Grand Piano Gift A Decade Of ‘Relay For Life’ Remote Learning Back To Nature Gary Prime Alumni Profiles

[ ISSUE 2 – OCTOBER 2020 ]

COMMUNITASCOMMUNITASST PAUL’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

2020 has been full of challenges, including the challenge of being a leader in difficult circumstances. For me as Principal, the task has been made easier by having outstanding leaders around me, including the St Paul’s School Captains. What have our School Captains been doing this year to look after themselves and others?Rachel Jennings, School CaptainIt has obviously been a highly unusual year and the uncertainty for Year 12 students makes it difficult to stop thinking about everything on their own agenda as well as the circumstances around the world. Being outdoors soaking up some sunshine and getting out to go running helps Rachel to escape from becoming overwhelmed and clear her mind. Being fit and feeling healthy makes her feel good too.Rachel uses lunchtimes to do something positive for herself and others by calling friends from school or family. During lockdown, she tries her best to have chats that would normally happen naturally at school with different people.Eliza Greenall, Deputy School CaptainUnlike Rachel, Eliza hates running but she does it as it helps her to maintain a positive mindset. Having a clean room makes her feel organised. With everything in order, Eliza feels good even if she is not feeling great.Eliza is also very conscious of the importance of keeping in touch with people, whether it is a Zoom call with friends or relatives, or talking to her parents.

James Gourley, School CaptainJames likes to stretch at night before going to bed. He uses the time to think about what he wants to achieve tomorrow and how he will approach situations. He says that it helps him to ‘be in the moment’. Another activity that helps James to do this is fly fishing, something that he has always loved to do but usually struggled to find the time for before it was dark after school. With the extra time available in the afternoons during remote learning, James was able to go for a fish and ‘get back to nature’ a little.James has been helping a friend who has been going through a difficult personal situation lately by going on walks around the neighbourhood. His friend has needed someone to ‘be there for him’ and it is difficult to have that personal support when not physically at school. Nixon Hall, Deputy School CaptainDuring learning-from-home, Nixon purposefully went outside whenever possible to get away from his screen. He also played his guitar in the evening after he had finished studying. Living a significant distance from school, Nixon took advantage of not having a bus trip by using the time at the end of the day to go bike riding.As Nixon was at home by himself most days during lockdown, he made a point of catching up online or via social media with people, to maintain a social connection and ‘check in’ on others.Thank you to our captains for sharing what they have been doing this year to look after themselves and others.

Mr Cameron Herbert, Principal[ PG 2 – COMMUNITAS

Nixon Hall, Rachel Jennings, James Gourley and Eliza Greenall.

COMMUNITAS ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 2020

[ PG 2 • From the Principal

[ PG 3 • Grand old instrument for the St Paul’s Academy of Music

• Traralgon Junior School celebrates ten years of ‘Relay for Life’ involvement

[ PG 4 and PG 5 • Remote learning

[ PG 6 • Gary Prime

[ PG 7 • Back to nature at the Traralgon Campus ELC

[ PG 8 • Canteen’s compassion supports staff

• 40 years celebrations

[ PG 9 • St Paul’s Elite Sports Performers receive motivation and support during remote learning

[ PG 10 and PG 11 • Alumni profiles

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Nixon Hall, Rachel Jennings, James Gourley and Eliza Greenall.Nixon Hall, Rachel Jennings, James Gourley and Eliza Greenall.Nixon Hall, Rachel Jennings, James Gourley and Eliza Greenall.

St Paul’s was recently recognised for their ten-year participation in the Latrobe Relay for Life. Relay For Life is a Cancer Council fundraising initiative where teams work hard to raise money for cancer research in the lead up to an overnight event. Every year, Year 6 students from the Traralgon Campus participate in this event and have raised over $50,000 for the Cancer Council during this time. The team is solely made up of students (with adult supervisors) who organise various fundraising activities to earn vital funds for cancer research in an attempt to fight back against cancer.

Relay for Life also brings communities together to remember loved ones lost and celebrate cancer survivorship. Teachers Maria Harkins and Fiona Ridger have been instrumental in assisting the teams from year to year.

