Issue no. 30
From the Principal
At Presentation Night last year, I spoke about the power of conversation – conversations in which you’re engaged, conversations by which you’ve been inspired, conversations where you’ve made a real connection. It’s about being truly present in the moment, revelling in the spontaneity and unscripted interactions. I urged the girls to explore a world in which there are no first drafts, no consulting friends about what you should text, no debating over which emoji perfectly resonates with the point you are trying to make. Just unique – not copied and pasted – unfiltered and honest conversation. And on Sunday, it was evident yet again that food is so important in our social landscape. When united through the power of a meal, the conversation which we crave occurs so naturally. The Long Lunch was a huge success. Great food, great wine and yes, great conversation. It’s a reminder to us all as we slow down and draw breath after another busy term, to find time for a regular family meal in a ‘device free’ environment. Because it’s only through a face-to-face conversation that we authentically connect.
Five builders were invited to tender for Project 6 of our Master Plan, the brand new Science Centre and upgrades to the pool and Art facilities. At the Board meeting on Wednesday evening, Sarah Constructions was nominated as the preferred contractor. The pre-works package will be completed over the holiday period and the builders will be on site from the start of next term.
Given the proximity of the building site to the car park, there will be changes to traffic flow throughout the construction period. The normal entry through the eastern gate on Stonyfell Road will be closed. Entry to and exit from the car park will be through the gate closest to Hallett Road. In order to keep traffic moving, cars will only be able to enter and exit the car park by making a left-hand turn. Cars heading east up Stonyfell Road will need to proceed to the roundabout on the corner of Simpson Road and turn around, allowing them to make a left-hand turn into the car park. Cars exiting must turn left and head towards Hallett Road. Traffic within the car park will flow in a single, one-way loop from the north side to the south side. In the interests of relieving congestion, it would be advisable for parents collecting Middle and Senior School students to meet their daughter/s in the surrounding streets.
With safety a key concern during this phase, please remain alert and vigilant at all times given the high volume of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. We anticipate that the building will be completed by the start of Term 4, 2019. I thank you in advance for your patience over the coming 12 months and have no doubt that this minor inconvenience will be quickly forgotten once the amazing new facilities come to life.
Our move to continuous reporting across Years 7 – 12 continues to gain momentum. Currently, we produce detailed semester reports satisfying the mandated government requirement that all schools produce two summative written reports per year. This method of reporting often gives quite generic feedback and usually comes at a time when it’s too late for a student to improve. A continuous report is one that is built throughout the semester which provides students and parents with an ongoing overview of how they’re progressing. It can be accessed online anywhere at any time and is vastly more informative than the restrictive summary comments usually offered in a semester report. We are running in-house trials of the new system and look forward to launching it later this year.
In staffing news, Anne Charlesworth will be on long service leave in Term 4. We welcome Emma Smerdon back from maternity leave to cover Anne’s classes.
Best wishes for a safe and relaxing holiday. I look forward to welcoming the girls back to School on Monday 15 October.
Julia Shea
Principal
Year 1 Reporters’ Scoop with Head Prefect
With Term 3 now done and dusted and a massive Term 4 ahead, two of our Year 1 students, Ishana and Charlotte, caught up with Head Prefect Antonia to ask some of the big questions.
Have a listen to this adorable interview as the girls discuss goals, school highlights and advice for our Year 12s, plus find out which one of them aspires to be a rock star!
IGSSA Athletics 3-PEAT!
In near-perfect weather, Saints Girls produced a perfect result on Wednesday when they won, for the third consecutive year, the IGSSA Athletics Trophy. It was a wonderful effort by all participants, with the School taking out the Under 15 and Open age pennants, and the Field Shield.
Rose Pittman claimed a new meet record in the 400m by nearly 3 seconds, as well as setting a n ew personal best in the Di Burge 100m Champion runner event, narrowly being beaten by her training partner Lakara Stallan from Westminster.
Top 5 Overall Results
1 – Saints Girls 1817
2 – Pembroke 1732
3 – Immanuel 1728
4 – Wilderness 1458
5 – Concordia 1452
Open Group
1 – Saints Girls
2 – Immanuel
3 – Pembroke
Under 16
1 – Wilderness
2 – Saints Girls
3 – Immanuel
Under 15
1 – Saints Girls
2 – Pembroke
3 – Immanuel
Under 14
1 – Pembroke
2 – Saints Girls
3 – Seymour
Under 13
1 – Pembroke
2 – Immanuel
3 – Saints Girls
Congratulations to all involved. Go Saints Girls!
Audiences Swept Away by Year 5 Production
The Year 5 Production of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins JR. is going down like a spoonful of sugar in the Arts Centre.
