In this issue

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

We are finally at the end of Term 3 and what a term it has been – plenty of laughter and learning along with ups and downs and COVID-19 challenges! The recent sunshine has certainly lifted everyone’s spirits and has provided lots of opportunities to be outside playing. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our community throughout the challenges of this term and congratulate everyone for managing online learning, in whatever way your family did. The challenge of online learning for many families has been huge with a range of demands and considerations on a daily basis. This has not gone unnoticed and I thank you all for your cooperation and patience and for supporting our learning programs and students.

Teachers have worked tirelessly and are also to be recognised for their contributions and efforts. It has been really lovely to receive emails and phone calls of thanks for our teachers and their hard work with students.

It has been lovely to see our students on Microsoft Teams and I have enjoyed listening and joining lessons with our Years 3 to 6 students over the past few weeks. It is impressive to note how the IT skills of our students have increased and how engaged many are with online learning.

Ms Kuyken was asked the following question this week by a parent:
“How do you run music classes during online learning?”
Her first response was a chuckle and she then responded, “with great difficulty!”
As most of you would be aware, in music classes students sing, dance and play instruments and the shift to online learning has been interesting and fun!

During online learning, the Year 2 and Year 5 classes have continued to participate in their Strings and Band sessions through Microsoft Teams and hopefully parents have had the opportunity to listen to their child play and make music. The Junior Choir has also held rehearsals through Microsoft Teams and is sounding fantastic!

Ms Kuyken is looking forward to when school returns face-to-face next term, as all the Ensembles (Year 2 Strings, Year 5 Band and Junior Choir) will perform for the school. They will also be ‘competing’ in the Eisteddfod, however this time rather than performing in person, they will upload a video for the adjudicators.

We are all so excited about our Musical Production coming up next term, ‘The Lion King Kids’. All classes have been learning their songs and Mrs Kuyken has been busy making costumes and props. It will be such a special event!

Relating Well to Others – ‘When you fill someone’s bucket… you fill your own bucket too!’
A key way to build relationships and ensure they stay robust is to remember the importance of ‘give and take’. If you give to other people then are they are more likely to give to you. Conversely, if you take too much from others then they may be inclined to make withdrawals from you. We help our students to understand this concept with the use of a very popular book ‘How Full is Your Bucket’ by Rath and Reckmeyer. The important thing to note is that we must be careful to identify what is important to the person so we can fill up their bucket with things they value. David Cottrell identified that bucket filling is in the eye of the bucket holder, not the bucket filler. Fill their buckets with things that are important to them not you. Some people talk about love languages which are the ways we like to express and receive love. If we can understand these different ways it can help us fill other people’s buckets and in turn help them fill ours too.

Dr Gary Chapman has identified five key ways that people tend to express love.

• Words of affirmation
This is when you say positive and nice things to the person you care about. These words will also build self-image and confidence.

• Quality Time
This involves sharing our time with that person and giving them your undivided attention.

• Gifts
It is universal in human cultures to give gifts. They do not have to be expensive to send a powerful message of love. It could be something you have made or found, or a present to celebrate a special occasion.

• Acts of Service
This means doing things to help and support that person. These acts of service like vacuuming, feeding the dog or unpacking the dishwasher to name a few, need to be done with joy in order to be perceived as a gift of love.

• Physical touch
This is about being physically close. It could be a hug, kiss or handshake.

TIPS
• Identify your love languages and that of your child.
• Make an effort to do something to fill up your child’s bucket every day. This will encourage them to reciprocate and can help strengthen your relationship.
• Talk to your child when they have emptied your bucket and how they can fill your bucket.

Find ‘How Full is Your Bucket’ here, https://youtu.be/mWe6Z3zFwoA

Students have thoroughly enjoyed our last few special events for the term with Australia’s Reading Hour and Pyjama Day on Tuesday and Footy Day on Friday to finish the term. We have a busy calendar scheduled for Term 4 and have our fingers and toes crossed that we will all be back on-site and able to enjoy our activities together

I wish everyone a safe and restful term break and hope that restrictions ease further enabling you all to spend time with family and friends and enjoy some activities together.

Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School

WHAT’S ON

SEPTEMBER
17 September  Last day of Term 3, 2:30 pm finish

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

TRARALGON JUNIOR SCHOOL RECEPTION HOLIDAY HOURS

Monday 20 to Thursday 23 September: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

DOBSONS TRADING HOURS

During the school holidays the store will be open as follows, unless restrictions change.

