St Pauls Lutheran Primary School & Kindergarten

Caboolture, Queensland

St Pauls Lutheran

School Captains Vision for 2021

What is your vision for your school community in 2021?

Our vision for St Paul’s Lutheran Primary School is to have a community where everyone feels safe, comfortable, and happy. It would be great if everyone could speak freely about their experiences and concerns if they have any.

We would like to see the students co-operating, collaborating, communicating, and having fun.

At St Paul’s our learning is exciting and challenging. We encourage other students to have a go and know that it is OK to make mistakes.

We feel honoured to be the School Captains for this amazing school. We look forward to serving our school community in 2021.

– Jorja, Cooper, Ruby and Noah.

Prep Perceptual Motor Program

Each morning the Prep children participate in a fun Perceptual Motor Program which develops their coordination, balance, core strength and midline capacity.

Welcome to Term 1 in 2021

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It’s my privilege to welcome every family to St Paul’s for the start of the 2021 school year. It’s wonderful to have you all back safe and sound. I trust and hope that you have had the opportunity to connect with those closest to you as a family and have also had a time of rest and relaxation – I call it creating your own busyness! We thank God for rest, reconnecting and safe travels during this holiday time.

An extra welcome is extended to those families, across Prep – Year 6, who are new to our school community. We look forward to establishing a strong, rich and transparent working relationship with you as a family, as together we nurture, share and grow our partnership.

Thank you for the incredible patience and support given to the school last year as we navigated our way through the COVID-19 challenges and expectations which were put on us as a community. We will again be calling on your patience, understanding and co-operation at the start of the 2021 school year as we endeavour to land every student and family successfully in this regard. To our current families, please be understanding of any different arrangements which may be put in place for our newest families and students as we settle them into our community. Please be assured that any arrangements implemented will be done under the guidelines of the government to ensure the safety and wellness of everyone.

Thank you to those families who took up the opportunity last week to be part of a slightly modified Family Administration Day (FAD) which is designed to help with the settling in process to the new school year for you as a family.

Our next initiative to help you connect with us and settle into the new school year is the Parent Information Evenings which begin next week. Please note that each year level has been assigned its own evening, to allow those families with more than one student at St Paul’s the opportunity to attend their required evening. To accommodate the necessary COVID-19 physical distancing rules, the following arrangements will now apply to each of the Parent Information Evenings:
– Your student’s learning space (classroom) will be available for you to visit and walk through from 5:15pm onward. At around 5:40pm all parents still in the learning space will be asked to move over to the school’s Chapel where the year level teachers will further host you as they present the necessary year level information to you. These arrangements will ensure that we can all physically distance safely on the evening.

Both the Teaching staff and the Executive propagate a strong open-door policy at St. Paul’s. Open and transparent communication are vital to the success of your child’s time at school. We are proud of the innovative learning philosophy and programs being offered at St. Paul’s. Our goal in 2021 is to continue improving on our reputation as a school which is forward-thinking and which provides quality learning experiences for all our students, within a safe environment, under the guidance of a highly committed staff. I warmly invite you to walk this journey with us.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It’s my privilege to welcome every family to St. Paul’s for the start of the 2021 school year. It’s wonderful to have you all back safe and sound. I trust and hope that you have had the opportunity to connect with those closest to you as a family and have also had a time of rest and relaxation – I call it creating your own busyness! We thank God for rest, reconnecting and safe travels during this holiday time.

An extra welcome is extended to those families, across Prep – Year 6, who are new to our school community. We look forward to establishing a strong, rich and transparent working relationship with you as a family, as together we nurture, share and grow our partnership.

Thank you for the incredible patience and support given to the school last year as we navigated our way through the COVID-19 challenges and expectations which were put on us as a community. We will again be calling on your patience, understanding and co-operation at the start of the 2021 school year as we endeavour to land every student and family successfully in this regard. To our current families, please be understanding of any different arrangements which may be put in place for our newest families and students as we settle them into our community. Please be assured that any arrangements implemented will be done under the guidelines of the government to ensure the safety and wellness of everyone.

Thank you to those families who took up the opportunity last week to be part of a slightly modified Family Administration Day (FAD) which is designed to help with the settling in process to the new school year for you as a family.

