Traralgon Junior School

From the Head of Traralgon Junior School,
Mr Andy McNabb.

 

Dear Parents,

Gosh, the last newsletter of Term 2.  It will be busy right up until the end and our ELC have had a full-on few days, running around in their PJs or down at the wetlands.  It has been great seeing the staff and students fully utilising the area and although we have lots of big plans for the place, we are still able to do many simple activities in the meantime:
• Bike Riding and Walking Clubs use the track down there at lunchtime,
• The 4/5 class were in the wetlands for a mapping activity last week.  They could have done this from the classroom or a book but this facility helped to make the whole thing come alive,
• The ELC have been down there for two days this week and particularly for the Pre-Kinder group, just arriving at the site is an adventure in itself!,
• We have been able to use it for our Cross Country track in preparation for the next stage of competition, and
• The Preps have been down there for a morning of games and activities.

It was good to see some of you at our parent information session regarding the new report format this term and the staff have put a huge amount of extra work into creating the document.  On this occasion we will not be able to see growth but future reports will indicate much more clearly how your child is progressing.  There will be the opportunity to discuss the reports at Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs) early in Term 3 and the information regarding booking appointments will go out in the first week of next term.  These will take place on the evenings of 25 and 26 July, with the first evening running until 8:00 pm and the second until 6:00 pm.

Last week we were privileged to have author Wendy Orr come to visit our Library and speak with some of the students.  She talked to them about how she writes and they shared some of their ideas with her.  Wendy wrote ‘Nim’s Island’ which was made into a movie and her latest creation is called ‘Swallow’s Dance’.  The students also had the chance to get their books signed and Mrs O’Malley has included some pictures in this edition of the Grammarian.

We look forward to hearing how our RoboCup team fares this Saturday in the competition.  Many thanks to Mrs Walton, Mrs Sellings and Miss Settle for giving up their time to work with the students.  They have been working hard to master the robots in their lunchtime club with some extra time in class as well.  The EV3 units have proved quite tricky to program and are certainly a step up from the Lego ‘We-do’ units used by the younger students.  It is great to see the children making progress and tackling increasingly complex projects but it is also a challenge for the staff to keep moving with the times and developing their skills.

In the final week of term we will hold our emergency drill for Term 2.  The staff do not know when and where this will be sprung on them and it is impossible to fully rehearse for every eventuality but with regular drills we try to be as ready as we can and keep the students familiar with different scenarios.

Next Monday we will be joined by Mr Whitehead in assembly as he comes to thank the students for their can collection.  The Rotary Club have extended the number of schools they are asking to contribute this year and this has meant they have exceeded even last year’s total.

Our ELC students will also enjoy a ‘Wildlife Exposure’ incursion next week and then the Prep to Year 6 students have a final visit to the wetlands planned for the last day of term.  We did a similar activity last year and the weather was kind to us, so we are hoping for more of the same this year.

This will come after Year 6 have hosted their Multicultural Day on Thursday and we have enjoyed the Ensembles Concert on Tuesday evening, which will involve some of the Junior students.  Our youngest ELC students will also hold their own Family Multicultural Day at 1:00 pm on the last day of term.

If I do not see you before next Friday, I trust you have a good break and whether you stay at home or are looking at getting away for a bit of sunshine, I hope you have a relaxing family time. Remember that the first day of Term 3 is Tuesday 17 July.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to take a Mindstorm EV3 robot home with me to have a proper look at it.  If I get left behind I will be like the Dinosaurs!

Andy McNabb
Head of Traralgon Junior School

 

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

JUNE
19 June  ELC Incursion (Pre-Kinder and Pre-Prep) ‘Wildlife Xposure – Creepy Crawlies’
20 June  ELC Incursion (Pre-Kinder and Pre-Prep) ‘Wildlife Xposure – Creepy Crawlies’
22 June  Year 6 Multicultural Day
End of Term 2, 3:20 pm finish

JULY
16 July  STUDENT FREE DAY | Staff Day
17 July 
Term 3 Commences (whole campus assembly, 10:30 am)
25 July  PSTIs, 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm
26 July  PSTIs, 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm

 

 

 

 

NOTE OF APPRECIATION: Give a Damn. Give a Can. 

During the week of 21 to 26 May the Rotary Club of Traralgon Central organised their annual ‘Give a Damn. Give a Can.’ (GAD.GAC.) appeal.

