Issue no. 5

From Our Director of Teaching and Learning

‘Hamlet’ is considered by many to be Shakespeare’s greatest play. The backdrop for the story is European countries at war with each other, each seeking to grow in size and influence, making this seminal text as relevant today as it has ever been. Hamlet the character is a scholar – a deep thinker puzzled by the inevitable ups and downs of life. He is a man out of step though; he is living in a time when princes are required to be bloodthirsty warriors. The first line that he speaks in the play is not one of the most famous but is perhaps one of the best examples of Shakespeare’s genius. In response to his recently-crowned uncle Claudius publicly calling him ‘son’, Hamlet mutters under his breath:

‘A little more than kin, and less than kind.’

The fact that this line is delivered as an aside tells us straight away that Hamlet does not like his uncle. This is cleverly reinforced through the many possible meanings and interpretations of the words themselves. In the first half of the line, Hamlet could be acknowledging that he is closely related to Claudius and has an affinity with him. Conversely, he could be saying the opposite – that they have ‘little’ in common beyond the family connection. In the second half of the line, Hamlet is almost certainly saying that he is ‘not the same’ as his uncle, and ‘less than kind’ could be either Hamlet’s description of Claudius’s character, or even a description of how Hamlet feels towards him and his habit of calling him ‘son’. Perhaps the cleverest thing of all about the line though is its close focus on language even down to the level of letters and spelling. Shakespeare was a lover of words, and in this line, his character Hamlet sarcastically invents a new one: more than K-I-N and less than K-I-N-D is effectively K, I, N and half a D. In other words, Hamlet might be suggesting that a new word will need to be invented so that he can describe his feelings of animosity towards his uncle. Or he may even be referring to the fact that he, rather than Claudius, was technically next in line to be king. In truth, the line was probably meant to mean all of these things simultaneously, and therein lies Shakespeare’s genius.

You may have gathered from this that I am a fan of Shakespeare and his wordplay. And where did this enthusiasm come from? Simple: from my English teacher back when I was in senior school. Without his influence, my career path and my life would probably have turned out very differently. Those magical moments in the classroom of learning and revelation can be transformative. That is the power of good teachers – they can influence and even change people’s lives. Our professional learning focus here at Saints Girls continues to be on making those little ‘tweaks’ to our practice as teachers that can make our lessons even better. Allied to this are the invariably positive attitudes to learning that our students take into their classrooms. Together, this is a recipe for enjoyable and stimulating learning experiences and hopefully even some life-changing ones.

Nigel Scoggins
Director of Teaching and Learning

Back to top

Class of 2022 Picture Perfect

As the school year begins to hit its straps, it was terrific to catch up with our Class of 2022 during their last-ever School Portraits this week.

Hear what the girls have in store and are most looking forward to in the weeks and months ahead:

Back to top

Head Prefect’s Inspiring Insights for Junior Girls

Our Year 4 students were fortunate to have Head Prefect Sophie Norman present insights into her role as a leader at Saints Girls. This tied in nicely with their current inquiry, ‘Role models can reflect the characteristics that communities and individuals value.’

Sophie spoke sincerely about her challenges and achievements, and how these have helped to shape the person and leader she is today. What particularly resonated with the Year 4 cohort was how Sophie believes in treating others with respect and kindness. The girls reflected:

‘I was very impressed that Sophie is influencing girls not to be perfect, but to be their brilliant self.’ – Olivia

‘I learnt that I can be my own little leader. I want to be Head Prefect now!’ – Ishana

Olivia Coulter
Year 4 Teacher

Back to top

Starry Night Gala Ball – Save the Date

Saturday 18 June

Saints Girls is over the moon to announce the Starry Night Gala Ball to celebrate and support our fundraising efforts for a new Gym, including our ‘Saints Girls All-Stars’.

Don’t miss out on this amazing evening with our Saints Girls’ community.

7pm, Saturday 18 June
Adelaide Convention Centre

Tickets: $200 per person
Includes three-course meal, beverages and live entertainment

To book your tickets, click here

Back to top

Drinks on the Lawns – Next Thursday

A terrific opportunity for parents to socially meet up with other parents and teachers/staff on Chiverton Lawns. Food and drinks will be provided at this adults-only event.

Please seek out your Year Level Representatives and chat with our Community Relations staff on the evening to learn about our volunteering opportunities and the social and community events we are planning in 2022.

Back to top

Year 2s Hatch Plan for Chirpy Chicks

The sound of chirping greeted the Year 2 girls earlier this term as they eagerly returned for face-to-face learning at school. The Henny Penny Chicken Hatchery program is a firm favourite of our inquiry work and is the ideal opportunity to explore ‘How the World Works’ through the central idea that ‘All living things go through a process of change.’

We have observed and scientifically recorded the changes as the baby chicks hatched from their eggs in the incubator and transitioned to life in the pen. It is astounding just how much change occurs from day-to-day as the chicks lose their egg tooth, grow wing and tail feathers, and become quite cheeky as they learn to perch on our shoulders.