Our next initiative to help you connect with us and settle into the new school year is the Parent Information Evenings which begin next week. Please note that each year level has been assigned its own evening, to allow those families with more than one student at St Paul’s the opportunity to attend their required evening. To accommodate the necessary COVID-19 physical distancing rules, the following arrangements will now apply to each of the Parent Information Evenings:
– Your student’s learning space (classroom) will be available for you to visit and walk through from 5:15pm onward. At around 5:40pm all parents still in the learning space will be asked to move over to the school’s Chapel where the year level teachers will further host you as they present the necessary year level information to you. These arrangements will ensure that we can all physically distance safely on the evening.

Both the Teaching staff and the Executive propagate a strong open-door policy at St. Paul’s. Open and transparent communication are vital to the success of your child’s time at school. We are proud of the innovative learning philosophy and programs being offered at St. Paul’s. Our goal in 2021 is to continue improving on our reputation as a school which is forward-thinking and which provides quality learning experiences for all our students, within a safe environment, under the guidance of a highly committed staff. I warmly invite you to walk this journey with us.

Term Break Office Hours

The School Office will close on Friday 18 December 2020 and will re-open on Monday 11 January 2021 from 10:00am until 2:00pm.

For all urgent enrolment enquiries please email: enrolments@stpaulslps.qld.edu.au

Enrolment Forms are available at: https://stpaulslps.qld.edu.au/enrolments/apply-now/

Book a Tour Forms are available at: https://stpaulslps.qld.edu.au/book-a-tour/

St Paul’s Lutheran Kindergarten will continue until Friday 18 December 2021 and will return in the new year on Wednesday 6 December 2021 from 6:30am until 6:00pm.

Outside School Hours Care will operate from 6:30am to 6:00pm until Wednesday 23 December 2020 and will resume on Monday 4 January 2021.

Book Pack Collection will be from 10:00am until 2:00pm, Monday 11 January – Thursday 15 January 2021.

Uniform Shop Fittings by appointment only will be from Friday 15 January until Thursday 21 Janaury 2021.

Family Administration Day will be on Thursday 21 January 2021 from 8:00am until 3:00pm.

Year 6 Camp

On Wednesday 14 October, the Year 6 students, accompanied by Mr. Riley, Mrs. Cottrell, Mrs. Schneider, Chappy Teneille, Mrs. Mali, Mr. Bloxham and Mark, our wonderful bus driver and guide, departed for a three-day, two-night tour of Hervey Bay!

Although this was a change from the style of camps Year 6 has been on in previous years, it was the perfect experience and location to enjoy after all the hurdles 2020 has brought.

It really was a stress-free, rewarding experience for every student! The camp we stayed at, Camp Pialba, provided delicious food and activities such as basketball, volleyball, pool, table tennis, air hockey, and even a movie night with fresh butter popcorn! We got to travel back in time with visits to the extensive, interesting Hervey Bay Historical Village and the Mary Valley Rattler steam train. We enjoyed a spectacular morning on board The Spirit of Hervey Bay, where we were lucky enough to sight a mother humpback whale with her week old calf. Fun was had in spades at ten-pin bowling, enjoying a morning stroll along the Urangan Pier, souvenir-buying, and cooling off at the Wetside Water Park, Hervey Bay. 

As the Year 6 cohort for 2020 nears the end of our primary school journey, every student treasured this opportunity to enjoy some time out of the classroom with our friends before preparing to head to different high schools in 2021. We have no doubt that the memories we made on this tour will stay with us for years to come!

StrawNoMore Pledge

Did you know, every day, humans use more than 500 million straws. If you lined these up end-to-end, they would wrap around the planet earth four times, every single day.

One of the many positive outcomes which have emerged from Distance Learning in Term 2 has been the introduction of the “Straw No More” campaign at St Paul’s Lutheran Primary School.

Bella Wyatt, one of our Year 3 students initiated the StrawNoMore Pledge. During her distance learning from home, Bella investigated the impact of plastic straws on the ocean and the environment in general.

In Term 3, St Paul’s signed the “StrawNoMore Forever Pledge” and Bella spoke at school assembly to educate the students about what the Forever Pledge aims to achieve. The StrawNoMore Campaign aims to educate our school community about reducing the use of plastic straws both at school and within the home environment.

