In this issue

From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School,
Mr Brad McCabe.

NAIDOC Week
July was a very special month for many members of our community, that being NAIDOC Week. NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities but by Australians from all walks of life.

Year 10 Conference
With the recent statewide lockdown, our Year 10 Conference moved online. Through the use of Zoom, our Year 10 students had multiple presentations and online workshops, including an introduction to careers, Head of Faculty presentations on subject options for VCE 2022, Q and A sessions and a workshop with Tripod Enterprise Education. Tripod Enterprises Education ran a program called the Virtual Studio. The Virtual Studio has been designed to bring students together online for a project-based learning experience that will help them understand, explore, and develop the key enterprise skills essential for learning, life, and work. The program promotes student wellbeing through coming together as a community, uniting and engaging as a class. It was great to see their presentations on the final day of the conference. I would like to thank the Year 10 staff who worked very hard to create a three-day online conference in a short period of time.

New Staff Announcement
Nova Doherty has been appointed as Visual Arts Teacher at our Traralgon Secondary School. Nova is not new to St Paul’s as she held the position of Head of the Arts Faculty at our Warragul Secondary School over the last eighteen months. She is particularly excited about new opportunities that will present as the Traralgon Campus continues to grow in the coming years as we approach VCE. Nova brings many years of experience in curriculum leadership roles in Art and will be an excellent addition to our team. Her passion for teaching and promoting Visual Arts is exceptional.  Please welcome Nova to the school on her arrival later this term.

Head of Secondary Online Learning Tips and Tricks
1. Have a dedicated study space.
Whether you decide to work in the home office or in your living room, ensure that this place is quiet, organised, distraction-free and available for use during the school day. A good learning environment should be one of your main priorities.

2. Identify the main objectives and goals for each subject. 
To stay on track with your online learning, it is important to always keep in mind what you hope to accomplish by the end of each class. Understanding the focus and goals for each class creates an excellent road map during the online learning journey.

3. Create a to-do list and use your diary/calendar.
At the start of each week, make a to-do list of the tasks you need to complete and add or cross off tasks as the week progresses. This is an excellent way to prioritise your study plan and stay on track with your learning.

4. Ask for help when you need it.
While it might seem “easier” to search for answers to your online subject-related questions independently and through the use of the internet, do not hesitate to contact your teacher when you are stuck and need clarity. If you do not ask for help when required, you may end up falling behind, and remember everyone needs help at some point throughout a lesson.

5. Have screen breaks.
Viewing a computer screen for most of the day can be quite tiring or frustrating, which is counter productive. By having small breaks from the screen it can help to increase productivity and longevity. Also, when taking a break, make sure that you get away from your study space; you need to have a change of scenery. A mild physical activity, such as a walk around the garden, will help you maintain balance, renew energy, and go back to studying with a clearer mind.

6. Participate in online discussions. 
Online learning doesn’t mean learning in isolation. Connecting with your virtual classmates via MyStPauls, Microsoft Teams or your class forums will increase your personal online learning experience, especially if you are an introvert.

Brad McCabe
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

WHAT’S ON

JULY
28 July  Thinking and Learning Guest Speaker – Melina Bath, 1:30 pm (tbc)
30 July  Ensemble Concert (tbc)

AUGUST
3 August  Mary Poppins Jr Rehearsal, 3:30 pm
4 August  Year 10 into Year 11 Course Counselling, 1:30 pm
Year 9 into Year 10 Information Evening
5 August  SEISA Winter Sport, Intermediate/Senior Round 3 (tbc)
Mary Poppins Jr Rehearsal, 3:30 pm
6 August  VCE Subject Selections Due, 3:30 pm

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

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS

Please find important information about the 2021 Commonwealth School Data Collection Notice at this link:
2021 Commonwealth School Data Collection Notice

DOBSONS TRADING HOURS

Dobsons Uniform stores are currently closed in line with government restrictions. We thank you for your cooperation and patience. During this time you may continue to shop online with a $10 flat rate delivery: https://dobsons.com.au/schools/st-pauls-anglican-grammar-school

YEAR 8 LEADERSHIP

In the Year 8 Pastoral program for Term 3 students are learning about what makes an effective leader and the differing styles of leadership. Each week, students will team up to complete an activity with a nominated leader. Each leader will be reviewed for their effectiveness and their style of leadership. This week, students had to work together using string and elastic to make a tower with a range of odd objects. This activity required students to communicate and work together to be successful. Some group leaders quickly worked out an effective strategy whilst some others lost time debating with group members.  Yet, all students established some positive group work strategies they can take forward into future activities.
Jennifer Witney
Head of Years 7 and 8

