In this issue

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

2021 New Parent Information Evening
The New Parent Information Evening was held on Wednesday 24 February.  It was a lovely opportunity for families and staff to meet and chat while having a barbeque meal.  It also allowed families to be briefed on many aspects of the secondary school, in particular, our pastoral care program and Whole School Aims: Personalised Learning, Student Wellbeing and Dynamic Learning Culture.  If you have any further questions from the night, please feel free to reach out to the Head of Year or Mentor Teachers.

Year 7 Peer Support Camp – Camp Rumbug
Last week our Year 7 students and Peer Support Leaders took part in our Year 7 camp program.  Approximately 150 students and staff across both campuses spent two nights at Camp Rumbug, located in the beautiful hills of Foster.  It was wonderful to greet students on their return to school, hearing stories of fun and adventure.  The students enjoyed a large range of activities such as canoeing, high ropes, low ropes, orienteering, giant swing and the mud run.  The camp provided an opportunity for the students to build and develop friendships while experiencing outdoor activities.  It was also a chance for your Year 7 students to connect and get to know the Year 10 Peer Support Leaders.  A big thank you to the leaders for giving up their time to support and guide the younger students as they transition to secondary school.

Year 7 2022 Information Evening
Our Year 7 2022 Information Evening is being held on 10 March.  School tours commence at 6:00 pm, 6:15 pm, 6:30 pm, with formalities commencing at 7:00 pm in the school’s gymnasium.  I would like to warmly welcome our current Year 6 families and future families to attend.  Please register at, https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/year-7-information-evening-registration-2/

2021 Summit to Sea Camp – Year 10
In 2019 St Paul’s offered and ran the inaugural Summit to Sea camp.  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 90 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.  Due to COVID-19 we were unable to run this program in 2020 but we are pleased that it is back on the calendar for 2021.  Unfortunately, our Year 9 Outdoor Education Camp was also cancelled due to COVID-19 in 2020 so this will give students in Year 10 the opportunity to take part in an outdoor education adventure.  The camp will depart on Wednesday 15 September and return on Tuesday 21 September 2021.  This time includes three days of school with the camp finishing in the holiday period.  Students who would like to attend can collect an Expression of Interest Form from Student Services.

St Paul’s offers scholarships to students enrolled for Years 5, 7 and 10 and new families considering enrolment from Year 3 in 2022.  Applications close on Friday 12 March at 5:00 pm.

Please visit our website for further details on the scholarships offered, application forms and eligibility stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

Our Scholarship Officer is available on (03) 5623 5833 or scholarships@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au to answer any questions.

Brad McCabe
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

WHAT’S ON

MARCH
8 March  Labour Day Public Holiday
9 to 12 March  Year 8 Outdoor Education Camp
9 March  SEISA Visual Arts Festival
10 March  2021 Equestrian Information Session, via Zoom, 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Year 7 2022 Information Evening
11 March  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 4

DOBSONS UNIFORM SHOP

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 by email, creid@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

Applications should be received by 20 April 2021 for consideration at the April Board Meeting in preparation for this year’s Annual General Meeting.  Later applications can also be considered but must be received by 18 May 2021 to be able to attend the 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 26 May 2021.

Nomination forms for Board Directorship are required to be forwarded to the Company Secretary no later than Monday 26 April 2021 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 on email, companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – WEDNESDAY 26 MAY 2021
The Annual General Meeting of St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School is to be held on Wednesday 26 May 2021 at the Warragul Campus commencing at 5:30 pm for members of the Company.

EQUESTRIAN TEAM – 2021 INFORMATION SESSION

Ms Melissa Hoskings will be running an information session via Zoom for the St Paul’s Equestrian team.  The session is scheduled for Wednesday 10 March from 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7879393202?pwd=NW54OXFWaEhZdUpkZGgzQkEva0FaZz09

All students across all campuses who are interested in representing St Paul’s in interschool events this year should attend.  Parents or guardians are also highly encouraged to attend.

