In this issue

From the Head of Warragul Secondary School,
Mrs Debbie Cameron.

Out of the blocks
What a way to start the school year! Such a lovely evening we had to welcome families back to St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School and settle in for the year ahead. Sausages were sizzling and drinks were cold, the warm conversation and sense of anticipation of a positive year ahead was wonderful. Many students and families loved the opportunity to catch up with other families while preparing individual student lockers with textbooks and stationery. Our staff eagerly greeted students with a welcoming barbeque while helping to settle those first-day nerves. I have been so warmly welcomed by staff, students and families and feel honoured to serve as the Head of Warragul Secondary School.

There has been a hype of activity around the school over the break and our new wellbeing space is well underway. I thank all the Maintenance and support staff for preparing this beautiful campus in readiness for the students.

Our fabulous new Year 7 cohort and Class of 2029 quickly settled into class routines and their first Secondary School Welcome Assembly where they were applauded in to take their seats. Our 2024 School Captains, Ruby Langham and Max O’Connor also made students and staff feel welcome and supported by a wonderful welcome address.

The first two days of school are always a whirlwind of activities and preparation as we revise and remember our school values of Wisdom, Integrity, Compassion and Respect. All our students have signed an Acceptable Use of ICT and Electronic Devices policy. Our Mentor Groups with the support of our Heads of Year have also started to revisit our Student Uniform Policy, Student Code of Conduct, Student Mobile Phone Policy, as well as our Racism Prevention and Intervention Policy. We are incredibly appreciative of all that our families do to support our values and policies to ensure that our community remains the safe, productive and inclusive learning environment for which we are well-known.

Years 3 to 12 Induction of Leaders Assembly
On Tuesday morning we held our first ever Years 3 to 12 Induction of Leaders Assembly. Secondary and Junior School students came together as a student body to celebrate as student leaders and were inducted into their roles of official responsibility. Our Principal Mr Cameron Herbert conducted the Leader’s Declaration with support from the school community and then presented each student with their official badge. Our School Captains Ruby Langham and Max O’Connor again spoke great words of encouragement and delivered a message “from little things big things grow”. Special thanks to Archdeacon Sue Jacka who conducted the Prayer of Blessing. I would like to congratulate the students appointed to their respective positions and commend them for their commitment to leading within our school.

L to R: Head of Warragul Secondary School Debbie Cameron with School Captains and Deputy School Captains, Lucinda Waller, Ruby Langham, Max O’Connor and Joshua Ralph, with Principal Cameron Herbert.

SRC Presidents, Keisha Fernando and Ananya Philips with Principal Cameron Herbert.

Junior School Captains, Luke Blackwood and Anneke Beamish.

Class of 2023 Presentations
Each year we invite the Dux of the previous year back to speak to our school community at this assembly. Our Dux Hamna Fahmi returned and was inducted into the Academic Honours’ Society alongside Shivi Maheshwari, Harrison Miller, Devmini Rankethkumbura, Quinn Carmichael and Lachlan Speairs. Hamna addressed Years 3 through to Year 12 students, visitors and staff. It was a wonderful speech and a wonderful message. As a school, we are immensely proud of the achievements of the Class of 2023 and wish them all the best with their future endeavours beyond St Paul’s.

Academic Honours’ Society: Quinn Carmichael, Hamna Fahmi, Shivi Maheshwari, Devmini Rankethkumbura and Lachlan Speairs. (Harrison Miller absent).

With Hamna’s permission, we have printed her speech below.

“Good morning fellow students, staff and esteemed guests. I hope all of you have had a wonderful break and are back energised to start the new academic year. It’s a privilege for me to be on this stage and address everyone present.

Six years ago, if you had told me I would be in this position, I would have dramatically fainted. Not because of my academic achievements but because I’m up on stage addressing the entire school, in front of hundreds of people. I’ve had a fear of public speaking since I was 11 years old. Standing in front of a huge crowd on a stage has always made me extremely nervous because of a negative experience I had in Year 6, when I was supposed to address the entire school. To say the least, I did not realise my mic wasn’t working until halfway through the speech. It was an extremely embarrassing (laugh), experience – despite my parents failed attempts to convince me otherwise. From that day onwards, I was determined that I was a terrible public speaker and that I would never be able to address a speech confidently again.

We may believe that intelligence, talent or success are fixed traits that we either have or don’t have. We may also believe that a person is born smart, average or not so bright and stays that way for life. However, we often make false boundaries that make us think our abilities are fixed and unchangeable. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. As you can see, each one of us possesses incredible potential waiting to be unleashed and I strongly believe that a growth mindset can greatly support us in reaching this amazing potential.

Well, what is a growth mindset? A growth mindset is when we believe that our abilities and intelligence can be developed over time, through dedication, effort and perseverance. Basically, it’s the belief that with the right mindset and strategies, you can learn anything, achieve anything and become anything, you set your mind to. It’s easy to talk about having a growth mindset when everything is going smoothly. But what about when we face difficulties or failures? How do we maintain that mindset then?

I believe, that’s when your growth mindset truly shines! Instead of getting discouraged, you embrace those challenges head on. Every time you stumble, every time you fail, your brain is hard at work, making new connections and pathways that make you smarter and more resilient than ever before.

Although it has taken me time, instead of avoiding this opportunity, and telling Mr Oldham that I’m too sick to address a speech, I use today as the day where I face my fears and fix my previous mistakes.  I know that this speech is not going to be perfect.  But what I do know is that my skills are growing and are getting better than they were the last time. That is the mindset we should try to have in life. Not to achieve perfection, but to achieve progress.

So, the next time you catch yourself saying “I can’t do this”, remember: the more you work through your frustrations, the more your brain learns and makes you smarter. Laugh at your embarrassing moments, learn from your mistakes and never ever stop believing in your ability to grow.

Thank you for listening.”
Hamna Mohamed Fahmi

Mobile Phone and Electronic Devices Policy
We have loved the support of our secondary school community in the management of electronic devices, especially mobile phones. For those families new to us this year, we have a detailed Mobile Phone and Electronic Devices policy, and all students are required to keep their phones on silent and locked in their lockers all day. Students are not permitted to check their phones throughout the day and most certainly not use them without permission. Should you or your child need to make contact throughout the school day you are more than welcome to do so through Reception/Student Services. The policy applies to all school events and activities including the House Swimming and Athletics Carnivals. Please remember that students who choose to bring mobile phones and other devices to school each day do so at their own risk.

ySafe The Online Safety Experts
We have again partnered with Australia’s leading cyber safety experts, ySafe by Linewise, to provide you with support in managing your children’s safety and time online.

As a part of our partnership with ySafe, we have received our very own Parent Cyber Safety Hub. This hub is a rich source of live information directly from ySafe’s multidisciplinary team of cyber safety experts. You can access our Cyber Safety Hub using the link below:
https://stpaulsags.onlinesafetyhub.com.au/

About the Parent Cyber Safety Hub
The hub includes expert advice on the most pertinent cyber safety issues and frequently asked questions about platforms like TikTok, Fortnite, Instagram, Snapchat and more. There are app reviews with age and safety recommendations, along with a range of guides and resources to help ensure healthy boundaries around screen time and gaming and step-by-step instructions for using parental controls and filtering out inappropriate content.

Free Device Monitoring Tool for Parents 
ySafe has partnered with the parental control experts, Family Zone, to provide our parents with added cyber safety support in the form of Family Zone Insights. Family Zone Insights is a monitoring app that sends parents an alert if their child accesses risky or inappropriate content online. For more information about Family Zone Insights and for instructions on how you can set up an Insights account, visit the Family Zone Insights page of our Cyber Safety Hub (under Cyber Safety Tech).

ySafe is extremely excited to be able to offer you this level of expertise and support in an area that we know has been very challenging for many parents to manage.

Unfortunately, pastoral concerns stemming from unsupervised mobile device use after hours, can from time to time, overflow into the school community and we encourage all families to visit the ySafe safety hub.

Closely monitoring your child’s use of electronic devices and the setting of parental controls certainly avoids difficult conversations should things get a little out of hand. There is no doubt that it is a collective team effort to guide our children to use technology with care and respect for themselves and others. As always, your kind support is hugely appreciated to keep everyone in our community safe.

SchoolTV – School Transitions
Whether it is starting school for the first time, moving up to a higher grade or embarking on a journey through secondary school, there is no doubt that any school transition is a very exciting time for children and parents. It means your children are growing up!

