In this issue

Chaplain’s Chat
DAV Debating
Ensemble Schedule
Weaving Workshop

Grammarian Issue 4, 24 March 2023

Traralgon Junior School

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

NAPLAN
We are very proud of our students who have successfully completed their NAPLAN assessments online over the past week. I wish to acknowledge the efforts and determination of our Years 3 and 5 students. Every student met the challenges of online testing sustaining their commitment to do their very best on each occasion. They managed very well with a calm and sensible approach. Our students were very well prepared and certainly gave the tests their best efforts. NAPLAN results are generally provided to schools later in the year, with reports sent home to parents shortly after. They are of course just one of many useful diagnostics tools that help our dedicated teachers to identify areas of strength as well as areas requiring support. Many thanks to Ms Rachael Geerts, our Director of Learning and Teaching, for her organisation and preparation and to IT and administration staff for ensuring that these online tests were completed with very few technical issues. Many thanks to our Classroom Teachers for their preparations and to Education Support staff who assisted with supervision and provided support throughout the week.

Celebrating Harmony Week
Harmony Week is a celebration held annually in March across Australia. It is aimed at promoting diversity, respect and inclusiveness. This event is an excellent opportunity for parents to teach their children about different cultures, traditions and customs. The goal is to encourage everyone to appreciate and celebrate differences and promote a sense of community and belonging for everyone.
During Harmony Week, there are a number of events and activities held to bring people from different cultures together. These activities include multicultural food festivals, cultural performances, art exhibitions and workshops. Participating in these events helps children to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse communities that make up Australia.

As a parent, you can engage your children in discussions about multiculturalism and encourage them to ask questions. Promoting a more harmonious and inclusive society can help children grow up with a greater appreciation for the richness and diversity of Australia’s cultural landscape.

This special report hopes to instil positive values and create an opportunity to start a conversation with your child about understanding diversity and multiculturalism. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please consider seeking medical or professional help.

Click on this link to view the special report https://stpaulsags.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-celebrating-harmony-week-au

School Uniform
As Term 1 comes to an end and we begin looking forward, it is time to get the formal winter uniform ready for the commencement of Term 2. We begin day one of next term in full winter uniform for our students in Years 3 to 6. Please ensure that your child has checked that they still have all items of the uniform and that they fit them appropriately. Students may wear either the long or short sleeved shirt but must wear a tie with shirts tucked in. They also have a choice of wearing either long pants with grey socks or shorts with blue socks. Blazers are a compulsory item to be worn to and from school each day in the winter terms (Terms 2 and 3). Please ensure your child leaves your home wearing theirs each day.

We have a number of special events scheduled as we finish Term 1. Please note these in your calendars:

Classroom EXPO
On Wednesday 29 March, classrooms will be open and parents are invited to join us for an afternoon of sharing and learning. Students will share their achievements of Term 1 and parents will be able to ask questions and be part of classroom activities. This EXPO will begin at 2:30 pm in classrooms. Please RSVP to your child’s teacher before Wednesday. This will be a wonderful way to finish the term and acknowledge the hard work and learning that has taken place.

Hoodie Up for Autism
Our Junior School will acknowledge Hoodie Up for Autism on Tuesday 4 April. This day is a terrific opportunity to share with students the need for inclusion and acceptance of difference. Students are able to wear a hoodie to school in support of this day and are asked to bring a gold coin donation to assist with raising funds for AMAZE. Teachers will engage students in open discussions across the school about neurodiversity and acceptance and inclusion.

Autism is a condition that affects how a person thinks, feels, interacts with others and experiences their environment. It is estimated that one in seventy people are on the autism spectrum. There are lots of myths and misunderstandings about autism but while many Autistic people experience difficulties, with the right support, understanding and acceptance, Autistic people can achieve a great quality of life and can make significant contributions to their communities.

Some Autistic people experience sensory sensitivities and can become overloaded by stimuli in their environment. Wearing their hoodie up means they can block out bright lights and busy environments which helps calm them. Whether you are Autistic, love someone who is or just want to stand in solidarity with the autism community, join us in putting your Hoodie Up and celebrating the diversity autism brings to our world.

