Traralgon Junior School

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

On return to school last week, students and staff participated in ‘Crazy Hair and Outfit Day’. It was fabulous to see everyone back at school together and there were smiles and excitement as students arrived dressed up and eager for some fun. Not only was it a lovely way to return to school, it also was an opportunity to support Wildlife Victoria and as a Junior School ,we raised just over $350. Thank you to our SRC for organising this fundraiser.

Our Years 3 and 4 classes have enjoyed their visit to Waratah Beach Camp this week and have many stories to share about their adventures. Students have stepped out of their comfort zones and engaged in lots of activities with courage, resilience and a desire to make the most from their camp experience. Thank you to our teachers for organising such a terrific camp opportunity and for taking care of students.

Panasonic Japan offers educational activities to primary schools globally. Luckily our Year 5 students at St Paul’s have had the online incursion since 2013 and again participated this week. Year 5 students really enjoyed learning about eco batteries and how to make their own batteries. The incursion was delivered in Japanese from Panasonic Japan through V2 conference software and also focused on Science and Art skills. We are very lucky indeed to provide this activity for our students with only four primary schools in Australia participating in the lessons so far. Thank you to Mr Shinya Takusari for his organisation of this event.

Families are thanked for their patience and cooperation as we work through each event on the calendar and advise which ones are able to go ahead and which events need to be rescheduled. Please note that the Year 6 HUSH Education session for parents and students has been rescheduled to later in the term and further details will be available soon. Week 6 is Science Week and students will be engaging in a range of special activities during this week but we are unable to host our Special Friends event at this time. Once COVID-19 restrictions ease further we will plan for another opportunity to share our learning with Special Friends. Swimming lessons for our Years 1 and 2 students have been locked in for Weeks 7 and 8. Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs) are scheduled for Week 7 and bookings will be available shortly where details regarding Zoom and face-to-face meetings explained.

Our carpark is busy and I would like to remind parents to be mindful of our young people and to be extra careful when parking and driving through the school grounds. Where possible please back into car parking spaces and follow the reduced speed limit. Please also note that when accessing the school and Ford Swim Centre, right-hand turns are not permissible to the side road.

Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School

 

WHAT’S ON

AUGUST
10 August  Hush Education Year 6 Parent Session (to be rescheduled)
11 August  HUSH Education Positive Relationships Year 6 (to be rescheduled)
12 August  Preps 100 Days of School
16 August  Science Week
17 August  Special Friends Day (cancelled)
23 August  Book Week
Years 1 and 2 Swimming, Week 1 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday)
25 August  Parent Student Teacher Interviews
Book Character Parade
26 August  Division Basketball (tbc)
Parent Student Teacher Interviews
30 August  Years 1 and 2 Swimming, Week 2 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday)
Year 5 Market Day
31 August  Division Athletics (tbc)

* 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

 

ANXIETY IN YOUR CHILD

A seminar with Dr Justin Coulson
Wednesday 8 September 2021, 7:30 pm

Anxiety has become one of the leading causes of ill-health in our children. And it is also affecting more parents than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated what was already an accelerating problem.

Can we stop anxiety? Where is it coming from? Are our kids bubble-wrapped snowflakes that just need to “toughen up” and get over it? Or is there an approach to our children’s anxiety that can build them, encourage them, and give them hope?  This webinar will provide the answers every parent needs to help their children – and even to help themselves.

Over the course of ninety minutes, Dr Justin Coulson will help you to:
•  Recognise anxiety in your child and know how best to respond when anxiety flares up
•  Become a supportive hope-giver to your child to empower him/her to be courageous in the face of anxious thoughts
•  Uncover the research-based number one strength your child can develop to combat anxiety and develop remarkable resilience
•  Identify how your own anxieties could be affecting your child and know how to manage them
•  Learn proven strategies to help both you and your child navigate and manage anxiety when things get stressful

Once you have participated in this webinar, you will have strategies that you can put into practice on the spot to help curb anxiety, build confidence and restore resilience in your child. And if you struggle with anxiety yourself, you will be changed.

NOTE: this is a live webinar but a link will be available for seven days after the event.

Please use this unique link to register as a St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School family, https://happyfamiliesfamilyeducation.ac-page.com/st-pauls-anglican-grammar-school-anxiety-in-your-child

EQUESTRIAN UPDATE

In Term 3 St Paul’s has been fortunate to gain access to a guest speaker from Pryde’s EasiFeed to run a Nutrition Education Seminar for our Equestrian team. The seminar will run in the St Paul’s Science Centre Lecture Theatre, Warragul Campus, followed by dinner at the Warragul Country Club.

