In this issue

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

We had experienced a wonderful start to Term 2 with our Years 5 and 6 students attending camp, Years 2 to 4 heading to our Traralgon Campus for an author/illustrator visit (Little Legends Footy Fest), Year 6 students enjoying a football clinic run by St Kilda’s AFLW team, students attending our ANZAC Service while our Preps continue to participate in weekly Auslan sessions.

This week we welcomed Mason Grujic and his family to St Paul’s.  Mason joins our Year 3F class.  We also welcome Mrs Bec McNaught who joins our Education Support team and Mr Thomas Rock who is our new Library Officer while Mrs Davies is on leave.

Camps
Our Year 6 students thoroughly enjoyed their camp at Coolamatong last week (except for the uninvited mozzies).  Students actively participated in a range of activities including indigenous education, sailing, tubing, canoeing, climbing/abseiling, bush cooking and raft building.  The camp also included a boat trip to Raymond Island and Ocean Grange.  Many students rated the tubing as their highlight.

Our Year 5 students ventured to Lady Northcote Camp in Bacchus Marsh this week.  Students enjoyed camp adventure activities; hut building, initiatives, giant swing, orienteering, flying fox and bike riding, throughout their stay.  The campers also watched the ‘Aura Sound and Light Show’ after their day at Sovereign Hill.

I sincerely thank all the staff who attended the camps and for making it an enjoyable experience for the students.  I enjoyed visiting both camps and spending time with the students.

Winter Uniform
A reminder that all Years 3 to 6 students should be wearing the winter uniform, including the blazer from the beginning of next week.  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.  The blue jumpers are optional and should not be worn as the outer garment to and from school.

Could I please remind students who intend to play on the ovals at recess and lunch that they need to bring a spare jumper (footy or soccer top) to cover their uniform and runners to wear now that the wetter weather is upon us.  Staff have been asked not to let students play on the ovals if they do not have a top or runners beginning next week to save a daily wash of uniforms for parents.

Mother’s Day Stall
Our FOSP parent group will also be holding a Mother’s Day Stall on Friday 7 May.  There will be gifts available from $1.00 to $10.00 and cards for 50c and students should bring a bag to take their gifts home in.  Students should bring their money early next week as there will be no ‘IOUs’.  I would like to thank Mrs Leighton and the parent helpers who have organised the stall and wish all the mums a very happy day on Sunday week.

School Photos
Annual school photos will be taken by Arthur Reed Photos on Friday 14 May.  Students in Years 3 to 6 must be in their formal uniform with their blazer, there will be no Year 3M, Year 4M PE or Years 5/6 Sport.  Family photos will be done this year and we will be in touch soon with the specific details for these.

There is no need to return any forms or money to school and no orders can be placed online prior to photo day.

Unique image codes will be issued to all students on/after photo day so families can register online to view images when they become available in the webshop.  Registration is simple, just follow the three simple steps on your child’s personalised flyer once you receive it and remember to add the codes for all your children attending this school.  Even if you registered last year, it is important that you register again for this year using your child’s 2021 image code.  This will link their images for the current year with your current contact details.

When images are ready to view and in the webshop, all parents who have registered will be notified by sms and email.  Once registered, please wait for notification that 2021 images are online to view before making your purchase.

Spalding Parent Information Session
Parents are invited to attend a Spalding information session to be held on Monday 17 May, 7:00 pm.  Please mark this in your calendar with more information to be sent to families soon.

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

WHAT’S ON

MAY
1 May  Open Day, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
3 May  Parent Prayer Group, 9:00 am
7 May  Mother’s Day Stall
11 May  NAPLAN Years 3 and 5
12 May  NAPLAN Years 3 and 5
13 May  NAPLAN Years 3 and 5
14 May  School Photos
St Paul’s Academy of Music, Kammer Konzert, Science Centre Lecture Theatre, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
18 May  Division Cross Country
19 May  National Simultaneous Storytime
26 May  Whole School Anniversary Service (to be confirmed)
27 May  ELC and Prep 2022 Discovery Morning

WARRAGUL AND DROUIN BUSES

• The Warragul Bus Network will not operate next Wednesday 5 May 2021 due to the Warragul Regional College having a pupil free professional development day.  This will affect all buses which interchange at Warragul Regional College.

• The Drouin Bus Network will not operate on Monday 10 May 2021 due to Drouin Secondary College having a student free day.  This will affect all government connecting buses running into Porter Place and Bennett Street.

The St Paul’s private bus network will all run as normal, with the exception of Bus 3.  Please ensure you have alternate travel arrangements in place on these days.

FREE WEBINAR ON CONSENT

In the next free ‘The Parents Website Webinars’, Elephant Ed will cover the topic of ‘Consent’ and help guide parents on how to start, and continue, the conversation at home.
Register here.

ESAFETY SESSIONS ABOUT PARENTAL INTERNET CONTROLS

The following information is from the Federal Government’s eSafety website.

Parents and carers will be shown how they can set up devices and apps to help kids and young people stay safe online during Term 2 webinars.

