In this issue

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

END OF TERM 1

As this is the last Grammarian before the holidays may I take the opportunity to wish all families a happy and safe Easter.  The finish time on the last day of term Thursday 29 March, is 2:30 pm and the Secondary School Office will only be open from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm on the last Friday of the school holidays, Friday 13 April.

YEAR 9 CAMP

I had the pleasure of spending a day and a half at the Year 9 camp at Banksia Peninsula, Gippsland Lakes.  Students were able to participate in sailing, sea kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, mountain bike riding and an overnight bush walk.  The student groups were intermixed between campuses and it was pleasing to see so many students getting to know other students from our Warragul Campus.  Thank you to Jason Addison, Glen Treble, Jayne Sherrard and Alanah Andrews for supporting our students so wonderfully during the camp.

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

Our combined House Athletics Carnival was held last Tuesday and the organisation by Sandra Timmer-Arends and her Warragul counterpart, Ben Zanella, was of Olympic standard.  On the day the setup began before 7:00 am and I wish to thank them both, as well as the team of staff and students who also arrived early to help with the setup.  While the day started off with persistent drizzle it couldn’t dampen the school spirit displayed on the day.  Our students supported each other wonderfully and it was a joy to watch and soak in the atmosphere.  My congratulations to Chisholm on the overall victory.

PARENT STUDENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS (PSTIs)

Session 1 has been and gone however there is still time to book for session 2.

Session 2: Wednesday 28 March (bookings close at 4:00 pm on Tuesday 27 March)

St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School has an online booking system for the PSTIs.  To access the booking system go to:

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au  You will be required to enter a School Code which is rwmnt.  Once you have made your bookings, please print out the ‘Interview Timetable’ generated by the system and bring this to your interviews.  Students are required to wear full school uniform when attending interviews.

Interview times are five minutes per teacher.  Appointments that exceed the allocated time significantly inconvenience all parties involved, hence your cooperation in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

To access details relating to your child’s classes and teachers please log onto the MyStPauls website and click on their timetable.  This will display the information required for booking the interviews.  Alternatively you can also access the information on the MyStPauls app.  If you need assistance with your login details please contact IT services at itsupport@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

YEAR 7 2019 AND BEYOND INFORMATION EVENING

If you know anyone who might be interested in attending the Secondary School in 2019 please be encouraged to mention our Year 7 2019 and Beyond Information Evening.

This evening will commence at 6:00 pm with tours conducted by our Year 9 tour guides, supper supplied by our catering students, music performed by our Performing Arts students and an information session commencing at 7:00 pm.

I am excited to inform you that our new Principal Mr Cameron Herbert will be attending.

Getting ready for sea kayaking.

Sailing.

The bushwalk.

WHAT’S ON IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

MARCH
27 March  Year 7 2019 and Beyond Information Evening, tours 6:00 pm, information session 7:00 pm
28 March  Parent Student Teacher Interviews, 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm and 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. (Please note bookings will close at 3:00 pm Wednesday 28 March)
29 March  Traralgon Campus Easter Service
Last day of Term 1, 2:30 pm finish

APRIL
16 April  Term 2 commences.  Students are to be in full formal winter uniform.

YEAR 9 CAMP

Camp commenced on Tuesday and went through to Friday.  The camp was a fun and great way to get to know the Warragul students as the groups were combined.  Traralgon and Warragul students really bonded with each other, getting to know each and we all formed a strong friendship.  Some aspects of the camp were challenging but the group helped each other through the hard times.  Everyone was able to rely on each other for help and each member of the group were kind and respectful to others.  The activities that each group participated in were stand up paddle boarding, sailing, sea kayaking, mountain bike riding and a twenty kilometre hike and campout.  Participating in each of the activities were a great experience and each member of the group had a terrific time.  The leaders were also great and did everything in their ability to try and make us enjoy our time.  The camp may have been hard and challenging at times, putting us outside of our comfort zones but overall the camp was fairly easy and everyone had a great time, keeping optimistic throughout the week.  I would go on this camp again as it was a great opportunity to form new friendships and to participate in things people may not have done before.

Amity Jackson
Year 9 Student

Stand up Paddle Boarding.

ENGLAND EXCHANGE

I am currently in England on exchange.  I am living about forty minutes from Liverpool in a place called Bromborough with my host mum Wendy and host sister Gaia, who is Italian.  We live in a semi-detached house, so there are three levels but it is very narrow and cramped.  I also have three host siblings who are triplets, but they are currently at university in Sheffield, Newcastle and Durham.  The people here are generally pretty nice and fascinated by Australia and my accent.  They honestly believe we live in a great, big desert, no roads, shops and they think we live in straw houses!

I have woken up three times so far when everything has been covered in snow, which I am told is rare because we live so close to water (the rivers Mersey and Dee), so I am pretty lucky.  It is generally cold and wet, which I guess is no surprise, but I have become accustomed to it and now four degrees seems warm!

I go to a school called South Wirral, where I am the youngest exchange student they have had.  All the other exchange students are in sixth form because they are at least two years older than me.  I take the normal subjects of English, Math and Physical Education, as well as German, Psychology, Geography and Separate Sciences (Chemistry, Physics and Biology as separate subjects).  I go to Liverpool nearly every weekend with my English and Italian friends.  Sometimes I will go to a movie and often Wendy will take us out to visit places she recommends (museums, hikes, the beach and the theatre to name a few).

I have made lots of friends who I will keep in touch with once I leave.  I am super excited to come home, I am also sad that I will be leaving soon.  I have enjoyed this once in a lifetime opportunity so much and I hope I have made the most of it.