Our school audit showed that juice Poppers from home is the number source of plastic straw use at St Paul’s. We aren’t asking you to stop buying or supplying juice for your child at school anymore, but to look at an alternative juice storage option for your student. We will also be reminding and encouraging the student body to use paper, aluminum, glass, bamboo or silicone straws instead of plastic straws.”

St Paul’s would like to thank Bella for her forward-thinking and encourages all students to support his great environmental initiative.  

Distance Learning at St Paul’s

The current Covid-19 crisis has seen schools working tirelessly to adapt and roll out distance learning quite quickly. St Paul’s Lutheran Primary School in Caboolture has already been providing an innovative learning environment that encourages students to take charge of their learning and to be independent workers who set their own individual learning goals. This learning framework has provided a strong platform for their teachers to navigate the current challenges related to the changing environment of education.

To gain some insight into how schools are handling these challenges, we chatted with St Paul’s Principal, Anton Prinsloo and the Head of Teaching and Learning Emma Bird.

“Within our school, we have a 1:1 iPad program where all students have ready access to devices. St Paul’s has for some time has been incorporating a software application into school time activities and home learning, which is also used as a daily parent-teacher communication tool.”

“Although distance learning has presented its challenges to all schools, St Paul’s has felt well positioned in the changes that need to be made as our students are already familiar with online programs and can communicate their learning in a range of ways because they are taught from a young age to work to their individual learning goals and to be responsible for their own learning.” Emma Bird said.

Principal Anton Prinsloo acknowledged that Student Wellbeing and Pastoral Care are at the centre of what our school is about. We care about the child as a holistic learner and care about every individual in our school community. Not only do we plan to provide a rigorous academic program, we are also putting layers of Pastoral Care planning in place so that students, parents and teachers feel supported, should we move to distance learning.

To prepare for the unknown, our school has taken a three-tiered approach in planning for possible distance learning. We have planned for what it could look like in the short term, the long term and we have also developed a ten day hard copy plan for all students, should they have internet connectivity issues throughout the distance learning period.

Along with their iPads, all students have been provided with a bag of essential learning items (including Literacy and Numeracy resources, writing books and pencils) to ensure the continuation of learning no matter what ‘schooling’ may look like next term.

“Families were provided a drive-through service to collect book packs, where staff members greeted them and placed the essential bag of items into their car window or boot,” Anton Prinsloo said.

Looking after our school community is our number one priority. By providing transparent and clear communication with families as well as by going above and beyond to show them that we care, we feel that our community are feeling supported and ready for whatever Term 2 will bring. 

Agile Learning at St Paul’s

The Reggio Emilia approach to education refers to the classroom (learning environment) as the ‘third teacher’. The premise is that the learning environment is an essential ingredient in igniting learning.

Traditional rows of desks and chairs do not typically exist at St Paul’s. Our classrooms are fitted out with furniture that is described as agile or flexible: stadiums, community booths, standing desks, floor tables, wobble stools, ottomans, carpet mats and more.

Students are given choice in where they undertake learning tasks. Why? The reasons are many:
.. When we started reassessing our classroom furniture in 2015, we learned from occupational therapists that desks and chairs do not suit the bodies of 83% of school students. We found that students will naturally gravitate to positions that suit their body type when given choice.

.. Most furniture is easily adjustable and portable, meaning teachers and students can change the configuration of the furniture according to the learning taking place. This also includes each teacher now having a mobile Kaboodle rather than a stationary teacher’s desk occupying a significant space in the classroom. The design of learning experiences is limited only by the imagination of teachers and students, and not by the rigidity of the traditional classroom.

.. The industrial model of education promoted uniformity amongst students, requiring them to be seated in a consistent and regimented fashion. We aim for our classrooms to be comfortable and inviting, where unity eclipses uniformity.

Our classrooms resemble airport lounges in that, in order to optimise learning, students can choose their seating (or otherwise) according to the activity they are engaged in. For example, students might choose a standing desk for collaborative work, a bean bag for sustained reading, and a traditional desk and chair for independent writing.

.. Active furniture such as wobble stools, balance boards and pedal units give students the opportunity to unobtrusively fidget and wriggle. This satisfies a young body’s need for movement, while not disrupting the learning of their peers or themselves.

