In this issue

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

Last week was a flurry of activity and excitement as we enjoyed Years 3 to 6 Information Evening, Pancake Day, Athletics Carnival and Clean Up Australia Day in our Junior School. It was wonderful to see our community come together and participate in these events.

Athletics day was fabulous and we were very lucky with the weather!  Students competed in their events with determination and smiles with tug of war being one of the favourites along with high jump and sprints. Many thanks to the parents who assisted on the day and a huge shout out to Mr Billy Rilen for his outstanding organisation ensuring the day ran smoothly and was enjoyed by all.

Last Tuesday, we came together for our Shrove Tuesday Chapel Service with Mr Treble followed by Pancake races and eating!  The cheering and excitement could be heard across the school as each class flipped their pancakes whilst running their relays. Many students finished the day commenting, “That was the best day ever!” Thank you to Ms Kassie Olivier and Mrs Lauren Vercoe for organising the event and motivating our students. There were over 500 pancakes cooked on the day and our FOSP parent helpers were amazing and ensured our day was successful. Many thanks to everyone who helped out and a special thank you to Ms Shareena Boyd for her efforts whipping up a very large amount of pancake mixture before we all arrived at school!

Friday was Clean Up Australia Day for Schools and we donned gloves and grabbed garbage bags and got to work in our school grounds and surrounding streets. We were surprised at the amount of rubbish found hiding under bushes and logs and everyone did a fabulous job working together in teams and cleaning up. Thank you to Ms Sarah Berryman and Ms Nicole Cross for coordinating our clean up.

Thank you to the parents who attended our Years 3 to 6 Parent Information Evening. Teachers shared a range of information about classroom programs and routines. For those who were unable to attend, teachers have posted their presentations on MyStPauls parent pages.

Teachers have been careful and sensitive about addressing student concerns about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Guiding your child through the images and information in the news and on social media can be challenging. For any parents who would like some advice about how to talk to their children about the Ukraine please access the link below. https://theparentswebsite.com.au/how-to-guide-your-child-through-ukraine-news-on-social-media/  Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions. Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 and Lifeline 13 11 14 are also helpful supports if needed.

I would like to remind parents of the need to be extremely careful when driving and parking in our school carpark. Every student deserves to be safe and considered and I ask that all parents slow down and are mindful of our precious little people as you are entering and exiting the carpark. When using the carpark at arrival or dismissal times, please use the crossing to reach the school pathways. I have become increasingly concerned about parents who duck across the carpark with young children running after them. The crossing is manned from 8:45 am each morning and from 3:20 pm in the afternoons however, caution should be used at all times.

In order to support parents with research-based information about how to help children while they are learning to read, we will be hosting a series of parent workshops. The first will be held on Tuesday 15 March.  All parents are welcome however this workshop will be most relevant for those who have children in Years 3 to 6.  Please RSVP to the office via email tgonadmin@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au.

Parent Student Teacher Interviews
PSTIs (Parent Student Teacher Interviews) will be held on Wednesday 23 March and Thursday 24 March.  Parents are able to choose between Zoom or face to face meetings.  Details about booking PSTIs will be emailed to all families shortly.  If you have any questions or need any help please contact the office for assistance.  These PSTIs are an opportunity for parents and teachers to share important information about children’s learning, the start to the 2022 school year, to raise any concerns and build positive relationships together as plans for learning are discussed.  I encourage all parents to take advantage of this opportunity and participate in the PSTIs.

Classroom Updates

Prep
Preps have been very busy learning the letters a, m, s, t, d and f and using their correct sounds. They have been finding words that rhyme and learning how to blend sounds together to read words. In Maths they have been learning about length and sequence of numbers.

The Preps really enjoyed participating in the pancake races and more importantly eating the pancakes. They attended their first Athletics day and enjoyed trying all the different events. It was lovely to see their excitement of travelling on the bus with their friends and enjoying an icy pole to cool down after the big day.
To support the students to build strong relationships they attended Nature Play where they supported each other to climb trees, shared stories, created games and learnt about nature from each other.

Year 1
Year 1 students have had a busy couple of weeks at school together participating in co-curricular activities such as Shrove Tuesday, Athletics Carnival and Clean Up Australia Day. We are very proud of their eagerness to participate, support their peers and be part of our school community events. At school students have participated in explicit teaching instruction, specific learning activities and played games to develop their skills in Numbers. They have worked on counting, ordering and representing two-digit numbers. In Literacy, we have focused on the FLOSS rule and Magic E and students have been learning the two sounds of ‘th’. They have really enjoyed practising sticking out their tongue when making these quiet and noisy tongue cooler sounds!

Year 2
What a huge week we have had in Year 2!

Our students enjoyed three whole school events over the course of the week. Shrove Tuesday was a big hit, with 2S taking out the winning place in our Pancake Races. Congrats to speedy 2S! Last Friday afternoon, we participated in Clean Up Australia Day and beautified parts of our school.  And how could we forget Athletics Day? We had typical Victorian weather but that did not get in the way of having a fun day! We are really grateful that our parents could join us at these events during the week and we hope this can continue moving forward.

Year 3
In Year 3, we have been learning about how to take care of our brain and the importance of drinking water. We created some bumper stickers to encourage people to drink more water, so they maintain a healthy brain. Here are some pictures of some of our work.

Year 4
The Year 4 students had an extremely busy week both in and out of the classroom this week. They started the week with pancake races on Shrove Tuesday, many students ending up eating quite a few pancakes for recess afterwards. Wednesday’s Athletics Day started off with rain, but luckily as the day progressed, the weather improved. All the students did a fabulous job of participating enthusiastically in every event. The week ended with each class being allocated a different area of the school to clean up for ‘Clean Up Australia’ day.

Year 5
In Year 5 we have had some very excited students taking on the role of a teacher in ‘You be the Teacher’. This finished off our learning about the brain as students taught their chosen skill to a group of their peers. Some of the skills taught were counting in Auslan, saving files online, making stress balls, shooting goals in basketball, practising times tables and making chatterboxes. Students were required to incorporate the ‘I do, we do, you do’ explicit instruction process as part of their lesson to ensure that the information they were teaching accessed the different types of memory. A fun time was had by all with many students keen to have another go!

Year 6
The past couple of weeks in Year 6 has seen us preparing for Camp with great excitement, along with an anticipation of the challenges we’ll face at The Summit. We have finalised our unit of learning about the brain, and continue to review the key concepts which have supported the students to ‘piece the puzzle together’. We have begun our newest unit of learning focused on Pop Culture and the students have been delighted to share and discuss different trends and fads across the years. In amongst all of this we have continued to refine our reading fluency routines, practised expanding sentences and identifying and adding appositives and continued applying the use of mathematical processes to solve problems involving the four operations.

Visual Art
Prep have had a learning focus on shape and colour. Here are a few of their Balloon Paintings. We dipped balloons into paint and used them to print and mark our designs. The following week we added more geometric markings in gold paint.

Year 4 have been learning about value in relation to colour. We did lots of experimentation in tinting with white and shading with black. Our students then used the paint they mixed to make  backgrounds. The following week we used iPads to find silhouettes, drew them into their journals and traced and transferred their drawings onto their backgrounds.

Year 6 extended their skills in line drawing when they created Signature Aliens. If you look closely at them sideways, you can see the students’ names.

Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School

WHAT’S ON

MARCH
11 March  Year 6 Leadership Day, The Summit
15 March  ‘Learning to Read’ Parent Session,  7:00 pm
15 to 18 March  Year 6 Urban Camp
17 March  Regional Swimming Championships (selected students)
ELC and Prep 2023 Discovery Morning
22 March  District Athletics
23 March  Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs), 3:45 pm to 8:00 pm
24 March  Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs), 3:45 pm to 6:00 pm

APRIL
1 April  Family Fun Night, 6:00 pm
8 April  Easter Service
End of Term 1, dismissal 2:20 pm

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

DOBSONS 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.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A ST PAUL’S COMPANY MEMBER OR BOARD DIRECTOR?

Membership of Company
Are you aware parents are able to become members of the St Paul’s School Company?

At present there are over sixty members of the School’s Company. Applying for membership involves completing an application form and submitting a fee of $20.00. Continued membership involves renewing your membership once a year and paying an ongoing annual fee of $20.00.

Company membership entitles the member to attend the School’s Annual General Meeting in May each year and also to cast a vote in the event of an election of Directors to the School Board.

Persons interested in applying for new membership of the Company can obtain an Application for Company Membership form from the School’s website or by contacting Carol Reid via email creid@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au.

New applications should be received by 25 April 2022 for consideration at the April Board Meeting in preparation for this year’s Annual General Meeting.

Becoming a Board Director
In keeping with the Board’s commitment to an inclusive governance approach within the School community, persons interested in potentially filling a Board vacancy are encouraged to become a member of the Company and respond to the nomination/election process prior to the Annual General Meeting on 25 May 2022.

Nomination forms for Board Directorship are required to be forwarded to the Company Secretary no later than Tuesday 26 April 2022 at 5:00 pm.

If you have any questions in relation to the Board vacancies or are seeking a nomination form, please contact Mrs Leah Young, Company Secretary via email companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

Annual General Meeting, Wednesday 25 May 2022
The Annual General Meeting of St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School is to be held on Wednesday 25 May 2022 at the Warragul Campus commencing at 5:30 pm for members of the Company.

TRARALGON JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS DAY

Last Wednesday, students from Traralgon Junior School travelled down to Harold Preston Park to compete at the Athletics Day where they participated in a variety of different track and field. Congratulations to all students who did their very best for each event, they should be extremely proud of their efforts. It was amazing to see all students encouraging one another and displaying great sportsmanship throughout the entire day.

A huge thank you to all the staff and parent volunteers who helped make the day run as smooth as possible. All students had an amazing day and left the park with massive smiles. Due to events not being fully completed on the day due to time constraints and weather, the House and Age Group Champions will be announced at a later date.

Jade Hosken
Year 5 Teacher

ST PAUL’S EQUESTRIAN TEAM

Hi, my name is Alana Shone and I am the Equestrian Captain for 2022. I started my captaincy in this role last year in Year 11 and I am continuing it for my last year of school this year.

On Monday 28 February the Equestrian team came together after school for a seminar and team meeting. Our guest speaker Lj Braithwaite (Core Benefits) presented an interactive and informative session in which all students and families got a lot out of and enjoyed. We learnt about how important it is to prepare, condition and train your own body for riding, not just your horses. The guest speaker took us through how much your own body can affect the movement of your horse, showing us why we need to have ourselves ready before we can expect our horses to perform to their best.

Equestrian Seminar Information Evening.

Coming up on Friday 25 March St Paul’s is also once again sponsoring the Interschool Dressage competition at Farm World. We have a few team members competing in this competition and many more coming along to help out with duties on the day. Any support from the school community on that day is greatly appreciated.

A few of our team members have also recently been out competing representing St Paul’s coming with some excellent results. Congratulations to the following riders:

Stratford St Paul’s Team 4 Captain, Olivia Comben.

Georgia Joyce.

Hayden Doupain.

Georgia Joyce competed at Boneo Inter School Showjumping on the Friday 18 February. Georgia excelled in all her rounds, coming home with 3rd in the freshman’s primary round.

On Wednesday 23 February, Olivia Comben, Hayden Doupain, Phoebe Cavill and Mia Fitzpatrick all competed at Stratford Interschools in a team of four. Mia and Olivia brought home ribbons across many events all day, Hayden went clear in his 75cm showjumping and Phoebe won many ribbons throughout the day resulting in her achieving highpoint champion of the competition for Year 8.

Alana Shone
Equestrian Captain

FINANCE NEWS

Annual Fee Account
Families have recently received via email an annual fee account for 2022. 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.

We offer fortnightly instalments (22 payments) on Wednesdays or Fridays commencing 4 February and Monthly instalments (10 payments) commencing 15 February 2022.

Other direct debit payment dates are also available by arrangement.

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/enrolment/school-fees/

Instalments (due dates)
Instalment 2 – 8 April 2022
Instalment 3 – 3 June 2022
Instalment 4 – 12 August 2022

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://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/conveyance-allowance/policy

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 2022 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 15 June 2022 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2021 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2022), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2021 to 2022 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School,
Mrs Leonie Clark

It is hard to believe that we are halfway through the term already. I would like to sincerely thank our community for the lovely warm welcome that I have received from the students, staff and families at Traralgon throughout the last five weeks. I am thoroughly enjoying my new role and I am loving getting to know my families and our Traralgon community.

Mid-term assembly
I was absolutely delighted by the participation of many students in the formalities of our assembly last Thursday week. Asmi Pathania played the processional on the piano and each student who spoke at the assembly joined the official party on the stage. Sahanna Harikrishna accompanied by Mr Nathan Byrne on the piano, delighted us with ‘Snappy Rag’ by Kerin Bailey on the cornet.

Sahanna Harikrishna playing ‘Snappy Rag’ by Kerin Bailey on the cornet.

We presented Sophia Hastie with her Team Timor captaincy badge while Ms Enders shared her experience of the people in East Timor as well as the tragic history of one of our closest geographical neighbours. Each of our Year 7 students as well as all of our new students were officially presented with their house badges and processed across the stage for the very first time.

Sophia Hastie being presented as Team Timor Captain.

We wish all of our new students much fun and success as they forge new friendships in the various houses and make lifelong memories. I thank all of our students and staff for their contribution to the assemblies. We have a crew of dedicated and talented students to assist backstage, as well as a number of students who kindly agree to either present a prayer, reading or recount of an event. It certainly takes much work and a ‘dash of courage’ to stand in front of your peers and present to a sea of expectant faces with minimal rehearsal! I am always extremely proud of the students who bravely present to their peers on stage at a formal event such as an assembly.

House Athletic Trials
On Friday we enjoyed a rather warm day out at the annual House Athletics Trials and I would like to thank the staff as well as the parents who popped in to watch their children; some of whom remained behind to kindly assist with the pack up. A magnificent day was enjoyed by all of our students who fiercely competed as they supported their houses with brilliant house spirit. Students dug deep to beat established times and some even achieved an impressive personal best! Once again, we were impressed with our students as they enjoyed the company of each other, showed outstanding sportsmanship and took part in some well-timed, wellbeing activities. I have no doubt there were some very tired adolescents on Friday evening who were very keen for an early dinner and a rather big sleep!