It is designed for parents and carers of children aged four to thirteen.

It will cover:
• the benefits and limitations of parental controls
• how to set up iOS and Android devices for safety
• how to set up popular games and apps like YouTube and Roblox for safety
• using family tech agreements and other parenting strategies to manage online risks
• how eSafety can help when things go wrong.

To register go to, https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars

Dates:  Tuesday 4 May 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, Wednesday 5 May 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, Thursday 6 May 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday 8 June 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm and Wednesday 16 June 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Each webinar will present the same content.

Term 3 sessions will be about online sexual harassment and image-based abuse.  In Term 4 the sessions will cover digital technologies and mental health.

NAPLAN TESTS

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2021 for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students will be held on Tuesday 11 May, Wednesday 12 May and Thursday 13 May 2021.  NAPLAN tests assess student knowledge and skills in Writing, Reading, Language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy.  The results of the tests provide information for students, parents, teachers and principals which can be used to improve student achievement.

All students are expected to participate in the NAPLAN tests.  During test week, catch-up tests will be available for individual students who are absent on test days.  These students may undertake catch-up tests on the days in the test week after the scheduled test, up to and including Friday 14 May 2021.

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

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

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

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

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

Lois Smethurst
Director of Learning and Teaching

ST PAUL’S EQUESTRIAN TEAM

St Paul’s Equestrian team members have been very busy competing recently.  Congratulations to the following riders on their recent results:
Tintern Grammar Interschool Horse Trials Championships

•  Amy Gotts-Wheeler (level – Eva95) 8th
•  Alana Shone (level – Eva95) 10th

Victorian Interschool State Championships

•  Liv Comben
Open show horse rider secondary – 4th
Open show horse ridden secondary – 12th
Open show horse led secondary – 7th
Overall Open show horse secondary – 7th

•  Tahlia Pursell
100 cm secondary one round table – 5th

•  Kate Joyce
Show jumping – 7th
Combined training – 7th

Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport – Warragul Campus

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Annual Fee Account
Families have been receiving monthly statements via email to keep them informed of fee balances.  If you have any queries in relation to your annual fee account, please contact Mr Peter Lees on 5623 5833.  As detailed on the second page of the account, payment options are:
Direct Debit:
All families are encouraged to participate in the School’s direct debit payment arrangement for fortnightly or monthly instalments.  Should families wish to commence payment by Direct Debit, please contact Mr Peter Lees, accountsreceivable@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au, as soon as possible to set up an arrangement.

Please find the direct debit form here, https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/enrolment/school-fees/

Instalments (due dates):
Instalment 1 – 12 February 2021
Instalment 2 – 9 April 2021
Instalment 3 – 4 June 2021
Instalment 4 – 13 August 2021

The second instalment was due on Friday 9 April.

Sundry Accounts
Term 1 sundry invoices for any co-curricular activities such as Performing Arts and VET Courses have been issued and are now overdue.  These invoices have fourteen day payment terms.

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://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/transport/Pages/conveyance.aspx

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 years invoice.

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments directly to the school for the benefit of the eligible student to attend camps, sports and excursions.  Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply.  $125 per year will be paid for eligible primary school students and $225 per year paid for eligible secondary school students.  Payments will go directly to the school and be tied to the student.  For more information and to download the application form please go to, https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately.  The CSEF program for 2021 closes at the end of Term 2.  All forms must be received by 15 June 2021 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2020 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2021), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2020 to 2021 on the CSEF system.  The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

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

Welcome to Term 2!  Students and teachers have eagerly returned to school with energy and focus for learning.  The beginning of term has been busy with lunchtime clubs starting and some special events to enjoy.

Our Years 4 to 6 students enjoyed a visit from St Kilda AFLW players and participated in a skills clinic to develop their football skills.  A Year 6 Parents and Students Book Club is being offered to families keen to extend their reading together.  Our Prep students enjoyed their first week of swimming lessons.  ELC students enjoyed the first sessions of Nature Kinder for the term and celebrated Earth Day.  We congratulated Stella O’Mara for competing in the Gippsland Region Tennis competition.

A highlight this week was gathering together and watching Phoebe Balcombe live on the big screen as she swam in the State Swimming Championships in Melbourne.  Our students were excited, loud and proud as Phoebe gave it her all placing third in the eleven year old girls 50 metre butterfly event.  Congratulations to Phoebe for this wonderful achievement!

We have welcomed Shareena Boyd to our Junior School Administration team.  She will be working hard over the next few weeks meeting students and parents and learning lots of new names.  Shareena has a background in school administration and also brings to her role a range of skills in marketing and hospitality and we are looking forward to her contributions to our team.

ANZAC Day Service
Both our Junior School and Secondary Schools joined together last Friday to participate in our ANZAC Day Service.  Students spent time in class lessons learning about ANZAC Day, sharing key information and stories and developing their understandings of this important date in our annual calendar.  Many thanks to Chloe and Harrison who also represented the Junior School at the Traralgon ANZAC Day service on Sunday.

