“THE CONVERSATION”

Not that many years ago I remember sitting in a family life session at the Junior School with my eldest son.  As we sat there with all the other parents and children, trying hard not to giggle or look embarrassed as we learnt the proper names for male and female body parts, I remember thinking “I suspect these conversations are going to get a lot trickier in a few years”.  Now, as I find myself staring down the barrel of parenting an adolescent, I am incredibly grateful for the resources and support I know I can draw on as we continue to navigate the complex world of relationships, identity, love, sex and self-worth together.  While the role of the parent in these conversations is irreplaceable, we are not the only voices our children are listening to (and sometimes we are the last voices they want to hear from on these topics).  Our children hear all sorts of mixed messages about relationships and identity – many of them from the unfiltered free-for-all of online media.  It is important that parents partner with schools and other organisations to help our children to make sense of themselves and their relationships, and to empower them to make positive choices that show respect for others and for themselves.

As part of our ongoing pastoral program, St Paul’s is delighted to welcome presenters from the organisation ‘Real Talk Australia’ to facilitate seminars later this term with all students in Years 7 to 11.  As well as student sessions we will also be hosting a parent seminar titled ‘Safeguarding young people in a hypersexual digital world’.  The seminar will be held at the Miller’s Factory Year 9 Centre on Thursday 20 September from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  I would encourage you to consider attending.  While the material is aimed at parents of teenagers, the seminar is open to all parents.  This will be a great opportunity to further equip yourself for that moment when you need to have “the conversation” with your teenager.

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain

 

Traralgon Secondary School

From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School, Mr Stephen Klemke.   Visit from Hinode Gakuen On Thursday 16 and Friday 17 August we had a …

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Traralgon Secondary School

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

 

Visit from Hinode Gakuen
On Thursday 16 and Friday 17 August we had a lovely visit from our Japanese sister school, Hinode Gakuen.  Their teacher Akihiro Sasahara accompanied six delightful students.  I interviewed Akihiro for this newsletter.  He told me their first impression of Australia was the large distances and the beautiful views from the window of the car (views we perhaps take for granted).  He enjoyed our school assembly.  He was impressed that our assembly was student led and he thought it had a warm atmosphere.  In Japan students never speak at assembly.  He also wanted to impress upon me that the Traralgon visit was the students’ favourite part of the trip.  The hospitality of the host families was exceptional and he wanted to pass on his thanks.  As do I.  Thank you also to Christie Bransgrove (Local and International Community Relations), Rebecca Crossley (Head of LOTE) and Deborah Gatti for their effort in organising the visit.

Hinode Gakuen students with their host brothers and sisters.

A hand carved St Paul’s stamp presented to our school.

 

Junior School Book Week and Reading Hour
It was a delight for the Secondary School to be invited to read with the Junior School students.  Thank you to Susan O’Malley for organising the reading session.  Every time secondary students spend time with the junior students there is a tremendous warmth and camaraderie.  This was no exception.  Our students really did shine!

Mitchell Bellingham and Jack Riddle.

Parent Teacher Student Interviews
Interviews are scheduled from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm Wednesday 5 September and Tuesday 11 September.  Your child should have brought home the instructions and a list of their teachers.  The instructions have also been emailed. Bookings will open at 9:00 am, Monday 27 August.

Stephen Klemke
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

AUGUST
22 August to 26 August 
Snow Sports Camp, Mount Buller
27 August  Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs) bookings open 9:00 am
Year 9 2019 Information Evening, 7:00 pm
28 August  Bible Society Masterclass Excursion
29 August 
Years 8 and 9 2019 Subject Selections Due
31 August  Gymnastics Training, 7:00 am to 8:00 am
Year 9 Orienteering Excursion

SEPTEMBER
4 September
  Interschool Gymnastics Competition
5 September  Interschool Gymnastics Competition
Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs), 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm
6 September  SEISA Spring Carnival
7 September  Boho Friday, Lunchtime
9 September to 13 September  ESP AIS Tour
11 September  Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs), 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm
13 September  SEISA Dance
14 September  Footy Colours Day
17 to 21 September  Year 9 Urban Camp
21 September  St James Community Lunch Excursion
End of Term 3, 2:30 pm finish

 

 

 

THANK YOU

This week we have bid farewell to our final international delegation for 2018.  In the past few months we have welcomed a number of international visitors to every single campus at St Paul’s.
We have hosted:
• A group of fifty teachers from Saudi Arabia observing our teaching practices;
• Two staff and fifteen French students from our sister school Lycée Aimé Césaire;
• Two separate delegations from China, the Baw Baw Shire Jiujiang delegation in Warragul and a smaller delegation linked to the Latrobe City Council at the Traralgon Junior School;
• Two individual students from our sister school Chikushi in Japan; and
• A group of twenty-five students and three staff from our other Japanese sister school Hinode, at both the Warragul and Traralgon Secondary Campuses.

Throughout this time, over fifty school families have opened their homes to our international visitors and allowed them to authentically be part of life in an Australian family.  In every instance the exchange students were made to feel welcome and were given a once in a lifetime experience.  I hope the relationships that were built continue on in to the future and that you will always fondly remember your time as a host family.

I am so very grateful for your generosity, sense of humor and ability to go with the flow when required!  When I run programs like this I am constantly reminded that the families that make up St Paul’s are very special and incredibly kind.

It was a pleasure getting to know many of you and I look forward to working together again in the future.

