In this issue
• Chaplain’s Chat
• New St Paul’s Website
• Communitas Magazine
• Holiday Messages
Traralgon Junior School
From the Head of Traralgon Junior School, Ms Tracey King. This is our final Grammarian for 2022 and as the end of the year quickly approaches, I would like to acknowledge and thank our school community for their continued support and resilience throughout the year. We are all very proud …
Traralgon Junior School
From the Head of Traralgon Junior School,
Ms Tracey King.
This is our final Grammarian for 2022 and as the end of the year quickly approaches, I would like to acknowledge and thank our school community for their continued support and resilience throughout the year. We are all very proud of our students and their individual achievements along with how well they have finished the year engaging in learning activities, special events and our Step Up program in readiness for 2023. It has been lovely to enjoy some special activities as a school community at the end of this term where our students have been able to really shine and share their talents.
Students spent this week engaged in activities and lessons with their new classes and teachers setting themselves up for success in 2023. It was terrific to see how quickly students settled and connected with each other and their teachers. We welcomed a number of new students and families to our school on Orientation Day and it was wonderful to see many smiling happy faces as they were welcomed into classrooms, given individual tours of our Junior School and engaged in activities with enthusiasm. We look forward to them joining our community next year.
The end of the week was a highlight with a whole school excursion to the Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre where students swam in races and enjoyed the water slides, water play station and novelty competitions. Many thanks to Billy Rilen for his organisation of the Junior School Swimming Carnival and to all teachers for their involvement in such a wonderful day. Our Christmas Celebration evening was a relaxed and enjoyable evening and it was lovely to see our families gather together in our school gardens. We were treated to a number of musical performances and Christmas Carol singing. Many thanks to Dianne Kuyken, Nathan Byrne and our music teachers for their contributions to performances on the night. Jannet Taylor also launched the Years 5 and 6 Writing Challenge book and our students were very excited to see their writing published in a real book. Thank you to Jannet Taylor and our Years 5 and 6 teachers, Rick Battista, Laura Vannapreseuth, Jade Hosken and Julia Cullen, for their hard work with students to bring this book to reality providing students with a meaningful writing purpose.
I would like to acknowledge our students, families and teachers for being so cooperative and considerate this year as we weathered bouts of illness across the school and absenteeism. Some of us shared laughter and some shared tears as we navigated the challenges and rewards of 2022 together. It has certainly been another unexpected year that has continuously thrown curve balls at us. We have however enjoyed being back at school on a regular basis and being able to host our special events and activities. We are indeed very lucky to belong to such a wonderful and supportive school community.
Thank you to all of our teaching team, education support staff and administration staff who have worked with our ELC and Junior School students this year. We are very grateful for the amazing work and dedication of our team who have remained committed to the education and wellbeing of each young person in their care. Thanks also to our great support staff: maintenance team, gardeners, canteen staff, cleaning team, Before and After School Care staff and IT Department staff.
Our final Friends of St Paul’s (FOSP) meeting was held this week and the work of Sue Magee over the past 10 years was acknowledged. Sue has contributed in a variety of ways to the FOSP activities and events, however most notable is the coordination of our Mother’s Day and Father’s Day stalls. Her care and consideration of the beautiful gifts on offer has been so appreciated by our students and families and local businesses. Sue is thanked for her work and generosity. Myra Krafft’s contributions as FOSP president are also acknowledged over the past three years. Through Myra’s dedication and despite COVID-19 lockdown challenges, meetings and activities have continued.
Our Year 6 students are excited about their upcoming end of year special events and these occasions will be an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the learning and growth of each individual student. All of our students are thanked for their contributions to leadership in the Junior School and for the many and varied responsibilities they have carried out throughout the year. Special thanks to Isabella Slocombe and Araan Patel, our Traralgon Junior School Leaders, who have both been excellent role models. The entire cohort has been an absolute delight and our students are encouraged to embrace all the new opportunities offered to them as they move into secondary school.
Students and families who are moving on to new schools are wished every success for their future.
We farewell Nicole Cross and wish her the very best as she begins the new year teaching at Hazelwood North Primary School. Nicole has been an enthusiastic and committed teacher to her Year 3 class and we thank her for her work and positive contributions to our Junior School in 2022.
ySafe Online Safety
Christmas brings many wonderful presents and for some of our students, this may mean their very first mobile device. The summer holidays are the perfect opportunity to set up parental controls and or conduct a safety audit of mobile devices used in the household. We know that the mobile phone is the single biggest threat to a child’s wellbeing and academic success. Please take the time to visit the ySafe resources through MyStPauls to access information regarding the setting of parental controls. The ySafe site is eSafety Commissioner approved and has the latest information on trending apps as well as advice as to how to report any concerns. For the ySafe guide to set up parental controls on your child’s device please follow the link below: https://stpaulsags.onlinesafetyhub.com.au/
This month on School TV – School Transitions
Transitioning to a new learning environment is a major event in a child or young person’s life as it changes the social connections that they have built. This is a period where they must adapt to new circumstances, expectations, people, environments or routines. Whether big or small, transitions are a significant part of children’s and young people’s lives, as well as the learning community.
Whether it is starting school for the first time, moving up to a higher grade or embarking on a journey through secondary school, there is no doubt that any school transition is a very exciting time for children and parents. It means that the children are growing up!
However, for many, it may also be a very anxious and stressful time for both parents and children. Parents need to be aware of their child’s feelings during any school transition and minimise anxiety so the process is an enjoyable experience for all. It is important for children to attend transition or orientation programs offered by schools. Familiarisation is often key to reducing stress levels. It is also important for parents to talk to their children about their expectations and being more responsible for their own needs. Access further resources, videos and expert guidance here: https://stpaulsags.vic.schooltv.me/newsletter/school-transitions
Our final school event for the year is our Presentation Assembly. All families are warmly invited to attend the 2022 Traralgon Junior School Presentation Assembly in the Traralgon Campus Gymnasium on Wednesday 7 December commencing at 11:00 am. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our Year 6 students and the close of the academic school year for all of our students. In order to provide adequate seating at this event we do ask that you RSVP to tgonadmin@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au.
Finally, I wish everyone safe and restful holidays, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I will look forward to welcoming you all back on Wednesday 1 February for the start of 2023.
Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School
WHAT’S ON
DECEMBER
2 December Christmas Celebration Evening
5 December Year 6 Excursion
6 December Year 6 Graduation
Activity Day
7 December Presentation Assembly
Dismissal 3:20 pm
* Please note that all events/excursions are dependent on COVID-19 restrictions.
* TBC – to be confirmed.
TRARALGON JUNIOR SCHOOL HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS
8 December 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
9 December 8:00 am to 10:00 am
12 to 16 December 10:00 am to 12:00 noon
19 December to 13 January Closed
16 to 25 January 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
26 January Closed (Australia Day Public Holiday)
27 January 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
DOBSONS HOLIDAY TRADING HOURS
Please note that some COVIDSafe procedures may still 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 FRIENDS OF ST PAUL’S 2023 DATES FOR THE DIARY
The first Friends of St Paul’s (FOSP) meeting is scheduled for Thursday 9 February at 7:00 pm in the Traralgon Campus library.
FOSP will also be cooking up a storm (barbeque) on Friday 17 February at the Junior School Family Fun Night.
If you have time and would like to be involved please contact us.
Myra Krafft
FOSP President
A WARM WELCOME FROM OUR 2023 FRIENDS OF ST PAUL’S CO-PRESIDENTS
Hello! We are Tanya and Janelle and we both have three children each across both the Junior and Secondary Schools. We look forward to welcoming new and existing members to Friends of St Paul’s (FOSP) for another fun year in 2023.
We would like to acknowledge Myra’s contribution as FOSP President for the past three years. Myra has worked hard to bring the school community together for many fun events, especially during the challenging period of lockdowns when school was closed. We thank Myra for her commitment and dedication to FOSP and look forward to continuing to work with Myra in the new year as a FOSP member.
We encourage you to join FOSP and meet new people, have fun and help us to bring the whole school community together, as well as raise some funds to benefit our children with play equipment, resources, and other opportunities.