The first St Paul’s Year 6 Relay for Life team was established in 2010, after Maria’s best friend Suzy, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, visited the students to talk to them about her experience with cancer. The students at the time wanted to help make a difference and since then, somewhere between 450 to 500 students have engaged in fundraising

and have learnt more about giving back to the community.

Teams that raise over $5,000 receive a Research Award which provides the opportunity to fund a specific type of cancer research. In 2019, the St Paul’s Year 6 Traralgon team received a Research Award for the seventh consecutive year.

The Relay for Life experience teaches these young, global citizens important values, such as compassion, respect and empathy; helps them to grow in wisdom; and provides them with a connection to the community.

PG 3 ]

A century-old grand piano, that is set to be appreciated and enjoyed by both students and staff, has recently been rehoused at St Paul’s Warragul Campus.

The medium grand piano was made by Feurich in Leipzig between 1905 and 1907 and it was previously owned by Margaret Linn Crockatt, who was one of the first women to study music at St Andrew’s University in Scotland in the late 19th century. It is believed she studied mostly by correspondence as her family lived around an hour and a half away. The School is looking forward to discovering more about Margaret’s musical journey in the near future.

A connection with the School was made by a founding family member

of St Paul’s, Mr Stuart Lawson, who recommended that the piano’s most recent custodian, Mrs Barbara Powe, consider making contact. As granddaughters of the instrument’s original owner, Barbara and Margaret decided to graciously donate the piano to St Paul’s, together with a beautiful antique piano stool, antique music chest and music scores.

In correspondence to St Paul’s, Barbara said, “We are most desirous of finding the piano a new home where it will be fully appreciated, enjoyed and looked after so it may have the longest possible life and continue to give joy to others, as it did for both my grandmother and my mother. We both feel strongly that St Paul’s offers the right new home, under your guidance and direction

within the music program. I do feel also that my grandmother, Margaret Linn Crockatt, would be so delighted to know her piano will continue to inspire and bring joy to other budding pianists into the future”.

The piano has been well maintained, is in very good condition for its age and has been described as having a “lovely full sound”.

The instrument will be a proud feature for the St Paul’s Academy of Music and the School intends to honour it with a formal dedication and by preserving its official history. The St Paul’s Academy of Music plans to host an annual professional recital series and student award showcasing the instrument in the future.

GRAND OLD INSTRUMENT

TEN YEARS OF RELAY

Right: The St Paul’s Traralgon Junior School 2019 Year 6 Relay for Life team was the tenth St Paul’s team to participate in Relay for Life.

[ PG 4 – COMMUNITAS

REMOTE LEARNING 2020 – ADAPTING TO A NEW WAY OF LEARNING

During the uncertain period of COVID-19, when it was time earlier this year for teachers and students of St Paul’s to learn/teach remotely from home, the school was well prepared and ready to continue the uninterrupted education of students, thanks to our tried and tested online Learning Management System, MyStPauls. MyStPauls had previously been used extensively at secondary levels since 2016 and from Prep to Year 6 for over a year. With this system already in place, teachers were able to adapt their teaching mode with creativity and commitment, to ensure the continuity of learning for our students.

AN ONLINE SCHOOL DAYAn online school day followed a similar structure to that of a classroom; staff connected every morning with ELC and Junior School students through digital means, welcoming students and providing an outline of learning plans for the day. Secondary School students enjoyed a virtual timetable, with the roll marked and daily messages and discussions via video conferences delivered.

MAINTAINING STUDENT WELLBEINGThe wellbeing of students is a priority at St Paul’s and this continued to be a key focus throughout the online learning experience. Teaching staff adjusted individual student programs as required and supported children emotionally, as well as academically. To monitor the wellbeing of students in the new learning environment, regular wellbeing surveys were held online and any issues identified from these surveys were quickly followed up by pastoral care staff.

REGULAR ACTIVITIES TRANSFORMED FOR THE ONLINE ENVIRONMENTWith everyone working and learning from home, the school accepted the challenge of continuing regular activities online, so that the delivery of a well-rounded St Paul’s education could still be provided. Students were able to enjoy adapted assemblies, Chapel and pastoral care activities. School Captains continued their leadership roles and provided videos with inspiring messages for other students. Instrumental teachers conducted individual and group lessons online, as did the St Paul’s Academy of Music.

