RevelationsThe fortnightly newsletter for Pre-K to Year 12 families of St Paul’s

Revelations - St Paul’s Fortnightly Newsletter. Issue No. 51 1

Issue No. 51 25th February 2020

From the PrincipalIt was wonderful to see a number of new faces at the last Friends of St Paul’s meeting.

This group meets once a month and aims to organise activities and events for our school that both build community and raise funds for specific projects in the school.

It is so encouraging to see parents actively engaged in the life of the school. I would like to acknowledge the work of Tim Searle, who after six years as President is handing over the reins, and Monica Searle who has been Treasurer for eight years.

Both Tim and Monica have provided terrific leadership to this vital group in our community and we are very thankful for their gracious service to the school. It is also fitting to congratulate Kareena Gale who has been appointed as the new President of Friends of St Paul’s.

The office holders of Friends of St Paul’s are:

I hope to see more new faces at the next meeting as we seek to continue to serve our school.

President Kareena Gale

Vice President Michelle Jakobsson

Treasurer Anthony Place

Communications Susan Ruming

Secretary Deanne Ash

The school has commenced a project looking at Digital Citizenship at St Paul’s. We have established a working party who have commenced meeting and are looking at answering the following questions:

1. What is Digital Citizenship?

2. What do we hope to achieve as a school?

3. What does the current research say about Digital Citizenship in schools?

4. What are we currently doing at St Paul’s in this area and what are our current policies and practices?

5. Is what we are doing enough? Where are the gaps? Where are the issues?

6. What are the views of the other stakeholders – parent and students?

7. What recommendations do we have for the Senior Executive?

The impact and development of technology is a significant issue that our schools, families and our society need to engage with. It is important for our school to consider what this looks like in our context and the opportunities and threats technology brings to our students and staff. If you are interested in joining a focus group to bring a parent perspective to this discussion, please email my Executive Assistant, Katy Whale, to express your interest at katy.whale@stpauls.nsw.edu.au.

It has been encouraging to see so many students getting involved in the wider life of the school through the seemingly endless co-curricular programmes we offer. This year is, of course, the year of both the Junior School and Secondary School musicals. There will be some information coming out shortly regarding sponsorship opportunities for the upcoming Secondary Musical, “Bye Bye Birdie”. It would be lovely if school businesses would consider this opportunity and assist with the production of the show.

It remains a great privilege being part of this wonderful community. I pray that God may continue to bless our school.

CRICOS 02267A

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From the PrincipalContinues

I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. Psalm 89:1-2

Ian Wake Principal

Year 7, 2021 Information Evening

Tuesday, 3rd March at 7:00pm in the Junior School Hall. This introductory session is offered to parents of students entering the Secondary School at St Paul's in 2021. The aim is to familiarise families and give valuable insight into the transition from Junior to Secondary School. Students are encouraged to attend.

The evening will feature a brief presentation by the Principal of St Paul’s, Mr Ian Wake, and an introduction to senior staff. Dr Mary Robyn will give an overview of the IB and NESA curriculum at St Paul's, and current students will speak about their experiences at the school. There will also be the opportunity to discuss Secondary School Learning at St Paul's with Heads of Department, Heads of House and Academy Coordinators, and to ask any questions you may have.

Please contact the Office of Enrolments and Public Relations on (02) 4777 4888 if you have any queries.

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From the Head of Junior School

Junior School Captains

Addison Howarth

Ashton Russell

Junior School Induction Assembly

On Monday, 17th February 2020 we held our Student Leaders Induction Assembly.I would like to congratulate the following students who received their badges at the ceremony.

Junior School Prefects

Amrah Connor

Amelia Gardiner

Isabel Gavin

Ruby Jacob

Lachlan Kumar

Stella Muscat

Alexander Reid

Edward Ruming

Jeremy Tjiantoro

House Captains

Castlereagh – Alexandra Stevanovic

Claremont – Salim Gazi

Cornwallis – Jake Vicary

Melville – Christian Vicary

Strathdon – Benjamin Dwyer

Wilberforce – Angus Kaczorowski

Sports Monitors Semester 1

Nalini Barrett

Tiffany-Rose Burchett

Joshua Carmona-Rochabrunt

Olivia Francica

Lola Gower

Xander Scarpari

Anastasia Stevanovic

Jack Street

Library Monitors Semester 1

Nisheeta Dhinaharan

Amelie Goodchild

Elizabeth Growcock

Isaac Krebs

Elise Mackay

Mita Maloi

Hamish Munroe

Liam Tree

Gemma Williams

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From the Head of Junior School Continues

