Traralgon Junior School

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

We have moved into Week 4 with continued activity and a number of special events.

Our Mother’s Day event was well attended and enjoyed by all.  Our students enjoyed sharing a range of activities with mum or a special friend.  There were plants potted, fingernails painted, gratitude notes written, mindfulness and yoga enjoyed, coasters drawn, necklaces threaded and massages given.  The atmosphere was just lovely and it was delightful to watch families interacting and spending some special time together.  Our evening finished with the drawing of the FOSP Mother’s Day raffle and four lucky families took home stunning gift hampers.  Many thanks to everyone involved; particularly to our teachers for organising such a wonderful evening.  Our FOSP team outdid themselves this year with their Mother’s Day contributions organising the raffle and gift stall for students.  Gifts were carefully sourced, beautiful and I am sure were appreciated by many.

After a quick four-day turn around students and Mr Rilen travelled to Gaskin Park in Churchill for the Latrobe Valley Division Cross Country event on Friday 7 May.  Six students ran on what was a beautiful sunny day for cross country running.  Congratulations to Gracie Hasthorpe (1st place) and Isaiah Clavarino (6th place) who have qualified for the Gippsland Region Cross Country event on Thursday 10 June at Lardner Park in Warragul.

There has been quite a lot of excitement in our Prep rooms with the hatching of baby chicks.  Students have been eagerly awaiting the first cracks of shells and fascinated with the hatching of the adorable bundles of fluff.

Last Wednesday, the Year 1 classes stepped back in time when they went on their long-awaited excursion to Old Gippstown Heritage Park.  They had a fabulous time experiencing what school life was like in the past and comparing this to their own experience at school in the present.  Students had the opportunity to play many games from the past, enjoying games such as quoits, tug of war, skipping, sack races and skittles.  The students were so excited to see so many of the every day items that we had talked about and seen pictures of in class!  We think this is an excursion that all who were involved will remember for years to come!

This week we started our ‘Give a Damn Give a Can’ fundraising event with Rotary.  All students are encouraged to bring some donations of non perishable food in cans.  Our classes will be having a competition between each other to see how many cans can be donated.  This is an annual fundraiser which supports our local community in a meaningful and very much needed way.

This week has seen our Years 3 and 5 students engaged in NAPLAN.  As children progress through their school years, it is very important that checks are made along the way to see how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and mathematics – skills that will set them on the path to success as adults.

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.

Our students have completed these assessments with focus and determination to do their best and can feel proud of their efforts this week.  I would like to highlight to parents that NAPLAN does not assess everything about your child and whilst learning essential academic skills are a priority for every child, it is important to also consider and value the qualities and other knowledge and skills a child has outside of these academic areas.  Every student is exceptional and unique and has specific passions and attributes.  The scores students receive from the NAPLAN test will show how well they have completed the tests on the day but they will not tell everything about your child or how special they are.

Department of Education and Training – Excursion Attendance Form for Contact Tracing
I would like to bring to the attention of families that the Department of Education and Training requires all Victorian schools to implement the use of an excursion attendance form for contact tracing purposes. This means that an electronic or hard copy of the form is provided to the excursion venue at the time of the excursion. The details provided to the excursion venue are: School’s details, staff contacts, student names and a parent contact number.  The School will complete the form.

All excursion venues are responsible for managing record-keeping for contact tracing in line with the current health directives. In the rare event that the excursion venue is identified as an exposed site, the Department of Health will contact individuals listed on the excursion attendance form to carry out contact tracing.

It is important to note that the excursion attendance form for contact tracing is in addition to the School’s normal process of using Consent2Go, where consent for your child to attend an excursion is noted.

Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School

 

WHAT’S ON

MAY
14 May  St Paul’s Academy of Music, Kammer Konzert, Warragul Secondary School, Science Centre Lecture Theatre, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
18 May  Years 1, 2 and 3 Author Visit
19 May  National Simultaneous Storytime
Years 5 and 6 Winter Sports
20 May  ELC PJs and Teddy Bear Picnic
Years 1, 2 and 3 Author Visit
24 May  Performing Arts Concert
25 May  Division Winter Sports
26 May  National Sorry Day
27 May  ELC and Prep Discovery Morning
28 May  Reconciliation Day

JUNE
4 June  STUDENT FREE DAY

FREE WEBINAR

‘Helping our kids through tricky times’ with Andrew Fuller
The Parents Website is hosting a free webinar conducted by Clinical Psychologist, Andrew Fuller, to discuss how tricky behaviours in kids of all ages can be broken down into easily recognisable traits and how they can be translated into strengths.

Free Webinar: Helping our kids through tricky times with Andrew Fuller
When: Thursday 20 May 2021
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Capacity is limited and registrations are essential.  Register here now!
Andrew recommends preparing for the webinar by undertaking the mylearningstrengths.com analysis.
Please note this webinar will not be recorded.

