Issue no. 21
From Our Principal
Welcome to 2024! This year is not just the beginning of another school year, but a momentous occasion in our School’s history – the 130th birthday of our beloved school. It is a great privilege, that we have been given the opportunity to add another chapter to the School’s long and illustrious history. As we embark on a new academic year, we reflect on the rich tapestry of experiences that has shaped our school over the past 130 years. Our School has been a beacon of knowledge, a sanctuary for learning, and a home for countless students who have passed through its classrooms, each student leaving their distinctive legacy.
To our returning students and families, welcome back! I am thrilled to be on this journey with you and to witness the continued growth and accomplishments that lie ahead. To our new students and families, I am delighted to have you join our community. Your presence brings fresh perspective and unique talents that will enrich our school.
Staffing News
Our 130th year promises to be one filled with opportunities for discovery, collaboration and achievement. Last week our dedicated staff spent time together reflecting on what is done well at St Peter’s Girls and the changes we need to make in continuing to meet the needs of our students and families in the incredibly dynamic space of education. We considered the ongoing reinforcement of the positive cultures in our School:
The admiration we have for our founding Sisters of the Church. The valuable traditions that have developed over the course of the School’s history including our continued commitment to our vision, mission and values.
Our unquestionable love of learning and striving for excellence in everything we do.
The respectful, caring and authentic relationships that are nurtured between staff, students, families, old scholars and members of the broader community.
The staff also addressed our practices of inclusion and diversity. We looked at the role of Artificial Intelligence in education and the incredible benefits it brings to teaching and learning together with the challenges it poses for students and teachers. Our teaching staff spent time hard at work preparing innovative and engaging lessons that will not only challenge our students academically, but will also continue to inspire a life-time love for learning. The Property Services Team continued to facilitate the on-site management of the multiple building projects that are underway, ensuring that our beautiful grounds are as stunning as ever when our students return to school this week. Our IT Team have been further developing the efficiency, reliability and security of our operating systems, and administrative staff have been busy attending to the multitude of tasks that a new school year brings. I’d like to take this opportunity to warmly welcome new staff members to St Peter’s Girls. We look forward to the expertise and new perspectives that they bring with them.
School Grounds
The building works which are taking place at the School this year are very exciting. The renovations in our Early Learning Centre are well underway with the first stage looking to be completed at the beginning of March.
Enormous progress has been made during the school break on the building of our new Junior School Playground. It is quite exhilarating watching the wide variety of structures emerge, knowing that they will nurture curiosity in our students’ play. Our students will be able to enjoy their new nature experience by mid-March.
Key Dates
New Student Day: Monday 29 January
First day of Term 1: Tuesday 30 January
School Photos: Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 February
Parent Information Night Reception – Year 6: Tuesday 6 February
Drinks on the Lawn: Friday 9 February
ELC Learning and Teacher Evening: Monday 12 February
Year 7 Information Evening: Thursday 15 February
Year 11 and 12 Formal: Saturday 17 February
Swimming Carnival Year 4 – 12: Friday 23 February
Parent Information Evening Year 10 and 11: Wednesday 28 February
International Women’s Day: Friday 8 March
Public Holiday: Monday 11 March
Head of the River: Saturday 16 March
Choral Night: Thursday 21 March
Good Friday: Friday 29 March
Easter Monday: Monday 1 April
Last day of Term: Friday 12 April
I encourage each of you to embrace the opportunities that this School year will bring, and I ask our students especially, to step out of their comfort zones and to seize every chance to learn and grow. Let us make our 130th year one filled with memorable experiences, lasting friendships and outstanding achievements in our learning, in our co-curricular activities and in our service. Let us continue to live our values of Courage, Creativity and Compassion every day, in everything that we do. It is indeed an exciting time to be at Saints Girls. I wish you all a fantastic Term 1!
Cherylyn Skewes
Principal
From Our New Head of Junior School
Welcome to the 2024 school year, I hope you enjoyed a wonderful summer break. I have spent my holidays moving from the Adelaide Hills to our new family home near Glenelg. We are all thoroughly enjoying the sea change, including our three furry companions – Daisy, Cleo and Bertie!
I am delighted to become a part of the St Peter’s Girls’ community, leading in an all-girls school where our mission is to provide outstanding educational opportunities that encourage our girls to become women of character and influence. Through a holistic education, I will continue to ensure your daughter’s academic strengths and interests are nurtured in the Junior School and she is inspired to pursue her goals with confidence and success.
Our Junior School classrooms look fabulous, and we are ready for a terrific start to the school year, commencing Tuesday 30 January at 8.30am. On this day, all Junior School girls are to wear their formal summer uniform; a friendly reminder the straw hat must also be worn to and from school with the summer dress, and the navy broad-brimmed hat is required for outside play and PE lessons.
Our new Junior School playground is taking shape and will be ready for use towards the end of Term 1. During the construction period, students will be provided with additional games and sports equipment to use on the oval during recess and lunch breaks.
The start of the school year is an exciting time. We extend a warm welcome to our new families, and we wish our new Reception girls a fabulous first day at school! Please save the date for our Reception to Year 6 Meet the Teacher Evening, to be held on Tuesday 6 February. This evening provides a wonderful opportunity to meet your daughter’s class teacher and to hear about year level routines and curriculum; further information will follow soon.
Throughout the year I will keep you informed of key Junior School developments. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to meeting everyone soon.
Marika Taylor Head of Junior School
2023 at Saints Girls!
While 2024 is about to kick-off at Stonyfell, Saints Girls is still buzzing from a phenomenal 2023. Take a look back at some of the amazing highlights across our School.