This is now the twenty-fifth year of GAD.GAC. The idea for the project was started by a lone man appealing to shoppers as they came from a supermarket in Melbourne.  He was, he said, collecting spare cans for his neighbour who was going through tough times.

Eleven schools in Traralgon and district supported the collection.  The entire collection this year came to 8,536.  But the schools collection itself was 7,145 cans: a super impressive eighty-three per cent of the total collected.  Each month the Food Bank helps between forty and fifty families.

The Rotary Club of Traralgon Central promote GAD.GAC. as ‘kids giving to other kids’ believing, as does our School, the importance of giving.

On behalf of Rotary, we thank your school community for the outstanding support of this annual project

Ian Whitehead
Community Services Director
Rotary Club of Traralgon Central. 

 

CLASS AWARDS

Prep V Frank for his enthusiasm towards reading.
Prep S for giving everything a red hot go and encouraging others!
Year 1F Frankie for writing a detailed, entertaining weekend recount!
Sae for sharing her love of reading and books with the whole class.
Year 2S Isaiah for great problem solving and flexible thinking when designing and making his toy robot.
Year 2C Angela for her careful work with arrays in Maths.
Year 3BH Aanya for speed and accuracy in times tables testing.
Year 3BD Reena for beautifully presented book work this week.
Year 4/5W Jenny for your enthusiasm to read as many different types of books as you can so that you can complete the reading challenge.
Year 5H Ella for having a great day with Mrs Collins last week.
Year 6R Peter for storming through work on percentages.

 

 

LIBRARY NEWS

Wendy Orr – author visit

Wendy Orr, the author of the award winning book ‘Nim’s Island’ and more recently, ‘Dragonfly Song’ visited the Traralgon Junior School on Wednesday 6 June.  She spoke to the students from Years 3 to 5.  Wendy demonstrated her magic trick for writing a book.  She placed binoculars, perfume, a bandaid, a whistle and other items including an old photo to represent memories and things she has seen, heard and smelt.  Then, adding some magic words suddenly there was a book!

She also talked about the real island where she dreamt as an eight-year-old that she would write a book.  She showed pictures of her first story written in ink complete with blotches and smudges!

The students were enthusiastic about asking questions about such things as her favourite author and why she thought ‘Nim’s Island’ was her most successful book.

Many Year 3s reported that they really want to write and that Wendy gave them ideas about how to start and information about writing.

Asmi Pathania having her copy of ‘Dragonfly Song’ signed by Wendy Orr.

Max Zammit having his copy of ‘Nim‘s Island’ signed.

Wendy doing her magic trick for the students.

 

 

ARTISTS OF THE WEEK

Year 1:  Melia Sellings, Frankie Henthorn, Sae Suzuki and Durshh Kalra.

 

 

 

 

 

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Fee Payments – Third Instalment
Families paying tuition fees in four instalments should note that the third instalment was due on Friday 8 June 2018.
Any families wishing to discuss any aspect of their account should contact Mr Peter Lees on 5623 5833 or accountsreceivable@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

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 www.education.vic.gov.au/csef.  Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form as soon as possible, so that payments can be made from March 2018.  However schools can accept parent applications up until 22 June 2018 for processing in Term 2.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2017 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2018), the school will ‘copy’ the application across from 2017 to 2018 on the CSEF system.  The CSEF system automatically validated the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink on 29 January 2018.

Traralgon Secondary School

From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School, Mr Stephen Klemke.   Year 7 History I was fortunate to visit Year 7A History with Mr Campbell. …

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Traralgon Secondary School

From the Head of Traralgon Secondary School,
Mr Stephen Klemke.

 

Year 7 History
I was fortunate to visit Year 7A History with Mr Campbell.  They were all very proud of their Nile maps.  Each student was asked to research a part of the Nile.  Then after having become experts in their particular area they then shared their knowledge with their classmates.  During the project each student developed a pictorial map of the Nile showcasing their learning.  If your child is in 7A ask them about the Nile.  You may well learn something.

Rogan Rutter, Lachlan Speairs, Fletcher Watts, Nikita Nicola and Sophie Treasure show off their Nile maps.

Holidays
As this is the last Grammarian prior to the mid-year break, may I wish all students and their families a safe and restful time.