The students have brought to life the story of how the children of a wealthy family embark on a transformational journey with a new nanny, the magical Mary Poppins. From the set to the costumes to the fabulous performances, the show could only be described as supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Well done to all involved for delivering yet another fabulous Year 5 Production and good luck for the final performance tonight! The show starts at 7pm and tickets are available at the door.
Adult $15
Student/Concession $10
Family (2 Adults/2 Children) $35
Top Debaters Have Final Word
On 22 September, the Year 10 Green debating team participated in the Grand Finals of the Debating SA Competition. The girls involved were Abbie Lisle, Faye Ma, Emily Loh, Charlotte Bleby and Ellen Zhang. With a unanimous vote their way, the girls were crowned State winners. Considering that they had been on Year 10 camp the week of the debate, the result was certainly impressive! This year, they have consistently impressed adjudicators and audiences alike with their confident manner of presentation and well-thought-out arguments. Well done girls, we are all so proud of you!
A special congratulations to Ellen Zhang, who has been announced as the Year 10 Debater of the Year based on scores and rankings for each division.
Aditi Tamhankar
Year 11 student / Year 10 Green Debating Coach
Year 9 Camp Highlights
Year 9 camp consisted of a two-night bushwalk through the stunning landscape of Deep Creek Conservation Park, a kayak around Hindmarsh Island and into the Coorong, as well as some rock climbing and a high-ropes course at Woodhouse scout camp. The overnight kayak leg also included a solo night in individual tents as part of the Rite Journey program.
“Throughout the week we went through a series of physical and mental challenges. As a class, we took on bushwalking, kayaking, high ropes, abseiling and rock climbing. These experiences made us so much closer as a Home Group as we spent the whole week together, working through the challenges we were faced with.” – Thuhansa Hattotuwa
“Our Home Group really bonded together; we were always supportive, we were all grateful, and according to our instructor, we all built resilience along the way, stepped out of our comfort zone and there were always ‘positive sparks’ through tough situations which pushed the group forward. The Year 9 camp was definitely a memorable and unforgettable experience.” – Candy Feng
“All the girls were encouraging each other throughout the hike and singing many songs to help us climb up the steep hills. We were required to carry our gear which was packed into a rucksack. Each night, we had to cook dinner on a trangia, which was a new experience for many.” – Ella Waltham
“This camp challenged me to push myself and do things I have never done before. For me, the bushwalk was the most challenging part as I have never done a walk so long with all my stuff on my back – I’ve only ever done the small hikes in Years 7 and 8. It pushed me as I didn’t think I would be able to climb up many of the rocky cliffs/hills. The encouragement from everyone made the walk so much better and I’ve come out with some of the funniest parts of the camp from the most challenging aspect. ” – Louisa Reid
“The camp was a memorable experience as we learnt a variety of skills useful in the outdoor environment. This included a solo camping night, where we spent a night alone away from others, cooking dinner in the pouring rain, hiking, kayaking, rock climbing and abseiling, all of which were extremely enjoyable and challenging.” – Amelia Pudney
“During our final days, all of the classes came together at Woodhouse to face our fears. We spent this time rock climbing, scaling the high ropes and abseiling. Although this camp was very wet and cold, it made our class a family and pushed me out of my comfort zone.” – Saskia Jonats
Here’s a snippet from their journey together:
Year 10 Camp Adventures
Year 10 Camp occurs in the beauty of the Southern Flinders Ranges at a private property called Argadells Station. The girls camp at different sites around the station and their activities include a bushwalk to Mount Arden, mountain biking, rock climbing and abseiling.
“We were all a little apprehensive at the bus on the morning of camp because of the challenges we faced on Year 9 Camp. We headed off for the Flinders Ranges and whilst there, completed many difficult activities but we enjoyed them immensely. These included mountain biking, abseiling, rock climbing, cooking on trangias, climbing Mount Arden and a survival challenge. Rock climbing and abseiling on real rock was a first for many of us and we all gave it a good go. We persisted on the hike up Mount Arden and, after two and a half hours, reached the top to witness some inspiring views. The independence we gained throughout the week, along with the friendships and memories, are what we will take away from this camp.”
Hannah Freeman and Millie Wilkin
Year 10 Kilburn
Summer Uniform Reminder – Dress Length
As Term 3 draws to a close, it’s time to dust off those summer uniforms to check whether they still fit in readiness for Term 4.
The length of the summer dress must sit no higher than mid-way across the knee cap when standing upright, and no longer than mid-calf.
The School Shop will be open on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 October from 9am – 4pm.
St Peter’s Girls’ School Community Golf Day
Hosted by the St Peter’s Girls’ Old Scholars’ Association
Mount Osmond Golf Club | 60 Mount Osmond Road | Mount Osmond
Stableford Competition | 18-hole round | Multi-tee start 8.30am
Golf and Lunch: $80
Golf and Lunch (Mount Osmond Golf Club Members): $60
Lunch only: $20
Book via www.trybooking.com/TJZS or contact Megan McCormack on 8334 2239.