The girls adore caring for and holding the baby chicks as they discover the lifecycles in our natural world.

Kathryn Clark and Rebecca Greenhalgh
Year 2 Teachers

Back to top

It’s a Bugs Life for Year 1 Entomologists

This week, our Year 1 classes had a close-up look at different types of ‘Bugs n Slugs’ during a fabulous junior entomologist activity as part of the central idea that ‘Invertebrates have a role in balancing the natural world.’

Program educators Kris and James brought a large variety of ‘creepy crawlies’ to the classroom for the students to explore and, in some cases, even touch and hold. This included giant snails, stick insects, a scorpion, beetles and spiders. The girls were introduced to the special roles invertebrates have in nature as pollinators, decomposers, pest controllers and a food source for other animals.

This activity sparked the girls’ curiosity as inquirers. It also built on the learning they experienced when they brought an invertebrate to school that they had found in their homes. This has developed the girls’ research skills as they begin to investigate the scientific world around them.

Liz Sandercock and Michelle Liddy
Year 1 Teachers

Back to top

SACE Dancers Jazz it up with Joe

During SACE Dance lessons in Week 4 and 5, the talented Stage 2 Dancers have had the valuable opportunity to learn the iconic jazz style of Bob Fosse from Joe Meldrum. Joe is back in Adelaide for a short time before rehearsals for An American in Paris begin again in Melbourne. He attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) before studying the Fosse style in New York!

Over the past fortnight, his incredible passion for and knowledge of the style has been imparted on a group of eager and excited dancers. These workshops will help the students with one of their assessments in which they track and evaluate their own development in a certain dance genre. The girls shared:

‘I thoroughly enjoyed the workshops with Joe, especially the style and techniques that we focused upon. Through the exercises and routine that we learnt, I gained much more insight into the Fosse style, and can now appreciate the fluidity and subtle yet effective details of each movement.’ – Jessica

‘After the workshops, I was able to pinpoint both my successes and challenges that I need to improve on in the style of Fosse jazz. As a dancer, this experience helped with my technique in the fundamentals of this classic style and being able to recognise what I can do for future development.’ – Ruby

Kate Burnett
Head of The Arts

Back to top

Zara in Fine Voice for State Opera Debut

Congratulations to Year 4 student Zara Millhouse who has been selected as one of nine singers to perform in the children’s chorus of the State Opera (OperaSA) for its upcoming production of Bohème on the Beach.

Set on iconic Glenelg beach, the State Opera presents Puccini’s epic love story on stage, under the stars with a cast of Australia’s best voices and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
Zara is the youngest cast member amongst the group of 9 to 12 year olds, and being her first opera, she is excitedly taking part in rehearsals on weeknights in the lead up to the performance at 7.30pm on Saturday 26 March.

Amazing achievement Zara!

For tickets: click here

Back to top

Year 10 Explorers Shoot for the Stars

Our Year 10 girls were thanking their lucky stars this week as they tested out some cool Virtual Reality headsets during a visit from astrophysics group OzGrav. The VRs were used to build a conceptual understanding of how stars evolve over time and how star features change. The girls will use the observations to model the basic evolution of a star.

‘I really enjoyed being able to use VR headsets because it was a very interactive and interesting way to learn. I was also really fascinated about how scientists were able to find the diameter of a star using trigonometry.’ – Jessica

‘I really enjoyed seeing the different tools that are used to look at the stars. I also enjoyed how hands-on the lesson was and the learning aspect of it.’ – Ayla

Back to top

Important COVID-19 Notice

QR CODE UPDATE

SA Health has advised that COVID-Safe QR code check-in is no longer required at children’s centres, preschools and schools. However, parent movements on campus are still limited at this time, and those with formal appointments at the School should continue to perform the routine visitor sign in/out at Front Office.

COVID-19 REMINDERS

To help protect the health of our families, staff and the wider community, we must all work together to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Please be reminded of the following:

Children are to be kept home if they are unwell, even mildly.

If your child tests positive to COVID-19, notify us immediately. Please also provide the date your child’s test was taken and the date symptoms started (if no symptoms, note ‘asymptomatic’).

Where possible, to help limit the amount of telephone traffic, please notify us via email or text:

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

If you do need to notify us over the phone, please call the Front Office on 8334 2200.

If there are COVID cases within the school setting, parents of classroom contacts will be notified, and these children can continue to attend school provided they have no symptoms.

FRONT OFFICE DROP-OFFS

With current restrictions on parents entering the School grounds and to assist our staff, please ensure your daughter has all of the items she needs for the day to reduce the amount of items being dropped off at the Front Office.

We thank all of our families for your continued support and cooperation.

Presented by the Independent Schools Victoria Initiative

Issue no. 4

From Our Deputy Principal / Head of Middle School

We regularly talk to the girls about the importance of being able to be flexible in their thinking, to consider multiple possibilities, to be creative in their responses and resilient in the face of challenges. The uncertainty brought by the Omicron wave of COVID-19, coinciding as it has with the beginning of a new school year, and accompanied by a raft of health restrictions and advice, has certainly created an environment where those characteristics have come to the fore.

