via trybooking.com/YZRO

Staffing
Welcome to Maree Garratt who has joined our staff as my Personal Assistant and Office Coordinator for the Secondary School.  Maree comes with a wealth of experience which has already been in evident in her short time with us.  Her email is mgarratt@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au.

Vicspell State Final Winner
Congratulations to Olivia O’Brien on her victory in the Vicspell State Final for Year 8.  Some of the words students were asked to spell:
• Pterodactyl
• Equitable
• Haphazard
• Simultaneous

How would you have gone?

Stephen Klemke
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

WHAT’S ON IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

SEPTEMBER
9 September  ICAS Writing Test
10 September  ICAS Writing Test
11 September  ICAS Writing Test
‘The Addams Family’ production, Traralgon Campus Gymnasium, 7:00 pm sharp
12 September  SEISA Spring Carnival
‘The Addams Family’ production, Traralgon Campus Gymnasium, 7:00 pm sharp
13 September  Pie and Footy Day
‘The Addams Family’ production, Traralgon Campus Gymnasium, 7:00 pm sharp
16 to 20 September  Year 9 Urban Camp
ICAS English Test
17 September  ICAS English Test
18 September  ICAS English Test
ICAS Mathematics Test
19 September  ICAS Mathematics Test
20 September  ICAS Mathematics Test
End of Term 3, 2:20 pm FINISH

SEISA CHESS TOURNAMENT

On Wednesday 14 August, six Traralgon Secondary School students travelled to Chairo Christian School in Drouin for the SEISA Chess Tournament.  The students competed against eleven other independent schools, playing a total of seven games each over the course of the day.  Congratulations to Lucas Bonnitcha, Axel Nightingale, Charlotte Dorl, Charlotte Rule, Brodie Naughton and Michael Edgar.  Collectively, their individual results achieved a seventh place ranking overall.  Special congratulations goes to Charlotte Dorl who was our team’s highest point scorer for the day, finishing in twenty-forth place amongst all students.

Traralgon Secondary School Chess team.

MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL

The Melbourne Writers Festival was a great experience which the selected students from both Warragul and Traralgon Secondary Schools are proud to have had the privilege of attending.  During the experience, we watched a number of panels which taught many lessons on how to write and publish successfully.  We were given an insight on what authors do on a day to day basis and how they started their careers.  The first panel we watched was titled ‘Who, Me?’ and featured Alistair Baldwin and Mira Schlosberg who spoke about their journeys and gave tips on how to start off your writing career.  Next, we watched Amie Kaufman, the author of the ‘Aurora Rising’ trilogy, speak about what she does in order to focus on her writing and how she plans her books.  Then we watched Alistair Baldwin and Jodi McAlister talk about the history of love and love letters in young adult novels.  To finish off the great day, we had the privilege of watching six of Victoria’s leading debate students express their opinions on how love is presented on reality TV shows.  Overall, we all had a great day and each of us came home with new ideas and fresh motivation to follow our dreams.

Kayalvili Guhadas, Anna Tsuchida and Madeline Ronalds.

Students from Warragul and Traralgon Secondary School with Jodi McAlister author and academic with a special interest in the depiction of love in popular culture.

INTERNATIONAL TOURS 2020 AND BEYOND

“Experience, travel – these are an education in themselves.” – Euripides

As a school we have always valued the experiences that travel gives our students.  Our service tours to Rwanda, East Timor and our World Challenge expedition allow our students to experience life in other countries and cultures; and make a real difference in the communities that they serve.  Our LOTE tours to Japan and France allow for the development of language skills and the appreciation of cultures which the students spend much of their time studying and learning.

Our challenge is to offer students with other passions and interests the ability to travel and experience what the world has to offer.  With that in mind we have developed a triennial plan to allow us to offer International Tours with a STEM, Performing and Visual Arts, and Cultural focus.

In 2020 we hope to run a Performing and Visual Arts tour to New York, followed by a Space inspired STEM tour to the United States in 2021.  Planning for the 2022 Cultural Tour will begin next year.  Information regarding the Space STEM tour for 2021 will be sent home to families during Term 4 of this year.

For the moment, we are focused on the proposed 2020 Performing/Visual Arts tour to New York.  It is anticipated the tour will take place during the Term 3 holidays in 2020 and will be open to students currently in Year 9 and Year 10.