Drinks on the Lawns – Next Week
School Photos 2024
Focus School Portraits will be at school on Tuesday 6 February – Thursday 8 February 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 will be sent the schedule and will communicate photo times to students. The students are asked to bring their blazer for school photos. Sibling photos will be taken during lunch on Tuesday 6 February and Wednesday 7 February on Chiverton Lawns.
Order forms for each family will be distributed to Class/Home Group Teachers. If you have any queries, please contact me via fmcgregor@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Fiona McGregor Events Coordinator
ELC Extension and Upgrades
You may have noticed the incredible progress of the extension and upgrade of our Learning Community 2 as you have travelled along Hallett Rd.
In the ELC we are very excited as we anticipate the completion of Stage 1 at the beginning of March. At the end of this stage, we will have a vibrant and flexible learning space with two extended learning environments, a new commercial kitchen, piazza, and children’s toilets.
It has been wonderful to see our ELC children’s curiosity and hear their questions as they observed the changes that are taking place. Their questions and wonderings have been a wonderful provocation for learning.
Liz Schembri Director of Early Learning Centre
A Night on the Green
Don’t miss this year’s Dads Night Out for some barefoot bowling. Come along for a fun night – bring a mate, meet the other fathers at St Peter’s Girls!
Date: Friday 1 March 2024 Time: 6.30pm onwards Venue: Tranmere Bowling Club, 1 Kings Grove, Tranmere Tickets: $40 via https://www.trybooking.com/COKYT (Includes entry, bowling fees and a hamburger)
Bookings close Tuesday 27 February at 5pm Drinks and Lucky Squares can be purchased on the night.
Enquiries: Fiona McGregor fmcgregor@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Supported by the Friends of Sport
Performing Arts Fusion 2024
Attention all lovers of Musical Theatre! The FUSION 2024 program is shaping up to be super exciting, with something for everyone no matter your skill level. Enthusiasm is the biggest requirement!
Our first rehearsal is Wednesday Week 1 3:45-5:30pm. This is a chance for everyone to hear more about FUSION and learn a snippet from a fun ensemble song and dance item. Everyone who attends this ‘gets in’ to the show!
Additionally, if you’d like to audition for a solo singing role, please prepare a Musical Theatre style song of your choice and bring along the backing track (or link to this to play). The Musicals that we have shortlisted are Legally Blonde, Chicago, Cats and Hamilton, so you could choose a song from one of these.
If you’d like to sing in a small group, you’ll have this opportunity also. The song you’ll be singing is OMG You Guys from Legally Blonde. If you’d like to listen to it beforehand, but this is not an expectation.
Lastly, some more challenging choreography will be taught to those students interested in being in the Principal Dance Troupe.
We are very excited to welcome you into our Performing Arts family in any capacity you choose!
Ms Burnett, Ms Combe & Ms Kitching
Year 7 and 10 School Immunisations 2024
Year 7 students are eligible for Gardasil and Boostrix vaccines and Year 10 students are eligible for Meningococcal B and Meningococcal ACWY vaccines in 2024. These vaccines are recommended on the National Immunisation Program.
Year 7 families please click here for more information about the Year 7 Immunisation Program, and Year 10 families please click here for more information about the Year 10 Immunisation Program.
This is a funded program via Eastern Health Authority, our Immunisation Services Provider.
School Medical Information Reminder
It is imperative that all medical information, including immunisations, is up to date on the School’s myLink parent portal. Please follow this pathway to check and/or update details:
myLink > Community Portal > My Details > select child name
If you have any questions, please email healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Car Park Protocols
As we begin a new school year, it is important to remind families about our car park protocols, particularly during drop off and pick up.
If the car park is full and you are unable to enter, circle the block until it is clear to enter, find a park elsewhere or, where age-appropriate, meet your daughter in a surrounding street.
Please note that, unless special circumstances apply, parents of girls in Years 2 to 12 should not enter the car park to collect their daughters prior to 3.30pm. Parents of girls in Reception and Year 1 have exclusive use of the pick-up zone prior to this time for safety and traffic reasons.
Please also refrain from turning right into or out of the car park at peak times, and please do not queue in the car park’s lanes as this often prevents drivers who are legally parked from exiting.
We have also previously received complaints about cars being parked too close to, or in front of driveways, or across from other vehicles in surrounding streets, making it extremely difficult for residents and other road users to navigate. We ask all community members to show consideration for others.
Thank you for your cooperation.
School Shop Notices
School Shop Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 8am – 4pm (closed for lunch 12 – 12.30pm) Parents can also order items via our Online School Shop
ELC Uniform – Compulsory for 2024
As of Term 1, 2024, the new ELC uniform will be compulsory, consisting of both the top and bottom pieces (t-shirt; shorts; long sleeve top; long pants). A plain navy-coloured long sleeve top will be permitted to be worn underneath the t-shirt.
This beautiful new range takes into consideration the unique sizes, proportions and needs of our youngest community members, giving our ELC children a smart, cohesive look, and simplifying the routine of getting dressed in the morning.
For summer and high UV periods, children will wear the new ELC bucket hat, and for cooler periods, there is a new ELC jacket and vest. These items are available from the School Shop.
All items that come to the ELC, including your child’s clothing and water bottle, must be clearly named.
Please ensure your child wears appropriate enclosed footwear for active and safe play, including excursions into Ferguson Park.
Absences from School
If your child will not be attending School/ELC due to illness or otherwise, please notify the School via one of the methods below. Please include the name of the ELC Room, Class or Home Group, along with the reason for the absence as the School requires this for government reporting purposes. If emailing, feel free to ‘CC’ the teacher of the Room/Class/Home Group as well. Text: 0428 601 957 Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au Phone: 8334 2200 It would be appreciated if notifications could be made prior to 9am.