The Ode
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

‘The Ode’ comes from ‘For the Fallen’, a poem by the English poet and writer Laurence Binyon and was published in London in ‘The Winnowing Fan: Poems of the Great War’ in 1914.  This verse, which became the ode for the Returned and Services League, has been used in association with commemoration services in Australia since 1921.

Helping Your Child Learn To Read
Parents are invited to attend our ‘Helping Your Child Learn to Read’ workshop which will be held on Tuesday 4 May from 9:30 am.  This is a repeat of the evening session held last term.  Feedback from our first workshop has been very positive and parents are encouraged to attend.  Information about the science of reading will be shared and parents will have the opportunity to participate in a number of activities to help build their understanding of strategies to assist their child.  Please register your attendance via the office.

“I just wanted to drop you a note to thank you for holding the fantastic workshop last night on Helping Your Child Learn to Read.  I found it incredibly helpful and very interesting, as well as being fun with much laughter 🙂  To be shown what our little ones are learning and how they are learning, as well as ways we can support them in their learning was so helpful.

Gaining an appreciation for what they are taking in each day and understanding the new information they are being shown and asked to assimilate into their learning and the way in which it is then systematically built on was fascinating.

Experiencing some of the learning modules gave us all a lot of laughs but also gave a fresh perspective on what it can feel like for our kiddos learning this all for the first time, and has inspired me to want to really understand and continue to learn the most effective ways to support my child’s learning to read journey in fun and helpful ways as you demonstrated last night – thank you all for taking the time to present this information to us and make it available to us in such a fun and engaging format in the library – it was really lovely sitting with all the other parents as we went through it together 🙂  With many thanks and great appreciation, Karen.”

“Thank you so much for facilitating the Helping Your Child Learn to Read workshop.  I felt so welcome and found it such an informative, enjoyable evening.  Not only did I learn so much valuable information, I felt I had many opportunities to really UNDERSTAND that information, and walk away with some practical applications to support my children’s learning outside of the classroom. It was great to see and experience (hands-on!) how our teachers are delivering ‘learn to read’ education in the classrooms, and library.  A walk in the children’s shoes!  I have a new level of awareness around how my children are learning these specific skills, and confidence moving forward with some tools in my back pocket to share the learning with them.  Tracey your passion is contagious!  I’m having such a wonderful time watching, and helping, the children learn to read!  Leanne.”

Mother’s Day Celebration Evening
We are very excited to be celebrating Mother’s Day with a special evening event on Thursday 6 May.  Families are invited to join us at school and participate in a selection of relaxing and enjoyable activities.  Students are encouraged to bring along their Mum or a special person who is important in their lives.

NAPLAN
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2021 for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students will be held on Tuesday 11 May, Wednesday 12 May and Thursday 13 May 2021.  NAPLAN tests assess student knowledge and skills in Writing, Reading, Language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy.  The results of the tests provide information for students, parents, teachers and principals which can be used to improve student achievement.

All students are expected to participate in the NAPLAN tests.  During test week, catch-up tests will be available for individual students who are absent on test days.  These students may undertake catch-up tests on the days in the test week after the scheduled test, up to and including Friday 14 May 2021.

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

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

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

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

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

Reminders for parents
•  Please take a few minutes each week to access our school’s MyStPauls portal and read the information which is posted on the Traralgon Junior School pages and your child’s classroom parent page.  MyStPauls contains important information about special events, classroom programs and learning and assessment.
•  As we head towards winter and the weather becomes chilly and damp please be mindful that we are remaining conscious of sensible hygiene practices and ask for parent support in ensuring our school reduces illness by keeping students home who are unwell.
•  Please drive carefully through the Junior School carpark and be mindful of our precious children at drop off and pick up times.  Your cooperation in keeping our community safe is appreciated.

Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School

WHAT’S ON

MAY
1 May  Open Day, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
3 May  Prep Swimming
District Cross Country
4 May  Prep Swimming
5 May  Prep Swimming
Year 1 Excursion to Old Gippstown
6 May  Prep Swimming
Mother’s Day pamper evening
7 May  Prep Swimming
Mother’s Day Stall
Division Cross Country
14 May  St Paul’s Academy of Music, Kammer Konzert, Warragul Secondary School, Science Centre Lecture Theatre, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

FREE WEBINAR ON CONSENT

In the next free ‘The Parents Website Webinars’, Elephant Ed will cover the topic of ‘Consent’ and help guide parents on how to start, and continue, the conversation at home.
Register here.

ESAFETY SESSIONS ABOUT PARENTAL INTERNET CONTROLS

The following information is from the Federal Government’s eSafety website.

Parents and carers will be shown how they can set up devices and apps to help kids and young people stay safe online during Term 2 webinars.

It is designed for parents and carers of children aged four to thirteen.

It will cover:
• the benefits and limitations of parental controls
• how to set up iOS and Android devices for safety
• how to set up popular games and apps like YouTube and Roblox for safety
• using family tech agreements and other parenting strategies to manage online risks
• how eSafety can help when things go wrong.