Christie Bransgrove
Local and International Community Relations

 

 

BOHO FRIDAY

To raise funds for East Timor, Team Timor are organising Boho Friday on Friday 7 September during the secondary and junior lunchtimes in Room 3 of the Secondary School.  This event has been very successful in the past and is again open for students of all year levels.  We will be offering hair braiding, feather hair extensions, nail art, temporary tattoos and henna body art (from Year 3 upwards only).  Costs are between $2 and $5.  We will also have a fair trade stall, offering goods from $1 to $25.  If Junior School students are interested in the henna then please collect a permission form from the Junior or Secondary School office.  Please support us, as it will be a fun way of contributing to a great cause.

Kirsten Enders
Head of Years 9 and 10

Traralgon Campus

 

 

LIBRARY NEWS

STORY BOX LIBRARY
St Paul’s Library is delighted to offer you one month’s access to the education resource Story Box Library.  Your child can watch their favourite stories at home and in the classroom, read aloud by a diverse range of storytellers – sportspeople, musicians, grandparents, teenagers, comedians and actors from different cultures, each sharing past and present book titles.

To access Story Box Library at home:

  • Visit storyboxlibrary.com.au
  • Choose Log In from the top menu bar and click School & Early Childhood, Log In
  • Use the viewer username: stpaulsags
    password:  lovesreading
  • Enjoy the library of stories on any device with internet connection

Once logged in, navigate via top menu to ‘Stories’.  There is no need for any further registration.

We value your feedback on Story Box Library, please let teachers or the Library know what you think.  Access is until 15 September 2018.

Jo Menzies
Head of Libraries

BOOK WEEK

Last week was Book Week at the Traralgon Campus and on Wednesday we held a number of activities to celebrate!  In the morning, we held our annual book parade in the gymnasium.  Parents, staff and students enjoyed seeing everybody’s book character costumes.

During ‘Read aloud’ students from ELC to Year 10 spent time reading aloud to each other.  The afternoon finished off in the gymnasium with ‘The Reading Hour’ for Prep to Year 7 students.  Mr Herbert (with exceptional farm animal noises!) read ‘Farmer Cat’ one of his favourite picture story books.  Mrs Andrews read a short story from her recently published book ‘Beyond’.  Junior School staff, under the direction of Mr Treble, entertained students with a very funny performance of ‘Cinderella’!

On Monday we announced that Maya Gomez won $447.50 worth of chocolate money by making the closest guess.  The other competitions will be announced on Monday 27 August.

A big thank you to everyone for participating so enthusiastically on the day.

Susan O’Malley
Librarian

Students from 2S at the Book Character Parade.

Emma Farley and Isabella Slocombe reading aloud together.

Ryan Stockil dressed as ‘The Book With No Pictures’.

 

SPORT NEWS

Gymnastics
Our girls who will competing at the Interschool Gymnastics Competition being held next month at Altona have been training on Friday mornings in preparation for this day.  They have been attending training at 7:00 am for the past five weeks.  Our teams are combined with the gymnasts from the Warragul Campus.

Short Course Country Championships
Five of our ESP swimmers attended the Short Course Country Championships held at Wangaratta last weekend.  Qualifying times were required to attend this meet.  They all performed really well with some stand outs, in particular, Molly and Jordyn Cargill.  Molly competed in nine events where she received five gold and one bronze.  The highlight for her was nearly breaking the one minute barrier in the 100m Freestyle event.  Jordyn received seven gold and one bronze over the weekend.  The highlight was him winning the 400IM in the open event.  Tom Dowler got gold the 100m Freestyle event and achieved top five in all other events.  Zoe Dowler got silver in the 100m Breaststroke.  Caydence Bezzina competed in eight events and despite not placing in the top three, she achieved seven personal bests and she swam as bottom age. Her highlight was being ranked fifth in the 100m Breaststroke.  I also want to mention that Aidan Bell and Samuel Reid also attended and they did very well too.  Aidan achieved gold in the 100m Breaststroke and broke the minute mark in the 100m Freestyle.

Gippstar Awards Night
We had Molly and Jordyn Cargill and Jorja Halsall who now attends the Warragul Campus, attend the Gippstar Awards night a few weeks ago.

 

SEISA Intermediate Winter Sports
With four rounds completed our teams have been very competitive throughout.  We had our very first win with our Netball B team which was a highlight for the girls.  We have had our very first Senior Hockey Boys team compete in SEISA and they have played extremely well.  They have had one win and one draw.  With one round to go, our boys Soccer team, coached by Mr Klemke need to have a win against Gippsland Grammar to be guaranteed a finals berth.

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

 

 

 

Traralgon Junior School

From the Head of Traralgon Junior School, Mr Andy McNabb.   Dear Parents, It’s all hands on deck as we get to the really serious …

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Traralgon Junior School

From the Head of Traralgon Junior School,
Mr Andy McNabb.

 

Dear Parents,

It’s all hands on deck as we get to the really serious rehearsal sessions for the concert.  Everywhere I go around the school, groups of children are practising hard so that we are ready for next Thursday.  Do not forget to order your family ticket (no allocated seating) and to let us know how many people will be attending.

Our team of scone makers has created their own production line for the grandparents to enjoy on the morning of the concert.  A reminder that it is a 9:15 am start in the classrooms and then morning tea will be provided while the children get ready for our ‘matinee’ or final dress rehearsal at 11:00 am.  I anticipate Friday 31 August as being a fairly quiet day where staff and students recover after a very busy week!

We also have a number of other events coming up before the end of term and in their regular slot, Alanna and Nicholas will give you a few more details about Purple Day.

