In this issue

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

ONLINE LEARNING HAS LAUNCHED!  Thank you to all students, all teachers and all parents of both our Early Learning Centre and Junior School who have been involved in this week’s successful launch of online learning.

Our Early Learning Centre is open and operating and it is fantastic to have the team of the ELC busy and doing what they love, teaching Kindergarten!  As well as teaching day to day, the team is providing an engaging online platform for the children at home.  Calling themselves the ‘St Paulette’s’ I would like to introduce:
•  Mrs Maker McDonald
•  Professor Proton Pisani
•  Sporty Snell
•  Kaleidoscope Kate
•  Eggcellent Elle

Learning in the ELC will be delivered by these characters and also the two kinder mascots Gumnut and Gumberlina.  Aunty Nan will be reading Aboriginal stories and sharing her own tales as the ELC continues to acknowledge aboriginal culture.  Mr Ants will be visiting online and yoga will be offered to all.  Our youngest students in our school are indeed very lucky to have such creative and passionate educators caring for them both at school and online during this time.

Junior School students were able to log in successfully and access learning tasks and luckily the internet did not let us down!  Many students utilised the social stream on their class pages to communicate with their teachers and each other; asking questions, sharing their ideas and checking in.  Teachers had a range of learning tasks prepared which included hard copy learning packs, online activities, prerecorded videos of lessons and suggestions of extra home activities.  Junior School teachers will soon introduce video conferencing to students which will enable live online interactions which will be very exciting.

Was it perfect… no, but everyone did their best, gave support where needed and showed lots of patience.  I would like to remind families that teachers will be in regular contact and will be seeking feedback about how you and your child are managing online learning.  Teachers will be making adjustments according to student needs and will be tweaking their lessons and activities each day.  It is important to acknowledge that all students are different and in one class there are a range of learning needs.  Teachers will be differentiating learning tasks and expectations for students as they post work online.  Parents are encouraged to do their best and to reach out to classroom teachers with any questions or concerns.  The online environment is different from a face to face classroom and it is important to acknowledge this.  Through open communication and patience, teachers, students and parents together will develop their skills in this online learning space which we have quickly been faced with using.

We are aware of some difficulties experienced by families and are working hard to resolve these.  The education of our students is important to every teacher at St Paul’s and along with the rest of our community, the current situation with COVID-19 has required us to do things differently, quickly learn new skills and adjust to restrictions.  Please let us know if you need support or assistance.

Here are some key points for families to consider when supporting children during this time:

Listen and acknowledge:  Children and young people may respond to stress in different ways.  Signs may be emotional (for example, they may be upset, distressed, anxious, angry or agitated), behavioural (for example, they may become more clingy or more withdrawn, they may wet the bed), or physical (for example, they may experience stomach aches).  Look out for any changes in their behaviour.

Children and young people may feel less anxious if they are able to express and communicate their feelings in a safe and supportive environment.  Children and young people who communicate differently from their peers may rely on you to interpret their feelings.  Listen to them, acknowledge their concerns and give them extra love and attention if they need it.

Provide clear information about the situation:  All children and young people want to feel that their parents and caregivers can keep them safe.  The best way to achieve this is by talking openly about what is happening and providing honest answers to any questions they have.  Explain what is being done to keep them and their loved ones safe, including any actions they can take to help, such as washing their hands regularly.

Use words and explanations that they can understand and make sure you use reliable sources of information – there is a lot of misleading information from other sources that will create stress for you and your family.

It will not always be possible to provide answers to all the questions children and young people may ask or to allay all their concerns, so focus on listening and acknowledging their feelings to help them feel supported.

Be aware of your own reactions:  Remember that children and young people often take their emotional cues from the important adults in their lives, so how you respond to the situation is very important.  It is important to manage your own emotions and remain calm, listen to and acknowledge children and young people’s concerns, speak kindly to them and answer any questions they have honestly.