To register go to, https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars

Dates:  Tuesday 4 May 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, Wednesday 5 May 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, Thursday 6 May 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday 8 June 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm and Wednesday 16 June 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Each webinar will present the same content.

Term 3 sessions will be about online sexual harassment and image-based abuse.  In Term 4 the sessions will cover digital technologies and mental health.

SPORT CALENDAR AND PE UPDATE

State Swimming Carnival
This past Monday Phoebe Balcombe competed at the School Sports Victoria State Swimming Championships at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.  Phoebe swam in the eleven year old girls 50 metre butterfly event.  The whole Junior School watched the event live on YouTube and cheered her on from the gym.  Students made signs and banners and cheered their lungs out as Phoebe gave it her all in her race.  Phoebe finished in third place, winning a bronze medal with a time of 36.97.  Congratulations Phoebe!

AFLW Clinic 
On Tuesday morning the Traralgon Junior School welcomed two AFLW players from the St Kilda Football Club who ran football clinics with our Years 4, 5 and 6 students.  Key forward Caitlin Greiser, 2020 AFLW leading goal kicker and All Australian, and Midfielder Georgia Patrikios, 2021 All Australian, coached the students how to handball and kick in pairs.  The students then practised some goal kicking and finished the session with a question and answer time with the players.  The students had a great time learning skills from the professionals and it was very worthwhile for them to engage with some elite athletes up close and personal.

Gippsland Tennis
Congratulations to Stella O’Mara who competed in the Gippsland Region Tennis competition on Wednesday.  She played well against tough competition and represented our Junior School with pride and determination.

District Athletics
The last week of Term 1 was a busy one for sport with fifty-six students representing St Paul’s at the Traralgon District Athletics Carnival.  As a team the Junior School finished fifth overall for the event.  Well done to all the students involved.

Cross Country
Our Junior School Cross Country event was also held at the end of Term 1 with a very close competition and final point tally.  Burgundy on sixty-eight points, Navy on ninety points and tied for first place were Emerald and Gold on one hundred and eight points each.

Fastest Class in the School Challenge
This challenge was done in PE by every class.  Each class ran as many eighty-six metre laps as they could in five minutes.  The laps were counted and many tricky equations were done to make sure all classes no matter the size of the class or the length of the students’ legs, were able to participate fairly.  The class with the most average steps per student is the winner.  The winning class gets to keep the trophy in their room until the next challenge.  Congratulations to 4S who are our Term 1 winning class!

Mr Billy Rilen
Physical Education Teacher

ST PAUL’S EQUESTRIAN TEAM

St Paul’s Equestrian team members have been very busy competing recently.  Congratulations to the following riders on their recent results:
Tintern Grammar Interschool Horse Trials Championships

•  Amy Gotts-Wheeler (level – Eva95) 8th
•  Alana Shone (level – Eva95) 10th

Victorian Interschool State Championships

•  Liv Comben
Open show horse rider secondary – 4th
Open show horse ridden secondary – 12th
Open show horse led secondary – 7th
Overall Open show horse secondary – 7th

•  Tahlia Pursell
100 cm secondary one round table – 5th

•  Kate Joyce
Show jumping – 7th
Combined training – 7th

Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport – Warragul Campus

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Annual Fee Account
Families have been receiving monthly statements via email to keep them informed of fee balances.  If you have any queries in relation to your annual fee account, please contact Mr Peter Lees on 5623 5833.  As detailed on the second page of the account, payment options are:
Direct Debit:
All families are encouraged to participate in the School’s direct debit payment arrangement for fortnightly or monthly instalments.  Should families wish to commence payment by Direct Debit, please contact Mr Peter Lees, accountsreceivable@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au, as soon as possible to set up an arrangement.

Please find the direct debit form here, https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/enrolment/school-fees/

Instalments (due dates):
Instalment 1 – 12 February 2021
Instalment 2 – 9 April 2021
Instalment 3 – 4 June 2021
Instalment 4 – 13 August 2021

The second instalment was due on Friday 9 April.

Sundry Accounts
Term 1 sundry invoices for any co-curricular activities such as Performing Arts and VET Courses have been issued and are now overdue.  These invoices have fourteen day payment terms.

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://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/transport/Pages/conveyance.aspx

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 years invoice.