Isabella Watts
Year 9 Student

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments directly to the school for the benefit of the eligible student to attend camps, sports and excursions.  Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply.  $125 per year will be paid for eligible primary school students and $225 per year paid for eligible secondary school students.  Payments will go directly to the school and be tied to the student.  For more information and to download the application form please go to www.education.vic.gov.au/csef.  Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form as soon as possible, so that payments can be made from March 2018.  However schools can accept parent applications up until 8 June 2018 for processing in Term 2.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2017 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2018), the school will ‘copy’ the application across from 2017 to 2018 on the CSEF system.  The CSEF system automatically validated the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink on 29 January 2018.

From the Acting Head of Warragul Junior School,
Mr Phil Barkla.

BUSY JUNIOR SCHOOL!

Animals of Oz

Year 2 students have been learning about Australian animals this term as part of their integrated studies.  They have explored animal habitats, features, diets, life cycles and animal behaviour.  They have been developing their skills as researchers and each student chose their favourite Australian animal to research and create a project.  Last week they had an incursion from Animals of Oz which offered a great hands-on experience for the students to interact with some Australian animals; a tawny frogmouth, green tree frog, ringtail possum, blue tongue lizard, shingle back lizard, water python and bearded dragon.  It was a rich learning experience to hear about each animal’s characteristics while being up close and able to touch them.

ELC Family Nights

Our Early Learning Centre families have enjoyed their family nights over the past few weeks.  There has been quite a buzz during these evenings as the families meet at the ELC with a picnic dinner and get to know each other.  My thanks to the ELC team for organising these events.

Regional Swimming Carnival

Well done to all of the students who competed at the Regional Swimming Championships recently in Sale.  This level of competition is quite a step up as the next level is State and our congratulations are extended to all students who competed.

Year 5 Cranbourne Botanic Garden Excursion

The children participated in two Indigenous programs at the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens.  These were Bushfoods and Shared Country to align with the curriculum focus they are studying this term.

In Shared Country they discovered the importance of the environment to the Koolin people and how plants were used for fibre, medicine tools and food.  Experiences included a discovery walk, exploring tools, making and using ochre paint and tasting Lemon Myrtle tea.  The emphasis was on diversity and examining sustainable land practices used by Aboriginal people.

The Bushfoods program enabled the students to develop Indigenous knowledge of agricultural systems and become familiar with regional food plants in the Australian garden.  They discovered how the land was managed for food production, harvesting and preparation.  Activities included; investigating tools and technology, participating in wattle seed production through grinding, as well as tasting Lemon Myrtle tea.

The children participated in a range of other activities including an official welcome to Bunurong Country by an Indigenous leader.   They created rock art using ochre, sampled bush tucker and learned about Aboriginal tools, art and musical instruments.   They hiked to Trig Point Lookout and took in views of Westernport and Port Phillip Bays.   On the way back they searched for animal tracks and scats, and learnt about introduced species and their effects on our native wildlife and their habitats.  The children had a great day and we will definitely be going back there again next year.

Run For The Kids

William Brewer organised a fund raiser for the Royal Children’s Hospital at school.  The Preps, Years 1 and 2 students had the opportunity to run around the oval at lunchtime and make a donation to the hospital.  On a following lunchtime the children from Years 3 to 6 ran and the donations from the two runs amounted to $380!  This was a great example of one of our Year 6 students showing leadership and fantastic organisation.  William liaised with the school and did all of the organisation himself, including flyers, notes home and signage.  Thanks also to the other Year 6 students who got on board and helped with the runs.

Prep Pyjama Day

The Prep children had a fun day, when they and their teachers came to school in their PJs.  The highlight of the day was the teddy bears’ picnic, which was held in the Junior School Gymnasium, rather than in the park, due to the extremely windy conditions.  It was terrific to see so many parents attending and enjoying the afternoon with their Prep child.

Easter Service

We will be holding our Easter Service for all Prep to Year 6 next Thursday at 9:30 am in the Junior School Gymnasium.  Parents are welcome to join us.  A reminder that we finish at 2:20 pm next Thursday.

Canteen

Please note that there will be a few changes to the canteen menu at the beginning of Term 2.  Parents will of course be able to check it out online using MunchMonitor.

Years 3 to 6 Uniform

During Weeks 1 and 2 next term, students may wear either the summer or winter uniform as we transition from the warmer days to the cooler days.  From Week 3 (Monday 1 May), students must wear the winter uniform, including the blazer (boys may wear shorts).  I remind parents to refer to our uniform, jewellery and hairstyle requirements on pages 11 and 12 of our student diary, which outlines our expectations with regards to these important aspects of our school.

Junior School and Family Photos

Please note that our Prep to Year 6 and family photos will now take place on Friday 11 May.  ALL Years 3 to 6 students will need to wear their full formal winter uniform on this day.

Junior School Office Hours

Please find below the Junior School office hours over the upcoming holidays.  Please take particular note that the office will be closed from Friday 30 March to Friday 5 April inclusive over the Easter break.

Friday 30 March through to Friday 5 April, OFFICE CLOSED  
Monday 9 April through to Friday 13 April, office open from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Monday 16 April, office open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Term 2 commences on Monday 16 April. 

Thanks for your support of the Junior School this term, we look forward to welcoming Mr van Raay back early in Term 2.

Captivated by a Tawny Frogmouth.

A beautiful snake held no fears for the Year 2s.

WHAT’S ON IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

MARCH
24 March  School Tours, 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm
27 March  Parent Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
28 March  Parent Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Hot Cross Bun Delivery
29 March  Easter Service, 9:15 am to 10:00 am
End of term FOSTA special lunch
End of Term 1, 2:20 pm finish

APRIL
16 April  Term 2 commences
17 to 20 April  Year 5 Camp, Lady Northcote
23 April  District Athletics Carnival
24 April  ANZAC Day Service
25 April  ANZAC Day Public Holiday
30 April  Year 6 leave for Camp Coolamatong

Drouin and Warragul Public School bus network notice

Please be advised the public school bus network services will not run on the following dates in Term 2:
• Friday 4 May 2018, Warragul and Drouin Networks
• Friday 8 June 2018, Drouin Bus Network

Please ensure you have alternative travel arrangements for these days.  All St Paul’s buses will run as normal on these days.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A ST PAUL’S COMPANY MEMBER or BOARD DIRECTOR?