Connect regularly:  If it is necessary for you or your children to be in a different location from normal (for example, staying at home in different locations or hospitalisation) make sure you still have regular and frequent contact via the phone or video calls with them.  Try to help your child understand what arrangements are being made for them and why in simple terms.

Create a new routine:  Life is changing for all of us for a while.  Routine gives children and young people an increased feeling of safety in the context of uncertainty, so think about how to develop a new routine – especially if they are not at school:
•  make a plan for the day or week that includes time for learning, playing and relaxing if they have to stay home from school
•  ask teachers what you can do to support continued learning at home
•  online educational resources and activities to support children’s learning are available from the BBC
•  children and young people need to ideally be active for a minimum of sixty minutes a day, which can be more difficult when spending longer periods of time indoors.  Plan time outside if you can do so safely or try some indoor games and activities
•  do not forget that sleep is really important for mental and physical health so try to keep to existing bedtime routines
•  maintain healthy food options

Limit exposure to media and talk about what they have seen and heard:  Children and young people, like adults, may become more distressed if they see repeated coverage of the outbreak in the media.  A complete news blackout is also rarely helpful as they are likely to find out from other sources, such as online or through friends.

Try to avoid turning the television off or closing web pages when children or young people come into the room.  This can pique their interest to find out what is going on – and their imagination can take over.  Instead, consider limiting the amount of exposure you and your family get to troubling media coverage.

Young people will also hear things from friends and get information from social media.  Talk to them about what is going on and ask them what they have heard about.  Try to answer their questions and reassure them in an age-appropriate manner, avoiding too much detail.

I thank everyone in anticipation of their patience, grace and kindness as we embark on this new online learning in the Junior School.  We expect to have some challenges along the way and acknowledge that every family situation is unique, technology can be unreliable and managing priorities can be challenging.  We are here to support students and their families and are motivated to provide the best possible learning outcomes and care for your children.  Please use the social stream on our Junior School page of MyStPauls for general queries and email for confidential matters.  Although we find ourselves in an unimaginable situation with COVID-19, our teachers are working hard and are excited about the lessons they have prepared and for the possibilities new technology will bring to student learning this term.  I would like to acknowledge our staff commitment, professionalism and willingness to step up and into the world of online learning.

Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School

SCHOLASTIC BOOKCLUB IS GOING VIRTUAL IN TERM 2

Bookclub may look a little different this term but you will still have access to the same great quality and carefully selected books at a great price.

To view the catalogue and place your order, please follow this link https://scholastic.com.au/book-club/virtual-catalogue-1/

Please place your orders before Friday 8 May and we will notify you once your order is ready to be collected from the school.

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

Welcome to Term 2 as we resume our teaching via online learning.  As with any period of upheaval, the thing we all seek is certainty and routine, and you can count on St Paul’s to provide constancy in this challenging time.  Navigating this adversity together will bring us strength and positive opportunities for growth, and we are confident that this time will help our students to adapt to the changes they face while also heightening their adaptability, creativity and resilience.

Currently, the movement in education is towards remote learning with students transitioning to online classes and lessons.  For parents, this can appear to be a daunting task.  However, it does not necessarily mean that the parent is now the teacher.  To move together in this season of uncertainty, we want our St Paul’s community to be well informed of any changes and to answer questions that you might have.   Our team has created a Learning Update that explains the logistic of returning to school, what Term 2 will look like, online learning, access to school facilities, physical distancing, co-curricular and much more.
https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/st-pauls-learning-update/

We also understand that you might have some questions throughout this journey.  Each Head of School, across both campuses, has set up a Parent Forum on their respective MyStPauls campus page, where parents and caregivers can seek out general questions and enquires.  It is important to note that any student-specific or individual questions are best done through email.

We recognise that school is not just about education; it is also about supporting our students’ wellbeing.  Our pastoral care program will run in the online environment.  Teachers will check in with their class on a daily basis and our pastoral care programs will be tailored to address the challenges facing our students in this period of virtual social contact.  Staff will monitor student attendance online and reach out to any students for whom the online environment is challenging.  Our Education Support Staff will be in regular contact with families and will work with staff to modify, as needed, the programs of students in their care.  Our school counselling team will continue to operate, make referrals and conduct their usual services.