During the tour the students will spend ten days away in New York to experience all this amazing city has to offer.  While the focus for the trip will be ‘The Arts’ we will visit some of the most iconic sites in New York alongside providing the incredible opportunity for those who attend to learn about the performing arts industry at its professional best.  We anticipate the participants will visit a range of world famous galleries, see a show or two on Broadway, explore the incredible architecture of the city and attend workshops at places like the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.  The itinerary is still quite fluid, as we would like to design this with the student participants.  This will allow us to cater for their interests within Performing and Visual Arts.

We anticipate the tour will cost in the range of $5,000 and $6,000.  This will include return international airfares and departure taxes, comprehensive travel insurance linked to DFAT,  all meals, accommodation and transport for the entirety of the tour.  I am sure you can appreciate that taking into account the value of the Australian dollar and the fact that the tour is in the planning stages, the final cost of the tour can only be confirmed once numbers and the itinerary are finalised.  Please be aware that the 2020 tour will only run if we have enough students to make the trip viable.

To assist us with our planning, if your child is interested in this tour please email me directly at cbransgrove@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au to register your interest.

Christie Bransgrove
Local and International Community Relations

WARRAGUL SPARK OCTOBER PROGRAM

We have an exciting plan for SPARK during the last week of the coming holidays.  On the Tuesday, the much anticipated ‘bush skills’ session is finally happening!  Our little SPARKS have been asking for a session like this for years! We will follow on with some big outdoor style ‘Extreme Games’ making Tuesday action packed.

On Wednesday we welcome http://www.lovemacrame.com.au/  to the program.  Jump on the website and have a look at their beautiful creations.  They are running a kids session in the morning and our very first SPARK adult workshop in the afternoon!  Take some time for yourself and create something beautiful.  Whilst you are doing this, the kids can be equally as entertained making slime… without the mess in your home!

On Thursday Science is at the forefront as we use physics in motion to create chain reaction machines in ‘Mousetrap’.  In the afternoon we welcome back ‘Bricks 4 Kids’ with their incredible BattleBots using EV3 Mindstorms. Places are strictly limited for BattleBots, so you will need to be quick!

On Friday we will bring the magic of Disney to SPARK with Disney inspired musical theatre.  The last session on Friday is a very special Picasso inspired art workshop with Jo Draisma, a highly regarded local artist and Alumna that we are excited to welcome to our program.

To book follow the link, https://www.trybooking.com/BEYWL

COFFEE!

Would you like a bag of rich, smooth East Timor Coffee?  $3 from every bag sold through the school going towards our fundraising to build new classrooms for Ponilala Village School.  Growing and exporting coffee beans is also a sustainable and vital part of the Ermera district economy, where Ponilala is situated.  Your purchase will not only taste great but contribute to a worthy cause.

Bags of plunger, filter or beans can be purchased for $12.  Contact Andrea Heard aaheard@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or Kirsten Enders kenders@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au to place an order.

From the Head of Warragul Junior School,
Mr Rowan van Raay.

Junior School MyStPauls Parent Survey
We are most thankful to the parents who completed the Junior School MyStPauls Parent Survey recently.  The Learning and Teaching teams from both Junior Schools reviewed the results and found that the majority of parents were satisfied or very satisfied with the feedback given and the opportunity it provided to assist their child/ren.  This was also supported by informal surveys conducted during a recent PTI.

Interestingly, a significant proportion of parent respondents (sixty-six per cent) primarily use the app to access MyStPauls.  This high use of the app corresponded with comments stating that the interface was limited and difficult to navigate.  While the School does not own the app, and therefore customisation possibilities are limited, we are now working on a range of strategies to improve the parent interface of MyStPauls.

Among these strategies is greater parent education about the functionality of the app versus the website.  We are looking to providing video tutorials for parents to access in order to ease the burden of attending information sessions about MyStPauls on campus. Reconsideration/simplification of the layout of the landing page on the website and a parent forum at each campus will be planned for early Term 4, to find out more about the design of the feedback provided in the trial, along with other suggestions.  MyStPauls is a tool primarily designed for classroom learning and for extending the learning of older students beyond the school day.  In this regard, it may never fulfill all parental expectations, but we are sure that we can further improve the experience for our Junior School parent community.