As teachers should, we aim to model what we espouse, and I’d like to think that our response to the fluid situation we are facing is evidence of that.

We would normally be delighting today in the vibrancy, energy, skill and passion that permeate every Swimming Carnival. Fortunately though, we were able to book the next available date at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre, and we look forward to seeing parents and students enjoying this great event on Tuesday 5 April (Week 10).

From Monday, we are very much looking forward to the resumption of a full program of co-curricular activities, including interschool sport. We know that the girls are very keen to return to competition, and the joint IGSSA representatives have worked hard to ensure that a full summer season will be possible in all sports concluding in Term 4.

The Outdoor Education aspect of the curriculum plays an important role in supporting our pastoral care and wellbeing program, and the Year 7 and 8 Camps are placed in Week 5 in Term 1 for specific reasons. Unfortunately, restrictions have not been relaxed sufficiently for the residential aspect of these camps to proceed next week. Considering many possibilities, our team, alongside our external provider, have been able to quickly plan a week of meaningful and challenging outdoor experiences which will become the curriculum for Year 7 and 8 students next week. Whilst we are all extremely disappointed not to be able to proceed as originally planned, we are hopeful that extended time away from school with Home Group Teachers involved in stimulating and exciting activities will still serve our goal of helping to build teamwork, closer supportive relationships and resilience in the face of challenge.

Finally, we are delighted that we are able to announce that Choral Night 2022 is coming! If you haven’t already done so, please mark Thursday 24 March in your diaries as a date not to miss. With restrictions on singing in choirs lifted, we are thrilled that from the start of Week 6, students will begin rehearsing for the big night. The theme of ‘Power Ballads’ for the House Song has been warmly received by the girls, and much work has already been done by Year 12 students on their dance routines, and by senior students in the arrangement of their House Hymn. Further details about purchasing tickets will be sent in the coming weeks, as will electronic permission requests.

So, despite such a challenging start to a school year, as usual, I’m grateful and buoyed by the supportive, flexible and pragmatic approach taken by staff, students and parents as we navigate a productive way forward together.

Richard Lisle
Deputy Principal/Head of Middle School

Back to top

Choral Night – Save the Date!

Thursday 24 March

Our girls are gearing up for Choral Night 2022, which will be held on Thursday 24 March at Influencers Church in Paradise.

Choral Night is one of the most anticipated events on the Saints Girls’ calendar, and this year’s spectacle carries the theme ‘Power Ballads’.

Details regarding tickets will be provided soon. In the meantime, take a look back at highlights from last year:

Back to top

Move a Million Metres for Our New Gym

As you will be aware, we are currently in a major fundraising phase for the development of our new Gym. On Thursday 14 April, coinciding with Summer Interhouse, we will be hosting our inaugural Giving Day, which will provide our community with an opportunity to support this vital venture.

Leading up to Giving Day, we will run an initiative where students can get active and fundraise to help us reach our one million dollar fundraising goal. The group challenge is to collectively MOVE A MILLION METRES!

For Reception to Year 3, on Tuesday 5 April (Week 10), there will be an opportunity for students to participate in a Giant Obstacle Course.

Students in Years 4 – 12 will be tasked with designing their own Saints Girls All-Star Challenge, to be completed in Week 10 or 11. For students who are struggling for inspiration, our Sport Captains will be setting up a range of activities at lunchtimes to help them on their way.

Indeed, our Sport Captains are already leading the charge with this mammoth task, with Sport Prefect Charlie Fishlock planning to climb the height of Mount Everest on the stairs – that’s 901 flights of stairs – and the rest of our Sport Captains committing to collectively hit 20% of the total target and move 200,000m!

More information on this challenge and how to help us fundraise will be distributed to parents and students shortly. In the meantime, get talking with your friends, get excited and get committed to movement. Together, we’ve got this!

Tommy Peak
Director of Sport

For more inspiration, take a look at Saints Girls in action:

Back to top

Announcing Our Star Struck Major Lottery

As momentum builds for our Gym fundraising campaign featuring our ‘Saints Girls All-Stars’, we are thrilled to launch our Star Struck Major Lottery.

Ticket sales opened today, so get in quick!

First Prize: Toyota Yaris Ascent Sport from Northpoint Toyota (valued at $27,811)
+ a personalised car park at St Peter’s Girls’ School from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023.

This stunning new car could belong to you or someone in your family! Spread the word and feel free to share this opportunity with your friends and relatives.

To buy your tickets: CLICK HERE

Lottery Licence No: M14175

Back to top

The Art of Welcome in Our ELC

In the ELC, we have started Term 1 by discussing what it means to feel welcomed and how we can welcome others. This aligns with our current Central Idea that ‘A welcoming community can strengthen connections’.

The children have been delving into these questions through a range of planned experiences including drawing greetings, exploring language, storytelling and role play.

