Monthly Archives: February 2021

eNews – Week 5, Term 1 2021

Issue no. 5Enews-banner

Top Honours for Music Stars

We are incredibly proud to announce that two talented Saints Girls have been awarded the Don Maynard Music Prize for the most outstanding achievement in a SACE Stage 2 Music subject.

Cheri Wong received her award for Ensemble Performance – a phenomenal feat given she was in Year 11 last year!

Recent graduate Izzy Norman (Patteson 2020) was honoured for Solo Performance. This year, Izzy is studying at the prestigious Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

The accolades are testament to the passion and dedication of our Music students, supported by our wonderful staff, tutors and renowned guest artists.

Have a read as Cheri reflects on her music journey so far:

Music has been such an important part of my life ever since I first picked up the violin when I was 6. Flashback to 2009, the 6 year old me had just walked into my first group violin lesson at the Adelaide Youth Conservatory Program. That was the moment I realised my love for music. Though initially, my family may have complained about the cat screeching noise coming from the living room during my practice time, give or a take a few years, I was soon a ‘good violinist’.

My music journey kickstarted when I began participating in ensembles including the primary school string orchestra, Adelaide Youth Orchestra, and later to Senior Strings, Extension Strings and Stage Band when I became a Saint Girl. By immersing myself amongst other musicians, I was able to develop my musicality not just as a soloist but as an ensemble player. I learned that it is one thing to be able to play well as a soloist, but a completely different set of skills is required for ensemble playing.

When the opportunity of completing the SACE Ensemble Performance subject was offered, I was well prepared. Extension Strings were involved in all the practical elements of my assessments for this subject. Not only was I judged for the musicality and technique of my violin playing, but also my ability to collaborate with other musicians. My results were very dependent on the other girls in Extension Strings, and all their hard work in practising each passage to perfection paid off. The repertoire chosen for this subject by Ms Noble included a diverse range of genres, from the musical theatre, ballad-styled Meadowlark, to the romantic lullaby of the theme from Schindler’s List. All six pieces performed last year showed my ability to play in a different genre and with strings techniques applicable to the type of music.

On the release day of the SACE results, I was so nervous to finally see what mark I received. Soon, all this anticipation was filled with happiness when I saw the words ‘A+ with merit’. All the planning by Ms Noble and Ms R, and the long hours of rehearsals/practice by the Extension String members and myself contributed to my merit in Ensemble Performance. The surprises didn’t end there, because last week, to my shock, I found a big envelope in the mail with my name on it posted by SACE. I discovered that I had received the Don Maynard Music Prize which is awarded to the most outstanding achievement in Stage 2 Ensemble Performance. Starting in group lessons has developed my interest in ensemble playing, and to this day, I am still heavily involved and enjoy playing in different ensembles.

Cheri Wong
Music Prefect

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From Our Director of Early Learning

Suzanne-Haddy

The Significance of Belonging

As we enter a new school year, we construct multiple ways for our children to connect to our Learning Community. Our intentional approach is given much thought and has formed the basis of our research – every child needs to feel welcomed and valued. However, not every child enters a situation in the same way. The teachers and educators in the Early Learners’ Centre design many rituals within our day that offer children the opportunity to be part of a group. Group size is significant, and we offer experiences in both small and large groups.

The responsibility we have as adults in children’s lives is to ensure they are developing the social skills necessary to support their development. We ask ourselves, ‘What are the essential skills required to function and thrive in our modern world?’ Looking forward is challenging, however, we know that if our children can operate in a group, learning how to collaborate, co-construct knowledge, listen to the perspective of others and have a voice that offers their point of view, we are heading in the right direction.

We observe care for others, an awareness of others’ emotions and a dialogue around how we are different. It is not our role to establish sameness in our groups of children, but rather to build an awareness and respect for each other’s differences. We are continually amazed by our children’s abilities to recognise and articulate how they are feeling and how important it is to belong to a group.

The rituals we have established have a strong intent of welcome, of giving each child and their educators a sense of belonging. The anticipation for the morning ritual is extremely special; our experienced friends who have been at ELC for a few terms are already eager to lead and guide others in these magical moments that define our daily culture. Coming together makes each child feel special and valued, and they feel confident knowing that their contribution will be heard.

By establishing our children as the authors of their learning, and giving strong emphasis to enquiries, we are giving them the ability to navigate their own social and emotional pathways and recognise that their perspective is significant. Through our Learning Community model, we aim to give children the skills to resolve a difference of opinion, to problem-solve and reflect, and to have a sense of democracy in their everyday life at ELC.

We know that if our children feel a strong sense of belonging, their own happiness and wellbeing will prosper and they will build a connection over time. Their days, months and years with us will have a direct impact on the positivity of their futures. Our ELC children grow into thoughtful, inquisitive and remarkable students. We are fortunate  to see this happen before our very eyes, and it is one of the most rewarding experiences one can have as an educator.

Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning

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Swimming Carnival 2021 – Full Results

McGill Shield
1st Selwyn (3504), 2nd Kilburn (3254), 3rd Kennion (3209), 4th Patteson (3054)

Junior
1st Selwyn, 2nd Patteson, 3rd Kennion, 4th Kilburn

Middle
1st Kennion, 2nd Selwyn, 3rd Kilburn, 4th Patteson

Senior
1st Kilburn, 2nd Selwyn, 3rd Patteson, 4th Kennion

Year 4 Aggregate Cup
Emily Robinson (Kilburn)
Juliette Tang (Kilburn)
Sasha Connor (Selwyn)

Year 5 Aggregate Cup
Meg Paul (Patteson)
Lauren Disney (Kennion)
Beatrice Tolley (Selwyn)

Year 6 Aggregate Cup
Ella Pearce (Selwyn)
Isla Fahey (Selwyn)
Lauren Fuller (Patteson)

Year 7 Aggregate Cup
Stella Spalvins (Kennion)
Holly Robinson (Kilburn)
Tammy Tang (Kennion), Madison Dornbusch (Kilburn)

Year 8 Aggregate Cup
Alyssa Tran (Kilburn)
Emma Everitt (Kennion)
Emily Tolladay (Kennion)

Year 9 Aggregate Cup
Alice Braithwaite (Kennion)
Daisy Braithwaite (Kennion)
Ayla Blaskett (Kilburn)

Year 10 Aggregate Cup
Isabelle Tran (Kilburn)
Poppy Marshall (Selwyn)
Georgina Wakeham (Patteson)

Year 11 Aggregate Cup
Tara Young (Kilburn)
Emily Baldwinson (Kennion)
Sophie Norman (Patteson)

Year 12 Aggregate Cup
Stephanie Smalls (Patteson)
Lily-Rose Spartalis (Kilburn)
Lara Wakeham (Patteson)

Junior Champion Swimmer
Emily Robinson (Year 4 Kilburn) & Ella Pearce (Year 6 Selwyn)

Middle Champion Swimmer
Alice Braithwaite (Year 9 Kennion)

Senior Champion Swimmer
Stephanie Smalls (Year 12 Patteson) & Tara Young (Year 11 Kilburn)

Junior 100m IM
Ella Pearce (Year 6 Selwyn)
Lauren Disney (Year 5 Kennion)
Meg Paul (Year 5 Patteson)

Middle 200m IM
Emma Everitt (Year 8 Kennion)
Alice Braithwaite (Year 9 Kennion)
Alyssa Tran (Year 8 Kilburn)

Senior 200m IM
Tara Young (Year 11 Kilburn)
Isabelle Tran (Year 10 Kilburn)
Poppy Marshall (Year 10 Selwyn)

Records:
50m Breaststroke | 4 | Emily Robinson (KIL) | 58.06
50m Backstroke | 4 | Emily Robinson (KIL) | 53.28
50m Backstroke | 10 Isabelle Tran (KIL) | 30.67

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Virtual School Tour

Following the completion of several state-of-the-art building works, St Peter’s Girls will be launching a public, online Virtual School Tour to showcase life at our wonderful School.

On Monday and Tuesday, sophisticated air and land drones and 360 degree cameras will be used to create dynamic aerials and building fly-throughs that capture our facilities as they’re being used by staff and students.

Our campus is looking stunning right now; check out these amazing angles:

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Choral Night 2021

Thursday 18 March

Our girls are gearing up for Choral Night 2021, which will be held at 7pm on Thursday 18 March at Influencers Church in Paradise.

One of the most anticipated events on the Saints Girls’ calendar, this year’s event carries the theme ‘Girl Groups’.

Details regarding tickets have been emailed to Year 12 parents, and will be sent to 7 – 11 parents on Monday.

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2021 Prefect Initiative – Be Bold!

In the words of one of history’s great female risk-takers, Hellen Keller, ‘Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.’ Like Hellen, the 2021 Prefect Team is encouraging every Saints Girl to make 2021 their ‘daring adventure’ by living by the motto: Be Bold and Get Involved

Welcome to 2021, the year of Being Bold and Getting Involved, well at least if you’re a Saints Girl! After much brainstorming and looking at ways that we could encourage every girl to be their best selves, we realised that something everyone could do more of was to take a leap of faith by taking risks. Inevitably, we all experience risks throughout our lives, but it is a matter of Being Bold enough to take them, ultimately knowing that you will be better off because of them.