.. Writeable surfaces encourage risk-taking and prototyping, in an attempt to ensure learning remains activated. This addresses an element of the Commitment and Consistency Principle, which suggests that learning can switch off when a student puts something in writing, due to the feeling of permanency. This also allows us to capture the learning moments on our iPads, enabling students to come back to their pre-knowledge and train of thought when next engaging with that particular learning event.

.. Standing desks, community booths and grouped desks promote connection, communication and collaboration, which are attributes recognised globally as essential in the 21st century.


Each St Paul’s classroom has a diversity of furniture that allows teachers and students to adopt Professor David Thornburg’s archetypal learning spaces. Examples of these spaces include: (i) the campfire, a space where students can gather to learn from an expert or guru; (ii) the cave, a quiet and reflective space where students can activate their diffuse thinking and shift their learning from external knowledge to internal belief; and (iii) the watering hole, an informal space where students can collaborate, share
information and discoveries and bounce off each other, thereby serving as an incubator for ideas.

Students are explicitly taught how to engage with their agile learning environments. They are exceedingly capable of rising to the maturity required to make responsible choices and to be accountable for their decisions. We often underestimate what our children are truly capable of when we invest time in instilling quality values, and then step back and
trust them to make discerning decisions.

Student engagement has improved significantly since the introduction of agile and flexible furniture at St Paul’s. We attribute this in part to the spaces meeting some of our students’ basic physical (e.g. comfort and movement) and psychological (e.g. choice, trust and control) needs, freeing their minds to better focus on the tasks ahead.

Our approach to school furniture is adopted not only for students but also for staff. When staff come together in our shared space, they have the freedom to sit on traditional chairs, high chairs, stools or couches. They can stand with their back against a wall or they can sit on the floor. They can recline on a lounge with a leg folded under them or stretch their legs out. We know that each member of staff has different physical needs
and our desire is to provide a variety of options to enable them to secure a comfortable position in order to focus on the task at hand.

We do appreciate that the look and operation of our classrooms are a significant departure from the schooling experience of most adults in our community. As such, the invitation always exists for parents/carers and other adults to see our learning spaces in action. You don’t need to be a new or prospective parent to book a personalised tour of our classrooms. No matter how long you have been in our community, you are always welcome to have a close inspection of the reality of a contemporary classroom by booking a customised tour.

What is see through and what is not?

In Year 1, we are learning to identify things that we can see through and things that we cannot. We used torches to investigate and find things around Year 1 we could see through. We recorded our ideas in our books. We will continue to learn about sources of light being natural or artificial over the next few weeks.

St Paul’s Lutheran Primary School receives national recognition

St Paul’s Lutheran Primary School in Caboolture has been announced as a finalist in the Primary School of the Year category in the 2018 and 2019 Australian Education Awards.

This national recognition is an affirmation of the incredible people who make up our community – students, parents and the staff, said Principal, Anton Prinsloo. St Paul’s is not about any one person, any one program or a culture of empire building – it’s all about the children and what is best for all the students in our care. He went on to say that this recognition is an affirmation of the outstanding learning programs, the contemporary learning philosophy, and numerous opportunities on offer at St Paul’s.

We are a smallish primary school involved in programs and providing offerings normally associated with large primary schools. Every week, without fail, our school newsletter is filled with acknowledgements, celebrations, and stories of our school community. Key to this are strong, honest, trusting and very transparent working relationships which the school has with its parent community, he said.

St Paul’s has, over the past 6 years, been at the forefront of transforming its teaching and learning philosophy to research-based innovative primary school teaching and learning programs to ensure improved student engagement and ultimately improved student outcomes. The school has during this time introduced a 1-1 iPad program from Year 1 to 6, flexible learning spaces consistent flexible learning frameworks for literacy and numeracy from Prep to Year 6 as well as Inquiry Learning Framework across all year levels. The school also differentiates across its learning programs for all the students, meaning that they don’t prescribe to a one size fits all mindset when it comes to delivering the Australian curriculum.

Mr Prinsloo said that high quality whole staff professional development, the exceptional staff which model an attitude of selflessness, every day, growing a culture of it’s okay to make mistakes, conducting parent workshops and keeping the parents informed about their child’s journey at St Paul’s underpins the culture which is our community.


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