Issue no. 37
In this edition
Nativity Heralds Christmas
‘A Christmas Wish’, the 2017 Nativity was a joyous celebration of the story of Jesus’ birth with a true Australian twist! We are so proud of the amazing Year 1 and 2 girls for the incredible performance last night. Their energy, enthusiasm and excitement brought to life the story of Jenny, who lives in outback Australia, and wishes with all her heart for rain for Christmas. And what a celebration is was as the skies opened and rain fell at the finale; thunder barely heard over the tremendous applause of the audience.
Have a look at the highlights here:
Alana Lesiw, Liz Sandercock, Sallyann Bruun and Kathryn Clark
Years 1 and 2 Teachers
ELC Christmas Concert
Still on the festive theme, the 2017 ELC Christmas Concert showcased our young performers from two to five years of age. Their ability to confidently sing and dance on the Arts Centre stage was impressive and really appreciated by our wonderful community!
As always, it was a wonderful evening enjoyed by all and the children worked incredibly hard to put on such a magical performance. Have a look at highlights here:
From the Deputy Principal / Head of Senior School
The final weeks of Term 4 are, without a doubt, the most popular weeks of the School year. This is not unexpected and, to be fair, popularity usually increases once final examinations are completed and the grasp of an extended break is well within reach. Year 11 who completed their exams earlier this week and Year 10 who completed theirs this afternoon, have already displayed a significant increase in excitement levels.
But, it is important to pause and to be mindful that the end of the school year brings results and school reports. A message therefore to all girls, regardless of your year level. Don’t use exams, marks or grades to measure your self-worth. You are all much more than this.
We live in a society that is very much driven by success and external rewards.
So, know this. Your teachers will not remember you as a number or a rank, a mark or a grade. They will remember you for the conversations that you gave them, for your approach to learning, for the kindness you showed others and for the way you faced challenges.
Take what you can from your report to set out how you can improve in 2018. Use the advice of your teachers and think about how you can implement this. As I have said to the senior girls throughout the year, and again to Year 9 this week: don’t be afraid of failure. Be afraid of being in exactly the same place next year, as you are right now.
Presentation Night and Carols in the Cathedral
A reminder that Presentation Night is next Friday 8 December and will commence at 7pm. All students in Years 7 – 12 are required at Town Hall at 6.15pm, where class rolls will be marked. Doors will be open to guests at 6.45pm. This is an important evening for the School community and I encourage you to come along to celebrate the success of a range of our students.
We then finish the year with our annual Carols in the Cathedral on Monday 11 December. All girls from Years 3 – 12 are required to attend and should enter the Cathedral via the side entrance. A reminder that this is a non-teaching day. The Service will commence at 7pm, and again all girls are required at 6.15pm where class rolls will be marked, with doors opening for guests at 6.45pm. I have heard wonderful reviews of this evening and am looking forward to experiencing it myself. You can enjoy a sneak peek from rehearsals in the video below.
Wellbeing Launch 2018
There has been much work done throughout the year to ensure we can commence the delivery of our Wellbeing Program in Term 1, 2018. As you are aware, all girls in Years 7 – 12 completed a comprehensive survey in Term 1 of this year, the results of which were used to create a wellbeing curriculum, specific resources and explicit lesson plans for each year group. The lesson plans have been designed to specifically address areas of need. Over the past six months, the staff have had access to all lesson plans and resources, and are ready for delivery of content in Term 1. The girls will receive this content in Home Group lessons each Tuesday and Thursday. We also surveyed the parent body and have used this data to complement the content of the resources. Next year, you will receive updates of what topics, strategies and tools are being provided to the girls. Successful wellbeing programs are those where the school and parents work very much in partnership.
The Junior School girls in Years 3 – 6 have this week completed a thorough wellbeing survey. This data will be analysed and collated over the summer holidays. Parents can expect the delivery of a report in Term 1, and all Junior School content will be developed throughout 2018 for formal delivery in Term 1, 2019.
Finally, I would like to thank the girls for the energy, enthusiasm and good humour they have brought to the School in 2017. I have enjoyed getting to know them and appreciate their warmth, hard work and perseverance. I wish you all a fabulous, active and safe holiday.
