In this issue

• VCE Season of Excellence
• Traffic Management
• Run for East Timor
• Scholarships

Grammarian Issue 1, 11 February 2022

Traralgon Junior School

From the Head of Traralgon Junior School,
Ms Tracey King.

Welcome to the 2022 School Year
The first two weeks of term have been calm and very settled in our Junior School and we have enjoyed a fantastic start to the year. It has been lovely to see students arriving with big smiles each morning and engaged in learning in classrooms. The weather has been beautiful and our students have been making the most of playtime in the gardens. Students have been excited to be starting the school year and there has been a lovely atmosphere across the entire school.

We have already enjoyed a number of activities; Swim Testing and Swim Trials for Years 3 to 6, photos for new students and a Whole School Assembly to induct our new School Leaders for 2022 and Crossing of the Prep Hats. Specialist classes have started and some of our co-curricular activities began this week too. Students have been involved in ‘learning to learn’ activities with their teachers and classmates and have spent time setting up classroom processes and expectations. A highlight for Years 5 and 6 has been brain dissections and learning about how their brains acquire new information and skills and process this information to their long term memory. Students have been discussing neurons, brain care and strategies to be more efficient learners. It has been a productive and enjoyable start to the 2022 school year for both students and teachers.

Special congratulations to our Prep students who have settled well into their new school routines and have impressed their teachers with their eagerness to learn and participate. Early Learning Centre groups are also underway and our youngest children have been excited and keen to enjoy activities and play opportunities.

Many thanks to all of our teachers who have been organised and well prepared to ensure a calm and smooth first week of school and that everyone has been successful in their learning. Many thanks also to our parents who have worked with their children to ensure they are organised and prepared for learning each day.

Congratulations to Year 6 students, Isabella Slocombe and Araan Patel, who have been elected to the positions of Junior School Leaders for 2022. All of our Year 6 cohort take on leadership responsibilities throughout the year and will be presented to Mr Herbert and our school community at our Leaders Induction Assembly Service this afternoon. We are confident that all of our Year 6 students will represent the Traralgon Junior School well and will fulfil their leadership roles with diligence and a desire to serve our community and do their very best.

Teacher Professional Learning
Teachers were back at school in the lead up to our first day participating in Professional Learning Days and preparing for the year ahead. Teachers completed Thinking Maps training and have already been busy introducing students to these tools. Thinking Maps is a whole-school, brain-based approach to teaching and learning, designed to build foundational critical thinking, problem-solving, comprehension and communication skills necessary for academic success. The Maps provide a shared visual “language for learning”. Thinking Maps are a set of eight visual patterns or icons that each represent a specific cognitive process; defining, sequencing, describing, cause and effect, comparing and contrasting, whole-part, classifying and analogy. Unlike graphic organisers, which are highly varied and inconsistent, the eight Thinking Maps are used consistently across all grades and content areas. This ensures that students develop automaticity with the major thought processes by using the Maps to engage the cognitive processes they represent. As students build fluency with the Maps, they internalise these cognitive skills and learn how to become better learners, thinkers, and communicators. Teachers are looking forward to sharing Thinking Maps with parents at our upcoming Parent Information Sessions.

Teachers have also immersed themselves in learning about the brain and have participated in brain dissections, building plasticine models of the Information Processing Model and developing their understanding of Cognitive Load Theory. It has certainly been a busy start to the year.

COVID-19 Guidelines
It has been wonderful to be able to return to school in person and know that online learning is not hanging over our heads! I thank all of our parents and families for their cooperation and open communication as we manage the new recommendations and guidelines. Please do not gather in groups on school grounds and please wear a mask if you are unable to socially distance yourself adequately. Parents are asked to not enter school buildings unless they have an appointment or are attending a special function. If you are attending on-site and need to enter school buildings, parents are required to firstly register at the Junior School Office and produce evidence of vaccination.

Parents are asked to keep unwell children at home and if anyone in the family is showing symptoms of illness please see your GP and continue using provided RATs to test for COVID. Current DHHS guidelines recommend that anyone who shows any signs of fever, cough, sore throat should be tested for COVID-19 even if symptoms are mild. Our best way of managing COVID-19 at this time is to ensure that unwell students, parents and staff do not attend school. Please be aware that any children who do attend unwell will have their parents contacted to collect them from school, camps or excursions. I thank all of our families in advance for their cooperation and understanding.