Student Representative Council

Year 2

William Orde

Violet Pamer

McKinley Russell

Amelia Saliba

Year 3

Zachariah Bates

Malia Connor

Rose Jacob

Hayden Vicary

Year 4

Mila Ayo

Owen Levy

Madeleine Millard

Ben Nicholas

Year 5

Olivia Francica

Miley Madfouni

Xander Scarpari,

Jet Skene

Year 6

Marlee Grenavic

Charlotte Liggins

Samuel McAllister-Sayer

Ruixi Shi

Flag Monitors

Leila Amiti

Victoria Dunn

Luke Furnell

Amelie Goodchild

Peter Levadetes

Max McTaggart

Layla Murray

Jay Reynolds

Jet Skene

Annika Snelson

Class Captains Term 1

3A

Zayn Ahmed

Willoe Gagan

3W

Abigail Chukwok

Brian Kim

4B

Fletcher O’Sullivan

Chloe Williams

4H

Rhys McDonough

Olivia Orde

5B

Zac Wallace

Gemma Williams

5S

Ryan Henson

Abigail Simiana

6C

Lane O’Connor

Cruz Zaccazan

6G

Adam Camp

Brylee O’Sullivan

HICES Leadership Day It was a pleasure to host the HICES Year 6 Leadership Day in the Junior School today, Tuesday, 25th February 2020.Our Year 6 Captains, Prefects and House Captains enjoyed learning about leadership, planning for 2020 and mixing with over

140 students from 11 different schools.

Ian Brooker Head of Junior School

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From the Director of Learning Services

“I believe that organisation and preparation is the key to success and trying to eliminate those feelings of procrastination as much as possible.

People will always try to tell you that ‘diamonds are made under pressure’ and that they ‘only work well when they have that 3am adrenaline boost the night before’ but I have found that the opposite works best. I began setting up my study routine in my junior years of Secondary School, so when I got into the senior years, the workload wasn’t a massive shock.

With this routine, you can continue to study hours after school whilst you’re still in the mindset of learning. Starting my assignments, homework and studying as soon as possible helped me relieve a lot of my exam stress.”

Words of advice from the Dux of 2019! On Friday, 7th February the first Principal’s Assembly for the year invited back to St Paul’s the students who graduated from Year 12, 2019 with the highest academic achievements. The 2019 Dux, Kirsty Lavender, shared with current St Paul’s students her thoughts about her time at St Paul’s. Kirsty shared that what she loved about St Pauls so much was the opportunities that she was given both in the classroom and through the co-curricular programme. The co-curricular programme offers a wide range of activities for various skills and interests. Kirsty was a part of the Drama Academy among many other things, which helped her to “de-stress” during exam periods and relieved her of exam anxiety. She shared that she was also given many opportunities to learn and extend upon her knowledge from classroom teachers who sacrificed mornings, afternoons, weekends, lunch breaks and their school holidays to tutor her whenever she needed help to achieve the best she was capable of.

Kirsty also shared the following advice for current students:

We thank Kirsty for this advice which anyone can take on board.

Year 12, 2019 Future Plans Following the last Revelations where we publicised that combined HSC and IB scores saw 14 students achieve ATAR equivalent scores above 90 (19%) and 37 students achieved ATARs above 80 (49%), we are able to advise what many students are planning for this year.Although some students are still finalising choices, the table on the next page offers a snapshot of what some of our students have planned for the future.

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Student Plans WhereAlkhuder Alseneid Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in Exercise Physiology The University of Sydney

Katherine Bavor Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology and Environmental Studies The University of Sydney

Angel Brown Bachelor of Arts majoring in International Studies The University of Sydney

Timothy Brown Diploma in Musical Theatre Western Australian Academy for Performing Arts

Kai Brown Bachelor of Biomedical Science University of Technology, Sydney

Shae Chambers Bachelor of Para Medicine Australian Catholic University

Amirah El-Saedy Bachelor of Medical Science The University of Sydney

Lachlan Fellowes Bachelor of Economics and Applied Finance Macquarie University

Eleora Fisher Bachelor Medical Science majoring in Anatomy and Physiology Western Sydney University

Elan Gock Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce University of Wollongong

Eleanor Hadfield Bachelor Science (and Latin as an Additional Higher) The University of Sydney

Hannah Heath Bachelor of Education (Health and Physical Education) The University of Sydney

Simon Hoffmann Bachelor of Urban Planning Western Sydney University

Cameron Jeffery Bachelor of Health Science (Sport and Exercise Science). Second semester going to America on a scholarship to play soccer and study Exercise Science at an American college.