An online ANZAC Day remembrance In April with remote learning in full swing, students commemorated ANZAC Day a little differently. While the students

could not be together, secondary and junior students spent time in their school day to respect and acknowledge the ANZACs by participating in their own online ANZAC Service with prayers, The Ode of Remembrance, The Last Post, a minute’s silence and The Rouse.Hands-on subjects continue from homeEven in these times of challenge, students learnt and discovered new things every day. Warragul Campus Year 8 student, Ayden Stayner, filmed the results of his project for his elective subject ‘Making Stuff that Moves’. Making a ‘recyclable racer’ out of two bottles, electrical tape, balloon, rubber pipe and a wooden block, all hot glued together, he first attempted the design in the bath, where he discovered the racer propelled in circles. After some research he decided to add a keel, where he discovered this made the design propel in a straighter direction. He then took his experiment to a local lake for fresh air and exercise, where he tied fishing line to the racer and watched it successfully propel in a straight direction (for around two metres), until the balloon had run out of air.

Business skills tested at homeWhilst Year 10 Commerce students at St Paul’s traditionally have Junior School students scurrying around them at their Commerce on Show stalls, this year the students had to do things a little differently. The Year 10 students set up their business activity at home, similar to what they would have done if they had junior students attend at school. The process still covered topics that included business planning, obtaining resources, cost analysis, risk assessment (including OH&S), product/service branding and post-performance analysis. An important connection the students discovered during this time is how businesses have had to redevelop themselves to stay in business, as the students themselves had to modify their activities based on their access to resources at home.

Recreating art masterpieces At the Warragul Junior School, Years 5 and 6 students were set the task in Art to recreate a painting or print. Once they had finalised their concept, they photographed their artwork recreation and compared it to the original artworks. The task was a great opportunity for students to learn about composition and detail in art.

School library and staff highly valued While physical library spaces were empty of students, the school’s dedicated Library staff did wonderful things to help keep students engaged, connected and well-resourced during their remote learning experience. Library staff continued to deliver classes to students from Prep to Year 8 to read, discuss, recommend and help locate reading resources. During lessons, students completed online learning activities based on books and reading, and were supported by Library staff who were available to students via videoconferencing and on the social stream of MyStPauls. At the Junior School level, Library staff provided and often created videos of stories being read aloud on MyStPauls as part of lessons for students to enjoy class-shared stories, as well as special online reading events. Library staff continued to facilitate access to quality public library resources, digital resources and databases for research, and encouraged and promoted the reading of digital books through mini-book review competitions and the Premiers’ Reading Challenge. They also offered a continuous ‘Ask’ service during school hours via their ‘Library pages’ of MyStPauls.

TEACHERS GO ABOVE AND BEYOND Teachers continued to go above and beyond to ensure they provided a rich education for their students. One example was Warragul Campus Product Design and Technology teacher, Mr Phil Coombs, who found an ingenious way to engage his Year 10 class while they were all learning remotely from home. To give them time away from their screens in a practical task, he developed a customer request scenario for them to safely make a piece of furniture from cardboard.While the students were told to start to work on the design process, Phil travelled as far as Dandenong to search for leftover seven millimetre double corrugated cardboard that could be upcycled for the purpose. Once sourced, he travelled to Traralgon first to deliver the cardboard to students and then made his way to Drouin, dropping the materials off at the doorsteps of student homes along the way.Phil took on this great initiative, going above and beyond normal duties to support students to continue to learn, develop new skills, design and be creative during a period of uncertainty.

THE ST PAUL’S COMMUNITY MAGAZINE – PG 5 ]

[ PG 6 – COMMUNITAS

Gary Prime commenced at St Paul’s in February 1984 when the school was only two years old and had approximately 140 students. It was in the early days of St Paul’s when the School was still located in the Anglican Church Hall in Warragul and Des Parker was the Principal. When Gary joined St Paul’s, he was one of six staff members. He remembers how the students and staff had to pack up the tables and chairs on Friday afternoons, ready for the Church to use the rooms for Sunday School. They would then set them back up the following Monday morning.

