Student Reports

By now you would have received your Semester 1 Reports. As communicated previously, those of you with children in Secondary School would have noticed a difference in what the Report looks like.  Students now receive an academic statement at the end of each semester.

This is because students in Secondary School now receive feedback progressively throughout the semester following each piece of assessment. You can access this feedback through Parent Lounge.

With parent teacher interviews scheduled for Monday 17 July, the ability for more specific and individualised feedback throughout the year should make these meetings even more valuable and build a more holistic partnership between parent, teacher and student.

Overall, this is another step towards our journey to implement a learner profile from mid-2024. Invitations to participate in consultative focus groups regarding the learner profile will be sent out in the next few weeks.

Imagination

At the final Secondary School Assembly of Semester 1, I challenged the students to, “imagine if”.

Humans have the innate ability to imagine. To dream. To vision. To wonder.

Sometimes we call imagining ‘daydreaming’.

Imagination is the beginning of the Invention Cycle. It is the birth of creativity, which then leads to innovation and finally, entrepreneurialism. The Invention Cycle, coined by Professor Tina Seelig of Stanford University, underpins Realms of Thinking and our aim to create innovative thinkers.

At the first Assembly for this semester, I said to the students that daydreaming, or imagining is incredibly important, but to make your dreams become a reality you must put in effort. Some of the best things in life you must work hard for. They aren’t handed to you.

As an example of what it takes, the finalists of the Music Solo Competition played at the Assembly. The students (and staff) were blown away at the remarkable abilities of those students, some as young as Year 7. But if you were to ask any one of them, I can safely say that they would have said their music prowess began with an idea, that they’d like to play an instrument. But then it took a huge amount of effort (practice) to become great at it and play like they did on a stage to 1000 people.

As your son or daughter receives their School Report this week, I am willing to bet that the results they received are directly commensurate with the effort they put in.

I encourage you to celebrate the effort and the results. And as you reflect with your son or daughter the results they received and their effort, set some goals for this coming semester. Can they truly say they put in the work? Can they stretch themselves just that little bit more? Can they achieve their dreams?

With effort, amazing things are possible.

Dr Paul Browning
Headmaster

…resilient global citizens, who are innovative thinkers with a heart for servant leadership.

On Monday, I shared some further thoughts on the concept of ‘Flourishing’ with the staff, which I would also like to share with you. Flourishing, you will recall, describes the ultimate outcome of a holistic education. As Miroslav Volf defines it, flourishing requires that we be doing well in all aspects of our lives – physical, spiritual, social and emotional, as well as intellectual. As a school, flourishing is our goal for all members of our community.

In a recent publication, the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL) describes the ideal outcome of schooling this way – Children’s time together in school establishes deep roots that resource them to flourish into a future that has yet to be defined. They become agile thinkers, wise decision-makers, loving friends, good neighbours, generous citizens and are launched into adult life through an educational journey that fills them with courage, compassion and commitment.

Kind Regards,
Nigel Grant

We were incredibly fortunate to welcome back one of our talented alumni, Zoe Carson (Class of 2016). Zoe is a remarkable artist who graciously shared her captivating artwork and craft with us in the library. It was an incredible opportunity for our budding artists and those interested in the World School art competition to gain a deeper insight into the beauty and significance of indigenous artistry. 

The presence of Zoe and her vibrant creations truly brought the spirit of NAIDOC Week alive within our school. We are grateful for her inspiring presence and the impact she made on our students, teachers, and staff. 

NAIDOC Week has been a wonderful celebration of indigenous culture, history, and achievements. It has reminded us of the importance of honouring and embracing the rich traditions and contributions of our First Nations peoples. 

COLLECTION DATES:

SECONDARY SCHOOL – Assembly Week 3 – Monday, July 24th. Please drop in the allocated buckets in Walker before being seated.

JUNIOR SCHOOL – There will be a collection bucket put at the Junior School reception from Thursday, July 20th to Monday, July 24th.

Please click to read the 2023 Census Privacy Collection Notice

This is because students in Secondary School now receive feedback progressively throughout the semester following each piece of assessment. You can access this feedback through Parent Lounge.

With parent teacher interviews scheduled for this coming Monday, the ability for more specific and individualised feedback throughout the year should make these meetings even more valuable and build a more holistic partnership between parent, teacher and student.

Overall, this is another step towards our journey to implement a learner profile from mid-2024. Invitations to participate in consultative focus groups regarding the learner profile will be sent out in the next few weeks.

It is vital that all contact details remain up to date so that we can contact you as necessary and continue providing your family with relevant information via email, phone and post.

Visit Parent Lounge

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.

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, Mark Barratt ([email protected]).

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

This Semester we have 2 more staff joining our exceptional counselling team at St Paul’s School.  This means we currently have 4 Counsellors, Miss Amanda Pashen (4 days per week for Years PP-8), Mr Ross Adams (2 days per week for Years 9-12) and our New Counsellors, Ms Samantha Morrison (2 days per week for Years 10-12) and Ms Kim Bertwistle (3 days per week for Years 10-12) (while the wonderful Mrs Semple is on leave for Semester 2).  We also have the lovely Ms Margaret-Anne Green who is our Administration Assistant.  We are located on the Ground Floor of the Wellbeing Centre.

If you have concerns about your child, please speak with their Teacher or Tutor in the first instance.  All children referred to Counselling in PP-Year 9 require parental permission to attend.

Did you know that we have a SPS Careers Website?  You can find it on the School Portal or at https://www.stpaulscareers.com.au/.  Check out the Important Info section that has a Calendar of Events from Universities, Defence, TAFE, Expo’s etc!

To see the latest Career Tools Newsletter click here. You can also click here to view SPS Career Tools Weekly on the SPS Careers Website.

TSG Facebook Page – send us your pics!
If you take any photos at match days or training sessions we’d love to post them on our  TSG Facebook page. Please send photos to [email protected].