However, transitioning is an ongoing process. It can continue long after students have entered their new environment and may encounter difficulties at a number of different stages. These stressors may appear as anxiety and frustration and result in negative or disruptive behaviours. Such behaviours can become problematic making the transitioning process even more difficult for children and parents.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn practical strategies to assist their child during the transition process and reduce stress and anxiety levels.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help. Here is the link to the School Transitions edition of SchoolTV: https://stpaulsags.vic.schooltv.me/newsletter/school-transitions

Speed Limit Reminder
Please make sure that you are adhering to the speed restriction throughout the campus as well as in and around the ‘short stay zones’ at the front of the Secondary School. Thank you for your care of our students and staff in the carpark.

School Hours and Supervision
Our staff are at school preparing for the day from 8:30 am onwards and provide incidental supervision as they go about their planning for the day. Students dropped at school prior to 8:30 am may not have teacher supervision until after 8:30 am. The school day commences at 8:50 am with a warning bell and is followed by another bell at 8:55 am to indicate the official start to the school day.

MunchMonitor
Our school canteen provides a delicious array of enticing healthy food each day for our students and we would like to ensure that no one misses out on a delicious lunch. We welcome the use of MunchMonitor to pre-order food for children. Should your child wish to order on the day with a cash purchase, we advise that the completion of an order at recess will guarantee catering for lunchtime. Please note that students are not permitted to use their mobile phones to make payments at the canteen. I have attached below a link to our online portal with the instructions regarding the ordering process with MunchMonitor. Please visit our Warragul Secondary School page on MyStPauls https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/send.php?id=66060 for further details regarding how to order with MunchMonitor or visit www.munchmonitor.com.

Debbie Cameron
Head of Warragul Secondary School

WHAT’S ON

FEBRUARY
9 February  Years 7 and 8 Swim Trials, Moe Outdoor Pool, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
9 February to 10 February  SEISA Leadership Camp, Prefects
12 February  Presentation Ball Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium, 3:20 pm to 5:15 pm
14 February to 16 February  Year 7 Camp
Year 12 Yellingbo Fieldtrip, Yellingbo Nature Reserve, Environmental students, 9:00 am to 3:10 pm
15 February  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 2
18 February  Surf Trials, Phillip Island, 8:30 am to 11:00 am
19 February  Presentation Ball Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium, 3:20 pm to 5:15 pm
20 February  Year 11 Healesville Sanctuary Excursion, Environmental Science students, 9:00 am to 3:10 pm
21 February  House Swimming Carnival, Moe Outdoor Pool
22 February  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 3
26 February  Presentation Ball Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium, 3:20 pm to 5:15 pm
28 February  SEISA Swim Training, Warragul Leisure Centre, 7:00 am to 8:00 am
East Timor Tour Meeting, Warragul Secondary School Year 9 Centre (top floor), 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
29 February  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 4

ST PAUL’S PARENT PRAYER GROUP

“Where two or three people gather in my name, I am there with them.” Matthew 18:20

The St Paul’s parent prayer group meets on the first Monday of each month during school terms. We try to keep the meeting brief (we are usually done by 9:45 am) and casual (younger children are most welcome). The group encompasses people both very comfortable with praying, as well as those newer to praying with others. Feel free to get in touch with any questions beforehand or just attend when you are able during the year.

Our next gathering is on Monday 4 March, at 9:00 am in the Prideaux Centre, Warragul Junior School
Contact: Sheryn Cutler 0417 158 937 or sheryn.cutler@gmail.com

DOBSONS UNIFORM SHOP

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.

WELLBEING SUPPORT

Welcome to Term 1 of 2024! I hope that all our students had a restful break over the school holidays and that they are feeling excited for the year ahead.

It has been an exciting week for the counselling team at both campuses. Whilst the Traralgon team moved into their brand-new offices in the Futures Centre, the Warragul team arrived to find construction underway for the new Wellness Centre!

The St Paul’s counselling team consists of both psychologists and counsellors, with multiple practitioners available at each sub-school. Students at St Paul’s are able to access up to six free counselling sessions to support them through a wide range of issues. This can include stress, concentration difficulties, anxiety, low mood, school refusal, friendship difficulties, grief/loss, changing family circumstances and learning difficulties to name a few. If you think your child would benefit from school-based counselling support, speak to their Deputy Head of School (Junior School) or Head of Year (Secondary School).

If your child would prefer to speak to someone on the phone, Kids Help Line (1800 55 1800) is a fantastic service that we frequently recommend. Your child can request to speak to the same counsellor each time they call and can even access peer support through their ‘My Circle’ platform. Other useful helplines include Headspace (1800 650 890), Lifeline (13 11 14) and Griefline (1300 845 745). Students at Secondary School can also access the ‘Student Wellbeing Page’ on MyStPauls at https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/homepage/11780. We have recently consulted our students about how we can best provide them with information in a user-friendly way, and look forward to adapting this page over the course of the year to make it a relevant and accessible resource.

We are aware of some recent losses in the community which will no doubt have had an impact on some of our students and parents. Whilst some members of the community will reach out to us for support, we know that many will talk to their family, friends or one of the helplines mentioned above. If you are after advice on how best to support your child, the above helplines can assist with this, as can Parentline (13 22 89). The ‘Student Wellbeing Page for Parents’ on MyStPauls is also full of resources to help you support your child. This is frequently updated with information about current issues and local/online events that may be of interest. You can access this at https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/homepage/13368.

Shannon Staples
Head of Counselling Services

SCHOOL CROSSINGS

Baw Baw Shire is committed to providing a safe environment for all students commuting to and from school. To help achieve this we need the community’s help.

The Role of School Crossing Supervisors
Crossing Supervisors are there to assist children cross the road safely on their way to and from school. Children may not understand traffic laws or be aware of their surroundings, and small children may not be readily visible to drivers. In Baw Baw, we have over thirty-three school crossings where our supervisors attend to help kids cross the road safely.

Safety in School Zones
Due to an increase in traffic at drop off and pick up times, both traffic and parking issues can pose a risk to the safety of children. Educating kids and encouraging safe driving behaviour can help improve safety in the school zone.

Please make sure you are always looking out for Children around School Crossings,  never stop on a school crossing (within the red and white posts) and never drive through a School Crossing whilst there are pedestrians on it.

Parking Signs and What They Mean

No parking signs

If there is a ‘no parking’ sign, you can stop for two minutes in that area:
· if you are picking up or dropping off passengers or goods
· you stay within three metres of your vehicle.

If you stop in, or partly in, an area showing a no parking sign and you are not picking up or dropping off passengers or goods, you are considered to be parked and can be fined. This is the case even if you stay with your vehicle.

No stopping signs

If there is a ‘no stopping’ sign, you are not allowed to stop or park your car in, or partly in, that area for any reason, including dropping off or picking up passengers

Bus Zone

A driver must not stop at a bus stop, or within twenty metres before the bus stop sign and within ten metres after the sign.

Baw Baw Shire actively monitors school crossings to ensure the safety of pedestrians and students attending schools.

TINY IMPROVEMENTS, HUGE RESULTS

Did you know that making small improvements consistently every day can lead to significant results?
Until 2003, Great Britain had experienced nearly a century of mediocrity in cycling. From 1908, British cyclists had secured only one gold medal at the Olympic Games, and in one hundred and ten years, no British cyclist had ever won the Tour de France. The performance of British riders had been so poor that a top European bike manufacturer had refused to sell bikes to the team due to concerns about the potential negative impact on sales if other professionals witnessed them using their equipment.

When Dave Brailsford began working with the team, he introduced various enhancements, such as improving the athletes’ sleeping pillows, optimising their nutrition, ensuring they had the best possible massage gels and employing a surgeon to assist with hand washing to reduce the risk of illness. These small improvements resulted in the team winning one hundred and seventy-eight world championships, sixty-six Olympic or Paralympic gold medals, and securing five Tour de France victories.

Mr Deen addressing the Year 9 cohort.

In the accompanying image, Mr Deen is seen presenting a condensed version of this message to Year 9 students, emphasising the key message that they have fifty minutes in each lesson, which amounts to 3,000 seconds of learning. A one per cent improvement in each lesson is just thirty seconds better, adding up to three minutes each day across six classes. With approximately two hundred and fifty school days in a year, being thirty seconds better in each class for two hundred and fifty days would make one twenty-two times better than they are today. Small, consistent improvements over time lead to significant results!