Saturday 2 October: 9:30 am to 12:00 noon
Monday 4 October: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Term 4 Commences.

Please note that density limits, masks and COVID-safe procedures apply. We thank you for your cooperation.

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

IMPORTANT NOTICES FOR PARENTS

Students who may be leaving St Paul’s
As per the Business Notice/Enrolment Agreement, it is a requirement at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School that a term’s notice in advance is given before any student withdraws. The School remains committed to supporting families who are experiencing changed financial circumstances due to COVID-19 and we encourage you to contact our Finance Officer, Mr Peter Lees, via email at plees@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au to discuss options that may assist your child/ren to continue. If you are planning to withdraw your child/ren, please confirm your intention in writing to our Principal, Mr Cameron Herbert, prior to the end of Term 3.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact our Enrolments Office: Mrs Jen Christensen (Warragul) on 5623 5833 or Ms Rachael Langley (Traralgon) on 5175 0133 or by emailing enrolments@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

ART IN LOCKDOWN

Leopard by Amaya – Year 5.

Cupcake in plasticine by Vishvak – Year 2.

Pot Plant by Stella – Year 2.

READING HOUR

The Australian Reading Hour was marked at Traralgon Junior School with a pyjama day. All students at school and at home were encouraged to wear their pyjamas, to make a comfy nook somewhere and to drop everything and read for an hour.

Australia Reads is on a mission to get people to read more books, more often and believe that “Whoever you are, wherever you come from, whatever you want to achieve, and however you want to achieve it – we believe your chance of success, personal wellbeing and happiness can be significantly improved when you read books regularly.”

Susan O’Malley
Librarian

Lani at home in her cubby.

Cooper reading in comfort at home, wishing Reading Hour could have been all day!

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

On Thursday 16 September, the entire Traralgon Secondary School came together on Microsoft Teams for our ‘End of Term 3 Assembly’. It was lovely to be able to present a live assembly to our students. Mr Treble presented the Chaplain’s address, where he shared an amazing collaboration of students singing while learning from home. A number of our Years 7 and 8 students received some fun awards, and my favourite was the Wise and Witty and Reading Rock Star award. Sophia Hastie shared her Year 9 Personal Project, where she has creatively started a vegan candle making business. Sophia has sold a large number of candles and hopes to continue her business. It was also lovely to receive an update on the School’s production, ‘Mary Poppins JR’, where Mr Byrne interviewed student, Riley Richardson who is playing Bert.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our students on being resilient, committed and determined throughout online learning. The school is an empty place without students and we look forward to the return to face-to-face learning sometime in Term 4. I want every student to know that they can reach out to any staff member and to know that even though we are online learning, you are still part of the St Paul’s community.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone a lovely break over the school holidays. Can I encourage all our students to have a break from the screen and get outside and enjoy the spring weather. I hope to see everyone back at school at the commencement of Term 4.

Term 4 Summer Uniform
All students will be required to wear their full summer uniform for the return to school in Term 4. To access our Uniform Policy please CLICK HERE.

Important Dates
Please note these dates for your calendar:
Friday 24 September: ‘Thank You Day’ Public Holiday
Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 November: Mid-term break (Melbourne Cup Day weekend)
Friday 19 November: Curriculum Day/Student Free Day

Brad McCabe
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

WHAT’S ON

SEPTEMBER
17 September  Footy Colours Day
End of Term 3, 1:50 pm finish

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

TRARALGON SECONDARY SCHOOL RECEPTION HOLIDAY HOURS

Monday 20 to Thursday 23 September: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Friday 24 to Monday 27 September: Closed
Tuesday 28 September to Friday 1 October: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Monday 4 October: Return to regular office hours, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

DOBSONS TRADING HOURS

During the school holidays the store will be open as follows, unless restrictions change.

Saturday 2 October: 9:30 am to 12:00 noon
Monday 4 October: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Term 4 Commences.

Please note that density limits, masks and COVID-safe procedures apply. We thank you for your cooperation.