This event is scheduled for Monday 23 August, commencing at 4:30 pm and concluding at 8:00 pm. It is available to students across all campuses (starting time allows travel).

Further information will be released to families via Consent2Go shortly.

St Paul’s Equestrian team members have also been out and about competing recently. Tahlia Pursell, Kate Joyce and Georgia Joyce recently competed in the Boneo Interschool Combined Training Day.

Tahlia Pursell competing in the Combined Training competition in Boneo recently.

Tahlia Pursell
•  Third place in the Senior Preliminary Dressage Competition
•  Seventh place in the Senior Combined Training Competition
Kate Joyce
•  Fourth place in the Primary Dressage Competition
•  Fourth place in the 80 centimetre Primary Combined Training Competition
Georgia Joyce
•  Sixth place in the Primary Dressage Competition
•  Seventh place in the 80 centimetre Primary Combined Training Competition

Well done girls! Best of luck to all our team members competing over the coming weeks.

Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport – Warragul Campus

 

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 2021All 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 Chaplain

HEPTATHLONS AND HUMAN DIGNITY It has been about five years since I thought about Heptathlons. No, this is not some strange confession of a closet …

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HEPTATHLONS AND HUMAN DIGNITY

It has been about five years since I thought about Heptathlons. No, this is not some strange confession of a closet sports addict. It is a product of the Olympic effect. Every four, or in this case, five years, our televisions and news feeds are saturated with sporting events that some of us did not even know existed. And we get right on board! This is why I found myself sitting up late at night engrossed in an athletic event that had not even crossed my mind since the last Olympics. Humans are remarkably adaptable and have an incredible ability to embrace as normal that which, only yesterday, was new and surprising. Some things, like the Olympic Heptathlons, will come and go with little lasting impact. Other changes have more lasting effects. Wearing a mask no longer seems strange to me and in fact, I am now more likely to react in surprise to someone not wearing one in the supermarket. Masks have become a part of life and will probably remain that way for some time.

I asked students in my Year 10 classes recently to say whether they agreed with this quote from author, Marty Rubin, “Every human life has infinite value and to destroy even one is a crime against all humanity.” While there was some debate over the second part of the quote, the majority of students said they agreed that every human life has infinite value. This should not be surprising, given that so much of our societal values, laws and ethics are based on this fundamental assumption. The notable thing was not that so many students agreed with the statement but that all the students struggled to explain why they held this view. In some ways this is to be expected. These are complex ideas which most fifteen or sixteen-year-olds lack the life experience and the vocabulary to confidently discuss. But it also reflects a broader societal struggle that is taking place. As the language of secular humanism continues to dominate public discourse, certain concepts such as the intrinsic value and dignity of all human beings, are being unhitched from their foundations – in this case, the idea that all humans are made in the image of God. And it is becoming more and more apparent that it isn’t going so well. As Australian historian Dr John Dickson puts it, “For two thousand years western cultures have grown used to thinking of human beings as bearing God’s image and therefore as possessing inestimable and equal worth. Now that such “God talk” makes many of us awkward, we struggle to find coherent ways to express the same lofty view of humanity.” (Bullies and Saints p.36)

I do not think it matters that in a week’s time I will have forgotten all about Heptathlons. My life has not really been profoundly changed by them. But I am pretty sure it does matter that we understand just how much we have embraced a Christian worldview in the way we value each other before we dismiss it as outdated and irrelevant. It can be hard to explain to a brash young student why Christian studies is important and they may not always be convinced. But it is one of the reasons why I am so passionate about teaching Christian Studies. Because I too think that all people possess inestimable and equal worth, and I want them to know why we can so confidently make such a claim. I want them to understand that, to borrow the words of John Dickson again, “If you think that every human life is infinitely valuable, regardless of capacity or usefulness, then you’ve been influenced by the Bible’s teaching about the ‘image of God’”.

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain

From the Principal

After enjoying nine days of relative normality since the return of all students on 28 July, we once again find ourselves in a period of …

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From the Principal

After enjoying nine days of relative normality since the return of all students on 28 July, we once again find ourselves in a period of lockdown. Like most people in regional Victoria, I am very disappointed and to some extent frustrated about this, but I do thank everyone for enduring the circumstances with what is becoming customary forbearance and acceptance.