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments directly to the school for the benefit of the eligible student to attend camps, sports and excursions.  Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply.  $125 per year will be paid for eligible primary school students and $225 per year paid for eligible secondary school students.  Payments will go directly to the school and be tied to the student.  For more information and to download the application form please go to, https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately.  The CSEF program for 2021 closes at the end of Term 2.  All forms must be received by 15 June 2021 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2020 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2021), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2020 to 2021 on the CSEF system.  The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

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

Year 12 Gala Ball
Last year our Year 11 students were unable to participate in the annual Presentation Ball due to COVID-19.  At the time it was disappointing, as was the loss of many events due to the pandemic.  As we began 2021 and quickly went back into a snap lockdown, the restrictions on events such as the Presentation Ball remained prohibitive.  In consultation with our Year 12 cohort, we decided to run a Gala Ball on campus as a replacement.  An event on our own school grounds with only staff and students allowed us to avoid many of the restrictions which were in place such as dance floor limits.  The students chose the theme ‘Black and White’ so those who had purchased dresses and suits for the original ball could still wear them.  The Year 12 Common Room was transformed into a Gala Ball venue and our Year 12 students were entertained by musical performances from members of their cohort and then carved up the dancefloor while DJ Alessio Fenech (Class of 2021) spun the tunes until late into the night.  It was a wonderful evening and we must acknowledge and thank all of the students and staff for their effort and preparation which made the evening such a success.

ANZAC Service
On Friday 23 April the Secondary School was joined by our Years 2 to 5 Junior School students for our annual school-based ANZAC Service.  Led by student leaders from across both sub-schools it was a reflective and reverent service to mark this occasion.  On Sunday 25 April our School Captains Alice Greenall and Liam Lenders marched with Mr Herbert at the Warragul ANZAC Service.  Alice was also bestowed with the honour of reciting the ANZAC requiem and both School Captains were outstanding representing our school at such an important occasion.

At our secondary assembly yesterday, we continued to acknowledge the ANZAC tradition by hearing from Class of 2000 Alumnus Chris King.  Chris kindly recorded a video message explaining to us what ANZAC Day means to him.  Since leaving St Paul’s, Chris served for twelve years in the Australian Army, six of those years he was with the Special Forces and deployed on multiple occasions to both East Timor and Afghanistan.  Chris spoke of the proud history of his family serving in the Defence Forces with his father serving in the Army during the Vietnam War, his grandfather a member of the Navy and serving during World War II and his great-grandfather serving on the Western Front in France during World War I.  When talking and thinking about ANZAC Day, Chris said, it brings with it the full spectrum of emotions as he reflects on those who have previously and currently serve in the Australian Defence Forces and the incredibly dangerous situations they have had to face.  He reminded us that it is these servicemen and servicewomen who have provided aid and protected those who are vulnerable.  Chris spends much of ANZAC Day thinking and giving thanks to all of these servicemen and servicewomen and especially to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.  It was a fitting reminder to us all that their sacrifice has allowed us to live with the safety and freedom that we take for granted each day.  Many of our students choose the Australian Defence Force as their pathway beyond St Paul’s.  We are incredibly proud of them all and thank Chris very much for taking the time to record his message and sharing with us what ANZAC Day means to him.

COVID-19 and Hygiene
As winter approaches and with it comes the cold and flu season, we are making a concerted effort to remind our students to continue the good hygiene practices that we adopted during 2020.  Masks are no longer mandated unless social distancing cannot be maintained but they must be worn on buses to and from school and when students are attending excursions because they are considered public transport.  We are also encouraging our students to wash their hands thoroughly, cough into their elbows and regularly use hand sanitiser.  Last year the School installed an automatic hand sanitiser dispenser into every classroom and common space and using these should reduce the impact of colds and flu on our community this year.

We ask that families keep any students home who are exhibiting cold and flu symptoms and get tested for COVID-19.  We still require you to notify the school if your child or children are being tested so we can accurately maintain our COVID-19 testing register.

Some colds and flu are inevitable during the winter months but if we remain vigilant, we can greatly reduce the effect on our whole community.

Student Absentees
The parent/guardian of any absent student should contact the School to notify of the student’s absence, preferably by 9:30 am.  We ask that parents use one of the following methods to notify the School of an absence:
Email: StaffStudentServices@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au
SMS notification: 0429 723 147
Phone:  5623 5833

When the student returns to school, a note indicating the date/s and reason for absence should be sent with the student to hand to their Mentor.  If this information has been provided in the email, text or phone message then the note is not required.  Parents will receive an SMS on their mobile after 9:30 am if their student is absent with no notification.

Ms Laura Butterworth
Head of Warragul Secondary School

WHAT’S ON

MAY
1 May  Open Day, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
2 May  Sport Aerobics Regional Qualifiers, Performing Arts Centre, Rowville Secondary College, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm
3 May  Year 11 Biology Healesville Sanctuary Excursion, 8:45 am to 3:15 pm
4 May  Studio Concert, DT Parker Centre and Science Centre Lecture Theatre, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
5 May  Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium – Dance Studio, 6:55 am to 8:30 am
6 May  SEISA Junior Winter Sport, Round 1
‘Women of Troy’, performed by Eagle Nest Theatre, Year 12 English students, Science Centre Lecture Theatre, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
6 and 7 May  Units 3 and 4 Theatre Studies Performance, DT Parker Centre, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
10 May  Combined SEISA Victorian Sports Association Swimming Championships, Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC)
11 to 13 May  NAPLAN, Years 7 and 9
12 May  Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium – Dance Studio, 6:55 am to 8:30 am
13 May  House Cross Country
14 May  Year 9 Financial Advisers Workshop, Year 9 Centre, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
St Paul’s Academy of Music, Kammer Konzert, Rehearsal, Science Centre Lecture Theatre, 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
St Paul’s Academy of Music, Kammer Konzert, Science Centre Lecture Theatre, 7:00 pm to 8:30 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.