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

IMPORTANT NOTICES FOR PARENTS

Students who may be leaving St Paul’s
As per the Business Notice/Enrolment Agreement, it is a requirement at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School that a term’s notice in advance is given before any student withdraws. The School remains committed to supporting families who are experiencing changed financial circumstances due to COVID-19 and we encourage you to contact our Finance Officer, Mr Peter Lees, via email at plees@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au to discuss options that may assist your child/ren to continue. If you are planning to withdraw your child/ren, please confirm your intention in writing to our Principal, Mr Cameron Herbert, prior to the end of Term 3.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact our Enrolments Office: Mrs Jen Christensen (Warragul) on 5623 5833 or Ms Rachael Langley (Traralgon) on 5175 0133 or by emailing enrolments@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

LOCKDOWN INSPIRATION

With lockdowns and online learning, it is easy to dwell on the negatives. Blair Syme of Year 8, however, has taken it upon himself to learn some new skills. Blair has taught himself how to spray paint. At a recent Parent Student Teacher Interview, Blair showed me some of his work.
I must say I was blown away with the quality. It serves as a reminder that there are positives in most situations as long as we are prepared to look for them.

Jennifer Witney
Head of Years 7 and 8

MARY POPPINS JR

As many of you would already be aware, many of our students are involved in our musical production of ‘Mary Poppins JR’ at the Traralgon Campus. As many students (and staff) can attest to, the rehearsal process has not exactly been easy, with the constant shifting of teaching/learning delivery modes across the year. When we started our production rehearsals in early Term 2, we were fortunate enough to start developing our music and early blocking in a relatively “normal” face-to-face manner (albeit socially distant).

A rehearsal of the well-known song, ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’.

Olivia Short and Ananya Philips teach ‘Jolly Holiday’ through an online tutorial video.

We have been forced to adapt our learning journey to accommodate for online learning, which has continued to take place on Microsoft Teams through rehearsals two to three times per week. Students have learnt and developed choreography through the creation of different resources, including tutorial videos and step-by-step pictures showing approximate movements on scaled two and three dimensional stage “miniatures”.

An online full-cast rehearsal for ‘Mary Poppins JR’.

Set production has also continued remotely, through the creation of our large interior and exterior scenes – all helping to portray the beauty and wonder of the magical world of ‘Mary Poppins JR’. In addition to this, props and costumes have been created or sourced, an incredibly difficult task with the additional restrictions imposed by lockdowns. Despite these challenging setbacks, students have been emboldened by the sheer strength and resilience of their peers, allowing for each member of the cast to “keep pushing”.

The creation and painting of our outdoor scenes for ‘Jolly Holiday’.

As the saying goes – “The show must go on!” A common recurring theme (and important quote) throughout the musical is that “Anything can happen, if you let it.” This is most certainly true for our students who continue to work very hard to produce a musical, especially at a time when we desire to be on a physical stage more than ever. We look forward to the eventual return to on-site learning so that we can refine the aspects of the musical we have developed online over the last term. Performers desire interaction with an audience – this aspect of what we love in musical theatre is painfully absent in the online world, as every member of this cast would attest to.

One way or another, ‘Mary Poppins JR’ will be a musical production to be remembered for a very long time for everyone involved.

Nathan Byrne
Head of Performing Arts – Traralgon Campus

SPORTS UPDATE

In Weeks 3 and 4 of online learning, the Years 7 to 9 House Sport consisted of a Mini-Olympics Challenge and Trick Shot Challenge. For the Mini-Olympics Challenge, students were asked to film themselves recreating an event or multiple events from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games using objects they could find around their house. Their inspiration came from watching Ms Hoskings’ and Cooper’s Mini-Olympics Challenge video where they put together a modern pentathlon using objects found in the gymnasium. The students were then asked to put their videos together and post them to the MyStPauls Class Page, where they were judged for the best Mini-Olympics Challenge video. For the Trick Shot Challenge, students were asked to film themselves doing their best trick shot using any objects they could find around their house and throwing them into a bucket or anything similar. Once again, Cooper was their inspiration, filming himself doing a trick shot off the wall and into a bin. Congratulations to the following challenge winners and well done to those who put forward an entry.

Sandra Timmer-Arends
Head of Sport – Traralgon Campus

Mitchell Rong celebrating his Mini-Olympic win.

Sahanna Harikrishna completing her winning trick shot by hitting a ping pong ball behind her back for three minutes.

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

What a delight it was to have our ELC to Year 2 students return to face-to-face learning last Friday.  It was wonderful to see the buzz and excitement on campus as students settled back into routines and caught up with their friends and teachers. My thanks to families for your cooperation using the drop-off and pick-up lane each day and afternoon during these current restrictions. Thank you to Years 3 to 6 students, families and staff who have been continuing with online learning this week.