Western Sydney University

Kirsty Lavender Bachelor of Engineering (honours), majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a Diploma of Professional Engineering Practise under a Women in IT and Engineering faculty scholarship

University of Technology, Sydney

Aidan Lilly Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Business Western Sydney University

Xiaohan Lin Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law The University of Sydney

Ella Lock Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Work The University of Sydney

Hannah Madanowski Bachelor of (Biomedical) Engineering / Bachelor of Medical Science The University of Sydney

Bryce Marchant Bachelor Computer Science majoring in Artificial Intelligence Western Sydney University

Rhiannon McCabe Bachelor of Arts in Theatre The University of Notre Dame

Kaitlyn McCarthy Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences Macquarie University

Maria Nanan Planning to do Biomedical Science University of Technology Sydney

Caitlin O’Brien Bachelor of Game Art and Animation Academy of Interactive Entertainment

William O’Rourke Bachelor of Music Western Sydney University

Kalista Plummer Year 13 Youthworks College

Charlie Simpson Bachelor of Clinical Science Macquarie University

Tara Slowey Travelling and working throughout Asia, the United States and Europe, beforecommencing study in 2021

Samuel Street Bachelor of Engineering The University of Sydney

Blair Tholen Bachelor of Engineering Honours The University of Sydney

Connor Thorpe Bachelor of Aviation Flying University of NSW

Anjali Torvi Bachelor Computing Science University of Technology, Sydney

Bethany Vella Bachelor of Advanced Science majoring in Pre-Medicine University of Technology, Sydney

Jeremy Walker Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) University of Technology, Sydney

Sophia Walsh Living in France for nine months working as an Au Pair prior to undertaking a Bachelor of Environmental Science and Law

University of New England

Amelia Wong Bachelor of Advanced Science (Medicinal Chemistry) Western Sydney University

Nixi Zhang Bachelor of Education (Secondary), Bachelor of Arts The University of Sydney

Year 12, 2019 Future Plans

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Student Reflections:Gold Duke of Edinburgh

Gold Duke of Edinburgh

In December 2019, 19 of our current Year 12 students embarked on their Gold Duke of Edinburgh trip to New Zealand. The group was nervous heading there as heavy rains were expected for our hikes, however we were quite lucky as this was not the case. We experienced fine weather on the first hike, with one day of rain on the second hike. The first hike was on the Routeburn Track, about a two-hour drive from Queenstown. The first day of this hike was a great challenge to many of us, walking 21km to begin with and it took us a while to get used to the cold temperatures. The following days were very enjoyable. A highlight was jumping across water on the track, hopelessly attempting to keep our boots dry on the muddy tracks. We then stayed one busy night in Te Anau, where we washed our clothes, shopped for food and rested up for the next hike – the Kepler Track. This hike was filled with spectacular views. The first few days were mostly uphill, but this was certainly compensated by the views we got at the top of Te Anau and the surrounding valley. The winds were very strong as we walked across the ridgeline, where it also began to snow! At the huts, we met other school groups that we compared experiences with, made our own meals together and played some competitive card games. After the hikes, we spent some time in Queenstown, where we had a well-deserved buffet, after a fun afternoon of luging. Overall, it was an experience we all felt very lucky to be a part of, and one we would definitely recommend to anyone who has the opportunity. Reese Robinson

Captain of Outdoor Education and Service Learning

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Student Reflections:The Arts at St Paul's

The Arts at St Paul's:Reflecting on 2019 and Foreseeing 2020

2019 was a year characterised by artistic expression, achievement and lasting impressions in the SPGS Arts Department. The year featured resounding performances, beautiful visual and acoustic compositions, and spectacular showcases of talent within all creative domains. Students in the Arts started up rehearsals for the SPGS 2020 Musical of Bye Bye Birdie; displayed masterpieces in Visual Art exhibitions; triumphed in several dance eisteddfods, festivals and performances; highlighted individual musical ability in the Conservatorium Concerts; and performed in the Ensembles Programme and in countless productions featuring the talents of the Drama Academy. Not to forget the exceptional annual end-of year Christmas Celebration, which exceeded expectations with its spectacular musical, dance and dramatic performances that made the celebration of this well-loved holiday one to remember!