The View from the Classroom
It may seem like a few weeks away but Purple Day is coming soon!  On that day we can dress in anything purple (wear a top or even a bow in your hair) and help raise money for the Year 6 Relay for Life event which takes place in Term 4.  This will be held at lunchtime on Tuesday 18 September and there will be lots of fun activities.  In the past we have done things such as sponge throwing, frog in the pond, hand dipping in mud and lots of other fun activities.  All the money raised goes to the Cancer Council.  See you there on the day!

Over the last two weeks we have experienced Book Week, with another marvellous splash of colour and creativity on Wednesday morning at our Book Parade.  Well done to mums and dads who somehow keep coming up with incredible costumes.  The children looked fantastic and hopefully you saw some of the photos up on the St Paul’s Facebook page.  The Secondary School then came and shared some reading with our younger students and we finished the day with a picture book reading by Mr Herbert, a short story from one of our secondary teachers and then a dreadful retelling of Cinderella, courtesy of the staff.  Thanks again to Mrs O’Malley and Ms McNally for all their hard work which meant such a great day.

In assembly recently we have been able to share in some great individual performances, whether they be from the classroom or celebrating what has been done in local Eisteddfods.  We were also able to interview and congratulate our two RoboCup teams who attended the state finals last week.  The technical side of things is well beyond my capabilities but the students seem to thrive on it.  Many thanks to Ms Sellings for going on the day.  I could have attended but Ms Sellings actually understands what is going on and can help and guide when there are problems, great job, Ameli, Liv, Axel, Michael and Omkar for a fantastic effort up against about one hundred and eighty other teams.

On a less savoury note, this week, I met with all the boys in Years 3 to 6 about the toilets.  I will not go into all the details but we are having issues which mean that valuable resources are being used to clear up things which should not be happening.  If you have a boy in that age group, please talk with them about the issue which we regard as serious.  I have apologised to the vast majority of the boys who have absolutely no idea what I am talking about but we need this to stop, as it is damaging the fabric of the school and wasting valuable time.

Last week it was great to pop into the STEM Centre and see the wrapping (non musical) production line which was set up to help prepare the gifts for our FOSP Father’s Day Stall on Friday 31 August.  It was great to see so many of you present and many hands certainly made light work of the task.  The children will have a wonderful range of gifts to choose from at $5 each next Friday. Thanks everyone who turned up to help.

As I write, we are hosting the regional Vicspell competition here on campus.  Next time, we can report on the progress of our students.  It is always quite nerve wracking and I must admit, even as a good speller, I think I would go blank when standing up at the front.

We also completed our emergency drill for the term on Wednesday when we evacuated to the gymnasium.  This was good for us to see how we fitted in alongside the Secondary School.  Our ELC evacuated to the Salvation Army car park on this occasion.  In connection with this, thank you for noting our request from them that we no longer use their car park for drop off and pick up.  You may have noticed that a gate between the two properties has been installed and will just be opened for specific access and in emergencies.

Hopefully next week we will welcome Mr Reed back from his surgery.  We have not done too well with staff visiting the hospital in Term 3.  Ms Steendam is now much better and Mr Reed will return to slightly modified duties next week.  Hopefully that is the end of the illness and operations for now!

Now if you will excuse me, I need to get home and do some washing.  Jackie is currently in the UK and you would not believe how busy I am at home as well as school!

Andy McNabb
Head of Traralgon Junior School

 

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

AUGUST
28 August   ELC Fathers Evening (Pre-Kinder, 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm and Pre-Prep, 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm)
29 August  ELC Fathers Evening (Pre-Kinder, 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm)
30 August   Junior School Concert | Grandparents Day
31 August   Division Summer Sports, Basketball
FOSP Father’s Day Stall

SEPTEMBER
3 September 
ELC (Pre-Prep) Fathers Evening, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
4 September  Division Athletics
7 September  Years 3 to 6 Boho Friday, 1:30 pm to 2:20 pm
12 September  Year 5 Band Concert, Gymnasium, 2:40 pm
13 September  Year 3 String Concert, Gymnasium, 2:40 pm
14 September  Year 6 Pie and Footy Day (casual clothes day, your favourite footy colours)
18 September  Year 6 Purple Day (gold coin donation, casual clothes/anything purple)
19 September  Years 3 and 4 Camp Rumbug
Prep to Year 2 Swimming Carnival
21 September  End of Term 3, 2:30 pm

 

 

CLASS AWARDS

ELC
Leo for the planning and detail he is able to apply to work projects.
Estelle for her informative and interesting show and share.
Aarya for excellent ‘pre-reading’ skills involving pattern cards and designs.
Zeke for displaying excellent independent problem-solving skills.
Dermot for his increasing independence when making choices.
Ava for making great choices by herself.
Prep V
Jack for his clever work during addition activities.  Well done!
Prep S
Indi for being a confident reader and using lots of strategies to help work out new words.
Year 1F
Kallan for being a super successful speller!  Well done!
Melia for being a super successful speller!  Well done!
Year 2S
Thomas for being a ‘Maths wiz’ and sharing his strategies.
Amaya for amazing, detailed and thorough homework every week!
Year 2C
Thomas for his diligent approach to all homework tasks.
Year 3BH
Mason for his effort and enthusiasm towards narrative writing this week.
Year 3BD
Oscar for writing an exceptionally mature and moving narrative.
Year 4O
Kenuli for taking a risk and sharing her learning in front of her peer group.
Year 4/5W
5W for your enthusiasm and excellent behaviour whilst on camp at Sovereign Hill.
Year 6H
Alfred for revising his letter of complaint effectively.

