2022 Term 1, Week 10

Firstly, thank you for your support as we navigated the term. Your support has been immensely appreciated.  When I asked the community to don masks again, I was in awe of everyone’s support. And I am pleased to say it had an effect. The number of positive COVID-19 cases reached a peak of 42 students and five staff and then started to decline following the reintroduction of masks. Other schools have not been so fortunate, with hundreds of students and dozens of staff away with COVID-19 on a given day.

We will continue to wear masks on campus into next term, and I will review the situation at the end of the first week of Term 2.

Now it is time for a break, and almost all of us can look forward to a long weekend. How will you spend yours?

Easter is the most important festival on the Christian calendar. It is the time that we remember and show gratitude for what many of us believe to be the most remarkable event in history. A man was crucified by Roman soldiers, died a terrible death, but then, on the third day rose from the dead. Have you heard that story? Do you believe it?

I was chatting with a historian earlier this week who has a passion for religious studies. However, she isn’t a Christian. I asked her, “do you believe in the resurrection?”

She replied, “There is so much historical evidence for the existence of the man called Jesus that we cannot deny he lived. Something indeed happened that Easter Sunday to change the course of history and transform the people who were there, but I am not sure what it was. Someone might have moved the body, there might have been some strange phenomenon that happened, or he might have risen from the dead. I am just not sure.”

What do you believe happened?

This question has occupied the minds of so many people since that first Easter Sunday. Those who investigate the question in a robust way can only conclude one thing, that the resurrection happened (check out the story of one man’s mission, Lee Strobel, to disprove the resurrection in “The Case for Christ”).

If it is true, if Jesus did rise from the dead, the implications are remarkable. Life is filled with hope.

As you look forward to a well-deserved long weekend, why not ponder on that question: “is the resurrection true?” Investigate the truth for yourself.

Dr Paul Browning

Headmaster

When we talk about character development in the lives of students at St Paul’s, it is really the education of souls that we are concerned with; not just the way they think and act, but the type of person they are becoming. There is, of course, a (Christian) spiritual aspect to this, as well as a purely humanistic one. Our understanding of a “good life” is informed by our faith, which teaches us that the most important thing is to love God and to love our fellow human beings. A truly good life will be a virtuous life.

I really like the following definition of character, which comes from Ofsted in the UK –

“a set of positive personal traits, dispositions and virtues that informs students’ motivation and guides their conduct so that they reflect wisely, learn eagerly, behave with integrity and cooperate consistently well with others”.

At the request of a group of parents, I am outlining in a series of e-News articles the ten virtues that make up the St Paul’s School Character Framework. This week, I am considering the third of our virtues –

Honesty & integrity – Speaking and doing what is right, at all times, no matter what the consequences.

Integrity is at the very heart of character, in my view. Am I kind and fair in my dealings with everybody, or only with my friends? Do I tell the truth all the time, or only if I know it won’t cause trouble? Do I work hard all day, or only when my supervisor is watching? Do I stick by my friends when the going is tough, as well as in the good times? Can I be trusted? Am I reliable? Each of these questions, although they may refer to different virtues, are also asking whether or not I am a person of integrity.

In my mind, the antithesis of integrity is ‘image’, and we all understand how important our image can seem – especially when we are young. Being liked and accepted seems like the most important thing in the world, and it seems as though the only way to fit in is to project the right image (which often means conforming to the norms of the group). As we grow up, it is to be hoped that we develop enough confidence and self-esteem to realise that, in fact, being true to ourselves and those we respect is actually more important than simply having a carefully-crafted image.

John Wooden, probably the greatest coach in NBA history, gave this advice to the young men he coached –

“Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

Image is a bit like reputation; it’s what people think you are. As we have conversations with your children at school, we encourage them to worry less about their image and more about their integrity.

Mr Nigel Grant

Executive Director of Faith & Community

As part of our depth study on Ancient China, each Year 7 class adopted a dynasty from this ancient world. Over the course of the term the students had to think like Historians and demonstrate historical skills by asking questions of sources, research and record information, question the reliability of sources they were using, organise information into timelines and test the historical accuracy of their information. As a result, we decided that the best way for the students to demonstrate their learning was in the world of Minecraft. Each class worked collaboratively to build their dynasty, ready for the epic ‘Tour of Ancient China Showcase’. As a whole team, we were being very open and ambiguous, the students had to become the experts and make sure that each part of the civilisation was represented in their world.

Decisions about builds were constantly being negotiated and students had to be very flexible and adaptable in their thinking. They had to tolerate ambiguity as we really did not have all the answers, students were constantly asking questions to validate the historical accuracy of the builds, right down to the materials used and the colours of the flowers. Each student was intrinsically motivated to be involved and build their best as the Dynasty team depended on it. It was such a rich task and we can’t wait to do it again next year.

Have you considered becoming a homestay family?