In coming weeks, we will be in touch with the dates and times of the planned parent forum and the details of ‘MyStPauls help videos’ for parents.  We are committed to working with our parent community to ensure that the format of the feedback we provide continues to add even more value to the learning experience of your child/ren.

Tournament of Minds
This year we entered three teams in the ‘Tournament of Minds’ competition, with our STEM and Language and Literature teams winning their division and moving through to the state final!  Our Performing Arts team received Honours which is a wonderful result given how many teams entered this section.  An outstanding achievement by all teams and my thanks to the staff who supported the students in the lead up to the competition and also on the day.  We wish our teams all the best on Sunday.

Lions Club Public Speaking Competition and Vicspell
Four students, Jim Cutler, Eli Raymond, Hannah Bek and Henry Clemence competed in the Warragul Lions Club Regional Public Speaking competition recently.  All students spoke very well with Eli winning the Years 3 and 4 division and moving into the district finals this Sunday.

The Warragul Junior School hosted the Vicspell competition again this year.  Annalise van de Beek, Anoushka Kerhalkar, William Blackwood and Meg Cooper competed, with William winning the Year 6 division and moving into the state final.  Congratulations to all students who competed in this competition.

Parent Teacher Interviews
My thanks to everyone who attended parent/teacher interviews last week.  Communication is always important between school and home and these interviews serve as a wonderful opportunity to discuss the progress your child is making at this stage of the year.  This also provided us with the opportunity to seek further feedback about MyStPauls.

Father’s Day Stall
Thanks to Mrs Leighton and the parents who assisted with the organising and running of the Father’s Day stall last week.  I am sure there are lots of happy dads/carers out there who received some lovely gifts (I envy the dads who received the fish slippers!!) and cards from their children.  I hope our Pre-Kinder and Pre-Prep dads enjoyed spending some time with their children at school this week and I thank our ELC staff for the activities they provided.

Hoop Time and Athletics
Well done to our Years 5 and 6 Hoop Time basketball teams who competed on Tuesday.  Well done to the boys team that made it through to the next round.  Our athletics team also competed at the divisional athletics carnival on Wednesday with twenty-two students making it through to regionals on 15 October.

Musical – Pinocchio
The excitement is building with our musical less than a week away and hopefully families have booked their tickets.  Could I please ask any families who are yet to book their tickets to do so ASAP via the West Gippsland Arts Centre website: www.wgac.com.au – What’s On/Theatre Shows.  A reminder that we will be having a full dress rehearsal here at school next Tuesday.  We will be videoing both shows and families will be provided with a link early next term to allow you to download the shows should you wish to do so.
For families who missed downloading the Performing Arts Concert, we have extended this until the end of Term 3.  Please click on the link below to download this concert:  Performing Arts Concert:  Performing Arts Concert

Carpark
Could I once again ask parents to take care when driving through our school grounds as the weather warms up and we have more students and families walking to school.  I did notice some cars travelling way too fast last Friday morning whilst on crossing duty so please, please, please do the right thing and remember that the speed limit is 10 kilometres per hour.  I understand that people are busy and usually in a rush, however, this is for the safety and care of all of our school community.

Final Day of Term 3
A reminder to parents that school finishes at 2:20 pm on the last day of Term 3, Friday 20 September.  This is also Footy Colours Day (pie and drink lunch can be ordered) and students can wear their favourite team colours (does not have to be AFL… however, brown and yellow jumpers are always encouraged!) to school for a gold coin donation.  This term the SRC have decided to support Footscape and MND.

Any families who would like to donate a new pair of socks or a pair of runners or podiatry shoes that are in very good condition and no longer being worn, please drop them in the basket provided in the foyer of the Junior School office. We have received a few pairs, which is great but we would welcome many more.