So, you may be wondering, what kind of risks are we talking about? Well, in Week 2 of this term, the Prefect Team launched our initiative by performing an epic dance extravaganza! The majority of us had little to no dance experience, with some of us being downright uncoordinated, but chose to take a risk and Be Bold enough to get involved.

It was incredible to see how our performance got the ball rolling. From last Friday at Swimming Carnival, where girls were bold enough to swim in as many events as possible and cheer as loud as they could for their House, to witnessing amazing displays of kindness, such as last week when a Year 6 student got involved and walked a Reception student she didn’t even know to her classroom from morning drop-off.

We are so excited to witness many more incredible displays of being bold and getting involved in coming events, as well as more exciting activities and events from the 2021 Prefect Team, which will encourage every Saints Girl to take a risk and try something new. So, here’s to the year of 2021, the year of BEING BOLD and GETTING INVOLVED!

Lara Wakeham
Deputy Head Prefect

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Year 2 Adventure Out of this World

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Last Wednesday began with stargazing for the Year 2 classes as they visited the Adelaide Planetarium as part of the ‘How the World Works’ unit of inquiry. As the girls relaxed in the specially-designed chairs, they could see the night sky appear before them and hear the centuries-old constellation stories. They discovered that the International Astronomical Union has officially recognised the fifth star of the Southern Cross with an Aboriginal name, ‘Ginan’.

‘Tycho to the Moon’ was a fun 3D movie that took us to the moon and back. Crafting space portal windows allowed the girls a creative way to explore and share their knowledge about space, and their pieces are now on display in our classrooms.

Finally, it was time to come back to Earth and use this intersective experience to launch further research and discover what lies beyond the boundaries of our planet.

Kathryn Clark and Bec Greenhalgh
Year 2 Teachers


High Spirits on Wellbeing Day

There were smiles all round on Friday 19 February for the R – 3 Wellbeing Day.

The girls were excited to work with the Kimochis and find out how they care for each other with empathy and compassion through an interactive storytelling session. They then created their own Lovey Dovey and Turtledove birds to share the kindness with friends and family.

Reception – Year 3 Teachers

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Head of the River Dinner 2021

The Friends of Rowing invite all rowers, family and friends to celebrate the efforts, improvements and achievements of our St Peter’s Girls’ rowers throughout the 2020/21 season. The annual Head of the River Dinner will be held in the function room at Next Generation on War Memorial Drive, overlooking the beautiful Torrens Lake. The evening will feature speeches from students and coaches about the season that has been, and will conclude with awards being presented. The dinner includes a two-course menu and soft drinks. Other refreshments will be available for purchase in the foyer upon arrival, and from the bar throughout the event.

To comply with COVID requirements, all adults will be required to sign in to the venue by QR code upon arrival.

Next Gen Memorial Drive
War Memorial Drive, North Adelaide
Saturday 20 March 2021
5.30pm arrival for 6pm start

Tickets
$45 per person via https://www.trybooking.com/BOVBY

Ticket sales close at 5pm, Friday 5 March.

Please note, this event is compulsory for all current rowers.

Brynley Millward
Director of Rowing

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Great Outlook for Friends of Rowing

Great news for Saints Girls Rowing!

For parents keen to watch their daughters row, we have sourced a dedicated viewing space at the Lakes Hotel for the next few weeks.

The Lakes Bar looks out onto the course and has been set aside for us for the following regattas below (you can also go outside on the patio for a great view down the course).

Saturday 27 February: 7.30am – 4pm
Saturday 6 March: 7.30am – 4pm

The bar will be open for food and drinks, so please come along, watch the girls, have a meal and support the Lakes Hotel (a family business connected to the School) for making this opportunity possible.

They will also have a live stream of the rowing on the big screen throughout the day.

To view a map of the area, click here.

Ed Parker
Friends of Rowing

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One Week to go Until The Lion King JR.

Congratulations to Saints Girls Maisy and Lola for being chosen to play main roles in The Lion King JR., a production by Shane Davidson Presents.

Maisy is excited to be taking on the role of Young Simba, and Lola will be performing as Young Nala.

About the show

Shane Davidson Presents: The Lion King JR. – a lavish production where the African savannah comes to life on stage with Simba, Rafiki, Nala and Scar supported by an unforgettable cast of characters featuring some of our Saints Girls as they journey from Pride Rock to the jungle…and back again. With songs such as ‘Circle of Life’, ‘I Just Can’t Wait to be King’, ‘Hakuna Matata’ and ‘He Lives in You’, this show has a talented cast of 50, great dance routines and wonderful music. The staging features stunning projections, magnificent lighting and colourful costumes.

Performances:
Saturday 6 March – 4pm and 7pm
Sunday 7 March – 4pm and 7pm
St Peter’s Girls’ Arts Centre

To secure your seats, visit TryBooking

Shane Davidson
Year 5 Teacher


Saints Café Full of Beans for 2021

Saints Café is back in 2021. The team, consisting of 34 keen Year 10 students, works on a rotating roster with the girls learning to pour and serve coffees as well as other hot beverages. This year, we will be open Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7.30 to 8.15am on the Food Tech Deck, with coffees starting from $2.

Saints Café gives the girls a small taste of the hospitality industry and is a great opportunity for them to develop skills they can carry into casual or part-time work. Each shift, the girls are required to set up the café, manage the orders and finance and, most importantly, make coffees on our small, but reliable, one group coffee machine. Please support the girls this term to get your morning coffee fix. We have a range of milks including dairy, soy, almond and lactose free.

Emma Weber
Mathematics Teacher/Head of Kennion House

Clare Gaskell
Science Teacher/Head of Selwyn House


New Student Winter Uniform Fittings

With only five weeks remaining until the end of term, it is time to arrange a winter uniform fitting for your daughter.

To streamline the process, we have introduced a new online booking system. It shows available time slots from 1 March through to 26 March.

Click on the link below to access the calendar and select a time that suits you. Please include your daughter’s name.

https://tinyurl.com/SPGS-SchoolShop

Students will be required to wear their winter uniform from the first day of next term.

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Winter Uniform Requirements – Year 4 Students

If your daughter is in Year 4, there are a few different uniform requirements that you will need to arrange before Term 2.

With the winter uniform, the pinafore is replaced by a skirt of the same fabric, so if the pinafore still fits, the bib can simply be removed.

The grandpa shirt is replaced by a collared shirt and tie, and the junior blazer (cardigan) is no longer worn and is replaced by a navy blue jumper and a wool blazer.

Please contact the School Shop on 8334 2228 to arrange an appointment.

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Good Soles Support Saints Girls

In November, The Athlete’s Foot Burnside presented the School with a cheque for $890 for our involvement in its school rewards program. We encourage our community members to support this ongoing promotion. When you visit The Athlete’s Foot Burnside, $5 from every shoe purchased by anyone connected to our community will be donated to St Peter’s Girls’ School. Please let their staff know that you would like your donation to go to Saints Girls when you make a purchase.

Thank you for your kind support.

The Athlete’s Foot – School Rewards Program Information

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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COVID Measures

With the school year underway, please note the following information regarding our continued COVID response.

The School has a QR code tracing system to facilitate the safe return of parents on site, in line with wider government measures. Parents entering the campus to drop off or collect their children need to scan the QR code provided each time. This also applies to parents visiting the School for events such as parent information evenings or sports training/matches.

Parents and visitors with more formal appointments at the School, such as meeting a staff member, are still required to sign in/out at Front Office and also need to scan the QR code as well for SA Health tracing purposes.

Adults who do not have a device to scan the QR code need to write their details on the paper form provided in the Front Office.

Parents who remain in their vehicles in the main car park do not need to scan in, and students do not need to scan in as the School already tracks daily attendance.

Logistics around events will be shared in due course, dependent upon the latest advice. Attendance numbers, particularly for indoor events, will still need to be restricted to facilitate social distancing.

The following general requirements remain in place:

  • Ensure adults maintain a distance of 1.5m from each other.
  • Practise sound hand washing and other hygiene measures.
  • Students should remain at home if they are unwell; please notify the School of absences by texting 0428 601 957, emailing attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au, or calling 8334 2200.

We thank all of our families for your cooperation.

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Keep Unwell Children Home

Now more than ever, it is absolutely imperative to keep unwell children at home until they have recovered, even if symptoms are only mild.

This is not only for their own health and safety, but for that of all students and staff.

If your child will not be attending school/ELC, please notify the School via one of the following methods:

Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200

Thank you for your cooperation and vigilance.

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Health Notification – Norovirus

The School has been notified of some suspected cases of Norovirus, a type of viral gastroenteritis.