MEMBERSHIP OF COMPANY

Are you aware parents are able to become members of the St Paul’s School Company?

At present there are over seventy members of the School’s Company.  Applying for membership involves completing an application form and submitting a fee of $20.00.  Continued membership involves renewing your membership once a year and paying an ongoing annual fee of $20.00.

Company membership entitles the member to attend the School’s Annual General Meeting in May each year and also to cast a vote in the event of an election of Directors to the School Board.

If you have any questions in relation to the Board vacancies you are invited to contact Mrs Leah Young, Company Secretary on email companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

BECOMING A BOARD DIRECTOR

In keeping with the Board’s commitment to an inclusive governance approach within the school community, persons interested in potentially filling a Board vacancy are encouraged to become a member of the company and respond to the nomination/election process prior to the Annual General Meeting on 23 May 2018.

Nomination forms for Board Directorship are required to be forwarded to the Company Secretary no later than Monday 23 April 2018 at 5:00 pm.

If you have any questions in relation to the Board vacancies or are seeking a nomination form, please contact Mrs Leah Young, Company Secretary on email companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – 23 MAY 2018

The Annual General Meeting of St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School is to be held on Wednesday 23 May 2018.  Persons interested in applying for new membership of the company can obtain an Application for Company Membership form from the School’s website or by contacting Jenni Griffiths via email  jgriffiths@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

Applications should be received by 17 April 2018 for consideration at the April Board Meeting in preparation of this year’s Annual General Meeting.  Later applications can also be considered but must be received by 15 May 2018 to be able to attend the Annual General Meeting.

WILLIAM BREWER HOSTS RUN FOR THE KIDS

Last week, Year 6 student William Brewer organised a lunchtime fundraiser to support the Royal Children’s Hospital and hosted a ‘Run for the kids’.  William, with the support of some of his peers, raised just over $380 for the cause.  On Wednesday 14 March, approximately sixty children from Prep to Year 2 ran and on Friday 17 March approximately one hundred children ran from Years 3 to 6.  This fundraiser was organised for hours towards his Year 6 Community Service Award.  Well done William!

William Brewer prepared for the run.

SPARK APRIL 2018 PROGRAM

The St Paul’s SPARK holiday program is proud to present their program for April 2018!

A highlight for April will be a visit to SPARK from ‘Seaweed Sally’ an extraordinary marine biology experience we are bringing to Warragul.  This workshop involves live touch tanks, shark and whale bones to explore and even a squid dissection.  If your child is fascinated by the animals of the ocean, this workshop cannot be missed.

This program also sees us teaming up with The Makery to offer our littlest community members the opportunity to attend ‘Superhero School’, or spend a morning in the ‘Animal Kingdom’!  These sessions will incorporate all elements of the arts and will allow little imaginations to run wild!  There is also a mosaic program that will allow participants to create a mosaic piece in one afternoon.

If getting bloody and bruised (but not in a painful way!) is more your scene, there is a ‘Special FX’ makeup workshop that will teach participants how to create realistic scars, bruises and open wounds.  Alongside these programs we are also running a cartooning workshop with our very talented Junior School Art teacher, Kim Bristowe.  There is an ‘Extreme Science’ workshop on offer, an introduction to Auslan and a drama workshop that will allow students to perform on stage with professional lighting and sound.

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments directly to the school for the benefit of the eligible student to attend camps, sports and excursions.  Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply.  $125 per year will be paid for eligible primary school students and $225 per year paid for eligible secondary school students.  Payments will go directly to the school and be tied to the student.  For more information and to download the application form please go to www.education.vic.gov.au/csef.  Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form as soon as possible, so that payments can be made from March 2018.  However schools can accept parent applications up until 8 June 2018 for processing in Term 2.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2017 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2018), the school will ‘copy’ the application across from 2017 to 2018 on the CSEF system.  The CSEF system automatically validated the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink on 29 January 2018.

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

First term is always very busy here at St Paul’s and 2018 has been no different.  I am often asked what makes St Paul’s different and I am never short of an answer to this question, but the word ‘opportunity’ is certainly always central to my answer.  As I sat to write my final Grammarian article for the term I thought I would look back on the opportunities we offered in the last eight weeks.  As I scrolled back through the calendar I saw student leaders were inducted and students were recognised for achieving the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award and for participating in the Australian Mathematics Competition, we held the House Swimming Carnival, House Athletics Carnival, competed in basketball, softball, table tennis, badminton, cricket, tennis, equestrian, chess, debating and we raced several Human Powered Vehicles.  Our Years 7 and 9 cohorts went on camp and we had excursions to the Top Arts Exhibition, FairShare, CISCO Live,  Luna Park, Mount Worth, Federation University and our Year 9s had their interfaith excursion as well as their first City Experience Day.  Representatives from Deakin University and Charles Sturt University visited and spoke to students and we enjoyed science based workshops, provided at school, by Questacon.  On top of all of this we hosted a Welcome Evening, a Family Picnic, an Elite Sports Performers Seminar and the first of the Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs).   This is an incredible range of opportunities to offer in an eight week period and on top of it we delivered a varied curriculum and a supportive pastoral program.  The opportunities really are diverse here at St Paul’s and I am pleased to see our students taking advantage of that every day.  Term 2 will herald some changes at Warragul Secondary School with a new Principal and the opening of a new building but the same expectation of fostering an environment where all students can learn and grow will remain.  I wish all families a safe and relaxing holiday break and I look forward to an equally productive Term 2 at St Paul’s.

Parents Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs)

Thank you to those parents who attended our first Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs) last night.  Bookings for Monday’s session, 26 March, will close at 4:00 pm today (Friday 23 March 2018).  This will be held in the Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  If you have any difficulties booking online please contact the school on 5623 5833.