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

WHAT’S ON IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

SEPTEMBER
10 September  Musical Dress Rehearsals (all day)
12 September  2019 Junior School Musical, ‘Pinocchio’, Show 1 6:00 pm, Show 2 8:00 pm
17 September  Year 2 Incursion – Gippsland Water
20 September  Footy Colours Day and FOSTA Special Lunch
End of Term 3, 2:20pm FINISH

OCTOBER
7 October  Students Commence Term 4
Parent Prayer Group, Prideaux Centre, 9:00 am
9 to 15 October  Prep to Year 2 Swimming Program
11 October   Year 2 Sleepover
15 October  Regional Athletics (selected students only)
16 October  Prep to Year 2 Swimming Carnival
17 October  Prep 2020 Information Evening
18 October  Year 12 ‘Back to Junior School’ Morning Tea
21 to 23 October  Year 3 Camp, Waratah Bay
23 October  Prep 2020 Play Afternoon
24 October  State Athletics (selected students only)

GOVERNMENT BUS ROUTE OUTAGE

Please make a diary note of the following dates for travellers using the Warragul Regional College (WRC) Bus network.
Monday 9 September:  Bus 3 will not be running due to a Warragul Regional College student free day.  This affects all travellers using Bus 3 and connecting buses at Warragul Regional College.

Please ensure you have alternate transport in place for these days.

WARRAGUL SPARK OCTOBER PROGRAM

We have an exciting plan for SPARK during the last week of the coming holidays.  On the Tuesday, the much anticipated ‘bush skills’ session is finally happening!  Our little SPARKS have been asking for a session like this for years! We will follow on with some big outdoor style ‘Extreme Games’ making Tuesday action packed.

On Wednesday we welcome http://www.lovemacrame.com.au/  to the program.  Jump on the website and have a look at their beautiful creations.  They are running a kids session in the morning and our very first SPARK adult workshop in the afternoon!  Take some time for yourself and create something beautiful.  Whilst you are doing this, the kids can be equally as entertained making slime… without the mess in your home!

On Thursday Science is at the forefront as we use physics in motion to create chain reaction machines in ‘Mousetrap’.  In the afternoon we welcome back ‘Bricks 4 Kids’ with their incredible BattleBots using EV3 Mindstorms. Places are strictly limited for BattleBots, so you will need to be quick!

On Friday we will bring the magic of Disney to SPARK with Disney inspired musical theatre.  The last session on Friday is a very special Picasso inspired art workshop with Jo Draisma, a highly regarded local artist and Alumna that we are excited to welcome to our program.

To book follow the link, https://www.trybooking.com/BEYWL

COFFEE!

Would you like a bag of rich, smooth East Timor Coffee?  $3 from every bag sold through the school going towards our fundraising to build new classrooms for Ponilala Village School.  Growing and exporting coffee beans is also a sustainable and vital part of the Ermera district economy, where Ponilala is situated.  Your purchase will not only taste great but contribute to a worthy cause.

Bags of plunger, filter or beans can be purchased for $12.  Contact Andrea Heard aaheard@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or Kirsten Enders kenders@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au to place an order.

ST PAUL’S PARENT PRAYER GROUP

If you are interested in getting together with other parents of the School to pray, you are most welcome to join the following two prayer groups:
First Monday of the month, 9:00 am Prideaux Centre, Warragul Junior School.  (Next gathering 7 October – Day 1, Term 4)
Contact: Sheryn Cutler 0417 158 937
Fridays Fortnightly, 9:15 am, Jenny Charles’ home
Contact: Jenny Charles 0402 249 036

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for all that He has done.” Philippians 4:6

From the Head of Warragul Secondary School,
Ms Laura Butterworth.

Today marks the end of Week 8 and we only have two weeks of this term left before the September holidays are upon us.  Please do not not forget that it is a 2:30 pm finish on Friday 20 September.  Thank you to all of the parents and students who attended our Parent Student Teacher Interview (PSTI) evenings held during the last two weeks.  Both nights delivered cold and showery weather and we really appreciate families braving the conditions and attending.  Our transition to continuous online assessment and feedback does mean that you are receiving regular feedback for your child but it is important to attend the PSTI to check in with your child’s teachers.  It is an opportunity for you to meet teachers and get feedback first hand.  We view your child’s education as a partnership and these evenings allow us to touch base with our parents and ask questions about your child as well.

I have included another 2019 Prefect Address in this edition of the Grammarian.  This speech was written and delivered by Sienna Vanderzalm on the topic of ‘Confidence’.  This was the first Prefect Address delivered early in 2019 and it certainly set a powerful tone to begin our year.

