In this issue

• VCE Season of Excellence
• Year 7 2022 Information Evenings
• Team Timor Love
• Finance News

Grammarian Issue 2, 19 February 2021

Traralgon Junior School

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

We started Week 4 of Term 1 back in lockdown and with a return to online learning which was a surprise and required a quick turnaround and lots of cooperation for us all. I would like to acknowledge our teachers for their flexibility and efforts and thank our families for their cooperation and support. There were smiles all around yesterday when the announcement was made that we could return to classroom learning. We are in the process of rescheduling the Years 5 and 6 camps and are proud of how well our students took the news that their camps were not to go ahead this week. Despite the disappointment, our students displayed resilience and a positive approach. New dates will be shared with families shortly. Our Years 3 and 4 Swimming Program has been rescheduled for Weeks 5 and 6 and the ELC Welcome Picnic has been rescheduled for Wednesday 3 March.

Year 6 Leaders
Last week we inducted our Year 6 Leaders at a special service where students made a declaration to fulfil their responsibilities and roles as leaders and received their leadership badges. Students were encouraged to enjoy their leadership roles and to take every opportunity throughout the year. Student leaders are expected to model our school values of Wisdom, Integrity, Compassion and Respect and show the following characteristics:
• Doing the right thing without being asked or when no one is watching
• Setting a good example for others and being a good role model
• Staying focused and doing what is needed
• Helping others in need
• Guiding others on the right path
• Standing up for others even when it may be the hard thing to do
• Working together for a common goal or dream
• Staying calm and positive especially in the middle of a storm
• Treating people with respect, caring for their needs and being kind and friendly
• Having a ‘never give up attitude with a growth mindset’ – always wanting to learn and improve things
• Allowing everyone to take the lead and encouraging all to develop their talents.

String and Band Programs
Students in Years 2, 3 and 5 started their respective Strings and Band programs last week. There was a great deal of excitement as students were allocated their instruments and began their first lessons. Learning an instrument can bring great joy and also build determination and motivation. Students will be encouraged to regularly practise and develop their skills and confidence and will be given opportunities for performance throughout the year.

Learning to Learn
As part of our ‘Learning to Learn’ units of study this term, students are focusing on how they can grow in self-awareness of themselves and of others. To help with that, last Friday, students in Years 4 and 6 took a very close up look at lamb brains to investigate and discuss the different parts. While some students were skeptical about this activity before beginning, most students were brave and participated. Over the next couple of weeks, classes will delve further into learning about our brains and how we can look after them to be the best learners we can be. Many students were fascinated as they uncovered unusual and interesting parts such as the brain stem, pineal gland, thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, cerebral cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus. Students were also introduced to neurons and learnt about the dendrites, cell body, axon and terminals.

Early Learning Centre
Our youngest members of our Junior School have been busy in the Early Learning Centre playing, exploring and enjoying some beautiful weather. It has been lovely to see happy smiling faces enjoying the stunning play areas and building positive relationships with each other and teachers. The addition of the Nüdel Kart has intrigued our little people and we will be watching carefully to see what they create and how they problem-solve with this new equipment. Nüdel Kart is a deconstructable, mobile play kart that can be reconfigured in endless ways to encourage self-directed learning. It contains research-backed specially selected materials to stimulate children’s development. Interviews have been conducted with families and we are looking forward to Nature Kinder sessions beginning soon.

Safer Internet Day
Last week Safer Internet Day was recognised across the globe. This is a day where the world comes together with a shared vision of making online experiences better for everyone. eSafety is the official Safety Internet Day committee in Australia and a leader in the global effort. A number of quality resources, webinars and guides for families can be found at https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents. I encourage our families to be aware, well informed and proactive in managing the online experiences of their children.

Online safety basics guidelines for families
Help your children safely navigate their digital world and educate them to avoid harmful online experiences. Explore websites, games, apps and social media together and set some rules. Your support and guidance can give your children the confidence to make sound decisions online ― and ask for help when they need it.

Three key strategies
1. Be engaged, open and supportive
• Get involved. Share online time with your children as part of family life. Play games together. Talk about favourite apps, games or websites.
• Keep lines of communication open. Ask about their online experiences, who they are talking to and whether they are having any issues.
• Reassure your child they can always come to you, no matter what. Let them know you will not cut off internet access if they report feeling uncomfortable or unsafe when online ― this is a real concern that may stop your child from communicating with you openly.
• If you notice a change in behaviour or mood, talk to your child about it. If you are concerned, consider seeking professional help ― from your GP, a psychologist or school counsellor.