Athletics Sports

The House Athletics Carnival was held on Tuesday 20 March at the Joe Carmody Athletics Track at Newborough.  Thankfully the weather was more favourable than our House Swimming Carnival and the students competed with great endeavour.  Mr Klemke, Head of Secondary at our Traralgon Campus and I spent most of our day admiring the excellent behaviour and spirit of our students.  I would like to thank the Head of Sport from both campuses, Mr Ben Zanella at Warragul and Mrs Sandra Timmer-Arends at Traralgon, for their effort organising the event and to all of the other staff who contributed to making it such a successful day.  Congratulations to Chisholm House who narrowly edged out Franklin to be the winners on the day.

Last day of Term 1

Please note that we finish school at 2:30 pm on Thursday 29 March and buses will operate as normal.  Late buses will not operate on this day.

FOSP Welcome and invitation

We are very lucky to have an active parent group here at St Paul’s called the Friends of St Paul’s or more commonly referred to as FOSP.  This group meets at regular intervals throughout the year and supports the school by welcoming families and organising events which foster connections within our community.  If you are interested in becoming a part of FOSP we would really enjoy welcoming new parents or guardians to the group.  If you would like further information or to join the email list please let us know by emailing news@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

Formal Winter Uniform

Students are required to wear full winter uniform for the duration of Terms 2 and 3.  The uniform policy can be found on our website.  Now is a great time to get the winter uniform out of the cupboard and check that it all fits and is in order.

Girls’ formal/winter uniform (compulsory Terms 2 and 3)

• St Paul’s regulation tartan skirt
• St Paul’s regulation white shirt with tunic collar, top button done up
• St Paul’s regulation girl’s maroon tie (Year 12: Optional blue tie with thin gold/maroon stripes)
• Years 7 to 9 Jumper: Maroon jumper with School crest*
• Years 10 to 12 Jumper: Blue jumper with School crest*
• St Paul’s regulation blazer with gold stripes (must be worn to and from school)
• Black leather school shoes
• Navy knee length socks or navy cotton blend or sheer and silky opaque tights
• Navy or maroon plain scarf (scarves are not to be worn to assemblies)

Boys’ formal/winter uniform (compulsory Terms 2 and 3)

• Grey long trousers (worn with black belt)
• St Paul’s regulation white shirt with tunic collar and School crest,
  top button done up, shirt tucked in at all times
• St Paul’s blue tie with wide gold/maroon stripe
• Years 7 to 9 Jumper: Maroon jumper with School crest*
• Years 10 to 12 Jumper: Blue jumper with School crest*
• St Paul’s regulation blazer with gold stripes (must be worn to and from school)
• Black leather school shoes
• Grey marl socks
• Navy, maroon or white plain scarf (scarves are not to be worn to assemblies)

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A ST PAUL’S COMPANY MEMBER or BOARD DIRECTOR?

MEMBERSHIP OF COMPANY

Are you aware parents are able to become members of the St Paul’s School Company?

At present there are over seventy members of the School’s Company.  Applying for membership involves completing an application form and submitting a fee of $20.00.  Continued membership involves renewing your membership once a year and paying an ongoing annual fee of $20.00.

Company membership entitles the member to attend the School’s Annual General Meeting in May each year and also to cast a vote in the event of an election of Directors to the School Board.

If you have any questions in relation to the Board vacancies you are invited to contact Mrs Leah Young, Company Secretary on email companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

BECOMING A BOARD DIRECTOR

In keeping with the Board’s commitment to an inclusive governance approach within the school community, persons interested in potentially filling a Board vacancy are encouraged to become a member of the company and respond to the nomination/election process prior to the Annual General Meeting on 23 May 2018.

Nomination forms for Board Directorship are required to be forwarded to the Company Secretary no later than Monday 23 April 2018 at 5:00 pm.

If you have any questions in relation to the Board vacancies or are seeking a nomination form, please contact Mrs Leah Young, Company Secretary on email companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – 23 MAY 2018

The Annual General Meeting of St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School is to be held on Wednesday 23 May 2018.  Persons interested in applying for new membership of the company can obtain an Application for Company Membership form from the School’s website or by contacting Jenni Griffiths via email  jgriffiths@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

Applications should be received by 17 April 2018 for consideration at the April Board Meeting in preparation of this year’s Annual General Meeting.  Later applications can also be considered but must be received by 15 May 2018 to be able to attend the Annual General Meeting.

WHAT’S ON IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

MARCH
13 to 26 March  Year 9 Outdoor Education Camp
26 March  PSTIs Session 2
27 March  Presentation Ball Training
29 March – 15 April  World Challenge, Indonesia
29 March  VEIS: Boneo Park Dressage and combined Training Day (Round 1 Boneo Series 2018)
Last Day of Term 1

APRIL
16 April  Term 2 commences
17 April  First Aid Training for VET students
Presentation Ball Training
18 April  2019 Year 7 and Beyond Information Evening, 7:00 pm, Science Centre Lecture Theatre
19 April  DAV Debating
20 April  Final Presentation Ball rehearsal
21 April  Presentation Ball, 7:00 pm, Lardner Park

Drouin and Warragul Public School bus network notice

Please be advised the public school bus network services will not run on the following dates in Term 2:
• Friday 4 May 2018, Warragul and Drouin Networks
• Friday 8 June 2018, Drouin Bus Network

Please ensure you have alternative travel arrangements for these days.  All St Paul’s buses will run as normal on these days.

SOS: FRENCH EXCHANGE FAMILY STILL REQUIRED!

Unfortunately we have still had no offers to host two of our female French Exchange students, and I am still hoping some of our school families might be able to help!

For many years now the school has participated in an exchange program with Lycée Aimé Césaire, a high school in France.  The students are beginning their Year 11 studies and come to St Paul’s for seven weeks during their summer holidays.  Our Year 11 French students then join them for seven weeks in our summer school holidays.