Please Note
The last day of school is Friday 22 June and finishes at the normal time.
The office will be open on the last Friday of the school holidays on Friday 13 July from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and resumes normal hours on Monday 16 July.
School resumes on Tuesday 17 July with staff undergoing professional development on Monday 16 July.

’13 Reasons Why’, Season 2
You may be aware that ’13 Reasons Why’, Season 2 officially launched on Netflix on Friday 18 May.  Last year, Season 1, for some families, was particularly confronting.  Headspace has collaborated with Netflix to develop supporting resources and discussion guides for young people, parents and schools which will be made available upon the show’s launch at https://13reasonswhy.info/.  As always, please do not hesitate to contact us if you need support.

Stephen Klemke
Head of Traralgon Secondary School

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

JUNE
16 June  Japan Tour Departs
RoboCup Junior Rescue Excursion
18 June  Gippsland Schools Clay Target Shooting Competition
19 June  Early Commencement
Year 10 Toongabbie Golf Excursion
Ensembles Concert, Gymnasium, 7:00 pm
20 June  Casual Clothes Day
22 June  Gymnastics Training, 7:00 am to 8:00 am
St James Community Church Lunch Excursion
BoHo Friday, East Timor Fundraiser Event
Year 8 Courage to Care Excursion
Reports Distributed
Last day of Term 2, 3:10 pm finish

Monday 25 June to Thursday 12 July    Traralgon Secondary School Office Closed

JULY 2018
13 July 
Traralgon Secondary Office Open, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
16 July
  STUDENT FREE DAY
17 July  Term 3 Commences
18 July  Gippsland Schools Clay Target Shooting Competition
19 July  SEISA Cross Country
SEISA Winter Sport, Senior, Round 1
DAV Debating Excursion
25 to 27 July  Year 10 Conference Camp, Phillip Island
26 July  SEISA Winter Sport, Senior, Round 2
27 July  St James Community Church Lunch Excursion

 

 

SPORT NEWS

Australian Judo Nationals
Both Zach Nabulsi and Axel Nightingale travelled to the Gold Coast to compete in the Australian Judo Nationals.  Both the boys were able to achieve Bronze medals in their Under 15s Senior Boys divisions.  The boys have been training with the Victorian Judo Squad in Melbourne on Saturdays for months and all their hard work and dedication had paid off.

SEISA Junior Winter Round Robin
After four rounds, our teams have been highly competitive against the other schools.  Our last round was against the St Paul’s Warragul Campus and all teams played in good spirits.  Both our soccer teams had good wins.  There is a possibility after round five that these two teams may make finals.

Zach at the Judo Nationals.

 

 

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Fee Payments – Third Instalment
Families paying tuition fees in four instalments should note that the third instalment was due on Friday 8 June 2018.
Any families wishing to discuss any aspect of their account should contact Mr Peter Lees on 5623 5833 or accountsreceivable@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

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 www.education.vic.gov.au/csef.  Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form as soon as possible, so that payments can be made from March 2018.  However schools can accept parent applications up until 22 June 2018 for processing in Term 2.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2017 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2018), the school will ‘copy’ the application across from 2017 to 2018 on the CSEF system.  The CSEF system automatically validated the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink on 29 January 2018.

Warragul Junior School

From the Head of Warragul Junior School, Mr Rowan van Raay. Semester 1 is coming to a close quickly with only one week remaining! On …

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Warragul Junior School

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

Semester 1 is coming to a close quickly with only one week remaining!

On Monday we welcomed new student, Leah Bek (Year 5M) and her family to our Junior School.  Welcome Leah!

Prep to Year 2 Revue and Performing Arts Concert:  A huge congratulations to everyone involved in our Prep to Year 2 Revue and Performing Arts Concert yesterday.  With over half of our students performing, it was fantastic to see so many of our students take up the opportunity to showcase their talents.  The revue and concert were held in our gymnasium again this year due to the Arts Centre being refurbished!  I would like to express my sincere thanks to Mrs Davies, Mrs Browne and Mrs Bramstedt for all of their hard work and positive energy that they put into both events.  I would also like to thank the Junior and Secondary School staff and students for assisting at the concert and congratulate, and thank our Year 6 leaders for hosting the evening and for all of their hard work supporting students in the concert.  And finally, thank you to all of the students for their hard work, passion and dedication.  We have always said that the aim of the concert is ‘participation and enjoyment’ and to provide students with the opportunity to ‘perform’.  It also gives our students a chance to show their family and friends what they have been doing in the Performing Arts classes and Clubs during Terms 1 and 2.