SIENNA VANDERZALM – PREFECT ADDRESS
Good morning everyone, to begin my address I thought I would let you all in on my thought process as to which topic I would choose to centre my speech around as if I could give some rousing insight into why I’m so passionate about my theme.  To be brutally honest I struggled to decide what I wanted to speak about with you all today because I thought, what have I got to say that everyone can relate to and won’t cause you all to fall asleep.  So after a lot of indecisiveness, I decided to focus on the topic of confidence.  Now as cliché as this sounds, I promise not to bore you with any inspirational quotes or motivational stories about athletes and so on.  We all know confidence is a feeling of self-assurance arising from an appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.  And as nice as this sounds, that is not how I used to view it.  I myself have always fought with the idea of confidence as I used to view it as arrogance, which is partially why I have chosen to talk about it in my address, because my lack of self-assurance has always been my biggest hindrance in achieving what I want out of life.

So to kick things off let’s look at what I found when I researched how to gain more confidence.  Yes I ‘Googled’ it and what I found was a list of superficial quick fixes like invest in better clothes, workout to make you feel more comfortable in your own skin, do things you know you’ll excel in or my favourite one and this is no word of a lie ‘learn power poses’ and practise them in the mirror every morning.  These solutions seem to focus on our physical appearance rather than the integrity of our character.  And if the internet is saying it’s all about the way we present ourselves, then surely that’s it right?

So I said before how I used to think of confidence as arrogance and yes there is a fine line between being driven by your ego and believing in your own abilities, but the question I’m posing is how do we gain it and how do we come to accept it?  I think acknowledging that we aren’t good at everything and that failure is inevitable is a big step in the right direction.  Now I’m not being cynical when I say this, what I mean is that if we solely focus on the things that we are good at and build a small repertoire of notions we are comfortable with, whether that be through the kind of clothes we wear, who we socialise with subjects we do or ATAR we aim for, we won’t be able to cope with being put out of our depth or be prompted to try anything new.  Yes it’s easier said than done to just accept your weaker attributes and force yourself to strengthen them, but this is why we have things we don’t like about ourselves, things that inhibit us from taking action or just plainly accepting who we are because we refuse to embrace our flaws.  Therefore we are the main culprits when it comes to not possessing enough self-assurance, it doesn’t matter how much praise or criticism we get from our peers and mentors because it’s our personal opinion of ourselves that truly matters.

We are the masters of our own fate so why do we let a little thing like confidence get in the way of trying our best?  Is it fear we aren’t good enough?  Worried what others will think?  Or maybe we have the idea that trying different things isn’t cool or conventional.  Whatever your reasoning, the only way to develop our confidence is to admit that those fears may very well come to fruition, but accept that in the grand scheme of things does it really matter?  Will people remember in a week, a month, a year?  Will people remember this speech?  Probably not and will I still be nervous the next time I public speak?  Definitely but you’ll never know unless you let go of the invisible restraints we ourselves have put in place.  So muster the courage to do things you aren’t comfortable or familiar with because this is how we learn, how we make experiences and how we live life.

So please do yourselves a favour and embrace having confidence in what you apply yourself to because it’s nothing to be ashamed of, we are allowed to strive for things greater than ourselves and do things that scare us.  Use your time at St Paul’s to make these mistakes and learn to mature from them because what do we really achieve if we don’t have the nerve to try and the grace to fall?  Inaction will kill more opportunities than failure ever will, so possess the confidence to make the first move.

NAPLAN 2019 – Years 7 and 9
Earlier this year our Year 7 and Year 9 students completed the National Assessment Plan – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) in the areas of Reading, Writing, Language Conventions and Numeracy.  This is a nationwide assessment and forms one part of the assessment program for your child at school.  Today the NAPLAN reports will be sent home to parents via your child.  Please ensure that you ask your child for the NAPLAN report when they arrive home today.
Please note that the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) provides only one set of parent reports.  This means if the report is lost the school can provide data, but not in the same format.
Please feel free to contact the Head of Year, or your child’s teachers, if you have any queries regarding the NAPLAN results.

Year 9 Information Evening
Our 2020 Year 9 Information Evening will be held on Wednesday 11 September in the Year 9 Centre, at 150 Bowen Street at 7:00 pm. This evening is an opportunity to hear key information regarding our Year 9 program and tour the new facility that houses this program and the students. Both parents and students are welcome and, as always, we do ask students to attend in full school winter uniform.