TRARALGON SECONDARY SCHOOL WELCOMES PJ, THERAPY PUP IN TRAINING

For the past few months, the staff and students at the Traralgon Secondary School have been enjoying the company of PJ, therapy dog in training. Living with owners, Ms Byrne and Mr Ambrozy, and named after Ms Byrne’s dearly departed dog-loving dad, PJ has been bringing some “Pure Joy” to many students at our campus. At almost six months of age, PJ – a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (commonly known as Tollers or NSDTRs) currently weighs in at eleven kilograms and should reach a maximum of seventeen to twenty kilograms when she is fully grown. PJ is currently undertaking the famous online Recallers and Crate Games programs, is doing great work with her trainer, and will undertake her clinical therapy training with Therapy Dogs Australia once she is nine months of age. She is growing into a confident and capable pup who enjoys games and playing with others, proving herself to be a friend to many. With further training and learning this year, we are hoping PJ will remain with our school community for many years to come and continue bringing joy into classrooms each day. Our school community is sure to hear more about PJ as her extensive training continues and she meets her learning milestones along the way.

PJ is always proving herself to be very photogenic.

From an early age, PJ discovered her love of reading time with Year 7 students.

PJ enjoys her time on campus.

PJ reflecting on her day at school in the early days.

THANK YOU FROM EAST TIMOR

A big thank you from Team Timor to all our students as we raised over $300 with our casual clothes day and stall on the last day of Term 2. This will go towards our efforts to build a new English Language classroom in Malimea Village School in Ermera. It is exciting to see our last project, a new school library and Science classroom in Ponilala Village, is being well used.

Keep an eye out for future fundraising efforts, including our East Timor Coffee. If you would like to assist in anyway, please contact Kirsten Enders.

Kirsten Enders
Team Timor

LOCKDOWN 4.0 CHALLENGE/COMPETITION WINNERS

During June of Term 2, the state went into the second lockdown of 2021. During this time, students were asked to participate in an ‘Iso Challenge’ and a ‘Thursday House Sport Competition’, whilst completing online learning at home. The winner of the ‘Iso Challenge’ was Will Szkwarek. He filmed himself completing each activity and uploaded his challenge videos to MyStPauls. Will was very creative with each activity he participated in. Well done Will! The aim of the ‘Thursday House Sport Competition’ was to design your own game. The winners of this competition were Marlee Mathew, Claudia Buhagiar and Dylan Mbulawa in Year 7, Jenny Shao, Blair Syme, John O’Brien, Bailey Rollandin and Josh Neave in Year 8, and Indi Van Berkel, Sienna Smith and Kaja Tierney in Year 9. Each winner received an award of a Nerf Vortex at the first assembly of Term 3 and were congratulated on being so creative with each activity.

Sandra Timmer-Arends
Head of Sport – Traralgon Campus
Health and Physical Education

FINANCE NEWS

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://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/transport/Pages/conveyance.aspx

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) – Extension to 13 August 2021
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments directly to the school for the benefit of the eligible student to attend camps, sports and excursions. Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply. $125 per year will be paid for eligible primary school students and $225 per year paid for eligible secondary school students. Payments will go directly to the school and be tied to the student. For more information and to download the application form please go to: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately. The CSEF program has been extended to 13 August 2021.  All forms must be received by 12 August 2021 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2020 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2021), the school will ‘copy’ the application across from 2020 to 2021 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

From the Head of Warragul Secondary School,
Mrs Leonie Clark.

Perseverance To Maintain Resilience
The start to Term 3 has seen a rapid flip to online learning in the virtual space for your children and we are exceptionally impressed with our students’ adaptability and flexibility. Each time this occurs our community and students demonstrate and enact their resilience, showing a capacity to adapt and transform to meet the new parameters of education during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We understand that, at times, it can be challenging for students to implement their time management skills from home, however, our students continue to impress us with their ‘grit’. They understand the point of their studies, they are naturally curious, seek to know more, to understand more and to improve their skills. Our students ambitiously adjust and strive to maintain their focus so that they are able to claim their long-term goals in the future. We know that our students persist because they have learnt over many years and with the support of their parents/guardians, as well as the unwavering support of their team of teachers, to become responsible, motivated and independent students who seek opportunities for themselves. We are a community of resilient learners because we persevere to claim our potential.