Whilst celebrating these past successes, the Arts Department is now working hard in preparing for the year ahead. So what should we expect from 2020 in the Arts at SPGS? The opening of the much anticipated musical production: Bye Bye Birdie in June - (don’t forget to get your tickets!); annual dance performances Ricochet and Sojourn; musical showcase Soundscape; several Conservatorium Concerts; the Prepacked and IBid showcase of student works in Visual Arts and Film; and countless Academy and Curriculum Drama performances are all events to be looking forward to as we enter this new year!

VAPA provides a platform for both creativity and self-expression, one valued by students and staff here at St Paul’s and we all simply cannot wait for everything 2020 has to bring. Teah Bell Captain of The Arts

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From the Director of Students and Family Services

Philip Heath Director of Students and Family Services

Secondary School Swimming Carnival The Secondary School’s annual Swimming Carnival was held on Friday, 14th February. After the recent deluge it was great to be greeted by sunny skies and a pleasantly warm day. Participation throughout the day was good with the Lizard Lane for our non-competitive swimmers again proving to be very popular. In terms of the competition for the champion swimming house, it was great to be able to welcome Strathdon back to the winner’s circle after many years in the wilderness. Thanks to a creative and masterful motivational speech from Mr Linfoot at a recent house meeting, Strathdon responded brilliantly to go one better than their second placing in 2019. Claremont House were this year’s runners up, a mere 36 points away with Wilberforce in third position.

The House Cheer competition at the carnival is always a highlight but this year’s edition took the standard to a whole new level. Claremont took out the coveted prize narrowly preventing a repeat from Cornwallis who lived up to their House Cheer reputation by finishing a gallant second. Melville somewhat made up for a below average effort performance in the pool with a third placing for their House Cheer. Congratulations to all our students for all the enthusiasm and house spirit you showed on the day. Thanks also to our hardworking staff headed up by Mrs Tantalos and Mr Berg who made the day such a success.

Student Leave Occasionally families will want to seek leave for their students during term time. This type of leave must be applied for prior to the leave commencing and can only be approved by the Principal. The process to request this leave is a relatively straightforward one. Simply head to my.stpauls and click on the Parent Services tab. Once there, go to the Policies page before finally clicking on the Apply for Exemption From school tab. This will direct parents to a fillable online form which is then submitted electronically. Once this has been done, the Principal will advise families whether or not the request for exemption from school attendance has been granted.

Following this procedure will assist the school greatly in meeting our responsibilities of monitoring and accounting for student absences.

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From the Director of Students and Family Services

Continued

HICES Maths Tournament

Flashback to 25th November 2019 – a day that saw four young St Paul’s mathematicians represent the school in the fiercely contested HICES Maths Tournament and take out 5th place!Rigorously trained by Ms Goderie in the weeks leading up to the competition, the St Paul’s team consisting of Ben, Luis, Chloe and Martin competed hard across a series of three rounds requiring different styles of maths problems to be attempted.

The hard work paid off with the team placing 5th from a field of 19 other school teams – a very pleasing outcome.

Well done to all who were involved in this small team of such hard workers!

Mr Michael Said

Saints Canteen/Cafe Notice

Saints Canteen/Café is trialling a new afternoon ordering system – place an order by 10am to pick up a select variety of hot foods after school. To place an order, access the My Student Account ‘Online Orders’ page, click ‘Begin Order’ under the ‘Café – Trial Week’ heading, select a date and then place your order.

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From the Music Academy

Curriculum Music Year 8 Music commenced learning the guitar recently, linking with their unit of work which focuses on Rock Music. Over the course of the semester, the Year 8 Music classes will learn a range of pop and rock songs on the guitar, as well as analysing the different musical elements that make up music compositions. Finally, they will use the skills they have developed and the knowledge they have gained to create and perform their own songs in small groups.

Ensembles Programme Music ensembles are now in full swing meeting for regular rehearsals with their conductors. Each year, our senior students in Years 6 and 12 graduate, leaving spaces in our ensembles. We miss them greatly, but the cycle continues with new students joining various groups, bringing their own skills and personalities and generating a fresh dynamic within each ensemble.

The focus for the Ensembles Programme this semester is preparing for the Grandparents Day concert in Term 1 (2nd April 2020), and for the Soundscape concert in Term 2 (8th May 2020). Ensembles are busily selecting repertoire and developing skills in order to perform at their best for these and other events in Semester 1.

The Junior School Concert Band commenced rehearsals this week and in the very first rehearsal of the year, they were producing a terrific sound.

The Wind Ensemble has grown in numbers this year with a variety of instruments combining to make up almost the full concert band instrumentation.

Conservatorium Concert 2020All are warmly invited to attend the first Conservatorium Concert for 2020 which will be held in the PA1 Performance Studio in the Arts Quarter on Wednesday, 25th March 2020. Gold coin donation entry.

We hope to see you there!

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From the Music AcademyContinued

To find out more about the Music Academy please visit the Music Academy my.stpauls page. Here you can register for the Conservatorium Programme or the Ensembles Programme, or find out more information about our Tutors, as well as the types of ensembles available.

Conservatorium Programme Honours and Credits for St Paul’s Brass StudentsOn 9th November 2019, three of St Paul’s brass students successfully passed their AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board) practical exams at the Joan Sutherland Centre for Performing Arts. Congratulations to all of the brass students and to their tutor, Neil Potter. Here are some excerpts from their examiner:

Eddie Ruming Year 5. Grade 1 Trumpet

Pass with Honours (A)

Samuel CleaverYear 8. Grade 4 Euphonium

Pass with Credit (B+)

Hannah Kemp-BurrowsYear 9. Grade 4 Trumpet

Pass with Credit (B+)

General remarks: “Edward, you have a serious approach to the trumpet. The sound is developing well and there is musicality in your playing. Your programme was well prepared and confidently executed. Overall, a convincing performance.”

M. Forsyth (Examiner)

Caprice: “A confident style. You captivate the whimsical character of the piece. Accurate notes and rhythm. Changes of mood and character are well managed. Phrases have good control. Samuel, you have an enthusiastic approach to the euphonium....... Overall, a very creditable performance.”

M. Forsyth (Examiner)

Allemande and Tripla: "A precise attack - good. The dance character is effectively conveyed. Secure notes and rhythm. Phrases are well shaped and dynamics are well observed. Tripla proceeds in a confident manner...... Sound is developing well and there is musicality in your playing.”

M Forsyth (Examiner)

Cathy Jarman Coordinator of Music

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From the Dance Academy

Tash O'Hehir We are privileged to have Tash O’Hehir as part of our Dance Academy programme. This year, Tash will be teaching Secondary School Ballet and pre-teen classes in the Junior School.

Tash began dancing at the age of three in Sydney Australia, training at the Australian Performing Arts College (APAC) from 2008 until 2018. Run by Katherine Earle-McLean, she received training from industry professionals including Musical Director Philip Filo and Original Tap Dog member, Nathan Sheens. Tash has been trained in many dance styles including Ballet, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Acrobatics, Jazz and Tap, and has trained in various styles of singing as well as stage and film acting. She has performed as part of the ensemble cast in child entertainer Peter Combe’s Sydney production of ‘Bellyflop on a Pizza’, played the role of ‘Stephanie’ in a two-man stage show of ‘Lazy Town’, and recently toured internationally as ‘Graziella’ in the GWB entertainment and Opera Australia production of ‘West Side Story’ the musical.

Petites Expressions of Interest

Our Petite class for Pre-K and Kinder (ages 4-5), teaches ballet basics, and will instil a love for dance, drama, and music in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. While the current class is full, we are looking to expand the programme further and introduce a second class on an alternate day. If you are interested in joining the Petites Dance Academy class, please contact Mrs Lauren Cullimore to express your interest. Please note, as we assess class numbers, an expression of interest does not guarantee a place in the class.

What to Wear and Bring to Dance Academy Classes A reminder that Dance Academy students need to wear appropriate dance attire and bring a water bottle to every lesson. Jazz, Hip Hop and Ballet classes must have the correct footwear. Contemporary classes are to have bare feet or foot thongs. Please ensure that your child has all correct uniform requirements.

Further information can be found in the Dance Academy Information Booklet found on my.stpauls.

The SPGS Dance Academy online registration has now closed. If you have any queries about the Academy or are still interested in registering, please contact Mrs Lauren Cullimore, Coordinator of Dance at lauren.cullimore@stpauls.nsw.edu.au. Please note: Many classes are full, however, we have some limited places in Secondary School and Junior School classes.