 

‘LITTLE LEGENDS’

On Thursday 29 April, Years 2 to 4 students from Warragul Junior School joined our Traralgon students in a special session with authors of ‘Little Legends’ Adrian Beck and Nicole Hayes, along with the book’s Illustrator, James Hart.

The authors talked about how they met, how much they all love AFL and how they created their characters by ‘squishing’ the best of people they know into the character.

The group held a very funny quiz session with students and teachers and James led a drawing session which the students loved.  Adrian also held a small writing workshop for some students later in the day.

It was wonderful to see the students eagerly lining up to purchase books and have their books signed by the creative group.  It was even more fantastic to have an event with both Junior Schools.

The visit was a result of a donation the school had made last year to “Authors for Fireys”, an initiative that was established in the wake of the 2019/2020 bushfires.  Many authors donated signed books, visits, writer services and experiences as part of an online auction, with all proceeds going towards firefighters.

Traralgon Junior School student, Hayley, spoke on behalf of her mum (Captain of the Traralgon CFA) to thank the school for the donation and advise that the money went towards a thermal imaging camera that is used to ensure that hot spots are tracked and extinguished.

Hayley Loeschenkohl on stage with authors Adrian Beck, Nicole Hayes and Illustrator of Little Legends James Hart, and St Paul’s Librarian Mrs Susan O’Malley.

Authors Adrian Beck, Nicole Hayes and Illustrator of Little Legends James Hart on stage in the Traralgon Junior School gymnasium.

Tyrone Ke, Evelyn Brady and Jessica Spence.

Fraser Rong, Jake Vu, Jayden Tran and Hayley Loeschenkohl.

Sophie Dodd and Ashlyn Bugeja in a drawing session conducted by James Hart.

Ryan Stockil and Fraser Rong.

Susan O’Malley
Librarian

 

PREP STUDENTS LEARNING ABOUT LIVING THINGS

During the Humanities sessions in the Prep classrooms, the students have been learning about the important characteristics that help classify if something is living or non-living.  They have been lucky enough to have some little visitors in their classrooms this week and this has highlighted the different needs to help living things survive.  The students will be monitoring the incubator for six days and watching little chicks hatch out of their eggs.  They will be using the baby chicks as inspiration for writing and Maths learning in the classroom, as well as being supported by their Year 4 buddies, to understand what a life cycle is and how it applies to living things.  They are looking forward to watching these little chicks grow and develop in front of their eyes.
Jayne Price
Prep Classroom Teacher

Traralgon Secondary School

From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School, Mr Brad McCabe. Dear Parents and Guardians, It is an expectation that all our students wear the St …

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Traralgon Secondary School

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

Dear Parents and Guardians,

It is an expectation that all our students wear the St Paul’s uniform proudly and correctly as there are many benefits to this.  Here are some examples:
1.  School Spirit
One of the best ways to have students develop a sense of pride for their school is to have them wear their uniform each school day correctly and respectfully.  By having every student wear the same set of clothes correctly, we can encourage a sense of unity, much like a sporting team, so that all students know they are part of the St Paul’s community.
2.  Improves Discipline
The school uniform helps to establish a sense of discipline amongst students, helping them to respect and obey rules is an important life skill.  The importance of obeying and respecting rules can also be connected to road rules, household rules and sporting rules, each needing to be obeyed and respected.
3.  Helps to Establish Routine
When students wear a uniform, they have an easier time getting ready for school in the morning.  There is no need to pick out an outfit, therefore getting dressed more quickly and with less stress helping families get ready easier during their household morning rush.
4.  Dress for Success
Students need to learn the importance of dressing appropriately for each situation they encounter, such as job interviews, outdoor adventure or a celebratory event such as a wedding.  Assigning a uniform helps teach them this.
5.  Creative Expression
When students cannot vary their clothes, they have to find other ways to express themselves, which helps them to think more creatively in other areas such as story writing, problem-solving in mathematics and scientific exploration and research.
6.  Soaring Student Expectations
Wearing the school uniform correctly helps students have a higher opinion of themselves, giving them the confidence to perform better in their learning, including assessments, exams and classroom tasks.