I cannot thank our families enough for your patience and kindness with the change of dates and rescheduling of events. We have a very busy calendar in any ‘normal’ year and where possible we are still aiming to provide your children with the exceptional learning experiences and traditions that we know that they expect and excitedly anticipate. As I finalise this article our Head of Careers Deb Cumming, our Head of Year 10 Stephanie Marshall and our Director of Studies Age Percy are currently facilitating the three-day Year 10 Conference in the online space. Our staff are continuing to go above and beyond to ensure that our key events can proceed in the online space.

Senior Formal Postponed
A reminder that we have postponed the Senior Formal to Week 8 Friday 3 September. We still hope to be able to offer a wonderful and memorable evening for our Years 11 and 12 students but as you will appreciate, we will need to adhere to any COVID-19 protocols that may be in place at that time. We have commenced planning this event in such a way that we would not necessarily need to rely on contact with other members of the public. Hopefully, this will give us a far greater chance of being able to proceed with this event. As we get closer to the evening we will reveal all of the exciting details to you and your children.

The Senior Years’ Information Evening, Reimagined – ‘An evening with the Heads of Faculties and their Staff’
The Senior Information Evening is still scheduled for Tuesday 27 July, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm and we are very excited to be offering you a virtual experience this year from the comfort of your own home.

Communication to families will be sent on Friday to all current Years 9, 10 and 11 families and will detail the format for the evening. The correspondence you will receive on Friday will contain the links to formal presentations with key staff for you to watch in your own time or over the weekend. The letter to families will also contain a detailed program and ZOOM links for each of the individual faculty live ZOOM rooms on Tuesday 27 July between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm.

During the ‘live sessions’ with the Head of Faculty and their teaching teams, you will be able to drop in and out of a faculty ZOOM room, similarly to the manner in which you would have done in the physical spaces on campus. In the virtual faculty ZOOM room you will be able to speak with staff and/or post your questions in the chat feature. We do remind parents that this will be a public space to ask targeted questions about subject choices and to remember that discussions will be heard and seen by other similarly interested parents.

We hope that the new version of the Senior Years’ Information Evening and an ‘Evening with the Heads of Faculty and their Staff’ in ZOOM rooms will be an informative and helpful way for our families and their children to attain the information that they need to make well-considered decisions regarding their future studies at St Paul’s.

New Faces
We have been most fortunate to have some new faces join our teaching and wellbeing teams in the Secondary School. Each of them kindly agreed to share some insights about themselves so that you too can start to get to know our new members of staff. We have no doubt that our families will make them feel very welcome in the coming weeks and that they will very quickly become a valuable part of your child’s journey with us in the Secondary School.
Introducing…

Amelia Vincent, Student Counsellor.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your teenage self, what would it be?
Be proud of who you are and remember you are so much more than you perhaps give yourself credit for. Also, enjoy the school journey, it really does encompass some of the best years of your life and it goes by very quickly.

Areas of expertise, interest and passion or Super-Power.
Sounds very cliché as a “School Counsellor” but my passion is to support people in any area that they may need assistance. I am a very caring and empathetic person who enjoys helping people in any way that I can. I do have lots of interests outside of work/school. I enjoy spending my time travelling, exercising and I especially love spending quality time with my family and friends.

What personal characteristics in your students/learners do you admire?
Resilience, it is inspiring to watch young people move forward in a positive direction after several setbacks (many times these setbacks are outside of the young person’s control). Also, seeing students stand up for things that they strongly believe in is admirable.

What has impressed you about St Paul’s so far?
Definitely the school culture, I am amazed at how everyone is so passionate and proud to be a part of the St Paul’s community. I feel very privileged to be beginning my St Paul’s journey and look forward to meeting those students/families/staff that I have not yet had a chance to meet. Everyone has been extremely welcoming and friendly – it is amazing!

Mikaela Petruccelli, Health and Physical Education Teacher.

Favourite novel as a teenager and why?
I loved to read as a teenager and therefore do not have a favourite single novel. I loved and still do love to read anything written by Liane Moriarty. I love this author for the mystery she creates but also for the way that she constructs her stories.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your teenage self, what would it be?
“Be the change you want to see.”