Year 9 First Aid sponsored by the Baw Baw Big Blokes
On Tuesday 27 August our entire Year 9 cohort completed first aid training.  This has provided them with the basic skills and knowledge to react in an emergency.  This first aid training was funded by local community organisation The Baw Baw Big Blokes who hold an annual ‘Baw Baw Big Blokes BBQ’ at Lardner Park.  A portion of the proceeds from this event fund first aid training for every Year 9 student attending a secondary school in the Baw Baw Shire.  We are very grateful for the sponsorship offered and thank the Baw Baw Big Blokes for their contribution to our community and our students.

Year 12 Final Assembly
A reminder to families of our Year 12 cohort, please ensure that you have their final assembly, to be held on Wednesday 23 October 2019, in your diaries.  This is a very special event for our graduating class and will be held at 12:00 noon in the gymnasium.

Ms Laura Butterworth
Head of Warragul Secondary School

GOVERNMENT BUS ROUTE OUTAGE

Please make a diary note of the following dates for travellers using the Warragul Regional College (WRC) Bus network.
Monday 9 September:  Bus 3 will not be running due to a Warragul Regional College student free day.  This affects all travellers using Bus 3 and connecting buses at Warragul Regional College.

Please ensure you have alternate transport in place for these days.

WHAT’S ON IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

SEPTEMBER
6 September  ‘Charlotte’s Web’ Drama Production, DT Parker Centre, 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
7 September  ‘Charlotte’s Web’ Drama Production, DT Parker Centre, 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
9 September  ICAS Writing Competition, Library Classroom, 9:10 am to 10:00 am
10 September  Summit to Sea Expedition Meeting, Library, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
11 September  Unit 4 Theatre Studies Excursion – ‘Come From Away’, The Comedy Theatre Melbourne, 8:45 am (at Warragul Railway Station) to 5:00 pm
Year 9 2020 Information Evening, Year 9 Centre, 7:00 pm
12 September  State Finals Chess Tournament, Maribyrnong Secondary College, 7:00 am to 6:00 pm
SEISA Spring Carnival
13 September  Years 7 and 10 Immunisations
16 September  FareShare, Food Relief Excursion, 6:30 am to 3:15 pm
17 September  ICAS English Competition, Library Classroom, 9:10 am to 10:50 am
18 September  ICAS Mathematics Test, Library Classroom
19 September  Year 12 English Practice Exam, VCE Centre, 12:00 noon to 3:30 pm
SEISA Junior Summer Trials, Warragul Campus, 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Year 9 Supermarket Visit (Foodwise class only), Woolworths Warragul, 2:00 pm to 3:15 pm
20 September  End of Term 3, 2:30 pm FINISH
22 to 28 September  Summit to Sea Camp

OCTOBER
3 and 4 October  Units 3 and 4 Practice Exams
4 to 6 October  Youth Adventure Challenge, Camp Jungai
5 to 6 October  World Challenge Training Camp, Gembrook
7 October  Term 4 Commences

MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL

The Melbourne Writers Festival was a great experience which the selected students from both Warragul and Traralgon Secondary Schools are proud to have had the privilege of attending.  During the experience, we watched a number of panels which taught many lessons on how to write and publish successfully.  We were given an insight on what authors do on a day to day basis and how they started their careers.  The first panel we watched was titled ‘Who, Me?’ and featured Alistair Baldwin and Mira Schlosberg who spoke about their journeys and gave tips on how to start off your writing career.  Next, we watched Amie Kaufman, the author of the ‘Aurora Rising’ trilogy, speak about what she does in order to focus on her writing and how she plans her books.  Then we watched Alistair Baldwin and Jodi McAlister talk about the history of love and love letters in young adult novels.  To finish off the great day, we had the privilege of watching six of Victoria’s leading debate students express their opinions on how love is presented on reality TV shows.  Overall, we all had a great day and each of us came home with new ideas and fresh motivation to follow our dreams.

Kayalvili Guhadas, Anna Tsuchida and Madeline Ronalds.

Students from Warragul and Traralgon Secondary School with Jodi McAlister author and academic with a special interest in the depiction of love in popular culture.