2. Set some rules
• Set age-appropriate rules for devices and online access, with consequences for breaking them.
• Ensure your child’s input — this will help them understand risks. As they get older you can review your rules together.
• Consider creating a family tech agreement or family media plan or family online safety agreement. A family agreement is a set of rules about how devices, like smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and gaming consoles are used in your home. It is written down and agreed to by all family members and kept in a place where everyone can see it, such as on the fridge.
• Your family tech agreement could cover the type of websites that can be visited, time spent online and acceptable online behaviour.
• eSafety has created its own version of a Family Tech Agreement in collaboration with ABC KIDS, especially designed for families with children under 5. ThinkUKnow also has a version for older children.
• Consider making some ‘rules for parents’ too — and stick to them! Model behaviour that you would like to see.

Use the available technology
• Get to know the devices you and your children use and set them up for privacy and online safety. Take advantage of parental controls to monitor and control screen time and access to content in ways appropriate to your child’s age and experience.
• Choose apps and games carefully, taking age ratings and consumer advice into account. Check the App Store or Google Play, and for games, the Australian Classification Board’s online database. NetAware (UK) has a comprehensive guide to popular social media apps and games. The Australian Council on Children and the Media and Common Sense Media both offer information about apps, games and websites searchable by age.

Family Fun and Information Night
All families are invited to join us on Friday 26 February for an evening of activity and fun. Our Student Leaders will be organising fun and challenging activities to participate in and teachers will be sharing information about their classroom programs and processes. The leadership team will be sharing information about our new initiatives and sharing details about the Science of Reading, Explicit Instruction and Play is the Way. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner or place an order from the FOSP barbeque menu. FOSP will be offering sausages and hamburgers and drinks on the night. RSVP and barbeque order forms will be emailed home shortly. This event requires an RSVP from families to assist us in being COVID-19 safe. We will be following COVID-19 protocols: registration of visitors, social distancing and hygiene requirements and the event will be both outdoors and indoors. This evening is an opportunity for our Junior School community to come together and reconnect and is an important event in our Term 1 calendar. Please make every effort to attend with your child/ren.

COVID-19 Alert
We continue to be COVID-19 alert and encourage our families to keep our community safe by keeping their children at home when they are not well. We are very pleased to once again offer our students the opportunity to participate in many of our planned Term 1 school events. While it is very exciting to have many of our regular activities recommence for Term 1, it is important to note that the Department of Education and Training and the Victorian Chief Health Officer recommends that schools stay within stipulated density quotas for school events.

Some events are easily managed by our staff and for those particular events you will be sent a formal invitation with an RSVP as well as the specific protocols that will need to be followed by you and any guests. However, to maintain the safety of our students and staff within the St Paul’s community parents and guardians may be unable to attend some of the planned events in Term 1 and we will advise parents accordingly. It is our hope that as the year progresses, these protocols will gradually relax and we will once again be able to openly welcome our parents to see their children enjoying and participating in all of our events and co-curricular programs at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School.

Please take note of the ‘What’s On’ below so that you are aware of future key events and regularly check your child’s MyStPauls Parent Page for updates and classroom information.

“Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice.
Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.” Roy T Bennett

Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School

WHAT’S ON

FEBRUARY
22 to 25 February Years 3 and 4 Swimming Program
26 February Family Fun and Information Evening, 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

MARCH
1 to 4 March Years 3 and 4 Swimming Program
3 March ELC Welcome Picnic
10 March Parent Student Teacher Interviews, 3:45 pm to 8:00 pm
11 March Parent Student Teacher Interviews, 3:45 pm to 6:00 pm
18 March Twilight Athletics, 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm
29 March Year 6 The Summit Excursion
30 March Community Easter Hunt
31 March ELC and Prep Wild Life Exposure Incursion

DOBSONS UNIFORM SHOP

FINANCE NEWS

Private Car Conveyance Allowance
Families driving students more than 4.8 kilometres to attend St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School may be eligible to receive a conveyance allowance. For further information on the eligibility criteria and application process, please refer to https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/transport/Pages/conveyance.aspx

Eligible families applying for the car conveyance allowance will have funds credited to their fee account during the year. If the fee account has been paid in full or is on a direct debit arrangement, any allocation will show as a credit on the following year’s invoice.

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

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately. The CSEF program for 2021 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 15 June 2021 to be processed.

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

Annual Fee Account
Families have recently received via email an annual fee account for 2021. If you have any queries in relation to your annual fee account, please contact Mr Peter Lees on 5623 5833. As detailed on the second page of the account, payment options are:

• Direct Debit:
All families are encouraged to participate in the School’s direct debit payment arrangement.
Fortnightly instalments (22 payments) that commenced 5 February 2021
Monthly instalments (10 payments) that commenced 15 February 2021

Should families wish to commence payment by Direct Debit, please contact Mr Peter Lees, accountsreceivable@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au as soon as possible to set up an arrangement.