Kate Mortimer
Deputy Principal / Head of Senior School
Sports End of Year Report
At Saints Girls, we pride ourselves on involving as many students as possible by offering opportunities across a wide range of activities and sports from the Early Learners’ Centre and Reception through to Year 12. All of our juniors are encouraged to try a variety of sports, learning the fundamental skills and rules of particular games while having fun and gaining from the experience.
Once students get into Years 4, 5 and 6, the structure of sport involves a combination of skill-based programs and interschool competitions, and then once students reach Year 7, teams are graded and become far more competitive. While we encourage girls to go beyond their limits, we also ensure all students have a positive experience and should never feel intimidated or pressured at any level to either succeed or aim for anything other than their own personal goals.
In 2017, our non-competitive programs such as athletics and swimming have grown and, with the inclusion of AFL and Touch, this provides further experiences that girls might not have had an opportunity in. This year, our program hit 19 sports and 102 teams with more than 1,000 places.
While our philosophies do not change, it is certainly my goal, and that of the other directors and coaches to provide a full, learning, positive and successful program. In doing this, we aim to maintain or expand our participation numbers, while also generating success in the playing arena. It is well known that success breeds success and this year, Saints became the most successful of the 10 independent schools that make up IGSSA (Independent Girls Schools Sports Association SA).
Aerobics
• Who’s Bad – 2nd
• Electroblitz – 3rd
• Mystic Pearls – 3rd
• Purple Reflection – 4th
AFL
• Launched Saints Girls’ inaugural AFL team with coaching assistance from footy legend Garry McIntosh
Athletics
• SSSSA A Grade – 3rd
• IGSSA – Overall champions as well as the Field Trophy
• IGSSA – under 14 champions
• IGSSA – Open champions
• Knockout – Junior team qualified for the National Championships
• Page Shield Winners for Sports Day – Selwyn
• National Championships – Jasmine Ledgard, Beth Cross and Sophie Barr
• National Little Athletics – Portia Maerschel
Badminton
• Open A – 5th
• Open B – 1st, IGSSA shield winners (six years in a row)
• Interhouse winners – Kilburn
Basketball
• Open A – 10th
• Middle A – 10th
• Interhouse winners – Patteson
Cross Country
• State Cross Country – 12 competitors with four finishing in the State’s top 10 and seven in the State’s top 20
• Interhouse winners – Selwyn
Hockey
• Open A – 6th
• Open B – 6th
• Year 8/9 and Open knockout
• Interhouse winners – Patteson
Lacrosse
• Under 15 – 3rd
• Under 15 – IGSSA Judy Thurgood Trophy winners
• Five members selected in the IGSSA comets
Netball
• Open A – 3rd and State knockout quarter finals
• Year 10A – 8th and State knockout quarter finals
• Year 9A – 3rd
• Year 8A – 4th
• Year 7A – 3rd
• School representative team – Queensland carnival
• Interhouse winners – Kilburn
Rowing
• The 10C and 8B won at Head of the River
• First VIII and Inter A crews competed at the nationals in Sydney
• Interhouse winners – Kilburn
Soccer
• Open A – 6th
• Open B – 9th
• Middle A – 6th
• Open knockout – State quarter-finalists
• Three players selected in the IGSSA representative team
• Interhouse winners – Patteson
Softball
• Open A – 1st
• Open B – 1st
• Year 8/9 State knockout champions
Swimming
• IGSSA Overall champions
• IGSSA Under 13 champions
• IGSSA Under 14 champions
• SSSSA A Grade – 5th
• Saints had 6 representatives at the State SAPSASA carnival with three girls winning medals
• Five students selected to compete at the Pacific School Games in December
• McGill Shield for Swimming Carnival – Patteson
Tennis
• Open A – 1st and Open State knockout runners up
• Open B – 1st
• Year 8/9 State knockout finalists
• Interhouse winners – Selwyn
Touch Football
• Inclusion in the Catholic Girls’ Sports Association with three teams
• Open knockout (through Year 11/12 PE)
Volleyball
• Open A – 3rd
• Open B – 6th
• Middle A – 3rd and State knockout semi-finalists
• Interhouse winners – Kilburn
Water Polo
• Open A – runners up
• Open B – Premiers
• Open C – Premiers
Year 9 Graduation
This afternoon, the School community celebrated the graduation of our Year 9 students as they farewell Middle School and prepare to enter the Senior School.
