Issue no. 31
In this edition
Welcome to our New Science Centre!
St Peter’s Girls’ School is delighted to launch our new Science Centre!
Featuring three purpose-built laboratories for the three pillars of Science – Biology, Chemistry and Physics – and four general laboratories, this transformational facility will cement Saints Girls as a national leader in STEM education.
The project has also given rise to an expanded Visual Arts space, a new Junior School Art hub, and upgraded pool facilities with much sought-after changerooms.
Thank you to everyone who has helped make our new Science Centre a reality.
With South Australia at the forefront of technology, particularly in defence and now space, there has never been a more important time to ignite in our girls a spark for Science.
This afternoon’s official launch featured an inspiring speech by Australia’s Chief Defence Scientist Tanya Monro and other powerful highlights:
From the Principal
Happy 125th Anniversary!
In March of 1892, Bishop Kennion wrote to Mother Emily in England urging her to send Sisters to Adelaide to start a school for girls. That letter set in a motion the train of events that led to the opening of St Peter’s Girls’ School (St Peter’s Collegiate High School as it was then called) on Monday 8 October 1894. It was a modest beginning, with Sisters Lucy and Bridget, and the one lay teacher, Miss Trevenen, welcoming a cohort of just four pupils. It’s both amazing and humbling to think of how far we have come and how much we have achieved across the past 125 years. It is very true that from little things, big things grow.
To truly understand what makes Saints Girls tick, is to know Mother Emily. A deeply Christian woman, her compassion was boundless. She lost her mother when just five years of age and often accompanied her father, Reverend Frederick Ayckbowm, when he went to minister to the needy, the sick and the dying. These images made an indelible impact on her life. She spent her final years of schooling studying in Germany and Italy, and was deeply impressed by the devotion of Christians of all creeds on the continent. She returned to England at 20 years of age, knowing there was much work to be done. She fought hard to remove the abominable pew system that operated in the churches, a system that ensured that the poor were never welcome. While acting as a volunteer nurse in the Chester slums during the cholera epidemic of 1866, Emily realised that she could not achieve all that she wished as a single woman. She noticed that a lady could not minister to the poor except on an occasional basis. A lady could not teach and, through education, help change the lives of the poor. Emily realised that a religious Sister could nurse, teach in an elementary school, visit the slums and help with feeding and clothing those on the margins. And so, in a small chapel in the suburb of Kilburn, on 5 April 1870, Emily was clothed as the first Novice of the Community of the Sisters of the Church. The Sisters were the first Anglican Order to receive certificates as registered teachers. And the rest as they say, is history.
Emily was a woman before her time. She was a woman of courage, pursuing opportunities with confidence and strength. She was a creative woman. Had she not built a professional platform that engaged and ignited new ideas, the Community of the Sisters of the Church would never have been born. And she was a woman of compassion, a woman who connected globally (quite a feat in the late 1890s!) via respect and service. As we celebrate our anniversary, we must not only give thanks for all that has brought us here, we must also be keenly aware that our good fortune carries with it an obligation to keep that flame burning brightly into the future. The challenge for each of us is to ensure that Emily’s legacy lives on; that we continue to value and to model the courage, creativity and compassion that has underpinned our exceptional School for 125 years.
These few days promise to be a true celebration of everything Saints Girls. Be it the cutting of the cake in Assembly today, the opening of the Science Centre this afternoon or the 125th Anniversary Gala Ball tomorrow night – it’s all about celebrating our history, reflecting on those memorable moments and reveling in the strength of our community. And while it’s an incredibly exciting time for the School, the future looks even brighter. I feel privileged to lead Saints Girls at this pivotal time and to guide the next chapter of our history.
Julia Shea
Principal
Generations Unite for 125th Anniversary
This morning, as part of the School’s 125th anniversary celebrations, Old Scholar mothers and grandmothers of current students participated in the annual ‘Generations’ photo with their girls before enjoying morning tea and a tour of the School.
Some stayed on for our special 125th anniversary Assembly, which included cutting the official birthday cake, student reflections and a rousing performance of the School Song.
Click here for the ‘Generations’ photo order form.
State Hockey Hotshot
Congratulations to Year 7 student Amelia Lucas who represented South Australia in the National Hockey Championships in Hobart during the holidays. Amelia was also fortunate to have a training session with the Hockey SA team (SA Fire) and have a photo with SA Captain Jane Claxton.
“I really enjoyed the State Hockey trip as it was a great experience. It really gave me an opportunity to improve my skills and move forward with my overall hockey journey. I have been playing hockey since Year 3 and I love it. I train twice a week, but after the State competition, SA offers a Developmental Athlete Program which focuses mainly on hockey and strives to improve skills and game play. I am really excited to start this new program.”
Rowing Camp Highlights
The girls had a blast on the 2019/20 season October Rowing Camp. This year, the Intermediate and Senior girls attended camp in Mannum. It was the perfect opportunity for them to improve their skills. The girls did three sessions a day of rowing, both in crew boats and singles. For most of the Intermediate rowers, this was the first time they had rowed in single boats. Prim Robinson found “Rowing in the singles was a fun and new experience for a lot of us and allowed us to improve our technique individually.” Another activity the girls did was a movie night complete with lollies and popcorn, which was a highlight. Isabella Bernardi from Year 11 said, “The camp was a great opportunity to get to know the entire squad before the season starts to pick up intensity.” Some girls on camp did face the issue of sickness but it was amazing to see their persistence and ability of the girls to support one another. The camp was a great success and a high note to start the season on. It will be great to all come together again at the Season Opening BBQ at 5pm on Sunday 27 October.
Hannah Keough
Captain of Rowing
Nurturing Nutrition Outing
The last week of Term 3 was a time for the Year 12 Nutrition class to momentarily escape the stress of study with a field trip to The Food Forest.
Led by enthusiastic organic farm owner Graham Brookman, the girls were able to see working sustainable farming methods in action, from mixed farming with geese (and super cute goslings) in the orchards, to banana trees creating shade for mint to flourish, and beer and linseed traps to ward off pests. The Food Forest and Graham have hopefully left some favourable and lasting memories for the class. These memories will be transferred to examples that should impress end of year examination markers in the extended response section of the paper. Hopefully it has also inspired ways to reduce our own ecological impact. Good luck to all the girls in this end of year examination.
Vicki Dent
Year 12 Nutrition Teacher
Community Golf Day
Don’t miss out on our upcoming Community Golf Day on Thursday 14 November. Individual players or teams of 4 are welcome.
It’s shaping up to be a fantastic day!
Register now: www.trybooking.com/ZZHE
If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Westgate via 0407 394 183 or email mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Space School Information Evening
St Peter’s Girls’ School is offering students the opportunity to join the CASE Space School International Study Program in December 2020.
Students return with big dreams and lasting confidence, inspired by the ultimate STEAM experience at NASA.
CASE Space School is an amazing opportunity for students seeking to pursue success in a STEAM career. Students will be immersed in enriched and exclusive space science activities to explore the multi-facets of STEAM. Students will also learn and engage in an inspiring personal and leadership development program to truly empower them for changing times.
Space School is an engaging, hands-on adventure. Students learn about space travel and the development of space-related technologies, and are led through several simulated missions.
Students are meticulously cared for by dedicated Group Managers who are trained and certified by the California Association for STEAM Education. All Group Managers are Working with Children and Australian Federal Police checked, and hold current CPR, asthma and anaphylaxis certification.
A combined Alliance of Girls’ Schools information evening will be held on Wednesday 30 October in Hender Hall, Wilderness School, where students and parents can learn more about the program. Click here to RSVP.
Old Scholar’s Global Perspective
Congratulations to Old Scholar Vienna Tran (Patteson 2014) who has had another article officially published on the International Baccalaureate website as a member of the Alumni community. The ‘Graduate Voices’ project is a collaboration by IB Alumni all over the world that aims to provide some perspectives on tackling secondary and tertiary education in a modern, globalised world.
“I decided to take advantage of my (somewhat) unorthodox journey and attempt to provide a foothold for students who are struggling with decisions around career and higher education.”
You can read the article here – http://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2019/10/07/bring-to-a-desert-island/
You’re Invited! Friends of Rowing Season Opening BBQ
Sunday 27 October from 5 – 7pm on the School grounds
$25 per adult
$20 per rower/child
(includes yummy chicken, lamb or falafel yiros, nibbles and soft drinks)
Bubbly, white wine, red wine and beer available on the night for purchase.
Join us as we welcome all of our new and returning rowers and their families to mark the opening of the 2019-2020 season.
Tickets available via www.trybooking.com/BEZUT
Could You be a Stallholder at The Garden Of Saintly Delights in 2020?
Although it’s still more than six months away, a great event takes planning, and The Garden of Saintly Delights is certainly one that captures the heart of our School community. With rides, food, entertainment and more, there is something for everyone, including shoppers with our ever-growing market place.
This year, I have taken on the role of coordinating our Market Stalls and am looking to gather as many different and varied stalls as possible. When thinking about where to source these from, I realised that we have so many families in our own community who may like the opportunity to display their business products on the day, not only to our School but the surrounding community as well. What better way to showcase the amazing talents of our school families than at our Garden of Saintly Delights Market?