Uniform Policy
Here is a snippet from the School’s Uniform Policy relating to the Secondary School formal winter uniform for Terms 2 and 3:
Girls’ formal/winter uniform (compulsory Terms 2 and 3)
•  St Paul’s regulation tartan skirt or winter pants
•  St Paul’s regulation white shirt, top button done up
•  St Paul’s regulation girl’s maroon tie (Year 12: Optional blue tie with thin gold/maroon stripes)
•  Blue jumper with School crest* (The maroon jumper will be phased out by the start of 2023.  Students can still wear it until then).
•  St Paul’s regulation blazer (must be worn to and from school)
•  Black leather school shoes (lace up shoes must be worn with pants)
•  Navy knee length socks or navy cotton blend or sheer and silky opaque tights
•  Navy or maroon plain scarf (scarves are not to be worn to assemblies)

Boys’ formal/winter uniform (compulsory Terms 2 and 3)
•  Grey long trousers (worn with black belt)
•  St Paul’s regulation white shirt, top button done up and shirt tucked in at all times
•  St Paul’s blue tie with wide gold/maroon stripe
•  Blue jumper with School crest* (The maroon jumper will be phased out by the start of 2023. Students can still wear it until then).
•  St Paul’s regulation blazer (must be worn to and from school)
•  Black leather school shoes
•  Dark grey marl socks
•  Navy or maroon plain scarf (scarves are not to be worn to assemblies)

Hairstyle and Grooming
•  Girls must tie their hair back with a plain dark blue, burgundy or white ribbon, or a plain band in one of these colours
•  Neither girls nor boys may have hair styles which are extremes of fashion in terms of length, style or colour.  Boys hair must be above the collar at all times, or tied back neatly.
•  Beards and moustaches are not permitted.  Boys must be clean shaven at all times.

Jewellery and Makeup
•  No visible jewellery may be worn except for wrist watches.  Girls only may wear one small, plain (gold or silver) sleeper or stud in the lobe of each ear.  A small, discreet plain crucifix pendant on a thin chain necklace is accepted but this must hang lower than the collar opening of the dress or shirt
•  Boys are not to wear piercings or jewellery (including bracelets, necklaces and rings) of any kind
•  Other than clear nail polish, cosmetics may not be worn at school.  There should be no visible makeup.  This includes blush, lipstick, eyeliner and mascara.

Wet weather protection
•  The spray jacket can be worn as an outer garment but only when it is raining.  Please note: The spray jacket is an item of the sports uniform.  It is not to be worn as a replacement for the school blazer but can be worn over the uniform during heavy rain when walking to and from the buses and also between buildings.  It must be removed when inside a building.

For further details about the school’s uniform please follow this link:  https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/Uniform_Policy_2021.pdf

Department of Education and Training – Excursion Attendance Form for Contact Tracing
The Department of Education and Training requires all Victorian schools to implement the use of an excursion attendance form for contact tracing purposes.  This means that an electronic or hard copy of the form is provided to the excursion venue at the time of the excursion.  The details provided to the excursion venue are: the School’s details, staff contacts, student names and a parent contact number.  The School will complete the form.  All excursion venues are responsible for managing record-keeping for contact tracing in line with the current health directives.  In the rare event that the excursion venue is identified as an exposed site, the Department of Health will contact individuals listed on the excursion attendance form to carry out contact tracing.

Clubs and Co-curricular Activities
We have had a strong start to Term 2 with all school programs in full swing, giving students plenty of opportunities to be involved in co-curricular activities.  Below is a table of Term 2 co-curricular activities.  I would like to encourage all our students to immerse themselves in these wonderful opportunities.  A special mention of after school Homework Club, which has commenced this term in Room 2, from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm and Maths Club Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes in EC Lab 1.

Brad McCabe
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

 

WHAT’S ON

MAY
14 May  Academy of Music Kammer Konzert, Warragul Secondary School, Science Centre Lecture Theatre, 7:00 pm
17 May  ‘Mary Poppins Jr’ Rehearsal, 3:30 pm
18 May  SEISA Chess, Debating and Public Speaking, 12:00 noon
20 May  SEISA Junior Winter Sport, Round 2
‘Mary Poppins Jr’ Rehearsal, 3:30 pm

FREE WEBINAR

‘Helping our kids through tricky times’ with Andrew Fuller
The Parents Website is hosting a free webinar conducted by Clinical Psychologist, Andrew Fuller, to discuss how tricky behaviours in kids of all ages can be broken down into easily recognisable traits and how they can be translated into strengths.

Free Webinar: Helping our kids through tricky times with Andrew Fuller
When: Thursday 20 May 2021
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Capacity is limited and registrations are essential.  Register here now!
Andrew recommends preparing for the webinar by undertaking the mylearningstrengths.com analysis.
Please note this webinar will not be recorded.