Please register your attendance via email to Ms Hoskings, mhoskings@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Mia Fitzpatrick.

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Olivia Comben.

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Sarah Moncrieff.

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Amy Gotts-Wheeler.

From the Acting Head of Warragul Junior School,
Mr Phil Barkla.

The Junior School has bounced straight back into full swing after the unexpected lockdown and the students are enjoying the full program of exciting learning activities that occur each week at school.  We received some very positive feedback from parents about the online learning program that was quickly put in place by our staff – let’s hope that was the only time we will need it this year.  My thanks to parents of Prep to Year 2 students who attended the Parent Information Evening on Monday 22 February.  If you were unable to attend, the Year Level Information Booklets are available on MyStPauls.  Our first evacuation drill was run on 23 February, with all children assembling with their teachers on the oval, calmly and quickly.  This drill was announced beforehand and it will be followed up later in the year without prior notice.

District Swimming
Friday 19 February saw a large group of swimmers compete at the District Swimming competition.  St Paul’s showed great team spirit and the swimmers had a very enjoyable and successful day with twenty-nine students going through to the Division competition.  The range of activities and sports that our students participate in and often excel in, never fails to impress me and they do so with an excellent attitude of doing the best they can and always encourage each other.

Myrtle Crescent
Could I remind all parents parking on Myrtle Crescent to be mindful that they are not parking on the corner and obstructing the view of oncoming traffic.  We have had correspondence from some of our neighbours who are concerned and report… “Each day I find myself taking this corner with trepidation, as clearly I can’t see around the corner and neither can any car coming towards me – if one came around the corner I’d be in a lot of trouble, as would they.”   “As a resident of this street and viewing the increase of cars parked in Myrtle at pick up time, it is a concern as some are parking dangerously and illegally.” and “It’s the fact that my vision (as well as any others turning out of Willow Grove), is obscured by people parking illegally in the afternoons.”  I ask for your cooperation in this matter.

Welcome Barbeque
The Family Welcome Barbecue was a great success with lots of free sausages and onions being consumed by hungry children, parents and friends in a happy, relaxing atmosphere.  It is always a highlight to watch the Preps zooming around in the Grand Prix and the students running in the 100m Gift.  The SRC sold lots of drinks and the lucky dip was very popular and quickly sold out.  The winners of the count the jelly bean competition were very happy with their prize of half a jar of jelly beans each.  I hope for their parent’s sake they did not eat them all at once.  The Year 12 Prefects and Year 9 Community Ambassadors did an outstanding job running lots of games and activities, we are very grateful to them for giving up their time to help make the evening so successful.

SRC
Our SRC representatives have received their badges and have already made an impact with their efforts at the barbecue and in sharing their ideas at the meetings.  Many Year 6 students are also actively fulfilling their roles as Junior School leaders, getting involved in a range of different opportunities.  6F participated in their first Community Service outing and made their teachers very proud by the way they interacted and showed genuine interest in the residents of Fairview Village and Amberlea.

Consent2Go Excursions and Camps
Years 3 to 6 parents should have received an email about the Athletics Carnival which is in a new format, Consent2Go.  This will streamline the way parents receive information for camps, events and excursions.  Please take the time to review your child’s details, emergency contacts and medical information which will keep our system updated for all events.  Years 5 and 6 parents will receive camp information in coming weeks via Consent2Go so please keep a look out for this email.  I look forward to seeing many of you at the Athletics Carnival on 12 March.  Parents and friends who attend are asked to register via the Warragul Junior School QR code that will be available at various points around the track and we will be following all current COVID-19 regulations.