Staff, students and parents gathered in the Arts Centre for songs and prayer, along with the presentation of certificates and a video depicting life in Year 9 at Saints Girls in 2017.
We wish the girls all the best on the next chapter of their learning journey as senior students.
Year 12 Farewell Lunch
At the end of each school year, our current Year 12s have traditionally returned to Stonyfell to serve a thank you lunch to our students.
Who: Reception – Year 11
Date: Lunchtime, Tuesday 5 December
Place: Chiverton Lawns
What: FREE Sausage and cupcake (get in early to ensure you don’t miss out!)
The Mothers’ Club and Year 12s invite all staff and students to join us for a sausage and a cupcake to celebrate the end of the school year. This is a complimentary treat to say thank you for your support of Mothers’ Club, and an opportunity for a last farewell from the Class of 2017.
Winter Drive Makes a Difference
Each year in the Middle East, temperatures drop rapidly leaving millions of relocated Syrian refugees living marginal existences in alarming conditions with limited access to basic necessities. Their tents are made of tarpaulin and cardboard material, and their clothing is minimal, which does not protect them from the freezing temperatures. In order to create heat, children as young as five are forced to burn shoes, clothing and plastic, producing toxic fumes that they inhale. These Syrian refugees live in possible years of limbo and exile where they must fend for themselves in blizzards. Most of the camps do not have the means to access clothing, food or heating that will allow residents to survive the sub-zero temperatures and, when winter arrives, the outcome is often bleak.
In order to try combat this disaster and provide refugee families with the resources they so desperately need, our Winter Drive earlier this year asked for donations including gloves, socks, waterproof coats, jackets, jumpers, heating equipment, blankets, and/or sleeping bags.
It is my pleasure to announce that the 230kg of goods collected have been delivered to the Bekaa Valley refugee camp in Lebanon, as shown in the photos. We would again like to thank everybody who contributed.
As money still needs to be collected to cover shippings costs, the Winter Drive team has organised a fundraiser during lunch on Tuesday in Week 8, with a water balloon game (students can buy and throw water balloons at teachers for $2 each or 3 for $5) and Krispy Kreme doughnuts for $3.
We hope to see you all there.
Amira Shahin, Grace Edwards, Sindhu Nedumaran and Felicia Mi
The Winter Drive Team
Vacation Care
Our next instalment of Vacation Care is almost here. We have just over five weeks of activities guaranteed to keep the children busy and active through the break. With a total of 10 excursions/incursions, there is plenty of fun to be had.
Some of our home-based days will include crafts, Christmas cooking, mask making and a high tea fit for royalty!
Please note there has been a change to the Vacation Care program – Tuesday 23 January will be an excursion to a Play Café and Wednesday 24 January will be the Magic Show incursion (these days have been swapped).
Read the full December/January Vacation Care program here
In recent times, Vacation Care has booked out very quickly as places are limited, so please click here to secure your booking now!
Christmas Giving Tree at St Peter’s Girls
The Giving Tree will be placed in the Arts Centre foyer and will remain there for the next week. All donations will be given to AnglicareSA which aims to hand out over 1,000 food hampers and gifts to support families and individuals this Christmas who have no one else to turn to. They also provide Christmas lunch to 200 people at the Elizabeth Mission. Students are welcome to bring items at any time until the end of Week 8.
We thank all of our families who have contributed food or gifts, and know they will be well received by those less fortunate than ourselves.
Obento – A Balanced Box
In Year 8 Japanese, the students have been learning about Japanese schools and the similarities and differences they have with Saints Girls. As part of this topic, they have explored the idea of obento, or Japanese packed lunches. Many interesting examples of obento can be found on the internet, based on themes such as Japanese manga characters, festivals, movies to name a few, but the main features as the students found in their research were having a balance of food groups (usually manifested by a range of colours), presenting the lunch attractively so that the recipient could “eat with their eyes” and making it with love, as cheesy as that sounds.
The girls designed their own obento, creating a shopping list of ingredients and then assembling the obento during a Japanese lesson. The result was some very creative obento, beautifully balanced and most definitely ready to be devoured with the eyes before the stomach!