Gary grew up in South Australia and was to become the fourth generation farmer in his family on the farm where they had sheep, cows, pigs and grain. When he saw a presentation about being a teacher at school, he decided that was the path for him and he went on to be the first in his family to receive a tertiary education.

He began teaching in 1965 where his first pay cheques were in pounds and shillings. He has primarily been a Maths and Physics teacher but has taught Christian Studies and computer programming over the years.

In the earlier years of St Paul’s, Gary was responsible for preparing Daily Organiser and Timetabling tasks, which he completed using pins on canite board on his office walls. In 1988 Gary used the first desktop computer in the school to create the timetable which was “a very noisy computer that imitated the sound effects of a concrete mixer”.

Gary was Deputy Principal of St Paul’s for six years and Dean of Students for many years.

He was also the MC at many speech nights. Gary established and administered the St Paul’s Colours and Emblems and chaired the committee which has been in existence since 1995.

With legendary attention to detail, Gary has been the school Grammarian newsletter and Perspectives school magazine proofreader for many years (and continues to do so today). He has meticulously checked every name and detail using a database system he devised himself.

But his talents did not stop there, as Gary took on the role of school photographer for many years. He would pride himself in taking photos at school events and then rush back to the local photo shop to have them developed where he would then display all of the photos on a pinboard before school the next day for the students. He also ran a Photography Club and had a darkroom in the Parker Centre where many students learnt to develop black and white film. We have Gary to thank for many of the thousands of wonderful photos that showcase both students and the history of St Paul’s.

He turned his childhood hobby of Radio DXing into a school club where students would work with him using the world radio handbook. DXing is the hobby of receiving and identifying distant radio or television signals, or making two-way radio contact with distant stations in amateur radio, citizens band (CB) radio or other two-way radio communications. They would also attempt to obtain written verifications of reception or contact, sometimes referred to as “QSLs” or “veries”.

An unusual request was when Gary was asked to be the producer of the school production, ‘Anything Goes’. This was something that was definitely not in his comfort zone, in particular being responsible for the safety parameters of each show, as a student was held in a harness upside down through a porthole!

It was a significant moment for Gary and the School when they moved from the Church Hall to Bowen Street. He thinks that the three-week mid-year break started way back then because the grounds at Bowen Street were so muddy and they needed more time to create paths before the students started.

GARY PRIMEGary believes that some of the strengths of St Paul’s are the enormous amount of co-curricular activities on offer. “St Paul’s delivers a very high quality of education but the co-curricular offering is really excellent”.

Having taught at St Paul’s for over thirty-five years, Gary is the school’s longest serving teacher. He has taught many of our parents, teachers, past students and current students at this school.

Outside of work, Gary is an avid photographer and is a mad keen number plate collector with over 400 number plates in his shed at home. He said he always had a keen eye and memory for number plates even as a child and loves the unique plates he collects and comes across. He is often asked to speak at local Apex and Vietnam Veterans’ meets regarding this hobby and share his knowledge. Another of Gary’s interests is restoring cars and their engines. He has restored thirteen Ford Consuls and eight Ford Zephyrs. Gary is also an elder in his church and devotes much of his spare time to assist other people through Meals on Wheels and other programs.

GARY PRIMEExcited children are running, laughing and learning through play at the newly developed playground of the Early Learning Centre at St Paul’s Traralgon Campus.

St Paul’s received a grant of $200,000 under the Victorian Government’s Inclusive Kindergarten Facilities Program Buildings and Playgrounds for the redevelopment.

During the June school holidays, the grounds of the centre were redeveloped into a wonderland of nature that is designed to allow students to experience a play area founded on exploration through play in a natural environment, ‘loose play’ and an opportunity to collaborate, gather, socialise with other children, teachers, parents and the community.

The redevelopment coincides with the ELC’s Nature Kinder program that supports the St Paul’s ELC’s overall philosophy of promoting learning through play and embraces the ability of children to explore, create, problem-solve, collaborate and imagine.