Areas of expertise, interest and passion or Super-Power.
I have a strong passion for the health and wellbeing of both children and adults!

What personal characteristics in your students/learners do you admire?
I love it when my classroom is filled with students who are passionate, not only about their own learning but also those around them and they are willing to support their classmates.

What has impressed you about St Paul’s so far?
Thinking about my first week at St Paul’s and what has stood out to me most, is the level of support. I have also been impressed with how welcoming both the students and staff have been towards me.

Grant Coulthard, Commerce and Humanities Teacher.

Favourite novel as a teenager and why?
‘The Hobbit’ by J.R.R. Tolkein – Mythical lands, magic, hobbits, elves, dragons. It was imagination paradise for a teenager.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your teenage self, what would it be?
Take every opportunity offered to you and step out of your comfort zone often.

Areas of expertise, interest and passion or Super-Power.
I read a lot and have a small library of non-fiction and fiction books at home. My interests are varied and many with watching sport near the top. My Super-Power is solving sudokus!

What personal characteristics in your students/learners do you admire?
It is exciting to facilitate a student’s application to learning a new subject or task and watching them persist with a subject even when their understanding is new or limited. I also enjoy students who ask a lot of questions.

What has impressed you about St Paul’s so far?
The friendly, genuine welcoming nature of all the staff and students has been fantastic and greatly appreciated. I have also enjoyed the positive atmosphere I have experienced as I walked around the campus.

Nicole Taylor, Science and Biology Teacher.

Favourite novel as a teenager and why?
I am not sure if it was my favourite novel but a book that I certainly remember reading as a teenager is Janine Shepherd’s ‘Never Tell Me’. In this book, she tells her story of being on track to compete at the Winter Olympics before her life was irrevocably changed when she was injured in a terrible accident. Hearing in her own words the way that she fought back from her injuries, enduring years of rehabilitation was certainly inspiring and motivational.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your teenage self, what would it be?
I think the advice I would like to give (and that I am sure my teenage self would have ignored at the time!) is to not rush to grow up. I remember that feeling of wanting to be grown up and independent and in charge of making decisions in my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I can see that all those things I tried so hard to make happen were always going to happen anyway. In all honesty, childhood should be embraced for as long as possible because they are the most fleeting, carefree days of your life and once they are over, you have to spend a long time as a ‘grown-up’.

Areas of expertise, interest and passion or Super-Power.
I am passionate about learning. I think it is important for me to model this to my students. I never want to become so comfortable with how things are that I lose the urge to push myself outside of my comfort zone. I think it is important to always be adapting and evolving. Obviously, this has advantages for me as an individual but I think it also helps me to stay in touch with how it feels to be a learner being asked to do something new for the first time – which is something I ask my students to do daily. One of my favourite ways to learn and be forced outside my comfort zone is to travel. Travel inspires wonder and discovery, it forces you to be patient, to appreciate people and cultures and their differences, to enjoy life over possessions, to discover new cuisines, to accept kindness and humility, that growth lies on the other side of fear, to adapt quickly and that there are some things that can transcend language barriers.

What personal characteristics in your students/learners do you admire?
The thing that I admire about the students I work with is the way they turn up every day and do the best they can at that moment. The lives of students, more than ever, are complex! They may have health issues or they may have a stressful school, home or social life. But they still show up and try. They display energy and determination. They listen patiently and take on board feedback even if it is outside their comfort zone. Being able to witness the sincerity, thoughtfulness, vulnerability, growth and resilience that shines through in my interactions with my students is one of the aspects of my work that I enjoy most.

What has impressed you about St Paul’s so far?
I have been impressed by how warm and welcoming everyone has been both staff and students alike! I have particularly appreciated the smiling faces which have helped me to feel a little less lost and a lot more welcome as I am walking around the campus. So far, no question has been too silly or anyone too busy to help and it is clear that everyone within the St Paul’s community has a genuine care and respect for each other that creates a great foundation for helping everyone to achieve their best.