Pitkin Sensei
Year 8 Japanese Teacher
Preparing Junior School Girls for Camp Success
Although our current focus is on the end of the school year, it is never too early to start preparing for significant events in 2018. For our Junior School girls, this means – school camp!
St Peter’s Girls provides a comprehensive Outdoor Education Program for girls in Years 2 – 6. Our first lot of campers (Year 5) will head off to camp as early as Week 6 of Term 1, which comes around very quickly after the long summer break.
It is recognised that all children are at different levels of ‘readiness’ for camp. If you have a child who loves doing sleepovers, going to her grandparents and play dates, and relishes new situations, then you’ve probably got a child who is pretty ‘camp ready’ already! If, on the other hand, your daughter is a little reticent about all of those things and has never spent the night away from you, it’s helpful to start preparing for camp now, so that by the time her camp comes around, she is ready to enjoy her time away.
If your child falls into the latter category, here are two strategies you can try to start preparing your Junior School girl for camp success:
1. Use a stepladder: one of the most important predictors of camp success is being able to do sleepovers. Therefore, before going to camp, your daughter should be comfortable spending the night away from home. If they haven’t done this before, now’s the time to start practising separations. It may be necessary to use a “step ladder” approach to gradually increase the length of the separations. By doing this, you and your daughter will work together through a series of small, gradual steps, one at a time in order to reach the larger goal. Each child’s starting point on the stepladder will be different, depending upon what they can/can’t manage already. After each step is achieved, your daughter should receive a small reward (NB: rewards do not have to be monetary, they could include going to the park or choosing the family meal or movie).
2. Talk about camp as a positive, wonderful experience and opportunity; your confidence in a successful camp experience will be contagious. It is therefore unhelpful to make comments that express anxiety or ambivalence about your daughter going to camp. Comments such as, “I hope you’ll be okay”, and, “What will I do without you?” can leave children worried that something bad might happen to them or their parents, and can make them feel even more anxious about going. Instead, let your daughter know that you will miss her but that you also know she is a strong girl who can go away to camp and enjoy it. Explain to your daughter that homesickness is normal (and, like the weather, it will pass!). She can also use strategies like sharing her feelings with other people and thinking about all the good things that camp is giving her to help ease her worry.
For further information about these strategies, and many more, please refer to the Preparing your Junior School girl for camp success parent guide.
Nicole Letch
School Psychologist
Year 10 High Performance Get Their Skates On
Year 10 High Performance girls have been participating in a floor hockey unit which culminated in them playing on inline skates. The girls improved dramatically during the one hour session, reaching a stage where they could compete in a match and score some fantastic goals. There are lots of similarities to skiing or ice skating in terms of balance, and once the girls understood this, they progressed extremely well. The only issue was stopping before the wall which provided some good laughs!
Dan Searle
Head of PE, Health and Outdoor Education
Term 4 Events
Year 6 Graduation and PYP Exhibition
The Year 6 Graduation and PYP Exhibition will be held in the Arts Centre at 2pm on Wednesday 6 December 2017.
Presentation Night
Presentation Night will be held at 7pm in the Adelaide Town Hall on Friday 8 December 2017. All students in Years 7 – 12 are expected to attend.
Secure your tickets via www.trybooking.com/SPSR.
Carols in the Cathedral
Carols in the Cathedral will be held at 7pm in St Peter’s Cathedral, North Adelaide on Monday 11 December.
Please note that students have their final school day of Term 4 on Friday 8 December, however all students in Years 3 – 12 are expected to attend Carols in the Cathedral on Monday 11 December.
We look forward to welcoming the School community to these events.
Code Camp at St Peter’s Girls’ School
St Peter’s Girls’ School will be hosting Code Camp Spark and Code Camp Ignite for students in Years 2 – 6 from 15 – 17 January 2018, 9am – 3.30pm. The cost is $349 for three days.