Welcoming our new teachers
Our new staff have started the year with high energy and enthusiasm and have quickly become valued members of our team. We welcome teachers Ms Sarah Berryman, Ms Nicole Cross, Ms Jade Hosken, Mrs Julia Cullen and Ms Jannet Taylor. We also welcome Education Support staff Mr Lucas Tripodi who will be working with students in classrooms and at playtimes, Mrs Allison Speairs who is working with our ELC and Miss Onnie Olssen who has joined us in the Junior School Office.

This week we have included an introduction from each of our teachers.

Miss Sarah Berryman.

“Hi, my name is Miss Berryman and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to join the St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School community at the Traralgon Junior School this year. I have recently moved back to Gippsland after beginning my teaching career in Ballarat three years ago, having most recently taught Years 3 and 4.

This year I am excited to be teaching Year 1. I love seeing students have that ‘lightbulb moment’ when they understand a new concept and look forward each day to hearing about all the co-curricular activities my students are involved in. When I am not teaching you will often find me cooking desserts for my friends and family, taking photos of sunsets (and sunrises if I wake up in time), and playing with my gorgeous dog Belle. I am looking forward to immersing myself in all the opportunities that St Paul’s provides to both students and families. I also hope that we can safely have school-wide events soon, so I can meet many more members of the St Paul’s community.”

Ms Nicole Cross.

“My teaching journey started when I was 18 years old, teaching dance to Years 7 and 8 students at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School, Warragul as part of a lunchtime dance club. After completing a dance teaching placement at a primary school in Benella, I decided that I would like to be a classroom teacher and help students to grow and develop a passion and love for learning. Upon completing my studies, I worked as a specialist and casual relief teacher in several Melbourne primary and secondary schools. I relocated back to Gippsland in 2020 and taught Grades 4 and 5 at Newborough Primary School. My hobbies include dance and craft. I love teaching because I can help students to develop skills and knowledge that will help them in the future. I am also passionate about instilling a desire for lifelong learning and get a buzz from witnessing the joy when students achieve success in academics, sport, art and wellbeing. I am looking forward to getting to know and working with the students and staff at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School, Traralgon Junior School this year and building positive relationships with my students and families.”

Ms Jade Hosken.

“Hi, I’m Ms Hosken and I am super excited to be joining the amazing staff and students here at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School. I started my teaching career four years ago and have enjoyed every second of it. I have taught Preps right through to Year 4, and now I am super lucky to be teaching Year 5 in 2022. I love that every day brings something new and no day is ever dull. Besides teaching, I enjoy snowboarding, reading any book written by the one and only Dr. Seuss, cooking (but not cleaning up afterwards) and of course, spending time with my family and friends.

I am looking forward to being involved in all the wonderful opportunities this school has to offer and I can’t wait to meet all the beautiful families here at St Paul’s very soon.”

Mrs Julia Cullen.

“Hello! I’m Mrs Cullen, I have been a teacher for fifteen years and I have worked across all year levels. I love teaching because even though we grow older we don’t grow up entirely! I enjoy seeing students’ faces light up when they have that ‘aha’ moment and helping them find books and authors that they love. In my spare time I love to read (Australian historical fiction is my current favourite) and spend time with my family and friends. We never stop learning so I am looking forward to working and learning alongside my students. I am excited to be part of the friendly and supportive community of St Paul’s.”

Ms Jannet Taylor.

“I’m really excited to be here, and I am looking forward to meeting everyone. My hobbies include reading – no surprise there I guess, camping and 4WD, as well as kickboxing – this is a surprise to most people. I have a Boston Terrier named Archie who is my best friend, he’s awesome and does all sorts of tricks. I’ve recently finished reading ‘The List’ and ‘The Last Word’ by Patricia Forde, which I highly recommend to our secondary students. My favourite author at the moment has to be Matthew Reilly, an Australian author who wrote the Jack West series. I love how fast paced his books are – chapters can be three pages long and it’s all action.

I have been busily rearranging the library space at Traralgon, so please drop in, say hi and have a look around… maybe borrow a book as well.”