Mrs Leonie Clark
Head of Warragul Secondary School

WHAT’S ON

JULY
27 July  Senior Years’ Information Evening – Years 10 to 12, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Online Program
28 July  Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium, Dance Studio, 6:55 am to 8:30 am (tbc)
29 July  GAT (re-scheduled to Thursday 12 August)
30 July  Year 9 Celebrating Families Day, Year 9 Centre, 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm (Students Only)

AUGUST
2 August  Year 11 into Year 12 2022 Course Counselling Sessions
3 August  Year 10 into Year 11 2022 Course Counselling Sessions
Theatre Studies Performance Exam Day, Drama Room, 9:30 am (tbc)
4 August  Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium, Dance Studio, 6:55 am to 8:30 am (tbc)
Australian Mathematics Competition, 11:15 am to 12:55 pm
5 August  SEISA Winter Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 3 (tbc)
Year 7 into Year 8 2022 Faculty Presentations, Year 7 Centre, 9:40 am
Year 8 into Year 9 2022 Faculty Presentations, DT Parker Centre, 10:00 am
Year 9 into Year 10 2022 Faculty Presentations, Year 9 Centre Foyer, 10:20 am
6 August  VCE Subject Selections Due, 3:30 pm
12 August  GAT

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

Maths Club
Years 7 to 12, Tuesdays lunchtime, 1:00 pm to 1:45 pm, Year 9 Centre, RM6.

After School Maths Help
Years 10 to 12, Tuesdays after school, 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm, Year 9 Centre, RM3.

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS

Please find important information about the 2021 Commonwealth School Data Collection Notice at this link:

2021 Commonwealth School Data Collection Notice

DOBSONS TRADING HOURS

Dobsons Uniform stores are currently closed in line with government restrictions. We thank you for your cooperation and patience. During this time you may continue to shop online with a $10 flat rate delivery: https://dobsons.com.au/schools/st-pauls-anglican-grammar-school-warragul/

SUBJECT SELECTION SEASON IS UPON US

The very busy period of ‘subject selections’ has begun in earnest with year level visits during Pastoral time last week and the Year 10 Conference this week.

A thorough process is in place which will aid our students to make the very important decisions that will determine what subjects they will study next year in 2022.

Our Senior Years’ Information Evening will run on Tuesday 27 July (please see Mrs Leonie Clark’s article) and each of our year levels, from Years 7 to 10, will be presented to by our Heads of Faculty in coming weeks. This session will afford our students the opportunity to ask questions about coursework and assessment.

The next step will be for Years 11, 10 and 9 students to attend a course guidance interview with a senior staff member. In this session, which parents will be able to attend if they so wish, students will discuss and explain their subject choices, and staff will be able to advise to ensure such things as prerequisites and VET options have been considered.

St Paul’s knows how important these decisions are and that is why, no matter what form of learning we are in over the coming weeks, we will be able to implement the above process in a COVIDSafe way.

Due dates for online subject submissions are listed below. Students are reminded to look out for an email from myself which will contain their online log in code.

Due dates for online submission of subject selections
Year 11, Friday 6 August (Week 4)
Year 10, Friday 6 August (Week 4)
Year 9, Friday 13 August (Week 5)
Year 8, Friday 13 August (Week 5)
Year 7, Friday 13 August (Week 5)

Age Percy
Director of Studies and VCE Coordinator

SPORT AEROBICS – STATE CHAMPIONS!

On Saturday 10 July, the two St Paul’s Sport Aerobics teams travelled to the 2021 Victorian State Finals in Geelong.

Since early in Term 1, our teams have been training hard, with many early morning and school holiday rehearsals to develop and refine their routines.

Excitingly, both ‘The Saintly Ladies’ and ‘The Saintly Angels’ Sport Aerobics teams both won their divisions at the State Finals and therefore have both been named State Champions, qualifying for the Nationals next month on the Gold Coast.

We wish both the teams the best of luck in their preparation for the Nationals Event.

Below are a few words from Tayla Clark (Year 8 Saintly Angels Team Member) and Bella Fraser (Coach):
“After an amazing day of competing at the Geelong Arena, we were ecstatic to hear both our Sport Aerobics teams had won gold in their sections to become state champions. This great result comes from training hard all year and being committed to improving strength, fitness and routines. We are very proud of our achievements and thankful for the opportunity to go to the Nationals.”

‘The Saintly Angels’ (Stage 1), with coach Bella Fraser.

‘The Saintly Ladies’ (Open B) with coach Jemma Douglas.

THANK YOU FROM EAST TIMOR

A big thank you from Team Timor to all our students and families as we raised over $900 with our casual clothes day at the end of Term 2. Thank you to those who gave extra; it is truly appreciated. The money raised will assist our efforts to build a new English Language classroom in Malimea Village School in Ermera. It is exciting to see our last project, a new school library and Science classroom in Ponilala Village, is being well used.
Keep an eye out for future fundraising efforts, including our East Timor Coffee.

