Issue no. 10
In this edition
Saints Girls Walk Down Memory Lane
As we celebrate our 125th anniversary, our girls have enjoyed stepping back in time by parading some of our past uniforms during a special Friends of the Founders’ Chapel service.
On Wednesday, the Year 6 students proudly modelled a range of summer, winter and sports uniforms dating back to the first uniform in the early 1910s through to the present day. Our guests, including other students, Old Scholars and past staff members, thoroughly enjoyed seeing the changes across the decades. Special thanks to Anne Daniell, Myrith Barr and our Year 6 models.
Watch the video below to see how the fashions have evolved throughout our rich history.
Megan McCormack
Old Scholar Officer
From the Director of Teaching and Learning
NAPLAN tests will soon be upon us (Week 3 of next term). If your daughter is participating in these tests this year, you should have received an email containing all of the necessary information. Please take some time to visit the NAPLAN website and, in particular, the Public Demonstration section of the site; this year’s tests are online and the website enables you to explore what the test questions will look like and how to navigate through them. The only exception to online testing is the Year 3 Writing Test, which remains a paper and pencil exercise.
It is important to remember that the NAPLAN tests are designed primarily to determine how effectively the Australian Curriculum is being delivered in schools. Students should not be worrying about them and, instead, they should view them as an opportunity to showcase their skills and to gain experience in using online assessment environments.
George Whitman was the proprietor of Shakespeare & Company, the famous and eccentric Parisian bookshop, until his death in 2011. Many of his utterances have since become famous quotations; perhaps my favourite is, “All the world is my school and all humanity is my teacher.” We are always learning, no matter our age, and the people and places around us continually provide us with learning opportunities and materials. The concept of lifelong learning is especially pertinent in a school context. Teachers never stop learning how to perfect their practice and need to keep abreast of changes and new discoveries and developments within their specialisms. Furthermore, a core element of 21st century education is instilling a love of learning and an active curiosity in our students. In this spirit of lifelong learning, teachers at Saints Girls have this term undertaken further training in a host of different areas: task design, effective assessment, technology in the classroom, project-based learning, guided inquiry, literacy and numeracy progressions, and cross-school moderation, to name just a selection. The overarching theme of all this training is seeking to enhance and refine the learning experiences of our students. And of course it helps when the teachers are still also learners themselves!
Nigel Scoggins
Director of Teaching and Learning
Staff Profile – Monique Green
Digital Technologies Teacher and STEM Coordinator Monique Green has been a valued member of the Saints Girls’ staff team for over three years. She is the first to feature in our new series of staff profile videos which aim to showcase the talented and dedicated professionals we are honoured to have at our School.
In 2017, Monique received the EdTech SA Leading Light Award. It recognises those within the education community who provide inspiration to others in supporting the subject of IT and the use of ICT. Monique is passionate about engaging and inspiring girls in technology. Through a varied curriculum including programming, driverless cars, drone technology, business intelligence and 3D printing, she helps students understand how technology can change the world. As a member of Her Tech Path, a community of women working in IT who share this passion, she has partnered with business intelligence and data analytics firm Exposé to develop a unit of work for Senior School students that focuses on how data can be used to solve business problems.
Outside of teaching, Monique is a mother of two young children and a keen (and competitive!) tennis player. We hope you enjoy the opportunity to see our outstanding staff in action.
Knockout Win for Softballers
Despite being unable to field a team in the Secondary Schools’ competition, Saints brought together current and former players to contest the State Secondary Schools’ Softball Knockout carnival. Saints competed in four games across the day against Glenunga, Nuriootpa, Adelaide and Seaton. The experienced duo of Aroha Munroe (pitcher) and Tesse Parker (catcher) being well supported by fellow club player Kellie Bested gave the other players support and encouragement. All girls had played previously, so it was great to see them re-visit the skills in batting and fielding. Holly Cardone, Hattie and Portia Maerschel, Stephanie Smalls, Millie Wilkin and our US exchange student Grace Novak are all to be commended for their involvement.
In the round-robin format, it came down to the last game with both Seaton and Saints being undefeated. Down 0-1, Saints showed the determination and desire to prevail and take out the State title 8-1 in emphatic fashion.