SA Health says there have been increased reports of gastroenteritis in South Australia. Symptoms include:

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Abdominal cramps
Headache
Low grade fever

Noroviruses are very infectious and can spread easily from person-to-person via faeces and vomit. Symptoms usually begin 24 to 48 hours after ingestion of the virus, but can appear as early as 12 hours after exposure.

People should be excluded from childcare, pre-school, school and work until there has been no vomiting or diarrhoea for at least 48 hours.

Please keep unwell children home, particularly if they complain of stomach pains in the morning.

For further information on symptoms, treatment and prevention, click here. Please note the recommendations regarding hand washing in particular. The School applies strict hygiene standards for the safety of our community, and we ask families for their cooperation and vigilance.

If your child will not be attending school/ELC, please notify the School via one of the following methods:

Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200

If you have any queries, please contact the Health Centre via 8155 5762 or healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Kind regards

Lara Waltham and Sarah Wilkinson
Registered Nurses, Health Centre

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Sports News

BASKETBALL

15 February

Mid C: Saints 6 v Seymour 20

24 February

Open A: Saints 17 v Scotch 51
Mid A: Saints 52 v Scotch 10

TENNIS

15 February

Open A: Saints 9 v Seymour 36
Open B: Saints 20 v Seymour 34

22 February

Open A: Saints 34 v Pulteney 19
Open B: Saints 36 v Pulteney 10

SOFTBALL

20 February

Mid A: Saints 13 v Seymour 19

VOLLEYBALL

20 February

Open A: Saints 3 v Immanuel 0
Open B: Saints 3 v Immanuel 0
Open C: Saints 0 v Immanuel 3
Middle A: Saints 3 v Woodcroft 0
Middle B: Saints 3 v Immanuel 0
Middle C: Saints 2 v Immanuel 1
Middle D: Saints 0 v Immanuel 3
Middle E: Saints 0 v Westminster 3

WATER POLO

18 February

Open A: Saints 14 v SIC 3
Open B: Saints 22 v Wilderness 0
Open C: Saints 8 v Immanuel 0

TOUCH FOOTBALL

20 February

Open A: Saints 0 v Wilderness 5
Open B: Saints 1 v Loreto 4
Middle A: Saints 3 v Pembroke 1
Middle B: Saints 0 v Mercedes 3
Middle C: Saints 4 v SHC 2

It’s been a mammoth week for sport at Saints Girls, with our Swimming Carnival front and centre. Having worked in several schools over the past 10 years, I can honestly say that I’ve never seen a Swimming Carnival quite like that! The balance between performance and participation was hit perfectly and the sense of House spirit shone throughout. My personal highlight occurred when noticing students attaching their ribbons to their House flags. When I asked a student what she was doing with her ribbon, her reply was perfect – ‘That’s not my ribbon, it’s Kilburn’s ribbon.’ I just loved this response, which encapsulated the House spirit shown on the day with a ‘we before me’ attitude.

As you’ll see from the results, there have been some great games played over the past two weeks. Highlights include the Middle A Basketball team taking out a victory with only 5 players against Scotch. What was most impressive was the girls’ game intelligence, slowing the match down with increased possession when they needed a breather, and winning the ball back in high positions to allow for counter-attacks which often resulted in simple lay ups and points on the board.

I’d also like to acknowledge our Water Polo teams, currently undefeated in the pool and a massive 44 goals scored across the 3 games on Thursday. They are looking strong and putting the building blocks in place for a terrific season.

The next few weeks will bring another level of excitement, with our annual Intercol against Walford and Head of the River both fast approaching. I’d also ask you all to keep a close eye out for Winter Sport nominations, which will be released in the next week. Hopefully this provides a new challenge for our girls who get the opportunity to try something new, develop their skills and wear the Saints’ colours with pride.

Tommy Peak
Director of Sport

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Swimming Carnival 2021: And the Winner is…

Issue no. 4Enews-banner

swim carn enews banner

Swimming Carnival 2021: And the Winner is…

Swimming Carnival 2021 exploded off the blocks today, with girls in Years 4 – 12 going stroke-for-stroke across the four Houses at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre.

As always, determination, team spirit and participation featured throughout the day, with impressive performances in the serious races and colourful entertainment in the novelty events, including the annual crowd favourite, the Crocodile Relay!

House spirit was in overdrive, the Year 12 costumes lived up to all the hype and it was terrific to see our girls cheering on from the stands.

By the end of proceedings with all results tallied, the 2021 overall champions were announced: SELWYN!

McGill Shield
Selwyn – 3504 points
Kilburn – 3254 points
Kennion – 3209 points
Patteson – 3054 points

Congratulations to all involved! Detailed results will appear in next week’s eNews.

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From Our Head of Junior School

Suzanne-Haddy

Leadership in the Junior School

On Tuesday, we held our Year 6 Leadership Induction Service. This is an important occasion at the beginning of the school year, at which the Year 6s are presented with their badges showing their positions of responsibility and introduced in these capacities to the rest of the Junior School. As part of their year-long inquiry into Leadership, the Year 6 students have begun looking at the qualities of ‘good leaders’. In doing so, they have thought about the skills, attributes and dispositions they would like to develop as they embark on their roles as leaders of the Junior School. This involved working collaboratively to decide upon a mission statement for each leadership group that will guide their work this year and thinking about ways they can support the younger students and the School in general. Opportunities for stepping up to new challenges and pushing themselves outside of their natural comfort zones will be explored throughout the year, as will the notion of standing up for what is right rather than what is popular.

Meanwhile, students in Reception to Year 5 were given the opportunity to be considered for the role of class Student Representative Council member, and two students from each class were presented their badges at the same service. They look forward to meeting as a group and considering ways to support the Junior School students.

Also, during the first few weeks of term, Year 4 students have been investigating the leadership shown by a wide range of role models, past and present. With a focus on female leaders within a broad range of fields, the girls have been researching the qualities and strengths of a particular woman, and they will present their findings to their Junior School peers and parents in coming weeks.

These are just a few of the ways in which leadership is explored by the younger members of our School community and we wish all of the girls well as they develop their own and collective leadership potential.

Suzanne Haddy
Head of Junior School

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Music Camp Hits Right Notes

Our annual Music Camp was a hit! Girls from 11 of our ensembles swapped notes with some of Adelaide’s top artists. Another highlight was world-renowned jazz pianist, composer and conductor Kym Purling who delivered a special concert, ran improvisation workshops and conducted our combined items featuring 100 girls!

Here are some reflections from the experience:

Camp was a little different this year, as we headed down to Malvern Uniting Church instead of Ardrossan. The girls made the absolute most of it, participating in bands, singing groups and activities. The singers had an amazing workshop learning about the Estill technique, a singing model we hope to incorporate more into our choirs. We had a wonderful few days to bond as leaders with the younger girls, and have a chance to focus on improving our musical abilities in a fun and inspiring learning environment.

Georgie Raftopoulos
Chorister

Every year since Music Camp began at Saints Girls a decade ago, my family and I have travelled to Ardrossan to watch the concert. This was my sixth camp, but my older sister was at the very first camp back in 2011! Although I’m saddened that we weren’t able to go to Ardrossan this year, I am extremely thankful to all the Music staff and parents for putting on this camp. It is so important for our Music program to have a camp every year, not only to get a head start on the year’s music, but also to build relationships with each other. Whether it was their first or last camp, I’m sure every girl learnt something from the guest speakers, our wonderful Music teachers or from a mentor, and made some memories that they will cherish for years to come. A highlight for me was the annual lip sync battle which was won by the Year 8s with their rendition of ‘I Want It That Way’ by the Backstreet Boys, followed closely by the Year 10s who wrote an original song for the occasion. As always, the girls shared some amazing music with the community and I look forward to seeing what these talented girls achieve this year!

Steph Smalls
Band Captain

I have been to Music Camp every year since I was in Year 6, with this one being especially special as it is my last. This year, the Music Camp was changed up a bit due to COVID restrictions. However, this was a blessing in disguise because more ensembles, such as Chamber Choir, were able to be part of this wonderful opportunity. Music Camp has always been one of my favourite school events. Not only am I able to improve my music skills through the many tutorials, but it is also such a great opportunity to create friendships with like-minded girls from different year levels. Music Camp is such a fun event and I highly recommend girls who aren’t yet a part of the Music family to participate next year.

Cheri Wong
Music Captain

It was such a pleasure to have spent the day and evening performing, talking about my career and doing workshops with the girls from St Peter’s Girls’ School! It was a very productive day and I was impressed by the level of the students and their enthusiasm. Thanks to my trio, Tim Bowen, Tim and John McDermott, and Katrina Ryan and Anita Wardell for presenting a fantastic concert. Thanks also to Jordan Noble and Robyn Habel for jamming with me during the first workshop. Amazing work by Sari Noble and Sally Rounsevell and all students involved. Thanks also to Ciara Ferguson and Mathew Noble for your contributions during the combined workshop with 100 girls. Keep up all the great work girls and thank you very much for having me!