Jack Deen
Head of Year 9

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Annual Fee Account
Families have recently received via email an annual fee account for 2024. If you have any queries in relation to your annual fee account, please contact Ms Nicole Giddings 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 (twenty-two payments) commencing 9 February 2024 and monthly instalments (ten payments) commencing 15 February 2024.

Other direct debit payment dates are also available by arrangement.

Should families wish to commence payment by Direct Debit, please contact Ms Nicole Giddings, 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://www.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Direct-Debit-Request-Form-2023.pdf

Instalments (due dates):
Instalment 1 – 9 February 2024
Instalment 2 – 5 April 2024
Instalment 3 – 3 June 2024
Instalment 4 – 9 August 2024

Payment in Full:
A discount of $350 per child, from Prep to Year 12, is offered to families if the annual invoice is paid in full by 16 February 2024.

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 year’s 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://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/resources

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately. The CSEF program for 2024 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 24 June 2024 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2023 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2024), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2023 to 2024 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

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

Welcome to 2024
Welcome to the first edition of the Grammarian for 2024. It has been wonderful to see our students settling into the new school year so well. It has been a wonderful start to the new school year.

I hope that you all take the time to read the Grammarian each fortnight and visit MyStPauls to see what your child/ren has been up to via our Year Level Parent Information pages. MyStPauls also contains a lot 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 (5622 6148) and they will issue you with a new one. Hopefully, new families have received login details by now, if not, please let us know.

Parent Welcome and Information Evenings
My thanks to the families who were able to attend Years 3 to 6 Parent Welcome and Information Evening on Monday. Our Welcome and Parent Information evening for Prep to Year 2 families will be held on Monday 12 February commencing at 7:00 pm in the Warragul Junior School Gymnasium. Please note that the session in the gym will be identical to the one held during the Years 3 to 6 evening, so you will only need to attend one of these. Classroom sessions will commence around 7:30 pm.

For families who are unable to make it, all Year Level Information Booklets will be uploaded on Year Level Parent Information pages on MyStPauls.

Year 6 Leadership Day
On Wednesday, our Year 6 students participated in a Leadership Day with WELS School (Wellbeing. Entrepreneurship. Leadership. Sustainability) – Inspiring Global Citizens and Leaders. Founder and Director, Ben Righetti, spent the day with our students and staff looking at the Personalised and Situational Leadership Model and the three layers or forms of leadership: Leadership of Self, Leadership with Others and Leadership as Service. The students will continue to work on a leadership project throughout the year as they further develop their understanding of what leadership is. The students and staff also enjoyed a barbeque lunch together. We were extremely impressed with the way our Year 6 students participated in the day and have already embraced their leadership opportunities.

Drop-off and Pick-up
The drop-off and pick-up lane seems to be working well with traffic flowing nicely at pick-up time at the end of the day. Hopefully this will continue once our ELC groups begin their full days in the coming weeks. Just a reminder that everyone should use the pathways and cross the road at the zebra crossings when entering or leaving the ELC or Junior School to ensure we all stay safe. A reminder to be extra careful when reversing out of carparks.

Orientation Sessions – ‘Setting Up the Year’ – ‘Building a Cohesive Classroom’
Building a sense of belonging and a cohesive classroom has been a focus during the first few weeks of school. Allowing students to connect with each other has been important after the disruptions of the past few years. Students have participated in a variety of ‘Orientation Sessions’. The aim of the program is for all students to hear the same message and to focus on different aspects of school life at St Paul’s. These sessions included the following;
· School Values (Wisdom, Integrity, Compassion and Respect) – explanation of our School values and how they underpin all that we do at St Paul’s. Everyone has the right to feel safe, happy and respected at St Paul’s.
· Social Skills, Courtesy, Class Agreements – appropriate ways of joining in, including others, holding doors open, saying hello etc, discuss bullying – ‘Tell a teacher’, Out of Bounds Areas. Develop some class agreements/norms together to put up around the classroom.
· Diary – summary of the Junior School Diary (including Code of Conduct, Homework, filling in notes, reminders, events to name a few).
· Uniform – outline expectations with regard to uniform, hair (a reminder that hair must be tied back if it is below shoulder length, and it is inappropriate for any student to have a colour other than a natural hair colour and hairstyles should not be extreme in length or cut), jewellery, blazers, correct socks, Years 3 to 6 not to wear blue jumper as outer garment to and/or from school.
· Sustainability – discuss compost, different bins, paper recycling, do not waste water and the like.
· Cyber Safety – Orientation into the appropriate use of computers/iPads. Mobile phones are NOT to be used at school. ICT agreements need to be completed by students and parents/carers.
· Team Building – Getting to know each other and creating a fun, safe and stimulating learning environment will be the key. This will also include establishing classroom routines and creating student engagement norms that allow success for every student, no matter their starting point.

ELC Transition Program
It has also been wonderful to see our Pre-Prep and Pre-Kinder students continuing their transition sessions as they work towards attending full sessions in the coming weeks.

Before and After School and Vacation Care
Club House Boot Camp run our Before and After School and Vacation Care programs in our Junior School. Please visit their website https://www.clubhousebootcamp.com.au/ to register and find out more about this service. A reminder that sessions are held in the Warragul Junior School Gymnasium.

Consent2Go
All Junior School families have been sent an email from Consent2Go with a request to update any contact details and health information. Could I please ask that families also check and update permissions if required. Please note that information regarding our upcoming Years 4 and 5 camps will be sent via Consent2Go in the coming weeks.

ELC and Junior School Family Barbeque
All ELC and Junior School families are invited to join us for an informal gathering on Friday 23 February from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on the Junior School Oval. Our Prep Grand Prix and 100 metre Gift will be held and the Year 12 Prefects and Year 9 Community Ambassadors will be running some activities for the children. Families are welcome to bring their own picnic or we will be cooking a sausage sizzle and our Junior School SRC will be selling cold drinks. It is a great opportunity to meet staff or play some friendly games with your children on the multi-purpose courts or oval. Families are welcome to come and go as they please. We also see this as a wonderful opportunity for families to visit us in a relaxed and informal setting, catch up with each other and for new families to make some new connections.

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

WHAT’S ON

FEBRUARY
12 February  Prep to Year 2 Welcome and Information Evening, 7:00 pm
14 February  No Preps
16 February  District Swimming (selected students)
21 February  No Preps
23 February  Family Welcome Barbeque, 5:00 pm
28 February  No Preps
Parent Teacher Interviews, Day 1
29 February  Parent Teacher Interviews, Day 2

MARCH
1 March  Years 3 to 6 House Athletics Carnival
4 March  Parent Prayer Group
11 March  Labour Day Holiday
12 and 13 March  Year 4 Camp
12 to 19 March  NAPLAN
14 March  Regional Swimming (selected students)
18 March  District Athletics
20 to 22 March  Year 5 Camp
22 March  Prep Excursion to Farm World
28 March  End of Term 1, 2:20 pm finish

ST PAUL’S PARENT PRAYER GROUP

“Where two or three people gather in my name, I am there with them.” Matthew 18:20

The St Paul’s parent prayer group meets on the first Monday of each month during school terms. We try to keep the meeting brief (we are usually done by 9:45 am) and casual (younger children are most welcome). The group encompasses people both very comfortable with praying, as well as those newer to praying with others. Feel free to get in touch with any questions beforehand or just attend when you are able during the year.

Our next gathering is on Monday 4 March, at 9:00 am in the Prideaux Centre, Warragul Junior School
Contact: Sheryn Cutler 0417 158 937 or sheryn.cutler@gmail.com

DOBSONS UNIFORM SHOP

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.

WELLBEING SUPPORT

Welcome to Term 1 of 2024! I hope that all our students had a restful break over the school holidays and that they are feeling excited for the year ahead.

It has been an exciting week for the counselling team at both campuses. Whilst the Traralgon team moved into their brand-new offices in the Futures Centre, the Warragul team arrived to find construction underway for the new Wellness Centre!

The St Paul’s counselling team consists of both psychologists and counsellors, with multiple practitioners available at each sub-school. Students at St Paul’s are able to access up to six free counselling sessions to support them through a wide range of issues. This can include stress, concentration difficulties, anxiety, low mood, school refusal, friendship difficulties, grief/loss, changing family circumstances and learning difficulties to name a few. If you think your child would benefit from school-based counselling support, speak to their Deputy Head of School (Junior School) or Head of Year (Secondary School).