We are still unable to provide a full outline of events and activities for Term 4 until more information comes to hand. We have already made the difficult decision to cancel the Art Show and Grandparents Day again this year. I will keep families up to date over the holiday period should there be any changes to current restrictions and hopefully we will all know what the beginning of next term will look like for everyone very soon.

Footy Colours Day: It was wonderful to be able to dress up in our favourite team’s colours today and celebrate the end of Term 3 with some fun activities. We played some of the club theme songs over the PA, with the Hawthorn theme song getting ‘many’ re-runs due to popular demand! Best of luck to all the Dees and Doggies supporters out there in the Grand Final next weekend.

Year 2 Sleepover: We have decided to push the Year 2 sleepover back a few weeks with the new date being Friday 5 November. Hopefully this will allow time for restrictions to ease further and enable us to run a full program of activities and have students stay overnight at school.

Please take the time over the upcoming break to have a rest from screens and devices and spend some time together relaxing and recharging. It is always nice to have a change of pace! Please take care and I look forward to hopefully having all students back on campus next term. Fingers crossed.

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

WHAT’S ON

SEPTEMBER
20 September to 1 October  Clubhouse Bootcamp School Holiday Program

OCTOBER
4 October  Term 4 Commences
Parent Prayer Group (tbc)
5 to 13 October  Prep to Year 2 Swimming Program (tbc)
20 October  Prep 2022 Play Afternoon #1 (tbc)
21 October  Musical Performance (tbc)
27 October  Prep 2022 Play Afternoon #2 (tbc)
Year 2 Healesville Excursion (tbc)

NOVEMBER
5 November  Prep 2022 Transition Day #1 (tbc)
Year 2 Sleepover (tbc)
8 November  Parent Prayer Group (tbc)
11 November  Remembrance Day Ceremony (tbc)
State Athletics (selected students only) (tbc)
12 November  Prep 2022 Transition Day #2 (tbc)
17 November  Prep 2022 Transition Day #3 (tbc)
Prep to Year 2 Athletics Carnival (tbc)
Walk to School Day (tbc)
19 November  STUDENT FREE DAY
22 to 26 November  Book Fair (tbc)
24 to 26 November  Year 3 Camp – Merricks (tbc)
26 November  Prep 2022 Transition Day #4 (tbc)
30 November  Years 1 to 6 Orientation Day (tbc)

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

WARRAGUL JUNIOR SCHOOL RECEPTION HOLIDAY HOURS

Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 September: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Thursday 23 to Wednesday 29 September: CLOSED
Thursday 30 September and Friday 1 October: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

DOBSONS TRADING HOURS

During the school holidays the store will be open as follows, unless restrictions change.

Wednesday 29 September: 8:30 am to 1:00 pm
Thursday 30 September: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Friday 1 October: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Saturday 2 October: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Please note that density limits, masks and COVID-safe procedures apply. We thank you for your cooperation.

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

IMPORTANT NOTICES FOR PARENTS

Students who may be leaving St Paul’s
As per the Business Notice/Enrolment Agreement, it is a requirement at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School that a term’s notice in advance is given before any student withdraws. The School remains committed to supporting families who are experiencing changed financial circumstances due to COVID-19 and we encourage you to contact our Finance Officer, Mr Peter Lees, via email at plees@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au to discuss options that may assist your child/ren to continue. If you are planning to withdraw your child/ren, please confirm your intention in writing to our Principal, Mr Cameron Herbert, prior to the end of Term 3.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact our Enrolments Office: Mrs Jen Christensen (Warragul) on 5623 5833 or Ms Rachael Langley (Traralgon) on 5175 0133 or by emailing enrolments@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

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

Never, never give up
As we continue to combat the varying and unpredictable nature of this virus together we know this term has been very difficult for all of our children and our families. In Winston Churchill’s very first speech to the British people he said “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”. As we rapidly approach the end of Term 3 I do want to sincerely thank our families for their unwavering unity, trust and support throughout this most turbulent of terms for our community. This has certainly been the term of many unexpected twists and turns which have relentlessly tested our metal on a number of fronts. Nonetheless, we continue to be incredibly proud of our community for their ‘lionhearted’ approach towards pivoting between learning modes and the rapid ability to adapt to the conditions presented to us.