This year we are sending a smaller group of students to France.  However, Lycée Aimé Césaire have asked if fifteen French students can visit us at St Paul’s.  As a result, we are looking for two host families to host French students.  This is a wonderful opportunity to have a native French speaker in your home to assist with your child’s French without the cost of sending your child to France as part of the exchange.

Whilst we do not have confirmed dates, generally the group arrive in the middle of June and stay with us until the end of July.  Please be aware that the exchange runs over the school holiday period and your exchange student would stay with your family for the duration of the holidays.  This is often a great opportunity to show your exchange student a little bit more of our country.  There is great camaraderie amongst those who host our ‘Frenchies’ and it is a wonderful way to be involved in the life of the school!

If you would like any further information or would like to register your interest, please do not hesitate to contact me via email cbransgrove@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

WONTHAGGI HPV WASHED OUT

Team Jaffa competed in the Wonthaggi HPV Event from 16 to 18 March, facing many challenges along the way.  The race itself normally lasts for twenty-four hours, four times the standard length of a usual event – with students facing considerable sleep deprivation, heat, torrential rain, high winds, a ‘total fire ban’, and a rough track that took its toll on our vehicles.  The event itself was called off at around twenty-two and a half hours due to poor weather conditions and the increasing number of crashes.

Despite this, the overwhelming enthusiasm and gusto of the students involved was a testament to their character.  Thank you to all who participated, our sponsors who make everything possible, and the Bordonaro, Blyth and Wong families for their supportive presence at the event.

Jaffa 1 finished 20th and Jaffa 2 finished 40th out of the seventy teams who managed to finish the event.

Team Jaffa in the pit.

MATHS TUTORIAL CLASSES

Monday – Year 9, 1:20 pm, Year 9 Centre
Wednesday – Years 7 and 8, lunchtime, YS2
Thursday – Years 10 to 12, lunchtime, JM4

ST PAUL’S STUDENTS VOLUNTEER TO FEED PEOPLE IN NEED

At 6:30 am, Thursday 8 March, students from Year 10 Food Discovery class travelled to FareShare in Abbotsford to prepare meals for people in Victoria doing it tough.

As part of the FareShare ‘Schools in the Kitchen’ program, students cooked approximately 1,570 meals during their morning shift, and also prepared over 1000 meals ready for the afternoon shift to complete.   During the morning, their engagement in this social justice program allowed them to consolidate knowledge about the reality of hunger, issues around food waste, food rescue and sustainable food production, while showing care and compassion for others in their local and wider community.

After spending the morning in the FareShare kitchen, students then visited the FareShare kitchen garden, Lulie St Abbotsford.  Food scraps from the FareShare kitchen come to this garden and are composted and used on donated vacant land to grow additional vegetables, herbs and fruit to supplement donated and rescued food in the production of meals.  Food scraps may also go to two other FareShare kitchen gardens or outlets such as Collingwood children’s farm to feed the animals.

On their return to Warragul, students visited Baw Baw Combined Churches Food Relief in Pearse Street.  Within the Baw Baw Shire eighty families a week seek food assistance at this facility, along with other valuable services.  Student were able to witness meals similar to the ones they had made that morning at FareShare at this facility and thus their involvement in helping others.

A wonderful effort by these young people and staff; thank you Mia, Sophie, Pace, Eliza, Max, Scarlett, Stacie, Scarlett, Elisha, Mae, Makaela, Mrs Mullins, Mrs Cleversley and Mrs Mathews.

To find out more about the FareShare, visit http://www.fareshare.net.au

Top row: Mrs Mullins, Mae, Pace, Stacie, Mia, Sophie, Elisha, Makaela, Max.
Bottom row: Eliza, Scarlett, Scarlett.

Preparing quiche bases, from left to right;
Scarlett, Max, Mrs Cleversley (back), Mrs Mathews, Pace, Eliza, Mae, Mrs Mullins (Polly – FareShare production manager red cap).

Preparing the filling mixture for sausage rolls, left Makaela, right Sophie.
Background: left to right, Mrs Cleversley, Pace, Polly, Eliza, Max, Mae, Scarlett, Shirley (FareShare worker).

TOP ARTS 2018

Top Arts is an annual exhibition that showcases some of the best work from Units 3/4 Art and Studio Art.  Top Arts is part of the VCE Season of Excellence, which presents outstanding work from a variety of subjects, including design, performing arts, technology and multimedia.  For the last five years St Paul’s has had students represent the school as part of these exhibitions and I am very proud to announce that this has continued this year.

For the current 2018 exhibition, Top Arts received over five hundred applicants and from that only one hundred and thirty-six were shortlisted for the exhibition.  St Paul’s had three students who were shortlisted; Isabella Murray-Goold and Lorenzo Santucci from the Unit 3/4 Studio Arts class, and Zoe Morley from the Unit 3/4 Art class.  This is an incredible achievement and each student should be congratulated on their efforts and success.  Their accomplishments are also due in part to the assistance of the Visual Art Staff, their teachers Dale Ackermann and Dane Morley.

To have three students shortlisted is confirmation of the amazing work of the Visual Art Department, including its students and teachers.  It is no mere coincidence that St Paul’s is represented at the VCE Season of Excellence each year.

But the fun does not stop there.  Zoe Morley was successful in her application for Top Arts and is part of this year’s exhibition.  The opening of the Top Arts was held on Thursday 22 March and was a huge celebration of student work.  The night gathered together all student exhibitors, their teachers, school Principals, NGV curators and art supporters.  It was an awesome night and a fantastic way of commending student achievements in the visual arts.

Top Arts is currently open at the moment and I encourage everyone to attend.  It is held in the Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square and will be on until 15 July.  It is a free exhibition (so no excuses) and is well worth everyone’s time to see some amazing student work – especially Zoe’s.