We wish you a wonderful festive season and please get in touch with us to find out more information.
Tanya Rong and Janelle Szkwarek
2023 FOSP Co-Presidents
WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE!
We are very excited to announce that St Paul’s has a brand-new website! The site will continue to grow even bigger and better as we continue to populate more pages.
We would love to hear how you feel about our vibrant new online presence, please email marketing@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au for any and all feedback, changes or questions.
Please note that our web address will remain as http://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au
The MyStPauls portal will remain as https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/login/
MyStPauls Login
On your desktop, you will be able to access the MyStPauls portal through the top navigation menu ‘Login’. See red arrow.
On your mobile, you can access the MyStPauls portal through the hamburger menu (i.e. the three lines stacked upon each other in the top right-hand corner).
This will open our full menu, with the ‘Login’ feature at the very bottom. Then click on ‘Login’ to access MyStPauls.
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE ELC!
What a busy, fun-filled year of learning we have had in the Koala Pre-Prep group! Many parents and other adults have recently commented on the growth and development they have seen as the children have progressed from Pre-Kinder through to Pre-Prep and onwards, ready for school.
Some of the areas we have particularly noticed are:
- The growing independence in daily self-care skills
- Confidence in their environment and in themselves
- Willingness to embrace new experiences
- Developing resilience and bravery
These are all lifelong skills that will give all of the children a great foundation to continue their educational journey.
Tracey Pisani
Koala Pre-Prep Teacher
YEAR 4 NEWS
Our Year 4 students were excited and nervous to try out Year 5 this week. Last week, we learnt about MC Escher and created tessellations. Some of the end pieces showed how the same shape can repeat but look quite different when we add shading and details. They have also budgeted and mapped mini-cities as part of a financial maths unit.
Our speaking and listening, writing and integrated units have combined, as students have collated their research about waste into PowerPoint presentations, which they then presented to the class. Students shared their learning on how waste impacts our environment and some of the strategies that we can use to manage it to preserve the future.
Lara Gibbons and Stefanie Settle
Classroom Teachers
COMMUNITAS COMMUNITY MAGAZINE
Issue 6, Semester 2, 2022 of our community magazine, Communitas, is now available here. Please enjoy!
ALUMNI REUNIONS 2022
On Saturday 19 November, the Alumni Committee and school hosted a mega reunion of nine Alumni reunions in one day. COVID-19 meant that a few reunions were delayed, resulting in a huge celebration of three groups at each of the 10, 20, and 30 year level groups.
The actual event was magic, and everyone was so grateful to be able to celebrate. People came from all over Australia: from the Sunshine Coast, Tasmania and Ballarat to name a few. Everyone was welcomed on arrival with the smell of coffee, capturing visitors’ hearts from the very beginning, before Alumni ventured downstairs into the Year 9 Centre. The building had been magically transformed by a very hardworking Alumni Committee, and happy, celebratory vibes were firmly set. The music was first-class, and outstanding jazz music performed by talented Alumni set the tone of the day. The fairy lights added sparkle; the decorating and flow was just perfect, the catering was delicious and plentiful; and the memorabilia was loved by so many Alumni who took walks down memory lane with classmates through photos and production programs and old uniforms and videos. Visitors enjoyed tours of the school and Alumni could not believe the changes that had occurred within the school. For the 30 year group, they reminisced about having assemblies and classes in the canteen building, one of the first buildings at St Paul’s, whereas now our students enjoy a huge gymnasium with a dance studio and weights area and outdoor courts. The school has come a long way! Huge numbers were welcomed to the event and everyone had an amazing time. As a committee, we are so proud to be helping to reignite lost connections, forge new ones, grow the school, grow the Alumni and create a buzz again.
If you are part of the Alumni community, we would love for you to update your details here so that we can invite you to upcoming events: https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/community/alumni/
Thank you to the staff and marketing team for supporting the event. A big thank you to the hardworking Alumni Committee for all your hard work volunteering for this event, and for all the work you do through the years to support the school and its past and present students. Bring on the reunions in 2023!
Jane Sahhar
Alumni President 2022
For more information visit www.clubhousebootcamp.com.au.
Traralgon Secondary School
From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School, Mrs Leonie Clark HAPPY HOLIDAYS, CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS AND A HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS! What a …
Traralgon Secondary School
From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School,
Mrs Leonie Clark
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS AND A HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS!
What a brilliant year we have had at our Traralgon Secondary School! I have loved getting to know the community, the students, the parents/guardians and all of the staff. Thank you for your kind support of our school community and for working with us to continue to build a strong partnership as we work together to educate and prepare our students to be accomplished and confident young people of the future. I wish all of our families a very safe and happy Christmas holiday with many memories of time spent with family and friends.
Christmas brings many wonderful presents and for some of our students, this may mean their very first mobile device. The summer holidays are the perfect opportunity to set up parental controls and or conduct a safety audit of mobile devices used in the household. We know that the mobile phone is the single biggest threat to a child’s wellbeing and academic success. Please take the time to visit the ySafe resources through MyStPauls to access information regarding the setting of parental controls. The ySafe site is eSafety Commissioner approved and has the latest information on trending apps as well as advice as to how to report any concerns.
We have certainly loved the support with the management of devices this year in partnership with ySafe and have noted a considerable drop in pastoral concerns associated with mobile devices in our secondary school. I sincerely thank our parents and guardians for their kind and united support in this space. Together with our mobile phone policy at school, we do seem to be making a significant difference to the wellbeing of the young people in our care.
For the ySafe guide to set up parental controls on your child’s device please follow the link: https://stpaulsags.onlinesafetyhub.com.au/
Students return to school Wednesday 1 February 2023 and School Photographs
The holidays always seem to be the period when adolescents experience exponential growth. Please do not forget to remind your child to try on the various items of summer uniform, in the weeks leading up to the return to school.
The annual school photographs are occurring on the first day of school, on Wednesday 1 February, and it is important that our students arrive well presented on the first day with the correct socks, blazer, tie and no remaining holiday nail polish or jewellery.
A reminder that the blazer is always to be the outer garment, rather than the school jumper when arriving or departing school. Unless it is too warm and then students are most welcome to arrive and leave in their school dress or shirt. The school spray jacket is only to be worn with the Sports and PE Uniform and not with the formal uniform.
Holiday Reading
All students in Years 7 to 10 are advised to read their novels for English over the holidays in preparation for their text studies in 2023. Reading the text for enjoyment and then rereading it throughout the year, while studying it in depth, assists students to gain a greater complex understanding of the context as well as the characters, settings and interrelationships.
Of course, we would love our students to work their way through a very long reading list over the summer break. Our library staff are only too willing to assist with the borrowing of books for the holidays and are well placed to make suitable recommendations for students.
Year 10 Celebration Evening
On Friday 18 November, our Year 10 students and their families enjoyed a celebratory evening together to acknowledge their many years with us at Traralgon Campus before progressing to their VCE studies at Warragul Campus and beyond. Many thanks to Nicholas Fenech and Ananya Philips, our School Captains and hosts of this event. Their polished presentations and heartfelt words resonated with their peers and families as the community came together to recall the many events and experiences that have seen this cohort become so closely connected over many years. Thanks are also extended to Sandra Timmer-Arends, Nathan Byrne, Maddison Scott, Kerryn Doble, Kara Kimberley, Chris Ambrozy and Donna Byrne for their help and support on the night.
Year 10 students.
Thank you to our Traralgon Secondary School Captains and all of the 2023 Traralgon Secondary School Leaders
I would like to thank our two Traralgon Secondary School Captains Nicholas Fenech and Ananya Philips and their team for their outstanding leadership this year. They have been exemplary role models for the younger students and they have truly demonstrated what it means to be a student at St Paul’s. They will be greatly missed at our Traralgon Campus and we wish them all the very best for their continued VCE studies at Warragul.
Traralgon Secondary School Captains.