• Families are paid a generous daily rate for hosting
• Long term and short term hosting opportunities 
• A rich cultural experience for both visiting students and host families
• Great opportunity for students studying a language at school
• Ongoing support from the International School Staff
• Homestay Coordinator available 24/7 for emergencies

For more information or to register your interest, please visit our website.

While the pros, cons and things to be aware of for TikTok are outside the scope of this post, if you want to know more about TikTok for teens I’d suggest checking out the eSafety Commissioner’s website.

TikTok is a powerful way of promoting and driving trends to an incredibly wide audience and level of excitement. Things you’d never dream would become popular find themselves on TikTok and are suddenly the talk of the town. While some TikTok trends might be questionable or downright dangerous, there is one TikTok trend that I can 100% get behind.

BookTok

TikTok is creating a whole new generation of readers. It is getting teens reading and it is a powerful movement.

#BookTok is a popular hashtag on TikTok that encompasses reading, books, and writing. TikToks featuring the #BookTok hashtag might include book recommendations, writing tips, book reviews, and plot re-enactments. Viewers still access #BookTok via the platform and many TikTokers identify themselves as part of the BookTok community.

The Influence on Reading

What is exciting is the influence #BookTok is having on our teenagers. Research shows that in the teen years, reading starts to decline significantly. This is concerning, as research also shows that reading for pleasure has incredible benefits, from increased memory function and vocabulary to improved mental health and social connection, stress reduction, and improved test scores – across subjects (Rutherford, Merga & Singleton, 2018). While teens might slowly drift away from reading, research shows that peer recommendation, finding the right book, and making time for reading for pleasure all contribute to teens continuing to read throughout adolescence into adulthood (Merga, 2018). And when it comes to peer recommendation, nothing holds the power that social media does.

BookTok is encouraging teens to get reading and identify as “readers.” I am pleased to say that we now have students sharing with us that they do not identify as readers but have seen #BookTok on TikTok and want to start reading again. Or, they ask for the books they have seen recommended or reviewed in the videos. Teens are now sharing these recommendations with their friends, both online and in person. They are talking about reading, forming book clubs and even joining the world of TikTok to share and promote books they have loved. Books that were released years ago are suddenly trending and incredibly popular. BookTok also highlights the importance and love of reading. It is having such a wide impact that most booksellers and retailers now have BookTok lists to browse.

Things to consider

Much like use of any technology or social media, there are a few things to be aware of when it comes to BookTok. Parents, families and teens need to be aware that some of the recommendations and books shown on BookTok are adult or new adult books. An adult book is written for a target audience of people over 18-years-old and the content, including mature themes, reflects this age. New adult books are written for the target audience of 18-30-year-olds. Many of the themes in these books are about starting at university, moving out of home and starting new relationships. Again, they often contain mature themes, language and content, including sexual content. It is important to have the conversation with your teen about the books they might be seeing on TikTok. What has caught their eye? What are they wanting to read? Talk to them about the themes in the books and have an open discussion with them. Publisher websites provide the target age group of their titles and many online book review sites will share trigger warnings (about content that might cause distress) or age guidelines. Sites such as Common Sense Media is another place to check reviews of the books for content or reader age guidelines.

Here are some tips

If you know your teen is engaging with BookTok here are a few tips to help guide them towards age-appropriate content and to encourage a positive experience.

Follow tags like #YABooks, #MGFiction, #LoveOzYA or #YABookTok for recommendations that are targeted around YA or Young Adult fiction and MG or Middle Grade fiction. These are books published and written for the 10-18 age group and contain themes, characters and content appropriate for these ages.

Find reviewers that share books similar to the reading tastes of your student and follow them.

Find teen TikTok users rather than adults to follow.

Follow publishers who regularly publish middle grade and young adult fiction.

Follow school library or school librarian accounts.

Check out the Library’s BookTok list and display or ask one of the Librarians for a recommendation.

Do we have books from #BookTok in the school library?

Yes, yes we do. We have lots of books that you will find trending on TikTok and we are happy to purchase others students would like to read. If you would like to check what the Library already has in the collection, students can search via The Pulse. And if they would like to request a purchase, they will find the link on the Library homepage.

BookTok is having a positive impact on our teen readers and we am so excited to see how this will translate to a life-long love of reading, bringing these readers so many positive benefits.

Books trending on BookTok available in the St Paul’s School Library

Here are just a few of the books available in the St Paul’s School Library that are popular on BookTok right now. Search the Library catalogue or visit us to discover more.

*The inclusion of the above article on stpauls.qld.edu.au does not in any way infer that St Paul’s School endorses or guarantees the privacy, security or content on TikTok. Individuals should consider visiting TikTok.com to evaluate if their platform is appropriate for their needs

Season Details

The 2022 Season will commence the first week of Term 2 and culminate with the 2022 TAS Cross Country Championships on Thursday May 19, 2022. This season, there are 3 official training sessions scheduled, each of these sessions will cater for varying ability levels. We are asking you that you make a commitment to attend at least 9 out of 12 training sessions and if you have any concerns about this see the coach that is looking after your year level.