If your child would prefer to speak to someone on the phone, Kids Help Line (1800 55 1800) is a fantastic service that we frequently recommend. Your child can request to speak to the same counsellor each time they call and can even access peer support through their ‘My Circle’ platform. Other useful helplines include Headspace (1800 650 890), Lifeline (13 11 14) and Griefline (1300 845 745). Students at Secondary School can also access the ‘Student Wellbeing Page’ on MyStPauls at https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/homepage/11780. We have recently consulted our students about how we can best provide them with information in a user-friendly way, and look forward to adapting this page over the course of the year to make it a relevant and accessible resource.

We are aware of some recent losses in the community which will no doubt have had an impact on some of our students and parents. Whilst some members of the community will reach out to us for support, we know that many will talk to their family, friends or one of the helplines mentioned above. If you are after advice on how best to support your child, the above helplines can assist with this, as can Parentline (13 22 89). The ‘Student Wellbeing Page for Parents’ on MyStPauls is also full of resources to help you support your child. This is frequently updated with information about current issues and local/online events that may be of interest. You can access this at https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/homepage/13368.

Shannon Staples
Head of Counselling Services

SCHOOL CROSSINGS

Baw Baw Shire is committed to providing a safe environment for all students commuting to and from school. To help achieve this we need the community’s help.

The Role of School Crossing Supervisors
Crossing Supervisors are there to assist children cross the road safely on their way to and from school. Children may not understand traffic laws or be aware of their surroundings, and small children may not be readily visible to drivers. In Baw Baw, we have over thirty-three school crossings where our supervisors attend to help kids cross the road safely.

Safety in School Zones
Due to an increase in traffic at drop off and pick up times, both traffic and parking issues can pose a risk to the safety of children. Educating kids and encouraging safe driving behaviour can help improve safety in the school zone.

Please make sure you are always looking out for Children around School Crossings, never stop on a school crossing (within the red and white posts) and never drive through a School Crossing whilst there are pedestrians on it.

Parking Signs and What They Mean

No parking signs

If there is a ‘no parking’ sign, you can stop for two minutes in that area:
· if you are picking up or dropping off passengers or goods
· you stay within three metres of your vehicle.

If you stop in, or partly in, an area showing a no parking sign and you are not picking up or dropping off passengers or goods, you are considered to be parked and can be fined. This is the case even if you stay with your vehicle.

No stopping signs

If there is a ‘no stopping’ sign, you are not allowed to stop or park your car in, or partly in, that area for any reason, including dropping off or picking up passengers

Bus Zone

A driver must not stop at a bus stop, or within twenty metres before the bus stop sign and within ten metres after the sign.

Baw Baw Shire actively monitors school crossings to ensure the safety of pedestrians and students attending schools.

CLASS CODES FOR MUNCHMONITOR

Year PW1        Kate Daniel
Year PW2        Katherine McKerrow
Year PW3        Leanne Spencer
Year 1W1        Cristina Bramstedt
Year 1W2        Mary Hill
Year 1W3        Lindsay Tweedie
Year 2W1        Rebecca Handley
Year 2W2        Laura Hughes
Year 2W3        Ashlee Nicholas
Year 3W1        Emily Laughlin/Jacaline Begg
Year 3W2        Isabella Jettner
Year 3W2        Kim Steendam
Year 4W1        Irene Faumuina
Year 4W2        Lea Naismith
Year 5W1        Gretta Denton
Year 5W2        Janice Diston/Cynthia Graham
Year 5W3        Tina McCormack
Year 6W1        Emily Murphy/Phil Barkla
Year 6W2        Kassie Olivier
Year 6W3        Jasmin Prestidge

*These can also be found on Page 8 of the Student Diary

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Annual Fee Account
Families have recently received via email an annual fee account for 2024. If you have any queries in relation to your annual fee account, please contact Ms Nicole Giddings 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 (twenty-two payments) commencing 9 February 2024 and monthly instalments (ten payments) commencing 15 February 2024.

Other direct debit payment dates are also available by arrangement.

Should families wish to commence payment by Direct Debit, please contact Ms Nicole Giddings, 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://www.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Direct-Debit-Request-Form-2023.pdf

Instalments (due dates):
Instalment 1 – 9 February 2024
Instalment 2 – 5 April 2024
Instalment 3 – 3 June 2024
Instalment 4 – 9 August 2024

Payment in Full:
A discount of $350 per child, from Prep to Year 12, is offered to families if the annual invoice is paid in full by 16 February 2024.

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 year’s 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://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/resources

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately. The CSEF program for 2024 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 24 June 2024 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2023 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2024), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2023 to 2024 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

CLUB HOUSE BOOT CAMP

From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School,
Mrs Leonie Clark

The future is now
I warmly welcome our new and returning families to our expanding Traralgon Secondary School community at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School. There has certainly been a delightful sense of excitement and energy as our staff returned to explore the brand-new Futures Centre, closely followed by our thrilled students; many of whom have been curiously monitoring the construction and build for the last eighteen months. Our fabulous new Year 7 cohort and class of 2029 were the very first students to enjoy the acoustic and architecturally designed auditorium for their very first Year Level Assembly, while our brilliant and very ‘grown up’ Year 10 students quickly settled into the professional learning areas on the upper level for their academic learning.

The first two days of school are always a whirlwind of activities and preparation as we revise and remember our school values of Wisdom, Integrity, Compassion and Respect. All our students have signed an Acceptable Use of ICT and Electronic Devices policy. Our Mentors Groups with the support of our Heads of Year have also started to revisit our Student Uniform Policy, Student Code of Conduct, Student Mobile Phone Policy, as well as our Racism Prevention and Intervention Policy. We are incredibly appreciative of all that our families do to support our values and policies to ensure that our community remains the safe, productive and inclusive learning environment for which we are well-known.

Year 7 Welcome and Twilight Evening
Our Year 7 students and families made the most of the gorgeous evening as well as the opportunity to visit the secondary school prior to the very first school day. Many students and families loved the opportunity to catch up with other families while preparing individual student lockers with textbooks and stationery. Our staff eagerly greeted students with a welcoming barbeque while helping to settle those first-day nerves. This is the second year that we have hosted this event and there is no doubt that the Year 7 Welcome and Twilight Evening for our Year 7 families has rapidly become a much-loved and successful addition to our already comprehensive Year 7 Transition Program.

Year 7 Mentors 2024
Please reach out to us if you have any concerns throughout the year, as we are keen to build a united team and work with our families for the social, emotional and academic benefit of each child in our care. I have included below the names and email contacts of key Year 7 staff for your information.
7A Mentor, Ms Kirsten Enders  kenders@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au
7B Mentor, Ms Deborah Gatti djgatti@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au
7C Mentor, Mr Scott Stuckey  sstuckey@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au
7D Mentor, Ms Kara Kimberley  KKimberley@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au
Head of Years 7 and 8, Mr Andrew McGrath  anmcgrath@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

Whole Campus Welcome and Leader Induction Assembly
Friday morning saw our student body attend a campus Welcome and Leader Induction Assembly. We celebrated and welcomed our biggest Year 7 cohort to our Traralgon community as they in turn, assisted our tiny Prep students to their seats. It was an assembly filled with hope for the new academic year as we inducted our school leaders to their roles of official responsibility. Our Principal, Mr Cameron Herbert, presented each student with their official badge while our students heard inspirational words of encouragement from our School Captains, including our Year 10 Traralgon Secondary School Captains, Mitchell Rong and Amelia Wells, in their very first official address.

2024 Student Leadership Team
Congratulations to all of our Traralgon Secondary School 2024 student leaders. We wish them well as they embark on their leadership journey with us this year and we look forward to inducting our Year 7 Student Representative Council (SRC) appointments after the Year 7 Peer Support Leader Camp.

Traralgon Secondary School Captain Mitchell Rong.

Traralgon Secondary School Captain Amelia Wells.

