2020 Term 1, Week 1

My wife and I are currently renovating an old “workers’ cottage”. As part of that project, I have been investigating its history. The land was originally owned by a Mr Louden, but was then subdivided and the block we have bought was purchased by Sarah Jarvis in 1910. I can only assume that the house was built shortly after that.  Buying an old home and restoring it to what it once was places you on a continuum. We are not the first “custodians” of that property, nor will we be the last. We are just part of the story.

The land on which St Paul’s School stands was originally a camp site for the local indigenous people. In 1886, European settlers came into possession of it and farmed the land for the next 70 odd years. St Paul’s School is the current custodian.

Sixty years ago this year, a “foundation stone” was laid marking the beginning of the third custodian’s story of this land. But instead of a foundation stone, Mr NR Henry, a pathologist at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, was commissioned to create a unique sun dial to be the “foundation stone”.

On 5 November 1960, in front of a crowd of some 1500 people, the Governor of Queensland unveiled the sun dial. The next day, the Courier Mail reported the then Education Minister as saying, “St Paul’s is certainly starting off being different”. It would seem we have lived up to those words!

The sun dial is a wonderful metaphor. Its purpose is to tell the time. This particular sun dial also tells the day, the month and the year. But it only works if it is in the light.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

We were designed with a purpose in mind. I have come to realise that that purpose can only be truly fulfilled if we are standing in the light of Jesus.

2020 is going to be a great year of celebration: 60 years of remarkable Faith, Learning and Community on 125 acres in Bald Hills.

Dr Paul Browning 
Headmaster

I was reminded of this when I sat watching a group of our new Student Leaders trying to solve a problem at their Leadership Camp last weekend. The puzzle consisted of 63 large pieces, of different shapes, sizes and colours. The only advice given to the students was that, if arranged correctly, the pieces made up a perfect square. These young people – some of our best and brightest – struggled with all sorts of ideas for well over an hour, but the solution eluded them.

Fortunately, there were no parents there. Still, even I found myself wanting to get in and help. I knew the solution, having seen it before, and I was sorely tempted to drop hints; however, I resisted the desire to rescue. And so, we came to the end of the session and moved on with the program – problem unsolved – because sometimes the lesson we need to learn is that we don’t always win, and that some problems are quite intractable.

I read a little about this over the holidays, in a book that introduced me to the concept of “Antifragility”. It’s a helpful concept – proposed by Nassim Taleb in a book of the same name (2012). We are all familiar with things that are fragile: when subjected to pressure they break. Other things are robust: they may resist pressure for a while, before they break. Resilience is a great attribute, allowing things (and people) to adapt to change and “bounce back” when the pressure is relieved. Even more than this, though, Taleb asks us to think of children as antifragile, and he gives us the example of bones, muscles and immune systems to help us understand what he means. Bones, muscles and immune systems actually require stress, load or pressure to function optimally. Consider the fact that, in the absence of gravity, astronaut’s bones and muscles become weaker and waste away. Consider: it is only in the presence of antigens, that the body’s marvellous immune system produces the antibodies that save us from disease. And that was the intuitive genius of Edward Jenner (pioneer of vaccination), who realised it was necessary to subject the body to stress if we wish to make it stronger. How might we treat children differently, if we recognised them as antifragile? Might we be less inclined to rescue them, and more prepared to let them struggle (or even fail)?

You’ll be pleased to hear, by the way, that some of the most determined students came back to the puzzle at the end of the day, and they solved it. I’m sure that all who were present on camp will remember our experience of frustration and “failure” for a long time, as well as the lesson that whatever doesn’t kill us really does make us stronger.

Mr Nigel Grant
Executive Director of Faith & Community

Please check the School calendar for dates of Met North and Bramble Bay sport trials – baseball, volleyball, AFL, swimming, rugby, netball.

• – All students who can swim 12m unassisted can join! (use of pool noodle allowed)
• – Fun family night with focus on improving confidence and child’s own time each week, rather than winning races.
• – BBQ and refreshments available to purchase – no cooking dinner!
• – Participation trophy and special gift given at the end of season.
• – Fun swim at start and end of night
• – Great value membership = $40 family registration + $20 per child per term.
• – Pay via Flexischools or at club night.

Hope to see you there!!!

FROM THE JSSG – Powered by Parents

All lessons and rehearsals begin in Week 2 (unless otherwise directed by your conductor). Please see the Rehearsal Schedule for details of times and rehearsal locations, as well as for the name of the ensemble directors taking Mr Weal’s rehearsals while he is on leave for Term 1.