 

 

ROBOCUP JUNIOR STATE COMPETITION, MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY

On Tuesday 14 August, twenty-five very excited and nervous students from St Paul’s made the early journey to Melbourne University to compete at the 2018 RoboCup Junior State Competition.   The students have been training for over two terms for this event programming, testing and rebuilding their robots to compete against one hundred and sixty-seven other teams from around the state.  When we arrived Wilson Hall was bustling with energy and enthusiasm as the children made their way to their setup tables and on to the rescue courses.

For most of the students this was their first experience competing at the state competition.  St Paul’s had five teams compete in the Riley Rover Division, one team in the Primary Division and four teams in the Secondary Division.  The teams comprised students from Years 5 through to Year 8 from Traralgon and Warragul Junior Schools and Warragul Secondary School.

The teams had to complete five rounds in a two minute time limit, their robots navigating their way around the black line, around obstacles, over speed humps, to rescue the victim from the chemical spill.  Each course setup increased in difficulty each round.  Some of the robots performed extremely well, while others experienced slight glitches, in need of some modifications and adjustments to their programming.  The students had to work independently to solve the issues and also had to prepare for an interview with representatives from RoboCup Junior Victoria.

The students competed in good spirit at the event and also had the opportunity to watch the On Stage (Dance) and Soccer events which were also running on the day.  We would like to congratulate all of the students on their hard work and dedication in the lead up to the event and for the way they competed and conducted themselves on the day.
The final results were:

Riley Rover (total teams in this division – sixty-eight)
Mean Machine (Warragul Secondary School)  32nd place
Achievers (Traralgon Junior School)  38th place
Robotic Banana Riders (Warragul Junior School)  39th place
CFC (Warragul Junior School)  42nd place
Brainstormers (Traralgon Junior School)  43rd place

Primary Rescue (total teams in division – thirty)
Life Savers (Warragul Junior School)  21st place

Secondary Rescue (total teams in division – fifty-three)
Fire Power (Warragul Secondary School)  6th place
Robot Max (Warragul Secondary School)  8th place
Sheepie (Warragul Secondary School)  29th place
Ash (Warragul Secondary School)  31st place

Thank you to Robert Glanowski, Carly Sellings and Jayne Sherrard for all their work prior to the competition.  Also to the parents who made the journey, assisted in the supervision and support of our students on the day.

Traceye Rapinett
STEM Coordinator and Year 5 Classroom Teacher

 

 

 

ART NEWS

THE SILVER SEA ART SHOW
St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School, Traralgon Junior School held their ‘The Silver Sea Art Show’ recently with a wonderful display of art work from the Early Learning Centre through to Year 6 students and also some work from the Little Learners group who are only two years old!

Staff were overwhelmed by the attendance of the supportive St Paul’s community.  The Art room and Library were packed, one might say “like a tin of sardines” appropriate considering the theme!  Art works were inspired by the book ‘The Silver Sea’ created by much-loved Australian authors Alison Lester and Jane Godwin.

Ms Dianne Kuyken the music teacher led students in songs with ocean themes.  The audience loved the beautiful art work, entertainment and proud smiling faces.

The art show gave students the opportunity to reflect on art, what it means to them, appreciate each other’s work and in turn witness people enjoying their own creations.

Mim Cavanagh
Art Specialist

 

 

 

THANK YOU

This week we have bid farewell to our final international delegation for 2018.  In the past few months we have welcomed a number of international visitors to every single campus at St Paul’s.
We have hosted:
• A group of fifty teachers from Saudi Arabia observing our teaching practices;
• Two staff and fifteen French students from our sister school Lycée Aimé Césaire;
• Two separate delegations from China, the Baw Baw Shire Jiujiang delegation in Warragul and a smaller delegation linked to the Latrobe City Council at the Traralgon Junior School;
• Two individual students from our sister school Chikushi in Japan; and
• A group of twenty-five students and three staff from our other Japanese sister school Hinode, at both the Warragul and Traralgon Secondary Campuses.

Throughout this time, over fifty school families have opened their homes to our international visitors and allowed them to authentically be part of life in an Australian family.  In every instance the exchange students were made to feel welcome and were given a once in a lifetime experience.  I hope the relationships that were built continue on in to the future and that you will always fondly remember your time as a host family.

I am so very grateful for your generosity, sense of humor and ability to go with the flow when required!  When I run programs like this I am constantly reminded that the families that make up St Paul’s are very special and incredibly kind.

It was a pleasure getting to know many of you and I look forward to working together again in the future.

Christie Bransgrove
Local and International Community Relations

 

 

 

BOHO FRIDAY

To raise funds for East Timor, Team Timor are organising Boho Friday on Friday 7 September during the secondary and junior lunchtimes in Room 3 of the Secondary School.  This event has been very successful in the past and is again open for students of all year levels.  We will be offering hair braiding, feather hair extensions, nail art, temporary tattoos and henna body art (from Year 3 upwards only).  Costs are between $2 and $5.  We will also have a fair trade stall, offering goods from $1 to $25.  If Junior School students are interested in the henna then please collect a permission form from the Junior or Secondary School office.  Please support us, as it will be a fun way of contributing to a great cause.

Kirsten Enders
Head of Years 9 and 10

Traralgon Campus

 

 

LIBRARY NEWS

STORY BOX LIBRARY
St Paul’s Library is delighted to offer you one month’s access to the education resource Story Box Library.  Your child can watch their favourite stories at home and in the classroom, read aloud by a diverse range of storytellers – sportspeople, musicians, grandparents, teenagers, comedians and actors from different cultures, each sharing past and present book titles.