Phil Barkla
Acting Head of Warragul Junior School

WHAT’S ON

MARCH
8 March  Labour Day Public Holiday
9 March  Year 7 2022 Information Evening, Warragul Secondary School, Year 9 Centre, 6:00 pm tours, 7:00 pm information session
10 March  2021 Equestrian Information Session, via Zoom, 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm
11 March  Regional Swimming (selected students only)
12 March  Years 3 to 6 Athletics Carnival, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
17 March  Year 2 Excursion to Old Gippstown
19 March  Prep to Year 2 AFL Clinic
26 March  Prep to Year 1 Excursion to Farm World
District Athletics (selected students only)
29 March  Prep to Year 6 Easter Service
Warragul Community Easter Egg Hunt, Junior School, 3:45 pm
30 March  Parent Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm
31 March  Parent Teacher Interviews, 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm

APRIL
1 April  Term 1 finishes

DOBSONS UNIFORM SHOP

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 by email, creid@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

Applications should be received by 20 April 2021 for consideration at the April Board Meeting in preparation for this year’s Annual General Meeting.  Later applications can also be considered but must be received by 18 May 2021 to be able to attend the 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 26 May 2021.

Nomination forms for Board Directorship are required to be forwarded to the Company Secretary no later than Monday 26 April 2021 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 on email, companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – WEDNESDAY 26 MAY 2021
The Annual General Meeting of St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School is to be held on Wednesday 26 May 2021 at the Warragul Campus commencing at 5:30 pm for members of the Company.

EQUESTRIAN TEAM – 2021 INFORMATION SESSION

Ms Melissa Hoskings will be running an information session via Zoom for the St Paul’s Equestrian team.  The session is scheduled for Wednesday 10 March from 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7879393202?pwd=NW54OXFWaEhZdUpkZGgzQkEva0FaZz09

All students across all campuses who are interested in representing St Paul’s in interschool events this year should attend.  Parents or guardians are also highly encouraged to attend.

Please register your attendance via email to Ms Hoskings, mhoskings@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Mia Fitzpatrick.

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Olivia Comben.

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Sarah Moncrieff.

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Amy Gotts-Wheeler.

JUNIOR SCHOOL BAND – NEW MEMBERS WELCOME

TIME:  Fridays 8:15 am to 8:45 am

VENUE:  Prideaux Centre/Library

WHAT TO BRING:  Instrument and plastic pocket folder for music

All stringed instruments, brass, woodwind, keyboard, percussion and guitar students are welcome.

Please email Heather Mason at hjmason@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au for further information.

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

We have made it to the halfway mark of Term 1 and school life seems far more settled than what we have been accustomed to.  As the COVID-19 vaccine rolls out and Victorian case numbers remain low we are hopeful that we can find our rhythm and routine.  For the first five weeks of this Term, I have been covering our Deputy Principal Ms Donna Sweeney, while she took some much deserved Long Service Leave.  I would like to thank Mrs Leonie Clark for her leadership of Warragul Secondary School and for assisting students and staff to begin the year in such a positive fashion.

Late buses
Our Late Bus service has commenced once again for 2021.  This service is designed to accommodate students who would like to be involved in co-curricular activities after school, compete in SEISA away games and for those who would like to remain at school to complete homework and study in a quiet environment.  We hope to see many students taking advantage of this service as the year progresses.

Students wishing to use the late bus must collect a PASS from STUDENT SERVICES by the end of lunch on the day they wish to travel.  Note: Buses only travel if required on each day, replacement taxis may be used if student numbers are four or fewer.
Parent Teacher Student Interviews (PSTIs)
We have two nights of Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs) for our Secondary School and for which you will receive official instructions and notification via email.  On the first night of 15 March we are offering the opportunity for the traditional face-to-face parent teacher meeting in our school gymnasium, while on the second night of PSTIs on 24 March we will only offer ZOOM meetings for those parents who choose that particular mode of delivery as an alternative.  Parent feedback last year indicated an almost 50/50 split with regard to the preferred delivery mode of parent teacher interviews in the secondary school.  We hope that this new process works well for our families and provides some positive new workable alternatives for opportunities for collaboration with our staff that suit our community.