Neil Fuller
Director of Sport
From the Community Service Prefect
Involvement with Service Learning
Service Learning, which aligns with the School’s value of Compassion, is important because it allows students to empathise with people outside of the classroom, improve the local community and then reflect on the impact of their actions. This results in developing a sense of gratitude for what we are lucky enough to have that others do not, such as the opportunities provided by this School.
One of the girls’ involvements in Service Learning this term has been through the Collective of St Mary Magdalene Moore Street Drop in Centre – a volunteer, grassroots organisation which provides three course meals to people in need. Every Saturday night this term, three or four students from Year 11 and 12, accompanied by a staff member or parent, have given up their time to serve these meals. I participated at the Drop in Centre the first week and found the experience incredibly heart warming. I was able to get to know the patrons who I served as well as other volunteers, many of whom used to be in need but now give back to the community. It was uplifting to be part of the friendly community created by this charity for people who would otherwise be spending their Saturday nights alone. This year too, students will be funding the meals provided on three separate occasions; Senior School students have been asked to donate funds for Saturday 6 April, Middle School for Saturday 15 June and Junior School for Saturday 3 August. The donations can be delivered to the Front Office inside an envelope.
Next term, the School will collaborate with Kickstart for Kids, a South Australian organisation that aids children experiencing hardship to reach their full potential through the provision of food, healthcare, clothing and mentors. The partnership is primarily run by the Year 10 Kennion House girls who serve breakfast weekly at schools to children who arrive without having eaten that morning. The other House charities include The Cancer Council, partnered with Kilburn House, Little Heroes Foundation, working with Patteson House, and The Smith Family which partners with Selwyn House. Next term as well, there are two House charity days where Year 10 girls from two Houses will creatively fundraise for their charities during recess and lunch breaks; these are Friday 21 May and Friday 23 August. The money raised from both days will be split evenly among the four House charities.
Sarah Carrodus
Community Service Prefect
Guest Singer’s GIJ Pump Up
Last Tuesday afternoon, Just Jazz, In-ta Jazz, Enchanté and Esperanza were extremely fortunate to work with Sally Cameron, an ARIA award winning artist and the former lead vocalist of Idea of North. Sally spent time listening to our youngest jazz choir, Just Jazz, who then had the opportunity to watch and learn as In-ta Jazz, our youngest small ensemble, performed in a workshop situation. Later on, Sally worked with Enchanté, focusing on the music they intend to perform at the Generations in Jazz weekend in Mount Gambier, the first weekend of Term 2!
Sally provided much constructive feedback on our pieces while giving us some great insight into the context of each piece, as well as encouraging us to listen to specific jazz vocalists. She gave us many ideas in relation to what the adjudicators will look for when we compete next term at the greatly anticipated GIJ, as well as widening our jazz knowledge and culture. Sally’s presence was a great opportunity for the group to perform to a critical audience and it made us work particularly hard, given the pressure of singing in the same room as such a renowned artist! The result of this was an extremely productive and useful rehearsal. Esperanza, a newly-formed small vocal ensemble of six girls, worked closely with Sally for the last rehearsal of the day, also workshopping their two charts for Generations in Jazz. We are so thankful to Sally Cameron for coming to school for the day and putting so much time and energy into helping and listening to our jazz choirs!
Annabelle Langley
Year 12 chorister
True Colours on Harmony Day
This year, the Environment Club has committed to initiating engaging and creative activities to spread awareness of worldwide issues within the School community. Small groups from the Environment Club have been working on projects over the first term to educate a selected target audience on a chosen issue. One of these initiatives was a colouring-in competition distributed to Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 girls with the aim of informing our younger peers of the significance of Harmony Day.
Celebrated on March 21, Harmony Day aims to appreciate Australia’s cultural diversity by reminding us to be inclusive and respectful of all cultures, and to make sure everybody feels like they belong. The girls were asked to reflect on the relevance of Harmony Day both in our School community and beyond. Some ideas of ways they could actively involve themselves in the celebration were to listen to music from different cultures, create art inspired by different cultures, and participate in the Environment Club’s colouring in competition with the possibility of winning a small prize inspired by the environment.
After two weeks, we received countless entries from the six classes, and one winner was picked from each of the three year levels. Congratulations to the following students: Clementine Christo (Reception), Chloe Xu (Year 1) and Alexandra Teh (Year 2).
