Traralgon Junior School

From the Head of Traralgon Junior School,
Mrs Gwen Hunter.

Dear Parents,

It has certainly been a fabulous start to the year and simply amazing to think that we are already in Week 4!

I really do hope that you are all able to take the time to read these newsletters each fortnight and visit MyStPauls regularly to see what your child is doing in their classes and specialist sessions.  The newsletter will certainly keep you up to date with key messages and happenings around the school.

Emergency Contact Details
This is a huge reminder to all families that it is extremely important to keep a regular check on your EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS that are registered with the office.  Sometimes students become unwell quite quickly and as they say “accidents do happen”, so in the event that we need to make contact with yourself or a family member is it essential that we are able to contact someone.  Unfortunately all too often we are trying phone numbers that have been changed, family or friends that are unavailable and numbers of businesses where you do not work anymore.  Parents are not the emergency contacts, we would always ring you first.  Emergency contacts are in addition to parents and guardians, as a rule of thumb, try to put at least one contact down who would be available in school hours that is able to come to the school to collect your child if necessary.
A letter and existing details form will be sent home over the coming weeks for you to sign and return.  Please ensure you do this as a matter of urgency as we cannot predict when an event may occur.

Traffic Management
Over the last couple of weeks several events have come to my attention in regards to carpark usage and traffic concerns.

  • Exiting the main carpark:  We are fully aware that the main carpark can get very congested at the end of the day when everyone is trying to go home.  Trying to get traffic coming up from the pool to merge with cars coming from the main carpark is difficult when there is also much traffic travelling along Cross’s Road.  For staff at the Salvation Army crossing our priority is to ensure students safely cross the road.  Unfortunately we are not able to stop the flow of traffic from either direction and we have to adhere to the signage.  In the past as a gesture of good will we have stopped traffic from one way or another to ease congestion, but with tinting on windows and various different hand gestures it is too easy to misunderstand non-verbal communication, so this practice will now have to stop.  In the very near future we will have a visit from out traffic management coordinator who will be able to advise us of any further options to rectify this situation.  In the meantime please practise what we are teaching the students: patience, cooperation and respect when heading home at the end of the day.
  • One way:  Just to remind you that the carpark has a one way system.  All cars enters from the Secondary School end and exit at the Salvation Army end.  Please abide by this traffic regulation at all times.  If you are in a great rush to get out of school and do not want to get stuck in the traffic I have already mentioned, perhaps consider an alternative location rather than driving out of the carpark the wrong way.
  • Slow down:  This is quite simple, please drive very slowly through the carpark.  Even if you are here early or late in the day, get into the habit of slowing down.
  • At all times and in all areas of the school grounds, at pick up and drop off times particularly, please be very mindful of children everywhere we go.

Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding.

Years 5 and 6 Camps
It sounds like both camps have been a resounding success this year.  With staff, parents and students having shared some wonderful experiences which will now form the basis of a great deal of class work and discussion.  Thanks must go to all staff and parents who give up their own valuable time to be there, on call for the students twenty-four seven, without them these fantastic experiences would not be possible.  Three cheers for them all!

Bicycles in the school grounds
Just a quick reminder to any families, Junior or Secondary, who have children that ride their bikes to school to please remind them that they are not to ride them through the school grounds.  This is a dangerous practice and could result in someone being injured.

Continuous Online Reporting
Just a quick heads up in regards to a new practice called Continuous Online Reporting that both Junior Schools are about to begin for the first time.  In simple terms, at the end of Week 6 (Friday 8 March) you will receive a notification via the MyStPauls app or email to inform you that there is some formative feedback about your child’s writing to look at.  In the near future you will be receiving a more informative letter with further details.

Professional Development
Staff are always looking at ways they can further improve on what they currently do, they are always interested in ways to better deliver curriculum, competitions to be involved in and how to support our students pastorally.  This week Mr Battista and Mrs Harkins attended a professional development day in Melbourne to investigate more about developing connections between students across the School.
As you can see teachers also have fun too!