 

TEAM TIMOR MOTHER’S DAY STALL

From 5 to 7 of May, Team Timor’s Mother’s Day Stall ran each lunchtime with the help of many wonderful team members.  Collectively, we raised over $700, making this one of our highest earning events ever.  Profits made from this event will be directed towards an English Language Centre in Malimea, Timor Leste.  We are very thankful to those who purchased from the stall and to those who helped put everything together, from making homemade cards to designing posters.  The next Team Timor event will be BoHo Friday at the end of the semester and we hope to see you all there!
Ava Carruthers
Team Timor Captain

 

YEAR 10 COMMERCE

The Year 10 Commerce classes were given the assignment of creating their dream business and eventually pitching their idea in a ‘Shark Tank-like’ presentation.  The students presented to three ‘Sharks’ in a competition that would see the winners take away a hefty $20 canteen voucher, with second place taking away a $10 canteen voucher and a $5 canteen voucher for 2nd runner up.  The students worked vigorously on their reports and their presentations, so much so, that ‘the Sharks’ were left incredibly impressed!  All of the Year 10 Commerce students came up with marvellous business ideas.  However tight the competition was there could only be three placings from each class.
And the winners were…

Commerce 1A:
1st – Molly Cargill with ‘Exotic Aquatic’, a cool van that sells swimming accessories for competitions.
2nd – Fletcher Watts and Lachlan Wilson with ‘HSP to Go’, a HSP food truck.
2nd – Joshua Verhagen, Alannah Rogalsky and Jarrod Guy with ‘Retyre Right Medical’, a van that provides medical security/assistance for retirees all over Victoria.
3rd – Nikita Buhagiar and Amber Schutte with ‘Fashion on Wheels’, a van that sells trendy clothing all over Gippsland.

Commerce 4A:
1st – Ben Clark and Sophie Bray with ‘The Dome’, an entertainment venue for various events and functions.
2nd – Tia Paku with ‘Atomo’, a business that provides the product of molecular coffee.
3rd – Olivia O’Brien, Lauren Neave and Noah Lancaster with ‘The Nat 20’, a gaming lounge specific for those interested in Dungeons and Dragons.

Warragul Secondary School

From the Head of Warragul Secondary School, Ms Laura Butterworth. As some of our families may be aware, I will be taking a twelve-month period …

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Warragul Secondary School

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

As some of our families may be aware, I will be taking a twelve-month period of leave to extend our family at the end of this month.  As of Monday 17 May, Mrs Leonie Clark will be taking over as the Head of Warragul Secondary School.  Mrs Clark stepped into this role whilst I covered our Deputy Principal in Term 1 and has been in the role of Deputy Head of Warragul Secondary School for several years now.  I will deputise for Mrs Clark to ensure a smooth handover before I begin my leave.

I am pleased to also announce that Mr David Ellis has been appointed to the Deputy Head of Warragul Secondary School role and will take over in the coming weeks.  These appointments will ensure a sense of stability and continuity for our students, staff and community and I look forward to returning in 2022.

Years 7 and 8 Disco
On Friday 21 May we will be holding our Years 7 and 8 Disco.  This event will be held in the Year 9 Centre between 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm.  This event will be run by our Year 12 Prefects and supervised by our teaching staff.  It will be a wonderful opportunity for our students to have a supervised night out with their peers and there will be games, a photo booth and lots of dancing to keep them entertained.

Families will receive a Consent2Go email which will indicate their child’s participation.  This is a non-compulsory event but we hope that many students will attend and have a great night with us.

The cost for the evening will be $5 and students are asked to bring this in an envelope with their name on it and give it to their Mentor teacher.  This will cover refreshments on the night.

Parents are asked to deliver their child to the carpark entrance of the Year 9 Centre and you will need to collect them and sign them out from the same entrance at 9:30 pm as well.  Students will bring home a form for families to indicate who will be picking up their child on the night and we ask that families return this and the payment by Monday 17 May 2021.

National Simultaneous Storytime
One of the lovely traditions we have created here at St Paul’s is the involvement of the Secondary School with the Junior School in National Simultaneous Storytime.  “National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).  Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.  Now in its twenty-first successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children’s book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.”  https://www.alia.org.au/nss
This year the book is ‘Give me some Space’ by Philip Bunting and on Wednesday 19 May 2021 our Year 8 students will walk over to the Junior School and join them for the reading of this book.  After this they will then read their favourite picture storybook from their childhood to a small group of our Prep to Year 2 students.

We ask that they bring a favourite picture storybook to read.  The Junior School will have a box of spare books for any student who may no longer have a picture storybook at home but it is extra special when they can bring one that they enjoyed as a child.  We know they will enjoy this experience.

Department of Education and Training – Excursion Attendance Form for Contact Tracing
The Department of Education and Training requires all Victorian schools to implement the use of an Excursion Attendance Form for contact tracing purposes.  This means that an electronic or hard copy of the form is provided to the excursion venue at the time of the excursion.  The details provided to the excursion venue are: the School’s details, staff contacts, student names and a parent contact number.  The School will complete the form.  All excursion venues are responsible for managing record-keeping for contact tracing in line with the current health directives.  In the rare event that the excursion venue is identified as an exposure site, the Department of Health will contact individuals listed on the excursion attendance form to carry out contact tracing.  We will be collecting these details through the Consent2Go online excursion permission process and parents and guardians will find this as an addition to the process when completing the online permissions in the future.