Campbell Booth participating in the Year 10 Boys High Jump taking away 2nd place.

Pointy End of Term
Our students are building towards the pointy end of the term when many assessment tasks are due for assessment. It can be a challenge for those students who are still learning to implement a study plan or ensure that they are taking small steps each day towards completing tasks to meet the looming submission dates. I have included below some information about homework as well as the recommended homework guidelines for students in different levels of secondary school.

Why do homework?
• Homework complements and reinforces classroom learning.
• Fosters good life-long learning and study habits.
• Provides an opportunity for students to be responsible for their own learning.

Homework
In the Early Secondary Years (Years 7 to 9) homework will consist of:
• Background reading of novels, textbooks, handouts and intranet/internet information.
• Reading for pleasure.
• Extension of classwork, projects and assignments, essays, research and revision.

Homework expectations
Students are expected to:
• Record homework in their Student Diary (Years 7 to 9) or electronic diary (Years 10 to 12).
• Be aware of the importance of homework.
• Complete homework within the given time frame.
• Alert their parents to homework expectations.
• Seek assistance from teachers and parents when difficulties arise.
• Ensure homework is of a high standard.
• Organise their time to ensure sufficient time is given to complete quality homework within set deadlines.

Suggested Homework/Revision Times

Year 8 Camp
A reminder that our Year 8 students will be attending their camp from Tuesday 15 March to Friday 18 March. A reminder letter with some very important details has been sent to all families this week. Please ensure that you read the letter together and do not hesitate to contact us should you require further assistance.

Labour Day Holiday
I imagine that everyone is very much looking forward to a wonderful long weekend this weekend. I remind our families that Monday 14 March is a public holiday and hope that you are able to take advantage of the extra time to unwind a little and enjoy some much-needed family time.

Combined House Athletics Carnival
Please remember to respond to the Consent2Go email for this activity and permission for your child to attend this compulsory event on Tuesday 22 March. We are looking forward to another wonderful day full of memories for our students. Please ensure that your child brings their hat, applies and knows to reapply sunscreen and has a water bottle that is easily refilled.

PSTIs
Semester 1 Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs) will be held on Thursday 24 March from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Interviews will also be held on Wednesday 30 March from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

This year to cater for all families, our first evening on Thursday will be face-to-face and the second evening on Wednesday will be a Zoom style interview session. Further information including how to book has been sent to families this week. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you need some assistance navigating the booking system.

SchoolTV
We are very pleased to announce that we recently added a new resource to the suite of wellbeing resources at St Paul’s called SchoolTV. Parents today face a multitude of contemporary challenges in raising happy, well and resilient young people. Whilst there is a great deal of information available, this can often be confusing and overwhelming for parents looking for guidance.

SchoolTV addresses this as a new online resource designed to empower you as parents with credible and sound information with realistic, practical ongoing support strategies. This is now available to all parents/guardians at St Paul’s.

For further information about SchoolTV, please click the link below:
https://stpaulsags.vic.schooltv.me/

Leonie Clark
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

WHAT’S ON

MARCH
14 March  Labour Day Public Holiday
15 -18 March  Year 8 Outdoor Education Camp
15 March  SEISA Visual Arts
17 March  SEISA Summer Inter/Senior Round 4 (bye)
19 March  Scholarship Testing, 9:00 am 
22 March  House Athletics
24 – 27 March  Farm World
24 March  NAPLAN Complete Technical Readiness Check (CPT), 11:30 am
PSTIs #1, 4:00 pm
25 March  Performing Arts Scholarship Holders Concert, 7:00 pm

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

DOBSONS 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.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A ST PAUL’S COMPANY MEMBER OR BOARD DIRECTOR?

Membership of Company
Are you aware parents are able to become members of the St Paul’s School Company?

At present there are over sixty members of the School’s Company. Applying for membership involves completing an application form and submitting a fee of $20.00. Continued membership involves renewing your membership once a year and paying an ongoing annual fee of $20.00.

Company membership entitles the member to attend the School’s Annual General Meeting in May each year and also to cast a vote in the event of an election of Directors to the School Board.

Persons interested in applying for new membership of the Company can obtain an Application for Company Membership form from the School’s website or by contacting Carol Reid via email creid@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au.

New applications should be received by 25 April 2022 for consideration at the April Board Meeting in preparation for this year’s Annual General Meeting.

Becoming a Board Director
In keeping with the Board’s commitment to an inclusive governance approach within the School community, persons interested in potentially filling a Board vacancy are encouraged to become a member of the Company and respond to the nomination/election process prior to the Annual General Meeting on 25 May 2022.

Nomination forms for Board Directorship are required to be forwarded to the Company Secretary no later than Tuesday 26 April 2022 at 5:00 pm.

If you have any questions in relation to the Board vacancies or are seeking a nomination form, please contact Mrs Leah Young, Company Secretary via email companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

Annual General Meeting, Wednesday 25 May 2022
The Annual General Meeting of St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School is to be held on Wednesday 25 May 2022 at the Warragul Campus commencing at 5:30 pm for members of the Company.

NAPLAN TESTS

The National Assessment Program, Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2022 for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students will be held on Tuesday 10 May, Wednesday 11 May, Thursday 12 May and Friday 13 May 2022. NAPLAN tests assess student knowledge and skills in Writing, Reading, Language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. The results of the tests provide information for students, parents, teachers and principals which can be used to improve student achievement.

Students are also required to participate in a Coordinated Practice Test (CPT) which will be held on Thursday 24 March 2022. This will allow students to become familiar with the question types contained in the NAPLAN online tests and allow them to become familiar with using the online system itself. Students and parents can also access the NAPLAN practice site at https://nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site to become familiar with these online tests.

All students are expected to participate in the NAPLAN tests. During test week, catch-up sessions will be available for individual students who are absent on test days. These students may undertake catch-up sessions on the days in the test week after the scheduled test, up to and including Friday 20 May 2022.

Support can be arranged for students with disabilities, if the student regularly uses similar support for classroom assessment tasks. The NAPLAN online system also allows adjustments to how the tests are presented. Exemptions may be granted to students with significant intellectual disabilities and to students who have been learning English for less than one year. If your child is eligible for support due to disability or an exemption, you should discuss this with his/her teacher prior to the tests. Parental consent is required before any support due to disability or exemption is granted.

Students may be withdrawn from NAPLAN by their parent or carer. This is a matter for consideration by parents and carers in consultation with the Principal. If, after consultation, you decide to withdraw your child, you must sign a Student Withdrawal form. These forms are available at the school.

Later in the year, you will receive your child’s personal NAPLAN report. The report will describe your child’s particular skills in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. The report will also show how your child performed in relation to national minimum standards. These describe the minimum acceptable standards for students across Australia.

I am confident that the information you receive as a result of your child’s participation in the NAPLAN tests will be valuable in helping you to assess your child’s progress in literacy and numeracy.

For more information about the tests, please visit the VCAA website at www.vcaa.vic.edu.au or the NAP website at www.nap.edu.au

Chris Ambrozy
Director of Studies

KAJA REFLECTS ON HER DUKE OF EDINBURGH EXPERIENCE

Participating in the Duke of Edinburgh program has been rewarding in many ways, it has given me the opportunity to develop new skills, appreciate the importance of community and value life itself. For my community service, handmade cards with messages of hope were personally designed and delivered to those in local aged care facilities, in a time when COVID-19 had restricted all and had taken away a sense of togetherness. Engaging with the residents and bringing a small piece of happiness to their day was overwhelmingly satisfying and left me with a sense of pride. The thought of being able to contribute to society in the smallest way, by bringing people together through inclusion has undoubtedly been the highlight of the program for me.