2023 Year 7 Orientation
This week we have enjoyed a spectacular three days of fun and learning experiences as our 2023 cohort of 65 Year 7 students found their way around the secondary campus while meeting new teachers and students. They have thoroughly enjoyed a variety of experiences facilitated by the teaching staff and perfectly coordinated by their Head of Year, Andrew McGrath. Some of the activities included the making of delicious Christmas treats in Food Technology, painting and drawing in Visual Art, playing sport during Physical Education, visiting the library for a lesson in wider reading, making origami paper cranes in Japanese and experiments with dry ice in Science. We have loved getting to know our new cohort and can not wait for them to return to school after the holidays in their uniforms.
Year 7 students.
Presentation Assembly Traralgon Secondary School
All families are warmly invited to attend the 2022 Traralgon Secondary School Presentation Assembly in the Traralgon Campus Gymnasium on Wednesday 7 December commencing at 9:30 am. We look forward to celebrating the close of the academic school year for all of our students. In order to provide adequate seating at this event we do ask that you RSVP to Maddie Scott or Kerryn Doble via 5175 9222 or email mscott@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au.
Friends of St Paul’s (FOSP) Annual General Meeting
Outgoing FOSP President, Myra Krafft, acknowledged the 10 years of service of parent Sue Magee. Sue has worked tirelessly over her time as a parent at St Paul’s with many fundraising and FOSP events. She has been instrumental in the coordination and organising of the Mother’s and Father’s Day stalls, and in supporting local businesses. Thank you, Sue.
Congratulations to FOSP Co-Presidents Tanya Rong and Janelle Szkwarek, between them both Tanya and Janelle have been involved with FOSP for many years and together will bring enthusiasm and experience to the role.
Congratulations and thank you to new member Monique Cawcutt, who accepted a shared role as FOSP secretary.
We are still seeking a volunteer for the position of FOSP Treasurer.
Jo Loeschenkohl will continue to manage the Facebook pages and social media posts for FOSP.
General members of FOSP include, but are not limited to:
Michelle Harding
Richard O’Brien
Steph Madden
Suzanne McLean
Myra Krafft
Leonie Clark
Head of Traralgon Secondary School
WHAT’S ON
NOVEMBER
28 November to 2 December Early Commencement (Years 8 to 10)
DECEMBER
1 December Christmas Service
5 December Year 9 Big Day Out, Traralgon CBD, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
6 December Run for East Timor
Presentation Assembly Rehearsal, 11:00 am
7 December Presentation Assembly, 9:30 am
End of Term 4, 3:10 pm Finish
* Please note that all events/excursions are dependent on COVID-19 restrictions.
* TBC – to be confirmed.
TRARALGON SECONDARY SCHOOL HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS
8 December 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
9 December 8:00 am to 10:00 am
12 December to 16 January Closed
17 to 24 January 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
25 January 8:00 am to 4:30 pm (Resume normal office hours)
26 January Closed (Australia Day Public Holiday)
27 to 31 January 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
* TBC – to be confirmed.
DOBSONS HOLIDAY TRADING HOURS
Please note that some COVIDSafe procedures may still 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 FRIENDS OF ST PAUL’S 2023 DATES FOR THE DIARY
The first Friends of St Paul’s (FOSP) meeting is scheduled for Thursday 9 February at 7:00 pm in the Traralgon Campus library.
FOSP will also be cooking up a storm (barbeque) on Friday 17 February at the Junior School Family Fun Night.
If you have time and would like to be involved please contact us.
Myra Krafft
FOSP President
A WARM WELCOME FROM OUR 2023 FRIENDS OF ST PAUL’S CO-PRESIDENTS
Hello! We are Tanya and Janelle and we both have three children each across both the Junior and Secondary Schools. We look forward to welcoming new and existing members to Friends of St Paul’s (FOSP) for another fun year in 2023.
We would like to acknowledge Myra’s contribution as FOSP President for the past three years. Myra has worked hard to bring the school community together for many fun events, especially during the challenging period of lockdowns when school was closed. We thank Myra for her commitment and dedication to FOSP and look forward to continuing to work with Myra in the new year as a FOSP member.
We encourage you to join FOSP and meet new people, have fun and help us to bring the whole school community together, as well as raise some funds to benefit our children with play equipment, resources, and other opportunities.
We wish you a wonderful festive season and please get in touch with us to find out more information.
Tanya Rong and Janelle Szkwarek
2023 FOSP Co-Presidents
WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE!
We are very excited to announce that St Paul’s has a brand-new website! The site will continue to grow even bigger and better as we continue to populate more pages.
We would love to hear how you feel about our vibrant new online presence, please email marketing@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au for any and all feedback, changes or questions.
Please note that our web address will remain as http://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au
The MyStPauls portal will remain as https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/login/
MyStPauls Login
On your desktop, you will be able to access the MyStPauls portal through the top navigation menu ‘Login’. See red arrow.
On your mobile, you can access the MyStPauls portal through the hamburger menu (i.e. the three lines stacked upon each other in the top right-hand corner).
This will open our full menu, with the ‘Login’ feature at the very bottom. Then click on ‘Login’ to access MyStPauls.
HEAD OF YEAR
Our final Head of Year level assembly with the Year 10 students was held prior to the exams which saw each of the students presented with a small gift to thank them for a wonderful year and of course saying goodbye as they either transitioned to the Warragul Campus or elsewhere.
Final Year 10 Assembly group photo with some of the students.
Mrs Timmer-Arends making a speech about Ashley Nicholes.
Mrs Timmer-Arends with Sophia Hastie and the cohort watching on.
Mrs Timmer-Arends presenting Nicholas Krafft-Murat with his gift.
As each student was presented with their gift, I spoke about what resonated with me over the years they have been at the Traralgon Campus and what was so unique about them. It was a time to celebrate.
Sandra Timmer-Arends
Head of Years 9 and 10
2022 MATHEMATICS COMPETITIONS
Each year hundreds of thousands of students from 40 countries participate in the Australian Mathematics competition. It is one of the largest school-based mathematics competitions in the world and it is run by the Australian Mathematics Trust. In August selected secondary students sat the 75 minute test. The test contained a variety of problems with relevance to everyday life situations. This year we are very proud and excited at the number of students receiving awards from the competition.
Congratulations to the following students who achieved outstanding results:
Best in School
Asmi Pathania (Year 8 Traralgon Secondary School)
High Distinction
Asmi Pathania (Year 8 Traralgon Secondary School)
Elena Hu (Year 7 Traralgon Secondary School)
Distinction
Elyse O’Brien (Year 9 Traralgon Secondary School)
Philllipa Steenholdt (Year 9 Traralgon Secondary School)
Addison Tucker (Year 8 Traralgon Secondary School)
Hugo Christensen (Year 8 Warragul Secondary School)
Adam Guo (Year 8 Traralgon Secondary School)
Blake Cooper (Year 7 Traralgon Secondary School)
Georgia Kam (Year 7 Traralgon Secondary School)
In early May, Year 8 students from Traralgon Secondary School participated in the Computational and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) Competition.
The CAT competition is a one-hour problem-solving competition designed to encourage student curiosity and promote multiple modes of thinking and has a mixture of multiple-choice and integer answers and incorporates unique ‘three-stage tasks’ that encourage students to develop informal algorithms and apply them to test data of increasing size or complexity.
Congratulations to the following students who achieved outstanding results:
Distinction
Asmi Pathania
Angad Brar
Credit
Matthew Laing
Morgan McConville
Angus Cooper
Sahanna Harikrishna
Arie Coffey
Anshita Shadangi
Max May
Victoria Wilson
Mathematics Teacher
LIBRARY NEWS
This year has brought many exciting changes to our Library, making it a more dynamic space for students, as well as being a more organised collection for our students.
Our fiction collection is now housed in the main room and is ordered by genre. While our non-fiction section has been updated. Each of these changes have been developed to help all members of the community find the resource or text that they need or want to read.
We have developed several lounging areas to create a comfortable space for students to enjoy.
We hope that all students have a wonderful break and take some time to complete some reading over the holidays. With many new books, do not forget to stock up on your reading material before the end of the year, or access Wheelers for eBooks or audiobooks over the holidays.