Kym Purling

Kym enews banner

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Rising Stars Now Fringe Dwellers

Saints Girls will once again be in the spotlight at the Adelaide Fringe, with a group of our students appearing in the show Star’s Got Talent.

Cartia plays Rhonda Jones, Olivia is Kerry-Lee, Montana plays Mont, and Issy and Sienna are featured dancers.

Here’s a description of the show from The Adelaide Fringe website:

This insanely hysterical, immensely talented, intensely captivating show is presented for children by children! Adelaide’s best talent comes together to determine the Most Talented Star! Comedy, Dance, Singing – awe-inspiring and hysterically cringe worthy, there is something for all ages! The best part…you, the audience, get to choose the winner!

“I am very excited to be performing in my fourth Fringe show in Gluttony, The Peacock tent for Star Academy!” – Cartia

“It is such an amazing opportunity to perform in a professional environment with my friends.” – Olivia

“I love the atmosphere that is brought to the tent every day when we perform.” – Montana

Performances:

February 20, 21, 27, 28
March 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 21

Visit the Adelaide Fringe website to book your tickets!

Olivia Slivak
Student

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Drama Students Share the LimeLight

One of the requirements of the Stage 1 SACE Drama course is that students collaborate on creating a theatre company in order to have a shared vision for their learning and development in Drama.

The 2021 Stage 1 class has created ‘LimeLight’, a company which aims to shine a light on important issues and engage your attention through their work. Please see our ‘media release’ below for information about our company.

We will be presenting two dramatic works in 2021 and look forward to your support!

View our media release here.

Katherine Kitching
Drama & English Teacher

 

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Mind Over Matter at Ethics Olympiad

On 10 February, two teams comprising of students from Years 8 to 10 competed in the Junior Ethics Olympiad.

The team of Heidi, Alysa, Angelina, Maddy and Alvie placed 2nd, and the other team, with Alix, Isabella, Jessica and Abigail, placed in the top 10. The competition lasted the whole day and included schools from all over the State. The teams competed in three rounds (plus a bonus practice round), where we discussed cases and tried to come up with ethical solutions to real-world problems. Before the Olympiad, we spent just over a term preparing, looking at a total of eight stimuli. Some of the cases we discussed included topics such as No-Platforming, Mass Quarantine and the Repatriation of Foreign Fighters.

The Olympiad was a very rewarding experience and is a great way to look at current global topics through multiple perspectives. Thank you to Ms Burton-Howard, Holly Wallman-Craddock and Sara Peak for mentoring and coaching the teams.

Alvie Iley
Student

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Dumpling Delights for Chinese New Year

During Tuesday lunchtime, our international students came together and enjoyed delicious dumplings in the Food Technology Centre to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

The traditional new year paper-cut decoration was put on the windows and the lantern riddles written in both English and Chinese were hung on the Food Tech deck. With our International Student Coordinator, Events Officer and our Community Service Prefect serving the dumplings and sauces, the event ran smoothly and everyone enjoyed the various types of dumplings and felt a sense of home.

The lantern riddles were a highlight of the event; our international students and a great number of Junior School girls tried their best to be bold and got involved in the activity, winning delicious fortune cookies.

Cynthia He
International Student Prefect

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Food for Thought on Shrove Tuesday

This week, our Year 9 girls marked Shrove Tuesday by preparing pancakes during their Food Tech class.

It is an important day on the Christian calendar as it marks the last day before Lent begins. To honour Jesus’s 40-day journey into the desert, Christians traditionally would give up butter, milk or eggs during Lent. Often, people would use up these ingredients by making them into pancakes to reduce wastage. This is why Shrove Tuesday is sometimes referred to as Pancake Tuesday!

The Year 9 girls enjoyed cooking pancakes in preparation for Easter.

Jenni Manson
Home Economics Teacher

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Head of the River Dinner 2021

The Friends of Rowing invite all rowers, family and friends to celebrate the efforts, improvements and achievements of our St Peter’s Girls’ rowers throughout the 2020/21 season. The annual Head of the River Dinner will be held in the function room at Next Generation on War Memorial Drive, overlooking the beautiful Torrens Lake. The evening will feature speeches from students and coaches about the season that has been, and will conclude with awards being presented. The dinner includes a two-course menu and soft drinks. Other refreshments will be available for purchase in the foyer upon arrival, and from the bar throughout the event.

To comply with COVID requirements, all adults will be required to sign in to the venue by QR code upon arrival.

Next Gen Memorial Drive
War Memorial Drive, North Adelaide
Saturday 20 March 2021
5.30pm arrival for 6pm start

Tickets
$45 per person via https://www.trybooking.com/BOVBY

Ticket sales close at 5pm, Friday 5 March.

Please note, this event is compulsory for all current rowers.

Brynley Millward
Director of Rowing

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Dad’s Night Out – Ready to Roll!

LAST CHANCE – Don’t miss out!
Bookings close this Monday 22 February at 5pm.
We already have more than 50 dads booked in and ready to roll.

Friday 26 February from 6.30pm
Tranmere Bowling Club
1 Kings Grove, Tranmere

Tickets are $40 via www.Trybooking.com/BONMD
(includes entry, bowling fees and a sausage sizzle – drinks can be purchased over the bar).

Lucky squares and raffle tickets can be purchased on the evening (cash only).
Dads will be placed into teams of 4 on the night; we will run a fun competition with 2 games and an eventual winning team and prizes.

Hope to see you there!

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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Friends of Rowing

Great news for Saints Girls Rowing!

For parents keen to watch their daughters row, we have sourced a dedicated viewing space at the Lakes Hotel for the next few weeks.

The Lakes Bar looks out onto the course and has been set aside for us for the following regattas below (you can also go outside on the patio for a great view down the course).

Saturday 20 February: 7.30am – 4pm
Saturday 27 February: 7.30am – 4pm
Saturday 6 March: 7.30am – 4pm

The bar will be open for food and drinks, so please come along, watch the girls, have a meal and support the Lakes Hotel (a family business connected to the School) for making this opportunity possible.

They will also have a live stream of the rowing on the big screen throughout the day.

To view a map of the area, click here.

Ed Parker
Friends of Rowing

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Good Soles Support Saints Girls

In November, The Athlete’s Foot Burnside presented the School with a cheque for $890 for our involvement in its school rewards program. We encourage our community members to support this ongoing promotion. When you visit The Athlete’s Foot Burnside, $5 from every shoe purchased by anyone connected to our community will be donated to St Peter’s Girls’ School. Please let their staff know that you would like your donation to go to Saints Girls when you make a purchase.

Thank you for your kind support.

The Athlete’s Foot – School Rewards Program Information

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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Virtual School Tour

Following the completion of several state-of-the-art building works, St Peter’s Girls will be launching a public, online Virtual School Tour to showcase life at our wonderful School.

Air and land drones and advanced 360 degree cameras will be used to create dynamic aerials and building fly-throughs that capture our facilities as they’re being used by staff and students. An example of the technology can be found here. Filming is scheduled to take place on 1 and 2 March (Monday and Tuesday of Week 6). As always, we ask that all students are neatly dressed in uniform.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact Communications Director Caroline Kelly via cakelly@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

We look forward to sharing the site with you once it’s completed later in the year.

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COVID Measures

With the school year underway, please note the following information regarding our continued COVID response.

The School has a QR code tracing system to facilitate the safe return of parents on site, in line with wider government measures. Parents entering the campus to drop off or collect their children need to scan the QR code provided each time. This also applies to parents visiting the School for events such as parent information evenings or sports training/matches.

Parents and visitors with more formal appointments at the School, such as meeting a staff member, are still required to sign in/out at Front Office and also need to scan the QR code as well for SA Health tracing purposes.

Adults who do not have a device to scan the QR code need to write their details on the paper form provided in the Front Office.

Parents who remain in their vehicles in the main car park do not need to scan in, and students do not need to scan in as the School already tracks daily attendance.

Logistics around events will be shared in due course, dependent upon the latest advice. Attendance numbers, particularly for indoor events, will still need to be restricted to facilitate social distancing.

The following general requirements remain in place:

  • Ensure adults maintain a distance of 1.5m from each other.
  • Practise sound hand washing and other hygiene measures.
  • Students should remain at home if they are unwell; please notify the School of absences by calling 8334 2200, emailing attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au, or texting 0428 601 957.

We thank all of our families for your cooperation.

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Health Notification – Norovirus

The School has been notified of some suspected cases of Norovirus, a type of viral gastroenteritis.

SA Health says there have been increased reports of gastroenteritis in South Australia. Symptoms include:

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Abdominal cramps
Headache
Low grade fever

Noroviruses are very infectious and can spread easily from person-to-person via faeces and vomit. Symptoms usually begin 24 to 48 hours after ingestion of the virus, but can appear as early as 12 hours after exposure.

People should be excluded from childcare, pre-school, school and work until there has been no vomiting or diarrhoea for at least 48 hours.