I am eternally grateful to the secondary school staff who have again and again, reworked their delivery of content and school assessed tasks, created and produced many online instructional videos and have connected, inspired and nurtured your children from the other side of the screen. Their collective ability to “never, never give up” (Winston Churchill) is incredibly humbling and I cannot thank them enough.

I do want to reassure you that your child’s wellbeing throughout this period has continued to be our priority as our Mentors, Heads of Year and our School Counsellors have reached out through daily Mentor Groups, Pastoral blocks and wellbeing surveys. Last week our Head of Year 10, Ms Stephanie Marshall provided a unique experience for her Year 10 cohort as they enjoyed connecting with each other online in virtual ‘escape rooms’. It was so successful the Year 10 Mentors had difficulty extracting the students from the activity at the end of the Pastoral block. Online crossword challenges, online snap, competitions for individual Mentor Groups and morning karaoke are just some of the engaging activities the Years 7 to 12 Mentors have provided for your children each morning to take them away from their daily worries and to connect them with their peers.

Our very own Reverend Lowe has also found new ways to pastorally connect with your children and has provided weekly ‘Top 10 Tips’ for doing lockdown like a ‘boss’ in the MyStPauls Newsfeed for students. These short video clips have provided some lighthearted wellbeing tips for our students during this extended lockdown. Although comical in presentation, there are important messages embedded in each video to assist students to implement fabulous wellbeing strategies at home. I thank Reverend Lowe for his creativity and willingness to engage with our Years 7 to Year 12 audience through the Newsfeed each week.

I do hope that you and your children have a well-deserved rest and break over the September holidays. As we move closer towards a new normal and anticipate a slow easing of restrictions throughout the warmer summer months.

Rev Lowe ‘Busts a Move’ with his top ten tips for doing lockdown like a boss.

NAPLAN
Most families should have now received the NAPLAN results for their child in Year 7 and Year 9 via the mail. We were especially pleased with our recent NAPLAN results for our current Year 7 and Year 9 cohorts as we continue to achieve well above the state average in reading, writing and mathematics.

Unit 3 and 4 Practice Examinations
The September holiday period is fast approaching as are the scheduled Unit 3 and 4 Practice Examinations. These examinations are essential for the thorough preparation of our students for the Victorian and Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA) examinations held each year in November. It is important that students prepare well and participate in the School’s Practice Examination period. Practice examinations will be held on Thursday 30 September and Friday 1 October and will be supervised by staff via Zoom, with all students participating from home. Information has been sent to all Unit 3 and 4 families earlier this week.

General Achievement Test (GAT)
The General Achievement Test (GAT) is an important moderation tool used by the VCAA each year. Due to the circumstances of 2021 we believe the GAT is more important than ever before. Generally speaking, students cannot study for the GAT but they can complete practice GATs and familiarise themselves with the structure. The GAT will be held in Week 1 of Term 4, Tuesday 5 October from 10:00 am to 1:15 pm in the Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium.

Year 12 Final Events
We are planning the final events for our Year 12 cohort and have a number of different options to celebrate their very significant moments depending on the restrictions in which we may need to operate. Although the events may look a little different this year, please rest assured that we will make every effort to appropriately acknowledge the conclusion to your child’s journey with us at St Paul’s.

Summer Uniform
We are looking forward to seeing our students in their summer uniforms next term and encourage our families to pull them out of the cupboards and make sure that after a long winter they still fit. Students do tend to grow quite a bit between seasons, so it is always wise to pull out the uniforms during the holidays and give them a bit of a refresh before school returns. We would very much appreciate the assistance of our families in ensuring our students are well presented for their return to school after such a long absence from on-site learning. We are unclear about what the start to the term will look like at this stage but as soon as we have confirmation from the government, we will communicate all arrangements with our families.

Mrs Leonie Clark
Head of Warragul Secondary School

WHAT’S ON

SEPTEMBER
17 September  End of Term 3, 2:30 pm finish
30 September to 1 October  Unit 3/4 Practice Exams, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, online

OCTOBER
4 October  Term 4 Commences
5 October  GAT (General Achievement Test)

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

WARRAGUL SECONDARY SCHOOL RECEPTION HOLIDAY HOURS

Monday 20 to Thursday 23 September: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Monday 27 September to Friday 1 October: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

DOBSONS TRADING HOURS

During the school holidays the store will be open as follows, unless restrictions change.