WARRAGUL AND DROUIN BUSES

• The Warragul Bus Network will not operate next Wednesday 5 May 2021 due to the Warragul Regional College having a pupil free professional development day.  This will affect all buses which interchange at Warragul Regional College.

• The Drouin Bus Network will not operate on Monday 10 May 2021 due to Drouin Secondary College having a student free day.  This will affect all government connecting buses running into Porter Place and Bennett Street.

The St Paul’s private bus network will all run as normal, with the exception of Bus 3.  Please ensure you have alternate travel arrangements in place on these days.

FREE WEBINAR ON CONSENT

In the next free ‘The Parents Website Webinars’, Elephant Ed will cover the topic of ‘Consent’ and help guide parents on how to start, and continue, the conversation at home.
Register here.

ESAFETY SESSIONS ABOUT PARENTAL INTERNET CONTROLS

The following information is from the Federal Government’s eSafety website.

Parents and carers will be shown how they can set up devices and apps to help kids and young people stay safe online during Term 2 webinars.

It is designed for parents and carers of children aged four to thirteen.

It will cover:
• the benefits and limitations of parental controls
• how to set up iOS and Android devices for safety
• how to set up popular games and apps like YouTube and Roblox for safety
• using family tech agreements and other parenting strategies to manage online risks
• how eSafety can help when things go wrong.

To register go to, https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars

Dates:  Tuesday 4 May 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, Wednesday 5 May 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, Thursday 6 May 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday 8 June 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm and Wednesday 16 June 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Each webinar will present the same content.

Term 3 sessions will be about online sexual harassment and image-based abuse.  In Term 4 the sessions will cover digital technologies and mental health.

NAPLAN TESTS

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2021 for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students will be held on Tuesday 11 May, Wednesday 12 May and Thursday 13 May 2021.  NAPLAN tests assess student knowledge and skills in Writing, Reading, Language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy.  The results of the tests provide information for students, parents, teachers and principals which can be used to improve student achievement.

All students are expected to participate in the NAPLAN tests.  During test week, catch-up tests will be available for individual students who are absent on test days.  These students may undertake catch-up tests on the days in the test week after the scheduled test, up to and including Friday 14 May 2021.

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

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

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

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

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

Bruno Testa
Director of Studies

RETURN TO SEISA FOR 2021

After SEISA was cancelled for much of 2020 due to COVID-19, it was exciting to see the return of sport for Term 1.  Whilst it was disappointing that the short lockdown period meant that finals were not played at least our main rounds were able to be played this year!

The following teams represented St Paul’s in Term 1 SEISA:
•  Senior Boys Cricket
•  Years 9 to 12 Girls Softball
•  Years 9 to 12 Boys Tennis
•  Years 9 to 12 Girls Tennis
•  Intermediate Girls Netball
•  Senior Girls Netball
•  Intermediate Boys Basketball
•  Senior Boys Basketball

It was a successful competition with the Intermediate Girls Netball ‘B’ team being awarded the overall title for Term 1 SEISA.  The Senior Boys Basketball team, Boys Tennis ‘B’ team and the Girls Tennis team all finished runners up.

The following students should be congratulated on achieving the ‘Most Valuable Player’ for their respective teams in summer SEISA competition.  This is decided on a number of factors, including demonstrating our St Paul’s values, player performance and sportsmanship:
Senior Boys Cricket – Rhys Galvin
Years 9 to 12 Girls Softball – Anneka Pellett
Years 9 to 12 Boys Tennis – Sterling Holman
Years 9 to 12 Girls Tennis – Mia McCrohan
Intermediate Girls Netball – Pippa Cook and Asha Nightingale
Senior Girls Netball – Myah Healey
Intermediate Boys Basketball – Lachlan Giliam
Senior Boys Basketball – Thomas Crole

All students who represented St Paul’s in Term 1 SEISA played exceptionally well and should be proud of their efforts.  A big thank you to all staff who coached our teams and we are looking forward to SEISA in Term 2.

Senior Boys Cricket team.

Years 9 to 12 Boys Tennis team.

SEISA ATHLETICS

On Thursday 22 April, students from St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School travelled to the Casey Fields Athletics Centre to compete in the annual SEISA Athletics Carnival.  All students had a successful day and represented our school to a high level against Newhaven College, Gippsland Grammar, Beaconhills Berwick and Beaconhills Pakenham.

St Paul’s placed second overall to Gippsland Grammar, showing testament to the commitment and effort demonstrated by all students across many track and field events, each contributing to our overall success.