Calendar Events
Please be aware that our Parent Information Session is scheduled for Monday 21 February from 7:00 pm. We have moved our Family Fun Night gathering to later in the term in the hope that we will be able to be on-site together as a large group and able to enjoy a community event. The evening will begin at 7:00 pm in the school gymnasium.

I hope that you all take the time to read the newsletter each fortnight and visit MyStPauls to see what your child has been up to in their year level and specialist classes. MyStPauls also contains lots of information about school events and helps to keep you up-to-date with everything that happens in the Junior School and can be a great way to start a conversation with your child about their day at school. For families who may have misplaced their login details, I ask that you contact IT Support at the school and they will issue you with a new one.

Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School

Years 5 and 6 dissect brains.

WHAT’S ON

FEBRUARY
15 February District Swimming
18 February Tim Ellis Magic Show
21 February Parent Information Evening, 7:00 pm
22 to 25 February Year 5 Camp, Sovereign Hill
22 February ELC Picnic, Koalas and Possums, 5:00 pm
24 February ELC Picnic, Wombats and Joeys, 5:00 pm

MARCH
1 March Shrove Tuesday Pancake Races Day
Prep to Year 2 Parent Session – Learning to Read, 7:00 pm
2 March Athletics Carnival
11 March Year 6 Leadership Day, The Summit
15 to 18 March Year 6 Urban Camp
22 March District Athletics
23 March Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTI), 3:45 pm to 8:00 pm
24 March Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTI), 3:45 pm to 6:00 pm

APRIL
1 April Family Fun Night, 6:00 pm
8 April Easter Service
End of Term 1, dismissal 2:20 pm

* Please note that all events/excursions are dependent on COVID-19 restrictions.
* TBC – to be confirmed.

DOBSONS TRADING HOURS

Please note that some COVIDSafe procedures may still apply. We thank you for your cooperation.

Order online or click and collect: Please ensure that you only attend the store to collect your items once you have received notification that your order is ready, order here.

ENROLMENTS REMINDER

The Enrolments team would like to remind families who plan for their next child to commence at St Paul’s in 2022 that enrolment application forms should be submitted prior to the end of Term 1. As the School currently has waiting lists at a number of year levels, please submit an enrolment application at your earliest opportunity to ensure all children in your family have a place on the School’s Enrolment Register. Please note that a separate Enrolment Application is required for each child.

Online Enrolment Application is available via the following link to our website: https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/enrolment/enrolling-at-st-pauls/ or you can collect a hard copy Enrolment Pack from Junior School Reception.

Please contact our Enrolments Office on 5175 0133 if you have questions about enrolment at St Paul’s, or if you would like to arrange a tour of the ELC, Junior or Secondary School.

(Current families, please note that enrolment at St Paul’s is continuous from the point of entry until the end of Year 12, and your child’s place in the next year level is automatically allocated; you do not need to submit an enrolment application for your child to transition to the next stage of their schooling at St Paul’s).

FINANCE NEWS

• Annual Fee Account
Families have recently received via email an annual fee account for 2022. If you have any queries in relation to your annual fee account, please contact Mr Peter Lees on 5623 5833. As detailed on the second page of the account, payment options are:

Direct Debit
All families are encouraged to participate in the school’s direct debit payment arrangement.

We offer fortnightly instalments (22 payments) on Wednesdays or Fridays commencing 4 February and Monthly instalments (10 payments) commencing 15 February 2022.

Other direct debit payment dates are also available by arrangement.

Should families wish to commence payment by Direct Debit, please contact Mr Peter Lees, accountsreceivable@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au as soon as possible to set up an arrangement.

Please find the direct debit form on the School website at this link, https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/enrolment/school-fees/

Instalments (due dates)
Instalment 1 – 11 February 2022
Instalment 2 – 8 April 2022
Instalment 3 – 3 June 2022
Instalment 4 – 12 August 2022

Payment in Full
A discount of $320 per child, from Prep to Year 12, is offered to families if the annual invoice is paid in full by 18 February 2022.

• Private Car Conveyance Allowance
Families driving students more than 4.8 kilometres to attend St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School may be eligible to receive a conveyance allowance. For further information on the eligibility criteria and application process, please refer to, https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/conveyance-allowance/policy

Eligible families applying for the car conveyance allowance will have funds credited to their fee account during the year. If the fee account has been paid in full, or is on a direct debit arrangement, any allocation will show as a credit on the following years invoice.