High-Flying Guest Speaker for Year 6
“Never be afraid to be the only girl in the room” – Marija Jovanovich
On Tuesday 18 September, the Year 6 group met with Wing Commander Marija Jovanovich, test pilot and Chief of Operations at No. 92 Wing. Whilst sharing her story, Marija highlighted four key beliefs when discussing how to be a positive leader. These included the idea that the leadership and followership go together, that leadership is about taking care of others, the importance of taking a step back and knowing how to get the best from a team. Throughout her story, she highlighted the importance of being yourself, learning from others and taking responsibility for your own story. It was great to hear about the first time she was given the opportunity to fly solo and how “awesome yet scary” this was.
Marija outlined what she thought had been the ingredients for success in her world. This included having an inquisitive mind, some technical capabilities, an adventurous spirit, a good sense of humour and knowing the value of education whilst holding on to one’s ability to dream. She acknowledged that she had faced failures many times but recognised the importance of this in any situation for development.
Students enjoyed the opportunity to hear Marija’s stories from when she first flew solo, the time she had with the elite US Air Force Test Pilot School and going on interesting (and dangerous) missions around the world. What really stood out to the group was how passionate, enthusiastic and proud she was, whilst being humble and considerate of others. We would like to thank Marija for giving up some of her time to share her story with us.
Sarah Braithwaite
Year 6 Teacher
Chess Club – Checking in with Mates
This year, the Chess Club has welcomed many new members across the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools, and entered a team in the Secondary Division 2 in the South Australian Junior Chess League Interschool Competitions. We always welcome new members to join the lunchtime coaching sessions regardless of skill level. While the junior girls enjoyed refining their moves, the interschool participants played against each other to further advance in skill.
Overall, we have played 12 rounds of matches against different schools across the State and the girls have made great improvements. The interschool chess girls finished the season on a strong note, winning both of our matches in the last two rounds and only losing the play-off for National Championships to Wilderness School by half a point. Congratulations to our interschool chess players on finishing off the season well.
Finally, a big thank you to Mrs O’Brien and our wonderful coach George for their ongoing support of Chess Club and faith in the interschool team during the season. It is my honour to be the Chess Captain this year and I wish Rachel Banham all the best in leading the club next year.
Michelle Yeoh
Chess Captain
Year 8 Tech Excursion – What a Ride!
Last Friday, 8AST went to Flinders at Tonsley to look at and experience some autonomous technology. We rode in a driverless bus and saw many prototypes for water-based autonomous technology. We also saw an underwater ROV similar to the one some of our students designed earlier this year for the SUBS in Schools challenge.
Some of us went to the programming lab to code a robot to save people from a disaster, and the rest of us rode in a driverless car around the campus. We then visited an engineering lab to see how robots are programmed to perform specialised jobs. It was a really fun experience that we all benefitted from, which has inspired many of us to think about taking up engineering in the future.
Emily Teague and Indya Dodd
Year 8 students
Year 7 Co-Ed Day
On Tuesday, Year 7s from Saints Girls travelled to St Peter’s College where we met the Year 7 boys, as well as girls from Walford. We were split into groups of about 24 people and rotated through various activities during the day. We did frisbee, a getting to know each other activity, kahoot quiz, ball tag game and more. These activities helped us with communication and learning how to make new friends. The day went really well and we all got to know boys and girls from different schools.
Ruby Croston-Melling
7VBR
The Long Lunch – Thank You
The Foundation Long Lunch last Sunday 23 September was a huge success thanks to our amazing St Peter’s Girls’ community members.
This year, to support our new Science Centre, we raised close to $80,000. Our Science project will cement Saints Girls as a national leader in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), allowing our students to experiment, explore and excel.
We are very enthusiastic in taking up this challenge and our hope is that you will continue to travel with us on this journey.
Thank you!
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
Junior School Vacation Care – LAST CHANCE!
Places still available
Our next installment of Vacation Care is almost here. We have some great activities guaranteed to keep the children entertained through the break. With an array of excursions and on-site adventures, there is plenty of fun to be had.
Vacation Care – October 2018 Program
Places are limited, so please click here to secure your booking now!
Friends of Rowing Season Opening BBQ – UPDATE
Attention All Rowing Families!
Would you like to have your daughter’s rowing camp fees waived?
If the answer is ‘yes’, click here to enter the raffle to win this grand prize!
It will be drawn at the Season Opening BBQ.
Friday 19 October at 6pm on the School grounds
$25 per adult
$20 per rower/child
(included: yummy yiros, soft drinks and nibbles)
Bubbly, white/red wine and beer will be available for purchase. This family fun night is open to the whole School community.