Andrea Heard
Team Timor

FINANCE NEWS

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://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/transport/Pages/conveyance.aspx

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) – Extension to 13 August 2021
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments directly to the school for the benefit of the eligible student to attend camps, sports and excursions. Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply. $125 per year will be paid for eligible primary school students and $225 per year paid for eligible secondary school students. Payments will go directly to the school and be tied to the student. For more information and to download the application form please go to: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately. The CSEF program has been extended to 13 August 2021.  All forms must be received by 12 August 2021 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2020 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2021), the school will ‘copy’ the application across from 2020 to 2021 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.

It certainly has been an eventful start to Term 3 with Lockdown 5.0 interrupting our start of term. Once again, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the staff and Junior School community for your patience and adaptability during our return to online learning, it is much appreciated. As I said in my correspondence on Wednesday, we only expect that you do the best you can with the resources and time you have. We know every family is different and is experiencing different demands during lockdown. If your family needs a break to reset and refocus, then be kind to yourselves. Stay in regular contact with us and let us know if you need any support at this time.

Unfortunately, this lockdown has meant we have had to cancel or postpone the following events:
•  Years 5 and 6 Winter Round Robin (postponed)
•  Year 6 Community Service (postponed)
•  Parent Prayer Group (cancelled)
•  Family Ski Camp (cancelled)
•  Book Fair and Book Week Dress Up Day (postponed)

Junior School Pie Drive changed to:
Order forms are due back to school by 13 August
Delivery date is 20 August

Year 4 Camp – Week 1
The Year 4 students were lucky enough to enjoy two days at Phillip Island Adventure Park last week before making a quick dash home late on Thursday evening. We had a wonderful two days and I thank the staff who attended and the families for their understanding when we had to cut the camp short.

Change of provider for Before and After School Care
We are delighted to announce the Club House Boot Camp will become our new Before and After School care provider commencing Monday 2 August. Many families will already be familiar with Club House Boot Camp as they have been providing vacation care for us over the past eighteen months. Cath Stoney and her staff are very excited to be expanding into our Before and After School care programs. Families who are not yet registered with Club House Boot Camp will need to do so prior to using the service. More information can be found in the flyer below.

I look forward to seeing everyone when all students hopefully return next Wednesday 28 July.

Stay safe and well everyone.

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS

Please find important information about the 2021 Commonwealth School Data Collection Notice at this link:

2021 Commonwealth School Data Collection Notice

WHAT’S ON

JULY
30 July  FOSP Trivia Night (cancelled)

AUGUST
2 August  Parent Prayer Group, Prideaux Centre, 9:00 am (tbc)
4 to 6 August  Ski Camp (cancelled)
5 August  State Cross Country (tbc)
11 August  Years 3 and 4 Hoop Time (tbc)
17 August  Years 3 to 6 Soirée (tbc)
18 August  Years 5 and 6 Hoop Time  (tbc)
25 August  Parent Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm
26 August  Parent Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm

SEPTEMBER
3 September  Father’s Day Stall
6 September  Parent Prayer Group
15 September  Warragul Junior School Musical Performances, 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm
17 September  Footy Colours Day
Last Day Term 3

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

DOBSONS TRADING HOURS

Dobsons Uniform stores are currently closed in line with government restrictions. We thank you for your cooperation and patience. During this time you may continue to shop online with a $10 flat rate delivery: https://dobsons.com.au/schools/st-pauls-anglican-grammar-school-warragul/

FINANCE NEWS

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://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/transport/Pages/conveyance.aspx

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) – Extension to 13 August 2021
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments directly to the school for the benefit of the eligible student to attend camps, sports and excursions. Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply. $125 per year will be paid for eligible primary school students and $225 per year paid for eligible secondary school students. Payments will go directly to the school and be tied to the student. For more information and to download the application form please go to: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately. The CSEF program has been extended to 13 August 2021.  All forms must be received by 12 August 2021 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2020 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2021), the school will ‘copy’ the application across from 2020 to 2021 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

REMOVALISTS, RELOCATORS AND GRACE – SEEING ‘COVID-19 VILLAINS’ THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES

Whether it is a family relocating across borders or removalists appearing to flout both workplace regulations and basic common sense, anyone responsible for bringing COVID-19 into our state is immediately condemned. The anger is understandable, no one wants another lockdown, and the offence may be real but it troubles me just how quick we are to simply pass snap judgements and how long it takes for us to hear the other side of the story. Human nature is swift to call for justice when we feel wronged and just as swift to cry for mercy when we are the wrongdoer.