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded Age Champion:
Mia McCrohan – Under 17 Female Champion
Sam Treasure – Under 21 Male Champion

All students who placed in an individual track and field event will be offered the opportunity to represent St Paul’s in the Victorian All Schools Track and Field Championships later in the year.  This will be a weekend event.

Running, Mia McCrohan: Under 17 Age Champion.

Long Jump: Etse Imhagwe.

ST PAUL’S EQUESTRIAN TEAM

St Paul’s Equestrian team members have been very busy competing recently.  Congratulations to the following riders on their recent results:
Tintern Grammar Interschool Horse Trials Championships

•  Amy Gotts-Wheeler (level – Eva95) 8th
•  Alana Shone (level – Eva95) 10th

Victorian Interschool State Championships

•  Liv Comben
Open show horse rider secondary – 4th
Open show horse ridden secondary – 12th
Open show horse led secondary – 7th
Overall Open show horse secondary – 7th

•  Tahlia Pursell
100 cm secondary one round table – 5th

•  Kate Joyce
Show jumping – 7th
Combined training – 7th

WHAT’S ON IN TERM 2 SPORT

•  SEISA Sport Aerobics Regional Qualifiers, Sunday 2 May
Selection process:  Student sign ups completed in Term 1.  Weekly training each Wednesday morning.  Qualification event for the Sport Aerobics State Finals.  Event information has been distributed to families via Consent2Go.

•  SEISA Junior Competition, Thursday 3 May (BYE), Thursday 20 May, Thursday 27 May, Thursday 3 June, Thursday 10 June and Thursday 17 June (finals).
Selection process:  Student sign ups completed in Term 1 in addition to trials completed on Thursday 1 April.  Weekly logistics (travel arrangements) will be published on the MyStPauls Sport page each Friday.  Training information, fixtures and results will also be published regularly on the MyStPauls Sport page.

•  Victorian Sports Associations Championships – Swimming, Monday 10 May
Selection process:  SEISA Swim Carnival.  Event information has been distributed to families via Consent2Go.

•  House Cross Country, Thursday 13 May
More information released in coming weeks.  Participation for house points.  If students choose to represent St Paul’s in the Cross Country team, the House Cross Country event is also a qualification event for the SEISA Cross Country event and the Victorian All School Cross Country Championships.  These additional events are in Term 3.

•  SEISA Sport Aerobics State Finals, Saturday 5 June
*must qualify first, this event is based on the qualification from the Regional event.
Selection process:  Student sign ups completed in Term 1.  Weekly training each Wednesday morning.  Event information will be distributed to families via Consent2Go.

Other Term 2 Sport Information
All key sporting event information is published regularly on the MyStPauls Sport page.  Students and families must be checking this page to keep informed.

During mentor time later in Term 2, all Years 9 to 12 students will have an opportunity to sign up for Term 3 SEISA.
Trials for these teams are scheduled for Term 3:
•  Intermediate AFL Football
•  Senior AFL Football
•  Senior Boys Hockey
•  Senior Girls Hockey
•  Intermediate Girls Basketball
•  Senior Girls Basketball
•  AFLW (Years 9 to 12)
•  Intermediate Girls Soccer
•  Intermediate Boys Soccer
•  Senior Girls Soccer
•  Senior Boys Soccer

During Term 3, St Paul’s compete in the Victorian Netball Championships (girls and boys netball).  Students will have the opportunity to sign up and trial for this event in the coming weeks.

Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport – Warragul Campus

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Annual Fee Account
Families have been receiving monthly statements via email to keep them informed of fee balances.  If you have any queries in relation to your annual fee account, please contact Mr Peter Lees on 5623 5833.  As detailed on the second page of the account, payment options are:
Direct Debit:
All families are encouraged to participate in the School’s direct debit payment arrangement for fortnightly or monthly instalments.  Should families wish to commence payment by Direct Debit, please contact Mr Peter Lees, accountsreceivable@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au, as soon as possible to set up an arrangement.

Please find the direct debit form here, https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/enrolment/school-fees/

Instalments (due dates):
Instalment 1 – 12 February 2021
Instalment 2 – 9 April 2021
Instalment 3 – 4 June 2021
Instalment 4 – 13 August 2021

The second instalment was due on Friday 9 April.

Sundry Accounts
Term 1 sundry invoices for any co-curricular activities such as Performing Arts and VET Courses have been issued and are now overdue.  These invoices have fourteen day payment terms.

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://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/transport/Pages/conveyance.aspx

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 years invoice.

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments directly to the school for the benefit of the eligible student to attend camps, sports and excursions.  Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply.  $125 per year will be paid for eligible primary school students and $225 per year paid for eligible secondary school students.  Payments will go directly to the school and be tied to the student.  For more information and to download the application form please go to, https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form immediately.  The CSEF program for 2021 closes at the end of Term 2.  All forms must be received by 15 June 2021 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2020 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2021), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2020 to 2021 on the CSEF system.  The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES – WHY TEACH CHRISTIAN STUDIES?