INTERNATIONAL TOURS 2020 AND BEYOND

“Experience, travel – these are an education in themselves.” – Euripides

As a school we have always valued the experiences that travel gives our students.  Our service tours to Rwanda, East Timor and our World Challenge expedition allow our students to experience life in other countries and cultures; and make a real difference in the communities that they serve.  Our LOTE tours to Japan and France allow for the development of language skills and the appreciation of cultures which the students spend much of their time studying and learning.

Our challenge is to offer students with other passions and interests the ability to travel and experience what the world has to offer.  With that in mind we have developed a triennial plan to allow us to offer International Tours with a STEM, Performing and Visual Arts, and Cultural focus.

In 2020 we hope to run a Performing and Visual Arts tour to New York, followed by a Space inspired STEM tour to the United States in 2021.  Planning for the 2022 Cultural Tour will begin next year.  Information regarding the Space STEM tour for 2021 will be sent home to families during Term 4 of this year.

For the moment, we are focused on the proposed 2020 Performing/Visual Arts tour to New York.  It is anticipated the tour will take place during the Term 3 holidays in 2020 and will be open to students currently in Year 9 and Year 10.

During the tour the students will spend ten days away in New York to experience all this amazing city has to offer.  While the focus for the trip will be ‘The Arts’ we will visit some of the most iconic sites in New York alongside providing the incredible opportunity for those who attend to learn about the performing arts industry at its professional best.  We anticipate the participants will visit a range of world famous galleries, see a show or two on Broadway, explore the incredible architecture of the city and attend workshops at places like the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.  The itinerary is still quite fluid, as we would like to design this with the student participants.  This will allow us to cater for their interests within Performing and Visual Arts.

We anticipate the tour will cost in the range of $5,000 and $6,000.  This will include return international airfares and departure taxes, comprehensive travel insurance linked to DFAT,  all meals, accommodation and transport for the entirety of the tour.  I am sure you can appreciate that taking into account the value of the Australian dollar and the fact that the tour is in the planning stages, the final cost of the tour can only be confirmed once numbers and the itinerary are finalised.  Please be aware that the 2020 tour will only run if we have enough students to make the trip viable.

To assist us with our planning, if your child is interested in this tour please email me directly at cbransgrove@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au to register your interest.

Christie Bransgrove
Local and International Community Relations

WARRAGUL SPARK OCTOBER PROGRAM

We have an exciting plan for SPARK during the last week of the coming holidays.  On the Tuesday, the much anticipated ‘bush skills’ session is finally happening!  Our little SPARKS have been asking for a session like this for years! We will follow on with some big outdoor style ‘Extreme Games’ making Tuesday action packed.

On Wednesday we welcome http://www.lovemacrame.com.au/  to the program.  Jump on the website and have a look at their beautiful creations.  They are running a kids session in the morning and our very first SPARK adult workshop in the afternoon!  Take some time for yourself and create something beautiful.  Whilst you are doing this, the kids can be equally as entertained making slime… without the mess in your home!

On Thursday Science is at the forefront as we use physics in motion to create chain reaction machines in ‘Mousetrap’.  In the afternoon we welcome back ‘Bricks 4 Kids’ with their incredible BattleBots using EV3 Mindstorms. Places are strictly limited for BattleBots, so you will need to be quick!

On Friday we will bring the magic of Disney to SPARK with Disney inspired musical theatre.  The last session on Friday is a very special Picasso inspired art workshop with Jo Draisma, a highly regarded local artist and Alumna that we are excited to welcome to our program.

To book follow the link, https://www.trybooking.com/BEYWL

COFFEE!

Would you like a bag of rich, smooth East Timor Coffee?  $3 from every bag sold through the school going towards our fundraising to build new classrooms for Ponilala Village School.  Growing and exporting coffee beans is also a sustainable and vital part of the Ermera district economy, where Ponilala is situated.  Your purchase will not only taste great but contribute to a worthy cause.

Bags of plunger, filter or beans can be purchased for $12.  Contact Andrea Heard aaheard@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or Kirsten Enders kenders@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au to place an order.

ST PAUL’S PARENT PRAYER GROUP

If you are interested in getting together with other parents of the School to pray, you are most welcome to join the following two prayer groups:
First Monday of the month, 9:00 am Prideaux Centre, Warragul Junior School.  (Next gathering 7 October – Day 1, Term 4)
Contact: Sheryn Cutler 0417 158 937
Fridays Fortnightly, 9:15 am, Jenny Charles’ home
Contact: Jenny Charles 0402 249 036

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for all that He has done.” Philippians 4:6

MATHS SUPPORT SESSIONS

A Maths support session will be offered in Room 3 (Year 9 Centre) each Tuesday at the end of the school day.  This session will operate from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm and students are able to attend for all or part of each session as required.