Throughout the school, irrespective of the context, learning and associated activity continues. This is a particularly busy term for our VCE students and teachers, but there has been a great deal happening in every sub-school, as can be gleaned from this week’s Grammarian articles by our four Heads of School.

Next week, the Chaplains and I will be participating in the Anglican Schools Australia National Conference. Originally planned to be held in Melbourne last year, the event was deferred and changed to be a ‘virtual’ conference. There are well over 100 Anglican Schools in Australia and while we won’t be able to gather together physically as usual, we have been encouraged to participate virtually in small local groups if possible. Consequently, our Chaplains have arranged to join up with the Chaplains from Gippsland Grammar for part of the event. Topics to be covered during the conference include Anglican Identity in Action, Forming Learning Communities of Faith and Justice, and The Roles Young People Play in International Climate Negotiations. We look forward to sharing a few pearls of wisdom from the conference in the next edition of the Grammarian.

Cameron Herbert
Principal

 

Traralgon Secondary School

From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School, Mr Brad McCabe. Subject Selection and Career Advice If you did not study yourself under the VCE structure, …

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Traralgon Secondary School

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

Subject Selection and Career Advice
If you did not study yourself under the VCE structure, there could be quite a bit to learn as a parent. So, to help our Year 10 families who are about to start this journey, I have put together information that may be helpful, with some links to further resources, plus some tips on what has worked with students when it comes to guiding them with subject selection.

For current Year 10 families, now is the time to start having a discussion with your child on what they might like to do after Year 12. If they are thinking they want to go to university then prerequisite subjects need to be considered. Therefore, Year 11 subject selection is important as the subjects that are chosen, feed through to Year 12, particularly for the more advanced maths and science subjects.

It can seem daunting when your Year 10 child does not know what they want to study at university or what to do when they finish Year 12; you are not alone. Comprehensive Year 10 Career Wise testing, course counselling and career advice can help students hone in on suitable future career paths.

When it comes to subject selection, my advice to students is to:
•  Choose subjects they enjoy.
•  Choose subjects they are good at.
•  Think about what activities or hobbies they enjoy.
•  Consider keeping maths at the highest level that is appropriate for them if they are still not sure what they want to do.
•  Consider keeping a science subject if they think they may need it as a prerequisite for a university course.
•  Consider if the subject will require significant additional work time just so they can keep up and how that could impact other subjects.
•  Consider the total workload of the subjects they choose.
•  Do not consider scaling as part of their decision-making process.
•  Seek career counselling advice.
•  Review data from Career Wise Testing to help make informed decisions.

Here are two links to two separate career tests to help determine what jobs may best suit a student’s skills and interests.

What career is right for me?  www.whatcareerisrightforme.com
Skillsroad  www.skillsroad.com.au
Brad McCabe
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

 

WHAT’S ON

AUGUST
8 August  Mary Poppins Jr Rehearsal, 9:30 am (postponed)
9 August  Mary Poppins Jr Rehearsal, 3:30 pm (online)
10 August  Year 9 into Year 10 Course Counselling, 1:30 pm (online)
Mary Poppins Jr Rehearsal, 3:30 pm (online)
12 August  Mary Poppins Jr Rehearsal, 3:30 pm (online)
13 August  Year 9 into Year 10 Subject Selections Due, 3:10 pm

* 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

 

ANXIETY IN YOUR CHILD

A seminar with Dr Justin Coulson
Wednesday 8 September 2021, 7:30 pm

Anxiety has become one of the leading causes of ill-health in our children. And it is also affecting more parents than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated what was already an accelerating problem.

Can we stop anxiety? Where is it coming from? Are our kids bubble-wrapped snowflakes that just need to “toughen up” and get over it? Or is there an approach to our children’s anxiety that can build them, encourage them, and give them hope?  This webinar will provide the answers every parent needs to help their children – and even to help themselves.

Over the course of ninety minutes, Dr Justin Coulson will help you to:
•  Recognise anxiety in your child and know how best to respond when anxiety flares up
•  Become a supportive hope-giver to your child to empower him/her to be courageous in the face of anxious thoughts
•  Uncover the research-based number one strength your child can develop to combat anxiety and develop remarkable resilience
•  Identify how your own anxieties could be affecting your child and know how to manage them
•  Learn proven strategies to help both you and your child navigate and manage anxiety when things get stressful.