This was a valuable and enjoyable experience for all, and the Environment Club looks forward to running more activities which get other students involved in raising awareness of these important environmental and cultural issues.
Anna Stefopoulos
Humanities Teacher
Blast-Off for Year 2 Pocket Rockets
Excitement filled our learning space as we celebrated the finale of our first Unit of Inquiry with a Recycled Rocket Construction Day. In the weeks leading up to this event, the girls researched rockets and space shuttles, planned their designs and gathered recycled materials.
The final designs are spectacularly finished with reflective space foil, carefully concealing tiny Pocket Rocket hand-made books of information about the discoveries we made beyond our planet.
Kathryn Clark and Rebecca Greenhalgh
Year 2 Teachers
Important Notice – Building Works
From 10 April to 10 May, our main car park will be affected by a key phase of the Science Centre construction which will result in a smaller turning circle adjacent to the work site. Please be aware that this will be a challenge for larger cars to negotiate.
In addition, we wish to advise families that the School will be closed on Friday 26 April during the school holidays due to a major upgrade of our electricity infrastructure. As such, ELC and OSHC Vacation Care will not be available on the 26th, and the School Shop will not be open that day as previously scheduled.
We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we strive to provide the best facilities for our students.
Summer Interhouse Meal Deal
Summer Interhouse – Last Day of Term 1, Friday 12 April
The Saints Sport Support Group (SSSG) will once again be cooking up lunch for hungry Reception – Year 12 students on the day. Volunteers will hand-deliver the Reception – Year 2 lunches to the classroom, and Years 3 – 12 can pick up their lunches from the BBQ area.
This year, we are offering delicious Hamburger Meal Deals (vegetarian available, but no other dietary options). Please note, cash sales on the day will be for soft drinks, chocolate bars and chips.
Order meal deals via www.trybooking.com/BBNUA
Orders close at midday on Wednesday 10 April (no orders will be accepted after this time).
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
Scratching the Surface at Aldinga Reef
On Wednesday 3 April, the Year 12 IB Biology class and the Year 9 Science classes visited Aldinga Reef as part of their studies in Ecology. The Year 9 group gathered information on the relationship between species distribution and abiotic factors, and the Year 12s looked for statistical evidence that certain marine species are found in association with one another.
The weather was perfect – warm but overcast – and the girls worked together collaboratively to make, record and analyse their observations. The group worked very efficiently to finish the task, which allowed us the chance to relax and enjoy the coastal views (and some hot chips!). The girls appreciated the opportunity to get out of the classroom and into the field, and many enjoyed spotting species that most people never see in a natural environment, such as nudibranchs and stingrays. Thanks to Mr Stuart and Mr Carey for the wealth of knowledge they shared, and to Ms Reid for enthusiastically joining us with little notice. All in all, it was a very successful field trip.
Emily Gough
Head of Science
Hockey Player Shoots for National Glory
Next week, I will be competing in Hobart for the National U18 Hockey Tournament. I started playing hockey at the age of 7 for my primary school and have continued playing for school, club and State since. I train around four times a week in winter and then have school and club games every weekend. Since December 2018, the U18 girls’ team has been preparing for the National tournament with multiple training and bonding sessions to ensure we make the most of our time away. I am very excited for the opportunity to be a part of this team and to play against high quality opponents form the larger eastern states.
Olivia Goldsmith
Year 11 student
How Music Gives Literacy the Right Notes
Music education improves our verbal memory. Imagine if each student had the capacity to remember 17% more of what was said in class?
As our Receptions embark on their journey towards learning how to read and write through our Literacy program, the girls are busy in music playing the xylophones. Not much of a link? Well actually, as we sing, play and move to songs in music, we are reinforcing the letter names of the musical alphabet, we are singing and recognising the sounds of letter names and identifying them on the xylophones, and we are listening to and acting on instructions. As the music gets more complicated, the instructions get harder and the tempo of songs speeds up, the girls’ ability to identify music notes and letter names needs to be quicker. These fun and challenging music activities are improving their processing skills, helping them to identify patterns in language, improve their verbal and muscle memory and, above all, their love of music.
Music education supports the early development of the main auditory processing network in the brain. This is the network we use to learn the spoken language, and the better we can hear and make meaning of sound, the smoother the transition to reading text and understanding the building blocks of grammar. Diagnostic tools as simple as testing if a child can keep a steady beat on a drum at the age of 3 can be used to detect if the child is likely to have reading problems when they are 5. This is why in ELC, Reception and Year 1 Music, we spend a lot of time in class moving to music, playing basic tempo games and making music with simple rhythmic patterns.