Watch our video to see how we welcome in the ELC.

Back to top

Girls Be Sharp in Year 1 Music Class

Our Year 1 students have embraced the new school year by sharpening their music skills with the welcoming call and response song ‘Hey Everybody’.

The girls are developing their aural acuity, building confidence in singing, recognising and clapping rhythm, and discerning the difference between a steady beat and rhythm. We also discussed the influences of Indigenous instrumentation within the song.

We look forward to continuing our music journey together!

Sally Rounsevell
Director of Music

Back to top

Important COVID-19 Notice

To help protect the health of our families, staff and the wider community, we must all work together to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Please be reminded of the following:

Children are to be kept home if they are unwell, even mildly.

If your child tests positive to COVID-19, notify us immediately. Please also provide the date your child’s test was taken and the date symptoms started (if no symptoms, note ‘asymptomatic’).

Where possible, to help limit the amount of telephone traffic, please notify us via email or text:

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

If you do need to notify us over the phone, please call the Front Office on 8334 2200.

If there are COVID cases within the school setting, parents of classroom contacts will be notified, and these children can continue to attend school provided they have no symptoms.

FRONT OFFICE DROP-OFFS

With current restrictions on parents entering the School grounds and to assist our staff, please ensure your daughter has all of the items she needs for the day to reduce the amount of items being dropped off at the Front Office.

We thank all of our families for your continued support and cooperation.

Issue no. 3

From Our Head of Junior School

After a peculiar beginning to the school year, we had a second beginning this week, with the return of all year levels to face-to-face learning. It was lovely to see students reconnecting with each other, and new students getting to know their classmates and school environment.

The beginning of a school year is a significant transition point and time-marker. It can bring excitement, nerves, hope, challenges, opportunities, and any number of preconceived expectations. This is especially relevant at particular junctures such as starting at the ELC, the first day of Reception, leaving Year 6 and heading to Middle School, joining Senior School, and commencing Year 12.

As we all get into the rhythm of another year, we are cognisant that many of our students, consciously or subconsciously, have begun by wondering about their wellbeing, their identity, and their roles and responsibilities as members of this year’s community. Many will have likely mused on internal questions along the lines of, ‘Do I feel safe and supported?’ ‘Do others understand my strengths, abilities and personal background?’ ‘Who am I in this new setting?’ ‘How am I perceived by others?’ ‘Do I have the opportunity to build my sense of identity, flourish and grow my range of interests?’ ‘What is expected of me?’ ‘What are acceptable ways of being, will I be included, and will I be able to contribute in meaningful ways?’ These are all relevant thoughts, even at their most simple level, by our youngest children.

These questions are not merely the domain of students. They are equally relevant to adult life. Managing transitions into and through school helps us prepare for the transitions we encounter throughout the rest of our lives: welcoming a new sibling, starting university, moving out of home, living in a new city, changing jobs, changing relationships, becoming a parent, or our body’s response to ageing.

As the adults in our students’ lives, we all have a role to play in listening to their thoughts, supporting them into the new year, and helping to frame the year ahead as one for growth, optimism and building positive connections. Ultimately, the skills and attitudes they develop through managing the milestones of the beginning-of-year transition will build their capacity for transitions to come. We look forward to nurturing their growth and development and enjoying a wonderful year of school life.

Suzanne Haddy
Head of Junior School

Back to top

From Our Head Prefect: Welcome Back Girls!

At the start of February, when Term 1 began, walking into the School grounds felt less familiar. I was eager to see and chat to all of the friendly girls, but I quickly realised that wouldn’t happen so soon. Having only five of our 13 year groups present was a strange experience – we missed the hustle and the chatter.

In the past two years, patience is a skill we have had to further develop. The challenge of applying social distancing measures has already had and will continue to have an impact on our community. Whilst Saints Girls, as is the case with other schools, has had to postpone a range of events and adapt our students’ learning environment, our girls have adjusted so graciously. A huge thanks to the teachers for the effort they put into making online learning as interesting and accessible as possible. I am sure the positive attitudes and resilience from our girls was appreciated by the staff too. This great energy radiated on campus on Monday. Seeing those happy faces and beaming smiles as all the girls returned to school made the first two challenging weeks so worthwhile.

Our wonderful sense community is what really makes every Saints Girls’ experience so special. Together, we can face these challenges, rise above them, and move forward. Being on one campus where girls of all ages can come together feels even more valuable now having realised how empty it felt beforehand. Our musicians, among others, will have to be patient for a little longer as rehearsals have been delayed. This is challenging for the many of us who are keen to get back to choir and band practice, but I am sure some of you will appreciate a few more days of sleeping in!

Alongside patience, gratitude is something our girls will continue to carry with them through these coming months. We will have to remain optimistic about wearing masks. Rather than seeing them as an uncomfortable inconvenience, it’s important to remember that they are simply a part of learning in a safe, in-person environment. I hope a newfound appreciation of the smaller things in life such as laughter and enjoying each other’s company will be gained by our girls. Our School’s values of courage, creativity and compassion have come to the fore over the past few weeks and will continue to guide our approach.