After School Care
To attend after school care, parents/guardians must register their child with Camp Australia by completing an online enrolment form via their parent portal.  It is very important that parents/guardians fill out all compulsory enrolment documentation for their child and notify Camp Australia of any medical conditions.  Families can register for free at https://pp.campaustralia.com.au/account/register-contacts

Finally do not forget to come along to the COLOUR RUN on Saturday and try to ‘catch a rainbow’.  This has been coordinated by a fabulous and very hard working team of FOSP parents.  I will be there and am looking forward to the chance to have an excuse to get a little ‘colour’ back in my hair!

Have a great couple of weeks.

Gwen Hunter
Head of Traralgon Junior School

 

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

FEBRUARY
23 February  FOSP ‘Catch a Rainbow’ Family Colour Run, 2:00 pm
25 February  Year 6 to The Summit
26 February  Junior School Photos
27 February  Division Swimming (selected students)
No Preps at school due to testing

MARCH
7 March  Year 4 Excursion – Animals in the Wild
11 March Labour Day Public Holiday

12 March  Years 3 to 6 Athletics Carnival
20 March  District Athletics Day (selected students)
22 March  Year 1 Excursion, Old Gippstown
26 March  Possum and Koala Groups ELC Photos
27 March  Parent Student Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Joey and Wombat Groups ELC Photos
28 March  Parent Student Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm

APRIL
4 April  Year 6 Camp at the wetlands
5 April  Easter Service and FOSP Easter Egg Hunt
End of Term 1, 2:30 pm FINISH

 

 

TRACK AND LIMIT INTERNET USAGE

Technological advancements mean that there are many options to monitor and control your child’s internet usage.  These can monitor internet usage, create blockout times, screen calls and monitor locations.  They offer a way to turn off internet access during sleeping hours or on weekends when other things might need to be priorities.  If you wanted to pursue some of the options below you would need to consider what devices your child uses the most and whether the software would be compatible with them.  If your child mainly uses the internet on their phone and has a lot of data, there are not as many ways to control their internet use.

Please note the below information is not a recommendation of these products by the School as we have not tested them but rather we seek to provide examples of the types of devices and software that is available.

Huawei HG659 offers parent control and is a feature on many new routers and modems.  Through this method the internet is blocked at the source rather than through software that is added to devices.  With this control you have the ability to set limits on the duration of internet usage for example limiting usage between 9:00 pm and 7:00 am on a certain computer to maximise sleep.  It also has the potential to lockout some computers from internet access all together.  This device also promises the ability to block certain websites that might be consuming too much time or emotional energy in your child.

Another option to consider exploring is Bitdefender family pack.  This is software that works across a variety of operating systems including iOS, Windows and Android.  Its primary focus is internet safety such as preventing viruses and webcam spying, however, it has a parental advisor feature that promises to:

  • Shield your children from inappropriate content.
  • Block disturbing phone calls and SMS messages.
  • Always know where your kids are when they use a mobile device.
  • Have your children use the Parental Advisor mobile app on their smartphone to check in as ‘Safe’.

As with the Huawei device it also says it can control online time for each child’s account.

Finally, Microsoft offers the ability to do many of the above things through a Microsoft account Family page.  This is relevant for PCs running Microsoft operating systems and Microsoft developed internet browsers such as Edge.  It can allow you to set multiple time limits per day for your child as well as block websites you do not want them to access.

Chris Brown
eLearning Coordinator

From the Principal

A number of recent events have provided a special sense of unity and connection in our school community.  All of these events have been new …

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A number of recent events have provided a special sense of unity and connection in our school community.  All of these events have been new experiences for me as Principal of St Paul’s because I was still in Western Australia at this time last year and did not take up the position here until Term 2, 2018.  It has been a delight to be able to share in some of these unifying activities that are part of the first weeks of the school year at St Paul’s.

The Year 7 Camp at Coonawarra brings together all students in this year level from both the Warragul and Traralgon Campuses.  As a significant number of the one hundred and fifty Year 7 students are new to St Paul’s, there is a heavy emphasis on getting to know one another.  I visited the campsite on Tuesday and was very impressed by the enormous array of challenging activities, as well as the incorporation of twenty-nine Year 10 and Year 11 Peer Support Leaders to work with the Year 7s during the camp.  I have never seen a camp operate like this before and I left Coonawarra feeling a distinct sense of unity and connection in the group.