Once you have participated in this webinar, you will have strategies that you can put into practice on the spot to help curb anxiety, build confidence and restore resilience in your child. And if you struggle with anxiety yourself, you will be changed.

NOTE: this is a live webinar but a link will be available for seven days after the event.

Please use this unique link to register as a St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School family, https://happyfamiliesfamilyeducation.ac-page.com/st-pauls-anglican-grammar-school-anxiety-in-your-child

EQUESTRIAN UPDATE

In Term 3 St Paul’s has been fortunate to gain access to a guest speaker from Pryde’s EasiFeed to run a Nutrition Education Seminar for our Equestrian team. The seminar will run in the St Paul’s Science Centre Lecture Theatre, Warragul Campus, followed by dinner at the Warragul Country Club.

This event is scheduled for Monday 23 August, commencing at 4:30 pm and concluding at 8:00 pm. It is available to students across all campuses (starting time allows travel).

Further information will be released to families via Consent2Go shortly.

St Paul’s Equestrian team members have also been out and about competing recently. Tahlia Pursell, Kate Joyce and Georgia Joyce recently competed in the Boneo Interschool Combined Training Day.

Tahlia Pursell competing in the Combined Training competition in Boneo recently.

Tahlia Pursell
•  Third place in the Senior Preliminary Dressage Competition
•  Seventh place in the Senior Combined Training Competition
Kate Joyce
•  Fourth place in the Primary Dressage Competition
•  Fourth place in the 80 centimetre Primary Combined Training Competition
Georgia Joyce
•  Sixth place in the Primary Dressage Competition
•  Seventh place in the 80 centimetre Primary Combined Training Competition

Well done girls! Best of luck to all our team members competing over the coming weeks.

Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport – Warragul Campus

 

YEAR 10 CONFERENCE REFLECTION

At first, I was a bit disappointed. I was going to miss out on my third camp in a row. This meant I would lose any possibility to make new connections with the kids I was going to be going to school with next year. I thought that the whole experience of the conference would be so much less appealing because of the circumstance. But I was wrong, in several cases.

Yes, I was missing a physical camp where I would go away and make friends but I still got to experience a camp like no other. The interactive course where we learnt about making our VCE subject selections and got to create a short podcast episode was more than exciting.

The conference gave me guidance in the type of subjects I want to pick for next year and provided a fun experience to produce a podcast that I was proud of.  Nikita Buhagiar and I co-hosted the podcast with our guest Molly Cargill, while Ben Clark and Lachlan Reidy worked hard to create cover art and construct the podcast in a professional way.
Altogether, I really enjoyed the camp experience and I know many others found it equally as fun.

Alannah Rogalsky
Year 10 Student

 

SPORT NEWS

Year 10 Sport Science and Coaching
As part of the Year 10 Sport Science and Coaching elective, students were asked in pairs to design a game that they had to teach the rest of the class. They were required to write a lesson plan that included equipment and rules. One student was the instructor and the other was the coach.

A combination of tennis and soccer.

A combination of tennis and basketball.

A fitness circuit.

This activity is designed to assist the students to write their own lesson plan and coach the class in their respective sport.

Term 3 Sport
Make sure to keep an eye out on your MyStPauls Sport page to get the latest updates, unfortunately there can changes due to COVID-19.

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 2021All 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.

 

Warragul Secondary School

From the Head of Warragul Secondary School, Mrs Leonie Clark. Celebrating friendship to unite the team Last Friday marked the ‘International Day of Friendship’ and …

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Warragul Secondary School

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

Celebrating friendship to unite the team
Last Friday marked the ‘International Day of Friendship’ and this was a timely reminder and the perfect moment to reflect upon the meaning of friendship to our students at St Paul’s. What does it mean to be a good friend? How can we promote healthy friendships in our adolescents? Also, how we can assist our children to manage and express feelings in a mutually considerate and productive manner that promotes respect and compassion when things are not going quite so well.  Our Australian Women’s Olympic Swimming Team has certainly encapsulated the ‘power of lifting each other up’ in Tokyo and has united to ensure that everyone in the team benefits from love, support, respect and care for each other during the race, for both personal and team success. The competition has certainly brought about the very best in each Olympian, as each competitor has genuinely cared for and warmly celebrated the successes of each other even though, at times, they actually competed against each other for gold.