The most radical act you can perform as an ally to Autistic people is to accept them exactly as they are and beyond that to celebrate them and their neurotype. How wonderful it would be to live in a world in which all neurotypes are celebrated for the rich diversity they contribute, just as we do with unusual hair or eye colour, specific skills and traits in athleticism, art and variety of personality for example. The world would be dull if we were all the same.

Cross Country
Students will be involved in our Cross Country event on Wednesday 5 April. This will be our final sporting event for the term. Mr Rilen will send home details shortly and parents are welcome to join us to spectate and cheer.

Easter Service and FOSP Easter Hunt
Our Traralgon Campus Easter Service will be held on Thursday 6 April in the gymnasium at 9:30 am. Parents are most welcome to join us for the service. Please sign in at the office prior. After the service students will participate in the annual FOSP Easter Hunt.

Please be aware that dismissal on Thursday 6 April is at 2:20 pm

Thank you to our teachers and support staff for a fabulous Term 1. The commitment, energy and enthusiasm of our teaching team have been outstanding and very much appreciated throughout a busy term. Thank you to all of our families for your support and involvement. Working together has ensured a positive start to 2023; lots of happy students and wonderful learning experiences.

I wish all of our St Paul’s families a wonderful Easter break and thank you all for your support throughout the term. Please enjoy your Term 1 holiday, have a rest, recharge and stay safe. Happy Easter!

Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School

WHAT’S ON

MARCH
24 March Performing Arts Scholarship Holders Concert, 7:00 pm
28 March District Athletics
ELC and Prep Discovery Morning
29 March Classroom Expo Afternoon, 2:30 pm

APRIL
3 April Year 6 Leadership Day ‘The Summit’
4 April Hoodie Up for Autism
Community Easter Egg Hunt, 3:45 pm
5 April Cross Country
6 April Easter Service, 9:45 am
End of Term 1, 2:20 pm finish
24 April Term 1 Commences
25 April ANZAC Day Public Holiday

MAY
5 May School Photos
10 May Studio Concert
11 May Mother’s Evening Event
12 May Mother’s Day Stall
26 May National Sorry Day

JUNE
9 June Student Free Day
12 June King’s Birthday Public Holiday
21 June EXPO Afternoon, 2:30 pm
23 June BOHO Friday
End of Term 2, 3:20 pm finish

DOBSONS TRADING HOURS

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.

TRARALGON PARENT PRAYER GROUP

The Traralgon Parent Prayer Group started well last month and will meet again next week on Monday 27 March. The prayer group is open to anyone and currently has a number of parents attending from different local churches. The group meets in the Traralgon Junior School staff room, on the fourth Monday of each month from 9:00 am to 9:30 am. Parents from Junior and Secondary Schools are welcome to attend. Contact the chaplain at the Traralgon Campus, Glen Treble via email gtreble@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au for more details or be brave and just show up.

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.

New applications should be received by 18 April 2023 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 24 May 2023.

Nomination forms for Board Directorship are required to be forwarded to the Company Secretary no later than Wednesday 26 April 2023 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 by email companysecretary@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au or phone 5623 5833.

Annual General Meeting – Wednesday 24 May 2023
The Annual General Meeting of St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School is to be held on Wednesday 24 May 2023 at the Warragul Campus commencing at 5:00 pm for Members of the Company.

FROM THE PASTORAL CARE TEAM

Research in the field of personal positive psychology emphasises the importance of identifying and using individual strengths. Programs that utilise personal strengths promote student wellbeing, positive behaviour and academic achievement. In the next few weeks, students will begin to identify and discuss their personal strengths, as part of their IGNITE pastoral lessons. They will focus on identifying their strengths and recognising how these strengths contribute to group tasks and to their own identities.

Personal Strengths Define
Within positive psychology, personal strengths are defined as our built-in capacities for particular ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving (Linley, 2008). We all possess distinct character strengths that are associated with the six virtues of positive psychology theory (Seligman, 2002). The table below lists personal strengths.
Discussing your child’s strengths as well as those of other family members will support them to participate in class, as well as aid them in discovering how their strengths interact with others in their lives.