Sophie Norman
Head Prefect

Back to top

Cultural Connections for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year celebrations are in full swing at Saints Girls marking the Year of the Tiger. Here are a few welcoming words from our International Student Prefect Shreya Jayaprakash:

‘It is no surprise that this break has been difficult with disruptions due to COVID and not being able to return home to celebrate the holiday. In spite of this, we are so thankful to have everyone back on campus and can’t wait for the great year ahead. To celebrate everyone coming back to school, we are hosting a dumpling lunch on Friday 4 March on Chiverton Lawns where our international students are invited, as well as any friends they wish to bring along. The dumplings will be provided by Chef Dong. We can’t wait to see everyone there and I look forward to getting to know you all better this year.’

Chinese teacher Heng Wang is also sharing the festivities and cultural significance with our Reception students:

‘We have been talking about Chinese New Year in our Chinese lessons. We have had discussions about the culture by letting students see/touch/feel/smell different Chinese New Year items. The girls were very keen on joining the discussions, sharing their experiences and their views on the culture.’

Our Year 12 girls have decorated their Common Room with Chinese decorations including paper cutting art (窗花), fortune posters (福), and spring festival Couplets (春联). The bright red Couplets, as pictured below, originated from the Shu era (more than 1000 years ago), appearing alongside the doors of nearly every household during New Year’s season, said to protect against angry spirits. The girls have also been sharing their favourite Chinese snacks and sweets.

We wish everyone a wonderful Chinese New Year!

Back to top

Old Scholar Rower in the Spotlight

We were delighted to see recent Old Scholar Sophie Barr (Kilburn 2021) appear in a fabulous article on AdelaideNow describing her next exciting chapter at Harvard University in the United States:

South Australian rower Sophie Barr accepted in to Harvard University to compete in varsity team

A star South Aussie rower has capped off her rise to the top by being accepted in to one of the world’s most renowned schools and varsity teams.

Article by Daniel Renfrey

A prestigious American university will be the new home of talented 18-year-old rower Sophie Barr in 2022. The St Peter’s Girls’ School alumni has been in the best form of her five-year career, recently winning the Under 19 women’s single at the South Australian championships and representing the state at nationals as part of SA’s open eights.

Barr was accepted by Harvard to study law and psychology and to compete in its varsity rowing team after meeting a number of academic and athletic benchmarks – a dream come true for the rising star.

“It has been a dream of mine to attend Harvard but it only became realistic to me when I started to gain momentum in rowing,” Barr said. “I initially started talking to coaches at Harvard a couple years ago. The recruiting process was hard work, especially due to Covid travel restrictions and also with it being during Year 12 but it has definitely paid off.”

Barr – who started rowing in Year 7 – has experienced a fast trajectory in her development. She quickly solidified her spot in St Peter’s Girls’ team and individual events and has also been one of the top performers at the South Australian Sports Institute under the watchful eye of veteran coach Jason Lane. Barr credited the experience gained from her school and sporting programs for her recent achievements.

“The support of both my family as well as all my teachers at Saints has definitely helped me get to this point,” she said. “SASI has also played a massive part in helping me develop as an athlete and provide me with countless opportunities.”

Barr said she was excited leading in to the upcoming academic year in America. She also had hopes of achieving at a high level at Harvard and going on to do bigger and better things for her home country.

“I’ve always been interested in studying overseas and I’m looking forward to the experience,” Barr said. “I’m going to put my best foot forward and hopefully eventually make an Australian rowing team as well. The prospect of one day representing my country on the world stage is something which is extremely exciting.”

Barr will begin her Harvard journey on September 1.

Back to top

Fringe Foray for Old Scholar Performer

Old Scholar Erin McKellar (Patteson 2013) continues to achieve incredible success in Performing Arts. Erin is premiering her very own musical, A Box of Memories, at the Adelaide Fringe. Co-written with her father Duncan and with music composed entirely by Erin, this intimate show features an all-Adelaide line up that presents perspectives on what it means to live with dementia, from diagnosis through to the end-of-life. During a series of vignettes, it follows the story of Lizzy, a woman in her 70s, experiencing changes in memory and at the beginning of a life-impacting diagnostic experience.

We wish Erin all the best for this heartfelt production.

Venue: The Jade, 142 – 160 Flinders St, Adelaide
Dates: 22 February 8.30pm and 27 February 6.30pm & 8.30pm
Tickets: $35 via Adelaide Fringe – click here

Back to top

Swimming Carnival – New Date

Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, we have been forced to postpone next Friday’s Swimming Carnival. Fortunately, we have managed to secure a new booking at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre for Tuesday 5 April (Week 10).

With the extra lead time, we are hoping that the new date may be met with reduced restrictions and a greater chance of parents being able to attend. As always, we will be guided by the latest SA Health advice and will communicate any further changes as well as logistical details closer to the date.

Back to top

School Photos

Focus School Portraits will be at school on Monday 28 February and Tuesday 1 March to take our School Photos.