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, https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately. The CSEF program for 2022 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 15 June 2022 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2021 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2022), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2021 to 2022 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

Grammarian Issue 1, 11 February 2022

Warragul Secondary School

From the Acting Head of Warragul Secondary School,
Mr Gordon Oldham.

Thank you to members of the community for the warm welcome to St Paul’s. It has been so exciting to be here as students return to classes and a range of co-curricular activities resume.

During our first assembly, on Tuesday 1 February, I told students that I love the way St Paul’s students are aspirational – they want to do well and they want to continuously improve, no matter what the chosen pathway. Some will pursue a tertiary destination, some will take on employment or a trade and all of them will do it as well as possible. I am proud when a past student helps as my own daughter’s dentist and I am equally pleased to see former students leading the way in the building industry. School life here is busy and exciting and it is wonderful to see students take on so many opportunities.

School Captains William Pendergast and Charlotte Shaw delivered the main speech on the first day of school and they declared a commitment for members of the school community to ‘be kind’. They spoke of a desire to enjoy the year, to move forward and leave the interrupted years behind and to look out for each other.

COVID-19
We appreciate the support of parents and students in our efforts to ensure that we can continue to attend school as planned. The RAT regime, in addition to keeping students home who have symptoms, has helped to ensure that our overall numbers are low. As noted in recent correspondence, we have had more positives in senior year levels and separate correspondence has been sent to students and families confirming the way they can be supported with their academic progress.

The school has consulted the Public Health Unit regarding our positive cases, alongside our regular communication with representatives from Independent Schools Victoria. A reminder that close contacts are expected to isolate for seven days. Education contacts do not need to isolate but should monitor for symptoms and maintain the twice-weekly RAT regime. Social contacts, those who have been near to a higher number of positive cases,for exmple a cluster – should undertake a RAT for five consecutive days. Students may still attend school if they do not have symptoms. Students with symptoms but a negative RAT should undertake a PCR.

Overall, we are very grateful for the efforts of families to keep the school informed. Students have done an excellent job of wearing masks at school and, without wanting to jinx current efforts, we have not had any staff absences.

INDUCTION OF LEADERS
We enjoyed the opportunity to meet formally with Years 7 to 12 students to formally induct the student leaders for 2022. Students who were absent will be inducted on Thursday 10 March – more than ever, we are ready to find ways to help students who are impacted by absences, particularly when isolation is taking place.

Members of the Academic Honours Society – Class of 2021 students who achieved an ATAR 95 or above – were also inducted and ATAR Dux Annabelle Rajasingham delivered a presentation to current students. Please enjoy a copy of Annabelle’s speech, below.

“It is a real honour to be able to speak to you all on behalf of the class of 2021, and I am very grateful for being given this opportunity.

I’d firstly like to congratulate the Class of 2021. As a cohort, there is a lot for us to celebrate – we were not only able to succeed academically, but accomplished so much more than that: We were hard-working and determined, but never lost our lively nature and sense of humour regardless of the many challenges we faced. We were also able to form friendships and shared memories we’ll never forget. I feel very blessed to have been part of such a talented, quite entertaining but also very caring cohort.

Most of you here today have just entered a new school year. Regardless of which year level you are in, there are probably mixed feelings of excitement and nerves. Whilst new classes, teachers and subjects may feel a bit overwhelming, I would like to encourage you to think about what you want to achieve this year, so that this time next year, you will be able to look back and be proud of all you accomplished in 2022, having no regrets. Make the most of each of the numerous opportunities St Paul’s has to offer, whether it be sport, debating, music, art, leadership positions… the list goes on. Time flies and before you know it, you will be graduating and have to say goodbye to your school journey. So, I can’t stress enough to never give up a chance to try something new, even if it seems a little daunting at first, as this will help you have a balanced and memorable school life.

Despite the worries you may have as you begin a new year, I believe there are two important qualities we can all adapt to help us all navigate the challenges we may face this year.