Deputy House Captains
Chisholm House: Adam Guo
Franklin House: Claudia Buhagiar
Gilmore House: Thang-Guw Chanthit
Lalor House: Will Szkwarek
Monash House: Declan Paku
Paterson House: Max May

2024 Peer Support Leaders
Alannah Deacon
Alice den Houting
Amelia Wells
Claudia Buhagiar
Jett Koppen
Kenna Downes
Kydan Makepeace
Liana Reid
Max May
Mitchell Rong
Sahanna Harikrishna
Sienna Carruthers

2024 Community Ambassadors
Tharuja Vidanapathirana
Layla Graham
Hayley Collins
Madeleine Minniti
Sienna Hill

2024 Co-Curricular Captains
Catering Captain: Kydan Makepeace
Chess Captain: Angad Brar
Debating and Public Speaking Captain: Vidhau Rajadurai
Gardening Captain: Agatha Bantigue
Library Captain: Layla Graham
Performing Arts Captain: Sahanna Harikrishna
Photography Captain:
Team Timor Captain: Chloe Ellen
Backstage Crew Captain: Max May
Rowing Captain: Liam Smith

2024 SRC Student Representative Council
Isabella Slocombe
Thomas Pendergast
Harry Wight
Layla Graham
Tharuja Vidanapathirana
Rebecca Mbereko
Angad Brar

Mobile Phone and Electronic Devices Policy
We have loved the support of our secondary school community in the management of electronic devices, especially mobile phones. For those families new to us this year, we have a detailed Mobile Phone and Electronic Devices policy, and all students are required to keep their phones on silent and locked in their lockers all day. Students are not permitted to check their phones throughout the day and most certainly not use them without permission. Should you or your child need to make contact throughout the school day you are more than welcome to do so through Reception/Student Services. The policy applies to all school events and activities including the House Swimming and Athletics Carnivals. Please remember that students who choose to bring mobile phones and other devices to school each day do so at their own risk.

ySafe The Online Safety Experts
We have again partnered with Australia’s leading cyber safety experts, ySafe by Linewise, to provide you with support in managing your children’s safety and time online.

As a part of our partnership with ySafe, we have received our very own Parent Cyber Safety Hub. This hub is a rich source of live information directly from ySafe’s multidisciplinary team of cyber safety experts. You can access our Cyber Safety Hub using the link below:
https://stpaulsags.onlinesafetyhub.com.au/

About the Parent Cyber Safety Hub
The hub includes expert advice on the most pertinent cyber safety issues and frequently asked questions about platforms like TikTok, Fortnite, Instagram, Snapchat and more. There are app reviews with age and safety recommendations, along with a range of guides and resources to help ensure healthy boundaries around screen time and gaming and step-by-step instructions for using parental controls and filtering out inappropriate content.

Free Device Monitoring Tool for Parents 
ySafe has partnered with the parental control experts, Family Zone, to provide our parents with added cyber safety support in the form of Family Zone Insights. Family Zone Insights is a monitoring app that sends parents an alert if their child accesses risky or inappropriate content online. For more information about Family Zone Insights and for instructions on how you can set up an Insights account, visit the Family Zone Insights page of our Cyber Safety Hub (under Cyber Safety Tech).

ySafe is extremely excited to be able to offer you this level of expertise and support in an area that we know has been very challenging for many parents to manage.

Unfortunately, pastoral concerns stemming from unsupervised mobile device use after hours, can from time to time, overflow into the school community and we encourage all families to visit the ySafe safety hub.

Closely monitoring your child’s use of electronic devices and the setting of parental controls certainly avoids difficult conversations should things get a little out of hand. There is no doubt that it is a collective team effort to guide our children to use technology with care and respect for themselves and others. As always, your kind support is hugely appreciated to keep everyone in our community safe.

SchoolTV – School Transitions
Whether it is starting school for the first time, moving up to a higher grade or embarking on a journey through secondary school, there is no doubt that any school transition is a very exciting time for children and parents. It means your children are growing up!

However, transitioning is an ongoing process. It can continue long after students have entered their new environment and may encounter difficulties at a number of different stages. These stressors may appear as anxiety and frustration and result in negative or disruptive behaviours. Such behaviours can become problematic making the transitioning process even more difficult for children and parents.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn practical strategies to assist their child during the transition process and reduce stress and anxiety levels.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help. Here is the link to the School Transitions edition of SchoolTV: https://stpaulsags.vic.schooltv.me/newsletter/school-transitions

Speed Limit Reminder
Please take care to ensure that you are adhering to the speed restriction throughout the campus as well as in and around the ‘short stay zones’ at the front of the Secondary School. There is a pedestrian crossing at the bottom of the rose garden and we are very keen to keep all of our precious students and staff safe at all times. Please note that there are often children darting in and around vehicles at peak periods, as many families have children at both the Junior School and the Secondary School. Thank you for your care of our students and staff in the carpark.

School Hours and Supervision
Our staff are at school preparing for the day from 8:30 am onwards and provide incidental supervision as they go about their planning for the day. Students dropped at school prior to 8:30 am may not have teacher supervision until after 8:30 am. The school day commences at 8:50 am with a warning bell and is followed by another bell at 8:55 am to indicate the official start to the school day.

MunchMonitor and ordering from ‘Cafeteria Arena’ Traralgon Campus
Our new cafeteria in the Futures Centre provides a delicious array of enticing healthy food each day for our students and we would like to ensure that no one misses out on a delicious lunch. We welcome the use of MunchMonitor to pre-order food for children. Should your child wish to order on the day with a cash purchase, we advise that the completion of an order at recess will guarantee catering for lunchtime. Please note that students are not permitted to use their mobile phones to make payments at the cafeteria. I have attached below a link to our online portal with the instructions regarding the ordering process with MunchMonitor. Please visit our Traralgon Secondary School page on MyStPauls https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/send.php?id=87921 for further details regarding how to order with MunchMonitor or visit www.munchmonitor.com.

Leonie Clark
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

WHAT’S ON

FEBRUARY
9 February  Years 7 and 8 Swim Trials
12 to 14 February  Year 7 Peer Support Camp
15 February  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 2
21 February  House Swimming Carnival
22 February  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 3
27 February   Dr Justin Coulson Live Webinar: “Breaking Point: Unpacking the Crisis in Youth Mental Health”, 8:00 pm
Register now: https://happyfamiliesfamilyeducation.ac-page.com/StPaulsAnglicanGrammarSchool
29 February  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 4

MARCH
1 March  Year 8 Author Visit
4 March  House Athletics Carnival
5 March  Years 7 and 10 Immunisations
Year 7 2025 Information Evening, 7:00 pm, tours at 6:00 pm
7 March  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 5
18 March  NAPLAN Conventions of Writing
Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs) – Face-to-Face
19 March  NAPLAN Numeracy
21 March  SEISA Swimming, Badminton and Table Tennis
Harmony Day
27 March  Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs) – Zoom
28 March  Easter Service
FOSP Easter Egg Hunt
End Of Term 1,  2:10 pm Finish

DOBSONS TRADING HOURS

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.

DR JUSTIN COULSON WEBINAR

Further to recent communication, we invite all parents and guardians to register for the Dr Justin Coulson webinar, “Breaking Point: Unpacking the Crisis in Youth Mental Health.” Dr Coulson is a prominent psychologist whose website www.happyfamilies.com.au provides advice and resources for families. Dr Coulson features regularly on radio and television in Australia and is also a podcast host and writes for a range of national publications.

Further information about the session and Dr Coulson can be found here: Breaking Point | ANSWERS with Dr Justin Coulson (ac-page.com)

We strongly recommend that parents register for the webinar, giving them access to the recording for fourteen days after the live session.

(Please note that the time of the webinar is 8:00 pm in Victoria.)

Date: Tuesday 27 February
Time: 8:00 pm (AEDT)
Register here: https://happyfamiliesfamilyeducation.ac-page.com/StPaulsAnglicanGrammarSchool

COVID REMINDERS

As a community, we are very mindful of the impact that COVID can have on the health of our most vulnerable and we ask that all community members continue to support us by:
• Keeping students at home if they have any symptoms, irrespective of a COVID test result
• Keeping students home from school for at least five days and until symptoms have dissipated after they have tested positive
• Wearing a mask (recommended) if a household contact has COVID

Masks are readily available at school (student services, reception and year level areas).

Please note that rapid antigen tests (RATs) are available to all Victorians from council sites. People can get two free packs (ten tests) for themselves and two free packs (ten tests) for each of their household members.

Gordon Oldham
Deputy Principal

2024 STUDENT RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS AND OTHER INFORMATION COLLECTION NOTICE FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS

The Australian Government Department of Education (the department) has requested non-government schools provide the Department with all student statement of addresses in accordance with the Australian Education Regulation 2023.

The school is required to provide the department with the following information about each student at the school:
• names and residential addresses of the student’s parent(s) and/or guardian(s)
• student residential address (excluding student names)
• whether the student is a primary or secondary student (education level)
• whether the student is boarding or a day student (boarding status).

The information collected is used to inform school funding calculations. It is combined with Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data to calculate a non-government school community’s anticipated capacity to contribute to schooling costs.

Please click on the link below to access information regarding this matter from the Australian Government.
https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/send.php?id=127831

WELLBEING SUPPORT

Welcome to Term 1 of 2024! I hope that all our students had a restful break over the school holidays and that they are feeling excited for the year ahead.

It has been an exciting week for the counselling team at both campuses. Whilst the Traralgon team moved into their brand-new offices in the Futures Centre, the Warragul team arrived to find construction underway for the new Wellness Centre!

The St Paul’s counselling team consists of both psychologists and counsellors, with multiple practitioners available at each sub-school. Students at St Paul’s are able to access up to six free counselling sessions to support them through a wide range of issues. This can include stress, concentration difficulties, anxiety, low mood, school refusal, friendship difficulties, grief/loss, changing family circumstances and learning difficulties to name a few. If you think your child would benefit from school-based counselling support, speak to their Deputy Head of School (Junior School) or Head of Year (Secondary School).

If your child would prefer to speak to someone on the phone, Kids Help Line (1800 55 1800) is a fantastic service that we frequently recommend. Your child can request to speak to the same counsellor each time they call and can even access peer support through their ‘My Circle’ platform. Other useful helplines include Headspace (1800 650 890), Lifeline (13 11 14) and Griefline (1300 845 745). Students at Secondary School can also access the ‘Student Wellbeing Page’ on MyStPauls at https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/homepage/11780. We have recently consulted our students about how we can best provide them with information in user-friendly way, and look forward to adapting this page over the course of the year to make it a relevant and accessible resource.

We are aware of some recent losses in the community which will no doubt have had an impact on some of our students and parents. Whilst some members of the community will reach out to us for support, we know that many will talk to their family, friends or one of the helplines mentioned above. If you are after advice on how best to support your child, the above helplines can assist with this, as can Parentline (13 22 89). The ‘Student Wellbeing Page for Parents’ on MyStPauls is also full of resources to help you support your child. This is frequently updated with information about current issues and local/online events that may be of interest. You can access this at https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/homepage/13368.

Shannon Staples
Head of Counselling Services

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Annual Fee Account
Families have recently received via email an annual fee account for 2024. If you have any queries in relation to your annual fee account, please contact Ms Nicole Giddings 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 (twenty-two payments) commencing 9 February 2024 and monthly instalments (ten payments) commencing 15 February 2024.

Other direct debit payment dates are also available by arrangement.

Should families wish to commence payment by Direct Debit, please contact Ms Nicole Giddings, 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://www.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Direct-Debit-Request-Form-2023.pdf

Instalments (due dates):
Instalment 1 – 9 February 2024
Instalment 2 – 5 April 2024
Instalment 3 – 3 June 2024
Instalment 4 – 9 August 2024

Payment in Full:
A discount of $350 per child, from Prep to Year 12, is offered to families if the annual invoice is paid in full by 16 February 2024.

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 year’s 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://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/resources

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately. The CSEF program for 2024 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 24 June 2024 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2023 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2024), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2023 to 2024 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

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

As the school doors swung open for the new academic year, an air of excitement and anticipation filled our Junior School. The energy was palpable, and it was evident that the students were not just ready to learn but eager to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. The school year kick-off has been nothing short of joyous, with happy and engaged students setting the tone for a promising year of growth and success.

Classrooms have been abuzz with activity as teachers and students have engaged in Term 1 ‘Learning to Learn’ lessons. The first few weeks of term involve students participating in a variety of lessons designed to build their understanding of their brain, how to care for it and how learning happens. Alongside these activities, teachers have been working with students to set expectations and routines and to build positive relationships within the year level. The commitment of our teachers to create stimulating learning environments has undoubtedly contributed to students’ high levels of engagement.

A highlight for Years 5 and 6 students 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.

A strong sense of community is being fostered right from the start of the year, emphasising the importance of exclusivity and collaboration. Various team-building activities, icebreaker sessions, and collaborative projects help students forge new connections and strengthen existing bonds. The school’s commitment to fostering a supportive community plays a pivotal role in cultivating a positive and inclusive atmosphere.

At St Paul’s we believe in fostering strong connections, providing support, and creating a sense of belonging for every student and family. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where every family is valued and respected. At the heart of our community, we value the power of social connections. Building positive relationships creates a vibrant and supportive environment for everyone.  We understand that challenges may arise and we are committed to being there for each other and resolving issues with respect and kindness. This happens when there is respect and open communication.

Our school’s success in creating a positive and engaging environment is further reinforced by strong parental involvement. The partnership between teachers and parents is instrumental in creating a supportive network that nurtures the overall wellbeing of our students. All families are encouraged to participate in our special events and initiatives, to share their ideas and to contribute to the unique tapestry of experiences that make our community special. Feeling a sense of belonging is fundamental to a thriving community. Parents are warmly invited and encouraged to attend our Term 1 events.

On Friday 16 February we will gather as a community to celebrate the beginning of the year with our Family Fun and Information Evening. This evening involves information sessions with our Leadership team, information sessions in classrooms with teachers, a Grand Prix Car Racing event for our Prep students and activities in the Junior School grounds for children and families to enjoy together. This evening will be an opportunity to hear about our Junior School, meet our teachers and receive information about classroom learning programs. With many new families joining our school community, it is also an opportunity to connect and welcome each other to the start of the school year. We hope to see everyone on this evening and encourage you to lock this date into your calendar so you do not miss out. Families can bring their own picnic dinner or enjoy the barbeque sausage sizzle which will be available from our wonderful FOSP parents or a milkshake from Gippsland Jersey.

Our 2024 school leaders were presented to our Principal, Mr Herbert and our school community at the Leaders Induction Assembly last week. Together with the Traralgon Secondary School we acknowledged and celebrated the important role students will have throughout the year, taking responsibility for areas of our Junior School. All students in our Year 6 cohort take on leadership responsibilities and we are confident that they 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.

We also welcomed our youngest students with the Crossing of the Prep Hats ceremony. Our Prep students were escorted into the assembly and seated by Year 7 students which was really lovely and symbolic. Prep students were fabulous at following instructions and showed resilience and courage standing on stage to have their hats crossed.

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 very youngest children have been excited and keen to enjoy activities and play opportunities. The new Early Learning Centre room is open and a beautiful addition to our three and four year old learning programs.

Students also enjoyed a special incursion visit from Kaboom Percussion. Laura and Aiden entertained the Junior School with an exciting performance using a range of instruments and percussion rhythms. Students were captivated, surprised and highly engaged in the performance. The message from Kaboom Percussion was “You can make music anywhere with anything”. Click here to see some videos of Kaboom Percussion https://www.kaboompercussion.com/videos and to be inspired to create some of your own family percussion performances.
As the school year unfolds, the initial days have set a promising tone for a year filled with growth, learning, and success. The happiness and engagement displayed by the students reflect not only the school’s commitment to providing a quality education but also the collective effort of educators, parents, and the community in creating a positive and enriching learning environment. With this joyful commencement, our Junior School is poised for a year of academic achievements, personal development, and memorable experiences for all.

Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School

WHAT’S ON

FEBRUARY
13 February  Shrove Tuesday Pancakes Races
14 February  ELC Welcome Evening, 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
15 February  Buddy Picnic lunch
16 February  Family Fun and Information Evening, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
20 February  District Swimming (selected students)
Year 5 Sovereign Hill Camp
27 February  Years 5 and 6 ySafe Cyber Safety Session
ySafe Parent Information Session
28 February  Parent Student Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm
29 February  Parent Student Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Questacon Science Circus Incursion

MARCH
1 March  School’s Clean Up Australia Day
5 March  Parent Volunteer Induction, 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm
20 March  Athletics Carnival
12 March  ELC to Year 2 Parent Evening: Learning to Read, 6:00 pm
Year 6 Urban Camp begins (four days)
11 March  Labour Day Public Holiday
25 March  Hoodie Up for Autism
27 March  Classroom EXPOs
28 March  Easter Service
FOSP Easter Hunt
End of Term 1, 2:20 pm finish

DOBSONS TRADING HOURS

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.

CLASS UPDATES

ELC
The ELC has welcomed our families and children to a new year ready for lots of learning, adventures and fun. Our Pre-Kinder students are settling into the new space with lots of creative play indoors, painting, playdough and drawing. Outdoors, bug hunts, bear hunts with lots of smiles and laughter.