Semester 2 rollover
Our Year 7 families and those families in other year levels who are new to us, may not realise that we begin Semester 2 during Term 2 here at St Paul’s.  This means that all Semester 1 learning will be finished and we will rollover a new timetable into MyStPauls to start Semester 2.  This will occur on Monday 7 June 2021.  Please be aware that electives from Years 7 to 10 will change over on this date so students may require different books or equipment depending on their two new electives.

Key dates for your calendar
Please add the following key dates into your calendar in preparation for the weeks to come:
Curriculum and Assessment Day (STUDENT FREE DAY), Friday 4 June 2021
QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY, Monday 14 June 2021
The final day of Term 2, Friday 18 June, 3:30 pm finish time
Term 3 student commencement, Tuesday 13 July 2021

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
14 May  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
17 to 19 May  Year 11 VET Sport and Recreation Camp
18 May  SEISA Chess, Debating and Public Speaking, Gippsland Grammar, 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm
19 May  Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium – Dance Studio, 6:55 am to 8:30 am
Studio Concert, DT Parker Centre and Science Centre Lecture Theatre, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
20 May  Practice GAT
SEISA Junior Winter Sport, Round 2
DAV Debating Round 3, St Margaret’s School, Berwick, 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm
21 May  Year 12 Sport and Recreation Excursion, The Summit, 9:00 am to 3:15 pm
Zart, Copic Marker Workshop, Visual Arts students, Parker Centre, PA1, 9:15 am to 11:00 am
Years 7 and 8 Disco, Year 9 Centre, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
26 May  Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium – Dance Studio, 6:55 am to 8:30 am
27 May  SEISA Junior Winter Sport, Round 3
Year 10 Career Wise Testing – Feedback Session, Science Centre, Lecture Theatre, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
27 May to 2 June  Year 11 Exams

JUNE
2 June  Sport Aerobics Training, Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium – Dance Studio, 6:55 am to 8:30 am
2 June to 3 June  Years 9 and 10 Exams
3 June  Year 11 Exam Catch Up Day
SEISA Junior Winter Sport, Round 4
Year 12 Graduation Photo, Secondary School Gymnasium, 9:40 am
4 June  Years 9 and 10 Exam Catch Up Day
Curriculum and Assessment Day (STUDENT FREE DAY)
5 June  Sport Aerobics State Finals, The Arena, North Geelong, 6:00 am to 6:00 pm

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

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

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

FREE WEBINAR

‘Helping our kids through tricky times’ with Andrew Fuller
The Parents Website is hosting a free webinar conducted by Clinical Psychologist, Andrew Fuller, to discuss how tricky behaviours in kids of all ages can be broken down into easily recognisable traits and how they can be translated into strengths.

Free Webinar: Helping our kids through tricky times with Andrew Fuller
When: Thursday 20 May 2021
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Capacity is limited and registrations are essential.  Register here now!
Andrew recommends preparing for the webinar by undertaking the mylearningstrengths.com analysis.
Please note this webinar will not be recorded.

 

YEAR 10 EXERCISE SCIENCE – SPORT SCIENCE EXPERIENCE

On Monday 3 May the Year 10 Exercise Science class was fortunate enough to have a visit from METS Performance Consulting.  Students undertook a number of specialised fitness tests which would otherwise be unavailable in a normal school setting.  The ninety-minute session tied in nicely with the current Fitness and Training unit of work that students are undertaking and it afforded the students an opportunity to use state of the art equipment including timing gates, jump mats, light pods and cutting edge sport science software.

It is hoped that this session, whilst being a whole lot of competitive fun, also heightened the student’s awareness about possible career opportunities that they might pursue in the future if they continue on with their Physical Education studies.

Age Percy
Head of Year 10

 

YEAR 11 STUDIO ART

Congratulations to Jessica Gardner who has been selected to exhibit one of her Year 11 Studio Art Photographs ‘Spotty’ in the Warragul Camera Club’s 48th National Photographic Competition and Exhibition.  Jessica is a passionate photographer and it is wonderful to see one of our students being active in their local community and entering their works for public display.  We wish Jessica all the best in the competition. Jessica’s photograph will be on display from Friday 14 May to Sunday 16 May in the Fountain Room of West Gippsland Arts Centre.

Jessica Gardner’s photograph titled ‘Spotty’.