Through the Nature Kinder program, children are given opportunities to connect to nature within a holistic approach. Taking place in outdoor spaces within the school grounds, the children are able to explore trees, bushes, dirt, sticks, seeds and mud, enabling them to use their imaginative and creative skills through play-based education on a weekly basis.

Children benefit from the program by making connections intellectually, emotionally, socially and physically to gain deeper conceptual understandings, increased creativity and spirituality as they engage within the individual learning process.

The Nature Kinder program encourages each child to discover and explore, whilst respecting the natural environment and learning the importance of caring for nature. Children are encouraged to acknowledge the connection with the land and respect for the Gunaikurnai people, the original custodians of our land.

This term the children are focusing on engaging with and respecting the environment and are learning about being green, recycling and looking after our environment and future.

The ELC children are having a wonderful time engaging in the Nature Kinder program and outdoor play with a new area that provides children of all abilities a space to use their imagination and explore the outdoor play areas. It includes a water play area with a water pump and mud pit; climbing areas; sandpit; raised ramp; an indigenous food garden; and vegetable and herb gardens.

BACK TO NATUREHe loves dogs more than cats but has two cats!

Gary will be well remembered amongst the students for saying “I have some good news, I have some bad news.” After fifty-one years of teaching, (thirty-five of those at St Paul’s), Gary retired at the end of 2019.

Some of his peers have said that Gary is “the nicest, most caring, honest and truthful man you have ever met”.

He is considered by his colleagues and students as a most dedicated and professional teacher who is highly respected. Gary is a thoughtful colleague who is always thinking selflessly about the best ways to support those around him.

He plans to read ‘Man Shy’ in his retirement as it was a school book that he “just didn’t get” when he was younger and he is keen “to take a second look”.

Gary’s many friends from the St Paul’s community wish him all the best for a wonderful retirement.

THE ST PAUL’S COMMUNITY MAGAZINE – PG 7 ]

[ PG 8 – COMMUNITAS

During remote learning, our wonderful ladies at the St Paul’s Warragul Campus canteen worked tirelessly to keep the canteen open for students being supervised on campus and staff who were still working on-site.

The team worked together to ensure lunches, drinks (and coffee for staff) could be purchased during these unusual times.

They prepared and cooked over 1,000 slices and 1,000 biscuits for staff care packages and also provided a meal for all staff in the social club, courtesy of the social club.

They even rolled up their sleeves to provide evening meals for purchase, to give staff an evening off from cooking and make nights a little bit easier.

CANTEEN’S COMPASSION SUPPORTS STAFF

ST PAUL’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL

marketing@stpaulags.vic.edu.au

150 Bowen Street Warragul Victoria 3820

03 5623 5833

46 Cross’s Road Traralgon Victoria 3844

03 5175 0133

stpaulags.vic.edu.au

www.facebook.com/ StPaulsAnglican GrammarSchool/

STAY TUNED – TURNING 40!Can you believe that in 2022 St Paul’s will be turning 40!

Keep your eyes peeled for celebration announcements and follow the St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School Facebook page to make sure you are kept in the loop!

PG 9 ]

Australian elite athletes and coaches reach out to student athletes

Restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have certainly changed the lives of everyone in today’s world, including young athletes with hopes and dreams to take their sport to the next level.

The Elite Sports Performers (ESP) Program at St Paul’s has been assisting their fifty ESP students by providing inspirational videos from Olympic and professional athletes and coaches to help motivate them to continue balancing training regimes with their schoolwork and family time.

The possibility that motivation levels of students could decline as the length of the lockdown progressed was the driving force behind Scott Armour (Coordinator of the ESP Program) and his ESP team for reaching out to some of Australia’s leading athletes and coaches for assistance. Scott said “Without access to the students I wanted a way to get brief messages of support and encouragement to our young athletes. In the first lockdown, the videos focused on getting athletes to show how they had adapted their training to home-based sessions during the lockdown. In the second lockdown, we centred the videos around strategies to get the ESP student athletes to remain positive and focus on their training”.