Please keep unwell children home, particularly if they complain of stomach pains in the morning.

For further information on symptoms, treatment and prevention, click here. Please note the recommendations regarding hand washing in particular. The School applies strict hygiene standards for the safety of our community, and we ask families for their cooperation and vigilance.

If your child will not be attending school/ELC, please notify the School via one of the following methods:

Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200

If you have any queries, please contact the Health Centre via 8155 5762 or healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Kind regards

Lara Waltham and Sarah Wilkinson
Registered Nurses, Health Centre

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2021 School Immunisation Program

The information below is provided by Eastern Health Authority

Immunisation Information for Parents/Legal Guardians of Year 8 and 10 Students

The SA School Immunisation Program will be offered at your school by Eastern Health Authority.

All Year 8 students will be offered:

2 doses of the human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil®9 at two separate visits.
1 dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough vaccine, Boostrix®.

All Year 10 students will be offered:

2 doses of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero® at 2 separate visits.
1 dose of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine, Nimenrix®.

Immunisation consent packs will be sent home with all Year 8 and 10 students. It is important that you read the information contained in the packs before you give consent for your child to be vaccinated at school. If you have any questions about this program, please contact Eastern Health Authority via 8132 3600 or www.eha.sa.gov.au

All parents/legal guardians are to complete, sign and return the consent cards, even if you do not consent for the student to be vaccinated at school. Students aged 16 years and above can consent for themselves.

If you do not receive an immunisation consent pack from your child, please ask for one at the School’s Front Office.

If you do not want your child to be vaccinated at school, please contact Eastern Health Authority to arrange for your child to receive the free vaccines. If you go to your local doctor for the vaccination, they will need to order the vaccine and may charge a consultation fee.

Remember to keep your child’s School Immunisation Program records in a safe place as they may be required for future employment or travel.

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Sports News

On 17 February, Saints Girls sent a fantastic group of athletes to participate in the State Schools Triathlon. Saints has a long history of success in this competition and the girls certainly did themselves proud in 2021. In what was an extremely hot day, topping 36 degrees, Alice Braithwaite, Daisy Braithwaite and Carys Kinsella-White competed in the individual event, with Alice taking out 2nd place.

In the ‘come & try’ event, Lady Murphy finished in 3rd place for the second year running.

From a team perspective, the U17 podium was filled with Saints Girls, with Alice Braithwaite, Daisy Braithwaite and Dani Cox scoring 1st place, closely followed by Sophie Dansie, Ellie Humphrey and Willow Stewart-Rattray in 2nd.

Congratulations to all Saints Girls who challenged themselves and took part: Tara Young, Letitia Page-Thomson, Imogen Elliott, Emily Whittaker, Lydia Tolley, Lady Murphy, Sophie Dansie, Elanor Humphrey, Willow Stewart-Rattray, Alice Braithwaite, Daisy Braithwaite and Dani Cox – you are all champions!

Many of our students have enjoyed success at other recent carnivals and squad selections. Congratulations to the below students:

• Amelia Lucas and Winnie Vartuli: selected for the U15 State Hockey Team to compete in Bathurst in March.
• Carys Kinsella-White and Charlotte McAuliffe: won Silver and Gold respectively in the State Championship Heptathlon in U16 girls.
• Charlotte McAuliffe and Carys Kinsella-White: will be competing in the National Heptathlon championships in Melbourne in March.

• Athletics SA State Relay Championships
Phoebe Lucas – Silver in 4x100m and 4x200m (U14); Isla Fahey – Silver in 4xMedley Relay (U18); Charlotte McAuliffe and Amelia Lucas – Gold in 4x400m and Silver in 4×200 (U18) and Silver in the 4×100 and 4xMedley Relay (U16); Holly Cardone – Gold in the Open Field Relay; Carys Kinsella-White – Bronze in 4×100, Silver in 4×200 and 4×400 (U16).

It’s been terrific to watch our girls in action across a variety of pursuits, including our tennis players below hosting Seymour this week, and we look forward to seeing them go from strength to strength throughout the year.

Tommy Peak
Director of Sport

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eNews – Week 3, Term 1 2021

Issue no. 3Enews-banner

From Our Deputy Principal/Head of Middle School

Richard-Lisle-inside-220

We place great value on the holistic education we engage in here at St Peter’s Girls. Whilst our students are given every opportunity through the support, guidance and inspiration from excellent teachers to reach their full academic potential, that is far from all that we offer. Alongside our bespoke wellbeing program, #EMPOWHER, our students also have the opportunity to enrich their experience through involvement in a top class co-curricular program.

After the disruptions to parts of this program at times in 2020 as a result of COVID-19, I have been delighted to see a return to a full program for the start of this year. It has been great to see students having the courage to sign up for something new, with ever-growing numbers in our Environment Club, Philosophy Club and in APEX, our media production consortium.

We have a full sport program for 2021 up and running under the guidance of new Director of Sport Tommy Peak, and it was a pleasure to see so many students involved at school last Saturday morning, even though the weather did present a number of challenges!

Our Music co-curricular program goes from strength to strength, with students attending our annual Music Camp this week at Malvern – a chance to maximise the time available to introduce initial repertoire for the year and to start making firm bonds between new and returning students in their various ensembles.

The sense of loyalty, belonging and friendly competition that our House system engenders will be on full display next week at Swimming Carnival. For our many new students in Years 4 to 12 this may well be their enduring memory of Term 1. I distinctly remember my first Saints Girls’ Swimming Carnival…and not just for the noise! The mass participation, enthusiasm and sense of fun, combined with many high-quality performances, was a mixture that I’d not experienced elsewhere in my career. Despite the venue’s COVID-Safe Plan limiting the number of spectators, I feel sure our girls will rise to the occasion as they always do.

Finally, it was a pleasure to meet with so many parents this week at our Year 7 and 8 Information Evening. It’s an important chance for parents to meet their daughter’s Home Group teacher, as well as finding out about all the experiences that the girls have on offer throughout the year.

Richard Lisle
Deputy Principal/Head of Middle School

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Meet Our Class of 2021!

Our Class of 2021 is ready for an epic year ahead at Stonyfell.

In what’s become a tradition here at Saints Girls, our Year 12 students took part in a hat throwing photo shoot, proudly marking 2-0-2-1. We look forward to seeing the girls lead with courage, creativity and compassion.

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Year 6 Students Take the Lead

The Year 6 girls are working through a nomination process whereby they will all be allocated a Junior School leadership role. There is a wide variety on offer, ranging from Art Leaders to SRC and House Quiz Captains.

Across the year, the students will work in teams relevant to their leadership area. After setting goals, each team will work through a continuous cycle of planning activities, putting these into action and evaluating how they are progressing towards their leadership goals.

The ‘Who we are’ unit of inquiry, focusing on the central idea that ‘Everyone has the ability, opportunity and responsibility to demonstrate leadership’, will run across the year, providing opportunities for the students to reflect upon and learn more about leadership throughout their time as Junior School Leaders.

We have already been fortunate to have guest speakers present to us: Old Scholars Bella Bernardi (Kennion 2020) and Tilly McCormack (Kilburn 2020) (pictured above), as well as our Principal, Julia Shea. Their thoughts were certainly valuable in getting the cohort started in their thinking about how they will be leaders this year and beyond.

Louisa Mitchell
Year 6 Teacher

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Tick of Approval for TOK Day

On Tuesday, students from St Peter’s College, Seymour, Woodcroft and Walford joined our Year 11 IB girls for a day of TOK activities. TOK, or Theory of Knowledge, is part of the IB curriculum wherein students learn to understand the meaning of knowledge and truth, how they impact us, and how they are interpreted by different people and cultures across the world and throughout history.

Saints Girls’ first ever TOK Day included theory building discussions, thought provoking activities and a panel of teachers who discussed how knowledge and language impact each other in their different fields. There was also a guest speaker from Adelaide University.

The day was a huge success and we were lucky to be able to share the experience with IB students from across Adelaide. The IB girls are now looking forward to our next TOK Day with these schools and students in Semester 2!

Arabella Hawking
Student

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From Our International Student Prefect

To the beloved Chinese community, parents and school friends, I sincerely wish you a lovely Lunar New Year and all the best! (  新春快乐,牛年大吉,工作顺利,学业进步,身体健康,万事如意!) The Lunar New Year is the most important festival of the year in China and parts of East Asia. It is the time for people from far away to return home to celebrate the harvest, honour the households and deities, and feast during the festival. Although our international students cannot return to their hometowns to celebrate the Lunar New Year, the School will organise dumpling tasting for them at lunchtime on Tuesday. We will also have a traditional New Year activity of solving the lantern riddles. We welcome all students in the School community to come and participate in lantern riddles solving.