Training Sessions:

It is a priority that ALL athletes attend as many sessions as possible; each session will cater for a variety of ability levels.

Athlete Point of Contact:

This year, whilst there are no staff assigned to coach a specific year level.  If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to contact any of the staff or you may see Mr Osborne if you require any further information or clarification.

Important Dates:

The following dates need to be noted as a part of the 2021 Cross Country Season:

• Secondary School Inter-House Cross Country (Yrs 7-12): Wednesday May 4, 2022 (Venue: St Paul’s School)
• TAS Cross Country Championship: Thursday May 19, 2022 (Venue: St Paul’s School) AGE CHAMPION EVENT ONLY
• Met North: Tuesday May 25, 2022 (Venue: St Paul’s School) – Entry details will be advertised and are available on the Met North Website – THIS IS THE ATHLETES RESPONSIBILITY TO ENTER Met North Cross Country
• Warner Lakes Parkrun – These are non-compulsory events, but we would encourage everyone to attend for Saturday April 23, and May 14 at 7am. These are on SPS Home games. It would be great to have as many as possible to build a bit of SPS cross country spirit (in your SPS Cross Country gear of course) If you would like to know more about parkrun and/or register go to: https://www.parkrun.com.au/warnerlakes/

Student Expectations:

In order for Students to gain a colour point for Cross Country they must fulfil the following criteria:

• Attend at least 9 out of the 12 training session (see calendar), unless other arrangements have been made with the Head of Cross Country or the Coach looking after your Age group.
• Students must exhibit an appropriate level of commitment, attitude, support and performance throughout the season

There may be special situations that the Head of Cross Country (TJO) may consider in awarding the colour point to a particular student.

• It is the students’ responsibility to make sure their name is marked off at each session.
• Students must be appropriately dressed for all training sessions. Students need to wear the St Paul’s School cross country training shirt, St Paul’s School running attire or House shirt. (All available from the clothing shop)
• Students must have their own water bottle at each session. Hydration is vitally important!

• Runners need a watch with a stopwatch to help monitor and support their running

• Selection for the TAS Team is based on the following (at all trainings):
  • A high level of commitment,
  • having a positive attitude,
  • supporting each other, and
  • performing to the best of their ability

Age Champion Events: U12 – Open Age

The age champion will be determined on the result of TAS Cross Country Championships.

• The result is determined by the 1^st St Paul’s School athlete across the line at TAS and has satisfied the criteria below.
• Students must commit to regular training throughout the season (at least 9 out of 12 sessions) therefore meeting the attendance requirements of the regular season. (Unless an athlete has approached the Head of Cross Country about their individual situation)

 TAS Distances:

Training

To become a better runner, you need to run. If students want to see an improvement in their running, then 2 sessions a week is not going to be enough. Students are encouraged to do some running outside the provided sessions at School. If students are interested in doing this, then I would recommend that students have a chat with any of the coaches and they will be able to provide you some ideas. Alternatively, you can attend as many sessions as you like throughout the week.

See the 2022 Calendar here

Yours in running

SPS Cross Country Coaching Team

SPS Rugby starts in Term 2 and we kicked the season off with our Welcome to Rugby event. Thank you to the RSG committee and everyone that came along to support us! If your child is interested in joining Rugby, please email our Head of Rugby at [email protected] or [email protected] to sign on. Go Pumas!

Rugby Easter Camp

St Paul’s Rugby Supporters’ Group is pleased to announce that an Easter Rugby Camp will take place during the school holidays, for all TAS players in grades 7-12 who intend to play in Term 2. This is an opportunity to refresh skills, reignite the spirit of rugby, and to provide the kickstart to what will hopefully be a full and successful 2022 season.

See more details on the flyer here.

Save the dates

Do you want brand exposure for your business/product to a captive audience of both present and past students, as well as family and friends? Do you want to help grow Football at St Paul’s for both our Girls and Boys teams?

Please consider sponsoring the SPS Football so we can help our children get the most out of their Football experience at St Paul’s. Please email [email protected] for a sponsorship proposal document.

BE IN IT, TO WIN IT!

We would love your support to help build greater resources for our cricketers.

We wish you all a happy and safe Easter break.

President: Sarah Gover
Secretary: Zainub Mohamed
Treasurer: Peter Canny

We are also grateful for the new committee members joining us this year as well – Welcome and thanks for being part of the Parent Connections team.
This year the Parent Connections supporters group hope to hold seminars, training sessions and produce informative podcasts for our parent community.
Information about these seminars and sessions will be posted here in coming weeks.

For any further information please contact Sarah via [email protected]

If you would like to come along to a meeting they are held on the 3rd Monday of the month in the lower Sutton Building classrooms. Sutton is the building where Sippers is.

This event is to celebrate Youth Week, and there will be food trucks, a photo booth, bands performing and much more.

We hope to see you there.