In this issue

• VCE Information Evening
• Year 7 Roman Exhibition
• Sport News
• Team Timor Casual Clothes and Boho Friday

Grammarian Issue 9, 17 June 2022

Traralgon Junior School

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

As we near the end of Term 2 it is an opportunity to reflect on the past weeks of learning and to feel a sense of appreciation for our students, teachers, families and our St Paul’s community. We have enjoyed some solid uninterrupted blocks of learning and teaching, celebrated the achievements of many students in their co-curricular endeavours, gathered together as a community to acknowledge Mother’s Day and our Traralgon campus 20th Anniversary, successfully completed NAPLAN, performed in music concerts, competed in a variety of sports and spent time reflecting on National Reconciliation Week and our Indigenous Custodians. Students have been busy in classrooms and have completed an outstanding term of learning. Thank you to everyone involved in supporting our Junior School and creating such a positive environment for our students.

We have had quite a few staff away unwell recently and I thank our students, families and staff for adapting to unexpected changes to their daily routines. We have one week of term to go and I do ask that you keep students home should they be unwell or showing any signs of COVID-19 and hope that we can reduce the spread of cold and flu.

Give a Damn, Give a Can
Congratulations to everyone involved in the Give a Damn, Give a Can (GADGAC) initiative. Give a Damn, Give a Can, a community collection of tinned foods, has been operating for twenty-nine years. Each year the Rotary Club of Traralgon Central collects about 10,000 cans of tinned foods that are donated to the Vinnies Food Bank in Traralgon. The food is boxed up and given to needy families in Traralgon and surrounding areas. The collection is distributed during the winter and lasts the Food Bank for around four to five months. The local schools’ collections contribute more than 80 per cent of the total collection, and make a significant contribution to the initiative. GADGAC has just received a Latrobe City Australia Day Award for Community Event of the Year.

This year we collected 1,418 cans in the Junior school, with another 400 added by the Senior School. We are grateful to all the families who donated to this worthy cause. It was wonderful to see our students so involved and eager to support those in our community who are less fortunate than us. The class that collected the most cans, and the winner of the ‘Can Man’ trophy was 6BV. They collected a whopping 300 cans and were the runaway winners this year. A fabulous effort by all classes, students, teachers and families.

Sport
An outstanding effort and achievement by all six of our students who attended the Gippsland Region Cross Country championships. Congratulations to Anson Law who placed 18th, Isaiah Clavarino who placed 24th, Adele Brady who placed 28th and William Lambert on making it through to the Gippsland Region Championships. Congratulations to Gracie Hasthorpe who won a bronze medal in third place and to Abi Dean in 8th place who is only eight years old competing against 10-year-olds. Both of these girls have qualified for the State Cross Country Championships on Thursday 14 July at Yarra Valley Racing Club. All students can be proud of their achievements and determination. Fantastic efforts by all.

Congratulations to our students who braved the chilly weather and competed at the District Sports last week and Division Sports this week. What a tough, determined bunch of awesome students (and teachers) who gave their best, enjoyed themselves and demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and teamwork. Many thanks to Mr Billy Rilen, our teachers and volunteer parents for their efforts on these days coaching and umpiring and ensuring our students were able to participate and compete.

The Resilience Project
This week’s presentation from The Resilience Project is all about Mindfulness. Students and teachers in our ELC and Junior School have been talking about mindfulness and practising in their daily activities. Please talk to your children about how they practise mindfulness and the strategies they are using and trialling. Mindfulness is our ability to be calm and present at any given moment. We practise this by slowing down and concentrating on one thing at a time. Thousands of studies have proven benefits such as reduced stress, reduced rumination, increased memory, increased cognitive function and physical health benefits through improved immunity. Mindfulness can be practised through meditation, yoga, flow-states and daily activities such as cooking.

View Part 4 of the series here – Mindfulness https://theresilienceproject.com.au/parent-and-carer-hub-hugh/ Source: UC Berkeley, Greater Good Science, American Psychological Association

SPECIAL REPORT: Building Resilience Post Pandemic
Unfortunately, the mental health of young people has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. As many families settle back into pre-COVID routines, there seems to be a pervasive sense of optimism about what lies ahead.

Unfortunately, children and teens are not immune to what is now being termed the “psychological pandemic”. Young people are at risk of not achieving the primary demands of developmental tasks such as procuring independence and identity formation, as well as obtaining and maintaining peer relationships. What kids need most in the current environment is support, understanding, empathy and encouragement from caring adults. They live up or down to the expectations we set for them.

If there is a panacea to the adversity caused by the pandemic, then it is the building of resilience. Resilience is the capacity to face, overcome, be strengthened and be transformed by adversity. Never before, have parents needed the skills, the knowledge and the strategies to build resilience in their children as much as they do now. There are seven integral and interrelated components that make up being resilient that can help young people thrive and develop healthy coping strategies.

This Special Report explores the “7 C’s of Resilience” and includes suggested strategies on how adult carers can best facilitate them. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://stpaulsags.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-building-resilience-post-pandemic.

Professional Learning: Sharing Best Practice Conference and Dr Lorraine Hammond’s visit.
To finish the term, St Paul’s will be hosting the Sharing Best Practice Gippsland Conference on Saturday 25 June. This conference will be focused on the science of learning and will bring twenty-eight high quality presenters and over 300 attendees to our school. Our keynote speakers include Professor Stephen Dinham, Dr Lorraine Hammond and Lyn Stone. The conference is open to educators, allied health professionals and parents. St Paul’s parents are most welcome to join us on the day. Details of the conference can be found here and registrations here. We are very lucky to have been chosen as a school to host this conference with the Sharing Best Practice organisation and we are looking forward to some excellent professional learning.

We will also host two days of professional learning with Dr Lorraine Hammond CF AM who is an Associate Professor at Edith Cowan University and has worked and researched in the areas of early literacy, high impact instructional strategies, including explicit teaching and learning difficulties. Awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2002, Lorraine has been recognised by an Australian Government National Teaching Award (2016) for outstanding tertiary teaching and in 2017 the Australian Council for Educational Leadership recognised her work in schools promoting high-impact instruction. In 2019, Lorraine received an Order of Australia (OAM) for her significant contribution to tertiary education and the community. Since 2017, Lorraine has developed and presented professional learning on evidence-based literacy strategies for the Kimberley Schools Project in the north of Western Australia in regional and remote community schools as well as the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. Dr Hammond’s visit to St Paul’s will indeed be a highlight of the year for our teachers and a wonderful learning opportunity for us.

Last Friday on our student free day, teachers were involved in a workshop exploring learning difficulties and disabilities and spent time discussing strategies and teaching approaches to best support students with individual needs. Teachers enhanced their knowledge about Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Autism, Tourette Syndrome, Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Developmental Language Disorder. It was a productive day with many worthwhile discussions, debates and learning.

Teachers have also been busy preparing Semester 1 student reports and these will be available online via the MyStPauls portal next week.

Play is the Way
Our Junior School classes continue to have a focus on the Play is the Way Life Rafts and virtues each week and classes start each day with a game specifically designed to help build the children’s understanding of these concepts:

• Treat Others How You Would Like to Be Treated
• It Takes Great Strength to Be Sensible
• Be Brave Participate to Progress
• Pursue Your Personal
• Have Reasons for the Things You Say and Do
• Be the Master Not the Victim of Your Feelings

Wilson and Julie McCaskill will be visiting St Paul’s in Term 3 and I warmly invite all parents to attend a special evening session with them. Wilson and Julie will be travelling across Australia and New Zealand working with school communities and this will be the first time they have visited Gippsland to spend time with our community. The parent evening on Thursday 28 July will be one to lock into your diaries now to ensure you are able to attend.

Copies of Wilson McCaskill’s book ‘Children Aren’t Made of China’, which is an easy quick read, includes some great advice for parents and teachers about developing empathy and resilience in our children, can be found in our library and parents are welcome to borrow and read. Please let me know if you would like a copy sent home with your child.

Speeding And Traffic Safety Within School Grounds
A concern was raised at our last OH&S committee meeting that some parents are speeding within the school grounds. Please be careful to always adhere to the speed limit to ensure the safety of all students, staff and parents. The committee has stated that should speeding continue, cameras may be checked to identify individuals to address accordingly. Please respect staff if you are asked to slow down, this is done with the best intention. Please help keep our school community safe.

Club House Boot Camp will be operating during the mid-year holiday break. Families are able to register and book for the various programs.

• New families, please enrol here: https://www.clubhousebootcamp.com.au/
• Existing families will book from their app and select Club House Holiday Program.
• Enquiries: admin@clubhousebootcamp.com.au

Monday 18 July is a student free day and students will return to classes on Tuesday 19 July. For any families requiring child care on Monday Clubhouse Boot Camp will be operating a day program from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm in the Junior School Library classroom.

Staffing Update
Mrs Jodie Bugeja will be taking some well-deserved long service leave in Semester 2 and we wish her safe travels with her family. Mrs Rachel Betts will also be taking some leave in Semester 2. We had anticipated the return of Mrs Jessica Williams however she has extended her family leave and will return at the beginning of 2023. Ms Rachael Geerts and Mrs Sarah Johnson are replacing Mrs Bugeja and Mrs Betts and they are very excited to be teaching the delightful Year 3 class throughout Semester 2. We have farewelled Mrs Allison Speairs who has spent Semester 1 working with the ELC and thank her for her efforts and wish her all the best for her new adventures.

Last day of term, Friday 24 June
On the final day of term, students will enjoy a visit from Green Hat Workshop and will participate in PLANKS challenges. Students will also be visiting the secondary school to join in BOHO Friday activities to raise funds for East Timor. Please see the below message from Mrs Enders. Please note that school on Friday 24 June school finishes at 2:20 pm.

With holidays upon us in a week’s time, I thank everyone for their support and cooperation throughout this term and wish everyone a safe and restful break.

Tracey King
Head of Traralgon Junior School

WHAT’S ON

JUNE
22 June Special Friends Day (rescheduled for Term 3)
22 June ELC Winter Solstice Evening Event
24 June Planks Incursion Prep to Year 6
End of Term 2, 2:20 pm Finish

* Please note that all events/excursions are dependent on COVID-19 restrictions.
* TBC – to be confirmed.

TRARALGON JUNIOR SCHOOL HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS

Monday 27 June to Wednesday 29 June 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Thursday 30 June to Friday 8 July Closed
Monday 11 July to Friday 15 July 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

DOBSONS HOLIDAY TRADING HOURS

Please note that some COVIDSafe procedures may still apply. We thank you for your cooperation.

Order online or click and collect: Please ensure that you only attend the store to collect your items once you have received notification that your order is ready, order here.

Class Updates

Prep
Over the past two weeks, Prep students have been learning about Celebrations. They have been sharing the special traditions and events that they celebrate with their families and cultures. Some of the celebrations are birthdays, Easter, Christmas, Diwali, Halloween, Iftaar and New Year’s Eve. Students compared the similarities and differences between the celebrations.

This week we were fortunate to have Jonte visit from the AFL Footy Clinic. He spent time with students, and they enjoyed learning how to kick and make hand passes with the ball. Everyone enjoyed wearing their footy colours and learning some new skills!

Year 1
Year 1 students thoroughly enjoyed their experiences at Old Gippstown this week.

Students spoke about their favourite activities that included visiting the blacksmith and seeing him make a gum leaf, watching olden days movies in the cinema, playing bowling and visiting Sunny Creek School. This excursion fits perfectly with our Integrated History unit.

Year 2
As part of our history unit, Year 2 students have been learning about Indigenous Australians and how they lived on the land. Students have discussed Acknowledgement of Country and what it means and they have recognised that the Gunai Kurnai peoples are the original custodians of the land in which our Traralgon Campus is situated. Students have learnt that Wunman Njinde means welcome, Yarrabee means goodbye and that Traralgon means places of fish. Year 2 enjoyed visiting the Scar Tree in our bus loop area and learning how it is a sacred tree to be preserved due to its history in the area and evidence of First Australians creating a canoe.
As part of our wellbeing learning, we have been exploring what it means to be inclusive of others and also looking at situations that might happen at school, such as arguing with a friend, losing ga-ga, making a mistake when writing, and plotting them on a catastrophe scale and recognising that some things are easier to ‘build a bridge and get over’ than other events but it is important to communicate and seek help from an adult when needed. 2S enjoyed the AFL Footy Clinic this week, learning how to handball and kick the footy whilst 2O are excited for their turn next week. We can’t believe that the school holidays are fast approaching and we wish all our friends and families a safe and relaxing school holiday period.

Year 3
During Term 2, Year 3 students have been learning about Australia and our neighbours as part of our integrated unit. We are very grateful to Mrs Enders and the Year 10 boys who came to help us learn more interesting facts about East Timor.

In this lesson, we collected water in buckets from one tap and carried them to two big water bins to simulate what the children in East Timor do for their families in the morning before school. After this Marcus braved the cold to demonstrate to us how people in East Timor take a shower.

Year 4
In Numeracy, the students have continued to engage in activities and lessons which have focused on fractions and location. In Literacy, they have started looking at Aboriginal Dreamtime stories and will be writing their own Dreamtime story next week. In Integrated Studies, the students have been reviewing what they have learnt about the First Fleet and settlement in Australia, by completing their own lap book.

We also had many of the students participate in Winter Sports, where they competed against other primary schools in the Latrobe Valley in a variety of sports. Despite it being a very cold, wet and muddy day, the students had lots of fun and represented St Paul’s well. On Tuesday, all Year 4 students developed their footy skills in the footy clinic and enjoyed having a kick with their friends.

Year 5
As part of our learning about governing bodies, all Year 5 students have been putting their research skills towards exploring a past Prime Minister of Australia. Students were super excited to be able to create their posters of each Prime Minister to be added to a class timeline.

We have been finishing up our Endeavour Program for this semester where students have been planning and preparing what they are going to present to their fellow classmates during the Expo. The creativity that students have displayed has been amazing to see and are all looking forward to seeing what the other Endeavour Program groups have been learning about.

Year 6
The end of Term 2 is in sight, but there has been no slowing down in the Year 6 space. Revision of skills previously learnt in maths, thinking maps to unpack information in law and government and continued refinement of fluency in reading were all included in the long list of things to get done.

Oral presentations however, were the focus over the past week, with students practising, refining and presenting to their peers and teachers. The task was named ‘Quick Talk Presentations’ however, the students soon realised that even talking for one minute needs lots of practice and preparation.

Along with a busy classroom of learning, the Year 6 group also participated in their last Winter Sports. Although they came back wet, cold and muddy, the smiles and memories made it all worth it.

LATROBE VALLEY DIVISION CROSS COUNTRY

On Wednesday 25 May, St Paul’s Traralgon Campus hosted the Latrobe Valley Division Cross Country. 168 students from twenty-nine different schools travelled to race on our tough Cross Country course which showcases our fantastic facilities and beautiful wetlands.

We had six students competing for St Paul’s across five of the six age groups. Congratulations to Isaiah Clavarino (third place), Anson Law (fifth place), Adele Brady (eighth place), Gracie Hasthorpe (first place), William Lambert (sixth place) and Abi Dean (first place), who all qualified for the Gippsland Region Cross Country finals. Here are the full results from the event:
Billy Rilen
Sport and PE Teacher

GIPPSLAND REGION CROSS COUNTRY

On Thursday 2 June, six of our students travelled to Lardner Park near Warragul to compete at the Gippsland Region Cross Country Event. In what turned out to be a sunny crisp day, our students ran to the best of their abilities with three students setting personal best times on the day.
Well done to Anson Law (18th place), Isaiah Claverino (24th place), Adele Brady (28th place) and William Lambert on making it through to the Gippsland Region Championships this is an amazing effort. Congratulations to Gracie Hasthorpe who won a bronze medal (third place) and Abi Dean (eighth place) who is only eight years old competing against 10 year olds. Both girls have qualified for the State Cross Country Championships on Thursday July 14 at Yarra Valley Racing Club. Here are the full results from the event:

Billy Rilen
Sport and PE Teacher

TRARALGON DISTRICT WINTER SPORTS — SOCCER

Boys/Mixed A Competition
Well done to the boys soccer team on a fantastic day at District Winter Sports. All students showed great determination and perseverance during each round. All students were very supportive of one another and encouraged their teammates throughout all games.

Despite the cold and rainy weather, it was great to see all students showing sportsmanship and teamwork. Our St Paul’s boys placed fourth on the day. Well done to all students for giving their best effort!

Thank you to Chris Loeschenkohl for refereeing the matches.

Girls A Competition
Our girls were equally resilient in the cold winter weather. The girls improved as the day went on managing to keep two teams goalless for a half of soccer each. Their effort, and desire to improve were amazing to watch. I was really impressed with our sportsmanship, support, encouragement and how hard they worked for one another.

Our St Paul’s girls placed third overall. Well done to all students on getting out there and giving it their best.

Thank you to Owen Zimora for refereeing the matches and helping me set up in the morning.

Ms Jade Hosken and Mr Billy Rilen

TRARALGON DISTRICT WINTER SPORTS — NETBALL

Girls A & Girls B1 Competition
In wet and windy conditions, two netball teams went to compete in the Winter Sport competition. Both teams displayed amazing resilience and gave their all in every match they played. Across the day both teams had a mix of wins, losses and draws. Cooperation and encouragement were evident as the girls put the team ahead of themselves. Skills improved considerably as confidence grew on the court.

After playing many games of netball, the girls netball section A team finished in second place and in girls netball section B1 the team finished in fourth place. Congratulations to both teams on their efforts for the day!

Thank you to Kelly Vardy for umpiring our Girls A matches on the day.

Mrs Julia Cullen

TRARALGON DISTRICT WINTER SPORTS — AFL

Our school football students battled away on winter sports day in the freezing cold wind and rain against opposing schools from around Traralgon. Despite the winter weather, everybody demonstrated fantastic enthusiasm and teamwork. It was fantastic to see the experienced footballers help and answer the questions of those with less experience.
As the day progressed, the team showed great improvement as they became more comfortable playing together. Whilst we did not quite walk away with a win, everybody involved had fun and gained something from the experience.

Mr Lucas Tripodi and Miss Stefani Settle

TRARALGON DISTRICT WINTER SPORTS – HOCKEY 7’S

With only seven brave enough to face the day of Winter Sports, the Hockey 7’s team took to the field knowing that it was going to be a challenge. No subs meant that they all had to be prepared to play every game… rain, hail or shine and work together in order to be successful.

The students rose to the occasion and represented the school with outstanding sportsmanship. The team finished winning two out of three matches and ended the day wet, cold, and full of smiles.

Ms Laura Vannapraseuth

TRARALGON DISTRICT WINTER SPORTS – T-BALL

On a very dreary Wednesday 8 June, our T-Ball team took on teams from St Gabriel’s, Grey Street and St Michael’s at Agnes Brereton Reserve. It was windy, cold, and raining… A LOT!

Our focus throughout our training had been on fielding effectively, making the correct decisions under pressure and batting strategically in order to support our own base runners.

We were able to win our first three games quite comfortably, giving us a showdown with Grey Street in our final game. Both teams batted superbly in the first innings, scoring seven runs each. We batted first in the second innings and once again scored seven, meaning a draw could be on the cards with time counting down in the game. Grey Street managed to get six runs when we were able to secure the final out of the innings. Closing their innings with six runs and leaving a final score of St Paul’s fourteen and Grey Street thirteen.

The students played with superb honesty and encouragement, while consistently providing positive and constructive feedback to their team members.

Having won all of the games, the students were crowned champions and will progress through to the Region event in Term 3.

Mr Rick Battista

BOHO FRIDAY FUNDRAISER, FRIDAY 24 JUNE

Junior School students and Senior School students are invited to attend Boho Friday, occurring in the Senior School on Friday 24 June from noon. This is the fundraising activity for East Timor we have run in the past, where students can have their nails done, hair braided or feathered, and henna body art or tattoos done.

The money raised will go towards building a new English Language classroom in Malimea Village in the Ermera District.

A parent consent form will need to be signed for students under 15 to receive henna body art. This will be handed out in class closer to the day. However we would advise students who have a skin condition or sensitive skin not to have one, in case of a reaction. We will also run our Fair Trade stall, with goods from 50c through to $25 including bags, jewellery, purses, scrunchies, baskets and more.

If you have any queries or would like to know more, please contact Kirsten Enders on 5175 9222 or by email at kenders@stpaulags.vic.edu.au.

Kirsten Enders
Humanities and Commerce Teacher

FINANCE NEWS

Annual Fee Account
Families have recently received via email an annual fee account for 2022. 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.

We offer fortnightly instalments (22 payments) on Wednesdays or Fridays that commenced on 4 February and monthly instalments (10 payments) that commenced on 15 February 2022.

Other direct debit payment dates are also available by arrangement.

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 on the school’s website at this link, https://stpaulsags.vic.edu.au/enrolment/school-fees/

Instalments (due dates)
Instalment 4 – 12 August 2022

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

Eligible families applying for the car conveyance allowance will have funds credited to their fee account during the year. If the fee account has been paid in full, or is on a direct debit arrangement, any allocation will show as a credit on the following year’s invoice.

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments directly to the school for the benefit of the eligible student to attend camps, sports and excursions. Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply. $125 per year will be paid for eligible primary school students and $225 per year paid for eligible secondary school students. Payments will go directly to the school and be tied to the student. For more information and to download the application form please 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 2022 closes at the end of Term 2. All forms must be received by 15 June 2022 to be processed.

For parents who received CSEF at the school in 2021 (and the student/s are still enrolled in 2022), the schools will ‘copy’ the application across from 2021 to 2022 on the CSEF system. The CSEF system will automatically validate the parent’s eligibility with Centrelink.

Grammarian Issue 9, 17 June 2022

Warragul Secondary School

From the Acting Head of Warragul Secondary School,
Mr Gordon Oldham.

RUN TO THE WITCH’S HATS
The sticky note tab on my laptop contains a number of open tasks and reminders, an irony not lost on me as I listed a hot topic for the Grammarian and assembly: mono-tasking v multi-tasking.

I was all set to expound my thoughts on the fact that, at some point, we began to celebrate multi-tasking rather than see the inherent value of focusing on one task at a time. Then, in the space of five days, a presentation to staff from Dr Jared Coovey Horvath, as well as a Herald Sun columnist, both featured the very same concept!

So I would rather multi-topic and use the final Grammarian piece of the semester to note one of my favourite concepts, which I also shared with students at assembly yesterday: running to the witch’s hats.

The idea is simple, much easier than discerning where to place the apostrophe (I have gone with one witch, owning more than one hat). I heard of it years ago, after AFL club Richmond – in the days when they were not particularly impressive – won a series of consecutive matches. Ruckman Ivan Maric, known more for his bullocking, no-frills approach to the centre bounce than he was for his philosophical musings, was asked by journalists about the key difference in approach for his team.

“We started running to the witch’s hats,” Maric said.

His comment did not make headlines, nor does it reveal much on a Google search… but the concept is perfectly aligned with what we all want our children and students to do and be, as well as aligned with our growth mindset ideology.

Maric confirmed that they made a firm declaration and commitment to avoid shortcuts. If they had to run a lap of the oval, they ran the full lap, outside the line. If they were doing push-ups, they did every push-up. And if they were sprinting, they ran to the witch’s hats, they didn’t taper off in the final metres before the finish line.

For us, in a school environment, it is easy to see how this theory is applied. It is why I love the way we use early commencement at the end of each semester, ensuring that we do not fade and instead continue learning and working hard. It is why I tell my classes that we do not pack up prior to the end of the lesson. It is why we should avoid shortcuts and celebrate perseverance, persistence and trying our best in everything that we do.

I hope families have an opportunity to enjoy some time together over the upcoming break. We look forward to seeing students again on Tuesday 19 July.

STAFF CHANGES
We thanked Mrs Ann-Mary Ryan for her contribution in Term 2 and we will see her soon as an assessor of Year 12 oral presentation and practice exams and as a supply teacher.

We wished Mr David Ellis all the best as he embarks on long service leave for the duration of Semester 2. Mr Ellis and his family have some incredible travel plans ahead of them.

We also farewelled Dr Dean Spalding, who will return to the ministry. Dr Spalding has taught Mathematics and Christian Studies at St Paul’s for the past two years. In the next week or so, Dr Spalding will learn where his journey in the ministry will resume; we are grateful to Dr Spalding for his contribution to life at St Paul’s.

We welcomed back Ms Natalie Bellis this week, who returns to her role as Head of English and will be taking Years 8 and 9 English classes.

In the final week of term, we will also welcome back Ms Laura Butterworth, the Head of Warragul Secondary School.

Next term, Mr Mark Sinclair will join us as a teacher of Mathematics. Mr Sinclair currently teaches at St Peter’s in Cranbourne. He has been a Head of House at St Peter’s for a number of years and has also previously worked in the careers department. Mr Sinclair looks forward to acting as a Year 9 Mentor, attending camps and coaching sport, as well as teaching Mathematics!

A BUSY SEMESTER
It has been so exciting to witness and be involved in so many events this semester. The sporting calendar has been packed and Ms Hoskings has provided plenty of updates. Tomorrow, the Sports Aerobics teams head to the state championships!

Camps went ahead for Years 7, 8 and 9 (City Camp, next week) and we had an excellent range of performances and concerts from the Performing Arts team.

Please encourage your son/daughter to avail themselves of the many opportunities presented to students. There are notices on MyStPauls in the news feed or they can check in with their Mentor or Head of Year for ideas!

SCHOOL POSITION REPORT
A School Position Report, which provides information on your child’s achievement in the subjects studied compared to that of other children in their peer group, is available to all families. If you would like a copy of this report for your child/ren please make this request via the respective Head of School.

Friends of St Paul’s
FOSP will meet at 7:00 pm on Wednesday 22 June in the staffroom. An online link via Zoom is available to anyone wishing to join from home. The meeting will run for no longer than 40 minutes and the aim is to look at upcoming occasions where we can bring parents together. To be added to the mailing list or receive the online link via Zoom for next week, please email goldham@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

ONLINE SAFETY PRESENTATION
An email was sent to parents/guardians of Years 7 and 8 students this week noting that the Traralgon online safety parent presentation this Friday has moved online. It means that the event, with guest speakers from ySafe, which coincides with the Traralgon Secondary School Years 7 and 8 Disco, can now be attended online by Warragul Secondary School parents as well.

To register for the free session, which takes place from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, CLICK HERE.

From ySafe: “If you’ve ever struggled with getting your kids off their games and into bed, worried about knowing what your child is accessing online, or felt concerned that your child was spending too much time in the digital world, this session is for you!”

Gordon Oldham
Acting Head of Warragul Secondary School