Cynthia He
International Student Prefect

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All Aboard Year 9 Aquatics Camp

Last week, the Year 9s headed to the Murraylands to embark on our first camp for the year. From the minute we arrived, everyone was so excited to get in the water and start all the new and interesting activities. A range of water sports were offered including knee boarding, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, waterskiing, sailing and boat driving. Everyone had a go at each of the activities, even if they were nervous, and ended up having a great time.

We experienced cold and windy weather which made some activities harder, but we quickly overcame these challenges. We also couldn’t sleep in tents because of the rainstorm that came at night, so the Year 9s had to resort to the cabins on site. Although the weather wasn’t what we wanted, it didn’t stop us from having a blast and trying our best.

It was a great opportunity for us all to connect and bond doing activities with other classes as well as our own. Many girls were able to create deeper relationships and get to know each other better. Everyone really enjoyed their time in the Murraylands and loved the honest and united space that was created across the whole year level.

“Camp was a lot of fun and a great experience to get closer to new people and I’m really glad I went.” – Jasmin

“I really enjoyed all of the activities that were available; my favourite was knee boarding.”
– Labrini

“It was a great bonding experience to get to know everyone better and be able to try new activities like skiing and sailing.” – Naadiya

The girls had an amazing two days and really enjoyed just taking time to communicate with everyone.

Ruby Adams
Student

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Community Unity at Welcome Drinks

Last Friday, the School hosted our annual Welcome Drinks for parents and staff. This hugely popular event did not disappoint as we celebrated the start of the 2021 school year. Despite the unseasonable weather, the turnout was fantastic as guests enjoyed socialising over drinks and pizza. It was lovely to meet so many of our new families for their very first Saints Girls’ community event. Thank you to everyone who came along. Many thanks also to our Year 12 Prefects, Fiona McGregor and our Property Services team for making the event happen.

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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Swimming Carnival House Merchandise

Students have the opportunity to purchase House merchandise for Swimming Carnival next week. Orders must be received by C.O.B. Tuesday 16 February through TryBooking. Items will be delivered to classrooms on Thursday 18 February so the girls can bring them to Swimming Carnival on Friday.

Items available for purchase:
House Bundle (hat, water bottle, 2 tattoos and wristband) – $26
House Hat – $25
2 House Tattoos – $1

Tattoos will also be available for purchase next week from the School Shop serving window during recess and lunch. Purchases can be made by Flexi Card or gold coin.

Thank you for your support

All proceeds support the School via the Saints Sport Support Group.

To view and purchase the House merchandise, click here.

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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Head of the River Dinner 2021

The Friends of Rowing invite all rowers, family and friends to celebrate the efforts, improvements and achievements of our St Peter’s Girls’ rowers throughout the 2020/21 season. The annual Head of the River Dinner will be held in the function room at Next Generation on War Memorial Drive, overlooking the beautiful Torrens Lake. The evening will feature speeches from students and coaches about the season that has been, and will conclude with awards being presented. The dinner includes a two-course menu and soft drinks. Other refreshments will be available for purchase in the foyer upon arrival, and from the bar throughout the event.

To comply with COVID requirements, all adults will be required to sign in to the venue by QR code upon arrival.

Next Gen Memorial Drive
War Memorial Drive, North Adelaide
Saturday 20 March 2021
5.30pm arrival for 6pm start

Tickets
$45 per person via https://www.trybooking.com/BOVBY

Ticket sales close at 5pm, Friday 5 March.

Please note, this event is compulsory for all current rowers.

Brynley Millward
Director of Rowing

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Dad’s Night Out


Friday 26 February from 6.30pm

Tranmere Bowling Club
1 Kings Grove, Tranmere

Tickets are $40 via www.Trybooking.com/BONMD
(includes entry, bowling fees and sausage sizzle)
Bookings close Wednesday 24 February

Drinks and raffle tickets can be purchased on the evening.
Dads will be placed into teams of 4. We will also run a fun competition with 2 games. Dads have an opportunity to win 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place.

Hope to see you there!

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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Good Soles Support Saints Girls

In November, The Athlete’s Foot Burnside presented the School with a cheque for $890 for our involvement in its school rewards program. We encourage our community members to support this ongoing promotion. When you visit The Athlete’s Foot Burnside, $5 from every shoe purchased by anyone connected to our community will be donated to St Peter’s Girls’ School. Please let their staff know that you would like your donation to go to Saints Girls when you make a purchase.

Thank you for your kind support.

The Athlete’s Foot – School Rewards Program Information

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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CommBank School Banking

CommBank school banking recommenced on Wednesday 2 February for Term 1. Please remind your children to bring their deposit book with their weekly banking into school each Wednesday morning.

In addition, we are looking for one or two parent volunteers to help us process the school banking on Wednesday mornings. We will provide training. If you would like to assist for an hour once a week/fortnight, please contact me via 8334 2244 or mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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Virtual School Tour

Following the completion of several state-of-the-art building works, St Peter’s Girls will be launching a public, online Virtual School Tour to showcase life at our wonderful School.

Air and land drones and advanced 360 degree cameras will be used to create dynamic aerials and building fly-throughs that capture our facilities as they’re being used by staff and students. An example of the technology can be found here. Filming is scheduled to take place on 1 and 2 March (Monday and Tuesday of Week 6). As always, we ask that all students are neatly dressed in uniform.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact Communications Director Caroline Kelly via cakelly@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

We look forward to sharing the site with you once it’s completed later in the year.

Back to top


COVID Measures

With the school year underway, please note the following information regarding our continued COVID response.

The School has a QR code tracing system to facilitate the safe return of parents on site, in line with wider government measures. Parents entering the campus to drop off or collect their children need to scan the QR code provided each time. This also applies to parents visiting the School for events such as parent information evenings or sports training/matches.

Parents and visitors with more formal appointments at the School, such as meeting a staff member, are still required to sign in/out at Front Office and also need to scan the QR code as well for SA Health tracing purposes.

Adults who do not have a device to scan the QR code need to write their details on the paper form provided in the Front Office.

Parents who remain in their vehicles in the main car park do not need to scan in, and students do not need to scan in as the School already tracks daily attendance.

Logistics around events will be shared in due course, dependent upon the latest advice. Attendance numbers, particularly for indoor events, will still need to be restricted to facilitate social distancing.

The following general requirements remain in place:

  • Ensure adults maintain a distance of 1.5m from each other.
  • Practise sound hand washing and other hygiene measures.
  • Students should remain at home if they are unwell; please notify the School of absences by calling 8334 2200, emailing attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au, or texting 0428 601 957.

We thank all of our families for your cooperation.

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Health Notification – Norovirus

The School has been notified of some suspected cases of Norovirus, a type of viral gastroenteritis.

SA Health says there have been increased reports of gastroenteritis in South Australia. Symptoms include:

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Abdominal cramps
Headache
Low grade fever

Noroviruses are very infectious and can spread easily from person-to-person via faeces and vomit. Symptoms usually begin 24 to 48 hours after ingestion of the virus, but can appear as early as 12 hours after exposure.

People should be excluded from childcare, pre-school, school and work until there has been no vomiting or diarrhoea for at least 48 hours.

Please keep unwell children home, particularly if they complain of stomach pains in the morning.

For further information on symptoms, treatment and prevention, click here. Please note the recommendations regarding hand washing in particular. The School applies strict hygiene standards for the safety of our community, and we ask families for their cooperation and vigilance.

If your child will not be attending school/ELC, please notify the School via one of the following methods:

Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200

If you have any queries, please contact the Health Centre via 8155 5762 or healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Kind regards

Lara Waltham and Sarah Wilkinson
Registered Nurses, Health Centre

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2021 School Immunisation Program

The information below is provided by Eastern Health Authority

Immunisation Information for Parents/Legal Guardians of Year 8 and 10 Students

The SA School Immunisation Program will be offered at your school by Eastern Health Authority.

All Year 8 students will be offered:

2 doses of the human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil®9 at two separate visits.
1 dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough vaccine, Boostrix®.

All Year 10 students will be offered:

2 doses of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero® at 2 separate visits.
1 dose of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine, Nimenrix®.

Immunisation consent packs will be sent home with all Year 8 and 10 students. It is important that you read the information contained in the packs before you give consent for your child to be vaccinated at school. If you have any questions about this program, please contact Eastern Health Authority via 8132 3600 or www.eha.sa.gov.au

All parents/legal guardians are to complete, sign and return the consent cards, even if you do not consent for the student to be vaccinated at school. Students aged 16 years and above can consent for themselves.

If you do not receive an immunisation consent pack from your child, please ask for one at the School’s Front Office.

If you do not want your child to be vaccinated at school, please contact Eastern Health Authority to arrange for your child to receive the free vaccines. If you go to your local doctor for the vaccination, they will need to order the vaccine and may charge a consultation fee.

Remember to keep your child’s School Immunisation Program records in a safe place as they may be required for future employment or travel.

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Swimming Carnival 2021 – NEXT FRIDAY

Friday 19 February

A reminder that the Years 4 to 12 Swimming Carnival is scheduled to be held next Friday at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre.