A special St Peter’s Girls’ Package has been designed for our families where each student will receive the following photos:

1 – 8″ x 10″ Individual Portrait
2 – 5″ x 7″ Individual Portraits
4 – 2.5″ x 3.5″ Individual Portraits
1 – 8″ x 10″ Class/Home Group Photo

There is no additional cost to families as this has been incorporated into your fees. Should you wish to purchase extra packs, photos or items such as key rings, mugs, jigsaws etc., you can visit www.focusschoolportraits.com to order these online.

Class/Home Group teachers have the schedule and will communicate photo times to students.

Sibling photos will be taken during lunch on Monday 28 February on Chiverton Lawns. Order forms for each family will be distributed to Class/Home Group teachers. For families with students in the ELC, sibling photos will be taken in Term 2 when ELC photos are scheduled. Forms will be distributed closer to the time.

If you have any queries, please contact me via fmcgregor@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Fiona McGregor
Events Coordinator

Back to top

Drinks on the Lawns

A terrific opportunity for parents to socially meet up with other parents and teachers/staff on Chiverton Lawns. Food and drinks will be provided at this adults-only event. We ask that guests scan the SA Health QR code upon arrival.

Please seek out your Year Level Representatives and chat with our Community Relations staff on the evening to learn about our volunteering opportunities and the social and community events we are planning for 2022.

Back to top

Important COVID-19 Notice

As we embark upon a very different start to the school year, we must all work together to minimise the risk of COVID transmission. Please note the following:

Children are to be kept home if they are unwell, even mildly.

If your child tests positive to COVID-19, notify us immediately. Please also provide the date your child’s test was taken and the date symptoms started (if no symptoms, note ‘asymptomatic’).

Where possible, to help limit the amount of telephone traffic, please notify us via email or text:

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

If you do need to notify us over the phone, please call the Front Office on 8334 2200.

If there are COVID cases within the school setting, parents of classroom contacts will be notified, and these children can continue to attend school provided they have no symptoms.

FRONT OFFICE DROP-OFFS

With current restrictions on parents entering the School grounds and to assist our staff, please ensure your daughter has all of the items she needs for the day to reduce the amount of items being dropped off at the Front Office.

We thank all of our families for your continued support and cooperation.

Issue no. 2

Full Return to School Update

Following the State Government’s confirmation of a full, on-site return to school next week, we can’t wait for our Years 2 – 6 and Years 9 – 11 students to join the rest of our girls here on Monday.

We expect Monday morning’s drop-off will be busier than usual given many of our students who’ve been learning from home will be unloading additional resources. Therefore, we ask drivers to be patient and adhere to the 10kmh speed limit. Our wonderful Prefect Team will be on hand to assist the girls in carrying their bags into school.

Schools are still awaiting advice and timings on elements such as the return to interschool sport, events and having parents back on campus. All activities will be reviewed in line with the latest advice and we will communicate relevant updates with you. At this stage, we have rescheduled Drinks on the Lawns, so please save the new date: Thursday 10 March, 5.30 – 8pm.

Whilst having all of our cohorts back here together at Stonyfell will be incredible, we must be even more vigilant in minimising COVID-19 transmission.

As such, please be reminded of the following:

Face masks are required indoors for students in Years 7 to 12 and strongly recommended for students in Years 3 to 6, unless an exemption applies.

Children are to be kept home if they are unwell, even mildly.

If your child tests positive to COVID-19, notify us immediately. Please also provide the date your child’s test was taken and the date symptoms started (if no symptoms, note ‘asymptomatic’).

Where possible, to help limit the amount of telephone traffic, please notify us via email or text:

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

If you do need to notify us over the phone, please call the Front Office on 8334 2200.

If there are COVID cases within the school setting, parents of classroom contacts will be notified, and these children can continue to attend school provided they have no symptoms.

For families who choose to keep their children home or if they are required to isolate, we will be unable to deliver a formal remote learning program. However, we will provide support where practical, which may involve sharing some online resources but not direct teaching.

Once again, we thank our families for your fantastic support and cooperation, and we look forward to seeing all of our girls in three days’ time!

Julia Shea
Principal

Back to top

Drinks on the Lawns – Save the New Date

Back to top

From Our Deputy Principal /
Head of Senior School

I have always encouraged the students in my care to try something new, to take risks and to continue to build their resilience. As the year commenced, I found myself thinking of all those students who followed my advice, and suddenly had an even greater appreciation of the courage they displayed taking on something new and different, as I prepared to join a new school community.

Any nerves that may have been present in those early days were quickly laid to rest as students, families and staff warmly welcomed me to St Peter’s Girls. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the lovely welcome I have received. I could tell from the very start that Saints Girls is a place of excellence, a place where people care for one another and a place of fun. The first few weeks have certainly lived up to those early sentiments

While the start of the 2022 school year isn’t quite as we had hoped it might be, I look forward to welcoming back our remaining cohorts and to meeting more families over the coming weeks. I believe the partnership between home and school is vital to ensure our girls flourish throughout their school journey.