Participants may use this session to get assistance with and complete homework tasks, seek an additional lesson on a particular Maths topic or simply work with other students who share a similar love of Mathematics with extension activities provided as required.  This session is primarily aimed at students from Years 10 to 12 although all Secondary School students are welcome to attend.  These sessions are additional to those already provided by teachers from the Maths Faculty which occur regularly at nominated lunchtimes.

No formal registration is required.  Students simply attend whenever they feel the need for some additional support or extension.

For further inquiries please contact Mr Rowley via email jrowley@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

A MARVELLOUS UNIVERSE OR JUST A MARVEL UNIVERSE?

Was Captain America worthy of wielding Thor’s hammer?  Who is better, PewDiePie or T-series?  Is Luke the biggest threat on Survivor?  Ask most groups of young people these questions and chances are you will get an animated response from at least one of them.  When it comes to matters of entertainment and popular culture, young people are very informed and more than willing to debate and discuss the merits of their views.

On the one hand this is good news.  Critical thinking skills are one of the top skills employers say they want in their employees.  On the other hand, could this be a hint of the great mask of distraction we have built around ourselves to avoid confronting the difficult questions of real life?  In his book ‘Advance Australia…Where?’, social researcher Hugh Mackay tells of attending a dinner party, where he found himself “seated beside a charming, articulate, professional woman who spent most of the evening telling me about her home renovations, including her new bathroom”.  He goes on to say, “It struck me that our endless quest for the perfect bathroom tile might have become a way of distracting ourselves from some other, larger question”.

Look around any public space and you will see people immersed in their screens with the ubiquitous earphones as permanent fixtures on most ears.  It is no wonder we are well versed in the concerns of popular culture but is it all a big avoidance strategy?  Perhaps our constant consumption of entertainment and social media is in part an anesthetic to numb the fear of discovering that life is ultimately without meaning or purpose?  Perhaps the loss of trust in so many of the institutions which have given security to past generations (the banks, churches, parliaments for examples) has left young people so unanchored and adrift that they simply are not equipped to face the deeper questions of life?  Author Mark Sayers puts it this way, “With religion off the agenda, our culture finds new avenues of devotion and distraction… Millions of hours in the twenty-first century will be spent working through DVD TV series, scanning social network sites, gorging on celebrity gossip, downloading music… Things will take precedence over people.  Meaningless activities will overtake our lives”.  A Year 10 student expressed this feeling more bluntly in a recent written piece on the topic of purpose: “I often try to avoid thinking about deep questions as I believe that I should not spend the entirety of my life dreading over useless thoughts”.

But all is not lost.  While we do find many young people retreating into the distractions of the entertainment world, we also see young people bravely stepping up and grappling with life’s tough issues head-on.  Some find themselves on the world stage, such as climate activist, Greta Thunberg or champion of women’s education, Malala Yousafzai.  Others are quietly doing amazing things in their own neighbourhood.  Our role as parents and educators is to nurture these young people; to put boundaries on the distractions (yes, the screen time battle continues); to reassure them that life is not without purpose or meaning; to put before them a vision of hope; and in the Apostle Paul’s words, to help them “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of their minds” (Romans 12:2).  And where do we start?  Perhaps with this piece of advice from the writing of another Year 10 student:
“Take each day, as a blessing
An opportunity to spread the love that’s within
Let’s not take each other’s company for granted
And start appreciating life more than our feeds.”

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain

Good schools are often busy places, and this is especially true of St Paul’s at present.  Whether it is on the academic front, in the sporting arena or on the stage, there is a hive of activity on both campuses.  These action-packed, final few weeks of the term provide us with a multitude of events to enjoy, including theatrical productions at all four sub-schools and SEISA sport finals for six of our teams in the Intermediate and Senior sections – a fine achievement, indeed.

Last week, we finalised the selection of next year’s group of Prefects.  I am pleased to announce that the following Year 11 students have been appointed as Prefects for 2020.

Cameron Herbert
Principal