Jannet Taylor
Head of Libraries
TERM 4 SEISA – JUNIOR SUMMER COMPETITION
Term 4 was a fantastic season for our Junior SEISA teams! St Paul’s was competitive across all teams with our students excelling and improving as the season progressed. Well done to all Years 7 and 8 students who represented St Paul’s throughout the season. All students across the semester played exceptionally well and should be proud of their efforts.
Congratulations to the Girls Softball, Girls Tennis, Girls Netball A , Girls Netball B and Boys Basketball B teams that qualified for the finals. A special mention to the Girls Tennis team that was unbeaten all season, culminating with winning the Grand Final.
Throughout the season our coaches also considered player conduct, attitude, respectful conduct, teamwork, upholding the School’s values and performance. Based on this, the following students were nominated as being outstanding in these areas and will be recognised at an assembly. Congratulations!
Girls Tennis – Asmi Pathania
Boys Tennis – Riley O’Brien
Boys Basketball – Cooper Leighton
Boys Cricket – Addison Tucker
Girls Netball – Mica Nightingale
Girls Softball – Morgan McConville
A big thank you to the staff who coached our teams throughout 2022 – it is appreciated. We look forward to what next year brings!
Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport, Warragul Campus
WHAT’S ON IN TERM 1 SPORT
| Event | Logistics | Key Information |
| SEISA Trials – Intermediate/Senior | Thursday 2 February
1:00 pm to 3:30 pm Warragul St Paul’s Campus |
Selection process: Student sign ups completed in Term 4. Students attend a trials session for team selection. The only teams that will not trial on this day will be Senior Basketball, Senior Netball and Senior Cricket. A lunch time will be scheduled for these three teams.
Event and consent information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go on January 27. |
| Year 7/8 Swim Trials | Thursday 3 February
11:00 am to 3:30 pm Moe Outdoor Pool |
This is a compulsory event for all Years 7 and 8 students.
Event information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go on January 27. No consent required. |
| Final Round of 2022 Alpinestars Vic Schools MTB Series | Sunday 5 February
All Day Cranwell Park, Melbourne |
Selection process: This is a final event for the 2022 MTB team (delayed from 2022). All students/families who have expressed interest have been involved in regular email communication.
The event series is a great way for students to get involved in racing their mountain bike for their school in a fun and supportive environment. New and experienced riders are encouraged to participate. Parent information and permission was published via Consent2Go in 2022. Regular email communication will be sent home in the lead up to the event. This event does not involve school transport. |
|
SEISA Intermediate/Senior Competition |
Round 1: Thursday 9 February Round 2: Thursday 16 FebruaryRound 3: Thursday 2 MarchRound 4: Thursday 9 March Round 5: Thursday 23 March Finals: Thursday 30 March |
Selection process: trials completed on Thursday 2 February.
Weekly logistics (travel arrangements) will be published on the MyStPauls Sport page each Friday. Training information, fixtures and results will also be published regularly on the MyStPauls Sport page. Event and consent information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go early in February.
|
| House Swimming Carnival | Tuesday 14 February
|
Selection process: Whole school event. Years 7 to 8 students will be selected from the Swim Trials on Friday 3 February. All Years 9 to 12 students will sign up for events in a House Assembly early in Term 1.
Event information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go in early February. No consent required. |
| SEISA Swim Team
|
Trainings:
Wednesday 8 February (Warragul) Wednesday 15 February (Warragul) Wednesday 22 February (Traralgon) SEISA Swim Event:
|
Selection process: results from the House Swimming Carnival and Swimming Victoria database (coach discretion)
Event and consent information trainings will be distributed to families via Consent2Go on January 27. SEISA Swim Event information will be distributed early in February. This event is also a qualification event for the Victorian Schools Associations Competition. |
| SEISA Badminton Team | Thursday 23 February
9:00 am to 7:30 pm MSAC – Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre |
Selection process: Student sign ups and lunchtime trials will be running early in Term 1.
Event and consent information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go early in February. |
| SEISA Table Tennis Team | Thursday 23 February
9:00 am to 7:30 pm MSAC – Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre |
Selection process: Student sign ups and lunchtime trials will be running early in Term 1.
Event and consent information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go early in February. |
| TSS Athletics Trials | Tuesday 7 March
9:00 am to 3:10 pm Harold Preston Park Traralgon |
This is a compulsory event for all Years 7 to 10 students.
Event information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go in February 2023. |
| Combined House Athletics Carnival | Monday 3 April
Joe Carmody Athletics Track |
Selection process: Results from Athletics Trials.
Event and consent information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go. |
| SEISA Athletics | Selection process: Results from House Athletics Carnival.
Event and consent information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go. This event is also a qualification event for the Victorian All School Track and Field Championships. Students who finish 1st or 2nd in their individual event at the SEISA Athletics will be invited to attend. |
|
| Other Term 1 Sport Information
· All key sporting event information is published regularly on the MyStPauls Sport page. Students and families must be checking this page to keep informed.
· During Mentor time later in Term 1, all Years 7 and 8 students will have an opportunity to sign up for Term 2 SEISA. Trials for these teams are scheduled on Thursday 28 April:
– Junior AFL Football – Junior Mixed Hockey – Junior Girls Basketball – Junior AFLW – Junior Girls Soccer – Junior Boys Soccer |
||
Sandra Timmer-Arends
Head of Sport, Traralgon Campus
COMMUNITAS COMMUNITY MAGAZINE
Issue 6, Semester 2, 2022 of our community magazine, Communitas, is now available here. Please enjoy!
ALUMNI REUNIONS 2022
On Saturday 19 November, the Alumni Committee and school hosted a mega reunion of nine Alumni reunions in one day. COVID-19 meant that a few reunions were delayed, resulting in a huge celebration of three groups at each of the 10, 20, and 30 year level groups.
The actual event was magic, and everyone was so grateful to be able to celebrate. People came from all over Australia: from the Sunshine Coast, Tasmania and Ballarat to name a few. Everyone was welcomed on arrival with the smell of coffee, capturing visitors’ hearts from the very beginning, before Alumni ventured downstairs into the Year 9 Centre. The building had been magically transformed by a very hardworking Alumni Committee, and happy, celebratory vibes were firmly set. The music was first-class, and outstanding jazz music performed by talented Alumni set the tone of the day. The fairy lights added sparkle; the decorating and flow was just perfect, the catering was delicious and plentiful; and the memorabilia was loved by so many Alumni who took walks down memory lane with classmates through photos and production programs and old uniforms and videos. Visitors enjoyed tours of the school and Alumni could not believe the changes that had occurred within the school. For the 30 year group, they reminisced about having assemblies and classes in the canteen building, one of the first buildings at St Paul’s, whereas now our students enjoy a huge gymnasium with a dance studio and weights area and outdoor courts. The school has come a long way! Huge numbers were welcomed to the event and everyone had an amazing time. As a committee, we are so proud to be helping to reignite lost connections, forge new ones, grow the school, grow the Alumni and create a buzz again.
If you are part of the Alumni community, we would love for you to update your details here so that we can invite you to upcoming events: https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/community/alumni/
Thank you to the staff and marketing team for supporting the event. A big thank you to the hardworking Alumni Committee for all your hard work volunteering for this event, and for all the work you do through the years to support the school and its past and present students. Bring on the reunions in 2023!
Jane Sahhar
Alumni President 2022
Warragul Junior School
From the Head of Warragul Junior School, Mr Rowan van Raay. 2022 comes to an end! The finish of the 2022 school year is just …
Warragul Junior School
From the Head of Warragul Junior School,
Mr Rowan van Raay.
2022 comes to an end!
The finish of the 2022 school year is just around the corner and what a year it has been. Well done to all our students and families for a wonderful year. It has been great to get back to some normality! Everyone has worked so hard, sharing many laughs along the way.
Warragul Junior School Hoop Time basketball state winners.