As an educator, I am passionate about girls’ schools and girls’ education. Places such as Saints Girls provide opportunities for students to grow in confidence as learners and as young women. Our girls are encouraged to take risks and to develop resilience. They take on leadership roles and see other young women leading. Girls’ schools are truly a wonderful place to be!

There are many things I am looking forward to at St Peter’s Girls, but how could I go past Choral Night?! An event that I have already heard so much about, I look forward with much excitement to see what our girls can produce. While there are certainly lots of big events I am eager to experience, it is perhaps the smaller moments in each day that I am just as excited about. I look forward to chatting with the girls and getting to know them, and meeting families as we watch the girls compete in sport, perform on stage, or simply in the mornings at drop-off.

I wish you all a happy, safe and successful 2022 and look forward to working in partnership with our families.

Lauren Sutton
Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School

Back to top

Greetings from Our ELC in 2022

Welcome to 2022 at St Peter’s Girls’ Early Leaners’ Centre!

As we look forward to another amazing year together, we extend special greetings to our new families and a warm welcome back to familiar faces.

Back to top

Talented Rider Jumping for Joy

Congratulations to Imogen Lindh for placing Runner Up as the Australian Children’s Champion at the recent Australian Jumping Championships in Victoria.

Imogen proudly rode her horse Blackall Park Koraleigh at the three-day event and came in only 1 point behind the winner.

Photo credit: Derek O’Leary

Back to top

Academic Athlete at International Olympiad

During the summer holidays, I travelled to Canberra for nine days to participate in the International Junior Science Olympiad. My team quickly got to know each other and developed relationships through activities such as board games and various challenges like building a spaghetti tower. The team then spent three days before the competition revising material and doing practice practicals.

The competition itself consisted of a multiple choice exam, a theory (short answer) exam and a practical exam which were completed in two teams of three. Each exam covered all three disciplines of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, so we needed to be well-rounded in our knowledge of these areas. The exams went for three hours and were held on separate days with rest days in between. As a joke, our practical teams were unofficially named after popular conspiracy theories. On the rest days, we visited popular spots around Canberra such as Questacon at the National Science and Technology Centre, the particle accelerator at the Australian National University, the shopping mall and the lake. We also rode the scooters. My favourite visit was the ‘Within Without’ James Turrell Skyspace Exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia.

The International Junior Science Olympiad and the work to prepare for it were incredibly challenging, but it was such a rewarding experience to learn and be exposed to so many new things.

Heidi Gong
Year 10 Student

Back to top

Important COVID-19 Notice

As we embark upon a very different start to the school year, we must all work together to minimise the risk of COVID transmission. Please note the following:

Children are to be kept home if they are unwell, even mildly.

If your child tests positive to COVID-19, notify us immediately. Please also provide the date your child’s test was taken and the date symptoms started (if no symptoms, note ‘asymptomatic’).

Where possible, to help limit the amount of telephone traffic, please notify us via email or text:

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

If you do need to notify us over the phone, please call the Front Office on 8334 2200.

If there are COVID cases within the school setting, parents of classroom contacts will be notified, and these children can continue to attend school provided they have no symptoms.

We thank all of our families for your continued support and cooperation.

Issue no. 1

From Our Principal

Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change…

Dylan Alcott made history last week in becoming the first person with a visible disability to be appointed Australian of the Year. The 31 year old athlete, Paralympian, philanthropist, media commentator and advocate was recognised for both his sport and disability awareness work. Alcott stated:

‘To be named Australian of the Year and to get it for not just being good at tennis, but for the work off the court…my purpose 10 years ago, yesterday, today and as Australian of the Year, it’s never changed. It’s not to win tennis tournaments, it’s to change perceptions so people with disability live the lives that they deserve to live.’

Dylan has taken us on a journey to appreciate individuals for their humour, their passion and their ability – to concentrate on the ten thousand things that they can do, not on the one thing that they can’t do. Whether it be through the media or on the tennis court, he has allowed us to get to know him, to begin to understand what makes him tick so that we see him as a normal, everyday good bloke. By changing the perception of what it is to be disabled, he has moved the dial towards inclusion.

As we start the new school year, you will form many perceptions – your first impressions of that new teacher, what you believe to be your daughter’s friend’s motivation for posting that message on Snapchat, how you perceive your daughter is settling into the new school year.

What you perceive to be true and what is actually true aren’t always the same. In fact, those two things can be so far removed from each other, you might wonder how you ever thought what you thought in the first place. Our perceptions are what define our behaviour. When we refuse to allow any flexibility in our perceptions, we close our minds to possibility and sometimes even the truth. Take arriving at a perception of someone as being either likeable or unlikeable. We form that impression very early on in the game but can rarely articulate our reasons well enough to make sense. We just see someone as being either likeable or not. And then of course, we use everything the person says or does to confirm that initial perception.