The first is about our perspective. We’ve all heard about having a ‘positive mindset’ probably far more times than we can count – but sometimes we mistakenly believe this means we have to be happy and cheery all the time. Being positive doesn’t necessarily have to mean you ignore challenges or feelings of sadness and disappointment. Instead, it’s more about being aware of when things don’t go the way you hoped for and allowing yourself to acknowledge this, but then thinking about if there’s anything that can help you move forward, rather than dwelling on a temporary difficulty.

In fact, setbacks are not a bad thing. It’s ok to not reach your goal or do worse in something than you expected, even if it feels like a failure at the time. It is often said that ‘failure is not the opposite of success, it is part of success”. If anything, you’ll learn something from experiences of failure, which will equip you for challenges you may face in the future.

As well as our perspective, I believe one of the most effective ways to stay resilient and not give up is through gratitude. I’ll be the first to admit that between endless sacs, ongoing lockdowns and the cancellation of events I was looking forward to in our last year of schooling, I found it very easy to find reasons to complain about how unfair it was. It’s natural to vent every now and then, but constant complaining only leads to us feeling unmotivated and drained. Rather than complaining though, what if we chose to be grateful instead?

Harvard Health recently conducted a study involving two groups of people to explore the effect of gratitude. One group wrote about what they were grateful for during the week, whilst the other group wrote about things that had irritated or frustrated them. After a ten-week period, it was no surprise that the group that had written about what they were grateful for, were more optimistic, they noticed their social relationships and productivity improve, and they experienced an overall boost in their health and wellbeing. It is clear that being grateful for what you have, even just small things like being able to see your friends each day at school, can make you feel better and help you accomplish more than you might have expected.

For me personally, I am grateful to God for the opportunities I had at St Paul’s – the friendships I was able to make, fun memories I can look back on such as during school musicals or at debating nights at Maccas, and also the experiences we were able to enjoy as a cohort throughout the years, whether it be city camp or the Gala Ball. I am also thankful for the welcoming community here at St Paul’s, especially for having encouraging teachers that genuinely cared about us and worked hard to support us. I hope that everyone here will also someday be able to look back at their time at St Paul’s, and recall the many memories and opportunities they are grateful to have experienced.

So, as you enter the new year, I’d like to encourage you all to shift your perspective when it gets tough and try to be grateful for even the simple things each day. I hope that these two traits will help you bounce back from hardships and stay motivated throughout 2022.

Thank you all for your time and I wish you all the best for this year.”

PASTORAL BLOCK
The Pastoral Block timetable includes a range of assemblies, Chapel and Mentor time as students at each year level listen to presentations or work on ideas associated with wellbeing. Some current focal points include the use of external provider Elevate Education in Year 11, the Year 10 students hearing about safe driving and the Year 12 students having the opportunity to ask questions of the Class of 2021 and hear the top tips for approaching their final year. It is great to see Year 9 preparing for a return to the City Experience, Year 7 getting to know each other and their Peer Support Leaders and preparing for camp and Year 8 working on time management and organisation.

Should you wish to learn more about the focus in the pastoral block, feel free to contact the relevant Head of Year.

SUTTON STREET
We have been advised that the roadworks taking place in Sutton Street may well continue until the end of term. Members of the community who regularly use this stretch will know of the delays but we appreciate the efforts of the council to complete a significant upgrade.

LATE BUS
Please note that the late bus towards the Latrobe Valley normally runs on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and departs at 5:10 pm.

However, as we currently begin Presentation Ball training sessions, the late bus will leave at 5:30 pm on Mondays and, from 22 February, 5:30 pm on Tuesdays.

HOUSE SWIMMING CARNIVAL
Separate correspondence was sent to parents noting that the House Swimming Carnival will now be optional. In a ‘normal’ year, it is a compulsory event and we love the spirit with which students approach the day, led by Year 12 students. However, families are welcome to keep students at home, given the current climate, and an absence will be accepted without any further impact. If you are going to allow your son/daughter at home, please ensure that you have completed an RSVP via Consent2Go or an absence SMS will be sent on the day.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Please refer to a recent email that was sent regarding the school photographs and the process for ordering photographs.

Gordon Oldham
Acting Head of Warragul Secondary School

Year 12 students took part in a Q and A with members of the Class of 2021. The recent graduates spoke to current Year 12 students about their approach to Year 12, encouraging them to find their study strengths, keep connecting with each other and to ensure that they found moments of joy throughout the year.