Rehearsal Schedule 2020 – Click HERE

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/stpaulsmusic

Instagram – @spsmusic

HELPFUL CONTACTS

St PAUL’S SCHOOL CAREERS

Career information is available on the St Paul’s School Careers website at https://www.stpaulscareers.com.au/

Click HERE to see the latest newsletter from the website host, Career Tools.

DEFENCE FORCE RECRUITING 2020

Please click the link below to view a full list of February Information Sessions. Should students be interested in attending they can register via www.defencejobs.gov.au/events.

BNE Defence Careers Information Sessions – FEB 20

USEFUL CAREERS WEBSITES

As it stands, advice to the St Paul’s community is:

• – “Returned travellers who have visited China cannot attend school, childcare or TAFE for 14 days after leaving China including Hong Kong.”
• – All staff and students who have travelled to China and Hong Kong recently to not attend School until 14 days have elapsed since they landed back in Australia
• – Anyone who has transited through a Hong Kong/Chinese airport but spent no time in the country DOES NOT need to self-isolate.
• – Any staff or students who have had a connecting flight through China or Hong Kong and did not leave the airport are welcome to attend school

Thank you again for you understanding in this evolving situation. We will continue to pass along updates or changes in Government advice as soon as they come to hand.

We would appreciate your assistance with regards to ensuring your child is photo ready!

Uniform requirements on the day/s:

• – Ties for boys from Year 4-12, blazers are also required (Year 7 families please note;  There is no requirement for you to purchase a blazer for this event.  (We will have spare blazers for any of our Year 7 students to borrow on the day/s.)
• – We encourage girls to wear their day dress if possible please, and not formal uniform. (These are head and shoulder photos only, with the Year 12 group formal photo to be taken next term.)
• – We would also appreciate if all students could ensure they adhere to our uniform code where jewellery, hair accessories, make up, etc., is concerned.  All hair below collar length must be tied back.

You should also be in possession of a photo envelope.  Can you please ensure that these envelopes are returned with your child on photo day (irrespective of whether you choose to order photo packs or not).

Blank spare envelopes, plus sibling envelopes are available from Junior School reception, and the main, Tooth Reception.

Sibling/family photos are scheduled before School; 7.45am-8.30am on Tuesday 4 or Wednesday 5 February.

Venue:  School theatre

Please note, if your child has a prior commitment (such as sport or music, and is unavailable during their class photo timeslot, they are welcome to go independently to the Theatre on either Tuesday or Wednesday morning from 7.45am-8.30am to have their photo taken.

Your assistance in the smooth running of this event is very much appreciated.

If you have any queries, please contact Sarah Slade: [email protected] 

Thank you.

Term 1 School fees were due on the first day of term, 28 January 2020.  Please make payment ASAP.

If you wish to clear your annual account via Direct Debit please email Sonya Erhart ([email protected]) for assistance.

Thank you.

Sonya Erhart
Fees Administrator

As of last term, parents/guardians can report their child’s absence from school via parent lounge.  An email detailing the process will be sent to you in the coming days.

If you have forgotten your Parent Lounge password, you can reset this yourself via the Parent Lounge login screen. If you have forgotten your Parent Lounge username, please contact the School’s reception.

The email address: [email protected] will still be operational for a short transition phase but will not work from 31 October 2019. After this time the only way to electronically advise your child’s absence will be via parent lounge.

This change is another improvement in the School’s approach towards child protection as it adds a level of security and authentication to child absences from school.  If you have any questions please contact the Risk and Compliance Officer, Renaye Ansell ([email protected])

Please note, if your child will be absent for three days or longer email your child’s House Leader.

The uniform requirements at St Paul’s School vary depending on what year level students are in.

For a detailed look 2020 dates, see HERE.

Welcome back to school – we hope you all had a wonderful break and that 2020 brings lots of success for you all.

The Rugby Supporters’ Group (RSG) is made up of a group of parents who love all things rugby.  We work to actively promote the development of rugby at St Paul’s and focus on all age groups, from the youngest players in Year 3 through to the Opens players in Years 11 and 12. The group has two main responsibilities; firstly to coordinate the fundraising initiatives in order to provide financial assistance to the School for rugby specific purposes, and secondly to assist the school in an active rugby advisory role. This allows the RSG to foster and develop a strong sense of community, both within the school and in the wider community, by encouraging participation and excellence in rugby.

Funds raised by the RSG contribute towards:

• Coaching fees
• Rugby tours
• Red 1st XV jerseys
• Green playing jerseys
• Training shirts
• Training & playing equipment
• Coach development days
• Refereeing courses
• Field markers / goalpost covers
• Medallions & trophies, and much more

For further information, feel free to come along to a meeting or alternately contact us at [email protected]