2020 Term 1, Week 9

Essential workers are those that must currently continue to attend their workplace during this difficult time. This includes early childhood and school staff. Because of this, from Monday 30 March 2020 St Paul’s will move all its learning to online.

All staff will continue at work for the time being. They will be supervising the children who come to school and delivering learning online.

Please let our office staff know if your child needs to come to school so we can organise supervision for them [email protected]

I am pleased to confirm that we still have no confirmed case of COVID-19 in our community and so those parents whose jobs are in essential services can feel safe sending their children to school.

Teaching and learning arrangements

Structure and routine is important for children. For the week we will follow the timetable. This means that students who are at home will be required to undertake their specific learning activities for subjects as per their timetable.

For Secondary School students:

• Pastoral care: Secondary school students will check it with their Tutors during Tutor time as per their timetable. Tutors have discussed how their tutor will manage this via the Learn Portal or their class Team.
• All work will be available on the Learn Portal. Teachers will communicate with students via the Learn Portal and students will continue to submit classwork, homework and assignments as they do currently.
• If a lesson will be conducted via video meeting using Microsoft Teams (accessible through the Office 365 portal), the student’s teacher will advise participants through either a Learn forum post or their class team.

For High School Preparation students:

• Teachers will set work on the Learn Portal for students to complete. Resource packs have also been sent home to all students and teacher will guide students through these activities.

For Junior School (Prep – Year 6) students:

• Teachers will set work and provide feedback on submitted work via Seesaw.

For Pre-Prep students

• Teachers will set work and provide feedback on submitted work via Storypark.

Online learning is a very different form of teaching, requiring greater independence on the part of the child. A great strategy to help develop that independence is to set up a separate workplace, preferably not in their bedroom (unless they are in the senior years), and somewhere you can easily see them. This place then becomes their school away from school.

Teachers won’t be able to provide the level of individual feedback that they normally would in a classroom but will be able to see what each student is engaging in. If you have any concerns, please contact your child’s teacher (in Junior School) or Tutor (in Secondary School) as you normally would.

Year 12

Many of our Year 12 students have expressed anxiety about their study and the impact this situation will have.

The QCAA sent advice this morning stating that they have decided to remove one internal assessment from the total of four prescribed in each syllabus. This will provide some relief for the students as they contend with the uncertainty and disruption while working towards their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) in 2020.

In the next few weeks, the QCAA will provide schools with direction on how they should adjust what is taught and the nature and timing of those assessments. Students can be assured that they will still receive fair subject results based on fewer than the four assessments mandated in the syllabuses.

Absences

For the attendance records, from 16 March 2020 to 27 March 2020 those who decided to self-isolate their children will have the attendance marked as ‘self-isolated’ not as an ‘absence’.

From Monday 30 March 2020 if your child becomes too ill to engage in learning could you please inform the school and we will mark them as ‘absent from school’.

We are praying that with the government restrictions put in place the outbreak of this virus will slow and life will be able to return to normal soon. I am sure it will. It is in other countries such as South Korea and Japan. We are not sure what Term 2 will look like at this stage. Hopefully normal school can resume. No matter the situation at that time we are committed to your child/ren’s education. I will keep you informed of any changes and the plans for Term 2 nearer the time.

In the meantime, there is so much that we can be grateful for. Thank you everyone for your kind emails and words of encouragement to the staff of the school.

There are rules, but the Code declares up front that “such lists (of rules) can never be comprehensive enough to cover all possible forms of behaviour”. A well-developed character, on the other hand, based on agreed virtues, can guide decision-making in a virtually limitless range of moral and ethical dilemmas.

The first of the virtues listed in our Character Framework is Compassion. If we delve into the origins of the word, we find that this virtue literally means to “suffer with” or to “share the suffering of” another.

As you know, we also talk a lot about Servant Leadership at St Paul’s, and I am reminded of the lyrics of a song we sometimes sing –

I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through

Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too

Henri Nouwen knew about compassion. A brilliant academic, he gave up a career which included time at the Divinity Schools at Yale and Harvard Universities, and chose to spend the last ten years of his life serving profoundly disabled people at L’Arche community. Nouwen wrote:

“Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”

In the coming weeks and months, may compassion be the virtue that characterises all of our dealings with one another – in our families, within the St Paul’s community and beyond.

Mr Nigel Grant
Executive Director of Faith & Community

ALL events scheduled for Term 1, Week 10 (30 Mar-3 April) have been cancelled. Please contact the event coordinator if you have any questions.

If the Retail Shop is unattended, please leave shirts at Tooth Reception.

Many thanks.

Head over to the School Calendar to view the exam schedule for the Year 12 2020 External Assessment. For more information see here: https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/assessment/external-assessment

Please make a note of these dates when planning ahead for the remainder of the year.  If there are exams scheduled on dates that students cannot attend for valid reasons you can apply to sit the exam at an alternative venue.  Events such as family holidays, birthdays and weddings are not considered valid grounds for an alternative assessment venue.  Applications for a variation to venue need to be received by the QCAA no later than the last school day for semester 1 and may incur a fee.