2021 Summit to Sea Camp – Years 10 and 11
In 2019 St Paul’s offered and ran the inaugural Summit to Sea camp.  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 90 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. Due to COVID-19 we were unable to run this program in 2020 but we are pleased that it is back on the calendar for 2021.  Unfortunately, our Year 9 Outdoor Education Camp was also cancelled due to COVID-19 in 2020 so this will give students in both Years 10 and 11 the opportunity to take part in an outdoor education adventure.  The camp will depart on Wednesday 15 September and return on Tuesday 21 September 2021.  This time includes three days of school with the camp finishing in the holiday period.  Students who would like to attend can collect an Expression of Interest Form from Student Services.

School Photo reminder
A reminder to families that our annual school photos are now ready to order.  Arthur Reed Photos uses an online ordering system where you can view your photos prior to ordering.  On photo day all students received a flyer which includes a code unique to them.  You will require this 2021 code to register online and view your photos.

If you have already registered, you will receive an email or SMS from Arthur Reed Photos with a link to view your photos.

If you have not yet registered, please go to order.arphotos.com.au and enter your code to complete your order.

If you have misplaced your registration code, please contact the Arthur Reed Photos customer service team directly on 5243 4390 or customerservice@arphotos.com.au

Please note that you will need to register online with your 2021 photo code to gain access to this year’s images.

All photo packages are being sent home in 2021, so please ensure that you enter the correct details and nominated shipping address upon checkout.

If you require any assistance ordering your photos, please contact Arthur Reed Photos directly on 5243 4390 or email customerservice@arphotos.com.au

Ms Laura Butterworth
Head of Warragul Secondary School

From the Deputy Head of School
Mrs Leonie Clark

Fostering lifelong learning and study habits in the Secondary School at St Paul’s

In the Secondary School at St Paul’s our students from Year 7 to Year 12 complete homework each night.  Upon commencement in Term 1, our Year 7 students are not required to complete homework to allow time to settle into new routines.  However, in Terms 2 to Term 4 our Year 7 students will begin their gentle transition to homework routines and lifelong learning habits with half an hour of homework expected each afternoon/evening.  Homework is an important component of building a child’s learning consolidation routine and stamina for future study “…as a pedagogical practice, homework plays a critical, long-term role in the development of children’s achievement motivation.  Homework provides children with time and experience to develop positive beliefs about achievement, as well as strategies for coping with mistakes, difficulties, and setbacks.” (Bempechat 2010)

At St Paul’s “Homework complements and reinforces classroom learning, it provides an opportunity for students to be responsible for their own learning and fosters good lifelong learning and study habits.” (St Paul’s Years 7 to 9 School Diary 2021)  While students benefit not only from the consolidation of learning that is a direct outcome of homework activities “…during homework completion, students engage in self-regulation by motivating themselves, inhibiting distractions, using strategies to complete homework, managing time, setting goals, self-reflecting on their performance, and delaying gratification.  Self-regulatory behaviours develop gradually over time with repeated practice.” (Ramdass and Zimmerman 2011)

An inquiry into the approaches to homework in Victorian schools in 2014 highlighted that homework has the added benefit “…of helping a parent to understand the progress the child is making or otherwise and can therefore help make parent-teacher interviews more meaningful.”  The inquiry also identified that “Successful schools see education as a collaborative process between the student, parent and the school, and consider parents to be ‘partners’ in their children’s education.  Schools that assist parents in providing support to their children tend to have better educational outcomes.” (Parliament Vic 2014).  At St Paul’s we know the value our families place on education and the very supportive partnership that we are privileged to share with our families.  We understand that we are fortunate to share the responsibility of seamless learning between school and home with our parents/guardians and sometimes even grandparents!  Using homework time to have positive conversations about the learning and content rather than an authoritarian approach to ensuring homework completion, assists students to consolidate their understanding and build even stronger supportive relationships with their support network of adults at home.