Details including COVID measures and bus transportation have been emailed to parents.

School teams for SAPSASA (Years 4 to 7), SSSSA (Years 8 to 12) and IGSSA (Years 7 to 12) will be selected from the Swimming Carnival results.

Program

To view the 2021 Swimming Day Program Outline, click here.

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Sports News

Our first week of sports fixtures has been somewhat of a mixed bag, with rain cancellations, heat cancellations, but most importantly, a whole lot of enjoyment. At our first Assembly of the year, I spoke with students about Saints Girls’ core values – courage, creativity and compassion – and how these are paramount when representing Saints in sport.

So rather than talk about results, for which there have been many positives, I would like to provide some examples of the core values our girls have demonstrated this week.

When watching our Open A Volleyball team take a two-set lead against Pulteney, it was great to see Coach Shaun challenge the girls to play the third set a ‘different way’. This simple coaching instruction tested the girls’ creativity by challenging them to learn a new style or tactic within a game situation. The girls stepped up to the challenge and when the third set was inevitably closer than the first two, it was great to see their perseverance of a new plan which undoubtedly will lead to their growth as a team.

Our Tennis Head Coach, Bill Walter, has informed me of a positive culture developing in our Senior Tennis teams. Order of merit in Tennis can often be a point of controversy, where students are seen to be competing individually to be ranked the highest player in their own team. The girls have been amazing this week, compassionately supporting each other and putting any perceived order to one side with the focus returning to the team and how individuals can support each other through hard games, injuries and form.

Finally, courage. One of the values which I have seen this week in abundance. From comeback wins, to never giving up regardless of the scoreline, to playing in the rain or heat, to trying a new sport for the first time, our girls continue to step up to the plate. I would, however, like to focus on our younger girls today. Our Kelly Sport and Hot Shot tennis programs have been incredibly popular, with new students requesting to join every day! Starting a new sport and stepping outside of your comfort zone can be a challenge for anyone, so I would like to thank our young Junior School students for their enthusiasm and energy when trying something new, well done!

Moving forward, the sports section of the newsletter will aim to provide you with an insight into our department. Our Sports Captains will lead this space, and have some great ideas from ‘meet the coach’, ‘an interview with an athlete’ to ‘pump-up videos’.

I hope you enjoy your connection to Sport at Saints and look forward to serving you.

Yours in Sport

Tommy Peak
Director of Sport

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eNews – Week 2, Term 1 2021

Issue no. 2Enews-bannerAdelaide Schools

From Our Director of Teaching and Learning

Adelaide Schools

Inspired by guest speaker Theodora (Kilburn 2015) and her PhD work on oceans, I spoke in Monday’s Academic Excellence Assembly about somebody else who was fascinated by water throughout his life. Way back in the early 16th century, this person sketched water obsessively: water passing around obstacles; the patterns that falling water makes; huge deluges and floods. This person was mesmerised by the movement and power of water, and during his lifetime, he was commissioned to work on a range of projects all to do with controlling water; for example, by building canals or by diverting rivers underground. He was the first known person to write down ideas about how water causes erosion. His thoughts about turbulence in water were still being investigated by mathematicians and scientists hundreds of years later. He was even given the title ‘Master of Water’ by the authorities of the time.

But this person was not just an expert on all things to do with water.

He is better known for his paintings. He painted the world’s most famous painting, the Mona Lisa. He also painted what has become the world’s most reproduced religious painting – the Last Supper – and his painting Salvator Mundi is currently the most expensive painting ever sold at auction, fetching the equivalent of AUS$600,000,000 when it was sold in 2017.

We are talking, of course, about Leonardo da Vinci. Even more impressively, his achievements didn’t stop with water expertise and brilliant paintings.

Amongst many other things, his notebooks show us that he was an expert on birds. On human anatomy. He sketched machines that can be seen as early versions of the helicopter and the military tank. And this is still to just scratch the surface of the things that he accomplished, explored, designed and invented during his lifetime.

And the important connection to us here at school is this: Leonardo da Vinci was perhaps the ultimate creative thinker. He had endless curiosity: his head was full of ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions and he believed that, by looking at things carefully and then applying his imagination and thinking skills, he could answer these questions, solve problems, and create new, useful things.

Creativity is one of the core values of Saints Girls. This year, one of our focus areas is creative thinking. Creativity is not ring-fenced by The Arts; creative thinking can be applied in any subject and it can be done well by any person. We know that employers today and especially in the coming decades will be looking for creative thinkers, problem-solvers, people who can move easily from one challenge to the next. Our students will be encouraged to ask challenging questions in their lessons. And their teachers will be asking questions that are designed to promote thinking in a fresh way about something, or that encourage the students to make creative connections between the different areas of their learning.

Undoubtedly, we have young people here at school with just the same curiosity and appetite for knowledge that Leonardo da Vinci possessed, and just the same potential to make a difference in the world.

Nigel Scoggins
Director of Teaching and Learning

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Newest Old Scholars Celebrated at Stonyfell

The St Peter’s Girls’ community was delighted to honour many outstanding graduates from our Class of 2020 this week during our Academic Excellence Assembly.

Special thanks to Old Scholar Theodora (Kilburn 2015) who delivered an inspiring speech and presented certificates to our newest Old Scholars.

Have a listen to some of Theodora’s advice for our girls, as well as motivational messages from our Equal Duxes of 2020, Ella and Ellen:

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IB Merit Recipients Toast of Town Hall

IB Students 2021

 

On Monday, seven of our 2020 graduates attended the IB Diploma Merit Ceremony at the Adelaide Town Hall. Applauding the achievements of IB Merit students from across Adelaide IB schools, the event highlights the exceptional academic achievements of IB students who earn a 7 in a subject or an ‘A’ in Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay.

Our 2020 IB Diploma cohort achieved wonderful results which reflect their engagement, passion and enjoyment of their learning over the past two years. With their incredible score of 43 out of 45, Ella and Ellen are Equal Duxes of IB and the School. Ella was recently featured in an article by an Adelaide newspaper; here is an excerpt from her interview:

Are you happy to have finished the IB Programme?
Yes, I’m very happy to have finished the IB. Not only was finishing my exams a relief and such a big achievement, but it was also a great opportunity to look back on my progress. It’s crazy to think about how far I’ve come over the last two years, not only academically but as an individual as well. The IB was a great experience – it had its fair share of challenges, but I don’t regret doing it as I feel that I’ve gained so much from it.

What would you say to other students considering this programme?
I would strongly encourage anyone considering the IB to give it a go. It may take a bit of getting used to as many students (myself included) find the step up to Year 11 a big one. However, I think that once you get used to the assessment style of the IB, things become easier, and the effort you put into study will be reflected in your results.

What was the key to finishing in 2020?
During my time at Saints Girls, the many experiences I have had over the years and the incredible school environment have helped prepare me for my final years of schooling. I have always felt supported by my dedicated teachers and by my peers, and I feel that the strong connections I built within the School community definitely helped me to reach my potential in the IB. Being an independent and disciplined learner were skills that were strengthened during my IB journey, helping me to fulfil my high expectations of myself and contributing to my success in 2020.

As a cohort, the median IB score was 37 and this equates to the IB girls earning a median ATAR of 95.45, which roughly equates to a selection rank of 98.50. Well done to all the girls from 2020 Year 12!

Carolyn Farr
IB Diploma Coordinator/Mathematics Teacher

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Greetings from Our ELC in 2021

2021 is shaping up to be another wonderful year of community and connections in St Peter’s Girls’ Early Learners’ Centre.

Here’s Director of Early Learning Kate Mount with a very warm welcome from the ELC:

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Tonight’s Welcome Drinks – Now in the Gym

Adelaide Schools

Due to the weather, tonight’s ‘Welcome Drinks on the Lawns’ will now be ‘Welcome Drinks in the Gym’!

We look forward to catching up with parents in the Gym from 7 to 9pm. Food and drinks will be provided, and please note that this event is exclusively for adults only. We ask that guests scan the QR code provided upon arrival.

Please seek out your Year Level Representatives and chat with our Community Relations staff on the night to learn about our volunteering opportunities and the social and community events we are planning for 2021.

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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Saints Girls Ready to Roar in The Lion King JR.

Adelaide Schools

 

Shane Davidson Presents: The Lion King JR. – a lavish production where the African savannah comes to life on stage with Simba, Rafiki, Nala and Scar supported by an unforgettable cast of characters featuring some of our Saints Girls as they journey from Pride Rock to the jungle…and back again. Featuring songs such as ‘Circle of Life’, ‘I Just Can’t Wait to be King’, ‘Hakuna Matata’ and ‘He Lives in You’, this show has a talented cast of 50 with great dance routines and wonderful music. The staging features stunning projections, magnificent lighting and colourful costumes.

Congratulations to the Saints Girls pictured above who are part of this fabulous show.