“Why do we even have to know this?” said almost every student at some point in their time at school.  Some may have been referring to Shakespeare, others to Trigonometry or the process of Halogenation.  As a Christian Studies teacher I hear this question regularly in relation to the Bible and Christian belief.  There is a strongly held and often vocally expressed perception amongst some students that Australians have long since moved on from religion and only the tiniest minority of the population still cling to those outdated beliefs.  It is not surprising that many young people hold on to this perception.  It has been the popular narrative in Australian culture for a while and is often presented as an incontrovertible fact.  Unfortunately for those who wish it were true, the perception of Christianity as a rejected and irrelevant worldview does not stand up to any sort of scrutiny.  Firstly, while it is true that Christian affiliation is declining in Australia, according to the 2016 census just over fifty-two per cent of Australians still classify themselves as Christian.  Even if this number does continue to fall, it is hard to argue that half the population constitutes a minority.  Add to this the growing number of Australians who indicated a religion other than Christianity and Australia looks a lot more religious than the popular narrative would have us believe.  And while religious affiliation appears to be declining in Australia, it is growing globally with eighty-four per cent of the world’s population identifying with a religious group.

But numbers by themselves are not really the most important argument here.  They simply serve to correct a misconception.  A more important reason to teach students about Christianity, the Bible and the person of Jesus is because of the profound impact they have had on our culture and values.  Acclaimed British writer and historian, Tom Holland (not the actor who played Spiderman – the other Tom Holland!) claims that “Christianity has revolutionised our posture towards everything: be it religion, sex, power, love, or people, our secular age remains instinctually Christian.”  Describing himself as philosophically agnostic, Holland is not writing as a Christian but his book ‘Dominion’ explores the place of Christianity in shaping the Western mind, and his point is simple: we are all kind of Christian now.  He points to our respect for the virtue of humility, our ‘veneration of love as the chief end of life and our compass point for ethics’ and our belief in the entitlement of every person to dignity and rights as all finding their origins and roots in Christianity.  When ideas, values, assumptions and beliefs become embedded in our culture and psyche it is easy to lose sight of their origins.  They become the air we breathe and the water we drink.  We do not even question them – they are simply there.  Until they are challenged!  So if we still think that humility is a worthy quality in people, if we still think that love and compassion for others should drive our ethical decisions and if we still think that every person is entitled to equal dignity and rights, then we had better make sure we understand where these beliefs came from.  As the historian Margaret McMillan has said: “We use history to understand ourselves, and we ought to use it to understand others.”  If we are talking about us here in the West, we cannot avoid Christ and the Christian movement, for better or for worse.  This is a far more compelling reason for all our students, regardless of their religious belief or disbelief, to learn about the person of Jesus and the Christian faith which has so profoundly shaped the society we live in today.  It may just help us see ourselves and each other through different eyes.

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain

Autumn is certainly a beautiful time of year in Gippsland, and we have been blessed with a run of sunny days as we head into our Open Day weekend.  This year, prospective families have been required to book school tours because of COVID-19 restrictions, and the number of bookings at the time of writing this article is extremely pleasing at both campuses in Warragul and Traralgon.

The past two weeks have been a very pleasing commencement to Term 2, with an array of activities occurring amidst the busy learning program at each sub-school.  At this time last year, we were not able to engage in these things, and I sense a greater degree of appreciation than usual in being able to do so now, as a result.  This fortnight’s activities have included Junior School camps, various class excursions, ANZAC services, athletics carnivals, a music festival and the Year 12 Gala Ball.

I was delighted to be able to join a large group of our secondary musicians at the South Eastern Independent Schools Association (SEISA) Music Festival on Tuesday 27 April.  This event was held at the West Gippsland Arts Centre, a change in venue for 2021.  The event enabled St Paul’s musicians to collaborate with students from Beaconhills College, Gippsland Grammar School and Newhaven College under the direction of music staff from each school and our guest artist, Paul Jarman, who is a well-known Australian composer and dynamic music educator.  I have known Paul for over ten years, having worked with him on the Gold Coast in 2011 and having commissioned him to compose a school song for my previous school in Western Australia.  I have the utmost respect for Paul and it was an absolute delight to see him sharing his talents with our students this week at the SEISA Music Festival in Warragul.

It was also a great pleasure for me to attend the SEISA Interschool Athletics Carnival last week at Casey Fields Regional Athletics Centre.  Having struggled in recent years to avoid the wooden spoon, St Paul’s excelled and finished in a very creditable second place overall.  I congratulate our athletes and staff from both campuses for this outstanding effort.  Our Athletics Captains, Neisha Ablett and Zoe Phillips, led the way superbly, and are thanked for the great support they provided for our Heads of Sport, Ms Melissa Hoskings and Mrs Sandra Timmer-Arends.

Perhaps the highlight for Year 12, however, was the Gala Ball on Saturday 24 April.  There was tremendous esprit de corps in evidence, and I thank everyone involved in the organisation of the event for an outstanding effort.

I wish everyone well for the month of May, and for sustained enjoyment and success during Term 2.

Cameron Herbert
Principal