In early secondary school at St Paul’s, homework may consist of the background reading of novels, textbooks, resources on class pages on MyStPauls as well as internet information.  Furthermore, we know that many of our students enjoy reading for pleasure, completing extension work, projects and assignments, essays, research and revision.  As students progress to the senior years of learning our students spend their time at home conducting reviews of readings, elaborating upon extended responses, completing questions from textbooks, undertaking research for assignments, participating in quizzes and preparing study notes for assessments.

All students are expected to record their homework in their School Diary (Years 7 to 9) or the Electronic Diary (Years 10 to 12), understand and be aware of the importance of homework, complete homework within the given time frame, alert their parents/guardians to homework expectations, seek assistance from teachers and parents when difficulties arise, ensure homework is of a high standard and organise their time to ensure sufficient time is given to complete quality homework within set deadlines.

Included below are the suggested Homework/Revision Times for your information.  Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Mentor or HOY if you think your child needs extra help or support to complete homework tasks.  We do advise that homework and study should always be conducted in a balanced approach that caters for family time, participation in physical activities, good nutrition, plenty of sleep and individual wellbeing activities.

This week I would like to introduce to you the Year 11 Peer Support Leaders who enjoyed their Year 7 Peer Support Leader Camp at Camp Rumbug.  We wish the Year 11 Peer Support Leaders well as they gently guide and support our Year 7 students and rest assured knowing that many lifelong friendships are being formed amongst some incredible memories for our Year 7 students.

PEER SUPPORT LEADERS

WHAT’S ON

MARCH
8 March  Labour Day Public Holiday
9 March  SEISA Visual Arts Festival
Bunyip State Park Fieldwork Excursion, Year 11 Environmental Science, 9:05 am to 3:15 pm
Year 7 2022 Information Evening, Year 9 Centre, 6:00 pm tours, 7:00 pm information session
9 to 12 March  Year 8 Outdoor Education Camp
10 March  Sport Aerobics Training, Gymnasium Dance Studio, 6:55 am to 8:30 am
Luna Park Physics Day, Year 12 Physics, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm
2021 Equestrian Information Session, via Zoom, 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm
11 March  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 4
15 March  Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs) 1, Face-to-Face Interviews, Secondary School Gymnasium, 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm
17 March  Sport Aerobics Training, Gymnasium Dance Studio, 6:55 am to 8:30 am
18 March  SEISA Summer Sport, Intermediate/Senior, Round 5
20 March  Scholarship Testing, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

* Please note that all events/excursions are dependent on COVID-19 restrictions.

Maths Club
Years 7 to 12 Tuesdays lunchtime, 1:00 pm to 1:45 pm, Year 9 Centre, RM6.

After School Maths Help
Years 10 to 12 Tuesdays after school, 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm, Year 9 Centre, RM3.

DOBSONS UNIFORM SHOP

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 by email, creid@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

Applications should be received by 20 April 2021 for consideration at the April Board Meeting in preparation for this year’s Annual General Meeting.  Later applications can also be considered but must be received by 18 May 2021 to be able to attend the 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 26 May 2021.

Nomination forms for Board Directorship are required to be forwarded to the Company Secretary no later than Monday 26 April 2021 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 on email, companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – WEDNESDAY 26 MAY 2021
The Annual General Meeting of St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School is to be held on Wednesday 26 May 2021 at the Warragul Campus commencing at 5:30 pm for members of the Company.

SEISA SWIMMING, BADMINTON AND TABLE TENNIS

On Thursday 25 February, students from St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School travelled to Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) to compete in the annual SEISA Swim Carnival, Table Tennis and Badminton round robins.  All teams had a very successful day and represented our school to a high level against Newhaven College, Gippsland Grammar, Beaconhills Berwick and Beaconhills Pakenham.