Join us as we welcome all of our new and returning rowers and their families.
Tickets available via www.trybooking.com/XYGL
Code Camp at St Peter’s Girls’ School
St Peter’s Girls’ School will be hosting Code Camp Spark, Ignite and Blast AR (a new offering at Saints Girls!) for students aged 7 – 13. The camps are held from 2 – 4 October from 9am – 3.30pm. The cost is $349 for three days.
Visit the Code Camp website for more information
Visit the St Peter’s Girls’ School booking page
Holiday Activities
Burnside Council
If you’re looking for some activities to keep the kids busy these school holidays, click here!
Carrick Hill
For young children (4 – 8 years old), check out Stories by the Stables at Carrick Hill on 10, 11 and 12 October from 10.30 – 11.30am for just $5 per child. Parents free!
Volunteers from the Children’s Book Council of Australia – SA Branch (CBCSA) will be reading stories followed by simple craft activities. Children need to bring their own cushion, but seating will be provided for parents and caregivers. For details and bookings, click here. Limited places available on Wednesday 10 October.
Maritime Fun with Clipper Ship ‘City of Adelaide’
Experience being inside an 1864 sailing ship, and build your own working model light station or hurricane lamp. Saturday 13 October from 12.45 – 2.15pm. For more information and bookings, click here.
Sports News
TERM 4 TRAINING SCHEDULE
Please click here to see the Term 4 Training Schedule.
SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS
Willow Stewart-Rattray (Year 7) returned from Darwin after an outstanding netball trip that saw South Australia claim the National title for students in Years 6 and 7.
Charlotte White (Year 11) was a member of the Norwood Bears Volleyball teams that claimed the State League Reserves and Junior State League Grand Finals.
ATHLETICS – SAPSASA
Congratulations to the Saints Girls who represented East Adelaide at the State Primary Schools Championships.
Chloe Richardson – 2nd 10 year 800m, 10th 200m
Molly Dwyer – 3rd 12 year 800m
Amelia Lucas – 3rd 12 year 100m, 8th 200m
Willow Stewart-Rattray – 8th 12 year discus
Chloe Porter – 7th 13 year long jump
HOCKEY
Year 5/6 – Saints 0 defeated by Pembroke 7
Saints played Pembroke very well but sadly it was their first loss of the season. Mathilda Thomas played an amazing tackle to help us get the ball; Freya Hermann and Francine Stavrou worked hard in the circle to help stop the ball; Winnie Vartuli and Ruby Powell manned up on their opponents very well.
NETBALL
Year 6/7 Knockout
On Thursday 27 September, our Year 6/7 Knockout Netball team played in the School Sport SA finals day at Priceline Stadium. We were in a pool with three other schools (St Mary’s College, Tatachilla Lutheran College and Scotch College).
We had a thrilling 1 goal win over St Mary’s in Round 1, but then unfortunately went down to Tatachilla in Round 2 (14-19). In Round 3, we took on Scotch College needing a win to finish second to play-off in the Gold medal match. The girls fought valiantly throughout the game. We were up by 3 at half-time, but Scotch finished strongly and we went down by 3.
We finished third after the minor rounds and were scheduled to take on Tatachilla Lutheran in the play-off for third and fourth. The girls saved one of their best games for last! The team defence was outstanding as was the patience and work rate we showed in attack. The girls stuck to our game plan and we won the match convincingly 35-19.
The girls should be very proud of the way they played throughout the knockout rounds as well as the State finals day. Finishing third overall was an outstanding effort and a great way for this talented, hard-working group to finish off the tournament. – Alice Johnswood
ROWING
Saints Girls Rowing is looking for girls in Years 9 and 10 to help fill our crews. You don’t need to have any experience in rowing – all of our great coaches will help with that. So, if you would love to take part in a sport that involves teamwork and getting both physically and mentally strong, please give rowing a go. Contact Ben Flannagan via bflannagan@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Unite’s mission is to improve the lives of children with a disability, mental or learning difficulties through social connection and inclusion by providing a unique crowdsourced information resource. The idea is to provide a way for children to connect with each other and provide support through an anonymous moderated posting system, which allows them to ask and answer questions about the challenges they face everyday. The team will seek government and community sponsorship to fund the development, monitoring and marketing of the app, as well as providing opportunities to access professional care where required.
Join us for a night of song as we support UN Women in their work contributing to the safety, education and livelihood of women around the world.
The day started with the much anticipated ‘House Scramble’, where girls, staff and parents of all abilities, ages, sizes and speeds try to run a lap within an allotted time, and thus gain a valuable House Point. The carnival ended with the St Peter’s Girls’ School ‘Gift’ and the fiercely competed relays. It’s always a joy to see so many students participating in such a variety of events, some at an extremely high level, others just for the thrill of competing and contributing towards their House score.