Nova Doherty
Head Of Visual Art and Design

Warragul Secondary School

 

SPORT REPORT

SPORT AEROBICS SUCCESS
On Sunday 2 May, the two St Paul’s Sport Aerobics teams travelled to the 2021 Victorian State Qualifier for Region 3, held at the Rowville Performing Arts Centre for their first event since COVID-19.

Regionals called for many early rehearsals prior to the event, with both teams working hard to complete a routine and picking their fitness back up.  With lots of hard work and determination, both teams not only placed first and second but also achieved quite high scores.

The Angels (Stage 1) placed first in their division.

The Saintly Ladies (Open B) placed second.

Both teams have qualified for the State Finals which will be located in Geelong next month.

As early morning practices are back in full swing, the girls are hoping to make their way through to the national level and have the opportunity to compete in Queensland.  Both coaches Bella Fraser and Jemma Douglas were very pleased with their teams’ efforts and are looking forward for some feedback regarding their routine.

Overall, the day out was not only successful but everyone showed great team spirit and should be very happy with their efforts.  Best of luck at States!

Harriett Parkinson
Sport Aerobics Captain

 

ST PAUL’S STUDENTS BUSY IN THE POOL AND THE SURF!
Well done to the SEISA Surfing team who represented St Paul’s at Phillip Island on Thursday 29 April.  It was a perfect day in the surf – sun, no wind and lots of fun.  St Paul’s Warragul finished equal third in the event.  Well done!

Congratulations also to all the St Paul’s students who represented SEISA at the Victorian Sports Associations Championships held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Monday 10 May.  The following students placed in their events:
Callum Halloran-Lavelle:  Second 50m Freestyle, third in the 50m breaststroke and a swimmer in the backstroke relay that placed third.
Jordyn Cargill:  Third 100m freestyle and a swimmer in the backstroke relay that placed third.
Molly Cargill:  Second in the 50m backstroke.
SEISA placed seventh overall out of a total of thirteen associations.  The boys team placed fourth and the girls team also placed fourth in their gender divisions.

A big thank you all staff who have supported our water programs, most noticeably Michelle Sullivan and Kevin Andrews.

Melissa Hoskings
Head of Sport – Warragul Campus

 

ST PAUL’S PARENT PRAYER GROUP

If you are interested in getting together with other parents of the school to pray, you are most welcome to join our prayer group.

Held on the first Monday of the month, our next gathering is 7 June, in the Prideaux Centre, Warragul Junior School, 9:00 am
Contact: Sheryn Cutler 0417 158 937 or the Junior School office for more information.

“Do not worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for all that He has done.”  Philippians 4:6

Warragul Junior School

From the Head of Warragul Junior School, Mr Rowan van Raay. It has been a busy fortnight in the Warragul Junior School.  Last week we …

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Warragul Junior School

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

It has been a busy fortnight in the Warragul Junior School.  Last week we welcomed two new students to our Junior School, Teng Teng Cui (Year 1T) and Ashton Romano (Year 3M).  I would like to thank Mrs Denton who finishes her stint in the Art room today, replacing Mrs McGiffin (Bristowe) while she has been on long service leave.

Have you visited MyStPauls lately to see what we have been up to?  There is a calendar of events and  general information and notices for families on our Warragul Junior School page.  More specific information and updates can be found on Year Level Parent Information pages (ELC to Year 6).  This is a great way to keep up to date with what your child/ren is/are doing at school.  Visit MyStPauls at https://my.stpaulsags.vic.edu.au and log in using your family login details.  If you have misplaced these, please contact IT Support via itsupport@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au and they will issue you with new login details.  These pages are updated each fortnight.

House Cross Country
Well done to all Years 3 to 6 students who competed in our House Cross Country competition last Wednesday.  It is always a tricky course and whilst Mr Boraston acknowledged that distance running is not everyone’s favourite, he did congratulate every student who competed to gain points for their house.  The top four placegetters in each age group will move on to the Divisional stage, to be held next Tuesday.

Division Athletics
Congratulations to the students who represented our Junior School at Division Athletics last Friday.  There were some impressive results with many students making it through to District, which will be held later in the year.  Our thanks to Mr Boraston and Mr Barkla who accompanied the students on the day.

Mother’s Day Stall
My thanks to Mrs Leighton and the parent helpers who organised and ran our Mother’s Day stall last Friday.  It was very well received by the students who ‘spent up big’ on their mums or special person in their lives.  There was very little stock left over!

School Photos
School photos were taken today.  I remind parents to order their photos online using their unique image codes that were issued to all students today.  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 and remember to add the codes for all your children attending our school.  Even if you registered last year, it is important that you do again this year using your child’s 2021 image code to link their images for the current year with your 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 Parent Information Session to be held on Monday 17 May at 7:00 pm.  Information was sent home last Friday inviting families to visit the MyStPauls Warragul Junior School page to register.  The session will provide parents with an overview of the Spalding approach to Reading, Writing and Spelling which we have introduced across the Junior School this year.