To access Story Box Library at home:

  • Visit storyboxlibrary.com.au
  • Choose Log In from the top menu bar and click School & Early Childhood, Log In
  • Use the viewer username: stpaulsags
    password:  lovesreading
  • Enjoy the library of stories on any device with internet connection

Once logged in, navigate via top menu to ‘Stories’.  There is no need for any further registration.

We value your feedback on Story Box Library, please let teachers or the Library know what you think.  Access is until 15 September 2018.

Jo Menzies
Head of Libraries

BOOK WEEK

Last week was Book Week at the Traralgon Campus and on Wednesday we held a number of activities to celebrate!  In the morning, we held our annual book parade in the gymnasium.  Parents, staff and students enjoyed seeing everybody’s book character costumes.

During ‘Read aloud’ students from ELC to Year 10 spent time reading aloud to each other.  The afternoon finished off in the gymnasium with ‘The Reading Hour’ for Prep to Year 7 students.  Mr Herbert (with exceptional farm animal noises!) read ‘Farmer Cat’ one of his favourite picture story books.  Mrs Andrews read a short story from her recently published book ‘Beyond’.  Junior School staff, under the direction of Mr Treble, entertained students with a very funny performance of ‘Cinderella’!

On Monday we announced that Maya Gomez won $447.50 worth of chocolate money by making the closest guess.  The other competitions will be announced on Monday 27 August.

A big thank you to everyone for participating so enthusiastically on the day.

Susan O’Malley
Librarian

Students from 2S at the Book Character Parade.

Emma Farley and Isabella Slocombe reading aloud together.

Ryan Stockil dressed as ‘The Book With No Pictures’.

 

 

 

Warragul Junior School

From the Head of Warragul Junior School, Mr Rowan van Raay.   Congratulations to, Asha Hill, Ayden Clarke (Year 5) Ananya Srihari and Krish Gupta …

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Warragul Junior School

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

 

Congratulations to, Asha Hill, Ayden Clarke (Year 5) Ananya Srihari and Krish Gupta (Year 6), who competed in the Vicspell Baw Baw Zone Final on Wednesday.  All competed really well and should be proud of their efforts as standing in front of an audience and spelling difficult words is never an easy thing to do!  It was the first time the Junior School has hosted this event and my thanks to Miss McGrath for her organisation and for overseeing proceedings on the day.

Our Tournament of the Minds teams have been busy preparing for their competition which will be held tomorrow.  We wish India Koopmans, Eden Simcocks, Krish Gupta, Angela Mirkovic, Ananya Srihari, Zoe Caris, Sienna Forsyth, Braeden van de Beek, William Blackwood, Anna Sterling, Isabella Sowerby, Anoushka Kerhalkar, Zoe Lecher and Lucy McKenzie all the best.  My thanks to Ms Ellis, Ms Calafiore, Mrs Farr, Mrs Davies and Mr Barkla who have supported the teams in the lead up to the competition and on the day.

A reminder that Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Wednesday 29 August, 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm and Thursday 30 August, 3:30 pm to 8:30 pm.  We have an online booking system for PTIs.  To access the booking system go to: http://www.schoolinterviews.com.au  You will be required to enter a School Code, which is 7ksgt.  Once you have made your bookings, please print out the ‘Interview Timetable’ generated by the system.  If parents book a phone interview with a staff member, these calls will be made at some stage during Week 7 and not necessarily at the designated time you select.

Our FOSTA parent group will be holding a Father’s Day Stall held on Thursday 30 August.  There will be gifts available from $1.00 to $10.00 and cards for 50c.  Students should bring a bag to take their gifts home in.  Students should bring their money early next week as there will be no IOUs on the day.

Our Years 3 to 6 Musical is only a few weeks away, Thursday 13 September and hopefully families have received all of the information and have booked their tickets.  Could I please ask any families who are yet to book their tickets to do so as soon as possible through the Junior School office.  Given that the shows will be held in our Junior School Gymnasium again this year, no seats will be allocated therefore no tickets will be sent home.  I also encourage families to attend the upcoming Secondary School Musical ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ which will be held on 6, 7 and 8 September at 7:00 pm with a matinee show on Saturday 8 September at 2:00 pm in the Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium, 150 Bowen Street, Warragul.  Tickets can be booked through the West Gippsland Arts Centre Box Office at www.wgac.com.au or phoning 5624 2456.

Could I please remind all families that at the end of the day the pick-up lane near the ELC is a no standing zone until 3:15 pm.  This allows ELC families time to park and collect their children from the ELC before Junior School students are dismissed at 3:20 pm.

A reminder to parents that on the last day of Term 3 school finishes at 2:20 pm, Friday 21 September 2018.

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

 

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

AUGUST
25 August  Tournament of Minds (selected students only)
29 August  Parent Teacher Interviews (PTIs), 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
30 August  Father’s Day Stall
Parent Teacher Interviews (PTIs), 3:30 pm to 8:30 pm

SEPTEMBER
5 September  Years 5 and 6 Hoop Time Basketball
12 September  Division Athletics (rescheduled new date)
13 September  Junior School Musical ‘Beans. A Classical Musical’
19 September  Bike Ed Challenge, Years 4 to 6
21 September  Footy Colours Day and Lunch
End of Term 3, 2:20 pm finish

 

 

 

 

ROBOCUP JUNIOR STATE COMPETITION, MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY

On Tuesday 14 August, twenty-five very excited and nervous students from St Paul’s made the early journey to Melbourne University to compete at the 2018 RoboCup Junior State Competition.   The students have been training for over two terms for this event programming, testing and rebuilding their robots to compete against one hundred and sixty-seven other teams from around the state.  When we arrived Wilson Hall was bustling with energy and enthusiasm as the children made their way to their setup tables and on to the rescue courses.

