2021 Term 2, Week 3

Overall, the sentiments conveyed were very positive.  In particular, I was very grateful to see the appreciation expressed for both Realms of Thinking and Ways of Being – our bespoke teaching and learning and wellbeing programs created by St Paul’s School.  Parents articulated what they found most beneficial about both programs, so it’s pleasing to see them resonating so well.

There was also enthusiasm amongst respondents regarding the potential for amending School reports to include feedback on a child’s creativity, wellbeing, and preparation for the future workforce.  I was also interested in the number of parents who specifically expressed a desire for reports on their child’s mental health and happiness to be included in School reports.  I’m happy to report that we are well underway into researching what all this could look like, so please stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

Thank you again to everyone who took the time to complete the survey.  This is a great community and it’s pleasing to see such positivity amongst our parents towards our School.

Dr Paul Browning

Headmaster

Some parents and carers may feel uncertain about how best to support their daughter through the ups and downs of adolescence and how to keep the lines of communication open. With the rise of social media and technology, mental health difficulties in girls are increasing as often they are faced with online images that make it difficult to see themselves as acceptable. Ensuring a daughter’s opinions are heard and her views listened to, will go a long way towards making her feel loved and supported as she tries to establish her own identity.

In this edition of SchoolTV, adult carers will attain a clearer picture of what girls are wanting from their adult carers and how best to support them through adolescence. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to this month’s edition https://stpauls.qld.schooltv.me/newsletter/raising-girls

Thanks to Directors of the Extraordinary, our year 7-12 DLV potentials had an action packed two hours of negotiation, teamwork, trial and error, intrigue and sabotage as they navigated their way through challenges.

Students worked in ‘country teams’ showcasing their abilities and skills in:

• Creative problem solving
• Trial and error
• Engaging and persisting
• Mindset for playfulness
• Imagination and curiosity
• Empathy and teamwork
• Leadership

Teams took various approaches with country rivalry hitting an all-time high as the pressure built up. Who won, you will have to ask them!

It is going to be a difficult selection process as they all did extremely well!

Congratulations to our student and client teams.

Dr Renae Jones + Mr Tim Osborne

Music in the Dark is next Saturday, May 15 in the Walker Centre Courtyard. This is one of the highlights of the Music calendar and features all of our St Paul’s Music ensembles, from Year 2 Strings to Symphony Orchestra. The event will include a range of musical styles from different eras, such as jazz, contemporary and old-school pop, songs from musicals, and more classicals works by composers such as Saint-Saëns and Beethoven.

Food and drink (including adult beverages) will be available for purchase. Guests are requested to bring their own picnic chair, practice social distancing wherever possible and remember to check in with the QR codes on their phones.

Parents have also been emailed about donations to the raffles and Bake Sale. For any further information about either of these, please contact Mrs Green: [email protected]

All of our students ran exceptionally well and it was great to see so many students participating and showing their School spirit.

The students worked in pairs and took charge in components of the recipe to prepare a healthy afternoon snack, while learning how to use the oven and food processor safely. Their skills in learning how to read and understand a recipe has improved so much since they started in the Food Tech kitchen.

It was wonderful to have a visit from Tiffany and Vanessa (Year 12 class of 2020) at School last week! Both girls are still in Brisbane, Tiffany is now studying a Bachelor of Architectural Design at UQ and Vanessa is studying a Bachelor of Social Work at QUT. Congratulations girls, we are so proud of you!

The program involves St Paul’s students mentoring Bald Hills State School students one on one with reading. Each session runs for just thirty minutes, and our St Paul’s students either read to their Bald Hills buddies or listen while their buddies read to them. The books that the students read have all been donated to the reading program by St Paul’s through funds raised at the annual Book Week costume parade, so our support for reading at Bald Hills takes on a couple of different forms.

Our St Paul’s students volunteer for the program and their contribution as mentors is very important. Giving up a small amount of time each week to support the Bald Hills students has a major influence on these young students, and how they see reading. Working with students who are older and who value reading, instils in these impressionable young learners the importance of reading and its influence on their ongoing learning. It is also a great way for our students to learn how to interact with these little people in a positive and nurturing way. This sort of Service activity is often something tertiary institutions are looking for on applications and so while our students who volunteer are there for the good of the students who they mentor and their own learning and personal development there can also be rewards that are not planned.

At present we have around fifteen students registered as reading mentors, however, there is space for more, so if students are interested, they can register to take part with Mrs Farmer or Mr Howes in the Wellbeing Centre. Students who take part must complete a permission form and return it to the Wellbeing Centre before they can take begin as reading mentors.

We had an exceptional turn out with both the Friday and Saturday night shows selling out. A special thank you to all of the cast, crew and volunteers who put in so much effort to create a wonderful show.

Professional photographs and videos of the production will be available for purchase in the coming weeks. More information is to come.

Thank you – The Musical Team

To mark the occasion, we’ll be hosting a special farewell event from 5.30pm on Friday, 28 May with complimentary drinks and nibbles followed by a presentation of the plans for this exciting new development.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Topics covered will include:

• The application process
• Tertiary studies in Queensland
• Upgrading pathways for Year 12 students
• Course providers

Wednesday, 16 June 6.00pm in SPS Chapel

Mental health can be a difficult subject for many, but that’s where we can help. Our community presentation, developed by experts, has been designed to help young people by giving them knowledge and practical tools proven to:

• Build strength, flexibility and endurance to cope more effectively
• Learn how to refocus the mindset
• Recognise and feel good about the positives in life
• Reduce stress and worry
• Strengthen the immune system
• Improve memory, concentration and creative thinking
• Develop life meaning and purpose statements

Register now 

It will be a wonderful evening congratulating our cricket players. There will be entertainment and great raffle prizes to be won.

Tickets are now available on Flexischools until Friday, 14 May. Any questions or concerns please contact Ivanka Babijas via email on ivanka27optusnet.com.au or 0414 842 820.

See the flyer here.

*The inclusion of the above advertisement in the e-news does not in any way infer that St Paul’s School endorses or guarantees the product or service being advertised. Individuals should consider contacting the advertiser to evaluate if their product or service is appropriate for their needs.

*The inclusion of the above advertisement in the e-news does not in any way infer that St Paul’s School endorses or guarantees the product or service being advertised. Individuals should consider contacting the advertiser to evaluate if their product or service is appropriate for their needs.