For adolescents, friendships are ‘everything’. At a time when they are developing their independence and personal values, occasionally questioning the values of the family; an adolescent places far greater significance on the relationships they form with their peers than those of their family. This natural pulling away from the family in order to prepare their parents for the inevitable departure from the nest, can cause much angst and disharmony in households. The friends your child makes throughout their secondary school years are imperative to building their social skills.  They also allow our children/adolescents the opportunities to develop an independent ability to navigate complex social networks and landscapes as they work out their place in the world and how they might express their feelings and react as they mature into adulthood.

We are our child’s most significant role models. Our children are watching our every move and will generally model their behaviours towards each other based on what they have seen and heard at home. If we continue to ensure that our homes are places where supportive, respectful and kind conversations about others are promoted, then our children will learn to value and consider the perspectives of others, to speak kindly of others and reach out to lift and support others in times of need, even when things are not going quite so well.

Conversations with our children across the kitchen bench, in the car or at the dinner table, allow us to capture their attention and provide an opportunity for positive teachable moments. Many a time I have used the ‘drive in the car’ to encourage my own children to share their experiences. These can be and continue to be invaluable in reaffirming the importance of listening with care and compassion to others, to empathise and understand that not everyone has the same values and to promote tolerance and acceptance as key values that underpin all relationships, not only at school but in the world of work in the future.

Likewise, as children mature it is also important that we teach our adolescents to express their feelings, to clear the air with a friend or other interpersonal relationships by explaining and communicating that “…it hurt me when you said…” or “…I don’t like it when you…because it makes me feel…”. Allowing our children to clearly express themselves, to understand their feelings and to articulate their concerns or friendship difficulties is just as important as teaching them how to be a good friend. Nothing good ever comes from bottling things up or from simply blocking someone with no explanation on social media.

A good friend is someone who walks beside you through all of life’s ups and the downs, someone who is completely trustworthy, someone who will respect you and not turn others against you or talk behind your back. A good friend is someone who makes you a better person and who has your best interests at heart. A good friend is also someone who can, when necessary, be brutally honest with you and with whom you can have an open and respectful conversation, if things are not going well.  The most important thing to remember about adolescent friendships is that they do change and evolve. As an adolescent reaffirms their values and understands the importance and significance of seeking like-minded friendships/supports, they may choose other people to support them as their ‘crew’ in their final years at school. Allowing your child the space to ask some reflective questions such as, “What did I learn from this friendship?” or “What qualities should I look for in a good friend?”, are important to consider to foster personal and social development in our children. These experiences are all very normal and part of the natural maturation process as long as we as the guiding adults assist our children to work through this process with care, respect and compassion for the feelings of other children and the fragility that adolescence often brings.

At St Paul’s we hope that our students speak kindly and respectfully about each other, while allowing them the space and safety to explore different friendships with open and honest communication. We know that cohorts that are united, supportive and cohesive perform better in all aspects of their social and academic pursuits. We know that our students will take the friendships and connections that they make at St Paul’s into their adult lives. Therefore, is it imperative that we continue to empower all of our students to make healthy and supportive connections, to lift each other up and celebrate the little wins, to manage their friendships respectfully and with compassion. Much as the Olympic Women’s Swimming Team has done in Tokyo, we wish our students every success as they support each other and accept each other for the unique gifts and talents they individually bring to our community.

Enjoying friendship at Year 8 camp earlier this year.

There are many resources available for both parents and students at the following site to assist you and your child to explore a range of topics and situations in relation to friendships in adolescence, https://au.reachout.com/

Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews (PSTIs) Years 7 to 12
PSTIs, Session 1, via Zoom, Wednesday 18 August, 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm
PSTIs, Session 2, Traditional face-to-face interviews in the gymnasium, Tuesday 24 August, 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Our first evening of PSTIs is fast approaching. The first evening, a Zoom interview evening, is scheduled for Wednesday 18 August from 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Communication will be sent to families and similarly to our previous PSTIs, you will have the opportunity to book and meet with your child’s teachers on Zoom.

To prepare for your Zoom meeting with individual staff, parents/guardians are encouraged to set aside a quiet space with their child and minimise distractions.