Regional Cross-Country:  Congratulations to the following students; James Denton, Amelia Crossley, Megen Cooper, Braeden van de Beek, Lilly Leighton, Lachlan Giliam, Lucy Williamson and Seth Cannon who represented our Junior School and competed at the Regional Cross Country at Lardner Park yesterday.

After many weeks of training, I once again wish our RoboCup teams all the best tomorrow when they compete in the RoboCup Junior Victoria Regional Competition being held in our Junior School gymnasium.  I once again thank our STEM Coordinator Ms Rapinett for supporting and encouraging our students.  I would also like to acknowledge and thank Bob and Lynne Rapinett who kindly donated the cost of the entry fees for our teams once again this year.  The competition runs all day, so please feel free to drop in and take a look and see our students and their robots in action.

Parents are reminded that Semester 1 Reports will be sent home with students next Friday.  If for some reason you do not receive your child’s report, I ask that you contact the Junior School office as soon as possible.  For families heading away on holidays prior to the end of semester, reports will be mailed to you.  Alternatively, if you would rather we keep them at school for you to collect at the beginning of next term, please let us know.  As stated on the front cover of reports, you can request to be provided with written information that clearly shows your child’s achievement in comparison to that of other students in their year level.  A reminder that an information session regarding changes to our student reports will be held next Tuesday straight after school in the Horizon Centre classroom (Prideaux Centre).  Students are welcome to wait in the Library while the session takes place.

As this is the final newsletter for this term, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Tara Morgan who has been filling in for Mrs Murphy in Year 1 while she had been on long service leave this semester.  Mrs Morgan will not be too far away as she moves back into her role in the Secondary School next term.  I also take this opportunity to thank Mrs Kat Crow for her work in the Horizon Centre.  Kat has tendered her resignation and is intending to take a break before moving back into teaching next year.  We wish Mrs Berends and her husband Dylan all the best as they await the arrival of their first child.  Mrs Berends will finish up next Friday and we thank her for the work she has done in Year 5.  Today, we said farewell to Mrs Leigh-Anne McKinley.  Leigh-Anne had been part of our student welfare team (filling a maternity leave position) and has also facilitated our ‘Tuning in to Kids’ and ‘Tuning in to Teens’ parenting programs with Mr Barkla and Mrs Davies.  We sincerely thank Leigh-Anne for the work she has done with our students and for her involvement in the parent sessions.  Finally, we wish Mr Carter a relaxing and restful break as he takes long service leave during Term 3.  Travel safely Mr Carter and we will see you in Term 4!

I would also like to thank to all of our Junior School students and staff for their hard work this semester.  Thank you also to all of the parents, grandparents and friends who have assisted in classrooms, with special events or on excursions.  I wish everyone a safe and happy three week break and for families looking for something for their children to do during week three, I encourage you to look at our ‘SPARK Holiday Program’ which has a range of wonderful activities on offer.

I look forward to seeing everyone when students return for Term 3 on Tuesday 17 July.

Rowan van Raay
Head of Warragul Junior School

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

JUNE
16 June  RoboCup Junior Competition, Junior School Gymnasium, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
18 June  Year 4 Excursion to Morwell Immigration Park
19 June  Changes to Reports – Parent Information Session, 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm
21 June  Divisional Winter Round Robin (selected students only)
22 June  School Fun Run
Casual Clothes Day
Reports Distributed
Last Day of Term 2, 3:20 pm finish

JULY
17 July  Students Commence Term 3
18 July  Year 4 Camp to Phillip Island Adventure Resort
20 July  Year 4 Camp returns
25 July  Regional Winter Round Robin

 

Drouin and Warragul public school bus network notice

A reminder for students travelling on the Warragul Regional College (WRC) and Drouin Secondary Bus Network.
These bus networks will not be running on Friday 17 August and families will need to make alternate travel arrangements for this day.
St Paul’s buses will run as per normal with the exception of Bus 3 which is the WRC transfer bus.
Please note: this bus is not a town bus and is only for the use of students with approved travel.