Please find the direct debit form on the school website at this link, https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/Direct-Debit-Request-Form.pdf

• Instalments (due dates):
Instalment 1 was due, 12 February 2021
Instalment 2, 9 April 2021
Instalment 3, 4 June 2021
Instalment 4, 13 August 2021

• Payment in full:
A discount of $320 per child, from Prep to Year 12, is offered to families if the annual invoice is paid in full by 20 February 2021.

Grammarian Issue 2, 19 February 2021

From the Principal

I think that I speak for most people when I say that I am both delighted and grateful to be back at school so soon after the snap lockdown on Friday night. Despite being an optimist at heart, I feared that we might be isolated for longer than the proposed five days. As much as we have become accustomed to, and accomplished in, adapting quickly according to the changing circumstances in which we find ourselves, most of us prefer the predictability and cohesion of a so-called ‘regular’ day. It has been uplifting seeing students and staff back together on campus, engaging in learning and teaching.

Fortunately, a good number of school events have been able to proceed during the first two weeks. Others, however, such as this week’s camps, could obviously not go ahead, but we will be aiming to reschedule as many of these affected events as possible. Further communication about new arrangements in this regard will be provided by the Heads of School and other key staff in due course.

One of my favourite events at St Paul’s is the customary morning tea for the Year 12 students of the previous year, and fortunately this was able to proceed as usual. The Class of 2020 returned to St Paul’s on Friday 5 February, providing an opportunity for them to reunite with peers and catch up with their teachers before they head off into the next chapter of their lives, which for most graduates of St Paul’s is university, although a number choose to go into employment, take a ‘gap year’ or study at TAFE. I noticed a few of this year’s Year 12 students observing the gathering as they went to class, and they were probably thinking that this will be us in February 2022 before we know it. One’s final year at school does indeed seem to go very quickly in the minds of many. We wish both the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 the very best of success and fulfilment throughout this year.

Cameron Herbert
Principal

Grammarian Issue 2, 19 February 2021

Warragul Secondary School

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

Appreciating Moments of Significance at School
Colours of an impending competition were gently blowing in the breeze. The water lapped at the edges of the coping and resonated throughout the vast expanse of damp paving and broke the silence of the new day. The dappled light tap danced across the glossy surface of the pool as the breeze played cheekily with the tension on the water. Year 12 VET students, determined House Captains and frantic staff scurried about setting up hand sanitising stations, the first aid tent, a public address system and highly decorated marquees. The excitement of a day together at the combined Traralgon Secondary School and the Warragul Secondary School House Swimming Carnival was bubbling.

We have all waited far too long for a day such as this, it was exactly twelve months ago that we last enjoyed such an event together and there is no doubt that there was an overwhelming sense of gratitude within the hearts of both our students and our staff. The community relished in the ability to once again unite in some friendly house rivalry.

If the last year has taught us anything, it is that facing difficulties and adversity assist us to understand just how capable we actually are and that challenges remind us to stop and appreciate the little things. The ability to finally be together as a whole school, to be out in the sunshine and enjoying a day building those important school memories for our students was one of those precious moments! I know I took a minute that day to be present, recognising that this was indeed, a significant day of celebration for our students and our staff.

Congratulations to all those involved in assisting to make the combined House Swimming Carnival 2021 such a fabulous day for all!

Memories and moments in which we can have a positive influence over others with purposeful leadership, either formal or informal are also significant moments for reflection and personal growth. Leadership is not a position, a title and nor is it a badge. It is, however, the ability to roll up your sleeves, serve your community and lead with compassion. It is with this in mind that we acknowledge and recognise our co-curricular Captains for 2021. These students were officially inducted at our Welcome and Induction Assembly. We congratulate these students who have been recognised by their peers and their teachers for their emerging leadership. We all stand with you and encourage you to take risks, share your vision, as you lift and inspire others in all that you do this year.

Keep an eye out for all other leadership positions that will feature in up coming issues of Grammarian.

At the time of writing this we had once again moved into the online learning platform and I am extremely proud of each one of our students as well as our very talented (teaching and non-teaching) staff who had stepped up to the challenge and embraced the opportunity to seamlessly transition to online learning. I sincerely thank each and every one of our staff for their flexibility, their creativity and their willingness to adapt their mode of delivery in forty-eight hours.

I have included below the ‘What’s On’ for your reference, disappointingly, we have had to cancel some planned community and student activities. Where possible and when safe to do so we will endeavour to find times and dates in the calendar to reinstate as many events and activities as are practicable. Thank you for your kind patience and continued support at this time.

Mrs Leonie Clark
Acting Head of Warragul Secondary School