Issue no. 24
From the Head of Senior School
Last week I had the pleasure of witnessing the Year 11/12 drama production, The Silver Lining. It was an exceptional production, written and directed by their teacher, Michael Butler-Wills. As an audience member, I was in awe of how these students embraced all components of the show, and their creativity and abilities were outstanding.
Performance is a major assessment task in Drama and this can sit as a real challenge for many. I admire these young teenagers who place themselves on stage. Audiences can be, and mostly are, critical, and yet our students used this nervous energy, accepted the risk and rose to the occasion.
To delve deeper into what it takes to be a performer I understand that they need to remember a multitude of lines, know where to stand, how to move, interact with others, project their voice, be blinded by lights, have some audiences laugh but some not, and remain calm, all whilst knowing they are being assessed. Our students appeared as if they were not concerned with any of the factors that come into play in a performance. They performed with confidence, were in control and are to be commended on their approach to this challenging experience.
I was most impressed with the artistic talents of our Senior students in music, dance and drama. Mr Butler-Wills truly captured the skills of this cohort by weaving these elements cleverly into the production. I congratulate all staff involved and trust the parents and students who saw this production were also in awe of the skills of the students at Saints.
I was also privileged to attend our inaugural Senior School careers networking breakfast this Wednesday. It was wonderful to see Old Scholars return to share insights into their day-to-day tasks in a range of vocations. The dialogue centred on what happens in real life and I am absolutely positive that the learning that occurred will support our Senior students make informed decisions about their subjects and have a better understanding of pathways and tertiary options available. Old Scholars shared experiences in the Sciences, Medicine, Business, Commerce, Accounting, Real Estate, Psychology, Journalism, Law and Health Sciences. It was valuable for our senior girls to see the passion from our guests about what they are doing, how they got there and, most importantly, value the education that Saints gave them. The opportunity provided to our Senior students with current information and to establish connections was due to the hard work of Karen Alderson (Careers Counsellor), Megan McCormack (Old Scholar Liaison) and Fiona McGregor (Events).
I thank the Old Scholars who gave their time to ensure that this event was successful. On behalf of the students, your insights into the world of work and the opportunity to establish connections in highly competitive professions will be invaluable.
Kerry Skinner
Student Voice: Back to the 1980s with Kilburn House Dinner
Friday 5 August saw the Kilburn cohort travel back in time to the 80s for the evening. The night featured many 80s hits from Olivia Newton John, The Blues Brothers, members of The Breakfast Club, punk rockers and, of course, many girls in their mothers’ finest party and bridesmaid dresses.
The Year 11s created a nostalgic atmosphere for the Year 12 parents and staff who attended, with posters from the 80s covering the Art Centre walls, fluorescent decorations and, of course, the hottest 80s tunes. Throughout the night all of the girls had the chance to participate in the traditional Kilburn ‘Guess the Year 12 baby’, various 80s quizzes and a whole lot of dancing.
After dancing the night away I believe this House Dinner was definitely one of the best. On behalf of Kilburn House I send out a big thank you to the Year 11 girls for organising this whole event. I also thank Mrs Alderson, Ms Charlesworth and all of the parent helpers for assisting in making the night run smoothly. I am positive that all Year 12s had a great night and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Josephine Dal Pra
Kilburn House Captain
The Incredible Journey of Australia’s Women’s Eight – Featuring Old Scholar, Olympia Aldersey (Kennion ’11)
Olympia Aldersey was handed a last minute berth to the Rio 2016 and she’s certainly been making the most of it, as shown in the video that can be viewed here.
Her Olympic experience began rather unexpectedly, with her crew, Australia’s women’s rowing eight, receiving a last minute call-up to compete at the games following the shock withdrawal of several of the Russian teams in the wake of an ongoing doping controversy.
Olympia’s crew raced impressively across both of their races, finishing 4th in their heat and 5th in the repechage race as all crews battled for a place in the final.
We would like to congratulate Olympia on her amazing performances at the Olympics and for representing Saints Girls so well on the world stage!
The Enchante Reunion Choir
On Sunday 7 August, 18 of our Enchante Old Scholars from 2006 – 2015 happily reunited in a celebration of song. It was wonderful to catch up, sing together, share stories and talk about the good old days! Many students are currently studying Music at tertiary level or have completed either Bachelor of Music or Education degrees specialising in Music. Needless to say, the Enchante girls of old were in good form and are currently rehearsing for our upcoming Cabaret on 16 September. Rehearsals are each Sunday at 3.30pm and any Old Scholars who have been in Enchante are asked to contact me via email if you would like to be involved.
There will also be an Old Scholars’ Band so if you are an Old Scholar instrumentalist and would like to be involved in the Old Scholars’ Band, please contact either Miss Rounsevell or myself.
The band is already sounding great and the Enchante Reunion Choir will be performing two gospel pieces which are sure to raise the roof, so make sure you save the date!
Music Teacher
Sari Noble
Save the Date: Rowing Information Night
Current parents and those new to the sport are warmly invited to the Rowing Information Night.
Director of Rowing, Ben Flannagan, will be presenting key Information about the upcoming rowing season, including training, camps and regattas. You will also have the opportunity to meet other parents.
When: 6pm, Thursday 1 September
Venue: Humzy – St Peter’s Girl’s School
We look forward to seeing you all there.
Open Day for St Peter’s Cathedral Choir: Saturday 3 September
St Peter’s Cathedral Choir is holding auditions for girls and boys from 7 – 12 years of age.
Prior to the audition, children are invited to experience an afternoon in the life of a Cathedral Chorister, including singing Choral Evensong in the Cathedral.
Choristers made lifelong friendships and receive excellent musical training.
For all enquiries and to book, phone the Cathedral Office on 8267 4551 or email Leonie Hempton, Director of Music, at vochor@internode.on.net.
Bookings are essential.
How are the students for EDGE selected?
There is often much discussion around the selection process for a withdrawal program such as EDGE (Extended, Differentiated, Gifted Education), as it can appear to be a secret club where entry is by some arbitrary set of achievements. Therefore, I thought I’d share how the decisions for EDGE are made here at St Peter’s Girls.
Data is our starting point. We use a wide variety of different sources: class data collected by the teachers through their assessment process, summative data collected at the end of a unit, NAPLAN and PAT testing. However data is only the start of the process in building the full picture of the child as a learner. A student is more than just a set of numbers so we look beyond to gain a further understanding of our girls through: observations, psychological reports and in-depth conversations with teaching staff. No decision is ever taken lightly on the make-up of each EDGE group.
We have to consider the domain of each EDGE cycle to ensure that it is the right intervention, at the right time, for the right student. This means that students may enter and exit the program at a variety of different points during the year. The result of this is that there is no permanent group of EDGE students. Each term we concentrate on a different focus within the sessions, including STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths), critical literacy, philosophy or humanities. With such a wide variety of areas we need to have a fluid approach to identification, returning to the qualitative and quantitative data every time to identify the next cohort.
Becca Burton-Howard
Gifted and Talented Teacher
Agriculture Career Expo: Paddock to Plate, Vine to Glass
Careers in the Australian agriculture industry are very promising, with a shortage of university graduates to meet demands. Jobs are diverse and suit a wide range of student interests. Careers could be forged as a Wine Maker, Primary Producer, Food Scientist, Food Production/Food Entrepreneur, Brewer, Research Scientist, Forensic Scientist, Laboratory Technician, Agronomist, Ag Engineer, Innovative Food Designer, Diesel Mechanic and more. Learn about what’s on offer from the people in the know!
When: 5.15pm, Thursday 8 September
Location: Anzac Hall and Piper Pavilion, Prince Alfred College
Click here to for more information on the expo.
Event Announcement: 2016 Spring Cabaret
Tickets are now on sale for the 2016 Spring Cabaret! Featuring solo and ensemble performances from our fabulous Junior, Middle and Senior School musicians plus Enchante and Stage Band Old Scholars from the past 10 years.
The evening will also feature solo performances from Saints Girls who have been part of past Adelaide Cabaret Festivals.
When: 7pm, Friday 16 September
Venue: Arts Centre
Tickets: $10 Adults, $5 Concession
A fantastic night of music not to be missed! Book your tickets today at: trybooking.com.
Last chance to book! WINNIE THE POOH and the 100 AKER WOOD
Most of us have grown up with Edward Bear, known as Winnie the Pooh, and this weekend there are three performances in the Arts Centre of Winnie the Pooh and the 100 Aker Wood. The shows have wonderful moments of Eeyore losing his tail and Pooh and Piglet giving him a birthday. All of the A.A. Milne characters are included in the show- Pooh, Christopher Robin, Rabiit, Owl, Kanga, Roo and bouncy Tigger. Songs include Deep in the Hundred Aker Wood, The Wonderful Thing about Tiggers and Hip, Hip Hooray. All of the characters go on an expedition to the North Pole (which Pooh finds) and then everyone throws a surprise party for Pooh. All ages will love it but particularly the younger ones.
When: 7pm, Friday 19 August – 1pm and 4pm, Saturday 20 August
Where: Arts Centre
Tickets: $10 Adult, $5 Concession
Tickets available at the box office in the Arts Centre before the show.
Year 7, 2017 Transition Evening
This event has been designed for parents of all Year 6 students to learn more about the exciting opportunities ahead as your daughter transitions into Year 7. The following topics will be discussed:
- Transition program into Year 7
- Middle School Philosophy
- Middle School Curriculum
- Key Middle School Programs
- Meet Head of Middle School and key Year 7 staff
- Introduce new parents for 2017 to current parents
To book visit trybooking.com/MLTB.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Richard Lisle
Environment Club Update: World Humanitarian Day
Friday 19 August is World Humanitarian Day, is a day where we recognise the aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service. This year’s theme is ‘One Humanity’ and events will be held around the world to honour humanitarian workers. To learn more, please visit their website: worldhumanitarianday.org
Paris Robinson and Jessica Stratton-Smith (Environment Club)
Party Like It’s 1925
Our premier Parents and Friends (P&F) Committee fundraiser of the year is shaping up to be a spectacular evening of great food, fabulous wine and some awesome raffle prizes – and it’s less than a month away!
Tickets are selling very quickly, so don’t miss out – book your tickets today! trybooking.com/mfbq
Included in the ticket price will be gourmet wholesome food, beer, wine, bubbles and soft drink, casino and funky music provided by Flaming Sambucas.
When: 7.30pm, Saturday 3 September 2016
Venue: Burnside Town Hall
Tickets: $100 each
Sports News
If you have any news items or sporting success stories, please email them through to me on: nfuller@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Winter Interhouse
In perfect conditions students in Years 7 – 12 represented their Houses in the main Winter sports (Badminton, Netball, Hockey and Soccer). There was great camaraderie but also a high level of competition, which was evident in a number of close scores as each sport competed for shields.
Results:
Badminton: 1st Kilburn, 2nd Patteson, 3rd Kennion, 4th Selwyn
Hockey: 1st Selwyn, equal 2nd Kennion and Patteson, 4th Kilburn
Netball: 1st Kennion, 2nd Kilburn, 3rd Selwyn, 4th Patteson
Soccer: 1st Kennion, 2nd Kilburn, 3rd Patteson, 4th Selwyn
Swimming
More results from the recent State Short Course Championships, with Lily-Rose Spartalis (Year 7) qualifying for 13 events and achieving personal best performances in every event. She had three fourth placings and an individual medal.
Badminton
A very big well done to Sarah Ienco (Staff) who recently won the State graded doubles championships, winning the final in a tough three-set match and coming from a set down: 10-21, 23-21, 21-16.
Hockey
Congratulations to Natasha Hammond (Year 12) who has been selected in the 2017 U23’s hockey Australia country development team for the third consecutive year. In January she will travel to Sarawak (Borneo), Kedah, Penang and Selangor states!
Knockout Open Netball
Open Girls Knockout Netball Semi Finals
Congratulations to the Open team who have progressed to the State Finals to be contested at Netball SA on Monday 29 August.
Saints 20 def. Glenunga 38
A strong start for the Saints Girls Open A team. Working the ball well down the court the team was able to capitalise on each turnover made. The team worked well together to secure a win and continue our knockout campaign.
Saints 32 def. Reynella East 31
Another close game saw the Open A side work well under pressure to secure yet another win. All girls work consistently and persistently as a team to make it through to the final stage of the competition. We are proud of everyone and look forward competing in the coming weeks. Madison Bateman and Josephine Dal Pra (Co-Captains)
Junior Netball
Year 4 Blue – Saints
No matches due to rain. Alice Johnswood (Director of Netball)
Year 4 White – Saints
No matches due to rain. Sue Jones (Acting coach)
Junior Soccer
Year 4 – Saints 0 defeated by Wilderness 8
The girls played some of their best soccer, despite the final result. To improve from Week 1, our biggest goal was to increase how often we passed the ball. Our focus was to maintain possession by passing the ball to bring our team mates into the game, therefore demonstrating that we believed in their ability and trusted them. This week’s most improved player was Charlotte Udall who worked hard as a left forward to put herself in attacking positions and regularly win the ball. Anna Venning played a solid game as our first half goalkeeper, saving more goals than she let through. Jenna Maione was integral for the second week in a row, leading our defence. Our aim this week is to strengthen up our lines and continue to develop our skills and confidence. We are really looking forward to playing our first home game this Friday afternoon. Mark Routley (Coach)
Year 6 – Saints 1 defeated by Pulteney 5
The girls put in a great effort for their first game of the term but it was against some strong opposition. We were unlucky with some of the goals we conceded and possibly could have have scored a few more. Overall still a good performance as the girls worked hard and never gave up but it shows we have plenty to work on for next week. By Vincent Talladira (Coach)
Badminton
No matches due to Interhouse.
Hockey
No matches due to Interhouse.
Lacrosse
Saints 12 defeated Pembroke 7
Facing Pembroke in a round of the Judy Thurgood Memorial Trophy, we had a game which was a gripping contest. Scores locked at 3 apiece at quarter time, 5-all at the half, and Saints Girls holding a 7-6 lead at three quarter time. But the Saints scored five to one in the last quarter to come out on top 12-7 at the end, though the Pembroke girls should hold their heads up high for playing so well, and improving so much from last week. It was a great to see an exciting lacrosse match between school teams and the match was played in great spirits too! Goal scorers: Sophie Auricht 6, Emma Auricht 2, Dani Cox, Stephanie Demmrich, Sophie-Louise Shearwood, Willow Stewart-Rattray 1 each.
Under 18 – Saints 3 defeated by Glenelg 29
The team was unfazed by very experienced opponents and despite struggling to match them on the scoreboard, there were again patches of great play. Millisent Wilkin (Year 8) once again ran all day through the midfield and competed strongly in the centre draw, as well as managing to score a goal. Kate Reade (Year 8) was the other goal scorer, with two to her name and an impressive all-round game. Additionally, Emma Auricht (Year 10) had a number of shots that went close as well as causing turnovers in the midfield, creating more opportunities for us in the offensive half. The Glenelg coaches commended the girls on their effort and defensive pressure, which has improved dramatically this term. Alexandra Reade (Year 10), Georgia Nairn (Year 10) and Scarlett Hocking (Year 8) were again strong in this area. Sarah Lowe (Coach)
Under 15 – Saints 12 Vs Sturt 2
The girls showed off good aggression to win Saturday’s game. Sturt delivered a challengeable yet easy game for the girls to work around and bring out skills. Isabelle Norman performing well in the cage stopping majority goals from Sturt. Millisent Wilkin and Stephanie Smalls helped out in the midfield and setting goals out in attack. It was a fast game with the girls running up and down the midfield and using hard defence skills to block Sturt out. The score line was one of our best 12-2 this showing the determination the team had to win. Portia Reppucci (Lacrosse Captain)
Under 13 – Saints 10 defeated SAC Eagles 4
The match started off with Stephanie Smalls (Year 7) in centre; she gained possession of the ball almost every time. Jenna Maione (Year 4) did a terrific job in defence as she stood just in front of her player and won the ball, causing several turnovers. Stephanie Demmrich (Year 7) fought hard for every ground ball and won the toss between her and the opposition player. In the midfield, Dani Cox (Year 4), Portia Maerschel (Year 7) and Willow Stewart-Rattray (Year 5) ran hard, which helped transition the ball quickly into attack. Mabel Cook (Year 3) used her quick reflexes to get the ball that rebounded off the goal and shoot around the goalie. Attackers, Lara Maione (Year 3) and Alannah Godfrey (Year 3), did a great job in getting the ball and throwing it to a girl who was in a better position to shoot. Once again, Isabelle Norman (Year 8) saved several goals and cleared the ball cleanly to her team-mates. Goal scorers were Mabel Cook, Portia Maerschel, Stephanie Smalls and Willow Stewart-Rattray. Best players were Jenna Maione and Isabelle Norman. Lucy Martin (Coach)
Netball
No matches due to Interhouse.