National Simultaneous Storytime… from Space
Next Wednesday, all Prep to Year 6 students will join in the gym after recess to listen to this year’s National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) book ‘Give Me Some Space’, written and illustrated by Philip Bunting.  This year the story will be read by NASA astronaut Dr Shannon Walker from the International Space Station.

The Library and Information Association states: National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).  Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.  Now in its twenty-first successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children’s book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.

By facilitating NSS we aim to:
•  promote the value of reading and literacy,
•  promote the value and fun of books,
•  promote an Australian writer and publisher,
•  promote story time activities in libraries and communities around the country,
•  and provide opportunities to involve parents, grandparents, the media and others to participate in and enjoy the occasion.

Academy of Music
We wish the following Academy of Music students Peter Baker, Ashtan Stafford, Makaylen Di Sisto, Millie Parsons and Rachel Baker well tonight as they present their first ‘Kammer Konzert‘ which is a performance dedicated to chamber works and chamber playing.  The Kammer Konzert is an opportunity for all Junior and Secondary Academy musicians from both Traralgon and Warragul Campuses to perform together in a small ensemble format, before commencing rehearsals with a large ensemble focus in Semester 2.  Best wishes to all of the students involved in this performance.

Lost Property
We have placed a basket of unnamed lost property (uniform) in the foyer of the Junior School office.  Please feel free to come in and have a look if you are missing any items.

Student Free Day
A reminder that Friday 4 June is a student free day for both the Secondary and Junior School.  ELC classes will run as normal.

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

 

WHAT’S ON

MAY
17 May  Spalding Parent Information Session, 7:00 pm
18 May  Division Cross Country
19 May  National Simultaneous Storytime
24 May  Prep to Year 6 Anniversary Service
27 May  ELC and Prep 2022 Discovery Morning
31 May  Winter Round Robin

JUNE
3 June
  Regional Cross Country (selected students only)
Tree Planting Day
4 June  Student Free Day
7 June  Parent Prayer Group, Prideaux Centre, 9:00 am
14 June  Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday
17 June  Years 5 and 6 Soirée, Junior School Gymnasium, 7:00 pm
18 June  Last day of Term 2, 3:20 pm finish

 

FREE WEBINAR

‘Helping our kids through tricky times’ with Andrew Fuller
The Parents Website is hosting a free webinar conducted by Clinical Psychologist, Andrew Fuller, to discuss how tricky behaviours in kids of all ages can be broken down into easily recognisable traits and how they can be translated into strengths.

Free Webinar: Helping our kids through tricky times with Andrew Fuller
When: Thursday 20 May 2021
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Capacity is limited and registrations are essential.  Register here now!
Andrew recommends preparing for the webinar by undertaking the mylearningstrengths.com analysis.
Please note this webinar will not be recorded.

 

ST PAUL’S PARENT PRAYER GROUP

If you are interested in getting together with other parents of the school to pray, you are most welcome to join our prayer group:

Held on the first Monday of the month, our next gathering is 7 June, in the Prideaux Centre, Warragul Junior School, 9:00 am
Contact: Sheryn Cutler 0417 158 937 or the Junior School office for more information.

“Do not worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for all that He has done.”  Philippians 4:6

From the Chaplain

THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES – INTIMACY AND CONSENT (CONTENT WARNING) I am a bit of a James Bond fan and about a year ago I decided …

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From the Chaplain

THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES – INTIMACY AND CONSENT (CONTENT WARNING)

I am a bit of a James Bond fan and about a year ago I decided to introduce my eldest son to the joys of the more recent Bond movies starring Daniel Craig.  Conscious that James Bond is not exactly the ideal role model, I also introduced a little game as we watched the movies.  The game was simply to spot and call out any time James Bond failed as a role model.  Between Bond’s drinking, excessive use of violence and his attitudes towards women it was, sadly, an easy game to play.  “But James Bond is a bit old-school”, I thought.  “Our modern heroes are far more balanced” I thought.  But then I look at the news reports of sexual violence being perpetrated against women, the rallies protesting a toxic culture and it seems the problem is still very real.  So why does this continue to happen in our supposedly enlightened and liberated world?  While consent is clearly fundamental I wonder if the problem of understanding its meaning lies more broadly with society’s view of sexual intimacy.  By and large we live in a culture that presents sex as a purely physical act that can be completely separated from any emotional attachment or implication.  And when a ‘Bondesque’ hookup culture and all-pervading pornography reduces sexual intimacy to a commercial transaction and sex to a commodity to be bought, sold and traded, then I would suggest that the problem runs deep.

The problem is not necessarily that our young men do not understand the definition.  The problem is that they are being taught by society that consent does not apply to the fulfilment of their own sexual desires.  Where are they being taught this?  Surely not in schools?  No, they are being taught this on a daily basis through the media they consume and the role models they observe.  Pornography has become so ubiquitous online that it can be hard to tell the difference between some ‘mainstream’ entertainment (whether that be computer games, Netflix series or simple free-to-air TV) and what was once known as ‘soft porn’.  And when mainstream entertainment embraces pornography, it also embraces the central messages that come with it – the objectification of men and women and a normalisation of violence as part of sex.

As a society it may be that we are reaping what we have sown.  In embracing a view of sex that diminishes it to nothing more than a physical act for personal pleasure, we have created a culture in which sex becomes divorced from emotion and connection.  Except that the level of justifiable outrage at acts of sexual abuse suggests that we do not really buy that story.   To be really effective in changing this pervasive culture, we may need a different narrative around sex and physical intimacy to find a way forward.  I want to suggest that viewing sex through God’s eyes might offer an alternative.  Now in saying this I need to acknowledge that the institutional church has no right to take the moral high ground on this subject.  The church is rightly being held to account for its own failure to protect the vulnerable from sexual abuse.  Over the course of history there have been times when the Christian church has also presented a warped view of sexual intimacy that has caused unnecessary guilt and shame for many.  Christians get it wrong just as often as everyone else.  But a piece of music played badly is a reflection of the player and not the music itself.  So in broad terms, how does God view sexual intimacy?  Firstly, as something to be celebrated and enjoyed.  Many people do not realise that an entire book of the Bible (the Song of Solomon) is devoted to the erotic declarations of a couple in love!  Secondly, sexual intimacy finds its fulfillment in the context of a loving relationship.  It is an expression of love and connection with and to another person.  Sex is ‘other-centred’ not ‘self-centred’ and is something that should be valued highly.

What might make a difference is a reframing of the way we treat sex and sexual intimacy and the messages about sex that our young people are receiving.  In the words of Melinda Tankard Reist, long time campaigner and activist for women and children  https://www.abc.net.au/religion/consent-education-does-not-stand-a-chance-against-pornography/13231364 “Consent education won’t be effective if women are not first seen as human and worthy of dignity and respect.  We are, ultimately, talking about a grave and systematic human rights violation.  All the best intentions and efforts cannot compete with the world’s biggest department of education: pornography.”

Perhaps the important question for us as parents and educators is not only “what does my child understand about consent?”  but rather, “what does my child understand about sex and what is shaping that understanding?”.

May God grant us wisdom as we have these conversations with our children.

If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence or sexual assault, call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au  In an emergency, call 000.

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain

From the Principal

Open Day 2021 Thank you to all students, staff and families who attended and helped to make our Open Day on Saturday 1 May such …

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From the Principal

Open Day 2021
Thank you to all students, staff and families who attended and helped to make our Open Day on Saturday 1 May such an outstanding success.  We were blessed with a perfectly still autumn day of 26 degrees Celsius and the attendance greatly exceeded our expectations at both campuses.  We had over one hundred and twenty families, including over sixty new families, participate in a school tour on the day.

Having our teachers in attendance was particularly helpful, with prospective school parents greatly enjoying the opportunity to speak one on one with the people who will be caring for and educating their children.  Parents have increasingly become more investigative about their children’s education, in a trend that has been emerging for some time.  Interested families often research potential schools in detail online and then seek evidence of this in their visits.  They are also very keen for their children to have individualised attention, and the number of questions regarding social and emotional needs has also been increasing for many years.  I thank our teachers for their availability and willingness to fulfil this increasing need at our Open Day.

I also thank the large number of students who assisted us on the day.  Many acted as tour guides, some were musical performers and others participated in classrooms.  All provided an ambience reflective of a typical school day at St Paul’s and a friendliness that was welcomed by all visitors.

NAPLAN
Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participated in NAPLAN this week.  The national testing program in literacy and numeracy commenced on Tuesday 11 May, with results expected to be available from mid-August to mid-September.  The information provided by NAPLAN is one component of a suite of data used by the School to guide us in monitoring student progress and catering for student needs.

SEISA Interschool Sport
A group of St Paul’s best swimmers represented the South Eastern Independent Schools Association (SEISA) at the Victorian Sports Associations Championships on Monday 10 May.  I congratulate all students who were selected and participated in this significant event at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

We also congratulate the Years 7 and 8 students from both campuses who have been selected to represent St Paul’s in the SEISA Junior Winter Sport season.  Our Year 8 students missed this opportunity last year because of the pandemic, so I am sure there will be extra excitement and enthusiasm this year as a result.

Cameron Herbert
Principal