Personal Strengths extracted from https://positivepsychology.com/what-are-your-strengths/

CLASS UPDATES

Early Learning Centre

Healthy eating in the Traralgon ELC
Across the ELC we have been focusing on Healthy lifestyles and wellbeing. We introduced the practice of filling our plates with a ‘Healthy rainbow’ and the many health benefits it provides.

To build on children’s awareness of healthy snacks and choices the groups cut out many pictures of wonderful fresh produce and together the children worked on a group project as a visual reminder of the healthy rainbow of fruit and vegetables.

We celebrated our food in a positive manner to support the children’s relationship with food and drink, the children cut up the fruit and vegetables in small groups, assisting in the preparation and connection to the foods. During this experience, the children talked about various topics such as texture, colour, size, shape, differences and similarities of the fruits and vegetables once they had been cut up. Hygiene and safety were also discussed; washing hands prior to touching the foods and safety practised when using knives.

Once prepared, we put each colour in a separate bowl and the children were invited to ‘build a rainbow’ on their plate to taste, smell or lick if they did not want to taste. It was a fantastic, fun experience to have with the children.

This experience will support our Priority area of ‘Healthy eating’ within the ‘Latrobe Community Health Achievement Program’, in which we have enrolled the ELC in. This is a free health and wellbeing program supporting Early Childhood services to create a healthier environment for working and learning. The program challenges and highlights how we can create a healthier early childhood service, focusing on health areas like healthy eating, physical activity and mental health and wellbeing.

Zaviyar and Tanay contributing to our rainbow collage.

Mila carefully cutting the fruit to share.

Ellis and Cruze preparing the fruit for our rainbow.

Prep
As Term 1 is starting to draw to a close, our Prep students have been beginning to realise just how much they have learnt this year already. They have enjoyed looking back on their first handwriting activity and comparing it to the words and sentences they are able to write now. Prep students were recently very excited to take home their first decodable books so that they can continue to practise their letter-sound knowledge at home. In Maths, students have been focusing on how numbers can be represented using ten frames, as well as how they can subitise objects to count them faster.

Year 1
In Year 1 we have continued learning about human body systems, including the respiratory and circulatory systems. We identified the body parts that belong to each system and how these work together to keep us alive.

In Maths we have been learning to tell time to the hour and practised forming addition and subtraction equations in several different ways. Each day in Literacy we have worked on writing simple sentences using nouns and verbs and explored the difference between fragments and sentences.
To celebrate Harmony Day we spent time with our Year 5 buddies. We shared a story and spoke about the many cultures we have within our classrooms.

Year 2
During Weeks 7 and 8 students have continued to work on their reading fluency. They have practised using punctuation to guide their expression as they read. They have continued to learn about specific suffixes and the rules that they can use to support their understanding of words and how to spell them. They have put their sentence structure and planning experience into practise writing about their athletics carnival.

In Numeracy, their capacity to solve addition and subtraction equations has been by using a vertical algorithm and with regrouping. They have also begun to investigate length using centimetres.

A highlight for Week 8 was Harmony Day. We created a map to show where we were all born and where our parents were born. The Year 1 students have been working on theirs so that we can make a comparison. It was exciting to see how many different countries we come from.

Year 3
The Year 3 students completed their NAPLAN testing this week. They all showed exceptional patience, resilience and persistence and completed the assessments to the best of their ability.
We had an interesting day at the school last week when we had an unexpected visit from a bee swarm which unfortunately, ended our lunchtime early. The best part though, was watching a local apiarist collect the swarm and relocate them into their own hive. I believe they are now making their own honey in their very own hive in Moe South!

Year 4
It has been a fabulous and extremely busy Term 1 in Year 4, getting to know the students and engaging in numerous Literacy, Numeracy and Integrated Studies tasks. The students have enjoyed many opportunities to expand their knowledge through exposure to a variety of texts on different topics, as well as working together to complete hands-on activities. The students have well and truly settled into a classroom routine and we are looking forward to another term of meaningful and exciting learning after the Easter break.