Our Pre-Prep groups have returned with lots of energy and excitement as they step up to be role models and lead the play. Knowing they have the responsibility to be part of a team and participate to make progress.

We are looking forward in having full groups next week after a successful transition. Do not forget our Welcome Picnic next week, Wednesday 14 February, 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm.

Prep
Whilst Prep is a year full of incredible fun and learning, it is hard to imagine a day as special as the Prep students’ first day last week. Both Prep classes have settled incredibly well and extremely quickly into their classrooms and are eagerly learning the routines of day-to-day life in the Junior School. Students have already explored countless picture storybooks, practised writing their names, learnt about Circle Maps and on focused learning about themselves as learners. Within this topic, students have already begun discussing the different parts of the brain and explored what each part of the brain is responsible for. Perhaps the lessons generating the most excitement in Prep this week though is our introductory EDI lessons where students are already learning their engagement norms as well as why this form of instruction helps us to learn and retain information so well. We cannot wait to see what fun experiences the next few weeks hold!

Year 1
In Year 1 we are happy to be back at school to begin a new year of learning. We have spent time getting to know each other, practiced new classroom routines and adjusted to new expectations. We have already enjoyed our first assembly and a special percussion performance which showed us that instruments can be made from everyday objects.

We have been enjoying lots of stories and have started learning about the parts of our brain and what they do so that we can begin understanding how our brain learns. We are all looking forward to a very exciting year!

Year 2
What a fabulous first week we have had back at school. It has been great to see so many smiley faces and bubbly personalities ready to learn. Students have had fun reconnecting with old friends, meeting new friends and sharing holiday stories.

We have spent the beginning of the year learning how our classroom runs and setting expectations of what we expect from one another.

In our ‘Learning to Learn unit, students have been learning about the brain’s anatomy and the function of each of the key parts. They have also developed their understanding of the role of neurons and ways they can grow their brain.

Students have engaged in Literacy and Numeracy Daily Reviews where they have built on their use of learning strategies from Year 1.

Year 3
Our Year 3 students have changed spaces, changed teachers and changed uniforms (and are wearing their uniform with a great deal of pride!), yet have done this seamlessly and have embraced the new year with enthusiasm and excitement. We have been focusing on developing our classroom culture, routines and expectations, with students being involved and happily contributing their voices. A highlight was making playdough, where students followed a recipe and measured accurately, before having to make some tweaks on the fly to add more water or more flour to ensure the consistency was appropriate. Learning about the anatomy of the brain and the Information Processing Model has already given many ‘ah-ha’ and lightbulb moments for students connecting the dots as to why we do what we do in the classroom. During Play Is The Way sessions, we have discussed our Life Rafts in-depth, how mistakes and failure mixed with kindness and support make for positive experiences and discussed the need to self-soothe in challenging situations. The year has certainly started with a flurry, but we are so looking forward to all that the year holds.

Year 4
Learning to Learn
We have started off the year with our annual ‘Learning to Learn’ unit. Students are currently studying the parts of the brain and its functions. Activities to support this learning so far have included drawing and labelling parts of the brain, watching short clips to build new knowledge, and creating Thinking Maps to cement this new learning. In the coming weeks, students will be building models of the brain and even dissecting a sheep brain. All of this learning will help students to develop an understanding of how the brain learns most efficiently.

Routines, Routines, Routines
We are spending the first few weeks building and strengthening our classroom routines to ensure we are a well-oiled Year 4 cohort who can transition from task to task and from specialist classes quickly and efficiently to maximise our learning time. We have been working on strengthening our Engagement Norms such as ‘Turn and Talk’ procedures and effectively using our whiteboards. We believe when we master these routines, we will be set for a smooth and successful year!

Play Is The Way
This year we will continue incorporating the much-loved Play Is The Way (PITW) program into our weekly schedule. We started our sessions last week and it has been wonderful to see the strong collaborative skills our students are demonstrating with their new classmates. During these sessions, our Year 4 students have experienced success and felt challenged by the difficulty of some of the games. The importance of working as a team was highlighted within our reflections.

Year 5
The Year 5 students have had a fabulous start to the 2024 school year!  The students have settled in well and have enjoyed welcoming five new students into our cohort. Here is what the new students had to say about their transition to St Paul’s:
· I was nervous to start at St Paul’s but I have made some new friends. I was excited about PE!
· I am happy to have moved to St Paul’s, I like everything; the other students, teachers and playground.
· I love how all the kids have been nice and welcoming. I have enjoyed the learning environment, it is much quieter and has helped my learning.
· I have had an amazing start at St Paul’s. Everyone has been so nice.
· I have enjoyed learning new things at St Paul’s.

Everyone enjoyed the Kaboom Percussion show last Friday, it was such a nice way to end the first week. This week we have begun learning about the brain during our ‘Learning to Learn’ unit, including a dissection of a sheep’s brain. Although, there were some students who were apprehensive it has helped them to better understand how the brain works. The students had their first music lesson with Mr Baker and were able to put in a preference for their band instrument. They enjoyed art with Ms Fox and some of the students participated in swimming trials. We are looking forward to finishing our learning about the brain and attending camp in the coming weeks.

Year 6
Year 6 students have settled in well to the new year. They enjoyed being inducted into their leadership roles for 2024 at our official Leaders Induction Assembly. Leadership opportunities at Traralgon Junior School include School, House, Environmental, Library, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Media and SRC Leaders. Our first few weeks in the classroom have focused on setting expectations and routines and learning, reviewing Maths and Literacy concepts and cementing EDI procedures. Students have studied emotional literacy and focused on defining gratitude and recognising things they can be grateful for. Students have increased their knowledge of lifelong learning and gained a greater appreciation of the brain’s anatomy and the function of each of the key parts. Year 6 students especially enjoyed creating models of the brains to display their understanding. They bravely approached the opportunity to dissect a brain with the guidance of Ms King and Ms Geerts. Students are looking forward to a busy but enjoyable term ahead.

WELLBEING SUPPORT

Welcome to Term 1 of 2024! I hope that all our students had a restful break over the school holidays and that they are feeling excited for the year ahead.

It has been an exciting week for the counselling team at both campuses. Whilst the Traralgon team moved into their brand-new offices in the Futures Centre, the Warragul team arrived to find construction underway for the new Wellness Centre!

The St Paul’s counselling team consists of both psychologists and counsellors, with multiple practitioners available at each sub-school. Students at St Paul’s are able to access up to six free counselling sessions to support them through a wide range of issues. This can include stress, concentration difficulties, anxiety, low mood, school refusal, friendship difficulties, grief/loss, changing family circumstances and learning difficulties to name a few. If you think your child would benefit from school-based counselling support, speak to their Deputy Head of School (Junior School) or Head of Year (Secondary School).

If your child would prefer to speak to someone on the phone, Kids Help Line (1800 55 1800) is a fantastic service that we frequently recommend. Your child can request to speak to the same counsellor each time they call and can even access peer support through their ‘My Circle’ platform. Other useful helplines include Headspace (1800 650 890), Lifeline (13 11 14) and Griefline (1300 845 745). Students at Secondary School can also access the ‘Student Wellbeing Page’ on MyStPauls at https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/homepage/11780. We have recently consulted our students about how we can best provide them with information in user-friendly way, and look forward to adapting this page over the course of the year to make it a relevant and accessible resource.

We are aware of some recent losses in the community which will no doubt have had an impact on some of our students and parents. Whilst some members of the community will reach out to us for support, we know that many will talk to their family, friends or one of the helplines mentioned above. If you are after advice on how best to support your child, the above helplines can assist with this, as can Parentline (13 22 89). The ‘Student Wellbeing Page for Parents’ on MyStPauls is also full of resources to help you support your child. This is frequently updated with information about current issues and local/online events that may be of interest. You can access this at https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/homepage/13368.

Shannon Staples
Head of Counselling Services

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Annual Fee Account
Families have recently received via email an annual fee account for 2024. If you have any queries in relation to your annual fee account, please contact Ms Nicole Giddings 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 (twenty-two payments) commencing 9 February 2024 and monthly instalments (ten payments) commencing 15 February 2024.

Other direct debit payment dates are also available by arrangement.

Should families wish to commence payment by Direct Debit, please contact Ms Nicole Giddings, 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://www.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Direct-Debit-Request-Form-2023.pdf

Instalments (due dates):
Instalment 1 – 9 February 2024
Instalment 2 – 5 April 2024
Instalment 3 – 3 June 2024
Instalment 4 – 9 August 2024

Payment in Full:
A discount of $350 per child, from Prep to Year 12, is offered to families if the annual invoice is paid in full by 16 February 2024.