A shift in perception starts with an increase in awareness. We had to take the time to get to know Dylan. It takes great communication to change perception. We need to ask questions and not assume we know the answers. Dylan has patiently answered the same questions over and over again. It’s been a tough couple of years and the start to Term 1 isn’t that for which we’d hoped. But just because we can’t see many of our girls and parents in person at the moment, doesn’t mean that we can’t answer your questions and help formulate your perceptions. Now more than ever, the lines of communication need to be strong. Your daughter’s Home Group Teacher remains the first point of contact for you, and we are here, ready and waiting to answer your questions as they arise. If something happens that doesn’t seem quite right, don’t just assume that’s the way Saints Girls goes about it. Ask us – challenge us – because we’ll work hard to ensure that your perceptions of the School continue to be very positive ones.

New Facilities

The new classrooms in the Middle School have been completed and the views provided over the Oval are simply stunning. It’s yet another amazing space in which our girls will learn and draws once again on the beautiful surrounds of the School. The landscaping underneath the extension will be completed in the coming weeks.

Of course, our focus remains on the new Gym and the fundraising campaign to help bring that project to fruition. The School will hold its inaugural Giving Day on Thursday 14 April to coincide with the Summer Interhouse competition, and a Gala Ball will be held on Saturday 18 June. Please save both of those dates in your diary. Further details will be available shortly.

Drinks on the Lawns

Unfortunately, this function has been postponed due to the latest guidelines from SA Health. We hope to reschedule this event later in the term so you have the chance to meet the new members of our teaching staff. In the meantime, please join me in welcoming:

• • Joni Combe – Drama
  • Esther Kim – Mathematics
  • Ying Liu – Chinese
  • Kyle Martelle – Business/Economics
  • Melanie Smith – English
  • Lauren Sutton – Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School

You can find links to email your daughter’s teachers under ‘Class Contacts’ on the myLink
parent portal.

Best wishes for the start of the year. We hope to welcome you all back on site in the not too distant future.

Julia Shea
Principal

Back to top

Welcome to 2022 at Saints Girls!

Welcome to the 2022 school year! It was wonderful to greet many of our students at Stonyfell for Day 1 on Tuesday, and we hope to see the rest of our girls very soon.

Check out the video below featuring some of our Receptions on their first day of school, and our Year 12s enjoying their last first day of school with a traditional group walk-in and a few shoutouts for our girls learning from home.

Back to top

Week of Firsts for Youngest Saints Girls

It has been a very exciting start to the school year for the Reception students. The girls have settled extremely well into school life and have enjoyed meeting new friends in the classroom and schoolyard. They have spent time exploring their new classroom, listening to stories, learning about the important rules and procedures of the classroom, and brainstorming ways to be a good friend and learner. We asked the girls some questions about their first week:

What did you have the most fun doing this week?

• • ‘The best thing we have done is colouring the dragon mask for Chinese New Year because I like colouring.’ – Zoey
  • ‘I loved doing PE because I liked playing a game where we put on blindfolds and someone told us how to get to the hoop.’ – Mila
  • ‘I have liked playing with my friends because we made pretend pancakes with bark chips and leaves, and we made pizza as well.’ – Emily

What games did you play at recess?

• • ‘I have been going on the swings that go really fast.’ – Willow
  • ‘I have liked playing on the yellow bars at recess.’ – Nina
  • ‘I was playing ‘the floor is lava’ with Sophie and Charlotte. This is a game where if you are on the ground, you need to wear your lava shoes or else your feet will melt.’ – Olivia

What are you loving learning about?

• • ‘I like learning about the number of days we’ve been at school. We put a sticker on a ten frame each day to help learn and count.’ – Keira B
  • ‘I loved thinking of words for our classroom. We thought of sensible, kind and happy.’ – Sia
  • ‘I enjoyed learning about Twos-Day. On this day, the date had lots of twos in it (2/2/2022). We made special badges to celebrate.’ – Mia

Have you made a new friend this week?

• • ‘My new friend named Ameila is nice and helpful. We became friends when she helped me to the toilet and she said, ‘Do you want to be my friend?” – Mackenzie
  • ‘I made friends with Harper and Charlotte. I loved playing upstairs in the sandpit with them.’ – Olivia
  • ‘I made friends with Emily. We played together on the playground. We made pizza and pancakes.’ – Saarvi

We are so proud of the girls’ confidence and sense of agency and are looking forward to seeing all they achieve in their first year of school.

Meg Jordan and Alana Lesiw
Reception Teachers

Back to top

Important COVID-19 Notice

As we embark upon a very different start to the school year, we must all work together to minimise the risk of COVID transmission. Please note the following:

Children are to be kept home if they are unwell, even mildly.

If your child tests positive to COVID-19, notify us immediately. Please also provide the date your child’s test was taken and the date symptoms started (if no symptoms, note ‘asymptomatic’).

Where possible, to help limit the amount of telephone traffic, please notify us via email or text:

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

If you do need to notify us over the phone, please call the Front Office on 8334 2200.

We thank all of our families for your continued support and cooperation.