So, if you have a business or sell a product that would suit being a part of our market, please get in touch via my email scarrie@senet.com.au as I would love to have as many of our families exhibited as possible.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Lorraine Scarr
Sports News
SPORTS FIXTURES
Please note that all Term 4 sports draws can be found on the myLink parent portal, which also contains a link for match venues. Any changes and cancellations will be conveyed in advance, via email and, where possible, directly to parents.
WEATHER POLICY
With summer approaching, a friendly reminder of the Sporting Hot Weather Policy:
Reception to Year 6 (training and matches)
• If the forecast temperature on the Bureau of Meteorology website (http://www.bom.gov.au/sa/forecasts/adelaide.shtml) is 35 degrees or higher, checked any time before 9am on the day of training or match, sport is automatically cancelled.
• Morning sessions, Rowing and Water Polo are usually not affected.
• In the event that matches are cancelled due to inclement weather or any unforeseen reason such as the playing surface being deemed unsafe, the decision to cancel will be made by the Sports Coordinator at the host school no later than 2pm. (refer to cancellation procedures)
Year 7 to Year 12 (training and matches)
• Mid-Week: (training and matches): if the forecast temperature on the Bureau of Meteorology website (http://www.bom.gov.au/sa/forecasts/adelaide.shtml) at 9am predicts the day’s maximum to be 36 degrees or higher, sport will be cancelled.
• Weekends: if the forecast temperature for Saturday on the Bureau of Meteorology website is predicted to be 38 degrees or higher at 12pm on the Friday, ALL Saturday morning sport will be cancelled. (see below for Rowing)
• Inclement Weather: matches will only be cancelled due to rain or inclement weather if it is considered that the playing surface is unsafe or player safety is compromised. (refer to cancellation procedures)
• Morning trainings and Water Polo are usually not affected and ARE NOT cancelled.
Rowing
• Cancellations of Rowing training and regattas will be advised by the Director of Rowing.
SWIMMING
Tara Young represented South Australia at the recent State Teams event at the AIS in Canberra from 3 – 6 October. She swam well with many PBs and placed 7th nationally in the 400IM, 8th in the 200 Freestyle, 14th in the 200IM and 16th in the 200m Backstroke.
BADMINTON
Congratulations to Yang Yang Gu (Year 9) who recently represented SA in Badminton at the U15 National championships, helping SA to finish 4th, narrowly missing 3rd place by a few points. Yang Yang reached the Quarter-Finals in her individual event and is now ranked Number 7 in Australia for her age.
BASKETBALL
Open A – Saints 23 defeated by Immanuel 26
The girls played in a hard-fought first game back, with the outcome determined in the last 10 seconds. It was a close game with a few unlucky shots, but the girls worked well together in offence and played hard in defence, getting plenty of rebounds. – Sarah Matheson (Captain)
Middle A – Saints 12 defeated by Immanuel 52
A good first up effort after the break against a quality team. The score probably did not reflect the game as we had some good opportunities to score but could not make our shots. Definitely improved as the game went on, and special mention to Chi Chi Zhao for her 8 points, and Tilly for her great hustle. – Brenton Davies (Coach)
Middle B – Saints 3 defeated by Immanuel 87
Unfortunately for the team, we came up against a very, very good side and we were just outclassed. The girls need to be congratulated on their effort and for never giving up. Special mention to Helen Zhang who did a fantastic job of bringing the ball down the court and getting her teammates into the game. – Brenton Davies (Coach)
TENNIS
The Open As played a close match against Seymour College, only narrowly defeated on games. All girls who played tried well and demonstrated excellent sportsmanship both on and off the court. A big thank you to Ella Dnistriansky for filling in. Ella also played very well, winning in a tie break.
The Open Bs were narrowly defeated by Scotch College. All girls played well and also demonstrated great sportsmanship. A special congratulations to Charlotte Staples who played tremendously in her singles, winning 6-2. This week has been excellent in preparing the girls for the rest of the games in Term 4. A solid and exciting start to this season! – Annabel Baldwinson (Captain)
Premier League – Saints 3-20 defeated by Seymour 3-26
Singles: Ruby Deakin 6-5, Annabel Baldwinson 0-6 (forfeit), Maiya Jakupec 6-4, Ella Dnistriansky 6-5
Premier Reserves – Saints 2-22 defeated by Scotch 4-31
Singles: Imogen Nienaber 2-6, Charlotte Staples 6-2, Georgia Mallick 2-6, Tahlia Louca 6-5