Junior Basketball
Year 6 Blue – Saints 18 defeated by Seymour 25
This week the girls had a fantastic game. In the first quarter the girls worked extremely hard but did not manage to score. Going into the remainder of the game, the team was determined to turn the game around. Their teamwork and execution of skills learnt in this week’s training allowed them to only trail by three points with three minutes left of the game, which was a great achievement. The improvement each of the girls has shown is great and they should be proud of their come-back this week! Lara had an excellent game, scoring some good shots. Well done to all! Amy Wishart and Sophia West (Coaches)
Year 6 White – Saints 26 defeated Pembroke 16
Top scorers were Sivanthi Sivasuthan, Sophie Dansie and Isabelle Gilroy, and special mentions go to Olivia Downie and Maddison Harrex, our two Grade 5 players who have both made excellent progress in their game skills! The girls played with excellent focus throughout the game and strengthened their defence in the 3rd Quarter as the Pembroke team came within two points! In the end, some pressure defence from Isabelle and Primrose Robinson held off the Pembroke players and the girls won the game by 10 points! Great game, ladies! Abby Davey (Coach)
Year 5 Blue – Saints 24 defeated Pembroke Yellow 12
The girls had a great win, keeping to their game plan and looking for open spaces to move in to shoot. The best players and goal scorers were Eleanor Humphrey and Georgie Owler. Eleanor scored many sensational layups and, in defence, used her speed and agility to apply full court pressure to successfully turn the ball over. Annie Bui, Phoebe Black and Charlotte McKee delivered the ball well to Georgie Owler who used her excellent shooting skills to score. The girls controlled the tempo of the game, with Helen Zhang and Alicia Toh helping to keep the pressure on. Samantha McKee (Coach).
Year 5 White – Saints 46 defeated Wilderness Gold 8
St Peter’s White played a fast and hard game, giving nothing away and fighting for every ball. Grace Richards (4 pts), Bridgette Leach (8 pts) and Emily Bryce (4 pts) showed they were able to read the play well and intercepted many passes. Ruby Bruun and Monika Ceplitis both scored the maximum 12 pts, working hard close to the basket. Sophie Dansie (6pts) brought the ball forward many times, providing good scoring opportunities. Keep up the good work. Sharon Tocher-Leach (Coach)
Soccer
Open A – Saints defeated by Pulteney 3
Despite the score, the girls played very well and were unlucky to come away with a loss. Special mention to Talah Gobell for some fantastic saves. Krystina Dianos (Captain)
Open B – Saints 0 defeated by Pulteney 1
Saints started well with some good passages of play but could not play the ball far enough forward to put Pulteney under pressure. Sara Possingham was unlucky to be denied what should have been a clear penalty. Tahlia Towers, Mikaela Georgiadis and Victoria Gilroy were steady in defence, and when the ball got past, Megan Jenssen in goal was often there to gather the ball. Anneliese Thomas and Amelia Wood are also congratulated for the number of tackles and turnovers that they made. Neil Fuller (Coach)
Middle A – Saints 1 drew with Pulteney 1
After going down early in the first half against the run of play, the girls worked hard to get a goal back. After missing a few good chances, we finally scored and continued to press to find the winner. Unfortunately, the game ended in a draw but still plenty of positives to come out of it. By Vincent Talladira (Coach)
Middle B – Saints 9 defeated Wilderness 1
The girls played absolutely amazingly, with some incredible passing to each other. All players defended and attacked as a team, demonstrating a great effort and will to win. The sportsmanship shown was also outstanding, showing respect to the opposition. Well done, team. Taylor Garrett (Coach)
Year 7 – Saints 0 defeated by Wilderness 9
The girls came up against a very skilled and strong side in Wilderness. They tried all game but were beaten by a more physical team in the end. Special mention to Asha and Amelia in goals and to Grace who never gave up in defence. Peter Krantis (Coach)
Year 6 – Saints 1 defeated by Pulteney 5
The girls put in a great effort for their first game of the term but it was against some strong opposition. We were unlucky with some of the goals we conceded and possibly could’ve have scored a few more. Overall still a good performance as the girls worked hard and never gave up but it shows we have plenty to work on for next week. By Vincent Talladira (Coach)
Year 5 – Saints 1 drew with Pulteney 1
The team played well defensively only allowing Pulteney a few shots on goal. The girls kept playing to the end and were unlucky not to win. Chloe Porter scored the goal. By Coach Charlie
If you have any news items or sporting success stories, please email them through to me on: nfuller@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.