A similar feeling struck me before the new school year commenced, when Ms Butterworth and I treated our 2019 School Captains and Deputy Captains to dinner at a restaurant with our 2018 School Captains and Deputy Captains.  Again, this was something which I had never encountered as a ritual in a school.  Listening to these eight outstanding young men and women intelligently discuss a range of relevant matters, as the leadership baton was passed from one group to the next, was a truly touching and rich experience for all concerned.  I think we were all left with an enduring feeling of school pride, common purpose and cohesion.

Quite often after Year 12 students leave school, they move on in life and never, or rarely, return to the place where they spent so much of their childhood.  At St Paul’s, this is much less so the case, and another ritual to which I am unaccustomed probably contributes to this.  As is the custom, the Class of 2018 were all invited to a special morning tea at St Paul’s on Friday 8 February, providing an opportunity for them to reunite with peers and catch up with their teachers.  Establishing this reconnection with the school so shortly after leaving keeps everyone concerned feeling they are a part of St Paul’s.

Competing in SEISA sport as one school for the first time this year, rather than two campuses as we have done in recent years, has also brought a tangible sense of unity and connection.  Our results were very pleasing and the profile of SEISA sport at St Paul’s, I believe, will be raised to the level it deserves.  In the first round of Intermediate and Senior Summer Sport against Beaconhills College Pakenham, out of twelve matches of Basketball, Netball, Softball, Tennis and Cricket, we had eight wins, three losses and a draw – a splendid first-up effort!  Winning is great when it happens, but it is more important that we are competitive and play as part of a team with commitment, effort, fairness and pride in our school.  I believe that this translates into other areas of school life, including our confidence, effort and success in learning.  There is a clear connection and we will reap the benefits.

Cameron Herbert
Principal

Traralgon Secondary School

From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School, Mr Stephen Klemke. Year 7 Homework and Graded Assessment Term 1 This year we are changing the expectations …

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Traralgon Secondary School

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

Year 7 Homework and Graded Assessment Term 1
This year we are changing the expectations for Year 7 during Term 1 in relation to homework and graded assessment.  Students will only receive feedback on tasks and no grades.  With homework, the aim is to minimise the amount set.  If set, it should focus on the consolidation of content knowledge and skills previously learnt in the classroom.

The reason for the change is that the transition from primary to secondary school has the potential to significantly impact the way that young people feel about themselves as learners, due to the increased focus on grading and assessment.  Studies show that feedback which is goal-oriented and specific leads to improved student learning (Hattie and Timperley, 2007).  However, the use of grading mechanisms (which are part and parcel of Australian secondary schooling) either have no impact, or a negative impact on students’ feelings of self-belief.  There is considerable evidence to indicate that providing descriptive feedback, rather than grades, improves student learning.  Further, written feedback provided on its own, without the inclusion of a grade or rank, is even more effective (Black & Wiliam, 1998).  Indeed, classroom environments that can reduce the threat imposed by judgement and evaluation nurture students who are happy to take risks and therefore reach higher levels of attainment while enjoying the learning journey (Hattie and Timperley, 2007).  We learn through making mistakes, so it is vital that our students feel comfortable to do so.

For these reasons we aim to gradually transition our Year 7s to the change of secondary schooling and teach our Year 7 students to focus on the feedback from their teachers.  Doing that is the most effective way to maximise learning and to have a positive impact on their grades, which will begin in Term 2.

As mentioned in last week’s Grammarian, we are hopeful that all parents will engage with MyStPauls and support their child by also monitoring teacher feedback.

Year 7 Camp
I had the opportunity to visit the Year 7 camp this week and watch students and staff participate in raft building and on the high and low ropes course.  For the record, in the raft building group I witnessed, the boys’ raft went straight under, while the girls’ raft glided and steered majestically.  The boys were so impressed they asked for a go on the girls’ raft.  The girls had a quick conference and agreed, provided the boys packed up their raft as well! All were having a joyous time.

I was most impressed with our Peer Support Leaders.  Our Year 7s were revelling in the attention they were receiving and the care and support shown by our Peer Support Leaders would have warmed the heart of anyone who took the time to watch.

Finally, to Jen Witney, Sandra Timmer-Arends, David Ellis, Darren Campbell, Mako Kawai and Amy Dyt, thank you for your care of our students.
Blazer Pocket Change
I had a question from a Year 7 parent during the week about the blazer pocket.  It prompted me to repeat the item below from a Grammarian of last year:
In response to parent queries about the necessity of the yellow stripe on the pocket of the Secondary School blazers, the School has agreed to phase out the yellow piping.   Although our uniform suppliers, Dobsons, will not be ordering new stock it will take twelve months to run out the old.

Stephen Klemke
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

FEBRUARY
23 February  Traralgon Secondary and Traralgon Junior FOSP Colour Run
25 February  Performing Arts Scholarship Holders Concert, Parker Centre, Warragul Campus, 7:00 pm
26 February  Traralgon Family Photos
27 February  Year 8 Camp Parent Information Evening, 7:00 pm
28 February  SEISA Swimming, Badminton and Table Tennis, Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

MARCH
5 March  Year 7 Immunisations
6 March  Athletic Trials
7 March  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 3
DAV Debating
11 March  Labour Day Public Holiday
12 to 15 March  Year 8 Camp
14 March  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 4
20 March  Whole School Athletics Carnival
21 March  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 5
22 March  St James Church Community Lunch Excursion

 

 

SPIRIT OF ANZAC

Congratulations to the three students from our Traralgon Campus who were finalists in the recent 2018 Spirit of ANZAC History Competition.
Isabella Watts and Sarah McCulloch (Year 9, 2018) were regional finalists for Gippsland and will attend a study tour in Canberra in the mid-semester holidays.  Carissa Hughes (Year 10, 2018) was a state finalist and will travel to Vietnam for a study tour during the Easter holidays.
With over six hundred entries in the competition this year it was a fabulous achievement for the three students.
Last week the girls attended the awards ceremony at the Park Hyatt and they will now also attend the prestigious Premier’s Anzac Day Lunch at the Grand Hyatt in April.  Well done girls!

Kirsten Enders
Head of Years 9 and 10
Traralgon Campus

 

TRACK AND LIMIT INTERNET USAGE

Technological advancements mean that there are many options to monitor and control your child’s internet usage.  These can monitor internet usage, create blockout times, screen calls and monitor locations.  They offer a way to turn off internet access during sleeping hours or on weekends when other things might need to be priorities.  If you wanted to pursue some of the options below you would need to consider what devices your child uses the most and whether the software would be compatible with them.  If your child mainly uses the internet on their phone and has a lot of data, there are not as many ways to control their internet use.

Please note the below information is not a recommendation of these products by the School as we have not tested them but rather we seek to provide examples of the types of devices and software that is available.

Huawei HG659 offers parent control and is a feature on many new routers and modems.  Through this method the internet is blocked at the source rather than through software that is added to devices.  With this control you have the ability to set limits on the duration of internet usage for example limiting usage between 9:00 pm and 7:00 am on a certain computer to maximise sleep.  It also has the potential to lockout some computers from internet access all together.  This device also promises the ability to block certain websites that might be consuming too much time or emotional energy in your child.

Another option to consider exploring is Bitdefender family pack.  This is software that works across a variety of operating systems including iOS, Windows and Android.  Its primary focus is internet safety such as preventing viruses and webcam spying, however, it has a parental advisor feature that promises to:

  • Shield your children from inappropriate content.
  • Block disturbing phone calls and SMS messages.
  • Always know where your kids are when they use a mobile device.
  • Have your children use the Parental Advisor mobile app on their smartphone to check in as ‘Safe’.

As with the Huawei device it also says it can control online time for each child’s account.

Finally, Microsoft offers the ability to do many of the above things through a Microsoft account Family page.  This is relevant for PCs running Microsoft operating systems and Microsoft developed internet browsers such as Edge.  It can allow you to set multiple time limits per day for your child as well as block websites you do not want them to access.

Chris Brown
eLearning Coordinator

 

2018 YEAR 12 ALUMNI

On Thursday 14 February we had eight past 2018 Year 12 students return to the St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School to shed light on the highs and lows of completing Year 12.  They spent their time in a question and answer session with the current Year 12s and discussed things such as how to plan the year, how to avoid burnout, tips for most subjects, SAC and exams strategies, the importance of a balanced lifestyle and finally about their future ambitions.  The current 2019 Year 12s thoroughly enjoyed the session and were able to see some valuable insights for the upcoming year.  All eight presenters did a fantastic job, spoke very well and we thank them for giving up their time.

The eight students were: Clayton Monacella, Aaron Baxter, Jemma Douglas, Isabel Thomas, Gerard Wilkinson, James Gallagher, Catherine Williams and Hannah Jantos.

Mr Ben Zanella
Head of Year 12

From the Chaplain

AVOIDING THE SLEEP OF THE AMBIVALENT There is nothing like the feeling of laying down in your own bed after being away from home for …

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AVOIDING THE SLEEP OF THE AMBIVALENT

There is nothing like the feeling of laying down in your own bed after being away from home for a while.  I was reminded of this over the summer holidays when returning from a family camping trip.  While the trip itself was great fun, after a week of sleeping on a camp mattress I really did appreciate the comfort and familiarity of my own bed.  What amazed me was how quickly that feeling of gratitude wore off.  It was not long before I was simply taking the comfort of my bed for granted and not giving it a thought.  It seems that my experience aligns with what the experts tell us – gratitude is a habit, a mindset that needs to be learnt and practised.  Without a conscious effort to be grateful for the good things we have in life, we very easily become ambivalent towards them and even start to feel entitled to good things that in reality we have done little to earn or deserve.  Like our muscles, gratitude is subject to the ‘use it or lose it’ rule.  Perhaps the difference is that when we want to build muscle we lift weights but if we want to build gratitude we need to put down or do without our good things for a while so that we are reminded to appreciate them.  There is a line on our School Prayer which says, “We give thanks for the opportunities that St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School gives to its students…” I wonder how well we really do at teaching our young people to give thanks.  Are they so used to having a plethora of opportunities in life that they forget, or do not even realise how fortunate they are?  This is not a criticism of young people but a reminder that we are remarkably fortunate to live in the time and place that we do, but that our human proclivity is to take things for granted and we need to be reminded sometimes to be grateful.  We need to help young people (and ourselves) to develop the habit of gratitude by reminding them how fortunate they are and, at times, allowing them to experience being deprived of some of these good things in order to help them rediscover their appreciation.  The other danger of course is that we can be so bombarded with bad news, the kind of news that saturates the media, that we lose sight of the things we can be grateful for.  In his address to the School at our Whole School Welcome Assembly at the start of the term, Mr Herbert reminded us of a whole range of positive things that happened around the world in 2018.  This was a timely reminder, as we begin a new school year, that we have plenty of reasons for feeling gratitude for the present and hope for the future.  Perhaps the attitude we should cultivate for the year should reflect that of the Psalmist who writes, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for humankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” (Psalms 107:8-9).

May your year be filled with gratitude and joy!

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain

 

Warragul Junior School

From the Head of Warragul Junior School, Mr Rowan van Raay. A busy time It has been a busy few weeks with our Parent Information …

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Warragul Junior School

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

A busy time
It has been a busy few weeks with our Parent Information Evenings, Leaders’ Induction Service, Years 3 to 6 House Swimming Carnivals, District Swimming and concludes with our Family Welcome BBQ this evening.  Kitchen Garden sessions, Year 2 Strings and our Year 5 Brass and Woodwind programs have commenced, and our Year 6 Community Service program and Horizon groups are now in full swing.  Please keep an eye out for the weekly ‘What’s On’ for Junior School events.

For families that were unable to make our Parent Information Evenings, below is a snapshot of what was shared with parents on the night.

Our Principal, Mr Herbert, welcomed all families to the new school year and shared our 2019 Whole School aims:

  • Personalising Learning
  • Improving Student Wellbeing through Service, Gratitude and Intrinsic Motivation
  • Developing “Best Self” Staff

I then took some time to expand on these and what the Warragul Junior School would be concentrating on this year.

  • Personalising Learning
    This involves knowing the whole child and establishing cohesion within every classroom with teachers developing positive relationships with all students at the forefront.  Staff have been asked to prioritise the process of building these relationships particularly in the very early part of the year.  This began with class teachers writing a letter to their students in the holidays and then moves into the learning and empowering of students to be active and curious learners and tapping into what makes them tick!  Encouraging ‘success for all’ where every student feels a sense of belonging and worth and is encouraged to reach their full potential regardless of their starting point will be an ongoing focus.
  • Improving Student Wellbeing through Service, Gratitude and Intrinsic Motivation
    We already have a number of wellbeing and service programs in place, however, we would like to dig a little deeper and increase our students’ intrinsic motivation.  To begin with, we are unpacking the role of certificates that are given at assemblies each week and shifting our focus to the learning that is taking place within the cohort rather than rewarding students for doing things we expect them to do all of the time here at St Paul’s.  We are also reviewing the awards that are given out to a select few at the end of Year 6 and the message this sends to other students who have worked just as hard during their time in the Junior School.  We still have some discussions to have in these areas, so watch this space and we will keep parents posted throughout the year.
  • Developing “Best Self” Staff
    Professional learning communities and peer coaching has been around for quite a few years now and we would like to individualise this more to further develop the career pathways of all our staff.  We are truly blessed to have staff that are committed to educating and caring for our young people and we need to look after them as well.

Mr Barkla spoke about his new Deputy Head role and informed parents that when children require medication at school, parents need to fill in a Medical Authority Form, which can be found in the Policy section of MyStPauls or at the Junior School office.

Mrs Smethurst shared that we will be moving toward Continuous Online Reporting.  This is a gradual process that is not expected to be fully functional until the end of 2020.  Parents will begin to receive notifications via the MyStPauls app or email during Week 6, indicating that class teachers have written feedback about your child’s achievements, goals for future development and work ethic in writing.  We expect that this timely feedback will be more helpful to both students and parents.  More information will be communicated to parents about this next week.

Finally, Mrs Leighton spoke about our parent group, FOSTA and our Parents Matter and second hand uniforms and books Facebook groups.  She also announced that our Kitchen Garden will be open every day from 2:20 pm to 3:20 pm for families to come and enjoy keeping our awesome garden well weeded, pruned and watered.

Classroom teachers then shared important information with families and an information booklet should have been sent home to those who were unable to attend.

ELC Students settle in
Well done to all of our ELC students who have been settling into Pre-Prep, Pre-Kinder and Little Learners over the past few weeks.  The sessions are getting longer and all of the students are learning about what it is like to be a ‘kinder kid’ in our ELC.  Whilst works continue on our new outdoor play area, our ELC children will be using other areas of the Junior School to enjoy their outside play.

Years 3 to 6 House Swimming Carnival
Well done to each and every student who participated in our Years 3 to 6 House Swimming Carnival last Wednesday.  It was a most enjoyable day and my thanks to Mr Boraston, staff, parent helpers and parents who attended to support their children.  Navy House won the carnival and Thomas Halloran-Lavelle from Year 6 took out the fastest swimmer race.  Congratulations to Navy House, Thomas and all of the students who progressed through to District Swimming, which is being held today.

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

 

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

FEBRUARY
22 February  Family Welcome Barbeque
26 February  Year 6E Community Service session 2
27 February  NO PREPS

MARCH
4 March  Parent Prayer Group
5 March
  Year 6E Community Service session 3
Divisional Swimming (selected students from Years 3 to 6)
11 March  Labour Day Public Holiday
12 March  Year 6E Community Service session 4
15 March  Regional Swimming (selected students from Years 3 to 6)
19 March  Year 6E Community Service session 5
20 March  Years 3 to 6 Athletics Carnival
26 March  Year 6E Community Service session 6
30 March  St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School Open Day

APRIL
3 April  Parent Teacher Interviews
4 April  Parent Teacher Interviews
5 April  Easter Service
End of Term 1, 2:20 pm FINISH

 

 

 

TRACK AND LIMIT INTERNET USAGE

Technological advancements mean that there are many options to monitor and control your child’s internet usage.  These can monitor internet usage, create blockout times, screen calls and monitor locations.  They offer a way to turn off internet access during sleeping hours or on weekends when other things might need to be priorities.  If you wanted to pursue some of the options below you would need to consider what devices your child uses the most and whether the software would be compatible with them.  If your child mainly uses the internet on their phone and has a lot of data, there are not as many ways to control their internet use.

Please note the below information is not a recommendation of these products by the School as we have not tested them but rather we seek to provide examples of the types of devices and software that is available.

Huawei HG659 offers parent control and is a feature on many new routers and modems.  Through this method the internet is blocked at the source rather than through software that is added to devices.  With this control you have the ability to set limits on the duration of internet usage for example limiting usage between 9:00 pm and 7:00 am on a certain computer to maximise sleep.  It also has the potential to lockout some computers from internet access all together.  This device also promises the ability to block certain websites that might be consuming too much time or emotional energy in your child.

Another option to consider exploring is Bitdefender family pack.  This is software that works across a variety of operating systems including iOS, Windows and Android.  Its primary focus is internet safety such as preventing viruses and webcam spying, however, it has a parental advisor feature that promises to:

  • Shield your children from inappropriate content.
  • Block disturbing phone calls and SMS messages.
  • Always know where your kids are when they use a mobile device.
  • Have your children use the Parental Advisor mobile app on their smartphone to check in as ‘Safe’.

As with the Huawei device it also says it can control online time for each child’s account.

Finally, Microsoft offers the ability to do many of the above things through a Microsoft account Family page.  This is relevant for PCs running Microsoft operating systems and Microsoft developed internet browsers such as Edge.  It can allow you to set multiple time limits per day for your child as well as block websites you do not want them to access.

Chris Brown
eLearning Coordinator

 

ST PAUL’S PARENTS’ PRAYER GROUPS

If you are interested in getting together with other parents of the School to pray, you are most welcome to join the following two prayer groups:
First Monday of the month, 9:00 am Prideaux Centre, Warragul Junior School (first gathering 4 March)
Contact: Sheryn Cutler 0417 158 937
Fridays Fortnightly, 9:15 am, Jenny Charles’ home
Contact: Jenny Charles 0402 249 036

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for all that He has done.” Philippians 4:6

 

 

Warragul Secondary School

From the Head of Warragul Secondary School, Ms Laura Butterworth. Summit to Sea – a new camp for 2019 After a review of our Outdoor …

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Warragul Secondary School

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

Summit to Sea – a new camp for 2019
After a review of our Outdoor Education program in 2016 we have implemented a number of changes in the proceeding years.  We are pleased that the last of these is the introduction of a new optional camp program that will be available to our Year 10 and Year 11 students in 2019.  The inaugural Summit to Sea camp will be offered to students from Sunday 22 September to Saturday 28 September 2019.  This is during the September school holiday period.  This journey style camp is designed to challenge our students who have enjoyed the Outdoor Education program and would like to extend their experiences and skills on a seven day journey.  Starting at the summit of Mount Erica the group will hike, raft and mountain bike their way to their final destination of Seaspray on the Ninety Mile Beach.  This journey is designed to build on the skills learnt on previous camps and to develop a much deeper sense of their environment, their capabilities and themselves.
Students can register their interest in the program at Student Services and further information will be provided in the coming weeks.

2019 House Swimming Carnival
Our annual Swimming Carnival was unfortunately cut short this year due to poor weather conditions.  We managed to get a number of events completed but not enough to declare an overall house winner on the day.

Valentine’s Day
Love was well and truly in the air last Thursday as Valentine’s Day descended on St Paul’s.  The Prefects invited students to make a gold coin donation to charity and buy a Valentine’s sing-a-gram.  They then wandered the school and serenaded students, teachers and classes.

Prefects Joshua, Sienna and Annie.

Eamon being serenaded by the Prefects for Valentine’s Day.

Sophie being serenaded by the Prefects for Valentine’s Day.

Year 8 Camp – 12 to 15 March
Year 8 parents will have received the documents required for Year 8 camp via email yesterday.  We are excited to be returning to the beautiful Lakewood Park on the Banksia Peninsula.  Students will hike, mountain bike, sail, sea kayak and stand up paddle board in one of Victoria’s most beautiful locations.  The parent information briefing will be held on Thursday 28 February at 7:00 pm in the New Building.  Please attend to hear an outline of the camp and have any questions answered.  Extensive details are provided in the information pack and we would appreciate all forms be returned by Wednesday 27 February 2019.

Summer Sun
Just a reminder to parents to please ensure that your child has a wide brimmed navy school hat for the summer terms.  Students are expected to either sit in the shade or have a hat on at all times in Terms 1 and 4.

Ms Laura Butterworth
Head of Warragul Secondary School

 

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

FEBRUARY
25 February  Performing Arts Scholarship Holders Concert
26 February  Presentation Ball Training, 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm
28 February  SEISA Swimming, Badminton, Table Tennis, Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

MARCH
1 March  Year 9 City Experience, Day 1
4 March  Complete Works, Year 12 Literature Incursion, 9:10 am to 10:50 am
5 March  Presentation Ball Training, 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm
7 March  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 3
DAV Debating, St Margaret’s School, Berwick, 4:00 pm
11 March  Labour Day Public Holiday
12 March  Boys only Presentation Ball Training, 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm
12 to 15 March  Year 8 Camp
14 March  Federation University Experience Day, Physical, Outdoor Education and Sport Science
SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 4
15 March  Year 7 Immunisations, Warragul Secondary School Library, 9:00 am
19 March  Girls only Presentation Ball Training, 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm
Studio Concert, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
20 March  House Athletics Carnival
21 March  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 5
25 March  Parent Student Teacher Interviews, Evening 1, 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm
26 March  Presentation Ball Training, 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm
27 March  Year 9 Faiths in our Community Excursion, 9:00 am to 3:20 pm
28 March  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Finals
30 March  St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School Open Day

APRIL
2 April  Presentation Ball Training, 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm
3 April  Parent Student Teacher Interviews, Evening 2, 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm
3 to 9 April  Years 10 and 11 Summit to Sea Camp
4 April  Easter Service
SEISA Music Festival
5 April  End of Term 1, 2:30 pm FINISH
6 to 22 April  School Holidays
23 April  Term 2 Commences

 

 

TRACK AND LIMIT INTERNET USAGE

Technological advancements mean that there are many options to monitor and control your child’s internet usage.  These can monitor internet usage, create blockout times, screen calls and monitor locations.  They offer a way to turn off internet access during sleeping hours or on weekends when other things might need to be priorities.  If you wanted to pursue some of the options below you would need to consider what devices your child uses the most and whether the software would be compatible with them.  If your child mainly uses the internet on their phone and has a lot of data, there are not as many ways to control their internet use.

Please note the below information is not a recommendation of these products by the School as we have not tested them but rather we seek to provide examples of the types of devices and software that is available.

Huawei HG659 offers parent control and is a feature on many new routers and modems.  Through this method the internet is blocked at the source rather than through software that is added to devices.  With this control you have the ability to set limits on the duration of internet usage for example limiting usage between 9:00 pm and 7:00 am on a certain computer to maximise sleep.  It also has the potential to lockout some computers from internet access all together.  This device also promises the ability to block certain websites that might be consuming too much time or emotional energy in your child.

Another option to consider exploring is Bitdefender family pack.  This is software that works across a variety of operating systems including iOS, Windows and Android.  Its primary focus is internet safety such as preventing viruses and webcam spying, however, it has a parental advisor feature that promises to:

  • Shield your children from inappropriate content.
  • Block disturbing phone calls and SMS messages.
  • Always know where your kids are when they use a mobile device.
  • Have your children use the Parental Advisor mobile app on their smartphone to check in as ‘Safe’.

As with the Huawei device it also says it can control online time for each child’s account.

Finally, Microsoft offers the ability to do many of the above things through a Microsoft account Family page.  This is relevant for PCs running Microsoft operating systems and Microsoft developed internet browsers such as Edge.  It can allow you to set multiple time limits per day for your child as well as block websites you do not want them to access.

Chris Brown
eLearning Coordinator

 

2018 YEAR 12 ALUMNI

On Thursday 14 February we had eight past 2018 Year 12 students return to the St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School to shed light on the highs and lows of completing Year 12.  They spent their time in a question and answer session with the current Year 12s and discussed things such as how to plan the year, how to avoid burnout, tips for most subjects, SAC and exams strategies, the importance of a balanced lifestyle and finally about their future ambitions.  The current 2019 Year 12s thoroughly enjoyed the session and were able to see some valuable insights for the upcoming year.  All eight presenters did a fantastic job, spoke very well and we thank them for giving up their time.

The eight students were: Clayton Monacella, Aaron Baxter, Jemma Douglas, Isabel Thomas, Gerard Wilkinson, James Gallagher, Catherine Williams and Hannah Jantos.

Mr Ben Zanella
Head of Year 12

 

HUMAN POWERED VEHICLE (HPV)

Thank you to Select Office Supplies Warragul for their continued sponsorship of the St Paul’s HPV Team in 2019!