Former Olympians, elite athletes, Australian coaches and industry

professionals recorded videos for the students about how they are moving forward with their training despite the pandemic putting a hold on their sport. They have also provided valuable tips and advice to help the students be mentally and physically prepared to step straight back into their sport when it returns. Some of the Australian athletes, coaches and industry leaders included:• Dean Vickerman, Melbourne United Head Coach and St Paul’s Alumnus• Mark Knowles, former Olympic hockey player and Commonwealth Games flag bearer• Anabelle Smith, Olympic bronze medallist and Australian diving team member• Brenton Jones, professional cyclist (London) and St Paul’s Alumnus• Bronwyn Knox, triple Olympian and Australian water polo team member• Alex Gummer, professional soccer player (Switzerland) and St Paul’s Alumna • Kate Smyth, Australian Commonwealth marathon runner• Harry McKay and Fraser Phillips, Carlton footballers and St Paul’s ESP students• Sarah Rowe, Gaelic footballer (Ireland) and Collingwood AFLW player• Ben McKay (North Melbourne Football Club) and Taylah Giliam (WNBL player), former St Paul’s ESP students • Millie Bongiorno, Australian alpine snowboarder

• Aoife and Maeve Coughlan, national judo and former St Paul’s ESP students • Hannah Macdougall, elite para-cyclist and former Paralympic swimmer• Jamie Macmillan, North Melbourne Football Club • Laura Hingston, VIS athlete and member of the Australian diving team• Nathan Brown, St Kilda footballer• Ashleigh Brennan, two-time Olympic Gymnast and Commonwealth Gold Medallist • Maddie Garrick, Co-captain for the Deakin Melbourne Boomers’ WNBL team• Jim Unkles, international hockey umpire and podiatrist at Upwell Health • Pat Wilson, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at North Melbourne Football Club and St Paul’s Alumnus.

Scott Armour is extremely grateful to all who had taken the time to provide St Paul’s ESP students with tips and messages of support that the students have found extremely helpful and motivating.

The ESP Program at St Paul’s continues to assist young athletes competing at a state, national or international level in their chosen sport to balance the demands of school with their sporting commitments. During remote learning, ESP students have access to their Inspire App to monitor wellness, email staff for support and to request one-on-one online meetings.

ESP – SUPPORT AND MOTIVATION

[ PG 10 – COMMUNITAS

Class of 2012 Alumnus, Isaac Guppy, started at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School in Year 7 and remembers being actively involved in the school’s productions and bands. Some of his greatest achievements at school were being the lead in the 2012 production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and being awarded the St Paul’s Shield in 2012 for outstanding contribution in academics, performing arts and sport. He was also a school Prefect.

After finishing secondary school, Isaac studied a Bachelor of Emergency Health (Paramedics). He moved to London after completing his bachelor degree to work for the London Ambulance Service. In 2019 he joined the London Ambulance Services Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).

When we asked Isaac what he enjoyed most about being a paramedic, he said “I’ve always been a jack of all trades but a master of none with most of my hobbies. Being a paramedic allows me to go to a large range of medical conditions and traumatic cases and do my best to help. Although there’s routine, no two days are ever the same. Each call out is a different patient, in a new location.”

As a part of the Hazardous Area Response Team, Isaac does a lot of additional training that he enjoys, that include working at heights, urban search and rescue, and water rescue.

“It’s also a gratifying feeling knowing that you’re helping others. A London Ambulance Service informs paramedics if any of their patients who were in cardiac arrest survive and leave the hospital. Although it is rare, it is a fantastic feeling to receive one of those letters.”

When we asked Isaac what he found most challenging about what he is doing now, he said “The most challenging part of what I do is dealing with time wasters and people who don’t need an ambulance. It is frustrating to be stuck on a job with an individual who does not need an ambulance, knowing that there may be someone in need of medical attention. Some examples of ridiculous calls are ‘hiccups’, ‘someone who can’t sleep’ and ‘cotton bud stuck in their ear’.” As part of the Hazardous Area Response Team, Isaac has also worked on the front line in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Isaac began considering his future pathway options in Year 11. “In Year 11 when I was trying to consider what I wanted to pursue as a career, I had some selection criteria to sort out a pathway that would work for me. I had enjoyed Biology and PE and learning about how the body works but was aware that although I had put a lot of effort into my VCE, I was unlikely to achieve the marks needed to study medicine. This kind of left me with the options of physiotherapy, nursing and paramedics. Paramedics seemed to interest me the most because I liked the thought of being able to be outside for most of the day and dealing with acutely unwell patients.”