Wednesday 29 September: 8:30 am to 1:00 pm
Thursday 30 September: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Friday 1 October: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Saturday 2 October: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Please note that density limits, masks and COVID-safe procedures apply. We thank you for your cooperation.

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

IMPORTANT NOTICES FOR PARENTS

Students who may be leaving St Paul’s
As per the Business Notice/Enrolment Agreement, it is a requirement at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School that a term’s notice in advance is given before any student withdraws. The School remains committed to supporting families who are experiencing changed financial circumstances due to COVID-19 and we encourage you to contact our Finance Officer, Mr Peter Lees, via email at plees@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au to discuss options that may assist your child/ren to continue. If you are planning to withdraw your child/ren, please confirm your intention in writing to our Principal, Mr Cameron Herbert, prior to the end of Term 3.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact our Enrolments Office: Mrs Jen Christensen (Warragul) on 5623 5833 or Ms Rachael Langley (Traralgon) on 5175 0133 or by emailing enrolments@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

INTERSECTIONS

I have a feeling that intersections are about to get a whole lot more stressful for me! You see, our oldest child is about to turn sixteen which means driving lessons are imminent. I will soon be entering intersections trusting in the judgement of an adolescent boy. You can see why I might be a bit nervous. And the thing about intersections is that it isn’t just our own actions that we have to manage. Intersections, by definition, are those points at which we cross paths with others and for that brief period everyone must figure out how to share the same space. It turns out that life is full of intersections. Every time a student sits down in a classroom or logs into a Microsoft Teams call; every time we arrive at work; any time any of us crosses paths with another person we are entering an intersection. So, what advice should I give my sixteen-year-old about intersections? And more importantly, what advice is there for any of us as we navigate the many intersections in life? Let me return to that question in a moment.

Some weeks ago, our Principal, Mr Cameron Herbert and our Chaplaincy team (Reverend Daniel Lowe, Mr Glen Treble, Mrs Deana Board and Mr Lynton Allan) attended the Anglican Schools Australia National Conference. Like so many events, the conference had already been delayed a year and then transitioned to an online format. Despite these challenges, it was wonderful to connect virtually with colleagues from across the nation and to celebrate the wonderful work of Anglican Schools. The most moving moment was a virtual massed choir performance of ‘The Blessing’ which students from twenty Anglican Schools around Victoria, including Year 10 students, Riley Richardson and Sophie Bray, from the St Paul’s Traralgon Campus. The video can still be viewed at https://vimeo.com/588660695/6ca24b321d and I would highly recommend taking the time to watch it. The theme of the conference was ‘Intersections’ and one of the most inspiring speakers for me was Major Brendan Nottle from the Salvation Army. He used the metaphor of a busy city intersection to talk about how we can approach those opportunities we have in life to share space with others. This brings me back to the question of how we navigate life’s intersections.

The first thing Brendan Nottle acknowledged was that intersections can be busy places, places of confusion, danger and the risk of collisions. As we all emerge from another round of greater social isolation, many of us might be approaching a return to school, office or social gatherings with the same fear a learner driver approaches a hook turn! It can be helpful to simply acknowledge this fear. When it comes to our mindset as we enter an intersection, Major Nottle suggested we enter “with the strong intention to listen and understand”, to use language to connect and to reflect on what we see and hear. The secret to navigating any intersection is an awareness of others and a willingness to cooperate with them. We have all been in a group setting where someone has charged in with their own agenda and no awareness of those around them. It usually isn’t pretty. We need to help our young people to be both self-aware and mindful of others as they reconnect. As it turns out, the advice I should give my sixteen-year-old for interacting with others is much the same as that for when approaching an intersection while driving. Here is some advice from a driving instructor, “Watch for other vehicles. Watch the vehicles in front of you, behind you, beside you and in oncoming traffic. Then look both ways to see where other vehicles are, what their intentions are at the intersection. Be aware of everyone’s motivations…” (https://www.drive-safely.net/tips-safe-driving-intersections/).

The last piece of advice from Major Brendan Nottle was to be a connector. In his words, “You don’t have to have all the answers. Invite people into the intersection and help them listen. They’ll likely come up with a better response”. Some of our young people are going to need our help to reconnect socially or to navigate the changing world that they are entering as emerging young adults. We probably won’t have all the answers, but we can help them to engage with people who can offer advice and support in different areas. I guess for me that will probably mean paying for some driving lessons for Mr Sixteen. Intersections, here we come!

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain