Issue no. 6
From Our Director of Sport
Student leadership is a vital part of life at school, and this year, our Sport Captains are stepping up to lead our major fundraising campaign for a new Gym. The initiative of ‘MOVE A MILLION METRES’ has been launched, with students currently planning their challenges and working towards achieving their goals. Over the coming weeks, our Captains will be reaching out to students to track each girl’s target and ensure we are on the right path to achieve a million metres of movement. Additionally, our Sport Captains are planning the Giant Obstacle Course for Reception to Year 3 students, which will go 1.5km through the grounds of Saints Girls incorporating 10 obstacles – a huge and exciting challenge for our younger girls!
If one thing in sport is clear, it is that the only way to achieve our goals is through teamwork and hard work. There will not be an athlete in the world who has been successful without the support of a strong team. Even individual athletes require a network of coaches, nutritionists, psychologists, physios, and most importantly, friends and family supporting their journey.
Achieving our goal of a new Gym, raising $1 million, and Moving a Million Metres will all require teamwork. One girl will not move a million metres on her own, neither will one individual donate $1 million. This is a team challenge of epic proportions, and we need our whole community to support our journey.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics added the word ‘Together’ to the Olympic motto of faster, higher, stronger. Our new Gym is a space that will benefit thousands of Saints Girls for years to come, and if we want it to get underway sooner, now is certainly the time to come together through movement, encouragement and fun.
This week, girls are bringing home an A5 card that promotes our Giving Day and the challenge for students to Move a Million Metres. Students are encouraged to use this card to promote their challenge and seek sponsorship from friends and family. As noted earlier, teamwork is the key to this challenge. We know that children are more motivated to exercise when their immediate family members do so too. So please, don’t look at this as a purely student-centred challenge, get involved! Train with your daughters, run with them, walk alongside them, and inspire our girls to reach a community goal like no other – you never know, you might start something special.
Tommy Peak
Director of Sport
International Women’s Day at Saints Girls
International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on 8 March to commemorate the cultural, political, socioeconomic and other achievements of women. The day is a focal point in the women’s rights movement and marks a call to action for issues regarding gender equality, reproductive rights and violence against women. This significant day symbolises unity, femininity, strength and recognition of the constant battle for global equality and rights for all women, embracing the differences of faith, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity or disability. It’s a chance to celebrate those who came before us, those who stand beside us now, and those who will come after.
This year, the theme is ‘Break the Bias’ which aims to dismantle stereotypes against women as it’s no longer good enough just to recognise bias – it’s something we all need to actively challenge when we see it happening. To highlight and promote this
movement, Saints Girls wore purple ribbons, further unifying femininity and strength.
Historically, purple was a colour that denoted justice and dignity, and now it is used to represent women. Today, purple is the colour of International Women’s Day, representing the feminist movement, so a shout out to everyone supporting this day by wearing their purple ribbons!
During our International Women’s Day Assembly, we were fortunate to hear from technology leader Gosia Davis who explored the theme of ‘Break the Bias’ and her experiences in the STEM field. Gosia has worked in the software engineering industry for 13 years, with experience in the communications, security and defence sectors. She currently works at Silentium Industries, which deploys passive surveillance systems for land, sea and space. Gosia’s insights and advice were very inspiring, especially for the many girls looking to work in a STEM industry.
Chi Chi Zhao
Deputy Head Prefect
Music Inspiring Women of Character and Influence
To celebrate all of the wonderful women in our lives, have a listen to this stirring rendition of the Helen Reddy classic ‘I Am Woman’ as performed by our girls at Presentation Night.
Enchante accompanied by Chamber Choir and Extension Strings
Soloists in order: Sophie Norman, Georgie Raftopoulos (Kilburn 2021), Emeshe Robson (Kennion 2021), Victoria Thorp (Kennion 2021)
Celebrating the Power of Girls’ Education
As Saints Girls proudly marks International Women’s Day this week, it is also a fitting opportunity to celebrate the power of girls’ education.
Research from around the world continues to show girls in single-sex schools are more confident in their studies, and their wellbeing is far greater.
It is in their learning, confidence and social-emotional outcomes that they reap the benefits of single-sex education, cementing our School as a place for girls to flourish.
Hundred Ways We Express Ourselves in the ELC
St Peter’s Girls’ ELC is a vibrant and unique early learning environment with a team of educators who have a deep understanding of the Reggio Emilia Educational Project, focusing on artistic and creative expression inspired by the ‘Hundred Languages’ theory.
The Hundred Languages is a key principle of the globally-renowned Reggio Emilia approach to early learning and refers to the importance of providing children with multiple ways to share their thinking of the world around them. It also represents the infinite amount of potential each child naturally has, and the various capacities children have to express their ideas and understandings. We know children learn in a variety of different ways, and by exposing them to many artistic and creative languages, we are extending and enriching their educational journey.
These languages stretch far beyond standard verbal and written communication, extending to acting, dancing, singing, drawing, painting, mark-making, the use of natural materials, loose parts, light and so much more.
Choral Night Tickets and Adjudicators
Excitement is building with less than two weeks until Choral Night 2022!
Tickets for students and parents across Years 7 to 12 are now available.
To secure your tickets, CLICK HERE
We are also thrilled to announce the two outstanding adjudicators we have arranged for the event:
Sally Cameron
Sally’s voice has taken her from the Sydney Opera House to venues in Finland, Germany, Sweden, New York, Copenhagen, Seoul, Vancouver, Doha and Tokyo, to name a few.
She has performed with Barry Humphries (AKA Dame Edna Everage), Katie Noonan, Tina Arena, Guy Sebastian, Kate Ceberano, James Morrison, The Manhattan Transfer, and with the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras.
For the 10 years that Sally was a member of Australia’s premier professional a cappella group The Idea of North (TION), she recorded seven albums, five of which received an ARIA nomination and two that won the ARIA for Best Jazz Album.
Now in her solo career, she released her debut album ‘Always Christmas’ which jumped straight to #2 on the iTunes Jazz Charts.
Sally captivates audiences with her sweet tone, incredible accuracy and emotional subtlety. A four-octave vocal range, great comedic timing and an approachable demeanour ensure a lively and entertaining interaction with her audiences of all ages.
Years of classical and jazz vocal training whilst studying various musical instruments has shaped her into a versatile musician and vocal educator. Her solid involvement in the Australian music industry is testament to her wide-ranging experience in ensembles spanning from choirs to rock bands.
Luke Thompson
Luke graduated in 1999 from the Elder Conservatorium of Music (University of Adelaide) with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Voice. As a member of the Adelaide Connection jazz choir, Luke performed at the Sydney Opera House and the International Association of Jazz Educators Convention in New York. In 2001, Luke joined the a cappella ensemble Sonic Fix.
From 2003 to 2015, Luke lectured in Jazz Voice, Jazz Voice Masterclass and Large Ensemble (jazz choir) at the Elder Conservatorium of Music.
Luke is also a renowned jazz singer and alto saxophonist, having performed at many festivals and events. He has performed with James Morrison, Don Burrows, the Paul Kelly/Paul Grabowsky show ‘Meet Me In The Middle Of The Air’, Andy Seymour’s ‘How Great Thou Art – The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley’, and with the Mike Stewart Big Band’s Sinatra Songbook.
In 2017, Luke joined the ARIA award-winning a cappella group The Idea of North as its bass vocalist and has since led a busy schedule of national and international touring. He has written numerous arrangements for the group, as well as compositions and arrangements for the Generations in Jazz festival VEA divisions since 2018.
Year 7 & 8 Camps with a Twist
After being unable to camp overnight due to COVID restrictions, our Year 7 and 8 girls instead enjoyed a range of camp activities that had been planned for the week. The advantage for some was that they were able to head home each night for a hot shower – a luxury that would not normally occur on camp!
The girls participated in water activities with boogie boarding being a strong favourite. The Year 8s saw huge numbers of fish while snorkelling around Port Noarlunga Reef, whilst many Year 7s were lucky enough to be in groups that kayaked around Garden Island where they spotted families of dolphins in the water.
The girls also challenged themselves to hiking at Cleland Wildlife Park, along with experiencing many animal encounters. Both year levels spent time at Woodhouse Activity Centre, taking part in team activities such as Challenge Hill, high ropes, Trangia cooking, zip line, orienteering and frisbee golf.
Across the week, the girls experienced an array of outdoor activities and challenges which required their Home Group to develop their collaboration, communication and resilience. Thank you to the Home Group teachers who attended each day, as well as Ms Burton-Howard and Ms Tremonte for their support. The girls had a great camp week with other highlights being the bakery lunches and the many bus singalongs!
Esme Gonaduwa (Year 8 Student) & Dan Searle (Head of PE, Health & Outdoor Education)
Saints Girl Set to Star in Les Mis
We are thrilled for Year 6 student Eloise Harrington who will be playing the role of Young Cosette in the Northern Lights Theatre Company production of Les Misérables.
One of the world’s most iconic and longest-running musicals, Les Misérables tells the story of Jean Valjean, a former convict who spends a lifetime seeking redemption. Set against the backdrop of 19th century France and the aftermath of the French Revolution, this timeless story of intertwined destinies reveals the power of compassion and the quiet evil of indifference to human suffering.
Eloise shares her excitement for the role: ‘Being in this production makes me feel so special. I love working with amazing people. I have made great connections and friends. I have learnt so much from the director and older role models about how to act, think and feel like my character.’
The show is directed by Gordon Combes with music directed by Matthew Rumley and choreography by Sue Pole, and Eloise will perform in a stellar cast, led by special guest Mark Oates from SA State Opera and complemented by a full orchestra.
Venue: Shedley Theatre, Playford Civic Centre, 10 Playford Blvd, Elizabeth
Dates: 25 March to 9 April
Tickets: $36 (Adult) $24 (Child) via The Shedley – click here
Old Scholar Rockstar On Song at Fringe
Old Scholar Sarah McLeod (Kilburn 1989) is receiving outstanding reviews for the Adelaide Fringe show ‘27 Club’. The performance, which won the Fringe ‘Best Music Award’ last year, salutes the iconic group of rock musos who became legends and will forever be 27: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse.
We congratulate Sarah on her incredible music career and successes including 3 ARIAs with The Superjesus, induction into the SA Music Hall of Fame and releasing full-length studio albums as a solo performer. We can’t wait to see what’s next!
Photo credit: InDaily, Saige Prime.
Calling All Budding Rockstars!
Prince Alfred College drama department is looking for female singers, actors and dancers in Years 9 to 12 to be part of their co-curricular musical, ROCK OF AGES (Teen Edition).
Zoom Information Meeting – Tuesday 15 March, 7pm (Meeting ID: 493 883 0517)
Auditions – Weeks 8, 9 and 10 (Term 1) by appointment
Performances – Tuesday 6 to Thursday 9 September
For more information, contact Sharon Reynolds (Head of Drama, PAC) via sreynolds@pac.edu.au
Dads Have a Bowl at Night Out
Despite a few showers, competitiveness and camaraderie were rife at our annual Dads’ Night Out last Friday evening. Close to 70 dads got together on the green at Tranmere Bowling Club, enjoying a BBQ dinner, drinks and a game of bowls.
The dads enjoyed meeting each other, catching up and supporting the School. The Saints Sport Support Group volunteers sold lucky squares on the night to fundraise for sporting endeavours at the School.
Many thanks to the volunteers, sponsors and staff who supported the night – your time and commitment to making this event fun for our dads each year is very much appreciated.
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
Animal Instincts Come Alive at Cleland
Our Year 2 girls visited Cleland Wildlife Park last Friday, where they discovered native Australian wildlife in their natural habitat. The excursion was part of the ‘How the World Works’ unit of inquiry as the girls unpack the central idea that ‘All living things go through a process of change.’
Adding to their insects and mini-beasts inquiry work, the excursion enabled them to make connections and develop new understandings as they classified animals using the categories of mammals, birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles and fish. This experience also provided exciting first-hand knowledge for continued research into the lifecycles of Australian animals and a provocation to examine the information report genre.
As the girls explored the park with their educator Andrea, highlights included seeing the koalas, red and grey kangaroos, potaroos, birds and butterflies. Visiting the reptiles and amphibians in the Ocean to Outback display was a wonderful way to end the day.
Kathryn Clark and Rebecca Greenhalgh
Year 2 Teachers
Global Recycling Day – Next Friday
Support Recycling and Save the Planet on Global Recycling day next Friday 18 March. By being #RecyclingHeroes, we can combat many negative impacts of climate change and save up to 700 million tonnes of CO2 emissions a year just by recycling!
What you can do this Global Recycling Day:
- Reuse and recycle your waste for fun art projects
- Recycle newspapers, plastic water bottles, soda cans, cereal boxes and milk cartons
- Enlighten others about their waste’s impacts and get them involved
Why should you get involved?
- You’re preventing pollution and helping to tackle climate change
- Recycling saves money on buying new items
- Recycling can be creative and lots of fun!
Emily Hodgkinson
Environment Club
Starry Night Gala Ball – Secure Your Seats Now!
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
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 are now open, 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
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.
Please note that if your child is too sick to attend school, they are therefore also too sick to be working remotely from home.
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.
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.
Opportunity to Join Our Board of Governors
To help lift Saints Girls to even greater heights, an opportunity has arisen for two new members to join the School’s highly experienced, voluntary Board of Governors. The Board is committed to diversity in every respect and welcomes expressions of interest from recent Old Scholars, and both younger and accomplished professionals within and outside the School’s broader community.
In pursuit of an appropriately balanced skills matrix, particular experience in the building, property and construction domains would be ideal. Applications are also strongly encouraged from individuals from a wide range of other professional disciplines appropriate to the School’s strategic direction. High levels of commercial and political acumen complemented by exceptional leadership, communication, negotiation, governance and stakeholder management capacity are all essential qualities. An authentic passion for, and true commitment to, contemporary education will be critical. AICD qualifications will be highly regarded but are not essential. Responsibilities will involve membership of the full Board and at least one sub-committee.
This is an exciting opportunity to make a valuable contribution in supporting girls to become the leaders of tomorrow.
For further information about St Peter’s Girls’ School, visit www.stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Please visit www.henderconsulting.com.au to apply.
Car Park Reminders
Unless special circumstances apply, parents of girls in Years 2 to 12 should not enter the car park to collect their daughters before 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.
Furthermore, 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 also adhere to the 10kmh speed limit and refrain from turning right into or out of the car park during peak times as this causes further congestion.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Parent Webinar: Building Resilience in Turbulent Times
How can parents and carers support their children in these turbulent times? Join leading clinical psychologist Dr Andrew Fuller for a free webinar, where he will give his expert advice.
Turbulent times call for resilient minds. From COVID-19, the Ukraine invasion and rampant flooding, it’s already been a tough start to 2022. As resilience is being tested, students in our care are looking for support and guidance.
How might we understand and reduce anxiety for ourselves and others? How can we engage in conversation about tough times? And how can we create hope and positivity for the future?
Due to the anticipated demand across the country, we have scheduled two webinars. Get in early to secure your place.
Dates: Wednesday 16 March OR Tuesday 29 March
To register: click here
Presented by the Independent Schools Victoria Initiative
Saints Sport Support Group New Merchandise
The Saints Sport Support Group is delighted to announce our new merchandise range for the 2022 school year. In addition to our House merchandise, we now have the following items available for purchase:
- White and navy supporter hats for parents and friends
- ‘Play like a Saints Girl’ sport keyrings (Tennis, Swimming, Football, Volleyball, Hockey and Athletics designs available)
To get your hands on these fabulous new items, and to order House merchandise for Swimming Carnival, click here
Thank you so much for your support.
Katie Lucas
Saints Sport Support Group President
Swimming Carnival – New Date
Swimming Carnival – New Date: Tuesday 5 April (Week 10), Adelaide Aquatic Centre
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.
Support from The Athlete’s Foot Burnside
We once again invite our community members to support the School and local business by purchasing your shoes at The Athlete’s Foot Burnside.
$5 from every pair purchased by anyone connected to our Saints Girls’ community will be donated back to St Peter’s Girls’ School. This is an ongoing partnership, so please let their staff know that you would like your donation to come to Saints Girls when you make a purchase.
As part of this fantastic community initiative, The Athlete’s Foot Burnside donated over $13,000 back to local schools last year. For more information, click here.
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
Be Involved in ‘Our Saints’ Community
Would you like your daughter’s Grandmother, Grandfather, Aunts and/or Uncles to receive our biannual Saints Alive magazine and our weekly eNews updates? Sign up for the free ‘Our Saints’ membership for Grandparents, other treasured family members and friends.
For more information and to join this unique group, please click here and email the completed form to Foundation Manager Melissa Westgate via mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Monday to Friday: 8am – 4pm
(closed for lunch 12 – 12.30pm)
Swimming Requirements for Years 4 to 10
We ask parents to check that their daughters have correctly-sized bathers for Swimming activities for all girls in Years 4 to 10.
If your daughter requires new bathers, we highly recommend making an appointment with the School Shop on 8334 2228 and purchasing soon.
Year 10, 11 and 12 Jumpers
Jumpers are now available for Year 10, 11 and 12 students to purchase from the School Shop.