In a few months, I will be undertaking some professional development with Dr Anita Collins who is an award-winning educator, researcher and writer in the field of brain development and music learning. She is internationally-recognised for her unique work in translating the scientific research of neuroscientists and psychologists to the everyday parent, teacher and student. I look forward to sharing some of this excellent research with students and parents later in the year. Below is a fantastic TED talk that Dr Collins was involved in making which gives a really simple explanation of how music stimulates the brain more than any other activity or endeavor humans participate in.
And another presentation: What if every child had access to music education from birth?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueqgenARzlE
Sally Rounsevell
Director of Music
*Xylophone pictures above by Victoria Teo and Liza Rana in Reception
Year 6 Leads the Way
In Term 2, our Year 6 Leaders will be facilitating a program in the Junior School where all students will delve deeper into the character strengths of hope, humour and appreciation of beauty. In preparation for this, the girls undertook Peer Leadership Training on Thursday 28 and Friday 29 March. This involved discussions and hands-on activities on aspects of group facilitation such as empathy, decision-making, problem-solving, non-verbal communication and reflection. Now armed with this knowledge and experience, the students are looking forward to implementing the program.
Kim Butler-Nixon, Sarah Braithwaite and Louisa Mitchell
Year 6 Teachers
Easter Egg Hunt with a Twist
This week in House meetings, the Year 12 Kennion girls organised a Relay Easter Egg Hunt for the mighty blue House. The Years 7 – 11 students sorted themselves into groups of six from three different year levels and made their way to the Food Technology Deck. On the count of three, the leader from each group raced off to the Chiverton Lawns area in search of an Easter egg. As each girl returned, she tagged the next member of her team to go on the hunt. Once every team member had been twice, the team had finished. As a final task, the winning team all set off together one last time for a showdown, with the first student who came back with one more egg being declared the final winner. It was great to see the girls working with students of different ages and having fun together. Go Kennion!
School Shop Reminder
With only one week left of term, this is a reminder to parents of new students to ensure they have their winter uniform requirements prior to the start of Term 2. If you have not already been in to see us or made an appointment, please do so as soon as possible as places are filling fast.
This is also a timely reminder to all other students to dust off your winter uniforms to ensure everything still fits!
In the holidays, the School Shop will be open on Tuesday 23 April from 9am – 4pm for fittings by appointment only, and on Wednesday 24 April from 9am -1pm. Please note that the School Shop will now be closed on Friday 26 April due to site works as outlined above.
Junior School Vacation Care
Our next instalment of Vacation Care is almost here. We have some great activities guaranteed to keep the children entertained through the break. With an array of excursions and on-site adventures, there is plenty of fun to be had.
Places are limited, so please click here to secure your booking now!
Vacation Care Program – April 2019
Click here to book Vacation Care
Please note that Vacation Care will not be available on Friday 26 April.
125 Gala Ball – Tickets Now on Sale
Our 125th anniversary Gala Ball is shaping up to be a spectacular evening.
We warmly invite you to join us in celebrating this significant milestone in the School’s history. We encourage all community members including current and past parents, past staff and Old Scholars to come along.
Highlights will include a delicious three course meal, premium beverages and fantastic live entertainment by leading party band The Cast, as well as our own talented student performers.
This is an event not to be missed and a fantastic opportunity to see familiar faces from your Saints Girls’ journey.
When: 6.30pm, Saturday 19 October 2019
Venue: William Magarey Room, Adelaide Oval
Dress: Black Tie
Tickets: $150 per person; tables of 10
Book now via www.trybooking.com/ZZGY or 8334 2225
Entertainment Book
The St Peter’s Girls’ Parents’ and Friends’ Association is fundraising via Entertainment Book/Digital Membership.
We’re thrilled to let you know about special bonus early bird offers for loyal supporters.
Pre-order the NEW 2019 | 2020 Entertainment Membership and receive bonus offers you can use right away.
Purchase your membership here!
Business Directory at Saints Girls
Book your very own personalised advertisement today. Three options available – $500, $250 or FREE
> Promote your special business offer and change your advertisement as often as you like for no extra cost
> Simply support businesses connected to our School
> Refer a business
> All proceeds go towards our Parents’ and Friends’ Association fundraising efforts
For more information on how to get involved, contact Melissa Westgate on 8334 2244 or mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
Women in STEM Breakfast – Student Invitation
Thursday 23 May from 8 – 10.30am
Is breakfast your favourite meal of the day? Are you interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Mathematics? If you would like to know more about what a career in STEM looks like whilst enjoying a tasty, nutritious breakfast, then the Women in STEM Breakfast is for you! Hear from passionate and successful women from a range of industries. Key speakers include:
Sarah Brown: Co-Founder of Code Like a Girl
Dr Kristin Alford: Director of the Museum of Discovery (MOD)
Dr Bronwyn Hajek: Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at UniSA
Enjoy a morning of food, breakfast beverages and chatting about where your interests could lead.
Thursday 23 May from 8 – 10.30am in the Arts Centre at St Peter’s Girls’ School.
Visit www.trybooking.com/BCALF to secure your place.
Tertiary Studies & Careers Expo – this Sunday!
Come along to the Tertiary Studies & Careers Expo Adelaide on 7 – 8 April 2019 where you will find university representatives from around Australia and overseas, including the University of Melbourne, UniSA, the University of Adelaide and Flinders University.
Other areas include:
> Private education providers
> TAFE SA
> Defence forces
> Trade skills providers
> Government agencies
> Employment opportunities
> Gap year and exchange programs
> Scholarship, financial and bursary information
….and more!
Click here for an information flyer
Click here to visit their website
Robogals’ Free Science and Engineering Day
Robogals is holding a Science and Engineering Day at the University of Adelaide on 24 April (10am – 2.30pm) for girls aged 5 – 15. The event includes a variety of fun STEM challenges.
This workshop is free, and all experience levels are welcome. Places are limited, so registration is essential.
Date: Wednesday 24 April
Time: 10am – 2.30pm
Location: University of Adelaide
Cost: FREE
Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/adelaide-sed
Information Flyer
Students are also invited to enter the Science Challenge 2019. More information can be found here.
Sports News
BASKETBALL
Middle C – Saints 20 defeated by Wilderness 28
The team played against Wilderness on Monday night, narrowly going down in a close match. This game was their best display for the term and with 10 minutes to go, they were within 2 points. Saints Girls had a lot more shots than Wilderness but we had a lower conversion rate. All the girls played their best game of the season. A special mention to Emily McCorley who scored 18 of the 20 points. Great effort ladies. – Chris Carey (Supervisor)
SOFTBALL
Year 3/4 – Saints Blue 20 defeated by Walford 21
The girls played an outstanding final game for the term! I was so proud of the Blue team as they listened and cooperated amazingly. Again, we had girls swap teams to help out with numbers, so thank you to Emily L and Iris Ran. It was a fantastic game and I’m glad we got to finish off the term in such a positive spirit! Best players were Enya Ouyang who hit three incredible balls during our batting innings and Eleanor Bartter who proved to be an awesome player at pitcher with some great stops throughout the game. Well done girls, see you in Term 4. – Lulu Tierney (Coach)
Year 3/4 – Saints White
As only three Wilderness players turned up for the match, it allowed our large squad of players to help them out and play with them. It was a fun scratch match where all girls demonstrated how confident they had become learning all the rules and they batted with such determination. A fun way to end the season. – Pauline Noblet (Coach)
TENNIS
The Open A team had a successful match, winning 5 sets to 1 against Pulteney. All girls played to a high standard and showed fabulous sportsmanship. An amazing note to finish on for the last match of the term.
The Open B team were scheduled to play Pembroke, but the opposition had to forfeit due to illness.
Congratulations to all girls who took part in the Tennis program this term. You all played very well and should be proud of yourselves. Good luck to the Saturday players who play their last match tomorrow. I hope we can continue our great results in Term 4! – Annabel Baldwinson (Captain)
Premier (A Grade) – Saints 5-31 defeated Pulteney 1-22
Singles: Mia Dodd 6-3, Ruby Deakin 6-1, Maiya Jakupec 6-4, Annabel Baldwinson 6-3
Premier Reserves (B Grade) – Saints won by a forfeit
Division 1 –
Rain meant the games were unable to be completed.