 

 

 

 

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Fee Payments – Third Instalment
Families paying tuition fees in four instalments should note that the third instalment was due on Friday 8 June 2018.
Any families wishing to discuss any aspect of their account should contact Mr Peter Lees on 5623 5833 or accountsreceivable@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

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 www.education.vic.gov.au/csef.  Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form as soon as possible, so that payments can be made from March 2018.  However schools can accept parent applications up until 22 June 2018 for processing in Term 2.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2017 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2018), the school will ‘copy’ the application across from 2017 to 2018 on the CSEF system.  The CSEF system automatically validated the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink on 29 January 2018.

Warragul Secondary School

From the Head of Warragul Secondary School, Ms Laura Butterworth.   The end of Term 2 is fast approaching and I know after last week’s examinations …

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Warragul Secondary School

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

 

The end of Term 2 is fast approaching and I know after last week’s examinations and the General Achievement Test (GAT), held earlier this week, many secondary students are ready for a break.  Our Year 7 cohort have almost completed their first semester in secondary school and must be commended for the way in which they have adapted to their new environment.  The Year 8 students have had a busy few weeks having led two ‘Just Dance’ dance offs in two assemblies and they are getting quite a reputation for their moves and their ability to get everyone up dancing.  Our Year 9 students must be absolutely exhausted having completed their Outdoor Education Camp and three City Experience days in amongst the rest of their academic studies and co-curricular programs.  They will end the term with their City Camp and they will certainly need a break after that.  All of the staff have worked incredibly hard to finish off Semester 1 and prepare for the change of semester  Tuesday this week.  I thank them for this.

This week we welcomed fifteen students and their teacher from Clisson, France who will join us for seven weeks on our annual French Exchange.  The students will live with host families, attend classes and spend time visiting various cultural sites.  They also tell me that they will try very hard to improve their English and avoid Vegemite.  Thank you to all of our families who have welcomed these students into their homes.

We are very excited to farewell seventeen students from Years 10 and 11 who depart Saturday morning for Japan on the biannual language tour.  These students will have the opportunity to explore Tokyo before participating in a five-day homestay experience with our sister school Hinode Junior and Senior High School.  Following on from this will be a week of many cultural experiences as they visit Hiroshima, Kyoto and Nara.  They are also looking forward to visiting Chikushi Jogakkuen High School in Fukuoka where they will be joining some classes.  Running alongside this tour is our inaugural STEM Tour to Japan which will depart on the first Saturday in July.  This is an amazing opportunity for students to discover the rapidly developing STEM technologies first hand in Japan.  We are really looking forward to hearing from all of these students on their return.

I would like to wish all of our families a very safe mid-year break and look forward to when the students return to school on Tuesday 17 July.

Report Distribution
Our students will receive their reports on Friday 22 June which is the last day of school.  Please ensure that they deliver it home to you.  Our Year 9 students will receive their reports at the end of the day on Tuesday 19 June due to their involvement at City Camp for the final three days of term.

Laura Butterworth
Head of Warragul Secondary School

 

 

WHAT’S ON IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

JUNE
15 June  HPV Training, 3:45 pm
French Exchange Welcome Dinner, 6:30 pm
16 June to 1 July  Japanese Language Tour
18 June to 22 June  Timor Week
18 June  Years 11 and 12 Legal Studies Prison Excursion
Studio Concert, 7:00 pm
19 June  Casual Clothes and Barbeque
20 June  French Exchange Students Excursion, Healesville Sanctuary
Chess Tournament
20 June to 22 June  Year 9 City Experience Camp
21 June  AIME Program Day
SEISA Winter Sport, Junior, Finals
Year 12 Practice English Exam, 12:00 noon
Psychology Lecture, 2:45 pm
22 June  Term 2 ends, 3:30 pm finish
23 June to 1 July  STEM Japan Tour
25 June to 13 July  School Holidays
29 June  VEIS:  Boneo Park Dressage and Combined Training Day

JULY
10 July to 13 July 
SPARK Holiday Program
17 July  Term 3 commences
18 July  French Exchange Students, Toorongo Falls
19 July  SEISA Cross Country
DAV Debating
20 July  Centrepiece, 7:00 pm

 

SCHOOL HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS

The Warragul Secondary School Office hours during the Term 2 school holiday period are as follows:
Monday 25 June to Friday 13 July, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

 

Drouin and Warragul public school bus network notice

A reminder for students travelling on the Warragul Regional College (WRC) and Drouin Secondary Bus Network.
These bus networks will not be running on Friday 17 August and families will need to make alternate travel arrangements for this day.
St Paul’s buses will run as per normal with the exception of Bus 3 which is the WRC transfer bus.
Please note: this bus is not a town bus and is only for the use of students with approved travel.