The St Paul’s Swim team comprising of students from both Warragul and Traralgon across Years 5 to 12, started the day off with the freestyle events and ended the event with butterfly.  Congratulations to each of our swimmers who competed in these events and well done to our individual record breakers: Callum Halloran-Lavelle, Corbin Blake, Jessica Emmett and Ashley Nicholes.

Our relays were also a huge success, contributing significantly to our overall results.  The Under 17 male medley team and the Under 17 male freestyle team swam strongly, breaking records on the day.

At the conclusion of the event, it was announced that St Paul’s Anglican Grammar had won the SEISA event by nearly 120 points.  Overall, the day was a great success and we would like to congratulate all swimmers who competed, without your participation, the team’s success would not have been achieved.

Congratulations also to the following students who were awarded Swimming Age Champions on the day:
•  Brody Cargill – Under 12 Male Champion
•  Corbin Blake – Under 13 Male Champion
•  Mollie Dennis – Under 15 Female Champion
•  Ashley Nicholes – Under 15 Male Champion
•  Molly Cargill – Under 16 Female Champion
•  Callum Halloran-Lavelle – Under 17 Male Champion
•  Jessica Emmett – Under 21 Female Champion

Finally, a special thank you to Ms Hoskings, Mrs Timmer-Arends and Ms Sullivan for their tireless hours of preparation and consideration – your effort is greatly appreciated and does not go unnoticed.
Written by Neisha Ablett and William Pendergast – 2021 Swimming Captains

Whilst the Swim team was competing in the pool, students were also playing Table Tennis and Badminton.

In Table Tennis, each team played across six rounds and they were all very close matches.  In particular, the intermediate boys and senior girls placed second in their section and overall St Paul’s Warragul placed fourth, while St Paul’s Traralgon finished close behind placing fifth.  All students, I believe enjoyed the day very much and all players should be proud of their sportsmanship on the day.  I would like to thank all the teachers and staff who made the training sessions and competition possible, despite the unexpected lockdown prior to the event.
Written by Quynh Anh Bui – 2021 Table Tennis Captain

In SEISA Badminton, St Paul’s Warragul placed second overall with the junior teams winning first place and the intermediate and senior teams placing second.  It was a close competition all day, with a countback based on percentage providing Gippsland Grammar the win over St Paul’s Warragul.  All players tried their very best whilst enjoying themselves and displaying incredible sportsmanship throughout the day.  We would like to thank all students who trialled for the SEISA Badminton team as well as congratulate those who were selected for our teams, contributing to our overall success.  A special thanks should also be given to all the teachers and coaches especially, Ms Hoskings and Mr Glanowski for organising the teams, training sessions and students on the day.

Written by Shivi Maheshwari and Samantha Liesenberg – 2021 Badminton Captains

Jaziah and Ilyan representing the Senior Boys Badminton team.

EQUESTRIAN TEAM – 2021 INFORMATION SESSION

Ms Melissa Hoskings will be running an information session via Zoom for the St Paul’s Equestrian team.  The session is scheduled for Wednesday 10 March from 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7879393202?pwd=NW54OXFWaEhZdUpkZGgzQkEva0FaZz09

All students across all campuses who are interested in representing St Paul’s in interschool events this year should attend.  Parents or guardians are also highly encouraged to attend.

Please register your attendance via email to Ms Hoskings, mhoskings@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Mia Fitzpatrick.

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Olivia Comben.

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Sarah Moncrieff.

St Paul’s Equestrian team member: Amy Gotts-Wheeler.

With further easing of restrictions in Victoria recently, it has been wonderfully invigorating to have assemblies, on-site parent events and sporting fixtures return to the calendar in essentially the same nature as in pre-COVID times.

Camps which had to be rescheduled took place this week and I had the pleasure of visiting the Year 7 camp near Foster at Camp Rumbug on Monday.  While many of them returned to school on Thursday understandably weary, the Year 7 students’ general sentiment was that it was a great experience and good fun.  I thank our students for cooperating so well and am grateful to the staff members and Peer Support Leaders in attendance who helped make the camp a success.