Performances:
Saturday 6 March – 4pm and 7pm
Sunday 7 March – 4pm and 7pm
St Peter’s Girls’ Arts Centre

To secure your seats, visit TryBooking

Shane Davidson
Year 5 Teacher

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2021 Music Camp

Music Camp Banner-1

Every year, our Music girls look forward to our annual School Music Camp. It is a chance for students to connect with like-minded Music students from Year 4 to 12 and enjoy making music together in a fun, supportive and inclusive environment. It is an intensive and highly productive week of music-making that sets up ensemble repertoires for the year ahead.

Music Camp this year is going to look rather different. Unfortunately due to COVID, we will not be making our annual pilgrimage to Ardrossan. Instead, we are holding a day camp at Malvern Uniting Church from midday Wednesday 10 February until Friday evening 12 February. Girls from 11 of our ensembles will be invited to attend throughout the camp and will have the opportunity to rehearse and workshop with some of Adelaide’s best instrumental music tutors. An additional highlight this year will be a concert on Thursday afternoon presented by world-renowned jazz pianist Kym Purling which will include Adelaide vocalists and Saints’ Music tutors Anita Wardell and Katrina Ryan.

On Saturday 13 February, we will be holding a day of sharing at school in the Arts Centre. Each ensemble will have 30 minutes to present what they have been working on throughout camp. Parents are welcome to attend their daughter’s 30 minute sharing time slot. No bookings are required; parents just need to ensure they sign in using the School’s QR code, take a seat at the top of the Arts Centre and maintain social distancing.

We look forward to sharing the results of Music Camp in a future edition of eNews.

Sally Rounsevell
Director of Music

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Community at Saints Girls

Parents are a vibrant and important part of the St Peter’s Girls’ community. Many opportunities are available to become involved with the School, connect with other community members and build strong and lasting friendships. At the start of each term in 2021, all parents are invited to attend an information/collaboration meeting on Zoom with Principal Julia Shea and our Community Relations staff. At these meetings, parents will be updated on upcoming community activities and will hear from Julia. This will give parents an opportunity to get involved in our community events, ask questions, offer advice and provide constructive feedback. For more information, please contact me via 0407 394 183 or mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Community Meeting Term 1
Monday 8 February, 6 – 7 pm, Food Tech Centre

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84672322430?pwd=MGVPQk5mU1JlWVh6UmUwNitlcUEzQT09

Meeting ID: 846 7232 2430
Passcode: 076728

Friends of The Arts Community Group Meetings Term 1
Monday 1 February, 7pm, Music and Arts Offices
Wednesday 10 March, 7.30pm, Music and Arts Offices

Contact: Danielle Parker  dslparker@gmail.com

Saints Sport Support Group Meetings Term 1
Tuesday 9 February, 6.30pm, Food Tech Centre
Tuesday 16 March, 6.30pm, Food Tech Centre

Contact: Katie Lucas  Katie.Lucas@opencolleges.edu.au

Friends of Rowing Meetings Term 1
Tuesday 2 February, 6.30pm, Food Tech Centre
Tuesday 2 March, 6.30pm, Food Tech Centre

Contact: Ed Parker  edontheroadagain@hotmail.com

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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Dad’s Night Out

SPGS Dads Night Out 2021_eNews

 

Friday 26 February from 6.30pm
Tranmere Bowling Club
1 Kings Grove, Tranmere

Tickets are $40 via www.Trybooking.com/BONMD
(includes entry, bowling fees and sausage sizzle)
Bookings close Wednesday 24 February

Drinks and raffle tickets can be purchased on the evening.
Dads will be placed into teams of 4. We will also run a fun competition with 2 games. Dads have an opportunity to win 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place.

Hope to see you there!

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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Good Soles Support Saints Girls

In November, The Athlete’s Foot Burnside presented the School with a cheque for $890 for our involvement in its school rewards program. We encourage our community members to support this ongoing promotion. When you visit The Athlete’s Foot Burnside, $5 from every shoe purchased by anyone connected to our community will be donated to St Peter’s Girls’ School. Please let their staff know that you would like your donation to go to Saints Girls when you make a purchase.

Thank you for your kind support.

The Athlete’s Foot – School Rewards Program Information

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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CommBank School Banking

CommBank school banking recommenced on Wednesday 2 February for Term 1. Please remind your children to bring their deposit book with their weekly banking into school each Wednesday morning.

In addition, we are looking for one or two parent volunteers to help us process the school banking on Wednesday mornings. We will provide training. If you would like to assist for an hour once a week/fortnight, please contact me via 8334 2244 or mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

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Bushfire Action Plan

It is timely to remind families about the School’s Bushfire Action Plan.

The policy was developed in consultation with the CFS, MFS, Department for Education and other stakeholders to ensure staff and students are prepared in the event of an emergency.

For more information, you can access our Bushfire Action Plan on the myLink Parent Portal by clicking the ‘School Documents’ menu item, followed by the ‘Whole School’ tab.

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COVID-19 Measures

With the school year underway, please note the following information regarding our continued COVID-19 response.

The School has introduced a QR code tracing system to facilitate the safe return of parents on site, in line with wider government measures. Parents entering the campus to drop off or collect their children will need to scan the QR code provided each time. This also applies to parents visiting the School for events such as parent information evenings or sports training/matches.

Please note updated advice that parents and visitors with more formal appointments at the School, such as meeting a staff member, are still required to sign in/out at Front Office and now also need to scan the QR code as well for government tracing purposes.

Adults who do not have a device to scan the QR code need to write their details on the paper form provided in the Front Office.

Parents who remain in their vehicles in the main car park do not need to scan in, and students do not need to scan in as the School already tracks daily attendance.

Logistics around events will be shared in due course, dependent upon the latest advice. Attendance numbers, particularly for indoor events, will still need to be restricted to facilitate social distancing.

The following general requirements remain in place:

  • Ensure adults maintain a distance of 1.5m from each other.
  • Practise sound hand washing and other hygiene measures.
  • Students should remain at home if they are unwell; please notify the School of absences by calling 8334 2200, emailing attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au, or texting 0428 601 957.

We thank all of our families for your cooperation.

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Fruit Fly Outbreak – Update

Important Notice-22

 

The department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) has updated its information about fruit fly restrictions in South Australia. This might change the types of fruit and vegetables your child can bring to school/pre-school/childcare.

New colour-coded maps for metropolitan Adelaide and Riverland residents show the red outbreak areas, yellow suspension areas, and green areas not affected by fruit fly.

St Peter’s Girls’ School is located in the yellow suspension area.

If you live in the red outbreak area:
Your child must not bring any fresh fruit or vegetables on this list to school, pre-school or childcare. This applies even if it has been cut up. Instead, PIRSA has provided a list of alternative fresh fruit and vegetable options suitable for lunch and breaks.

If you live in the yellow suspension area
Your child can bring any type of fresh fruit or vegetable to school, pre-school or childcare.

If you live in the green not impacted area
Your child can bring any type of fresh fruit or vegetable to school, pre-school or childcare. All fruit or vegetables on this list must be eaten or disposed of at school, pre-school or childcare. These items cannot return home at the end of the day and will be disposed of safely at the school grounds.

Grated, dried, frozen, cooked or pureed fruit and vegetables of any kind are acceptable in any area.

We appreciate your cooperation as we help protect South Australia from fruit fly.

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2021 School Immunisation Program

The information below is provided by Eastern Health Authority

Immunisation Information for Parents/Legal Guardians of Year 8 and 10 Students

The SA School Immunisation Program will be offered at your school by Eastern Health Authority.

All Year 8 students will be offered:

2 doses of the human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil®9 at two separate visits.
1 dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough vaccine, Boostrix®.

All Year 10 students will be offered:

2 doses of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero® at 2 separate visits.
1 dose of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine, Nimenrix®.

Immunisation consent packs will be sent home with all Year 8 and 10 students. It is important that you read the information contained in the packs before you give consent for your child to be vaccinated at school. If you have any questions about this program, please contact Eastern Health Authority via 8132 3600 or www.eha.sa.gov.au

All parents/legal guardians are to complete, sign and return the consent cards, even if you do not consent for the student to be vaccinated at school. Students aged 16 years and above can consent for themselves.

If you do not receive an immunisation consent pack from your child, please ask for one at the school’s Front Office.

If you do not want your child to be vaccinated at school, please contact Eastern Health Authority to arrange for your child to receive the free vaccines. If you go to your local doctor for the vaccination, they will need to order the vaccine and may charge a consultation fee.

Remember to keep your child’s School Immunisation Program records in a safe place as they may be required for future employment or travel.

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Swimming Carnival 2021

Swimming Carnival

Friday 19 February

A reminder that the Years 4 to 12 Swimming Carnival is scheduled to be held on Friday of Week 4 at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre.

More details including COVID measures and bus transportation are being emailed to parents.

School teams for SAPSASA (Years 4 to 7), SSSSA (Years 8 to 12) and IGSSA (Years 7 to 12) will be selected from the Swimming Carnival results.

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