For most of the students this was their first experience competing at the state competition.  St Paul’s had five teams compete in the Riley Rover Division, one team in the Primary Division and four teams in the Secondary Division.  The teams comprised students from Years 5 through to Year 8 from Traralgon and Warragul Junior Schools and Warragul Secondary School.

The teams had to complete five rounds in a two minute time limit, their robots navigating their way around the black line, around obstacles, over speed humps, to rescue the victim from the chemical spill.  Each course setup increased in difficulty each round.  Some of the robots performed extremely well, while others experienced slight glitches, in need of some modifications and adjustments to their programming.  The students had to work independently to solve the issues and also had to prepare for an interview with representatives from RoboCup Junior Victoria.

The students competed in good spirit at the event and also had the opportunity to watch the On Stage (Dance) and Soccer events which were also running on the day.  We would like to congratulate all of the students on their hard work and dedication in the lead up to the event and for the way they competed and conducted themselves on the day.
The final results were:

Riley Rover (total teams in this division – sixty-eight)
Mean Machine (Warragul Secondary School)  32nd place
Achievers (Traralgon Junior School)  38th place
Robotic Banana Riders (Warragul Junior School)  39th place
CFC (Warragul Junior School)  42nd place
Brainstormers (Traralgon Junior School)  43rd place

Primary Rescue (total teams in division – thirty)
Life Savers (Warragul Junior School)  21st place

Secondary Rescue (total teams in division – fifty-three)
Fire Power (Warragul Secondary School)  6th place
Robot Max (Warragul Secondary School)  8th place
Sheepie (Warragul Secondary School)  29th place
Ash (Warragul Secondary School)  31st place

Thank you to Robert Glanowski, Carly Sellings and Jayne Sherrard for all their work prior to the competition.  Also to the parents who made the journey, assisted in the supervision and support of our students on the day.

Traceye Rapinett
STEM Coordinator and Year 5 Classroom Teacher

 

 

THANK YOU

This week we have bid farewell to our final international delegation for 2018.  In the past few months we have welcomed a number of international visitors to every single campus at St Paul’s.
We have hosted:
• A group of fifty teachers from Saudi Arabia observing our teaching practices;
• Two staff and fifteen French students from our sister school Lycée Aimé Césaire;
• Two separate delegations from China, the Baw Baw Shire Jiujiang delegation in Warragul and a smaller delegation linked to the Latrobe City Council at the Traralgon Junior School;
• Two individual students from our sister school Chikushi in Japan; and
• A group of twenty-five students and three staff from our other Japanese sister school Hinode, at both the Warragul and Traralgon Secondary Campuses.

Throughout this time, over fifty school families have opened their homes to our international visitors and allowed them to authentically be part of life in an Australian family.  In every instance the exchange students were made to feel welcome and were given a once in a lifetime experience.  I hope the relationships that were built continue on in to the future and that you will always fondly remember your time as a host family.

I am so very grateful for your generosity, sense of humor and ability to go with the flow when required!  When I run programs like this I am constantly reminded that the families that make up St Paul’s are very special and incredibly kind.

It was a pleasure getting to know many of you and I look forward to working together again in the future.

Christie Bransgrove
Local and International Community Relations

 

 

LIBRARY NEWS

STORY BOX LIBRARY
St Paul’s Library is delighted to offer you one month’s access to the education resource Story Box Library.  Your child can watch their favourite stories at home and in the classroom, read aloud by a diverse range of storytellers – sportspeople, musicians, grandparents, teenagers, comedians and actors from different cultures, each sharing past and present book titles.

To access Story Box Library at home:

  • Visit storyboxlibrary.com.au
  • Choose Log In from the top menu bar and click School & Early Childhood, Log In
  • Use the viewer username: stpaulsags
    password:  lovesreading
  • Enjoy the library of stories on any device with internet connection

Once logged in, navigate via top menu to ‘Stories’.  There is no need for any further registration.

We value your feedback on Story Box Library, please let teachers or the Library know what you think.  Access is until 15 September 2018.

Jo Menzies
Head of Libraries

 

 

 

 

Warragul Secondary School

From the Head of Warragul Secondary School, Ms Laura Butterworth.   This week marks a move into the second half of Term 3 and I …

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Warragul Secondary School

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

 

This week marks a move into the second half of Term 3 and I am hoping the predicted weekend weather will start to warm some cold and weary bones.  Our Year 12 cohort are in their final weeks of their last full term of secondary schooling and they are juggling many assessments on top of their study for the end of year exams.

Next week the Library will be open until 6:00 pm from Monday through to Thursday for our Year 12s and we hope that many of them will take advantage of this and use this time to remain on campus and study in groups or as individuals.  We are in peak assessment season for these students so they need to be mindful of keeping their bodies nourished, continue to do some exercise and get the required amount of sleep.  We cannot stress enough the importance of mobile phones and other devices being out of bedrooms during this crucial time.  Now is also a good time for parents to make sure they have the key Year 12 events safely written in their diaries:

Year 12 Final Assembly – Wednesday 24 October 2018

Valedictory Dinner – Friday 23 November 2018

Further details will be communicated in the coming weeks.