State Champions – Hoop Time Basketball
Our Years 5/6 Hoop Time basketball team – Jack M, Alistair M, Seth F, Makoto O, Ollie B, Jaxon S, Remy B, Ollie M and Saxon C became State Champions last Tuesday. There were 492 schools entered in the competition and the boys were undefeated throughout the various stages. This is an outstanding effort and the team, coaches and Mr Boraston should be congratulated.
Year 3 Camp
My thanks to Mr Faumuina, Mrs McGrath, Ms Spencer, Mrs Murphy, Mr Boraston and Mr Barkla and the Year 3 students for a wonderful three days at Merricks last week. The students enjoyed a range of activities with surfing, bush cooking and kite making some of the highlights.
Prep to Year 2 Athletics Carnival
Thanks to Mr Boraston for running another wonderful Prep to Year 2 Athletics Carnival on Tuesday. The students competed in a range of events and it was great to see all of the cheering and students supporting each other throughout the carnival. The icy poles went down a treat at the end and were well-deserved. Thanks to the staff and Year 6 Leaders who assisted on the day.
2023 Orientation Day
All students spent the day in their 2023 class yesterday. Class lists were sent home to families. Please contact us at the office if they did not make it home.
End of Year Reports
Due to a slight delay, end of year reports will be available for families to view on MyStPauls on Monday. Information on how to access these will be emailed to families.
2023 Junior School Leaders
Our 2023 Junior School Leaders were announced on Tuesday and I would like to congratulate all of the Year 5 students for applying for a leadership position. My thanks to Mr Barkla and Mrs Farr for overseeing the process this year. An official handover from our current Year 6 students will take place at our Presentation Assembly next Wednesday.
Presentation Assembly
Our 2022 Presentation Assembly will be held in the Secondary School Gymnasium commencing at 9:30 am. Families are able to join us for this occasion and it is expected to conclude around 11:00 am. Students will then return to the Junior School. Should you wish to take your child/ren after the assembly, they can be collected and signed out from their classrooms. After School Care will still be available after school next Wednesday for families who require it.
2023
This is a reminder that the 2023 school year commences on Wednesday 1 February for all Prep to Year 6 students and I will communicate to families in the new year regarding the start of the school year.
As this is the final newsletter for 2022, I would like to thank all of the teaching and education support staff who have worked with our ELC and Junior School students throughout the year. I wish Ms Paulet, Miss Collings, Mrs Clements and Mrs Blanchard well as they take leave next year. I thank Mr Christensen and Mrs Perry for their contributions this year and wish them well in their future endeavours. Mrs McGiffin will be retiring at the end of the year after 18 years teaching Art in our Junior School. We sincerely thank Kim for her wonderful contribution to St Paul’s and for the influence she has had on our students in our Art program.
Thanks also to all our great support staff, Bec, Tessa and Luisa in the office, our Maintenance team, our IT Department, Cleaners, Gardener, After School Care staff, Finance Department, Enrolments team, Human Resources, Marketing team, Canteen staff, Bus Coordinator, Performing Arts staff, Crossing Supervisors and all of the staff in the Warragul Secondary School administration building. We especially thank, and wish, Tessa all the best as her traineeship finishes with us at the beginning of next year.
I wish all of the Year 6 students the very best as they move into Secondary School.
Finally, I wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas and New Year, we all certainly deserve a good break, and I look forward to seeing you in 2023.
Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School
WHAT’S ON
NOVEMBER
30 November to 2 December 2023 Year 7 Orientation Program
DECEMBER
1 December 2023 Years 1 to 6 Orientation Day
5 December Prep to Year 6 Christmas Service
Year 6 Dinner
6 December Year 6 Swimming Fun Day
7 December Prep to Year 6 Presentation Assembly, 9:30 am
End of Term 4, 3:20 pm Finish
* Please note that all events/excursions are dependent on COVID-19 restrictions.
* TBC – to be confirmed.
WARRAGUL JUNIOR SCHOOL HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS
8 to 9 December 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
12 to 14 December 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
16 to 20 January 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
23 to 25 January 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
26 January Closed (Australia Day Public Holiday)
27 January 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
30 to 31 January 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
DOBSONS HOLIDAY TRADING HOURS
Please note that some COVIDSafe procedures may still 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.
ST PAUL’S PARENT PRAYER GROUP
“Where two or three people gather in my name, I am there with them.” Matthew 18:20
The St Paul’s parent prayer group meets on the first Monday of each month during school terms. We try to keep the meeting brief (we are usually done by 9:45 am) and casual (younger children are most welcome). The group encompasses people both very comfortable with praying, as well as those newer to praying with others. Feel free to get in touch with any questions beforehand or just attend when you are able during the year.
Our next gathering is Monday 5 December, 9:00 am in the Prideaux Centre, Warragul Junior School
Contact: Sheryn Cutler 0417 158 937 or sheryn.cutler@gmail.com
WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE!
We are very excited to announce that St Paul’s has a brand-new website! The site will continue to grow even bigger and better as we continue to populate more pages.
We would love to hear how you feel about our vibrant new online presence, please email marketing@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au for any and all feedback, changes or questions.
Please note that our web address will remain as http://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au
The MyStPauls portal will remain as https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/login/
MyStPauls Login
On your desktop, you will be able to access the MyStPauls portal through the top navigation menu ‘Login’. See red arrow.
On your mobile, you can access the MyStPauls portal through the hamburger menu (i.e. the three lines stacked upon each other in the top right-hand corner).
This will open our full menu, with the ‘Login’ feature at the very bottom. Then click on ‘Login’ to access MyStPauls.
COMMUNITAS COMMUNITY MAGAZINE
Issue 6, Semester 2, 2022 of our community magazine, Communitas, is now available here. Please enjoy!
ALUMNI REUNIONS 2022
On Saturday 19 November, the Alumni Committee and school hosted a mega reunion of nine Alumni reunions in one day. COVID-19 meant that a few reunions were delayed, resulting in a huge celebration of three groups at each of the 10, 20, and 30 year level groups.
The actual event was magic, and everyone was so grateful to be able to celebrate. People came from all over Australia: from the Sunshine Coast, Tasmania and Ballarat to name a few. Everyone was welcomed on arrival with the smell of coffee, capturing visitors’ hearts from the very beginning, before Alumni ventured downstairs into the Year 9 Centre. The building had been magically transformed by a very hardworking Alumni Committee, and happy, celebratory vibes were firmly set. The music was first-class, and outstanding jazz music performed by talented Alumni set the tone of the day. The fairy lights added sparkle; the decorating and flow was just perfect, the catering was delicious and plentiful; and the memorabilia was loved by so many Alumni who took walks down memory lane with classmates through photos and production programs and old uniforms and videos. Visitors enjoyed tours of the school and Alumni could not believe the changes that had occurred within the school. For the 30 year group, they reminisced about having assemblies and classes in the canteen building, one of the first buildings at St Paul’s, whereas now our students enjoy a huge gymnasium with a dance studio and weights area and outdoor courts. The school has come a long way! Huge numbers were welcomed to the event and everyone had an amazing time. As a committee, we are so proud to be helping to reignite lost connections, forge new ones, grow the school, grow the Alumni and create a buzz again.
If you are part of the Alumni community, we would love for you to update your details here so that we can invite you to upcoming events: https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/community/alumni/
Thank you to the staff and marketing team for supporting the event. A big thank you to the hardworking Alumni Committee for all your hard work volunteering for this event, and for all the work you have done throughout the years to support the school and its past and present students. Bring on the reunions in 2023!
Jane Sahhar
Alumni President 2022
From the Chaplain
SPARKLEJOLLYTWINKLEJINGLEY “I think you’re really beautiful and I feel really warm when I’m around you and my tongue swells up. So … do you want …
From the Chaplain
SPARKLEJOLLYTWINKLEJINGLEY
“I think you’re really beautiful and I feel really warm when I’m around you and my tongue swells up. So … do you want to eat food?” This was perhaps my favourite line from the musical production of Elf that I attended last weekend. The show is a musical theatre version of the movie, ‘Elf’. The movie stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised by Santa’s elves, who learns about his origins and heads to New York City to meet his biological father. Both the movie and the musical are incredibly corny, and the musical version performed at the Gippsland Performing Arts Centre by Class Act Productions last weekend was wonderfully uplifting in all its Christmas cheesiness. It also got me thinking about some of the ridiculous things people do at Christmas time. One of our colleagues here at St Paul’s is such a fan of all things Christmas that they are running a daily Christmas joke competition amongst staff. Every year the Christmas lights on houses get more elaborate and I have already spotted a few farmers getting in on the act with Christmas themed hay bale displays. Compared to some places around the world though, our Australian Christmas antics seem quite understated.