 

 

MATHEMATICS COMPETITION

On Thursday 9 August students will be participating in the Australian Mathematics Competition.  All Year 7 students and volunteers from other year levels can participate.  If you are interested in entering the ICAS Competition please contact Mr Dewhurst.

 

PERFORMING ARTS NEWS

As you will be aware, rehearsals for the 2018 St Paul’s Production of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ are well under way and the show is shaping up to be another great success.

We have been hopeful that the West Gippsland Arts Centre (WGAC) upgrade would be complete for our show but, unfortunately, we have been notified that this will not be the case.  Although we have looked into multiple alternative locations in the area, none have proven sufficient to accommodate such a large cast and orchestra, as well as provide the same seating capacity as the WGAC. Therefore, after extensive consideration, it has been decided that a custom-built stage will be erected in the Warragul Secondary School Gymnasium.  The stage will have the same dimensions as the WGAC stage and professional lighting and sound will be installed.

As some of you may be aware, Opera Australia will be performing Puccini’s popular opera, ‘Madame Butterfly’, in the same space and we encourage you to attend this event and experience the potential of the location.

The West Gippsland Arts Centre remain highly supportive and are doing all they can to assist in making our production as successful as possible.  Tickets will still be available through the WGAC and are available now using the following link: https://purchase.wgac.com.au/en-AU/shows/singin’%20in%20the%20rain/events

Casey Hall
Director ‘Singin’ in the Rain’
Co-curricular Performing Arts Productions Coordinator                                                                                                           

Chris Staben
Head of Performing Arts – Warragul

 

 

SPORT NEWS

St Paul’s Sports Aerobics State Champions!

BACK ROW L-R: Charlotte Fraser, Harriett Parkinson, Jas Irwin, Jorgia Neyland, Holly Norris and Emily Morrison.  FRONT ROW L-R: Alisa Kubale, Dempsey Sederlan, Chloe Nicholls and Laura Gentile.

On Saturday 2 June a group of St Paul’s students went to Geelong to compete in the Sports Aerobics State Final.  All students, coaches and various family members braced themselves for the exciting challenge that lay ahead.

First up was the individual competition, where students have twenty minutes to learn a routine before performing to the judges.  All girls took to the stage with poise and confidence, with Bella Fraser finishing third to qualify for the National Championships, Holly Norris fifth and Harriett Parkinson also in the top ten.

Next were the ‘Saintly Dolls’, who went in as one of the favourites.  They were again outstanding and put in another top performance to finish state champions in their division!  They too have qualified for the National Championships.

To both the ‘Saintly Dolls’ and Bella Fraser we wish them all the best of luck at the National Championships later on in the year.

Thank you to our team managers Jo Fraser, Noelene Neyland and our coach, Emily Jeffrey on your brilliant work so far.  Your dedication and commitment has allowed these students and teams to flourish.

Ben Zanella
Head of Health, Physical Education and Food Technology
Head of Sport – Warragul Campus

 

 

 

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Fee Payments – Third Instalment
Families paying tuition fees in four instalments should note that the third instalment was due on Friday 8 June 2018.
Any families wishing to discuss any aspect of their account should contact Mr Peter Lees on 5623 5833 or accountsreceivable@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

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 www.education.vic.gov.au/csef.  Parents are encouraged to lodge the application form as soon as possible, so that payments can be made from March 2018.  However schools can accept parent applications up until 22 June 2018 for processing in Term 2.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2017 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2018), the school will ‘copy’ the application across from 2017 to 2018 on the CSEF system.  The CSEF system automatically validated the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink on 29 January 2018.

From the Chaplain

EVERYBODY SERVES SOMEBODY “Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution, and I’m not in it for you, princess.  I expect to be well paid.  …

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From the Chaplain

EVERYBODY SERVES SOMEBODY

“Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution, and I’m not in it for you, princess.  I expect to be well paid.  I’m in it for the money.” so declared Han Solo to Princess Leia in the original 1977 Star Wars movie, ‘A New Hope’.  I do not think anyone watching really believed him.  Charming, self-serving rogue that he was, we all knew he would eventually do the right thing.  Somewhere under all that cocky arrogance was a man who wanted to serve a higher cause, a greater good.

In the latest Star Wars instalment, ‘Solo’, we see a young Han already wrestling with this tension.  Labelling himself an outlaw, Han is incensed when love interest Qi’ra insists he is ‘the good guy’.  “I am not the good guy.  I’m definitely not the good guy.  I’m a terrible person” says Han.

I think part of the appeal of this moment in the movie, for me, is that I see young people every day fighting this same battle, trying to figure out who they are.  Part of the bewildering journey of adolescence is the constant trying on of different personas, trying to find an identity that fits.  Interestingly, in the movie, Qi’ra also says something that I think cuts right to the heart of who we are.  “Everybody serves somebody, Han.” Qi’ra says at one point.  And she is right!  Like it or not, humans are hard-wired to serve.  The question is, which master will we submit to?  Bob Dylan sang it this way in 1979:
“You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody’s landlord, you might even own banks
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You’re gonna have to serve somebody”
(Gotta Serve Somebody lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Audiam, Inc)

So who are we encouraging our kids to serve?  Are they slaves to their technology?  Servants of social media?  Are they self-serving, driven by the need for popularity, possessions, entertainment or thrills?  Or are we inspiring them to serve something bigger than themselves, something with lasting value, something that will give them real meaning and direction in life?  We do not like to think of ourselves as slaves to anyone.  It goes against our individualistic culture.  But like it or not, we all serve something.  The more our children understand this truth, the better equipped they will be to make wise decisions about who or what will rule their lives.  Many great leaders in history have understood this truth.  Israel’s military leader, Joshua, declared “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. (Joshua 24:15); the Apostle Paul frequently referred to himself as ‘a servant of Christ’.  What sort of leaders are we raising?  Having just enjoyed a day off in her honor, I leave you with the words of Queen Elizabeth from a speech given by her on the occasion of her 21st birthday in 1947, “To accomplish that we must give nothing less than the whole of ourselves.  There is a motto which has been borne by many of my ancestors – a noble motto, “I serve”…I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong”.

Reverend Daniel Lowe
Senior Chaplain

 

From the Principal

With elections looming, it is perhaps timely to remind ourselves of the educational landscape regarding the funding of Australian schools. All schools in Australia receive …

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From the Principal

With elections looming, it is perhaps timely to remind ourselves of the educational landscape regarding the funding of Australian schools.

All schools in Australia receive Government funding in return for the taxes that we pay.  In the case of Independent Schools like St Paul’s, the funding mainly comes from the Commonwealth.  Most of the State funding goes to Government schools.  The amount of funding provided to a school will be a strong determinant of fee levels.  As Independent Schools are non-profit organisations, the more funding that a school receives, in general, the lower the school fees.  Consequently, the imminent State and Federal elections should be of particular interest to Independent School parents, as there is currently some concern about potential changes to the future funding of schools.

A review has just been conducted by the National Schools Resourcing Board (NSRB), examining the calculation and use of socio-economic status (SES) scores to assess a Non-Government school’s capacity to contribute to its running costs.  The NSRB is expected to report to the Australian Minister for Education and Training, Senator Simon Birmingham, at the end of June.  There is a concern that changes to the current SES funding model will be recommended which could be disadvantageous to independent schools.

All we can do at this stage is wait for the Minister to respond to the review’s outcome and the report from the NSRB.  I am hopeful that any recommended changes will have minimal impact on St Paul’s, but one can never be certain.  It must be emphasised, however, that uncertainty over school funding is nothing new in Australia.  We have lived with this kind of uncertainty many times before.  Nonetheless, as independent school parents, we should be taking notice of what the political parties have to say on the matter in the months leading up to election time, particularly at the Federal level.

As the end of the semester approaches, I wish to acknowledge the commitment of our staff and congratulate our students on their efforts and achievements so far this year.  I have very much enjoyed my initial weeks at St Paul’s and look forward with anticipation to a great second half of 2018.  I will certainly be grateful once my family join me as part of the St Paul’s community from the start of Term 3, after we relocate from Western Australia to our new home in Victoria during the July holidays.  I wish everyone a safe, enjoyable and refreshing mid-year break.

Cameron Herbert
Principal