This weekend our Sports Aerobics team is competing at the Nationals on the Gold Coast.  We wish all of the girls the best of luck and look forward to hearing about their experience when they return next week.  We would also like to thank Joanne Fraser for accompanying the girls and their families.  I would also like to thank all of our families who attended the PSTIs nights in the last two weeks and the teachers for their work on these long days.

If you have not purchased your tickets for the 2018 production of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ I encourage you to do so and avoid missing out.  The Performing Arts department have assembled an incredible cast and they are all working tirelessly to bring this classic musical to life here at St Paul’s.  The delayed refurbishment of the West Gippsland Arts Centre has presented some challenges for the Performing Arts team but they have done a fabulous job reworking the school gymnasium to ensure we could still stage a musical and we would really love to see our families in the audience supporting this production.

Past Reports available on MyStPauls
We are pleased to advise that past student reports are now available as PDF documents on MyStPauls.  You will find all reports dating back to 2013 under the ‘Academic Reports’ tab in your child’s profile.

Laura Butterworth
Head of Warragul Secondary School

 

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

AUGUST
22 to 26 August  Snow Sports Camp, Mount Buller
25 and 26 August  Sports Aerobics National Championships
28 August  Year 9, Baw Baw Big Blokes First Aid Course, 9:00 am to 3:20 pm
Bible Society Masterclass, Werribee, 7:00 am to 4:30 pm
30 August  SEISA Winter Sport, Finals (Intermediate/Senior)

SEPTEMBER
1 September
  VEIS: Interschool Dressage
2 to 5 September  ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ Rehearsals
4 to 7 September  Interschool Gymnastics
6 September  SEISA Spring Carnival
6 September  ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium, 7:00 pm
7 September  ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium, 7:00 pm
8 September  ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium, 2:00 pm matinee and 7:00 pm
9 to 13 September  ESP AIS Tour
12 September  Year 9 2019 Information Evening, Warragul Secondary School, (new building), 7:00 pm
13 September  SEISA Dance/Theatre Sports
14 September  VEIS: Boneo Park Dressage and Combined Training Day
19 September  Studio Concert, 7:00 pm
20 September  Year 12 Practice English Exam
21 September  End of Term 3, 2:30 pm finish

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU

This week we have bid farewell to our final international delegation for 2018.  In the past few months we have welcomed a number of international visitors to every single campus at St Paul’s.
We have hosted:
• A group of fifty teachers from Saudi Arabia observing our teaching practices;
• Two staff and fifteen French students from our sister school Lycée Aimé Césaire;
• Two separate delegations from China, the Baw Baw Shire Jiujiang delegation in Warragul and a smaller delegation linked to the Latrobe City Council at the Traralgon Junior School;
• Two individual students from our sister school Chikushi in Japan; and
• A group of twenty-five students and three staff from our other Japanese sister school Hinode, at both the Warragul and Traralgon Secondary Campuses.

Throughout this time, over fifty school families have opened their homes to our international visitors and allowed them to authentically be part of life in an Australian family.  In every instance the exchange students were made to feel welcome and were given a once in a lifetime experience.  I hope the relationships that were built continue on in to the future and that you will always fondly remember your time as a host family.

I am so very grateful for your generosity, sense of humor and ability to go with the flow when required!  When I run programs like this I am constantly reminded that the families that make up St Paul’s are very special and incredibly kind.

It was a pleasure getting to know many of you and I look forward to working together again in the future.

Christie Bransgrove
Local and International Community Relations

 

YEAR 9 CITY EXPERIENCE CAMP

In the last week of Term 2, Year 9 ventured on a three-day camp into the city.  We had been working up to this, previously going on three single day trips to the city, as well as gaining experience in finding different locations.  We worked in small groups so we could learn to be independent in Melbourne.  Throughout our time in the city we had freedom of which forms of transport we used, only being given a location to leave from and a destination to arrive at.  We caught trams, trains and travelled by foot.

During the three days we were in the city, we took part in many different activities including visiting the MCG Sports Museum, where we participated in interactive activities and learnt about Australian sporting history.  The first night we visited the Old Melbourne Gaol, experiencing a thrilling re-enactment of an old court case.  The next day we travelled from Docklands to Williamstown on a tall ship which was a remake of one from the first fleet.  When in Williamstown, we visited the Williamstown Maritime Museum.  Prior to departing the city on the last day, we received a guided tour of the Queen Victoria Market, getting to taste some of the great food the market had to offer.

Caitlin Davis, Alice Greenall, Macey McCartney and Zoe Binns
Year 9 Students

 

 

ROBOCUP JUNIOR STATE COMPETITION, MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY

On Tuesday 14 August, twenty-five very excited and nervous students from St Paul’s made the early journey to Melbourne University to compete at the 2018 RoboCup Junior State Competition.   The students have been training for over two terms for this event programming, testing and rebuilding their robots to compete against one hundred and sixty-seven other teams from around the state.  When we arrived Wilson Hall was bustling with energy and enthusiasm as the children made their way to their setup tables and on to the rescue courses.

For most of the students this was their first experience competing at the state competition.  St Paul’s had five teams compete in the Riley Rover Division, one team in the Primary Division and four teams in the Secondary Division.  The teams comprised students from Years 5 through to Year 8 from Traralgon and Warragul Junior Schools and Warragul Secondary School.

The teams had to complete five rounds in a two minute time limit, their robots navigating their way around the black line, around obstacles, over speed humps, to rescue the victim from the chemical spill.  Each course setup increased in difficulty each round.  Some of the robots performed extremely well, while others experienced slight glitches, in need of some modifications and adjustments to their programming.  The students had to work independently to solve the issues and also had to prepare for an interview with representatives from RoboCup Junior Victoria.