In Austria, kids who end up on Santa’s naughty list have to worry about Krampus: a horned, hairy beast that snatches misbehaving children in his wicker basket, serving as Saint Nicholas’ creepy enforcer. Many towns in Austria (and neighbouring countries), especially the alpine villages around Salzburg and Tyrol, celebrate Krampusnacht on 5 December, when dozens of men dressed as the half-goat demon parade through the streets brandishing sticks and terrorising children.
In the Mexican city of Oaxaca, the days before Christmas are marked with an event known as the Night of the Radishes. Sadly, it’s not a low-budget 80s horror movie, but instead a vegetable carving competition. Participants get remarkably creative, with everything from nativity scenes to fantastical monsters on display as thousands of visitors descend on the city to witness the fun.
In the Catalonia region of Spain, Christmas features a little bit of toilet humour. The ‘caganer’ (roughly meaning ‘the pooper’), a figurine wearing the traditional Catalan red cap and with his trousers down, showing a bare backside, and defecating, is snuck into nativity scenes alongside Jesus, Mary and Joseph. There is much debate over the origins of this tradition, but it has existed since at least the 18th century.
Why are we so attracted to ridiculous Christmas traditions? I wonder if it is because nothing can match the wonder and apparent ridiculousness of God’s Christmas act. Everything about Christmas is so improbable. The birth of Jesus brings together the greatest of all opposites: A God, who surrenders His power to become a helpless infant. The One who lives in the freedom of eternity binds Himself in time. He whom the universe could not contain chose to be confined within the womb of a simple mortal woman. This is the greatest jest of all. Writer G.K. Chesterton expressed it in these words: “And on that sacred jest the whole of Christianity doth rest.”
So, whether your Christmas celebrations involve carved vegetables, demonic bovines, pooping peasants or just the everyday madness of a family gathering, take a moment to reflect on the astounding ridiculousness of a God who loves us so much that He did the unthinkable and became one of us so that we might have life in all its fullness.
Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a wonderful summer break on behalf of the chaplaincy team here at St Paul’s.
Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain
Warragul Secondary School
From the Head of Warragul Secondary School, Mrs Laura Butterworth. Final Grammarian for 2022 I feel quite reflective as I sit to write my final …
Warragul Secondary School
From the Head of Warragul Secondary School,
Mrs Laura Butterworth.
Final Grammarian for 2022
I feel quite reflective as I sit to write my final Grammarian for 2022. We have achieved so much this year as we transitioned our students back to full-time learning on campus and it has been such a joy to have a year that was almost ‘normal’. Having said that, I do not think anything is quite like it was, but we have enjoyed a year free of lockdowns and enjoyed activities and events which have brought so much joy to a community that had to do them differently for so long.
Our Class of 2022 Valedictory Dinner was held at Lardner Park on Thursday 17 November and it was a beautiful night celebrating a resilient, determined and capable group of young adults who have contributed much to our school. Each Year 12 student was personally presented with their Graduation certificate by Mr Cameron Herbert. Our Alumni guest speaker Mr Tim Leeson spoke to our students. Tim graduated from St Paul’s as a member of the Class of 2002. Originally working in coastal engineering, Tim has spent many years working on projects that seek positive change. These ventures include co-founding and editing the highly regarded newspaper ‘Gippslandia’. Tim was then followed by our Class of 2022 Valedictorian Darsh Patel who spoke passionately about the bond shared within his cohort and the adventures they had experienced together throughout their time at St Paul’s. Congratulations once again to the Class of 2022.
I reflect almost daily on how lucky I am to work at a school like St Paul’s. This year I have witnessed so many acts of genuine care and compassion and I am thankful to work with such a dedicated team of colleagues at Warragul Secondary School. I would like to extend a very sincere thank you to our parents, students and staff for their support of our school this year and wish you all a restful and festive Christmas break.
Presentation Assembly 2022
A final reminder that our Presentation Assembly this year will be held on Wednesday 7 December from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm. Students can be dismissed from the gymnasium with their families at the conclusion of this event or remain to catch their normal bus/transport home. All students who have transitioned to Years 8 to 12 for 2023 are expected to attend in full school uniform and all parents and guardians are invited to attend as well. For those families who have a child at another campus their assemblies will run at the following times:
Warragul Junior School 9:30 am in the Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium
Traralgon Junior School 11:00 am in the Traralgon Secondary School Gymnasium (change from 9:30 am)
Traralgon Secondary School 9:30 am in the Traralgon Secondary School Gymnasium
New Bell Times for 2023
Warragul Secondary School has spent time this year reviewing the daily operations of the campus. One of the recommendations of the review was a change to our bell times which will commence in the 2023 academic year. Our school day will continue to start at 8:55 am but the Secondary School will finish at 3:10 pm rather than 3:30 pm. Students will not miss any face-to-face academic learning time, but we have taken Recess from 25 minutes to 20 minutes and the lunch break will now be 45 minutes rather than 55 minutes. There are many benefits to this but some of the main reasons are that it will allow our bus travellers to have more time at the end of the day to use the bathrooms and pack their bags before boarding buses. The St Paul’s buses will be able to leave at 3:30 pm rather than 3:40 pm which means students will arrive home earlier. These times still allow for a staggered finish with our Junior School but the Secondary School will finish first allowing those students to board the bus before our younger students get on.
Our break times still allow adequate time for students to access the bathroom, canteen, sport training and other co-curricular activities but will shorten the day for our students and get them home sooner, which is beneficial. Yard duty staff will be in place as normal after school to supervise students.
We see this as a positive change for Warragul Secondary School and look forward to its implementation in 2023.
Student Leaders
Congratulations to the following student leaders who have been appointed for 2023.
Student Leadership Day
Our student leaders for 2023 will attend a day of leadership training on Monday 5 December 2022 during normal school hours. The morning will be a facilitated session with “Burn Bright”, an external provider that specialises in student leadership and the afternoon session will be an opportunity for students to work in their leadership groups to establish their connection and begin planning for 2023.
The Burn Bright vision is “a world where young people flourish, understand their influence and impact the world selflessly” aligns with our vision for our 2023 student leadership team. We look forward to seeing and experiencing the impact these student leaders have on their peers and our school in 2023.
Laura Butterworth
Head of Warragul Secondary School
WHAT’S ON
NOVEMBER
30 November to 2 December 2023 Year 7 Orientation, 8:55 am to 3:30 pm
DECEMBER
2 December 2023 Years 11 and 12 last day of classes
7 December End of Term 4, 3:30 pm Finish
* Please note that all events/excursions are dependent on COVID-19 restrictions.
* TBC – to be confirmed.
WARRAGUL SECONDARY SCHOOL HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS
12 to 16 December 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
9 January to 23 January 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
24 January 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (Resume normal office hours)
DOBSONS HOLIDAY TRADING HOURS
Please note that some COVIDSafe procedures may still 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.
ST PAUL’S PARENT PRAYER GROUP
“Where two or three people gather in my name, I am there with them.” Matthew 18:20
The St Paul’s parent prayer group meets on the first Monday of each month during school terms. We try to keep the meeting brief (we are usually done by 9:45 am) and casual (younger children are most welcome). The group encompasses people both very comfortable with praying, as well as those newer to praying with others. Feel free to get in touch with any questions beforehand or just attend when you are able during the year.
Our next gathering is Monday 5 December, 9:00 am in the Prideaux Centre, Warragul Junior School
Contact: Sheryn Cutler 0417 158 937 or sheryn.cutler@gmail.com
WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE!
We are very excited to announce that St Paul’s has a brand-new website! The site will continue to grow even bigger and better as we continue to populate more pages.