NATIONAL YOUTH SCIENCE FORUM

Over the recent summer holidays, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the National Youth Science Forum.  This was a twelve-day residential program in Canberra, hosted by the Australian National University (ANU), in which students from all over Australia had the chance to interact with some of Australia’s leading science facilities and scientists.  This has been a life-changing program for me and has instilled an even greater passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

During the program, we were exposed to a range of exciting STEM careers and had the opportunity to talk to many industry professionals.  There were around two hundred students attending the program divided up into specialised interest groups.  I was in group ‘Einstein’ which was the Physics based group with about fourteen other like-minded students.  One of my favourite activities was attending a lecture by Brian Schmidt, a 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics recipient who discovered the acceleration expansion of the universe.  We also visited the ANU Particle Accelerator, the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, Mount Stromlo Observatory and participated in a question and answer session with CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, in which I was fortunate enough to be able to ask a question to one of the head researchers.  Another aspect that I really enjoyed about the program was visiting many industry based businesses which we interact with on a daily basis, which really opened my eyes to how STEM is an essential part of modern society and maintaining quality of life.  These included Canberra’s ICON Water treatment plant, learning about how optical fibre works in the NBN to transmit internet and phone calls, how STEM integrates with media and business and learning about the science behind how coffee is produced and made.  While all of these activities were unbelievably amazing, what really stood out was the people – everyone there was incredibly passionate and inspiring, making it easy to strike up engaging conversations and learn more about their lives.

I would like to sincerely thank the Warragul Rotary Club for sponsoring my application and all of the staff at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School that helped me apply and who have inspired me throughout the years.  If anyone knows any students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths, please let them know about this incredible program as it is such a unique and life-changing opportunity.

Cameron Wong
Year 12 Student

YEAR 10 ‘ROAD SMART’ EXPERIENCE

Last Thursday during pastoral time, the Year 10s had a visit from the ‘Road Smart’ team, part of the VicRoads school education program.

Each mentor group was able to work through a number of different scenarios and analyse various statistics, all aimed at improving their readiness to get behind the wheel.

This session was the first step in a broader program, with students (and their supervising drivers) now able to access an eLearning module and even enrol for an ‘in car session’ (a free driving lesson).

I am sure the students found the session very useful and informative, and if they continue on with the program they will give themselves the best chance of becoming safe and smart drivers in the future.

SPARK APRIL 2018 PROGRAM

The St Paul’s SPARK holiday program is proud to present their program for April 2018!

A highlight for April will be a visit to SPARK from ‘Seaweed Sally’ an extraordinary marine biology experience we are bringing to Warragul.  This workshop involves live touch tanks, shark and whale bones to explore and even a squid dissection.  If your child is fascinated by the animals of the ocean, this workshop cannot be missed.

This program also sees us teaming up with The Makery to offer our littlest community members the opportunity to attend ‘Superhero School’, or spend a morning in the ‘Animal Kingdom’!  These sessions will incorporate all elements of the arts and will allow little imaginations to run wild!  There is also a mosaic program that will allow participants to create a mosaic piece in one afternoon.

If getting bloody and bruised (but not in a painful way!) is more your scene, there is a ‘Special FX’ makeup workshop that will teach participants how to create realistic scars, bruises and open wounds.  Alongside these programs we are also running a cartooning workshop with our very talented Junior School Art teacher, Kim Bristowe.  There is an ‘Extreme Science’ workshop on offer, an introduction to Auslan and a drama workshop that will allow students to perform on stage with professional lighting and sound.

SPORT NEWS

CHISHOLM REIGNS SUPREME!

The 2018 House Athletics Carnival was held on Tuesday 20 March.  After a slightly miserable start with the weather, the day turned out to be an absolute pearler!  Participation was fantastic across the day, with the highlights including the novelty events, the 100 metre relays and the introduction of triple jump, which was a huge success.  The day turned out to be a two horse race for overall honours between Chisholm and Franklin.  On the back of a huge team performance it was Chisholm who eventually claimed title by only nine points (one of the closest margins ever!)  There were only sixty four points between the first five teams which is amazing.  Well done to all teams!

Overall Champion for 2018 was Chisholm on 1180.5 points, followed by Franklin on 1171 points, Gilmore 1138.5 points, Monash 1126.5 points, Paterson 1116.5 points and Lalor with 1023 points.

Other titles on the day included Chisholm taking out the junior title and intermediate titles and Franklin the senior title.

There were also a few long standing records broken on the day including:  F Y8 Shot Put Myah Healey of Lalor, 8.89 (previous record 8.45 in 2008) and F Y12 High Jump Elly Radford of Franklin, 1.55m (previous record 1.5m in 2014).

I would like to thank all students for participating to their best ability throughout the day.  Also a big thank you to all the staff and students who arrived early in the morning to ensure that the carnival would be set up and organised in time.  These days would not occur without an army of helpers, so thank you.

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments directly to the school for the benefit of the eligible student to attend camps, sports and excursions.  Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply.  $125 per year will be paid for eligible primary school students and $225 per year paid for eligible secondary school students.  Payments will go directly to the school and be tied to the student.  For more information and to download the application form please go to www.education.vic.gov.au/csef.  Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form as soon as possible, so that payments can be made from March 2018.  However schools can accept parent applications up until 8 June 2018 for processing in Term 2.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2017 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2018), the school will ‘copy’ the application across from 2017 to 2018 on the CSEF system.  The CSEF system automatically validated the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink on 29 January 2018.

Richard Verheyen,
Class of 2011

Class of 2011 Alumnus, Richard Verheyen, is living in Vancouver, Canada working for a software startup company as a Web Developer.

During his time at St Paul’s one of Richard’s most memorable moments was being involved in the 2010 production of West Side Story and performing the ‘Gee Officer Krupke’ song.  He also found that the Presentation Ball was an amazing experience for him.