General Absences from School
If your child is going to be absent, late to school or leave early, please use one of the following methods to notify the School, providing the student name, Class/Home Group and reason:
Text: 0428 601 957
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200
Feel free to include the Class/Home Group Teacher when emailing. It would be appreciated if notifications could be made prior to 9am.
Sports News
CRICKET
Senior A: Saints (1/66) v Pembroke (4/65)
TENNIS
Senior A: Saints (1) v Seymour (10)
Div 1.1: Saints (3) v Seymour (6)
Div 1.2: Saints (3) v Seymour (6)
Div 2: Saints (0) v Seymour (9)
Div 3: Saints (11) v Seymour (32)
Div 4: Saints (9) v Seymour (30)
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Open A: Saints (3) v Marryatville A (0)
Open B: Saints (4) v Seymour C (0)
Middle A: Saints (8) v Wilderness (2)
Middle B: Saints (8) v Wilderness C2 (3)
The Touch season began on Saturday morning with some stunning results for the girls. We have been back training for a couple of weeks now, but it’s always interesting to observe the first games to see how the skills and tactics are coming together.
Open A: Led by newly-appointed captain Ellie Humphrey, the girls took on a strong Marryatville outfit who have been State Champions for the past three years. We worked hard with the ball and pressured the opposition to open up a number of opportunities which translated into a 2 – 0 lead at half-time. The girls knew Marryatville can start slowly, so made a concerted effort in the second half to maintain focus on the next play. We had much of the play in this half, holding on for a 3 – 0 victory, our first-ever win against this side in five years of Touch Football!
Open B: The girls looked in control from the outset, with Sophie Edwardes, Naomi Singh and Dani Cox leading from the front. They improved their rucking during the game as well as their communication to set up plays closer to the line. The team will look to work on their spread out to the wings as many more tries could have been scored through this region. This is a new line-up and the girls who came into the team did extremely well to follow the game plan with a 4 – 0 victory.
Middle A: This was a very different looking Middle A team to last year with many Year 9s moving into Seniors which has allowed younger players to step into this higher grade. The mix of Year 8 and 9 girls, some only in their second season, played against a strong Wilderness side. The girls began well with a couple of tries to Charlotte McAuliffe before Wilderness looked to put the pressure back on with tries of their own. We have a particularly quick team and the girls developed their ability to apply their pace on the outside when possible, using large spaces to run at opponents who struggled to make touches. The girls also improved their line defence in the second half, preventing tries, whilst also scoring a few themselves through different players who moved the ball to the wings very well. The final score was 8 – 2, a terrific start to the season.
Middle B: With only two girls having touch football experience in this group, it was going to be great for these girls to play a match and experience how to outrun and outthink an opponent. They focused on getting the basics of their rucking working in the game situation and then looked to use the girls with speed to split defenders close to the line. It was excellent to see the girls building their understanding of rules and ways to approach different situations in the game. To finish with an 8 – 3 win was a nice reward for their ability to listen to their coaches over the past few weeks of training.
VOLLEYBALL
Senior A: Saints (3) v Wilderness A (0)
Senior B: Saints (2) v Wilderness B (1)
Senior C: Saints (1) v Wilderness C (2)
Middle A: Saints (1) v Wilderness A (2)
Middle B: Saints (0) v Wilderness B (3)
Middle C1: Saints (3) v Wilderness C (1)
Middle C2: Saints (3) v Woodcroft D (0)
Senior C: Alysa Trinh had a fantastic game, and the team effort and energy were great. Alysa served fantastically and was instrumental in the 2nd set win. Unfortunately, Steph sprained her ankle in the back half of the 3rd set, putting her out for a couple of weeks.
– Al Keough (Coach)
Middle A: Narrow loss 1 – 2 with lots of good rallies. We welcomed four new players to the team who slotted in well. Tammy, Ella and Alana all had solid serving runs.
– Al Keough (Coach)
WATER POLO
Open A: Saints (9) v St Michael’s (7)
Open B: Saints (3) v Pembroke (10)
Open C: Saints (1) v Immanuel (13)
STUDENT SUCESS
NETBALL
Well done to Lilli Bennett who has been selected for the inaugural Adelaide Thunderbirds Talent Academy. She was chosen from almost 250 players at a recent selection event, which goes to show the outstanding quality of her skills.
WATER POLO
Congratulations to Olivia Reynolds and Isla Fahey for their selection in the Adelaide Jets Water Polo team. They will compete with teammate and fellow Saints Girl Isabella Howie in the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships in Brisbane next month.