Whilst St Paul’s will strive to meet our students’ academic needs, we encourage you and your child’s carers to play a key role in providing structure and routine at home.  Most students will transition seamlessly.  Offering reassurance, encouragement and structure will help to promote the transition to online assessment and feedback.

St Paul’s quality education will not be compromised by online learning.

Our creative and adaptable staff have already developed a number of innovative practices and ideas to ensure that our students get the very best education online.  Every year of a child’s education is an important developmental stage and we will continue to make sure that these milestones and achievements are met, and we are here to offer you, our parents, support along the way.

To make online learning a successful experience, no matter the age of your child, it is crucial to provide structure so that young people do not see this as an indefinite holiday.  Students will work based on their school timetable, exactly like a normal school day.  We recommend where possible to setup a discrete learning space, relatively free from interruptions and preferably not in a bedroom.  While the online school day is in progress, distractions such as mobile phones or social media must be turned off.

Finally, while 2020 may look different at St Paul’s, it also offers exciting new possibilities and challenges that we as a community of students, parents and staff can meet.  By supporting each other, we will, in future years, be able to reflect on the growth we made as a community during 2020.

Where to find information

We are aware that a large amount of correspondence has been shared via email.  Another location for parents to find Term 2 information and online learning information is on the Traralgon Campus Page  https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/homepage/8087

Students are encouraged to regularly visit their respective Year Level Information page.

Week 1 – Online Learning

Brodie Naughton receiving some much-needed assistance from pet Bella.

Ashley Nicholes set up his remote learning space in a cupboard, focused and working hard.

Mrs Donna Byrne’s 10B English class using the classes News and My Social Stream to teach online.

Mr Nathan Byrne’s Year 8 Theatre class using Microsoft Teams and MyStPauls to teach online.

Mrs Sandra Timmer-Arends Year 10 Sport Science and Coaching participating in Backyard Bootcamp.

Brad McCabe
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

FIRST SITZPROBE FOR THE ST PAUL’S ACADEMY OF MUSIC

In Term 1 the St Paul’s Academy of Music at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School held its first Sitzprobe – a full orchestral and choral rehearsal with students from both the Warragul and Traralgon Campuses.

Led by the school’s Academy Coordinator and St Paul’s Alumnus, Mr Benjamin Sim LLM (Juris Doctor), BMus, LMusA, AMusA, this exciting initiative is the first of its kind in Gippsland schools and is a rare opportunity for orchestral, choral and keyboard students to access specialist ensemble training and performances along with musical mentoring opportunities.

Open to students by audition, the St Paul’s Academy of Music offers a dedicated focus through timetabled classes for the development of students’ chamber and orchestral skills. With professionally delivered instrumental and vocal workshops in addition to combined, cross-campus orchestral and choral rehearsals, Academy students will have opportunities to perform at a range of venues.

Incorporating live concert exposure and collaboration with professional conductors, educators and performers alike, the St Paul’s Academy of Music is sure to inspire students to take their musical studies and ensemble skills to another level.

St Paul’s announced this brand new initiative last year, which offers both junior and secondary school students the opportunity to audition for entry into its cross-campus Academy program.

The St Paul’s Academy of Music Coordinator, Mr Benjamin Sim, leading the St Paul’s Academy of Music that provides regional musical students with access to specialist training and performances along with musical mentoring opportunities.

St Paul’s students Adam and Asmi playing during the sitzprobe of the Academy of Music.

St Paul’s student Regan Smith on double bass during the sitzprobe of the Academy of Music.

St Paul’s student Ilyan Mofakhami on trumpet during the sitzprobe of the Academy of Music.