Year 5
We are extremely proud of our Year 5 swimmers and their accomplishments – Tyrone, Patrik, Nicholas, Rumindu and Avaya. We would like to congratulate these students on their hard work and dedication during the regional competition in Sale. We also wish them luck as the four boys who won their relay race move forward to represent the school at state level, which will be held in Melbourne during the first week of Term 2.
Overall, it has been a very productive few weeks with all of the Year 5 students completing their NAPLAN assessments. We congratulate all the students on their efforts and look forward to continuing to strive for excellence as we finish off the final weeks of Term 1.

Year 6
By Lilijah and Melia
This week Year 6 students attended Urban Camp, which is located in Melbourne. Some of the places students visited included the Victorian State Library, Parliament House, The Shrine of Remembrance and Old Melbourne Gaol. Some of the students’ favourite activities were Ice-Skating, Go Climb, the MCG tour and spending money at the Queen Victoria Market. One of the learning sessions students listened to was ‘The Big Issue’. This gave Year 6 students an awareness of homeless people and how homelessness can happen. Students learnt about ‘The Big Issue’ magazine which is used to help marginalised people earn an income. After reflecting on camp experiences and their personal growth, some students believe that this camp helped them with developing trust and building resilience.

Visual Art
Year 3 have made Tic Tac Toe game boards using Magi clay to make movable pieces according to the theme of their choice.
Lil Zanella made the game in this picture which includes donuts and blueberry pastries. Fun and yummy!

Year 4 students have been learning about how to change the value of a colour by adding white to tint and black to shade. They used the paint they mixed to create a light and shade painting. Then they added silhouettes of animals.

Frog by Thomas Piljic.

Dolphins by Ruby Demetrios.

Elephant by Bosco Ke.

Lioness by Cassie Beckman.

Hippo by Ilias Clavarino.

TRARALGON JUNIOR SCHOOL ENSEMBLE REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

New members and students having lessons outside of school are most welcome. Please contact Mrs Heather Mason and/or the listed ensemble director for further information hjmason@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

ENROLMENTS REMINDER

Dear families,

The Enrolments team would like to remind families who plan for their next child to commence at St Paul’s in 2024 that enrolment application forms should be submitted prior to the end of Term 1. As the School currently has waiting lists at a number of year levels, please submit an enrolment application at your earliest opportunity to ensure all children in your family have a place on the School’s Enrolment Register. Please note that a separate Enrolment Application is required for each child.

Online Enrolment Application is available via the following link to our website: https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/enrolment/enrolling-at-st-pauls/ or you can collect a hard copy Enrolment Pack from Junior School Reception.

2024 ELC families please note that, due to the evolving nature of government funding for Early Learning, we will shortly be reviewing our program offering for 2024 and will provide families with an update as soon as finalised information becomes available. In the meantime, families should be aware that St Paul’s is currently experiencing large demand for places at Pre-Kinder, Pre-Prep and Prep in 2024, and the School recommends families and any interested friends in the broader community enrol at the earliest opportunity to reserve their child’s place on the Enrolment Register for 2024 and beyond.

Please contact our Enrolments Office on 5175 0133 if you have questions about enrolment at St Paul’s, or if you would like to arrange a tour of the ELC, Junior or Secondary School.

(Current families, please note that enrolment at St Paul’s is continuous from the point of entry until the end of Year 12 and your child’s place in the next year level is automatically allocated; you do not need to submit an enrolment application for your child to transition to the next stage of their schooling at St Paul’s).