Isaac is appreciative of how his parents have always been supportive and allowed him to pursue any career or interest “as long as I am committed and put the effort in”.

During his time at St Paul’s, Isaac was involved in as many co-curricular activities as he could fit in. This included the Big Band, Assembly Band, school choirs, school productions, swimming team, football and he was also the Dance Captain. “Although St Paul’s gave me an excellent education it was the skills learnt from the additional activities that gave me a foundation and a demeanour suited for a paramedic. At work I sometimes get called to stressful situations. My heart can race and on the inside I can feel a bit nervous. Overcoming these nerves for me is not too dissimilar from when I was performing in the school productions. It’s about remaining calm and remembering your lines and cues. These skills are just as transferable from the West Gippsland Arts Centre to the side of a road after someone has been hit by a car.”

ALUMNI PROFILES ALUMNI PROFILES

Matthew Hams (Class of 2000) has great memories of his time at school. After leaving St Paul’s Matt went on to work with his father in the pet industry, travelled extensively and is now the owner and manager of Banksia Park Puppies. Matt worked extensively with the former Liberal Government and the DEPI on the drafting and creation of the toughest Code of Practice for the Operation of Breeding and Rearing Establishments in the world, which was enacted in Victoria in 2014. He is also a current Board Director for the Pet Industry Association of Australia and speaks often with the media and current government on sensible policy reforms that will place animal welfare at the heart of any legislative changes. Matt is married to Kirstin and he has two children, Bella (8) and Diesel (6). When asked about his time at St Paul’s he rates his trip to Nepal in Year 11 as a highlight, and is grateful for the support and guidance that teachers such as Pip O’Connor and Geoff Guymer gave him during his schooling years and beyond.

Since graduating from St Paul’s in 2010, Rachael Savige (nee Krause) has been very busy making a name for herself in the wonderful world of flowers. After school Rachael completed an apprenticeship in Floristry, going on to win a range of floristry awards at both state and national levels. Currently Rachael manages the Allambee Flower farm and also freelances to other floral and event businesses. In her freelance role she helps companies by supporting their team, designing business strategy, advising on social media, and is highly sought after for her floristry skills for wedding and event set-ups. In 2019 Rachael married and purchased a farm with her husband, Anthony. This year she has launched her very own styling and events business, Style Lush, as well as beginning a micro flower farm on her property that grows a range of seasonal blooms. Her favourite school memories are of making the three best friends she still has today. When asked about her favourite teacher Rachael found it hard to name just one; “There were so many teachers who were amazing and shaped me into the person I am today.”

THE ST PAUL’S COMMUNITY MAGAZINE – PG 11 ]

ALUMNI PROFILES

Have some news we can share? Email us at: alumni@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

[ COMMUNITAS – THE ST PAUL’S COMMUNITY MAGAZINE ]

st paul’s ELITE SPORTS PERFORMERS PROGRAM

60+ STUDENT ATHLETES

20+ SPORTS

60+ STUDENT ATHLETES

20+ SPORTS

60+ STUDENT ATHLETES

20+ SPORTS

60+ STUDENT ATHLETES

20+ SPORTS

60+ STUDENT ATHLETES

20+ SPORTS

60+ STUDENT ATHLETES

20+ SPORTS

60+ STUDENT ATHLETES

20+ SPORTS

Assisting our student athletes to balance their educational demands with their high level sporting commitments through access to:

• Monitoring of wellbeing and stress levels

• Subject counselling and flexible curriculum

• Industry leaders and athletes in elite sport

• The latest developments in nutrition, recovery strategies and injury management

• Mentors and peer support of fellow student athletes.

For further information contact esp@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

03 5623 5833

stpaulsags.vic.edu.au