At this stage we are still hoping to offer an evening of face-to-face interviews with our families in the school gymnasium during the second scheduled evening of PSTIs on Tuesday 24 August 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The face-to-face PSTIs will be subject to any restrictions and we would dearly love to see our families in person. Please note that we may need to change the mode of delivery to Zoom meetings a few days out from the evening and are subject to any restrictions. We sincerely thank our families for their patience and ongoing support throughout this period of much change and uncertainty. Whatever the future brings, the PSTIs will occur on the evenings above and we would love to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress.

Senior Semi-Formal update
We remain hopeful that we can bring our students a Senior Semi-Formal experience on Friday 3 September and host it ‘in-house’ rather than at an external venue which may be subject to capacity limitations. The Junior School has very kindly offered us their gymnasium for the evening and we have exciting plans to transform the space into a ‘glittering’ venue suitable for a semi-formal event. We will serve freshly baked woodfired pizzas, prepared onsite by professionals and safely served by our staff throughout the event. Our ability to host and run this occasion is still subject to an easing of restrictions in the coming weeks. Should we need to cancel this event we will refund the cost of tickets purchased to our families. Although, a variation on the original plan, we do hope that our proposed changes for the evening will allow the event to proceed. We know that this is a highly anticipated social occasion for our senior students, many of whom have excitedly purchased tickets. Fingers crossed restrictions continue to ease and this fabulous event will still proceed, albeit at school.

House Cultural Day Tuesday 10 August
With the inability to gather large groups at present, we have made the very difficult decision to cancel our much-loved House Cultural Day. Instead, it will be a regular teaching day for all staff and students. We know that our students and particularly our Year 11 and Year 12 students will be appreciative of the extra day of teaching this will enable.

Mrs Leonie Clark
Head of Warragul Secondary School

 

WHAT’S ON

AUGUST
6 August  VCE Subject Selections Due, 3:30 pm
9 August  Year 9 into Year 10 2022 Course Counselling Sessions (online)
12 August  GAT (postponed, new date to be announced)
Warragul Campus Studio Concert, Science Lecture Theatre, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (postponed)
13 August  Gymnastics Training, Warragul Gymnastics Centre, 6:40 am to 9:00 am (tbc)
Years 7 and 8, 2022 Subject Selections Due
14 to 22 August  Science Week
18 August  Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium – Dance Studio, 6:55 am to 8:30 am
Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs), Years 7 to 12, Session 1, via Zoom
19 August  Cycling Team Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium, 6:45 am to 8:15 am
Junior SEISA Carnival Day, Newhaven College
20 August  Gymnastics Training, Warragul Gymnastics Centre, 6:40 am to 9:00 am
Year 7 2022 Friendship Morning, Year 7 Building (tbc)

* 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.

 

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/

 

IMPORTANT BUS SERVICES NOTIFICATION

Warragul Regional Bus Network

Please be advised of the following bus networks outages, Warragul Bus Network will not operate on the following dates due to Warragul Regional College having pupil free professional development days:
Monday 16 August 2021
Friday 17 September 2021

This affects all buses which interchange at Warragul Regional College, please ensure you have alternate travel arrangements in place on these days.
St Paul’s Private bus network will all run as normal, with the exception of Bus 3.  Please ensure you have alternate travel arrangements in place on these days.

ANXIETY IN YOUR CHILD

A seminar with Dr Justin Coulson
Wednesday 8 September 2021, 7:30 pm

Anxiety has become one of the leading causes of ill-health in our children. And it is also affecting more parents than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated what was already an accelerating problem.

Can we stop anxiety? Where is it coming from? Are our kids bubble-wrapped snowflakes that just need to “toughen up” and get over it? Or is there an approach to our children’s anxiety that can build them, encourage them, and give them hope?  This webinar will provide the answers every parent needs to help their children – and even to help themselves.

Over the course of ninety minutes, Dr Justin Coulson will help you to:
•  Recognise anxiety in your child and know how best to respond when anxiety flares up
•  Become a supportive hope-giver to your child to empower him/her to be courageous in the face of anxious thoughts
•  Uncover the research-based number one strength your child can develop to combat anxiety and develop remarkable resilience
•  Identify how your own anxieties could be affecting your child and know how to manage them
•  Learn proven strategies to help both you and your child navigate and manage anxiety when things get stressful.

Once you have participated in this webinar, you will have strategies that you can put into practice on the spot to help curb anxiety, build confidence and restore resilience in your child. And if you struggle with anxiety yourself, you will be changed.

NOTE: this is a live webinar but a link will be available for seven days after the event.