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

On Wednesday we began Term 2 under very strange circumstances and launched online learning at St Paul’s.  We are very pleased with the way Wednesday progressed and although we discovered issues, overall attendance was fantastic and students were online and ready to learn.  As a school we are very proud of the way our students have adapted to this and the way they eagerly embraced their classes.  We are also indebted to the incredibly dedicated, innovative and caring staff in every area of our school who have put in tireless hours to have us ready for Wednesday.

We are working each day to improve our systems and refine our protocols to ensure online learning is safe, consistent and engaging for our students.

I asked some of our teachers how they found their first day of online learning and I wanted to share some responses with you:

Ms Hay said “Students were on time to lessons, so enthusiastic to get back to learning and reconnect with teachers and worked so well.  I had Mentor, double Year 12, Year 11 and Year 7 and they were all so delightful.  We video conferenced for the whole time.”

Mr Charles said “I have had a positive experience today with my classes.  Attendance was well over ninety per cent in all my classes and my students were really engaged in their learning.  I’ve decided to livestream the first five minutes of every lesson in future and then engage with them in their learning via the ‘social stream’.  I’ll also livestream a five minute plenary to reinforce the learning outcomes at the end of each lesson.  My students were keen to listen and interact positively via the social stream.”

Mrs Percy had a great day and was thrilled to get a lovely email from a parent which read “Just a quick email to express my appreciation for you in getting my child outside and exercising.  He was sweating up a storm and was happy to show me what he had done.  You seem to be able to get him to do things that I can’t.  Thanks!!!”

She also enjoyed receiving photos of her students completing the soccer drills she had set for her PE class.

Mr Coombs said “The kids were great!  We used Microsoft Teams every lesson.  I had a few teething issues but by and large it was pretty successful.  I felt that students were very attentive and listened very well.  Today was full on with a full timetable but I did enjoy it.  We will all definitely get better as we go.”

Ms Doherty said “I had a fantastic lesson with the Year 7 and 8 3D Art.  The students wrote such insightful comments and it was really nice to have some discussion with them in the social stream about the art work they were writing on and then to see that other kids had been reading along and used some of those discussion points in their own work.  I had to laugh though,  I worked a lot longer on making this task and I had expected the kids to need at least a lesson and a bit but most of them had nailed it within the hour and wanted to know “What next Miss?”…suffice to say, there was a bit of working on the fly with the creative suggestions, I told them that I am lucky to have such a clever and enthusiastic bunch of kids and that I’ll be upping my game for their next week’s lesson.”

Teranishi Sensei marking her Year 11 Mentor roll on Wednesday morning.

I had the pleasure of teaching my Year 7 Computing class Period 1 on Wednesday morning.  We conducted a meeting on Teams and they worked through their task and then emailed me their work for feedback at the end of the lesson.  I was so impressed with the way in which they approached the lesson and the amount of work they completed from home in one period.  I really enjoyed seeing their faces and having the opportunity to touch base.  This mode of learning will never replace the joy of face-to-face teaching for me but under the circumstances, it was a good second option.

Mr Shearing touching base with Ms Hay’s 7.5 Mentor group during our Pastoral lesson on Thursday.

Ms Laura Butterworth
Head of Warragul Secondary School

VIRTUAL TOURS BY HOMEGROWN TALENT

At this time of the year we would normally have many prospective families, who are interested in a St Paul’s education, touring our campus.  Obviously, we are unable to facilitate these tours at present, so this week we adapted and filmed a virtual tour of the four sub-schools.  With many businesses closed and short deadlines we were very lucky to procure the services of Red Disc Media.  You may recognise the faces of Cameron Wong and Tristan Clark who are both graduates of the class of 2018.  Cameron was our School Captain and Tristan was a Prefect and together they have gone on to create this business.  This week they used their skills in aerial photography, static photography and video production to create a virtual tour which will be uploaded to our website for families to experience.  It is very satisfying to be able to obtain the services of our homegrown talent.