We would love to hear how you feel about our vibrant new online presence, please email marketing@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au for any and all feedback, changes or questions.
Please note that our web address will remain as http://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au
The MyStPauls portal will remain as https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/login/
MyStPauls Login
On your desktop, you will be able to access the MyStPauls portal through the top navigation menu ‘Login’. See red arrow.
On your mobile, you can access the MyStPauls portal through the hamburger menu (i.e. the three lines stacked upon each other in the top right-hand corner).
This will open our full menu, with the ‘Login’ feature at the very bottom. Then click on ‘Login’ to access MyStPauls.
ELEPHANT ED PRESENTATIONS
Over the past fortnight, St Paul’s hosted presenters from Elephant Ed to speak to students in Years 7, 9 and 10 (2022 year levels).
Elephant Ed presenters previously worked with St Paul’s and their sessions are always well received. Online sessions were completed with students at Traralgon Secondary School earlier this year and a parent webinar was offered to all St Paul’s parents in Term 1.
The focus for the Year 7 students last week was Body Image, looking at the way ‘ideal’ bodies are projected via social media and advertising. Our own staff supervising the sessions said the content was great and the Elephant Ed presenters said that they were thrilled with the response of our students.
Year 9 students were involved in a session titled ‘Language and Labelling’, aimed at promoting respectful relationships and preventing harmful language and labelling.
The sessions for Year 10 students were focused on consent, learning about legalities as well as discussing the importance of respecting boundaries.
As part of any external presentation which might contain material that is a trigger for students, we ensure our support team is present and that students have an opt-out and know where they can go to seek further assistance.
If you would like to learn more, you can visit www.elephanted.com.au
If you would like to learn more about our Pastoral Program scope and sequence, you are also welcome to contact us. Throughout a student’s time at St Paul’s, we aim to cover a range of topics through a combination of curriculum, internal workshops and external presenters. The program is reviewed twice a year and there is room for us to respond to current issues or events.
Gordon Oldham
Deputy Head of Secondary School
CLEARING THE AIR – VAPING PRESENTATION
During the Pastoral session on Thursday 24 November, Years 8 to 11 students had the opportunity to attend an online session via Zoom facilitated by the Perennial Health Institute. The purpose of this presentation was to engage the students in safe and meaningful conversation about the latest knowledge surrounding vaping and e-cigarettes.
The Clearing the Air session was hosted by Holistic Counsellor and Social Worker Azelene Williams, who discussed key concepts and theories around vaping and nicotine addiction. The students were informed about how these products are marketed, the dangers associated with these, such as the harmful ingredients and how they can lead to short and long-term health implications after use. Azelene supported this presentation by sharing her personal anecdotes and lived experiences with vaping.
At the conclusion of the presentation, the students were left with the resounding message that they should seek help from their teachers and their parents if they have questions, or if they are concerned about or struggling with vaping.
Stephanie Trovato
Health and Human Development Teacher
2022 MATHEMATICS COMPETITIONS
Each year hundreds of thousands of students from 40 countries participate in the Australian Mathematics competition. It is one of the largest school-based mathematics competitions in the world and it is run by the Australian Mathematics Trust. In August selected secondary students sat the 75 minute test. The test contained a variety of problems with relevance to everyday life situations. This year we are very proud and excited at the number of students receiving awards from the competition.
Congratulations to the following students who achieved outstanding results:
Best in School
Asmi Pathania (Year 8 Traralgon Secondary School)
High Distinction
Asmi Pathania (Year 8 Traralgon Secondary School)
Elena Hu (Year 7 Traralgon Secondary School)
Distinction
Elyse O’Brien (Year 9 Traralgon Secondary School)
Philllipa Steenholdt (Year 9 Traralgon Secondary School)
Addison Tucker (Year 8 Traralgon Secondary School)
Hugo Christensen (Year 8 Warragul Secondary School)
Adam Guo (Year 8 Traralgon Secondary School)
Blake Cooper (Year 7 Traralgon Secondary School)
Georgia Kam (Year 7 Traralgon Secondary School)
In early May, Year 8 students from Traralgon Secondary School participated in the Computational and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) Competition.
The CAT competition is a one-hour problem-solving competition designed to encourage student curiosity and promote multiple modes of thinking and has a mixture of multiple-choice and integer answers and incorporates unique ‘three-stage tasks’ that encourage students to develop informal algorithms and apply them to test data of increasing size or complexity.
Congratulations to the following students who achieved outstanding results:
Distinction
Asmi Pathania
Angad Brar
Credit
Matthew Laing
Morgan McConville
Angus Cooper
Sahanna Harikrishna
Arie Coffey
Anshita Shadangi
Max May
Victoria Wilson
Mathematics Teacher
DEBATERS CLAIM HISTORIC WIN!
For the first time in two decades, St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School has won a major Debating championship.
The D Grade Debating team have won this year’s Division D online competition against the best teams in the state.
Year 9 students Liv Comben, Thomas Prestidge and William Blackwood achieved the significant milestone by defeating St Aloysius College in the final round by two points.
St Paul’s last debating triumph was in 2001 when the D Grade team defeated Melbourne High School.
Pictured with St Paul’s Debating Coordinator Bernard Laverty are the D Grade Debating team winners: Liv Comben, Thomas Prestidge and William Blackwood.
The students competed in DAV Debating’s Berwick region that included sixteen schools from across Gippsland and the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne before moving to the finals.
Some of the topics students were presented with included: abolishing monarchies, the Australian citizenship test and sponsorship from gambling companies.
St Paul’s Debating Coordinator, Bernard Laverty praised the students for their great teamwork.
“Each of the students committed whole-heartedly and were duly rewarded,” he said.
“The D Grade team’s victory is quite a monumental achievement in the history of the school!”
Bernard Laverty
Debating Coordinator
LIBRARY NEWS
This year has brought substantial changes to the Library, with books now being ordered by genre, developing our ‘loungeroom’ reading nook, and starting to order non-fiction by topic rather than just by Dewey. Each of these changes have been developed to help all members of the community find the resource they need easily.
Next year, we are looking to develop a greater presence on the MyStPauls Unit Pages across a variety of topics, to support and help students expand their knowledge in subject areas and complete a variety of tasks.
We hope that all students have a wonderful break and take some time to do some reading over the holidays. Do not forget to collect your reading material before the end of the year or access Wheelers over the holidays.
Stephanie Yeates
Teacher and Librarian, Warragul
TERM 4 SEISA – JUNIOR SUMMER COMPETITION
Term 4 was a fantastic season for our Junior SEISA teams! St Paul’s was competitive across all teams with our students excelling and improving as the season progressed. Well done to all Years 7 and 8 students who represented St Paul’s throughout the season. All students across the semester played exceptionally well and should be proud of their efforts.
Congratulations to the Girls Softball, Girls Tennis, Girls Netball A , Girls Netball B and Boys Basketball B teams that qualified for the finals. A special mention to the Girls Tennis team that was unbeaten all season, culminating with winning the Grand Final.
Throughout the season our coaches also considered player conduct, attitude, respectful conduct, teamwork, upholding the School’s values and performance. Based on this, the following students were nominated as being outstanding in these areas and will be recognised at an assembly. Congratulations!
Girls Tennis – Asmi Pathania
Boys Tennis – Riley O’Brien
Boys Basketball – Cooper Leighton
Boys Cricket – Addison Tucker
Girls Netball – Mica Nightingale
Girls Softball – Morgan McConville
A big thank you to the staff who coached our teams throughout 2022 – it is appreciated. We look forward to what next year brings!
Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport – Warragul
WHAT’S ON IN TERM 1 SPORT
| Event | Logistics | Key Information |
| SEISA Trials – Intermediate/Senior | Thursday 2 February
1:00 pm – 3:30pm Warragul St Paul’s Campus |
Selection process: Student sign ups completed in Term 4. Students attend a trials session for team selection. The only teams that will not trial on this day will be Senior Basketball, Senior Netball and Senior Cricket. A lunchtime will be scheduled for these three teams.