Please use this unique link to register as a St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School family, https://happyfamiliesfamilyeducation.ac-page.com/st-pauls-anglican-grammar-school-anxiety-in-your-child

2022 SUBJECT SELECTIONS

Years 7 and 8 students need to finalise their subject selections and submit them online by 3:30 pm on Friday 13 August.

Students must check their emails for the email titled ‘2022 Subject Choices’. This email contains their login code for ‘Web Preferences’. Parents, please be aware that this email comes to your child’s school email inbox and they can follow the instructions and select their subjects once they open the link. Please ensure you discuss your child’s subject selections with them before they submit their choices.

Age Percy
Director of Studies

 

YEAR 9 FAMILY LEGACY DISPLAYS

On 30 July, the Year 9 students delved into our families’ pasts; discovered secrets, learnt fascinating stories and even found distant relatives within the cohort (it’s true!). This delightful day was all born from the Thinking and Learning individual research project: ‘Curating the Past‘.

After eight weeks of thorough planning and preparing at school (through two lockdowns!) and during the holidays, we created a detailed visual presentation for our classmates and teachers to view. Our Principal, Mr Herbert and many staff came to have a look. The colourful presentations brought life to the Year 9 Centre last Friday afternoon and smiles to everyone’s faces, even behind our masks. Our project consisted of this presentation as well as an enticing interview with a family member from an older generation. This gave us the opportunity to search deep into our family history and discover stories about our ancestral heritage; an opportunity that we may not have taken otherwise.

This project has been vital for our generation, as our families’ heritage is in our hands. We are the ones who can keep our history alive and we, the Year 9 students, are very grateful to continue these legacies.
Keisha Fernando and Annalisa Baxter
Year 9 Students

 

SPORT NEWS

TERM 3 SPORT CALENDAR
Make sure to keep an eye out on your MyStPauls Sport page to get the latest updates, unfortunately there can be changes due to COVID-19.

EQUESTRIAN UPDATE
In Term 3 St Paul’s has been fortunate to gain access to a guest speaker from Pryde’s EasiFeed to run a Nutrition Education Seminar for our Equestrian team. The seminar will run in the St Paul’s Science Centre Lecture Theatre, Warragul Campus, followed by dinner at the Warragul Country Club.

This event is scheduled for Monday 23 August, commencing at 4:30 pm and concluding at 8:00 pm. It is available to students across all campuses (starting time allows travel).

Further information will be released to families via Consent2Go shortly.

St Paul’s Equestrian team members have also been out and about competing recently. Tahlia Pursell, Kate Joyce and Georgia Joyce recently competed in the Boneo Interschool Combined Training Day.

Tahlia Pursell competing in the Combined Training competition in Boneo recently.

Tahlia Pursell
•  Third place in the Senior Preliminary Dressage Competition
•  Seventh place in the Senior Combined Training Competition
Kate Joyce
•  Fourth place in the Primary Dressage Competition
•  Fourth place in the 80 centimetre Primary Combined Training Competition
Georgia Joyce
•  Sixth place in the Primary Dressage Competition
•  Seventh place in the 80 centimetre Primary Combined Training Competition

Well done girls! Best of luck to all our team members competing over the coming weeks.

Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport – Warragul Campus

 

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 2021All 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.

Warragul Junior School

From the Head of Warragul Junior School, Mr Rowan van Raay. I must say that it has been wonderful to have our students back on …

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Warragul Junior School

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

I must say that it has been wonderful to have our students back on campus once again. Students are settling back into routine and have enjoyed catching up with their teachers and friends. Restrictions are still pretty tight and I once again thank families for their understanding and patience as we navigate through these.

Our Years 3 to 6 Soirée and Book Fair have been moved to Term 4, while at this stage we are continuing with our plans for the Junior School Musical. Some school events are proving difficult to confirm with many requiring us to modify, postpone or cancel them. We will continue to keep families up to date the best we can.

We have enjoyed keeping up to date with the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Our display in the foyer has been decorated by the students and we are keeping a tally of all the medals won. Our athletes are doing an amazing job. To celebrate and continue the Olympic spirit, we will be holding our own Mini Olympics in the coming weeks, families will receive a new notice about this soon. Students will participate in a range of ‘Olympic themed’ activities, which they will rotate through with their year level groups (Prep to Year 2, Years 3 and 4 and, Years 5 and 6). On the day, students are invited to come dressed as their favourite athlete or sporting team. We are looking forward to a great day of camaraderie, friendly competition and team spirit!