The students competed in good spirit at the event and also had the opportunity to watch the On Stage (Dance) and Soccer events which were also running on the day.  We would like to congratulate all of the students on their hard work and dedication in the lead up to the event and for the way they competed and conducted themselves on the day.
The final results were:

Riley Rover (total teams in this division – sixty-eight)
Mean Machine (Warragul Secondary School)  32nd place
Achievers (Traralgon Junior School)  38th place
Robotic Banana Riders (Warragul Junior School)  39th place
CFC (Warragul Junior School)  42nd place
Brainstormers (Traralgon Junior School)  43rd place

Primary Rescue (total teams in division – thirty)
Life Savers (Warragul Junior School)  21st place

Secondary Rescue (total teams in division – fifty-three)
Fire Power (Warragul Secondary School)  6th place
Robot Max (Warragul Secondary School)  8th place
Sheepie (Warragul Secondary School)  29th place
Ash (Warragul Secondary School)  31st place

Thank you to Robert Glanowski, Carly Sellings and Jayne Sherrard for all their work prior to the competition.  Also to the parents who made the journey, assisted in the supervision and support of our students on the day.

Traceye Rapinett
STEM Coordinator and Year 5 Classroom Teacher

 

MATHS CHALLENGE DAY

On 15 August St Paul’s competed in the Gippsland Mathematics Challenge Games Day held at Federation University Churchill.  Teams of four competed in Puzzle and Problem Solving activities finishing with the exciting team relay.

St Paul’s Year 9 team 1 were the overall winners for the second consecutive year, finishing twenty points ahead of Wonthaggi Secondary College.  Schools from all over Gippsland were involved including Foster Secondary College, Mary McKillop Catholic Regional College and Chairo Christian School.

Our winning team comprised Amy Zhou, Ailish Sheppard, Daniel Gallagher and William Mansfield who are all extremely talented mathematicians, demonstrating skill and teamwork well beyond their years.  They each received medallions and prizes.  We also received a valuable Maths resource/game for the school’s Years 7 to 10 Maths program.

Our Year 9 team 2 comprised Tomi Yusuf, Liam Lenders, Corey Maric and Declan Lombard who also performed extremely well, placing fifth.  Most importantly, everyone benefited from the experience and enjoyed the challenge.  Next year’s teams will be going for a three-peat, no pressure!

Sharon Rippon
Mathematics Teacher

St Paul’s Year 9 winning team: Daniel Gallagher, William Mansfield, Amy Zhou and Ailish Sheppard.

MATHS TUTORIAL CLASSES

Monday – Year 9, 1:20 pm, Year 9 Centre
Wednesday – Years 7 and 8, lunchtime, YS2
Wednesday – Years 10 to 12, lunchtime, RM6
Thursday – VCE classes, after school, RM6

 

 

LIBRARY NEWS

STORY BOX LIBRARY
St Paul’s Library is delighted to offer you one month’s access to the education resource Story Box Library.  Your child can watch their favourite stories at home and in the classroom, read aloud by a diverse range of storytellers – sportspeople, musicians, grandparents, teenagers, comedians and actors from different cultures, each sharing past and present book titles.

To access Story Box Library at home:

  • Visit storyboxlibrary.com.au
  • Choose Log In from the top menu bar and click School & Early Childhood, Log In
  • Use the viewer username: stpaulsags
    password:  lovesreading
  • Enjoy the library of stories on any device with internet connection

Once logged in, navigate via top menu to ‘Stories’.  There is no need for any further registration.

We value your feedback on Story Box Library, please let teachers or the Library know what you think.  Access is until 15 September 2018.

Jo Menzies
Head of Libraries

 

 

 

 

From the Principal

The Right Reverend Dr Richard Treloar was installed as the new Bishop of Gippsland on Saturday 18 August at St Paul’s Cathedral in Sale.  Our …

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The Right Reverend Dr Richard Treloar was installed as the new Bishop of Gippsland on Saturday 18 August at St Paul’s Cathedral in Sale.  Our School Captains, Cameron Wong and Isabel Thomas, joined the Gippsland Grammar Captains in a key part of the ceremony in welcoming Bishop Richard into the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland.  He has a strong background in working with schools, having served on the boards of Christ Church Grammar School and Melbourne Grammar School.  We look forward to welcoming Bishop Richard to St Paul’s in due course.

As we approach springtime, there is also a sense of changing seasons in the rhythms of the School.  Our Year 12 students are heading into the final straight of their secondary education with a very strong realisation that their time at St Paul’s is not far from its conclusion.  While this is true in one sense, it is also worth remembering that our 2018 graduates will always be part of the St Paul’s family.  Indeed, if past years are anything to go by, many will return in the future as staff members or parents of St Paul’s students.

This feature of St Paul’s, I have observed since arriving in Gippsland, is one of the very special cohesive forces in our school community.  There is an especially strong bond between members of the community and I believe that there is a distinct difference in the way this manifests itself in a regional location.  Our shared history and interconnection are characteristics to be treasured and celebrated.  These things are only built over time by people with a common purpose, committed to high standards and strong values.  Their worth and what this contributes to the atmosphere of our school should never be underestimated.

Last week, we finalised the selection process for next year’s group of Prefects.  I am pleased to announce that the following Year 11 students have been appointed as Prefects for 2019.

Cameron Herbert
Principal