We asked Richard a few questions about his time after St Paul’s…

What has your pathway been since graduating?

“I studied at the University of Melbourne (BSc) from 2012 to 2016, taking 2014 off to travel and rethink my pathway.  Being a student didn’t come naturally to me, in hindsight I don’t think I had a clear enough idea of why I was at university in the first place and in the end I haven’t followed my study pathway of Civil Engineering.  That being said I strongly believe that university is the right environment to surround yourself with driven and interesting people, so long as you remember that there’s a world out there to explore during and after your studies.

While I was on my gap year in 2014 I worked at a summer camp in Maine, USA and met my first significant life mentor Gary while hiking on my days off.  Afterwards I was invited to stay with Gary and his family in New York City for a few weeks and in my time there I went to my first meetup event and learnt some of my most valued life lessons.

Since then it’s been ‘Meetups’ like the one I went to in New York and seeking mentorship from amazing people in the software community that gave me the confidence to move away from my university pathway and out into the world.

Right now I’m living in Vancouver, Canada and I work for a software startup called Kickback which is based in San Francisco.  I’m a Web Developer, which means that I take designs from a graphic/web designer and write the code which makes it sit in the web browser, as well as the logic which controls what happens when you interact with the content.”

What do you enjoy most about your current occupation?

“Project based work suits me, I love being able to start something new, complete the easy stuff really quickly, learn something new when there’s something hard and then celebrate with the team when it’s pushed live to the public.  I’m incredibly lucky to build software for a startup which is profitable and which provides services for tens of thousands of users all over the world every day.”

Why did you choose this field?

“Web Development involves project lengths of a few months, has low overhead costs and needs only a few levels of management to build something of value.  At a Melbourne JavaScript Meetup in 2016 I saw Glen Maddern present the first version of Styled Components (a JavaScript library), and then interviewed at companies in Vancouver Canada in 2017 who had adopted Styled Components into their workflow and loved them.  The industry moves FAST, which means software veterans need to constantly learn new practices and new entrants like me can quickly become useful by learning the hottest new thing.”

What do you find most challenging about what you do now?

“Trying to wrap my head around new concepts in web development does my head in.  In web development if you know how to do something, it’s done in a few hours, but ninety per cent of the time you’ll be tearing your hair out trying to understand some new concept.”

What training/course was required to get to that field?

“You don’t need any degree or certificate to learn how to code.  All the resources and documentation are freely available online.  If you can build a small portfolio of work, prepare for a technical interview (JavaScript) and demonstrate your passion and understanding of the fundamentals, then companies all over the world want you and don’t care about your degrees or qualifications.

I met my good friend and mentor Jan Werkhoven through mutual friends in early 2015, a year later we met in passing and he said he’d be happy to teach me how to code if I wanted to put in the effort.  My girlfriend at the time was running a graphic design business and building simple WordPress websites, so I started by rebuilding her website and then slowly moved onto more complicated and paid projects.  For eighteen months I was in a situation where I was being paid to learn and having my two best friends there to give me work, and help me solve the problems I was having as I learned.  Often I would cook fancy dinners for the three of us as they worked as a small form of repayment. Jan taught me how to use the terminal, collaborate on a GitHub repository and the current best industry practices for making code readable and debuggable.”

What or who influenced you to take this path?

“I was strongly influenced by my parents to go to university and do science, but after that wasn’t going so well I was forced to take a lot more control over where I was going.  The people who inspire me the most are: Elon Musk, Ernest Shackleton and John F Kennedy.  I owe so much to mentors I’ve met along the way; truly I stand on the shoulders of giants.”

Outside of work Richard likes to snowboard, play guitar, play volleyball, row and he likes to cook.  Richard also likes to travel and dream up business ideas and keenly follows technology news (SpaceX).

When asked about how St Paul’s may have contributed to his current career or interests, Richard said that co-curricular activities pushed him outside of his comfort zone.  “I got my first part-time job to pay for the Japan Tour in 2009, and the experience of earning your own money to travel to a foreign country and culture is something you can’t get in a classroom.”

Richard also remembers his teachers at St Paul’s and the influence they had on his schooling.  “Mr Cameron had me for English in Year 12, I remember how he took me aside earlier in the year, acknowledging that I was more of a science focused student and helped me to approach essay writing in a more logical way.  With his help I got a fantastic score in my final English exams and I remember his charismatic teaching style every time I’m now having an intense debate and defending or expressing an opinion.”

He also remembers times when teachers were there for him beyond studies.  “Mr Ryan was such a calm and quirky Maths teacher.  Immediately after the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 I remember we had Maths on that Monday morning and spent the first half hour or so of the class sharing our experiences from the weekend just passed.”

Richard has appreciated the mentors throughout his life and is keen to pass on advice from his life experiences to others.  “My experience of ‘Meetups’ has been a group of around fifty young professionals, who after a full day of work want to come together, chat about their work and give presentations about the cutting edge of what’s happening in the industry.  They’re hosted in open, facebook-eqsue offices, they’re free, there are free drinks and a large budget for food because the sponsoring companies value their employees coming together to network and learn more about their industry.  This gave me a perspective on learning that I’d never had before and would be a great introduction into the software industry for any interested students out there.” 