On Monday, we were delighted to welcome Club House Boot Camp as our new Before and After School Care provider for ELC and Junior School families. Their staff are very excited to be joining the St Paul’s community and I encourage families to visit their website, www.clubhousebootcamp.com.au for further information and to register (flyer at the end of this newsletter). Families who are already enrolled through their holiday program do not need to re-enrol. Operating hours and venue (Prideaux Centre) will remain the same:
•  Before School Care – 6:45 am to 8:45 am
•  After School Care – 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

 

WHAT’S ON

AUGUST
9 August  Warragul Junior School Mini Olympics (postponed)
11 August
  Years 5 and 6 Winter Round Robin (postponed)
Years 3 and 4 Hoop Time (postponed)
17 August  Years 3 to 6 Soirée (postponed)
18 August  Years 5 and 6 Hoop Time  (postponed)
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
8 September  Dr Justin Coulson – Online Seminar (Anxiety in Your Child), 7:30 pm
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/

 

IMPORTANT BUS SERVICES NOTIFICATION

Warragul Regional Bus Network

Please be advised of the following bus networks outages, Warragul Bus Network will not operate on the following dates due to Warragul Regional College having pupil free professional development days:
Monday 16 August 2021
Friday 17 September 2021

This affects all buses which interchange at Warragul Regional College, please ensure you have alternate travel arrangements in place on these days.
St Paul’s Private bus network will all run as normal, with the exception of Bus 3.  Please ensure you have alternate travel arrangements in place on these days.

 

ANXIETY IN YOUR CHILD

A seminar with Dr Justin Coulson
Wednesday 8 September 2021, 7:30 pm

Anxiety has become one of the leading causes of ill-health in our children. And it is also affecting more parents than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated what was already an accelerating problem.

Can we stop anxiety? Where is it coming from? Are our kids bubble-wrapped snowflakes that just need to “toughen up” and get over it? Or is there an approach to our children’s anxiety that can build them, encourage them, and give them hope?  This webinar will provide the answers every parent needs to help their children – and even to help themselves.

Over the course of ninety minutes, Dr Justin Coulson will help you to:
•  Recognise anxiety in your child and know how best to respond when anxiety flares up
•  Become a supportive hope-giver to your child to empower him/her to be courageous in the face of anxious thoughts
•  Uncover the research-based number one strength your child can develop to combat anxiety and develop remarkable resilience
•  Identify how your own anxieties could be affecting your child and know how to manage them
•  Learn proven strategies to help both you and your child navigate and manage anxiety when things get stressful.

Once you have participated in this webinar, you will have strategies that you can put into practice on the spot to help curb anxiety, build confidence and restore resilience in your child. And if you struggle with anxiety yourself, you will be changed.

NOTE: this is a live webinar but a link will be available for seven days after the event.

Please use this unique link to register as a St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School family, https://happyfamiliesfamilyeducation.ac-page.com/st-pauls-anglican-grammar-school-anxiety-in-your-child

EQUESTRIAN UPDATE

In Term 3 St Paul’s has been fortunate to gain access to a guest speaker from Pryde’s EasiFeed to run a Nutrition Education Seminar for our Equestrian team. The seminar will run in the St Paul’s Science Centre Lecture Theatre, Warragul Campus, followed by dinner at the Warragul Country Club.

This event is scheduled for Monday 23 August, commencing at 4:30 pm and concluding at 8:00 pm. It is available to students across all campuses (starting time allows travel).

Further information will be released to families via Consent2Go shortly.

St Paul’s Equestrian team members have also been out and about competing recently. Tahlia Pursell, Kate Joyce and Georgia Joyce recently competed in the Boneo Interschool Combined Training Day.

Tahlia Pursell competing in the Combined Training competition in Boneo recently.

Tahlia Pursell
•  Third place in the Senior Preliminary Dressage Competition
•  Seventh place in the Senior Combined Training Competition
Kate Joyce
•  Fourth place in the Primary Dressage Competition
•  Fourth place in the 80 centimetre Primary Combined Training Competition
Georgia Joyce
•  Sixth place in the Primary Dressage Competition
•  Seventh place in the 80 centimetre Primary Combined Training Competition

Well done girls! Best of luck to all our team members competing over the coming weeks.

Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport – Warragul Campus

 

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 2021All 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.