For more information: https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/certificates-and-qualifications/qce-qcia-handbook-2019/10-external-assessment/10.4-assessment-venues

ALL events scheduled for Term 1, Week 10 (30 Mar-3 April) have been cancelled. Please contact the event coordinator if you have any questions.

Red Class – Peiming Xu and Tsz Ying (Minnie) Ho
Green Class – Rakuto Ishihara and Xingyu (Angela) Lin

These students received this award for demonstrating diligence, compassion and kindness. For assisting other students and trying hard to improve their English skills, being attentive in class, working independently, trying hard to correct mistakes, and regularly asking for feedback from teachers.

Congratulation Peiming, Minnie, Rakuto and Angela!

The end of Term 1 sport for both JTAS and TAS teams came to a very sudden end, with the opportunity to appropriately finish the season taken away from the players. Teams were unable to challenge for premierships, teams were unable to thank coaches, coaches were unable to thank teams, our TAS and JTAS swimming teams after training all term were unable to compete. Our Year 12 students representing the school in their Term 1 sports, some of whom have represented the school for the last 10 years straight, have had the chance for, “one last game,” taken away. All representative sport with the opportunities and honour associated with it have all been suspended. The capacity to publicly acknowledge the successes from Term 1 has been temporally suspended. The current landscape of sport in our country has changed dramatically and St Paul’s has not been immune to this.

With many end of season celebrations, assemblies and break ups unable to take place at the moment, I would like to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge the SPS sporting community and everything that goes into making sport at St Paul’s happen.

To the coaches, thank you for the guidance and support you provide for our students. Many of you give up time from work, study or other responsibilities to provide an opportunity for our SPS students to be involved in sport.

To the families who enable our students to represent the school in sport, driving them to and from training and games, buying and washing uniforms, supporting from the sidelines, scoring, providing fruit, cooking BBQ’s and much, much more, THANK YOU!

Most importantly to our students. Thank you for making the commitment to represent the school in sport. Our sporting opportunities provide many challenges both as individuals and as a team. It is one of my great enjoyments to watch our students take on these challenges and develop their strength of character through the challenges they encounter in sport. Almost every weekend and each week I have witnessed firsthand examples of this. I cannot single out any one situation out of the fear of missing many others.

So, with the end of Term 1 sport unfortunately coming to a rather abrupt end, for many of you including myself, it has been a very disappointing and frustrating finish to the season. However, in the uncertainty that has engrossed our country, it was unavoidable. I know many of you are very interested to know the final outcomes of Term 1 sport, so I have summarised the final placings below.

Can I start by sincerely congratulating the six teams who were Premiers – an outstanding achievement. I will highlight these successes further later on.

I would also like to recognise those teams who finished 2^nd and depending on other results those teams who could have also still have finished 2^nd. Due to these unforeseen circumstances the opportunity to play for the premiership has been taken away from you and I completely understand your disappointment in this.

Finally, as always, every single team regardless of final placing has represented the school and we thank you for the commitment and effort you have given to play sport for St Paul’s this term. To all of our swimmers JTAS and TAS I would like to thank you all for the many training sessions and Friday nights you have attended this term without then having the opportunity to compete. Thank you to our JTAS Hockey and Cricket players, in what was an already disrupted season with the weather, you have managed to keep training, keep being prepared and kept smiling. It is ironic with the beautiful weather we are now having, we are unable to play or beloved sports for different reasons.

Life goes on as does sport just not in the manner that we have been accustomed to. One of the greatest lessons we learn from sport is resilience and knowing how to adapt and be flexible. The current situation calls us to draw upon our sporting experiences and lessons even more and put into practice not the skills we have learnt through sport but the life lessons. I ask everyone in these times of uncertainty to try and focus on what can be done and not what can’t be done. Although the majority of organised sport has been suspended, the capacity to be physically active and healthy has not. I encourage each and every family to find physical activities that you and your family can continue to be involved in, kicking the footy in the park, finding a basketball/netball hoop, walking, riding bikes, skipping, jumping on the trampoline, it matters not. Sport and physical activity are such an important part of students (and adults) health and well-being, not just physically but mentally and with many of the opportunities to participate currently on hold, it is important that we continue to find ways to stay both physically and mentally healthy.

I am so extremely proud of both our effort and achievement across all of sporting teams and It is an absolute honour to be part of the SPS Community… We are PUMAS!

Mr Tim Hughes
Head of Sport Development 

Businesses are having to manage new risks in everyday practices with proximity and hygiene concerns, staying on top of daily changes to rules and regulations and also having to service and communicate with their customers more regularly than ever before.

In these uncertain times, businesses (and employees) need to call on their creative mindsets, hone their tolerance for ambiguity, undertake trial and error, and practice being adaptable and agile.