WHO AM I?
AN EASTER MESSAGE

The subject of identity formation is one that is getting a lot of air-time in certain circles.  The alarming rise in mental health concerns amongst young people (particularly depression and anxiety), the complexities and sensitivities involved in public debate on gender and sexuality, beginning and end of life choices, disability, virtual reality and many more, all lead inevitably to fundamental questions of identity.  Prominent in this discussion is a growing body of research which is highly critical of the modern identity formation process.  Of course we do not learn how we are meant to form our identity from scholarly papers and lectures.  We learn through the stories our society surrounds us with – the plot lines of movies and TV shows, the lyrics of songs, the things we applaud and celebrate on social media.  These are the stories we tell which shape our view of ourselves.  And the dominant theme of the modern story is that of a hero’s individual triumph over the oppressive expectations placed on them by some element of society or family.  This is the modern identity story.  I look inside myself, decide how I want to define myself and then declare it to the world and if the world does not like it then bad luck!  On the face of it this sounds great but the whole premise is fundamentally flawed.  Firstly, humans are relational beings by nature and our identity cannot be formed outside of a relational context.  In other words, self-determination does not work.  We need our identity to be affirmed by someone externally.  Secondly, the idea that we are free to make our own choices about our identity is an illusion.  There is always an external validator.  On the one hand we are bombarded with the message that we should ‘follow our heart’ and ‘be true to ourselves’ but at the same time we are surrounded by messages that tell us we are too fat, too skinny, not fashionable enough, not successful enough and so on.  We are free to choose for ourselves as long as we choose what our culture approves of!  No wonder young people are struggling.  They are being crushed by the pressure of having to ‘find themselves’ while at the same time being pummelled by a barrage of messages telling them they are inadequate.

So is there an alternative?  As we approach the celebration of Easter I want to suggest that the heart of the Easter story provides an alternative narrative for our identity which is far better than that which Western Society is promulgating.  The Christian view of humanity is the only one, religious or otherwise, in which our identity is received not achieved.  The Biblical notion that we are made in God’s image is central to this.  Our worth comes not from anything we do but simply from the fact that we are made in the image of God.  We do not have to earn it in any way.  There is a common misconception that being a Christian is about being a good person, trying to live good lives and obey God’s commands so that we earn favour with God.  The Bible makes it quite clear (and a quick survey of human history will confirm) that none of us is capable of living up to God’s perfect standards.  It is only through God’s grace, His gift to us, that we find our true worth.  This is the mystery and hope of Easter.  God sacrifices His own perfect son so that through his death and resurrection we might be made perfect in Him.  And because of this gift we are freed from the burden of attaining perfection for ourselves and we are liberated from the demands of society to conform to its expectations.  We may still find ourselves at odds with the culture around us but no longer do we stand on our own strength alone.  Instead, we find our security and our value in the knowledge and love of the God who created all things and loves us as His own.

So this Easter you might like to consider this question.  Who would you prefer to tell the story of your identity?  Would you put it in the hands of the likes of Mark Zuckerberg?  J.J. Abrams?  Jerry Bruckheimer?  Or would you prefer the narrative of your identity to come from the God whose love for us is so great that He willingly gave His own life for the sake of yours?

Wishing you all a blessed Easter.

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain

THANK YOU

As this is my last Grammarian as Acting Principal, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the entire school community for their support this term.  It has been a privilege to lead this wonderful school for a short time.  Our new Principal, Mr Cameron Herbert will be joining us for a short visit at the end of this term before beginning officially at the start of Term 2.  We look forward to his arrival and I know you will join me in making him feel very welcome.

Being brave not perfect

This term, I have spoken to the secondary students at both campuses about the idea of setting goals about personal bravery instead of perfection.  I have witnessed, many times, with our impressive young people the way they place tremendous pressure on themselves to achieve an ideal of perfection in all they do.  I have also had many meetings with parents where is it apparent that this pressure is one the students place on themselves and it is not fostered by the school or their families.

When I spoke to the students I used the words of the extraordinary young explorer, Jade Hameister, to illustrate the point.  Jade Hameister, sixteen, is the youngest person to complete the ‘Polar Hat Trick’.  That means she has trekked both the North Pole, South Pole and Greenland.

Over Christmas, she arrived at the South Pole after a gruelling thirty-seven day journey.

She is also the first woman to set a new route to the South Pole.

At age fourteen, she became the youngest to ski to the North Pole from anywhere outside the last degree of latitude, resulting in her being awarded Australian Geographic Society’s Young Adventurer of the Year.

She was also the first Australian female to ski coast to Pole unsupported and unassisted, and the youngest to complete the five hundred and fifty kilometre crossing of Greenland in June 2017.

I told the students that what fascinates me most about this incredible list of achievements is what she has learned along the way about herself and her mental toughness.  There is no doubt she had to be physically fit, but enduring such extreme conditions also takes mental toughness and that, as most of us know, can be harder to achieve than anything.

Most of our students have heard me speak before about having to make mistakes and fail in order to grow and learn, but that is hard to do if you are convinced that you need to be ‘perfect’.  It is a lot of pressure and I am not sure that if I asked each one of them specifically what being perfect meant that they could really explain it to me.  It would certainly vary constantly, depending on the circumstances and that constant variation has to not only make the goal of perfection exhausting but just not achievable or practical.  It is also a reality that trying to be perfect actually achieves the opposite.  It makes us draw into ourselves and not take good risks that can help us to grow.

So if we are to give up trying to be perfect but still want to learn and challenge ourselves, grow and achieve our goals, how do we do it?  Jade tells us we have to be brave and tackle our fears.  Trying things before we think we can do them perfectly and never giving up is what Jade recommends.  While this sounds easy we all know that conquering personal fears (worrying about failing, being ridiculed or not liked) is not easy at all.  It is really hard.  But what is the alternative?  I do not think there is one if we really want to be all we can be.

Luckily, we do not have to ski to the North Pole to be brave!

We can be brave by deciding to have a go at public speaking when it terrifies us, studying hard for a test in an area that we find really difficult and confronting the fact that if we do not succeed as well as we might like on the first try, we might be more discouraged and have to try even harder to give it another go, followed by another go, and so on.

Emotional bravery is the hardest thing of all, but it is also the most rewarding.  It will not necessarily even be noticed by others but we will know our own achievement and that is what really matters.

I encourage all of our students to look for these opportunities in their own lives (their friendships, their teams, their studies and their family) and to see if they can make 2018 a year of personal bravery.

Donna Sweeney
Acting Principal