FIRST SITZPROBE FOR THE ST PAUL’S ACADEMY OF MUSIC

In Term 1 the St Paul’s Academy of Music at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School held its first Sitzprobe – a full orchestral and choral rehearsal with students from both the Warragul and Traralgon Campuses.

Led by the school’s Academy Coordinator and St Paul’s Alumnus, Mr Benjamin Sim LLM (Juris Doctor), BMus, LMusA, AMusA, this exciting initiative is the first of its kind in Gippsland schools and is a rare opportunity for orchestral, choral and keyboard students to access specialist ensemble training and performances along with musical mentoring opportunities.

Open to students by audition, the St Paul’s Academy of Music offers a dedicated focus through timetabled classes for the development of students’ chamber and orchestral skills. With professionally delivered instrumental and vocal workshops in addition to combined, cross-campus orchestral and choral rehearsals, Academy students will have opportunities to perform at a range of venues.

Incorporating live concert exposure and collaboration with professional conductors, educators and performers alike, the St Paul’s Academy of Music is sure to inspire students to take their musical studies and ensemble skills to another level.

St Paul’s announced this brand new initiative last year, which offers both junior and secondary school students the opportunity to audition for entry into its cross-campus Academy program.

The St Paul’s Academy of Music Coordinator, Mr Benjamin Sim, leading the St Paul’s Academy of Music that provides regional musical students with access to specialist training and performances along with musical mentoring opportunities.

St Paul’s students Adam and Asmi playing during the sitzprobe of the Academy of Music.

St Paul’s student Regan Smith on double bass during the sitzprobe of the Academy of Music.

St Paul’s student Ilyan Mofakhami on trumpet during the sitzprobe of the Academy of Music.

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THE TIDE WILL TURN

The Easter season has been celebrated and now we are moving into Term 2 with a sense of apprehension.  Before Easter disappears in the rear vision mirror I would like to share a thought.  For the early followers of Jesus, the time between Friday and Sunday was a liminal space.  They did not know how the drama was going to play out even though they had hints of a new dawn and a sense of something transformative unfolding.  As we wait in our own liminal space not knowing what shape things will be in the future it is difficult. It is hard because we crave certainty and clarity.  But the tide will turn and even though we will need a new compass to chart the way forward we are not alone.  With a strong knit school community, caring friends and the knowledge of God being with us we can make it.

Lynton Allan
Chaplain

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

Hi everyone,

Firstly, I would like to welcome Mr Faumuina back following his long service leave during Term 1 and welcome new students, James Craig (Year 2C) and Teagan Craig (Year 4B) and their family to our Junior School.

Congratulations on ‘surviving’ the first three days of Term 2.  It certainly has been a different feel with the majority of our students in ELC to Year 6 learning remotely.  The feedback from both staff and families is that, whilst things have been hectic as everyone becomes familiar with this new style of learning for the students, it has been going quite well.  Not perfect, but that was never to be expected and we will continue to modify things as we go.

I understand that parents will still have queries, so please continue to reach out to your child’s classroom or specialist teachers for matters related to classroom learning.  For all other general school matters such as IT issues, MyStPauls logins, performing arts lessons and collecting supplies from campus, could I please ask that you direct these to the Junior School office by calling 5622 6131 or emailing WarragulJuniorAdminStaff@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au   The Warragul Junior School office will be open 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday to Friday.

Could I please encourage all parents to continue to regularly check for updates and news and add comments to the Warragul Junior School social stream on the Warragul Campus page on MyStPauls.  The link to this page is https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/homepage/7604   Parents are also encouraged to visit Year Level pages.

I thank the staff working both remotely and those volunteering to supervise the small amount of students onsite for their work thus far.  I also thank the families for working with us and for providing the support at home.  I am really proud of the way our students, staff and families have embraced this new way of ‘schooling’ and in a lot of ways I feel it has made our connections closer.

Have a restful weekend and I hope there are not too many parents rocking in the corner of a room thinking that Monday is not that far away.

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

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