Code Camp Information Flyer
Visit the Code Camp website for more information
Visit the St Peter’s Girls’ School booking page
Sports News
Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to represent South Australia at the All School Athletics Championships being held here in Adelaide on 9 and 10 December:
Sophie Barr – U16 Hammer, Shot Put and Discus
Bethany Cross – U18 5000m Walk
Jasmine Ledgard – U18 Shot Put, Hammer
Rose Pittman – U18 400m and 800m
Milly Wood – U16 Pole Vault
Katherine Woolley – U18 400m Hurdles
ROWING
Saturday 25 November
Year 8s
Crew 1 – Rose Young, Molly Bond, Ella Waltham, Keely Flannagan, Jodi Papendorf (Cox)
Crew 2 – Rose Young, Molly Bond, Olivia Kelly, Keely Flannagan, Jodi Papendorf (Cox)
The Year 8 crews took part in two races at the 850m Junior Regatta on the River Torrens last weekend. I am pleased to say that both crews placed first in their races. – Jodi Papendorf (Cox)
SOFTBALL / TEEBALL
Wednesday 22 November
Year 5/6 – Saints 4 drew with Pembroke 4
The last game of the season was incredibly tight with only one run scored in the first innings of both teams, then a further three runs. Unfortunately, Saints had scored 7 runs in the third innings but, because of the time, the innings wasn’t completed and the score reverted. Chloe Porter had a shot at pitching for the first time and did very well. Additionally, well done to Georgia Mallick for hitting the second home run of the season!
The improvement shown by the players this term has been outstanding. The Year 6 girls will graduate to the senior grades next year, but the Year 5s now have some worthy experience under their belt for 2018. It’s been a pleasure to coach the girls and I look forward to seeing their softball careers flourish in the future! – Claire Hale (Coach)
Year 4/5 Blue – Saints 27 defeated Walford 6
The Saints Blue teeball team finished off a great season with a win against Walford. The girls have played a great few games this term with their skills increasing. They all have promising futures in sport. They played incredibly well as a team, supporting each other and cheering everyone on. A great season undefeated with a special mention to Georgie Williams and Scarlett Dillon for their amazing efforts in the final game. We look forward to seeing how they go in their teeball and softball futures. – Kate McKellar-Stewart and India Deere (Student Coaches)
Year 4/5 White – Saints 27 defeated Pembroke White 7
All players demonstrated an outstanding attitude and were all ready to put their best foot forward and win the game to end the year. Great potential was shown against Pembroke this week and it has really proven that the girls have developed much stronger skills in teeball. Well done to every player, you had a fantastic game – proud of you all! – Lulu Tierney and Alice Tyson (Student Coaches)
TENNIS
Friday 24 November
Division 1: Saints 3-16 defeated Seymour 3-10
Singles: Maiya Jakupec 4-0, Willow Stewart-Rattray 4-0, Sophie Dansie 2-4
Division 2: Saints 3-23 defeated Scotch 3-17
Singles: Mathilda Thomas 1-4, Marcella Tolley 3-2, Molly Dwyer 4-1, Summer Ward 3-4
Division 3: Saints 0-4 defeated by St Ignatius 6 -23
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Saturday 25 November
Middle A – Saints 1 Pembroke 2
This week saw the girls start well in a very tight last game of the season. In the dying minutes of the first half, we crossed the line, going in to the break with a 1-0 lead. The intensity continued through to the second half for all of two minutes when the Pembroke attack found holes in our defence to score 2 tries. Although we had many positive scoring opportunities, we were not able to convert. The team was well led by Olivia Goldsmith and all played well. – Ben Goldsmith (Coach)
Middle B – Saints 4 defeated by St Aloysius 7
It was a rocky start to the game with St Aloysius scoring an early try. The girls picked up and increased the speed and intensity of their rucking which gained some good ground and put pressure on the opposition. The game was evenly matched in the first half and we saw Kate Reade run through the defence after a penalty tap to score a try. In the second half, we started out well and managed to even up the score at 2-2, but tiredness got the better of the girls and the opposition gained a couple of intercepts and ran away with a clear win. The team fought hard and demonstrated good skills. Tilly McCormack and Adele Russell positioned themselves well on the wing and provided great back up when the opposition broke through our defence. It was good to see the team passing the ball off, keeping the ball in play for 6 touches and looking for options. The team has developed some great skills and understanding of the game during the season. They demonstrated good sportsmanship at all times and a willingness to learn. – Tracey Hunt (Coach)
VOLLEYBALL
Friday 24 November
Year 5/6 – Saints 3 defeated Seymour Blue 0