Division 2 – Saints 3-23 defeated by Scotch 3-30
Singles: Victoria Thorp 0-6, Sophie Abbott 2-6, Faye Ma 6-5, Eva Young 6-3
Division 3 – Saints 6-36 defeated Scotch 0-15
Singles: Chase Hocking 6-4, Astrid Teague 6-1, Azaan Singh 6-0(forfeit), Anika Bruin 6-3
Division 4 Blue – Saints 5-32 defeated Scotch 1-19
Singles: Ayanna Roy 2-6, Lilli Bennett 6-2, Gloria Zou 6-3, Nathara Perera 6-3
Division 4 White – Saints did not play
Junior Division 1 – Saints 3-17 defeated by Seymour 3-19
Singles: Sophie Blight 4-1, Winnie Vartuli 4-3, Alison Francis 3-4, Chloe Richardson 0-4
Junior Division 2 Blue – Saints
Junior Division 2 White – Saints 5-23 defeated Wilderness 1-7
Singles: Shirley Liu 4-0, Olivia Reynolds 4-1, Charlotte Thorpe 4-1, Jackie Balasis 4-1
Junior Division 3 Blue – Saints 1-15 defeated by Seymour Blue 4-21
Singles: Lily Michelon 2-4, Lucy Mitchell 1-4, Annabel Keough 2-2, Abbie An 1-4
Junior Division 3 White – Saints 2-13 defeated by Scotch 3-14
Singles: Lily Forby 0-4, Amelia Olesen 3-3, Pollyanna Townsend 4-0, Amelia Chen 1-0
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Open A – Saints 1 defeated Seymour 0
The girls put their heads down and played a very strong game in attack trying to keep the ball in our attacking end. Our defence was strong at times but did get slower as the game progressed. Hannah Freeman scored the try this game which was nothing new for her as she always uses her speed and skills to push through the defence. Each girl played well working together to prevent Seymour from getting close to their attacking line. Thank you to Sarah Wishart and Siena Kulinski who came up from the Bs to play with us! – Eve Habel (Captain)
Open B – Saints 8 defeated Sacred Heart 0
The Open Bs had a huge win against Sacred Heart. The first half of the game was played well, with strong defence that led to Sacred Heart barely making it past the half-way line of the field. However, our team struggled to score, managing to get just 1 try by half-time. After discussing strategies to help us score, the team came back onto the field stronger than ever and successfully scored 7 tries. It was an excellent game played by the girls, especially with the wintery weather conditions we were playing in. – Anna Pryor
Open C1 – Saints 2 defeated by Pembroke 4
This was always going to be a tough game with five players unavailable through sickness or the exchange student trip to Sydney. However, a couple of girls agreed to play two games, and the team started the first half well, with strong team rucking and some brilliant intercepts leading to 2 tries in the first half.
Unfortunately in the second half, our team discipline dropped, creating gaps in our defence which Pembroke capitalised on. We also lost our voice and our rucking lost direction, reinforcing the importance of having a “half” ready for the play at all times. A tough game, but one in which the team continued to improve, and we look forward to finishing the year off strongly with a win in our final game. – Ben Goldsmith
Open C2 – Saints 7 defeated St Ignatius 0
The team dynamics worked very well, with us moving up the field with pace and only dropping the ball once. We communicated well and Ellie Anderson scored 3 tries, Ella Waltham scored 3 tries and Kendra Ware scored 1 try. With this win, we go through to the Grand Final. – Kendra Ware
Middle A – Saints 4 defeated Wilderness 6
We had a really good game, proving our skills against a tough opponent. After a slow start, with Wilderness scoring 4 tries in the first half, we had lots of intensity and a really fast ruck. We have definitely improved throughout the season and it was evident in the second half of the match when we found space in attack and had a tight defence. – Ellie Humphrey
Middle B – Saints 2 defeated by St Ignatius 4
The team played a hard game, introducing a new defensive strategy which helped to shut down the attacking team’s attempts. The girls worked well trying to use their set plays to score tries, and eventually this payed off with a beautiful scoop and run resulting in a text book try. A second try was scored but it wasn’t enough to stop the break-away speed tries scored by St Ignatius. The girls worked hard and have clear areas to focus on ready for the play offs. – Becca Burton-Howard
Middle C – Saints 3 defeated by Mary MacKillop College 9
Despite a cold morning, the team worked well in both their attack and defence. The team have practised hard to improve their 1, 3, 5 strategy and this helped us to prevent the other team from scoring. Additionally, the team made nearly no unforced errors. Tries were scored by Apurva Ichalkaranje, Jasmine Segredos and Scarlett Dillon. A special mention should go to Tamsin Freeman for her great rucking on the wing. The team is really coming together at the end of the season, and this was a well-earned win against Mary MacKillop College. – Scarlett Dillon