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 year’s 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://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/resources

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately. The CSEF program for 2024 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 24 June 2024 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2023 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2024), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2023 to 2024 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

CLUBHOUSE BOOT CAMP

HONEY ON OUR MIND

Apparently, Vegemite is still popular. I discovered this at our Welcome Assembly on the first day of the term when I asked students to vote on their favourite toast spread. I stuck with the traditional options – Vegemite, peanut butter, jam and honey – and was surprised when Vegemite came out on top. Not that it was a particularly accurate or robust survey. A quick show of hands and a rough estimate without counting was all I could manage. Which is lucky, really, because what I wanted to talk about was honey!

Vegemite has its niche place in the history of spreads, but you cannot go past honey for longevity. If you went back in history and offered this same choice, honey is the only item of the four that would make sense to the likes of Shakespeare, Genghis Khan, Muhammad, Cleopatra, Queen Esther, Tutankhamun or Abraham. Honey has been around for a long time! This makes me wonder about the first human to say, “I bet there is something really delicious in the home of those flying insects – we should eat it!”. Surely that first attempt did not go well?
But I digress. Honey is amazing. Here are a few fun facts about honey:
· It never goes off! They have found honey thousands of years old in ancient Egyptian tombs that was still good!
· It is completely unprocessed.
· The way it is made is incredible – bees collect nectar from flowers then they pass the nectar on to their colleagues in the hive, who pass it around from bee to bee until it is digested enough to be stored. This takes up to twenty minutes. When it is ready, they put it in the cells of the honeycomb and gradually raise its sugar content by evaporating the water, using the heat of their bodies, and continually flapping their wings to keep the air circulating. When the sugar level is high enough to ensure that the honey will not ferment, they seal the cell with wax and move on to the next one.
· Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-septic benefits that are amazingly effective.
· It is also used in beauty treatments for its moisturising qualities.
· Cats cannot taste honey because they lack the taste receptors to do so (which possibly explains why some cats look permanently annoyed!)

As well as being an amazing substance, honey has proven to be a versatile component of our language. Victor Hugo wrote, “Life is the flower for which love is the honey”, while William Golding declares, “Man produces evil as a bee produces honey”. Nietzsche waxes lyrical with this observation, “Our treasure lies in the beehive of our knowledge. We are perpetually on the way thither, being by nature winged insects and honey gatherers of the mind.” The Bible uses honey as a metaphor in various ways, including comparing kind words to honey. Proverbs 16:24 suggests that “Kind words are like honey—they cheer you up and make you feel strong.”

I was reflecting on this idea of kind words being like honey and it occurred to me that the process of making honey could also reflect a great process for becoming someone who readily has kind words to share. The analogy might be a bit of a stretch but here it is:

The first thing bees do is go out into the world and gather nectar from flowers. In the same way, we can gain a lot by seeking out things of wonder and beauty in the world. It is very easy to get stuck in depressing news feeds and to focus on all that is wrong in our world. Making the effort to look for and to recognise beauty, wonder and awe in the world helps to balance this tendency. It might be in the magic of the natural world, the brilliance of human design or the best aspects of human nature. Wherever we find it we should gather it like nectar.

The next thing bees do is share the nectar with others. This is an easy parallel. As well as appreciating things of wonder and beauty in the world, we should get into the habit of sharing them. Talking about good things becomes a habit (as does complaining) and we are more likely to speak kindly if we are in the habit of speaking about positive things.

The last part of the honey-making process is the refinement and storage of the nectar. For us, this is a bit like managing our own self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Just as bees refine the nectar by evaporating the water from it, so too can we refine our own thinking by filtering off the negative thoughts and focusing on the positives. If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you’re likely an optimist — someone who practises positive thinking. And as we have already observed, kind words will come more easily if our mindset is already directed towards the good.

This year you will have three hundred and sixty-six opportunities to choose what you have for breakfast, including which spread to put on your toast. You will also have countless more moments where you have a choice about how you speak to other people. You will be well equipped to make the most of these moments if you have become, as Nietzsche put it, “honey gatherers of the mind.” You may not choose to have honey for breakfast but can I encourage you to choose kind words when you speak – because if you think honey is impressive, you should see what speaking kindly can do for someone!

May you also hear kind words and be cheered and strengthened by them.

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain

JARRA DAVIS,
Class of 2020.

Jarra Davis, an alumnus of the Class of 2020, is balancing full-time legal studies with his work as a freelance producer and creator. He joined St Paul’s in Year 10 and, even then, balanced co-curricular activities with studies by participating in chess, basketball, football, cricket, debating and many more activities. He remarked, “The process of constantly challenging myself and always developing new skills through those experiences and activities was such a great time”. His favourite part of school was usually the bus trips to these events with his mates, treasuring the friendships he formed and the wonderful memories made.

He found certain teachers to be really inspirational. “Ms Bellis helped me so much throughout Year 12 whilst also allowing me to be creative and show myself and my personality through my work and writing. Mr O’Connor also, we just connected so well and he was always up for a chat about anything that interested me with regard to politics, history, philosophy and anything in between.”

“I feel like I accomplished a lot academically and personally, but finding what I actually enjoyed and what I wanted to do would have to be my greatest achievement. Leaving my old school and joining a new environment where I was encouraged to be myself and try things really opened my eyes to a varied range of activities and interests that I never would have found without the environment that the school created, so harnessing that to find my passion was certainly a great achievement.”

According to Jarra, he first followed the traditional pathway to a career, using his ATAR to study politics and law at Monash University. From then on, he has explored the area of creating digital content for mainstream and social media platforms as well as producing and directing TV series, podcasts, and other media. “Doing all of this whilst still maintaining my university studies on top of that has definitely made my pathway unique and interesting,” Jarra revealed. “Due to the fact that it’s such a new field, there was no training or course or established pathway, so it became an explorative journey. I’d say the training, beyond the requisite technical knowledge, is really just experiences and using those to develop an understanding of how people interact with media and content and learning how I can harness that.”

“I chose this field because it is the second half of my personality. I’ve always known I was quite focused and almost scientific in my approach to studies which has led me to undertake a law degree. However, I always thought I had a more creative side to myself as well, so harnessing and catering to that has really fulfilled me as a whole, so choosing this field ensured that I was truly following my passions alongside my university studies.”

“I’m lucky that I actually work alongside the person who influenced me to take this path, Dylan Buckley, a former AFL player turned podcast mogul and businessman. His ability to cater to his interests no matter how varied, through his different podcasts and appearances on TV shows really sparked that desire to not put myself into a box and showed me that you can actually do both; you can feed all of your passions and interests no matter how vast or different they are.”

Jarra loves the realm of digital creation. “Apart from working alongside my sports and media idols, the fact that I wake up every day and there’s something to do or someone to talk to that is completely different from the day before makes it genuinely the best job in the world.”

He does find working and studying to be a challenge. “Striking the right balance of social media work and university work was always my biggest challenge and still is now, especially around exam time and balancing the effort and attention I give to each to make sure I’m not neglecting either. However, I’m lucky to have such a good support system around me that it doesn’t hinder me as much as it used to.”

Even though Jarra enjoys creating digital content, he likes to disconnect from the online world during his free time. “Outside of work I really enjoy unplugging and going out into the world without phones, social media, radio, or anything, and just existing in the moment. Mostly I do this by going for a walk or going to play sport with my mates, just having good times completely removed from the online world.”

“I’ve recently become really fond of the idea of detaching yourself from the outcome,” he wanted to add. “Meaning that if you don’t think about the possibility of failure, or what people think, suddenly the things holding you back from following your passions disappear.”

(Profile information correct at time of collection.)

Keep in touch

We love sharing alumni stories that provide inspiration to current students – and teachers always love to hear what former students are up to now!
If you would like to share your story with the St Paul’s community or would like to mentor or speak with our current students or join the Alumni Committee, please reach out by emailing alumni@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or connect with us on our St Paul’s Alumni Association Facebook page and our St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School official LinkedIn page.

So we can contact you with alumni news and invitations please update your details via the new St Paul’s webpage https://www.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/community/alumni/.

If you would like to join us in creating an event of nostalgia, connection and laughter for our Class of 1994, 2004, 2014 and 2019 cohorts, email alumni@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au to be a part of our next celebration!