Last week, St Paul’s competed very successfully in the SEISA Interschool Swimming held at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.  Our swimmers could hardly have been more impressive, resulting in a very comfortable victory for St Paul’s.  Details of the results can be found elsewhere in this newsletter, including some very impressive individual performances.  I wish to acknowledge every student who was selected in the School Swimming team and who competed on the day, including those students in our lower age groups from our Junior Schools at both Warragul and Traralgon.  I also wish to thank our 2021 Swimming Captains, Neisha Ablett and William Pendergast, for their excellent organisation and leadership on the day.  St Paul’s also enjoyed success in the SEISA Interschool Badminton and Table Tennis competitions, where Warragul and Traralgon compete as separate campuses.

As we approach the Labour Day long weekend, our learning programs across the school are now in full swing.  This means different things at different Year levels, and a strong focus on learning prevails for all age groups throughout the year, but there is a distinct sense of academic momentum at this particular time.  I urge all students to try to do their best, irrespective of age, ability, subject or situation.  We like to emphasise effort at St Paul’s, knowing it to be a key ingredient in the realisation of personal potential.

I wish everyone well for the second half of Term 1.

Cameron Herbert
Principal

THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES – PANDEMIC OR RISK: WHAT GAME ARE WE PLAYING?

Our family enjoys a good board game every now and then and we have a few favourites.  Two popular choices are ‘Risk’ and ‘Pandemic’.  For those who are not familiar with them, Risk is a board game featuring a map of the world, divided into forty-two territories which players attempt to take over by military invasion.  In a game of Risk, life is fairly simple.  Your goal is to win, usually by conquering the world and everyone else is ultimately an enemy.  Temporary alliances may be formed but any cooperation is purely for your own ends.  Pandemic has a different flavour to it.  In this game players work together to prevent a global pandemic (sound familiar?) from destroying the world.  The goal is to save the world and everyone else is an ally, without whom success would be impossible.  The variety of skills and abilities each player is allocated are essential for success.  Cooperation happens for the greater good and in the end we all win or we all lose.  Both Risk and Pandemic are fun games to play but they each result in very different relational dynamics in the family.

The world our young people are growing up in often looks more like a game of Risk than one of Pandemic, despite the obvious parallels with our current battle against COVID-19.  We live in a world where the rhetoric says you are either for us or you are against us.  We gather ourselves into tribes to provide a sense of belonging but those tribes are becoming smaller and smaller, often defined by single issues and quick to exclude any who do not conform.  We live in a world where information is either embraced as “my truth” or rejected as “fake news” with little attention paid to its actual veracity.  We live in a world where winning means conquest, where disagreement means enmity and where others are treated merely as a means to an end.

I wrote in the last Grammarian about the counter-cultural way that Jesus invites us to look at ourselves.  In the same way, Jesus calls us to look at others differently.  Where we find ourselves with differing views to someone, Jesus calls us to learn from each other, to honour each other and to recognise that every person is made in God’s image.  Our tribes should be open and welcoming, not exclusive and controlling.  Points of commonality can be celebrated but points of difference should be opportunities for growth, not reasons for exclusion.  Jesus calls us to treat others as people of value and worth in and of themselves, not just for what they might do for us.

When you look at a Risk game board, where each player is represented by a different colour, there is plenty of diversity but no unity.  When you look at a Pandemic game board, the diversity is still there but there is also unity and common purpose.  Jesus came to save the world, not to conquer it, and we are invited to join with God in that restorative work.  I have no desire to live through another global pandemic but I do want my children to grow up in a world that is well placed to work together to build a better future that embraces all people as “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Flawed perhaps, as we all are flawed, but at the same time made as an image bearer of God.

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain