Revelations
The fortnightly newsletter for Pre-K to Year 12 families of St Paul’s
Issue No. 62
22nd September 2020
From the Principal One of the defining characteristics of St Paul’s is our sense of school community. The parents and grandparents; the extended families; our local communities; our friends, supporters and staff all form part of the rich, welcoming environment that we know helps our students feel secure and emboldens them to make the most of their talents. As I have mentioned in Revelations previously, a regrettable effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is the restrictions to oncampus interaction between the school and our community. It is my hope that Term 4 may see restrictions ease and allow for families to return to campus in some way - catching up, grabbing a coffee together and building the supportive networks that are of great benefit to us all. In the meantime, we have been considering ways that will make it easier for you to connect with what’s happening at St Paul’s.
and across our playgrounds. Our social media channels give you a window into some of what our students and staff are undertaking each and every day. A great example of this is our annual PYP Exhibition which for the first time, this year, is online. The staff and students have worked hard over the course of this term to research and engage in the theme “Who We Are”. The online exhibition platform demonstrates the depth and breadth of our students engagement. Congratulations to all involved. This week we look forward to farewelling our Year 12 students in a “COVID friendly” way and are hopeful that we will be able to celebrate with them in the more usual fashion, at the end of the year, once their examinations are complete. Please keep each of these students in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you all for your ongoing encouragement and support.
Yesterday I was pleased to officially launch the school’s mobile app, my.stpauls, which is now available to download for your mobile device from either the Apple Store or Google Play. The app conveniently links you, as parents, to the latest school news and information and streamlines access to a number of important functions, including the full school calendar; access to your child’s due work and timetable; school messages and alerts; and the ability to report your child’s absence or late arrival.
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.” Psalm 67: 1-2
The app has been designed for your convenience and I hope you will find it a valuable and intuitive tool to keep up-to-date and involved with your child’s education at St Paul’s. You can find a helpful user guide to get you up and running with the app on the following page. If you have any questions or need any further assistance with using the app, please email my.helpdesk@stpauls.nsw.edu.au. Of course, another good way to keep engaged with what is happening at St Paul’s is to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Despite many excursions, camps and events being cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19 there is still so much great work, fun and excitement going on in classrooms
Revelations - St Paul’s Fortnightly Newsletter. Issue No. 62
Ian Wake Principal
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STAY CONNECTED
You will now receive the latest updates and information from your school. Everything you need to stay in the loop is all in one handy place.
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p. 02 4777 4888 e. info@stpauls.nsw.edu.au w. stpauls.nsw.edu.au
Revelations - St Paul’s Fortnightly Newsletter. Issue No. 62
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From the Head of Junior School
Commendation Morning Tea Last week, across various days, I enjoyed having morning tea with nearly two-hundred Junior School students who have received twenty-five or more commendations this year. Congratulations to all the students who have worked so hard and shown excellent behaviour throughout the year, especially in these unfamiliar times.
PYP Exhibition The Junior School held the 18th PYP Exhibition last week which was a display of work by our Year 6 students. The exhibition looked a little different this year as a ‘Virtual Exhibition’ due to COVID-19 restrictions. Year 6 students presented their research findings and posed solutions to the problems they had identified. I am impressed with their hard work and their flexibility to adapt to presenting the Exhibition differently this year. I would like to thank the students, Mrs Day, Miss Cremona, Miss Gale, Miss Bate, Mrs Mansley, Mrs Zhang, Mrs McCaffery, Mrs Daniels, Mrs Dantier, Mrs Watson and the IT Team for their help in making the first Virtual Exhibition a reality. You can read more about this exciting exhibition on the following pages.
End of Term Term 3 concludes on Friday, 25th September 2020. I would like to thank all families for their continued support of the school, in particular with all the changes related to COVID-19. I wish you all a relaxing term break and look forward to seeing students return on Tuesday, 13th October 2020. Ian Brooker Head of Junior School
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2020 PYP Exhibition
One of the many benefits of being a school that delivers the Primary Years Program (PYP) is the Year 6 Exhibition. This year we are especially proud of our Year 6 students who managed to adapt a ‘face-to-face’ model into an online platform version of the Exhibition. The Exhibition was presented virtually due to the current COVID-19 restrictions. We are so proud of our students who rose to the occasion. Web pages were designed so the audience could see the whole Exhibition process as students developed their work through the school’s Inquiry cycle. The Exhibition culminates a celebration of student learning. It is student driven and each individual developed their own set of questions and ideas to explore in a conceptual way. This year the theme was:
“Who we are – An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.”
Students formed groups based on their interests. Each group developed their very own central idea to inquire into. The groups were:
Physical Health Samuel, Isobel, Jeremy, Ben, Ethan I.
Health in General Ally, Marlee, Yvie, Amrah, Jake, Callum, Bradley, Ishta.
Relationships Adelaide, Lachlan, Eddie, Ashton R, Michael, Tilly H-M, Addison H, Isabel, Ruixi, James, Salim.
Self Charlotte, Leila, Tilly P, Adam, Leo, Blade, Nihal, Luke, Addy L, Aditi, Ethan M, Jack, Cruz, Brylee, Stella, Finn.
Rights and Responsibilities Sopheena, Martin, Eric, Sophie, Gemma.
Mental Health Alex, Amelia, Brielle, Azim, Ashton V, Christian, Lane, Marcus, Ruby, Angus.
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2020 PYP Exhibition Continued
From their initial interests and passions, they thought deeply about what concept they cared about. Students explored the difference between a ‘topic’ and a ‘concept’ and the importance of the Exhibition being a ‘Learning Journey’ rather than a ‘project’. Students were asked to research their concept and apply it to different aspects of their lives and reflect on the action they could take. They asked themselves the following questions:
• • • • •
Were they thinking critically and creatively? Were they analysing data and sharing the results with the community? Were they being respectful of their peers and wider community when sharing equipment? Were they using their time and self-management skills well? How they could communicate their learning to the community through the use of technology and its available platforms?
This year, the students also participated in Zoom meetings with fellow Year 6 students at Newington College, Lindfield. This was very useful to the students as they were able to share their ideas and web page designs with students who were also partaking in the same process.
Student reflections on the Exhibition: Charlotte Liggins “The Exhibition has been hard, but also fun. I think we are all happy with how it has turned out.” Matilda Harper Marchant “The Exhibition has been challenging but overall we have learnt a lot.” Stella Muscat “I liked being able to participate in the sport games in a team for PE.” Lachlan Kumar “The Exhibition has been a hard time, but it has been worth waiting for the end process.” Brielle Morgan “I liked doing the activities in the hall and outside. We learnt new things.” Christian Vicary “I enjoyed PE because of the ownership we have over the lessons.”
We would like to thank Miss Gale, Mrs Mansley, Miss Bate, Mrs Zhang, Mrs McCaffery, Mrs Daniels, Mrs Dantier and Mrs Watson for the work and dedication they demonstrated throughout the whole term to help make Exhibition a reality. I would also like to thank the IT Department for all their support to make this possible. Mrs Corinne Day Deputy Head of Junior School PYP and Curriculum
Miss Nicole Cremona Grade 6 Coordinator
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From the Director of Learning Services
Year 12 Final Examinations and COVID-19 Testing Students in Year 12 complete formal classes this week. A number of holiday classes have been arranged with teachers. Students must ‘sign in’ to the Secondary School administration building before going to the location of these classes. As is the case during the term, holiday classes will be run in a ‘COVID-19 safe’ manner. All Year 12 students and parents have been sent a lengthy email message regarding COVID-19 specific arrangements for the upcoming final examinations. Please read this email carefully as it has important information regarding the conduct of final exams this year. Final HSC exams run from Tuesday, 20th October to Wednesday, 11th November. HSC students can log into their NESA account to access individual HSC timetables. HSC results will be released on Friday, 18th December. Final IB Diploma exams run from Monday, 26th October to Friday, 13th November. IB Diploma students also have individual examination timetables. IB Diploma results will be released on Thursday 17 December. Copies of these exam timetables as well as current assessment calendars can be found on my.stpauls.
Best Wishes from the Governor of NSW The school has received letters for Year 12 students expressing best wishes from the Governor of NSW, the Honourable Margaret Beazley, AC QC. These have been forwarded to students but a copy is found on pages eight and nine of Revelations. It is especially encouraging for Year 12 students and their families that the community is expressing strong support for learning in such a challenging year!
Year 11 Parent/Teacher Meeting A Year 11 parent/teacher afternoon/evening will be held on Wednesday, 14th October. This parent teacher meeting will allow an opportunity for Year 11 parents to receive feedback for study focus for Year 12, 2021. Invitations with more detail will be sent to parents this week.
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From the Director of Learning Services Continued
Educational Access Scheme (EAS) Year 12 students are eligible to apply for the Educational Access Scheme (EAS) if something has negatively impacted their schooling over a significant part of Year 11 and/or Year 12 (3 months or more). Factors considered are:
• • • • • • • •
Disrupted schooling. Financial hardship. Severe family disruption. Excessive family responsibilities. English language difficulty. Personal illness/disability. Refugee status. School environment.
Further information about the EAS may be found here. This scheme does not apply to general COVID-19 related impacts, which are being dealt with holistically by NESA and the IB Organisation, but this year there are two new disadvantages in response to COVID-19 where a parent or guardian has had to take on Jobkeeper or Jobseeker allowances. Students or families who believe that they may be eligible for an aspect of the Educational Access Scheme are strongly encouraged to speak with me to allow me to guide, advise and support applications. Such discussions are always treated strictly confidentially. EAS applications for the December round of offers close on Friday, 20th November. If you have any questions about any of the matters raised here please do not hesitate to contact me. Mr Antony Mayrhofer Director of Learning Services E: antony.mayrhofer@stpauls.nsw.edu.au P: +61 2 4776 4705
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Letter to Year 12 HSC Students
Message from Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC Governor of New South Wales Dear Year 12 student, I am sorry that I cannot write to you individually but I did want to make contact to wish you well as you come up to the final weeks of your school life, so I trust you will forgive this ‘generic’ message. Year 12 is always a challenging year but what a year you have managed to navigate! Remote learning, uncertainty over exams, the cancellation of those events that were going to cap off your year - 2020 has been one of the most challenging presented to a high school graduating class for a long, long time. And yet, here you are coming to the last weeks of school having survived the craziness of it all. You may be wondering who I am and why am I writing to you. My name is Margaret Beazley, and as the Governor of New South Wales one of my roles is to recognise the achievements of the people and communities of our State. What I want to say to you today is that I stand in admiration of you. You have shown resilience and grace, you have been caring towards each other. You have demonstrated your adaptability to extraordinary change. One of the important goals of education is to prepare you for life’s challenges. You have had more than your fair share of those this year and you have already passed with flying colours! With your Trial exams completed and your last days of school coming up, your HSC journey is drawing to a close. If your experience is anything like mine was, (in a different century I have to admit), the coming three weeks of study between the end of term and the first exam on 20 October will drag a little but then the exams will fly by in a flash. None of this is to deny the stress and anxiety of this past year – not only the usual HSC stress but on top of that the anxiety caused by COVID-19. Look after yourself. Go for a run in the park, do some Zoom yoga, recite some poetry, or just do whatever it is that gives you that ‘mindspace’ that is so important at this time. In the coming weeks it will be a matter of one step at a time. Congratulations for ‘sticking with it’ and thank you for the way you have responded to this difficult year. This coronavirus period will pass. The future is yours to shape and as I meet young people around New South Wales I know that in your hands, our community will be in good hands. All the very best for the months ahead. On behalf of the people of New South Wales and personally please know that we are very proud of you.
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC Governor of New South Wales
Letter to Year 12 IB Students
Message from Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC Governor of New South Wales Dear Year 12 student, I am sorry that I cannot write to you individually but I did want to make contact to wish you well as you come up to the final weeks of your school life, so I trust you will forgive this ‘generic’ message. Year 12 is always a challenging year but what a year you have managed to navigate! Remote learning and uncertainty over exams, the cancellation of those events that were going to cap off your year - 2020 has been one of the most challenging presented to a high school graduating class for a long, long time. And yet, here you are coming to the last weeks of school having survived the craziness of it all. You may be wondering who I am and why am I writing to you. My name is Margaret Beazley, and as the Governor of New South Wales one of my roles is to recognise the achievements of the people and communities of our State. What I want to say to you today is that I stand in admiration of you. You have shown resilience and grace, you have been caring towards each other. You have demonstrated your adaptability to extraordinary change. One of the important goals of education is to prepare you for life’s challenges. You have had more than your fair share of those this year and you have already passed with flying colours! With your last days of school coming up, your International Baccalaureate journey is drawing to a close. If your experience is anything like mine was, (in a different century I have to admit), the coming weeks will fly by in a flash. None of this is to deny the stress and anxiety of this past year – not only the stress of the IB program, but on top of that the anxiety caused by COVID-19. Look after yourself. Go for a run in the park, do some Zoom yoga, recite some poetry, or just do whatever it is that gives you that ‘mindspace’ that is so important at this time. In the coming weeks it will be a matter of one step at a time. Congratulations for ‘sticking with it’ and thank you for the way you have responded to this difficult year. This coronavirus period will pass. The future is yours to shape and as I meet young people around New South Wales I know that in your hands, our community will be in good hands. All the very best for the months ahead. On behalf of the people of New South Wales and personally please know that we are very proud of you.
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC Governor of New South Wales
From the Director of Students and Family Services
Farewell to Year 12 This week sees us bidding a fond farewell to our Year 12 students. This year’s festivities will look significantly different from our traditional farewell to Year 12 because of the fact that we are unable to welcome our Year 12 parents onto the school campus. While we are disappointed not to be able to extend our usual hospitality to parents to celebrate the graduation of our Year 12's, the Heads of House, events staff and I have worked hard to come up with a combination of activities that we hope will make this Thursday a memorable one for Year 12 2020. The day will feature some traditional elements of our farewell celebrations, albeit with some significant modifications and some unique new activities that will hopefully make this Thursday a significant day for all Year 12 students. As usual both our prefects and a variety of students from each of the tutor groups will do their part in helping our staff farewell our Year 12’s as they finish their formal classes. Of course, this week is hopefully only phase one of the activities which will mark the departure of Year 12. Thanks to the recent changes in state government regulations surrounding the graduation of Year 12 students, we are planning to conduct a formal graduation assembly and our annual Valedictory Dinner just prior to the conclusion of school this year once all Year 12 students have completed their final exams. These events have been delayed in an attempt to ensure all our Year 12 parents are given the opportunity to attend and celebrate this significant milestone with their children. We certainly look forward to celebrating both this week and again on Wednesday, 25th November with both Year 12 and their parents.
Uniform The crossover period from winter to summer uniform is now in full swing and I am pleased to say that many of our students have responded positively to the move to extend this period by a week. It is great to see that a large number of students have taken the opportunity to switch over to their summer uniform already to enjoy the recent warm spring days. Just a reminder that when we return to school for Term 4, full summer uniform must be worn by all students.
ISA Sport After a very chequered winter ISA sports competition, it is great to see that ISA are planning on running a modified version of the summer competition which will reduce the distances travelled by all teams throughout Term 4. Our recent recruitment drive by Mrs Tantalos has been incredibly successful so we are looking forward to fielding lots of teams on the courts and fields when the competition kicks off early next term. Of course, there will still be modifications to ‘normal’ sport arrangements, the extent of which will be determined closer to the start of the new season. Our Sports Academy will communicate these next term. In closing I would like to thank all our students for their efforts this term. It has been wonderful to have such a relatively stable term and to see the learning that has gone on. I hope all our students and their families have a wonderful spring break and I look forward to seeing everyone back in Term 4. Philip Heath Director of Students and Family Servcies
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From the Dance Academy
Spotlight on Pre-Junior Ballet, Jazz and Lyrical on Wednesday Afternoons Throughout 2020, Year 1 and 2 students have been working very hard in class learning new skills and working on their foundational technique in ballet, jazz, and lyrical dance genres. With the assistance of Sarah Robinson, during class we start with a ballet warm-up, teaching and practising exercises from the RAD Grade 1 syllabus. This focus on foundational ballet techniques aids students to form a strong understanding of these basic skills. We then utilise these skills in the ballet dance the students are currently learning. Students have been enjoying learning their ballet routine to Waltz from Coppelia Act 1, following the storyline of a blossoming flower. After Ballet we move onto Jazz, where students begin class with a quick stretch run by Sarah and I, then followed by practising their choreographed dance, which focuses on improving students' musicality, dynamics, and basic isolations. After Jazz we move onto Lyrical, starting the class with technique exercises from the corner, including kicks, various turns, and leaps. Then we move on to rehearse their lyrical dance, focusing again on their technique, specifically in their single pirouettes, which all students have been working hard to improve this past month. Students are also developing their soft, sustained dynamics and showing emotions through their movement. The class is always a joy to teach, as the students continuously come in with a smile on their faces, ready to learn. Jessica Monteleone Dance Academy Tutor
What do you enjoy about class? Jemima: That I get to learn new dance moves and I like getting better and better at dancing. I like practising my dances and I want to be a dance teacher when I grow up. Scarlett: I enjoy having all my friends and teachers here. And I love all the dances we get to do.
What do you efind challenging? Mylee: The leaps because when you land we can’t fall over, and you get to make it big and it's hard. Jemima: I think it is challenging because it’s tricky to do the right thing because we have to do a big leap and land properly. And also the turns are hard too because we are still practising how to do them.
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From the Music Academy Continued
Curriculum Music HSC Students Music Examinations Congratulations to our HSC Music 2 student Nathan Dillen who completed his HSC Music Performance Examination on Tuesday, 15th September. Best wishes to our all of our HSC and IB Year 12 Music students for their final written examinations in Term 4.
Year 7 and 8 Music Year 7 and 8 Music students have been performing on a variety of instruments this semester including guitar, percussion and ukulele. Recently, Year 8 (Music 2) performed repertoire on guitars for assessment for Mrs Jarman. Both Year 7 and 8 groups have been participating in collaborative creative activities. Year 7 are currently composing music to reflect an animal, carefully considering the elements of music to symbolise the characteristics of their chosen animal/s. Year 8 are composing music with two or more chords, a riff or ostinato and a melody. We look forward to the final performance of their pieces.
Year 9 Music Year 9 have been creating and performing music for the annual “Flowers in the Wasteland” project. More information about this exciting event will be communicated soon.
Year 10 Music Year 10 are currently preparing for their end of year recording session. Each student will perform repertoire of their choice, which will be recorded to produce a professional audio package to finalise their studies in middle years’ music.
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From the Music Academy Continued
Conservatorium and Ensembles Programmes Co-curricular Music Activities – Music Academy Ensembles Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, our Music Academy ensembles have not had the opportunity to perform in the second semester, 2020. To facilitate the ensembles participating in a project that will enable them to perform and refine their performance skills, a series of recordings have been organised to provide valuable experiences and material which will be able to be used for promotional and educational purposes. The recordings commenced this week featuring the 7-12 String Ensemble, ‘Fretless’ Junior School String Ensemble, ‘Mestropolis’ 7-12 Percussion Ensemble and the 7-12 Cello Ensemble. The recordings will continue with the remainder of the ensembles in Term 4. 7-12 Cello Ensemble
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the Music Programmes at SPGS. p: +61 2 4776 4846 e: cathy.jarman@stpauls.nsw.edu.au Cathy Jarman Coordinator of Music
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