VOLLEYBALL
Open A – Saints 1 defeated by Concordia 2 (18-25, 20-25, 21-16)
A tough encounter that could have gone either way. Under fire early, the girls rallied with some brilliant plays but could not string together points and were always playing catch up. The effort increased in the second set but the constant pressure was always there from Concordia who played a great game. The team got moving in the third and a good serving run by Chloe Deieso helped the team to finish the match on a positive note. – Alistair Keough (Coach)
Open B – Saints 0 defeated by Concordia 3 (19-25, 25-23, 17-22)
A solid all-round effort that went down to the wire with all players playing really well. We were a little slow in our movement early but great energy and communication kept us in touch for the first set. We worked on our defence to attack transition in the second set, and Ankita Rajbhoj had a great serve run to push the team ahead, taking the second set.
Both teams fought hard in the third set, with Concordia only just able to pull away in the last four minutes to take the third and the match. – Alistair Keough (Coach)
Open C – Saints 0 defeated by Concordia 3
The girls faced a hard opposition this week. The result would suggest Concordia was the stronger team at the end of the day, however, I believe we had better basic skills and definitely a better attitude. It was Concordia’s strong serving that won them the game, but the girls kept their heads up and had a positive, energetic attitude the whole game. – Victoria Neale (Coach)
Middle A – Saints 3 defeated Concordia 0
The Middle As had a challenging game. After losing to Concordia last year, the girls were determined to win this time. Samantha Keough, Hilary Clark and Sivanthi Sivasuthan had a particularly good game, setting up plays and having a strong presence at the net with Samantha getting our first block for the season. The team is currently undefeated for this year and, with one game left, hopefully we can have a strong finish to Term 1. – Victoria Neale (Coach)
Middle B – Saints 0 defeated by Concordia 3
Due to illness, the team was a combination of B and C teams. The younger players really stepped up. Although the game was not a win, it was very encouraging to see the team starting to play real volleyball with many 2 and 3 touches of the ball before going over the net. Really good to see the improvement since Week 1 where games were mostly ‘tennis’ with the ball going straight back over the net. MVP was Charlotte for making some good saves and for consistent digs. – Vicki Dent (Coach)
Middle C – Saints did not play
WATER POLO
Open A – Saints 13 defeated Mercedes 1
The girls came out strong and used the skills they had worked hard on in training to their advantage. All of them played a strong defence, rotating between a one-on-one and a zone defence, which is notable from the score. Many girls used loopholes in the rules to earn 5 metre penalties on the goalie, enabling them to have a free shot at goal. Best players were Saskia Jonats and Olivia Goldsmith. Saskia played a strong three quarters in goals, blocking every shot that came her way, and when playing field in the fourth quarter, she was alert in both attack and defence and managed to score two excellent goals. Olivia was outstanding; she was constantly looking for the ball and opportunities to score. She took strong shots on goal and some impressive backhands, and managed to score two goals. This win continued their undefeated season, leading into the Grand Final. Well done girls! – Fiona Lethbridge
Open B – Saints had a bye
Open C – Saints 10 defeated Loreto 4
The girls played an outstanding match, starting the game off strongly with a score at first quarter-time of 4 – 0, and managed to beat the top team in their division. Every girl played a tough defence and worked hard to secure the win. Best player again was Sophie Dansie who played an excellent game on high alert and was constantly looking for the right moment to take a solid shot at goal. Keep up the good work girls! – Fiona Lethbridge
Year 7/8 – Saints 14 defeated St Aloysius 3
The girls played an incredible game with their defence being a highlight. Ash was strong in goals, saving some amazing shots. The girls were able to capitalise on their turnovers and quickly score from those. I am very proud of the girls’ efforts, they showed excellent teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the game. – Gemma Rowe (Coach)