There are examples all around us of adaptive and creative business thinking. In chatting with a Queensland business this morning, I learned about how they have managed to transition approximately 2500 staff from offices to working from home (where possible) whilst maintaining critical services.

Gyms are developing online programs and hiring out equipment to their members. Our libraries (prior to closure) were encouraging us to borrow more books and extended due dates by three months. Several beer and spirit brands are using the alcohol content from their products to make hand sanitiser instead. Musicians are live streaming their concerts for free and the Opera is streaming for free too! Virtual birthday parties, conferences going from 500+ in person to live streaming events, restaurants rejigging menus and processes to deliver take away options, grocery stores extending operating hours, and so much more.

These are hard times for businesses everywhere. We have been discussing with our CIE student businesses about adapting in these circumstances – revisiting their value, customer interactions, and products and services.

Here are some hints and tips for businesses to support adaptive thinking and being future focussed during these uncertain times:

The value you provide and to who:
Can you still provide the same / similar value to your customers but just through a different channel?
Even if the value is slightly less, is it worth pursuing to maintain brand and customer loyalty until you decide what to do next or things settle down?
Example: A La Carte Restaurants providing takeaway meals but without the 5-star restaurant dining experience.

Customer Interactions:
What can you do to ensure your customers feel safe, informed, and cared for?
Is there a safe way to still interact with them without cutting services totally?
Is there a way you can ensure the safety of your product and keep customer confidence?
Example: Cleaning Services are now going touchpoint free. No longer do you need to interact with the cleaners, exchange keys, equipment, or money.
Our Schools moving to on-line learning!

Products / Services:
Is there another service or product you could add to help your customers during this time?
For example: Workout Apps adding live sessions during peak periods (morning & night) to help customer feel supported and connected. Even adding mini mobility routines to keep remote workers moving at home.

This has been helpful for our student businesses to help them navigate the Covid-19 world we currently find ourselves in.

Please refer to the Queensland Government – Business Queensland site for up to date information and resources for impacted Queensland Businesses.  https://www.business.qld.gov.au/

If you would like to chat through any ideas or changes for your business, the CIE is available to support you.

Please contact me on [email protected] and we can arrange a suitable time to meet (via phone or video call).

Dr Renae Jones
Director, Centre for Innovators and Entrepreneurs

The NAPLAN test window was scheduled to be held from 12 to 22 May but will be postponed until next year.

You can find more information here.

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.

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.

For a detailed look 2020 dates, see HERE.

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

For a full breakdown of uniform requirements per year click HERE.

The feeling of packing your bags up and heading home is always bittersweet, especially if it wasn’t in the original plan.

Sometimes we head home because we have failed, or the journey has become too tough.

Sometimes we head home because we feel disillusioned or lost.

Sometimes we head home because it’s the safest place to be.

Sometimes we head home because we have to.

Today there are thousands of people packing up their work desks and heading home. There are even more children saying goodbye to school friends and teachers and heading home.

Although this time is unprecedented, I can’t help but think of the many, many times in my life when I have followed my inner compass to the safest, most secure place I know.  Whenever I have left lost, alone, disorientated or afraid, home has always welcomed me with open arms.  Home may not have been plan A, but it is a Plan B I am thankful for.

Read more HERE.

ONGOING COUNSELLING

If the Government announces school closures, we would like to reassure students and their parents who currently access the School Counsellors that they will be able to continue to have one on one sessions with a School Counsellor through Microsoft Teams. This will occur if the school is closed and it is during the normal School Term. Students will be emailed details of their appointment times and asked to confirm they will be participating in the session.

We ask for your patience and understanding while we all learn this new platform and procedures.

Parents are asked to respect their child’s right to have a confidential conversation and where the child asks for privacy this request be catered to.

Conversations between a School Counsellor and student will not be recorded.

STUDENT PROTECTION

If our school physically closes outside of planned term dates, and we are working remotely and online, Student Protection Officers (SPOs) will remain available.  SPOs are key contacts for students, staff and other members of the school community that have a concern for a student’s safety.  In our School, SPOs are:

To contact Student Protection Officers, during a period of remote service delivery, please email one of us directly or alternatively, you can call 3261 1388 and ask to speak to a Student Protection Officer.

Further community information about child protection and support services is also available from the following:

• Child Safety Services: https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childsafety/child-safety-services
• Domestic and family violence support services: https://www.qld.gov.au/community/getting-support-health-social-issue/domestic-family-violence/
• Family and Child Connect on 13 32 64 or: http://www.familychildconnect.org.au/index.asp
• Headspace: https://headspace.org.au
• Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or: https://kidshelpline.com.au
• Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner:  https://www.esafety.gov.au/
• ParentLine on 1300 30 1300 or: https://www.parentline.com.au

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, or in a life-threatening situation, please call triple zero (000).”

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.

USEFUL CAREERS WEBSITES