Event and consent information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go on 27 January. |
| Year 7/8 Swim Trials | Thursday 3 February
11:00 am – 3:30pm Moe Outdoor Pool |
This is a compulsory event for all Year 7 and Year 8 students.
Event information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go on 27 January. No consent required. |
| Final Round of 2022 Alpinestars Vic Schools MTB Series | Sunday 5 February
All Day Cranwell Park, Melbourne |
Selection process: This is a final event for the 2022 MTB team (delayed from 2022). All students/families who have expressed interest have been involved in regular email communication.
The event series is a great way for students to get involved in racing their mountain bike for their school in a fun and supportive environment. New and experienced riders are encouraged to participate. Parent information and permission was published via Consent2Go in 2022. Regular email communication will be sent home in the lead up to the event. This event does not involve school transport. |
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SEISA Intermediate/Senior Competition |
Round 1: Thursday 9 February Round 2: Thursday 16 FebruaryRound 3: Thursday 2 MarchRound 4: Thursday 9 March Round 5: Thursday 23 March Finals: Thursday 30 March |
Selection process: Trials completed on Wednesday 2 February.
Weekly logistics (travel arrangements) will be published on the MyStPauls Sport page each Friday. Training information, fixtures and results will also be published regularly on the MyStPauls Sport page. Event and consent information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go early in February.
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| House Swimming Carnival | Tuesday 14 February | Selection process: Whole school event. Years 7/8 students will be selected from the Swim Trials on Friday 3 February. All Years 9 to 12 students will sign up for events in a House Assembly early in Term 1.
Event information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go in early February. No consent required. |
| Sport Aerobics Team | Weekly morning training (starting date TBC)
7:00 am – 8:30 am Warragul St Paul’s Dance Studio |
Selection process: Student signups will be completed early in Term 1. Weekly training before school each week (TBC).
Team information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go in early February. |
| SEISA Swim Team
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Trainings:
Wednesday 8 February (Warragul) Wednesday 15 February (Warragul) Wednesday 22 February (Traralgon) SEISA Swim Event:
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Selection process: Results from the House Swimming Carnival and Swimming Victoria database (coach discretion).
Event and consent information for trainings will be distributed to families via Consent2Go on 27 January. SEISA Swim Event information will be distributed early in February. This event is also a qualification event for the Victorian Schools Associations Competition. |
| SEISA Badminton Team | Thursday 23 February
9:00 am to 7:30 pm MSAC – Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre |
Selection process: Student sign ups and lunchtime trials will be running early in Term 1.
Event and consent information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go in early February. |
| SEISA Table Tennis Team | Thursday 23 February
9:00 am to 7:30 pm MSAC – Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre |
Selection process: Student sign ups and lunchtime trials will be running early in Term 1.
Event and consent information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go early in February. |
| Year 7/8 Athletics Trials | Tuesday 7 March
9:00 am to 3:30 pm Harold Preston Park Traralgon |
This is a compulsory event for all Year 7 and Year 8 students.
Event information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go in February 2023. No consent required. |
| SEISA Surfing | Trainings: Sunday 5 March 8:30 am to 11:00 amPhillip IslandSEISA Surf Event: Thursday 6 April8:00 am to 4:00 pmPhillip Island |
Selection process: student signups will occur early in Term 1. All students are required to attend a compulsory training event on Sunday 5 March.
Event and consent information for training will be distributed to families via Consent2Go mid-February. SEISA Surf Event information will be distributed on Sunday 6 March. |
| House Athletics | Tuesday 22 March | Selection process: Whole school event. Years 7 to 8 students will be selected from the Athletics Trials conducted on Tuesday 28 February and Year 9 students from PE classes. High Jump trials will run during a lunchtime for these year levels. All Years 10 to 12 students will sign up for events in a House Assembly during Term 1.
Event information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go in early March. No consent required. |
| SEISA Athletics | Monday 3 April | Selection process: Results from House Athletics Carnival.
Event and consent information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go in Term 1, Week 10. This event is also a qualification event for the Victorian All School Track and Field Championships. Students who finish first or second in their individual event at the SEISA Athletics will be invited to attend. |
| Other Term 1 Sport Information
· All key sporting event information is published regularly on the MyStPauls Sport page. Students and families must be checking this page to keep informed.
· All students involved in the St Paul’s Equestrian team please keep informed via the relevant MyStPauls page: https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/homepage/9201
· During Mentor time later in Term 1, all Years 7 and 8 students will have an opportunity to sign up for Term 2 SEISA. Trials for these teams are scheduled on Thursday 28 April.
– Junior AFL Football – Junior Mixed Hockey – Junior Girls Basketball – Junior AFLW – Junior Girls Soccer – Junior Boys Soccer
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Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport – Warragul
COMMUNITAS COMMUNITY MAGAZINE
Issue 6, Semester 2, 2022 of our community magazine, Communitas, is now available here. Please enjoy!
ALUMNI REUNIONS 2022
On Saturday 19 November, the Alumni Committee and school hosted a mega reunion of nine Alumni reunions in one day. COVID-19 meant that a few reunions were delayed, resulting in a huge celebration of three groups at each of the 10, 20, and 30 year level groups.
The actual event was magic, and everyone was so grateful to be able to celebrate. People came from all over Australia: from the Sunshine Coast, Tasmania and Ballarat to name a few. Everyone was welcomed on arrival with the smell of coffee, capturing visitors’ hearts from the very beginning, before Alumni ventured downstairs into the Year 9 Centre. The building had been magically transformed by a very hardworking Alumni Committee, and happy, celebratory vibes were firmly set. The music was first-class, and outstanding jazz music performed by talented Alumni set the tone of the day. The fairy lights added sparkle; the decorating and flow was just perfect, the catering was delicious and plentiful; and the memorabilia was loved by so many Alumni who took walks down memory lane with classmates through photos and production programs and old uniforms and videos. Visitors enjoyed tours of the school and Alumni could not believe the changes that had occurred within the school. For the 30 year group, they reminisced about having assemblies and classes in the canteen building, one of the first buildings at St Paul’s, whereas now our students enjoy a huge gymnasium with a dance studio and weights area and outdoor courts. The school has come a long way! Huge numbers were welcomed to the event and everyone had an amazing time. As a committee, we are so proud to be helping to reignite lost connections, forge new ones, grow the school, grow the Alumni and create a buzz again.
If you are part of the Alumni community, we would love for you to update your details here so that we can invite you to upcoming events: https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/community/alumni/
Thank you to the staff and marketing team for supporting the event. A big thank you to the hardworking Alumni Committee for all your hard work volunteering for this event, and for all the work you do through the years to support the school and its past and present students. Bring on the reunions in 2023!
Jane Sahhar
Alumni President 2022
From the Principal
As this is the final Grammarian for the year, I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate our students on their accomplishments during 2022, the …
From the Principal
As this is the final Grammarian for the year, I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate our students on their accomplishments during 2022, the first year since 2019 that we have had relative normality and freedom from the disruption of lockdowns. I also wish to acknowledge and thank our staff and school families for working together to help make 2022 such a successful year at St Paul’s. The importance of cooperation between parents, staff and students can never be overemphasised.
Our four Presentation Assemblies take place on Wednesday next week as a celebration of the year. As usual, scheduling of these only allows me to be present at three of the four assemblies, with Deputy Principal, Ms Donna Sweeney, representing me at the fourth. Ms Sweeney and I greatly look forward to these occasions as fitting official conclusions to the academic year.
Last Sunday marked the beginning of the Christian season of Advent. Christmas decorations are allowed to be put up from this day, if you are an adherent to tradition, and remain in place until the Feast of the Epiphany which is 6 January, twelve days after Christmas Day. This is the number of days that it is supposed to have taken the three Wise Men to travel to Bethlehem to see Baby Jesus. I am sure that there are some families who observe this tradition, but perhaps not as many these days as once there were, and I imagine that it would seem unimportant to most. Irrespective of your beliefs and traditions, everyone in our community is wished a peaceful, happy Christmas and a safe, prosperous New Year.
Cameron Herbert
Principal