FINANCE NEWS

Private Car Conveyance Allowance
Families driving students more than 4.8 kilometres to attend St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School may be eligible to receive a conveyance allowance. For further information on the eligibility criteria and application process, please refer to: https://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 refer to: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/resources

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately. The CSEF program for 2023 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 16 June 2023 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2022 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2023), the school will ‘copy’ the application across from 2022 to 2023 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

Grammarian Issue 4, 24 March 2023

Traralgon Secondary School

From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School,
Mrs Leonie Clark

A poignant ‘life saving’ PARTY at Latrobe Regional Hospital (LRH)
Last Friday I accompanied our Traralgon Secondary School Year 10 cohort to the Latrobe Regional Hospital to consider ways that young people can ‘Prevent Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma in Youth’. The P.A.R.T.Y. program is a one-day injury awareness and prevention program for youth aged fifteen and older. Developed in 1986 in Canada, the workshops are a vital component of the growing community effort to reduce death and injury in alcohol, drug and risk-related crashes and incidents. The program is a relatively new initiative of the Latrobe Valley Regional Hospital (LRH) and we certainly know and appreciate that we were incredibly privileged to have the staff approach us and generously give their time to share their medical expertise and experiences with our students.

Blair Syme assisting with the application of a neck brace to Michael Gali in the Emergency Department at LRH while participating in an educational simulation.

The day commenced with the group being shown an X-ray of a young person who had multiple breaks and fractures from a motor vehicle accident in which they had their feet up on the dashboard of the car as they rode in the front passenger’s seat. Worryingly, this is an all-too-common occurrence and injury, particularly in young women. We also heard from a newly appointed state Trauma Doctor who shared his experience of helicopter trauma retrieval, including a dirt bike accident in a remote area, as well as his detailed explanation of the many people who make up a Trauma Team within a hospital setting.

The students toured the Emergency Department as well as the Ambulance arrival area at the hospital before participating in three individual workshops. The first workshop was run by the Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy staff, the second was with the Emergency staff who would be the first to manage a trauma victim post an accident and the third session was with the ICU staff who explained the long-term management of critically injured patients. In each session students actively participated in the experiences and developed an immediate understanding of the many critical injuries that must be carefully managed in such situations.

The afternoon sessions were particularly poignant as presenters shared some of their personal and heart-aching experiences of attending fatal road accidents. There was a powerful presentation from a local member of the CFA, Victoria Police ‘Road Safety Victoria’ and a paramedic from Ambulance Victoria, some of whom had kindly sacrificed their rest day to attend and share their messages with our students, such was their desire to keep our children safe in the future.

Our two Traralgon Secondary School Captains Axel Sellings and Georgia Vardy preparing to assist with the gentle rolling and bathing of a long-term care ‘mannequin patient’ in the ICU by holding and maintaining the integrity of life-supporting ‘lines’.

Students were empowered to recognise when something is wrong, to look after their friends by calling for help, to think before they get into a car with a driver who may be substance-affected and to never check their phone while driving. The aim of the day was to ensure that the students felt comfortable to seek help, to understand that they are not going to be in trouble if things are not going well and that even if they find themselves stranded without a ride, they can always call for help and someone will come. The students were left with no doubt that the entire community, parents, relatives, friends and all of the emergency services just want to see them home safely and will do whatever it takes to make that happen.

While at the Latrobe Regional Hospital on Friday we were additionally surprised and delighted to catch up with two of our alumni, Luke and Connor Ibbotson from the graduating Class of 2020. The brothers are currently in their second year of studying Medicine at Monash University. We wish them well for the continuation of their studies and as they pursue their potential while making a difference within our regional community.

Luke and Connor Ibbotson current Monash University Medical Students and St Paul’s Alumni (Year 12 Class of 2020) at Latrobe Regional Hospital.

The day was layered with powerful learning and personal stories, but one which I wish that my own children had been able to experience now that they are independent young people out and about in vehicles. It certainly reinforced the gravity of responsibility and the many choices that are at the fingertips of our young people as they gain greater independence and freedom. I would like to sincerely thank Janet May a current Traralgon and Warragul Secondary parent for inviting our Year 10 students to participate, Loy Yang B Power Station for funding this invaluable program and all of the many highly trained staff and volunteers at LRH who so kindly gave of their time for this vital experience. I would also like to thank Sandra Timmer-Arends, Head of Years 9 and 10, as well as the staff who attended to support our students on the day. It is certainly an experience that we hope will keep our students safe as they gain greater freedom of choice and independence in the very near future.

Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs)
The two PSTI evenings for Traralgon Secondary School are fast approaching and we would like to remind our families to check their email invite and book a time to meet with your child’s teachers. The face-to-face evening will be held on Thursday 30 March 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the main building of the Traralgon Secondary School. All students attending the PSTIs with their families must do so in their formal school uniform. The Zoom evening is on Wednesday 5 April 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and we encourage our families to keep an eye on the time and conduct the interview in a distraction-free space within your home. Should you be unable to attend an interview on the night booked call to let us know so that we can reschedule your booking. Please call Student Services on 5175 9222 if you require assistance to make the bookings for either of the PSTI evenings and/or to speak with our staff.

Harmony Week – Everyone Belongs ‘A School TV Special Report’
This week at Traralgon Secondary School we have celebrated Harmony Week – Everyone Belongs!
Harmony Week is a celebration held annually in March across Australia. It is aimed at promoting diversity, respect and inclusiveness. This event is an excellent opportunity for parents to teach their children about different cultures, traditions and customs. The goal is to encourage everyone to appreciate and celebrate differences and promote a sense of community and belonging for everyone.

During Harmony Week, there are a number of events and activities held to bring people from different cultures together. These activities include multicultural food festivals, cultural performances, art exhibitions and workshops. Participating in these events helps children to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse communities that make up Australia.

This special report hopes to instil positive values and create an opportunity to start a conversation with your child about understanding diversity and multiculturalism. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please consider seeking medical or professional help.

Click on this link to view the special report: https://stpaulsags.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-celebrating-harmony-week-au

Farm World 2023 Lardner Park Friday 24 March to Sunday 26 March inclusive
This weekend St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School will once again have a fabulous stand and display at Farm World Lardner Park. Please pop past and say “Hello” if you happen to be visiting this weekend. It is a great day out for the whole family with a plethora of displays and stalls, there is something for everyone. We look forward to some fabulous weather and a brilliant weekend at Lardner Park for our Gippsland communities.

Last Day of Term 1 and Day 1 of Term 2
Please note that all students in our Secondary School will attend the annual combined Traralgon Junior School and Secondary School Easter Service on Thursday 6 April at 10:20 am in the School Gymnasium. This will be closely followed by the annual Friends of St Paul’s (FOSP) Easter Egg Hunt! The day will conclude and the long-awaited Easter Holiday period will officially commence at 2:10 pm for Secondary School students.

Term 2 will commence on Monday 24 April with Mentor Group at 8:55 am. We will gather together at 10:30 am at the flag poles with the Junior School for our annual combined ANZAC service. All secondary students are required to be dressed in their formal winter uniform including blazers, for this most solemn occasion. If your child has not tried on their winter uniform in quite some time, the Easter period is a wonderful opportunity to ensure that everything still fits comfortably for the cooler months ahead.

Lost Uniform Items
We currently have quite a collection of unnamed uniform items at Traralgon Secondary School. If your child has misplaced an item of clothing, please remind them to check with Kerryn and Kelly at Student Services. There are various unnamed items of uniform within the now ‘extensive collection’, and it would be lovely to reunite them with their rightful owners before the Easter holiday period.

Mobile Devices Health Check
The Easter holiday period is the perfect opportunity for our families to undertake a Mobile Device Health Check on all student devices. It is always of immense value to your child’s wellbeing to check that suitable parental controls are firmly in place and that students are not spending hours at night on their devices without parental/guardian knowledge.

Please refer to our ySafe safety hub for further information and the link to articles below for information that may assist you to keep your child safe throughout the Easter holiday period.

https://stpaulsags.onlinesafetyhub.com.au/parent/information-guides/all

Easter Holiday Support Services
There is no doubt that our students are very excited about the Easter Holiday break with their families and friends. Whilst the school counselling team does not provide support over the school holidays or long weekends, should you find that your child needs help, your child is always able to speak to someone at Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), Headspace (1800 650 890), Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 224 636). If you are after advice as a parent, you can also utilise these services, or call Parentline on 13 22 89.

Leonie Clark
Head of Traralgon Secondary School