Kaja and Sophia deliver their homemade cards to BUPA residents.

Kaja on her bike as part of her adventurous journey.

Self-exploration and development were discovered through my adventurous journey, where my adventure took me on an amazing expedition, challenging myself through the aspects of mountain biking, hiking and kayaking over a two-day trek. For the physical recreation task, I explored a deeper understanding of my chosen sport cycling, this was selected as my major activity where 26 hours of this exercise was completed. This provided me with a greater understanding of my physical strengths and weaknesses as well as a newfound passion for adventure. Overall, I feel privileged to have participated in this community program which has offered me many opportunities to develop new skills such as cooking, enabling me to connect with the community and whilst also allowing for independent decision making through participation and self-discovery.

Kaja Tierney
Year 10 student

DAV DEBATING: READY, SET, GO…

The Traralgon Secondary School DAV Debating teams enjoyed their first round of online debates on Monday 7 March. The two D-Grade teams debated the negative side for the topic “That sporting bodies should not accept sponsorship from gambling companies”, with one victory on the evening. Congratulations to Mitchell Rong and Asmi Pathania who were both awarded Best Speaker by the adjudicator in their debates.

Victorious Debating Team (Pragnya Pasupuleti, Alice den Houting, Vidhau Rajadurai, Asmi Pathania).

Our C-Grade team debated the affirmative side for the topic “That we should boycott major sporting events held in countries with poor human rights records” and, in doing so, inducted two new team members into their very first debate. Congratulations to all those who participated on the evening, including those who had to unexpectedly debate from remote locations. Your integrity, commitment and effort make us very proud!

Donna Byrne
English and Humanities Teacher
Director of Learning and Teaching – Traralgon Secondary School

STEVEN HERRICK RETURNS TO ST PAUL’S

The author of our much-loved Year 8 English text, ‘By the River’, once again joined our students at both the Warragul and Traralgon Secondary Schools to regale them with stories, anecdotes and insights into his writing. Steven Herrick spent time at both campuses on Wednesday 9 March and provided a wonderful introduction to the study of his acclaimed Young Adult verse novel.

Steven Herrick regaling Traralgon Secondary School students.

Students and staff in attendance enjoyed the humour, honesty and integrity that Steven brings to his presentations, and we look forward to hosting him again at St Paul’s in the future. Steven Herrick’s latest novel, ‘How to Repaint a Life’, is published by University of Queensland Press and has been awarded CBCA’s Notable Older Reader’s Book 2022.

Donna Byrne
English and Humanities Teacher
Director of Learning and Teaching – Traralgon Secondary School

SPORT NEWS

2021 VEIS State Champs
Hayden took two horses and competed in all disciples and while he was not a place-getter, he was not very far off the pace. His pony Prince Harry of Ensenada competed in the dressage and the show horse. His Galloway Asgard Artemis (Mini Be) competed in showjumping, combined training, dressage and working hunter.

Hayden Doupain on his horse, Mini Be.

Hayden show jumping.

Stratford Interschool
On Wednesday 23 February, Phoebe travelled to Sale Showgrounds to compete at the Stratford Interschool on her horse Kilburns Abby Rose. She was in a team with Hayden Doupain, Mia Fitzpatrick and Liv Comben. Their first event was best presented which they placed 1st. They also competed in the Pleasure Mount, placing 3rd in a big class. In Phoebe’s rider class there were about fifteen other people in the class, so it was a long wait for everyone to do their workouts, but the wait was worth it as she placed 2nd.

Phoebe and her horse, Kilburns Abby Rose.

Phoebe showing her show jumping prowess.

We are very fortunate to have riders who represent the school at different equestrian events. We wish the best in their future competitions.

House Athletics Trials
Last Friday, 4 March, the Traralgon Campus held its annual House Athletics Trials, so times and distances can be compared with Warragul, in order for House teams to be announced for the upcoming combined House Athletics Carnival being held on Tuesday 22 March at the Newborough track.

Years 9 and 10 400m race.

It turned out to be a very warm day though that did not stop some outstanding results on the day. Each student ran the 100m and 200m event and then nominated what other events they wanted to compete in. There was such a buzz around the track and plenty of icy poles were sold. The highlight of the day was at the end when the Year 10 relay teams raced against the staff. Unfortunately, the staff were no match for Gilmore House who narrowly won from Lalor House. A special thank you to all staff who made this a successful day. Their support is always much appreciated.

Year 10 and staff relay race

Now we are looking forward to our carnival and hoping for a sunny day with plenty of personal bests recorded.

Sandra Timmer-Arends
Head of Year 9 and 10 – Traralgon Campus
Head of Sport – Traralgon Campus
Health and Physical Education

SEISA SWIMMING

On Thursday 24 February the St Paul’s swim team travelled to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre to compete in the annual SEISA Swimming Carnival. The event started off with the freestyle events and ended with butterfly and it was good to see some normality returning after the previous two years.

The day came to an end, and it was announced that St Paul’s had won by 257 points. Overall, the day was a huge success and we would like to congratulate all of the swimmers who competed with a special mention to Morgan McConville, Molly Cargill and Ashley Nicholes who broke records in the 50m breastroke and 100m freestyle events.

The following students should also be congratulated on winning age champions for the SEISA Swimming Competition:
• Brody Cargill – Under 13 Male Champion
• Corbin Blake – Under 14 Male Champion
• Ashley Nicholes – Under 16 Male Champion
• Josh Dwyer – Under 17 Male Champion
• Jordyn Cargill – Under 21 Male Champion
• Chloe Joiner – Under 14 Female Champion
• Mollie Dennis – Under 16 Female Champion
• Molly Cargill – Under 17 Female Champion
• Abby Warner – Under 21 Female Champion

We also would like to say a special thank you to all the staff that helped out and made the event run so smoothly, Ms Hoskings, Mrs Timmer-Arends, Mrs Finlayson, Mrs Rippon, Mr Andrews and also to Ms Sullivan. Your preparation and effort for this event is greatly appreciated and doesn’t go unnoticed.

Our Swim team is now looking forward to hearing who qualified to represent SEISA in the Victorian Schools Association’s competition in Melbourne in May.

Elizabeth Little and Mayah Cannon
Swim Captains

ST PAUL’S EQUESTRIAN TEAM

Hi, my name is Alana Shone and I am the Equestrian Captain for 2022. I started my captaincy in this role last year in Year 11 and I am continuing it for my last year of school this year.

On Monday 28 February the Equestrian team came together after school for a seminar and team meeting. Our guest speaker Lj Braithwaite (Core Benefits) presented an interactive and informative session in which all students and families got a lot out of and enjoyed. We learnt about how important it is to prepare, condition and train your own body for riding, not just your horses. The guest speaker took us through how much your own body can affect the movement of your horse, showing us why we need to have ourselves ready before we can expect our horses to perform to their best.

Equestrian Seminar Information Evening.

Coming up on Friday 25 March St Paul’s is also once again sponsoring the Interschool Dressage competition at Farm World. We have a few team members competing in this competition and many more coming along to help out with duties on the day. Any support from the school community on that day is greatly appreciated.

A few of our team members have also recently been out competing representing St Paul’s coming with some excellent results. Congratulations to the following riders:

Stratford St Paul’s Team 4 Captain, Olivia Comben.

Georgia Joyce.

Hayden Doupain.

Georgia Joyce competed at Boneo Inter School Showjumping on the Friday 18 February. Georgia excelled in all her rounds, coming home with 3rd in the freshman’s primary round.

On Wednesday 23 February, Olivia Comben, Hayden Doupain, Phoebe Cavill and Mia Fitzpatrick all competed at Stratford Interschools in a team of four. Mia and Olivia brought home ribbons across many events all day, Hayden went clear in his 75cm showjumping and Phoebe won many ribbons throughout the day resulting in her achieving highpoint champion of the competition for Year 8.

Alana Shone
Equestrian Captain

A FIRST FOR EVERYTHING…

PJ on her birthday.

PJ’s first birthday cake

PJ investigating her first birthday cake ever.

On Tuesday 1 March, a much beloved member of the Traralgon Secondary School community celebrated a very special day.

For her first birthday, PJ was presented with her very own doggy cake and decorations for a lunchtime party at school. In return, PJ provided some party food and entertainment for the many students who popped by to wish her well. Thank you to all those who attended and wished PJ a happy birthday.

Donna Byrne 
English and Humanities Teacher
Director of Learning and Teaching – Traralgon Secondary School

FINANCE NEWS

Annual Fee Account
Families have recently received via email an annual fee account for 2022. 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.

We offer fortnightly instalments (22 payments) on Wednesdays or Fridays commencing 4 February and Monthly instalments (10 payments) commencing 15 February 2022.

Other direct debit payment dates are also available by arrangement.

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/enrolment/school-fees/

Instalments (due dates)
Instalment 2 – 8 April 2022
Instalment 3 – 3 June 2022
Instalment 4 – 12 August 2022

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://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/conveyance-allowance/policy

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 2022 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 15 June 2022 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2021 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2022), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2021 to 2022 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

From the Acting Head of Warragul Secondary School,
Mr Gordon Oldham.

BEING A GOOD STUDENT AND BEING A GOOD MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY
At the Year 7 2023 Information Evening on Tuesday, which was attended by over 200 parents and students, I provided a snapshot of the activities in motion this fortnight. It was amazing to see the opportunities on offer for our students and it was an exciting symbol of the resumption of a busy school life.

I was able to repeat the list at yesterday’s whole school assembly, and thank the staff who were helping to provide such an array of engaging activities and encourage more students to get involved.

During the assembly, I also repeated what it means to be a valuable contributor to our community. It does not matter if you are not receiving the highest grades, or if you are not an outstanding musician or athlete. What matters most is that you are doing your best, that you are determined to improve in everything you do as an individual and, with that collective attitude, we become a community which is always committed to doing our best.

Alongside a commitment to improving in any endeavour, was a reminder about being a good person. We want to be a school that welcomes new students and staff, where we all spend our energy on positive interactions and be people who care for our environment. I flagged a few disappointing things in our space such as bathroom mess or litter; things which might not warrant a mention in some settings but, given the high standards we aspire to maintain, are important to us. We want to be a community that cares about people and about our environment.

Lastly, I asked students to consider their own approach to gratitude. We know that adolescents have many things on their mind and, quite naturally, most of those things are about them as an individual. It’s a time in life when, in an effort to help them think from a different perspective, we ask them to consider what they are grateful for and how they can show gratitude to others. Hopefully you, as parents reading this, receive an effusive ‘thank you’ very soon!

Gordon Oldham
Acting Head of Warragul Secondary School

WHAT’S ON

MARCH
11 March  Year 9 City Experience: Group 2, Day 1, 7:43 am to 4:03 pm
14 March  Labour Day Public Holiday
15 March  SEISA Visual Arts, Year 11 Studio Arts class, Newhaven College, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Year 11 Presentation Ball Training, Warragul Junior School Gymnasium, 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm
15 to 18 March  Year 8 Outdoor Education Camp
16 March  Year 9 Faiths in our Community Excursion, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
17 March  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 4 (bye)
18 March  Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium/Dance Studio, 7:00 am to 8:30 am
19 March  Scholarship Testing, Warragul Secondary School and Traralgon Secondary School, 9:00 am
21 March  Year 12 Presentation Ball Training, Warragul Junior School Gymnasium, 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm
22 March  House Athletics Carnival, Newborough Athletics Track, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
23 March  PSTIs #1 (Face-to-Face), Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium, 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm
25 March Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium/Dance Studio, 7:00 am to 8:30 am
Performing Arts Scholarship Holders Concert, Warragul Secondary School Science Centre Lecture Theatre, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
28 March  Year 12 Presentation Ball Training, Warragul Junior School Gymnasium, 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm
29 March  Year 11 Presentation Ball Training, Warragul Junior School Gymnasium, 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm
31 March  SEISA Surf Carnival
PSTIs #2 (Zoom), 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm

APRIL
1 April  Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium/Dance Studio, 7:00 am to 8:30 am
4 April  SEISA Athletics Carnival
5 April  Year 11 Presentation Ball Training, Warragul Junior School Gymnasium, 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm
7 April  SEISA Summer Intermediate/Senior Round 5
8 April  Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium/Dance Studio, 7:00 am to 8:30 am
End of Term 1, 2:30 pm finish

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

DOBSONS 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.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A ST PAUL’S COMPANY MEMBER OR BOARD DIRECTOR?

Membership of Company
Are you aware parents are able to become members of the St Paul’s School Company?

At present there are over sixty members of the School’s Company. Applying for membership involves completing an application form and submitting a fee of $20.00. Continued membership involves renewing your membership once a year and paying an ongoing annual fee of $20.00.

Company membership entitles the member to attend the School’s Annual General Meeting in May each year and also to cast a vote in the event of an election of Directors to the School Board.

Persons interested in applying for new membership of the Company can obtain an Application for Company Membership form from the School’s website or by contacting Carol Reid via email creid@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au.

New applications should be received by 25 April 2022 for consideration at the April Board Meeting in preparation for this year’s Annual General Meeting.

Becoming a Board Director
In keeping with the Board’s commitment to an inclusive governance approach within the School community, persons interested in potentially filling a Board vacancy are encouraged to become a member of the Company and respond to the nomination/election process prior to the Annual General Meeting on 25 May 2022.

Nomination forms for Board Directorship are required to be forwarded to the Company Secretary no later than Tuesday 26 April 2022 at 5:00 pm.

If you have any questions in relation to the Board vacancies or are seeking a nomination form, please contact Mrs Leah Young, Company Secretary via email companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

Annual General Meeting, Wednesday 25 May 2022
The Annual General Meeting of St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School is to be held on Wednesday 25 May 2022 at the Warragul Campus commencing at 5:30 pm for members of the Company.

WARRAGUL LATE BUSES

Late buses are booked to run during the term on the days and routes listed below.

Students wishing to use the late bus should collect a PASS from STUDENT SERVICES by the end of lunch on the day they wish to travel. Buses only travel if required on each day.

The size of the bus is ordered according to the number of students using the service. Should fewer than four students require the late bus service on any day, a taxi service will replace the bus. Confirmation of this will be provided by Student Services before the end of the school day.

For more information, click here.

NAPLAN TESTS

The National Assessment Program, Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2021 for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students will be held on Tuesday 10 May, Wednesday 11 May and Thursday 12 May 2022. NAPLAN Online tests assess student knowledge and skills in Writing, Reading, Language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. The results of the tests provide information for students, parents, teachers, and principals which can be used to improve student achievement. Also, to familiarise students with the new NAPLAN Online platform a series of Coordinated Practice Tests (CPT) are scheduled for Thursday 24 March. This practice day will test the platform across all users in Victoria and Australia, the results from this practice are not released or distributed by NAPLAN.

NAPLAN Online delivers numerous benefits including:
• A ‘tailored test’ design that adapts to correct and incorrect student responses providing a more precise understanding of student achievement
• Innovative use of technology, including a more engaging test design and a wider range of item types.

All students are expected to participate in the NAPLAN Online tests. During the testing window, catch-up tests will be available for individual students who are absent on test days.

Support can be arranged for students with disabilities, if the student regularly uses similar support for classroom assessment tasks. Large print, braille and black and white versions of the tests are available for students that require them. Exemptions may be granted to students with significant intellectual disabilities and to students who have been learning English for less than one year. If your child is eligible for support due to disability or an exemption, you should discuss this with his/her teacher prior to the tests. Parental consent is required before any support due to disability or exemption is granted.

Students may be withdrawn from NAPLAN by their parent or carer. This is a matter for consideration by parents and carers in consultation with the Principal. If, after consultation, you decide to withdraw your child, you must sign a Student Withdrawal form. These forms are available at the school.

Later in the year you will receive your child’s personal NAPLAN report. The report will describe your child’s particular skills in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. The report will also show how your child performed in relation to national minimum standards. These describe the minimum acceptable standards for students across Australia.

I am confident that the information you receive as a result of your child’s participation in the NAPLAN tests will be valuable in helping you to assess your child’s progress in literacy and numeracy.

For more information about the tests, please visit the VCAA website at www.vcaa.vic.edu.au or the NAP website at www.nap.edu.au.

Alice Zanella
Director of Studies Middle School

PARENT STUDENT TEACHER INTERVIEW EVENINGS

This term, Years 7 to 12 Parent Student Teacher Interview evenings will be detailed as followed:
• Session 1: Wednesday 23 March, 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm, face-to-face in the Warragul Secondary Gymnasium
• Session 2: Thursday 31 March, 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm, online via Zoom meetings

Bookings for both sessions opened on Wednesday 9 March and you should have received a recent email that outlines the booking process. We look forward to seeing you on the evening and if you have any difficulties, please contact Robyn Begelhole at Warragul Secondary School.

Alice Zanella
Director of Studies Middle School

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 4 April, 9:00 am in the Prideaux Centre, Warragul Junior School
Contact:  Sheryn Cutler 0417 158 937 or sheryn.cutler@gmail.com

MATHS SUPPORT SESSIONS

Year 10 and VCE after school Maths support sessions
Maths support sessions are offered in RM3 of the Year 9 Centre each Thursday at the end of the school day from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. Students are able to attend for all or part of each session as required.

Students may use this session to get assistance with and complete homework tasks, seek an additional lesson on a particular Maths topic or simply work with other students who share a similar love of Mathematics with extension activities provided as required.

This session is primarily aimed at students from Years 10 to 12, although all secondary school students are welcome to attend.

These sessions are additional to those already provided by teachers from the Maths Faculty, which occur regularly at nominated lunchtimes.

No formal registration is required. Students simply attend whenever they feel the need for some additional support or extension.
For further enquiries, please contact your child’s Maths teacher.

Years 7 to 9 Maths Lunchtime Support Sessions
Maths support sessions are held every Tuesday at lunchtime in RM5 of the Year 9 Centre for Years 7 to 9. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to receive additional support, ask questions or set time aside to complete any Maths work. Students can bring their lunch, stay for part or all of lunchtime.

No formal registration is required. Instead, students simply attend whenever they feel the need for some additional support or extension.

For further enquiries, please contact your child’s Maths teacher.

STEVEN HERRICK RETURNS TO ST PAUL’S

The author of our much-loved Year 8 English text, ‘By the River’, once again joined our students at both the Warragul and Traralgon Secondary Schools to regale them with stories, anecdotes and insights into his writing. Steven Herrick spent time at both campuses on Wednesday 9 March and provided a wonderful introduction to the study of his acclaimed Young Adult verse novel.

Steven Herrick regaling Traralgon Secondary Schools students.

Students and staff in attendance enjoyed the humour, honesty and integrity that Steven brings to his presentations, and we look forward to hosting him again at St Paul’s in the future. Steven Herrick’s latest novel, ‘How to Repaint a Life’, is published by University of Queensland Press and has been awarded CBCA’s Notable Older Reader’s Book 2022.

Donna Byrne
English and Humanities Teacher
Director of Learning and Teaching – Traralgon Secondary School

SEISA SWIMMING

On Thursday 24 February the St Paul’s Swim team travelled to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre to compete in the annual SEISA Swimming Carnival. The event started off with the freestyle events and ended with butterfly and it was good to see some normality returning after the previous two years.

The day came to an end, and it was announced that St Paul’s had won by 257 points. Overall, the day was a huge success and we would like to congratulate all of the swimmers who competed with a special mention to Morgan McConville, Molly Cargill and Ashley Nicholes who broke records in the 50m breaststroke and 100m freestyle events.

The following students should also be congratulated on winning age champions for the SEISA Swimming Competition
• Brody Cargill – Under 13 Male Champion
• Corbin Blake – Under 14 Male Champion
• Ashley Nicholes – Under 16 Male Champion
• Josh Dwyer – Under 17 Male Champion
• Jordyn Cargill – Under 21 Male Champion
• Chloe Joiner – Under 14 Female Champion
• Mollie Dennis – Under 16 Female Champion
• Molly Cargill – Under 17 Female Champion
• Abby Warner – Under 21 Female Champion

We also would like to say a special thank you to all the staff that helped out and made the event run so smoothly, Ms Hoskings, Mrs Timmer-Arends, Mrs Finlayson, Mrs Rippon, Mr Andrews and also to Ms Sullivan. Your preparation and effort for this event is greatly appreciated and does not go unnoticed.

Our Swim team is now looking forward to hearing who qualified to represent SEISA in the Victorian Schools Association’s competition in Melbourne in May.

Elizabeth Little and Mayah Cannon
Swim Captains

HOUSE ATHLETICS INFORMATION

Our annual House Athletics Carnival will be held on Tuesday 22 March at the Joe Carmody Athletics Track in Newborough. Consent2Go information has been distributed to all families with further information on this event. No acceptance of permission is required for this whole school event.

Students are to come to school by 8:50 am and are to go to their Mentor rooms. Students will travel by bus, departing from school between 9:05 am and 9:20 am and will be taken by bus to the athletics track. Students must wear a face mask whilst on the bus and are to wear full house sport uniform this consists of the official school sports shorts, house T-shirt, school hat and sports shoes (no thongs).

Students will be returned to school by bus in time for a normal departure at 3:30 pm. Students who wish to travel directly to the athletics track in the morning or to leave from the athletics in the afternoon must submit the attached ‘Alternative Transport Form’ to their Head of House (HOH) by Wednesday 16 March.

Year 12 students ONLY
There are a small number of seats available on the Traralgon Secondary School bus to take students to and from the athletics track on 22 March. Due to the limited number of seats, only a small number of students will be permitted to travel on this bus. Buses from the Warragul Secondary School will also be going to the athletics track and Year 12 students can join their peers and take these buses to attend the athletics. To check availability and to secure a seat, Year 12 students must see Ms Caitlin Powell, Head of Year 12, as soon as possible.

Students will be able to view the events they are competing in via their House Page on MyStPauls on Monday 14 March. Head of House will also provide event slips to students on the day. Points are also awarded to students who participate in the novelty events on the day.

The selection and sign up process was published in the ‘What’s on In Sport’ document and a MyStPauls Sport Page announcement earlier this year and throughout Term 1. These can also be viewed on the MyStPauls Sport page.

Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport – Warragul Campus

ST PAUL’S EQUESTRIAN TEAM

Hi, my name is Alana Shone and I am the Equestrian Captain for 2022. I started my captaincy in this role last year in Year 11 and I am continuing it for my last year of school this year.

On Monday 28 February the Equestrian team came together after school for a seminar and team meeting. Our guest speaker Lj Braithwaite (Core Benefits) presented an interactive and informative session in which all students and families got a lot out of and enjoyed. We learnt about how important it is to prepare, condition and train your own body for riding, not just your horses. The guest speaker took us through how much your own body can affect the movement of your horse, showing us why we need to have ourselves ready before we can expect our horses to perform to their best.

Equestrian Seminar Information Evening.

Coming up on Friday 25 March St Paul’s is also once again sponsoring the Interschool Dressage competition at Farm World. We have a few team members competing in this competition and many more coming along to help out with duties on the day. Any support from the school community on that day is greatly appreciated.

A few of our team members have also recently been out competing representing St Paul’s coming with some excellent results. Congratulations to the following riders:

Stratford St Paul’s Team 4 Captain, Olivia Comben.

Georgia Joyce.

Hayden Doupain.

Georgia Joyce competed at Boneo Inter School Showjumping on the Friday 18 February. Georgia excelled in all her rounds, coming home with 3rd in the freshman’s primary round.

On Wednesday 23 February, Olivia Comben, Hayden Doupain, Phoebe Cavill and Mia Fitzpatrick all competed at Stratford Interschools in a team of four. Mia and Olivia brought home ribbons across many events all day, Hayden went clear in his 75cm showjumping and Phoebe won many ribbons throughout the day resulting in her achieving highpoint champion of the competition for Year 8.

Alana Shone
Equestrian Captain

FINANCE NEWS

Annual Fee Account
Families have recently received via email an annual fee account for 2022. 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.

We offer fortnightly instalments (22 payments) on Wednesdays or Fridays commencing 4 February and Monthly instalments (10 payments) commencing 15 February 2022.

Other direct debit payment dates are also available by arrangement.

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/enrolment/school-fees/

Instalments (due dates)
Instalment 2 – 8 April 2022
Instalment 3 – 3 June 2022
Instalment 4 – 12 August 2022

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://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/conveyance-allowance/policy

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 2022 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 15 June 2022 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2021 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2022), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2021 to 2022 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

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

It has been so nice to have more of our favourite events occurring again. The Prep to Year 2 students and staff enjoyed their Dr. Seuss Day last Friday while twenty-one of our swimmers have made it through to Regionals. I have been delighted to see the Year 6 students being very active in their leadership roles so far this year. They have really embraced their responsibilities and have already made a positive impact across the Junior School. We have already seen several students perform at our Years 3 to 6 assemblies and I look forward to many more of our younger students showcasing their talents and passions. Parents and carers are welcome to join us at our chapel and assemblies once again. Please ensure you are following the current COVID-19 protocols for schools.

The finishing touches to our new building continue with the grass at the new entrance becoming quite ‘lush’ and handrails have been installed to the steps along the new path. We are also enjoying the use of our top basketball court once again.

We would like to thank and wish Mrs Spalding (Prep education support staff member) well as she takes up a part-time teaching position at another school. We welcome Mrs Cheryle-Leigh Pratt and Mrs Helen Bek who will join our Prep team.

Years 5 and 6 Personal Development
All Years 5 and 6 families should have received information regarding our upcoming Years 5 and 6 Personal Development sessions with Mrs Leighton. We will be holding an information session for Years 5 and 6 parents/carers and their children next Tuesday evening commencing at 7:00 pm in the Warragul Junior School gymnasium. We ask that face masks be worn when indoors and all adult guests follow the current COVID-19 protocols for schools. We hope that you can join us for this session. An evening session for Years 1 to 4 families and students will be held later in the year.

School drop off
A reminder to families that children should not be dropped off or left unsupervised on school grounds prior to 8:30 am. Staff commence duty each morning from 8:30 am.

Camps and Canberra Tour
Year 5 families should have received information regarding the Year 5 camp (Term 2, Week 1) via Consent2Go on Wednesday. Could I please ask that you check all of the information in the attachments carefully. Years 5 and 6 families should have also received information regarding the Canberra Educational Tour being held in June. Year 6 families will receive information about Year 6 Camp (Term 2, Week 2) next week via Consent2Go.

ELC and Junior School Family BBQ (outside open-air event)
All families (ELC and Junior School) are invited to join us for an informal gathering on Friday 25 March from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Our Prep Grand Prix and 100m Gift will be held and the Year 12 Prefects and Year 9 Community Ambassadors will be running some activities for the children. Families are welcome to BYO picnic or we will be cooking a sausage sizzle and our Junior School SRC will be selling cold drinks. It is a great opportunity to meet staff or play some friendly games with your children on the multi-purpose courts or oval. Families are welcome to come and go as they please. We also see this as a wonderful opportunity for families to visit us in a relaxed and informal setting, catch up with each other and for new families to make some new connections.
I look forward to catching up with families at our upcoming Family BBQ on 25 March.

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

WHAT’S ON

MARCH
14 March  Labour Day Public Holiday
15 March  Years 5 and 6 Personal Development Information Session, 7:00 pm
17 March  Regional Swimming (selected students)
23 March  Years 3 to 6 Athletics Carnival
24 March  Farm World Prep Excursion
25 March  Family Barbeque Night, 5:30 pm
29 March  ELC and Prep 2023 Discovery Morning
31 March  Community Easter Egg Hunt

APRIL
1 April  Year 2 Excursion, Old Gippstown
District Athletics (selected students)
6 April  Parent Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm
7 April  Parent Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm
8 April  Easter Service
End of Term 1, 2:20 pm finish

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

DOBSONS 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.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A ST PAUL’S COMPANY MEMBER OR BOARD DIRECTOR?

Membership of Company
Are you aware parents are able to become members of the St Paul’s School Company?

At present there are over sixty members of the School’s Company. Applying for membership involves completing an application form and submitting a fee of $20.00. Continued membership involves renewing your membership once a year and paying an ongoing annual fee of $20.00.