The trouble with this way of thinking is that it leaves little room for an understanding of circumstance and for the simple fact that none of us is perfect. We will all fall short at some point. It also leaves no room for forgiveness and reconciliation. If you are unfortunate enough to mess up in a public way, your punishment will be equally public. Your name and reputation get dragged through the mud on various media platforms. The court of public opinion acts as judge, jury and executioner and its judgement is swift. Take the recent case of the removalists responsible for seeding COVID-19 once again in Victoria. Whether or not they have done the wrong thing is for the courts to determine. But the headlines passed judgement on day one. Only later did we discover that language barriers and poor communication may have contributed to the mistake. Sadly, by then we had cast our judgement and moved on.

There is something missing from this equation. Something that is at the very heart of Christian faith. That something is grace. A common misconception about Christianity is that it is, at its essence, all about doing the right things to keep God happy. Obey the Ten Commandments, live moral lives and you will be rewarded. But do the wrong thing and you will be punished. How this misconception has come about is a conversation for another time. More important is the message of grace that we find at the centre of Christian faith, embodied and on display in the person of Jesus. Take the story of his encounter with a woman caught in adultery. Just like our border crossing removalists, she has been caught red-handed doing the wrong thing and the crowd is baying for blood. It seems an open and shut case. But when they ask Jesus for his opinion, he refuses to join in the condemnation. In fact, they must ask him multiple times before he says anything at all. “But Jesus simply bent over and started writing on the ground with his finger. They kept on asking Jesus about the woman. Finally, he stood up and said, “If any of you have never sinned, then go ahead and throw the first stone at her!” Once again he bent over and began writing on the ground.” (John 8:6-8). What was he thinking as he drew in the dirt? Was he wondering where the man was? Given that the couple was caught in the act, by law the man was also guilty, but he is nowhere to be seen. We cannot know exactly what Jesus was thinking but we do know what he said. First came the reminder of the danger in taking the high moral ground. “If any of you have never sinned, then go ahead and throw the first stone at her!” That took the wind out of their sails. “And then once the howling mob disperses, Jesus turns to the woman, “Where is everyone? Is not there anyone left to accuse you?” “No sir,” the woman answered. Then Jesus told her, “I am not going to accuse you either. You may go now, but do not sin anymore.” (John 8:10-11). Grace. A gift not deserved but freely given. The woman is not innocent or why else would Jesus say, “do not sin anymore”? She may have escaped a mob stoning but she was surely still facing some significant complications in life. Jesus did not rescue her completely from the consequences of her actions. What he did offer her was forgiveness and the restoration of her dignity. “I am not going to accuse you either.” 

Next time the media serves up another COVID-19 villain, before we join the mob clamouring for retribution, perhaps we should take a moment to draw in the dirt. Is it so black and white? Do we know all the facts? Are we so confident in our own self-righteousness that we can sit in judgement over others? Is that what we would want if the situation was reversed? Or would we beg for mercy? Would we hope for the gift of grace? Come to think of it, none of us is perfect.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8)

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain

Last week, our third term commenced very smoothly until the evening of Thursday 15 July when we found ourselves in restricted circumstances once again in Victoria. I thank all families for the continued support of our students and our school during this period of time. Like everyone, I very much look forward to the return of students and staff to our campuses as soon as it is permissible.

I wish to draw attention to a few recent publications: (1) the most recent edition of our school community magazine, Communitas; (2) the St Paul’s 2020 Annual Report; and (3) this week’s article in The Age newspaper entitled Schools that Excel: St Paul’s a Country Star.

1. Communitas
The most recent edition of Communitas can be found at: Communitas Issue 3

2. Annual Report
The School’s 2020 Annual Report is available on our website using the following link: St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School 2020 Annual Report

3. Schools that Excel: St Paul’s a Country Star
We are honoured and grateful to be named recently as The Age’s ‘2021 Schools that Excel’ winner among non-government schools in rural or regional Victoria. Congratulations to all students for their commitment to pursuing their potential, each family for their support, and our teachers for their care and expertise over many years to place us in this position. The article can be viewed at: The Age – Schools that Excel

Cameron Herbert
Principal