Advancing Nutrition Education: St Peter’s Girls’ School Partners with the University of Adelaide’s Food Innovation Laboratory
At St Peter’s Girls’ School, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with The University of Adelaide’s Waite Campus Food Innovation Laboratory. This unique collaboration provides our Senior Nutrition students an unparalleled opportunity to enhance their learning beyond the classroom by directly connecting them to careers and opportunities in the food science industry. Guided by Miss Keatch and Ms. Fryer, students visited state-of-the-art facilities and experienced industrial kitchens and sensory tasting booths firsthand. These experiences offer invaluable real-world applications of their SACE coursework, highlighting the relevance of their studies in professional settings.
This partnership is not just about learning; it’s about shaping future innovators. As Ms. Fryer explains, “Food manufacturers understand that the sensory aspects of food significantly influence consumer choice. Our students work in small, collaborative groups to design experiments focused on creating both nutritionally balanced and sensory appealing smoothies.” Through these hands-on projects, students gain insights into potential careers, develop critical thinking skills, and prepare for future endeavours in food innovation.
As part of this collaboration, we hosted Professor Kerry Wilkinson for a special lecture on entomophagy during Term 2. This provided our students with insights into the fascinating field of edible insects as a sustainable food source, further strengthening our connection with the Waite Campus and enhancing the students’ understanding of emerging trends in nutrition.
This partnership exemplifies our commitment to providing students with industry experiences that inspire curiosity and ambition, empowering them to explore limitless possibilities and excel in their future careers. At St Peter’s Girls’ School, we are proud to equip our students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the ever-evolving field of food science.
Melissa Lee
STEM Innovation Leader
Phoebe Shines at the Australia and New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge
We are thrilled to announce that Phoebe Liu, a Year 10 student, achieved remarkable success at the SA Brain Bee Challenge State Finals on Friday 2 August, at Flinders University. As the sole representative from St Peter’s Girls’ School, Phoebe’s impressive performance earned her first place in the Brain Bee Individual Challenge, making her the State Champion! She now advances to the National Challenge in December, where she will represent SA, showcasing her exceptional knowledge and skills in neuroscience.
The Australia and New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge is an annual competition designed for students to explore the fascinating world of neuroscience, learn about brain functions, and discover careers in this field. This event, funded by the Australasian Neuroscience Society, allows students to dispel misconceptions about neurological and mental illnesses. Phoebe’s dedication, tenacity, and enthusiasm have truly stood out, as she excelled individually and showed immense courage by competing solo against larger teams from other schools. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Phoebe for her outstanding achievements.
Melissa Lee
STEM Innovation Leader
Craig Byrne
Head of Science
Year 11s Visit Local Business
On Thursday 1 August, our Year 11 Business class went on an excursion to Cheeky Grin Cafe in Firle. We heard from the owner of the Cafe, Stefan Iannace, about his experience in business. Stefan started his coffee business during the Covid-19 lockdown in his parent’s garage, he then bought a coffee van to feel more connected to his community and later acquired his store. Throughout our time there, we asked him different questions to gain insight into his marketing strategies, the hardships he went through, and his future goals for the business. We are very grateful for our time there and are very appreciative that Stefan welcomed us into his business and expanded our knowledge.
Shirley Liu, Alyssa Tran and Lucille Kitching
Year 11 Students
Saints Café goes from Strength to Strength
Over the past 2 terms, students from Year 10 have had the amazing opportunity to learn how to work in a workspace as part of Saints Café. Through this Program, students have learnt how to use professional coffee machines and important communication and collaborative skills that can be applied to real-world experiences. The Café has also recently appointed leadership roles, which encourages select girls to take a larger role in the Café, including Shift Supervisors, Staff, Finance and Marketing Managers. These leaders will have the opportunity to work closer with the School to identify areas that could help improve the Café as they build their leadership skills.
In Week 2, Saints Café also joined the Sport’s Captains fundraising initiative, with all cafés proceeds this week going to Breast Cancer Network Australia.
The Café is open every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 7.30 to 8.15am, and we encourage you to come and grab a nice warm beverage, especially in this cold winter weather.
Maddie Oborn, Pollyanna Townsend and the Saints Café team