Company membership entitles the member to attend the School’s Annual General Meeting in May each year and also to cast a vote in the event of an election of Directors to the School Board.

Persons interested in applying for new membership of the Company can obtain an Application for Company Membership form from the School’s website or by contacting Carol Reid via email creid@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au.

New applications should be received by 25 April 2022 for consideration at the April Board Meeting in preparation for this year’s Annual General Meeting.

Becoming a Board Director
In keeping with the Board’s commitment to an inclusive governance approach within the School community, persons interested in potentially filling a Board vacancy are encouraged to become a member of the Company and respond to the nomination/election process prior to the Annual General Meeting on 25 May 2022.

Nomination forms for Board Directorship are required to be forwarded to the Company Secretary no later than Tuesday 26 April 2022 at 5:00 pm.

If you have any questions in relation to the Board vacancies or are seeking a nomination form, please contact Mrs Leah Young, Company Secretary via email companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

Annual General Meeting, Wednesday 25 May 2022

The Annual General Meeting of St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School is to be held on Wednesday 25 May 2022 at the Warragul Campus commencing at 5:30 pm for members of the Company.

WARRAGUL LATE BUSES

Late buses are booked to run during the term on the days and routes listed below.

Students wishing to use the late bus should collect a PASS from STUDENT SERVICES by the end of lunch on the day they wish to travel. Buses only travel if required on each day.

The size of the bus is ordered according to the number of students using the service. Should fewer than four students require the late bus service on any day, a taxi service will replace the bus. Confirmation of this will be provided by Student Services before the end of the school day.

For more information, click 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 4 April, 9:00 am in the Prideaux Centre, Warragul Junior School
Contact:  Sheryn Cutler 0417 158 937 or sheryn.cutler@gmail.com

ST PAUL’S EQUESTRIAN TEAM

Hi, my name is Alana Shone and I am the Equestrian Captain for 2022. I started my captaincy in this role last year in Year 11 and I am continuing it for my last year of school this year.

On Monday 28 February the Equestrian team came together after school for a seminar and team meeting. Our guest speaker Lj Braithwaite (Core Benefits) presented an interactive and informative session in which all students and families got a lot out of and enjoyed. We learnt about how important it is to prepare, condition and train your own body for riding, not just your horses. The guest speaker took us through how much your own body can affect the movement of your horse, showing us why we need to have ourselves ready before we can expect our horses to perform to their best.

Equestrian Seminar Information Evening.

Coming up on Friday 25 March St Paul’s is also once again sponsoring the Interschool Dressage competition at Farm World. We have a few team members competing in this competition and many more coming along to help out with duties on the day. Any support from the school community on that day is greatly appreciated.

A few of our team members have also recently been out competing representing St Paul’s coming with some excellent results. Congratulations to the following riders:

Stratford St Paul’s Team 4 Captain, Olivia Comben.

Georgia Joyce.

Hayden Doupain.

Georgia Joyce who competed at Boneo Inter School Showjumping on the Friday 18 February. Georgia excelled in all her rounds, coming home with 3rd in the freshman’s primary round.

On Wednesday 23 February, Olivia Comben, Hayden Doupain, Phoebe Cavill and Mia Fitzpatrick all competed at Stratford Interschools in a team of four. Mia and Olivia brought home ribbons across many events all day, Hayden went clear in his 75cm showjumping and Phoebe won many ribbons throughout the day resulting in her achieving highpoint champion of the competition for Year 8.

Alana Shone
Equestrian Captain

FINANCE NEWS

Annual Fee Account
Families have recently received via email an annual fee account for 2022. 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.

We offer fortnightly instalments (22 payments) on Wednesdays or Fridays commencing 4 February and Monthly instalments (10 payments) commencing 15 February 2022.

Other direct debit payment dates are also available by arrangement.

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/enrolment/school-fees/

Instalments (due dates)
Instalment 2 – 8 April 2022
Instalment 3 – 3 June 2022
Instalment 4 – 12 August 2022

• 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://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/conveyance-allowance/policy

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 2022 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 15 June 2022 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2021 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2022), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2021 to 2022 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

MANNERS MAKETH MAN (AND WOMAN)

It is Presentation Ball time for students in Years 11 and 12 and when it comes to discussions with my eldest son regarding the proper wearing of a suit, the difference between Oxfords and Brogues, and the importance of manners, I owe a great debt of gratitude to the ‘Kingsman’ movies. These movies are not for the faint-hearted and certainly only appropriate for a mature audience (and only if you can cope with excessive violence and adult themes) but they have successfully sold the importance of gentlemanly style to a new generation.

One of the more memorable lines in the ‘Kingsman’ movies is the expression, “Manners maketh man.” Delivered first by Colin Firth’s character, Harry Hart, in ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’, the line is followed by a rather violent lesson in manners which, while entertaining, somewhat belies the original intent of the phrase. The expression, “Manners maketh man” is an old idiom which in fact dates back at least as far as the early 1300s. It was the motto of William of Wykeham (1320 – 1404), Bishop of Winchester as well as the motto of New College, Oxford which he founded. But what exactly do we mean by manners? Mark Griffith (a Fellow of New College) makes the interesting distinction between the motto as a reference simply to outward behaviour, good manners, and as a reference to a deep-seated inner moral change, arising from God’s grace, evidenced in Godly behaviour. Griffith makes the nice point that the founder of New College, ‘a bishop and, by all early accounts, a pious Christian, is unlikely to have selected a motto without strong moral import, still less would he have given such a one to an institution for the education of clerics.’

I was reminded of the phrase recently as I distributed and later collected an assessment task from a class of Year 11 students. I was struck, as I often am, by the number of students that said ‘thank you’ at both the beginning and the end of the lesson. In my experience, St Paul’s students are consistently polite and well mannered. But are good manners alone enough to ‘make’ a person? And is politeness all that is being referred to?

Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, while commendable, doesn’t automatically make you a nice person. There are some very polite criminals out there! It is pleasing that our students are polite and civil, but I would argue that politeness is not enough. When we talk about the values of respect, compassion, and integrity, we are talking not about superficial actions but about the state of a person’s heart and what motivates them. Jesus had strong words to say to the religious leaders he felt were putting on a good outward show while not actually caring for people. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First, clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matthew 23:25-26)

At St Paul’s, we place significant importance on how students present themselves. We love seeing students wearing their uniform well and proudly. We love hearing the frequent reports of how well mannered our students are when engaging with members of the community. And there are good reasons for this. But there is a reason why ‘well presented’ is not one of our core school values. As much as we love seeing students dress well, we are prouder of them when they display great compassion and respect for others. When they show wisdom and integrity in their actions. Just as Jesus calls his followers to live lives of love, care, and self-sacrifice, and this is what we want for our students as well.

So, when your children reach that stage where formal wear is required and activities like suit-fitting appear on the calendar, perhaps Kingsman Harry Hart has some wisdom to share. Not only does he remind us of the importance of manners (in the fullest sense of the word) but he also offers these words which, leaving aside the weapons and implied violence, echo in some way the words of Jesus. “Being a “Kingsman” is more than the clothing we wear or the weapons we bag. It’s about being willing to sacrifice for the greater good.” (Harry Hart, Kingsman: The Golden Circle).

May we together raise children of beautiful character.

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (1 Peter 3:3-4)

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain