Issue no. 20
In this edition
From Our Principal
As Term 2 draws to a close, we reach the halfway point of our current Strategic Plan. The 3-year period is deliberately short. With technology constantly changing and millennials filling the workforce, the ‘5-year plan’ way of thinking is no longer relevant. Over such a long timeframe, there are too many grand initiatives that simply fade away. A strategic plan must balance the openness to new ideas with the insistence on establishing a consistent direction. The plan should be a living document by which the Board and Principal are held accountable, with progress open to examination and evaluation on a regular basis. With that in mind, I provide the following update on this year’s goals:
Academics
The School is committed to delivering a rigorous and innovative academic program. Accordingly, we review and adjust our curriculum offerings on a regular basis. This year, our girls have the opportunity to complete a Certificate III qualification in the High Performance and Screen and Media electives in Year 10, and our Scientist in Residence program continues to evolve.
The School will respond to the changes in the Australian Curriculum, but in a Saints Girls’ way! There is an increased focus on problem-solving within the revised Mathematics curriculum. Much research in the area of cognitive science suggests that problem-solving is best attempted once a solid foundation of procedural fluency has been established. Additionally, there is still reference to a whole-language approach to reading instruction within the revised curriculum documentation. This does not adequately reflect what we know about the science of reading and what we know constitutes best practice in reading instruction. As such, we will continue to refine our approach to phonics instruction. Similarly, the increased focus on problem-solving in mathematics will not change our intention to deliver high quality explicit instruction of mathematical concepts and procedures in our classes.
The School gathers a large amount of data as your daughter progresses through the years. Without meaningful analysis, the power of data to inform and implement effective, evidence-based classroom practice is wasted. This year, the School has designed, developed and delivered customised student dashboards that enable fast access and interpretation of student data, allowing teachers to not only track your daughter’s progress but to adapt their practice accordingly.
Wellbeing
A holistic wellbeing program should support our girls not only now but into the future. With that in mind, much time has been spent this year developing a future-focused and personalised careers program. Such a program needs to commence well before Year 12 and provide regular engagement with industry. We’ve been delighted to launch Career.Ready and the JobChat initiative. Once fully operational, the program will start in Year 7 and culminate in confident, informed choices in the later years of school and beyond. Content for this program will be delivered to girls during Home Group time, and the senior girls will complete one-on-one interviews with members of our Careers team. Enquiries can be forwarded to Karen Alderson or Carolyn Farr.
A review of the current leadership curriculum and opportunities for the girls within the School is about to commence.
Co-Curricular
Our new Director of Sport Tommy Peak has developed a vision for co-curricular sport after reviewing the current structure of coaching and team selection for each sport at all age levels. As a result, changes will be made to better equip girls and coaches to experience success whilst at school and encourage lifelong active participation. A particular focus will be to develop a tailored approach in each sport to match the needs of participants, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
By year’s end, involvement in all co-curricular pursuits will be easily compared across activities and longitudinally using a specially developed comparison tool. It’s anticipated that this data will help teaching staff monitor and support student wellbeing and holistic involvement in school life.
Community
The School continues to seek meaningful alliances with entities that will contribute to the girls’ education. A relationship has been established with Australian Green Clean which is working closely with the ELC and has supported the Year 11 Business and Enterprise students’ innovation of designing a receptacle for soft plastics. The Adelaide Wind Orchestra has made the Arts Centre their second home, and in exchange for after-hours access to our facilities, they will provide free workshops for our Music students and complimentary tickets to their concerts. Girls completing Certificate III in Screen and Media are being supported by Rising Sun Pictures. Collaborations with industries and professionals are a core component of our educational offering, and when done well, they can be a winning experience for both sides.
Service learning is rolling out across the School with girls of all ages actively involved in the program. Where possible, cross sub-school connections are being made. For example, both the ELC and Year 10 girls are working with The Smith Family. Please have a look at our Facebook or Instagram account to see some of the wonderful work undertaken by our girls this semester.
Spaces and Places
The School has undergone an amazing physical transformation in recent years, with the ELC, Middle School, Library and Science Centre developments all opening within a 6-year timeframe. The Gym is the next major project, and the start date will be dependent upon the success of our fundraising campaign. We have some exciting events ahead, commencing with The Long Lunch in September and a Sports Lunch with some notable sporting champions in November. We’re hoping to finish the campaign with a bang in June next year when we’ll hold a Giving Day and Celebration Ball. Your support, as always, is much appreciated, and the 2021 tax appeal is live for another week.
Staff
As a passionate supporter of single-sex education, I sit on the Board of the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia. Providing current research to our members is a strategic priority for the alliance. But conducting and not just reviewing research is extremely valuable. Action research can provide one of the highest levels of structured personal reflection for a teacher in terms of their own practice. Hence, I’m delighted that we have a number of staff groups involved in action research this year, ably assisted by external consultants. We are committed to maintaining our status as genuine experts in all girls’ education.
The IT staff structure has been reviewed and a re-structure completed, resulting in a blended staffing model covering teaching, data analytics and IT infrastructure.
Sustainable Organisation
It’s well documented that brands should strategically incorporate video into their online presence to assist millennials throughout the purchase cycle. Nearly two thirds of millennials, our future parent base, would rather watch a video from a brand than read text. Consequently, you would have seen an increase in video content across our digital media platforms in recent years. This year, a virtual School Tour has been filmed to assist future parents in their decision-making process. The imagery is amazing and we look forward to the tour going live on our website early next semester.
The School is an exceptionally busy place, and I’ve listed just a few of the initiatives that are underway. Management consultant Peter Drucker famously said: ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’. Without the right culture, no strategic plan has a chance of coming to life. Our culture is the ‘feel of the place’, the atmosphere that engulfs our girls each and every day. And in turn, their actions and their behaviours influence our culture. When asked to describe Saints Girls, there’s one word I always use – authentic. Saints Girls have a presence; they live in the moment with courage and conviction and stay true to themselves. We’re a School in which our young women exude a positive sense of agency and the confidence to challenge norms in the ambitious pursuit of their goals. Our Strategic Plan, underpinned by the School’s unique culture, is designed to ensure our girls continue to exhibit those attributes long after they leave school.
Have a wonderful break and I look forward to welcoming the girls back to school on Tuesday 20 July.
Julia Shea
Principal
Saints Girl Going for Gold at Physics Olympiad
Congratulations to Chi Chi Zhao for winning a place at the UNESCO-sanctioned International Science Olympiads. She’s among just 5 talented young students who’ll represent Australia at the International Physics Olympiad next month, competing against more than 1000 others globally.
We’re very proud of Chi Chi, who will compete in some of the world’s toughest science competitions. She has spent lots of time preparing for the Olympiad and will compete against students from over 80 countries in online exams and supervised challenges.
This week, we celebrated with Chi Chi and we wish her all the best!
‘I’m very excited to be representing Australia as part of the team for the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO). The IPhO is a physics competition for high school students that consists of both a theoretical and experimental exam and includes topics such as mechanics, electromagnetism and quantum physics. This year, the competition is organised by Lithuania and will be held virtually due to the pandemic.
Last year, I took part in the Australian Physics Olympiad and was selected to go to the Australian Science Olympiads Summer School. It was a great experience and I learnt so much in those two weeks. I was later invited to participate in the April school for further training during the holidays. The training was quite intense and very challenging at times, but it was really rewarding to look back and see how much I’d improved. My favourite thing about the Olympiad is probably the creative problem-solving and I’ve loved meeting new people along the way. I’m very grateful to my teachers at school and the tutors from the Australian Physics Olympiad for all their support and encouragement.’
Treasured Tradition – Our ELC Hat Ceremony
A treasured tradition for our girls transitioning to Mid-Year Reception at St Peter’s Girls’ School is the ELC Hat Ceremony. This event was founded some years ago now and is one that is looked forward to by many. The ELC children are formally welcomed into the ‘big school’ at a School Assembly where they are presented with their School hat and bag by Head of Junior School Suzanne Haddy.
We were thrilled to share this moment with our 2021 Mid-Year Receptions this week, and as you can see in the video, the children were beaming with pride. We wish them all a wonderful start to school next term and look forward to hearing more about their continued journey at St Peter’s Girls.
Foundations for Success at Saints Girls
Our Mid-Year Reception Transition Program has set the foundations for success as our ELC graduates look forward to joining the ‘big school’ next term.
They are confident and enthusiastic for the next step in their learning journey and we can’t wait to see the amazing things they’ll achieve.
Athletes’ Amazing Track Record
Well done to Charlotte McAuliffe who won the Barb Stevens Award for the Most Promising Multi Eventer at the Athletics SA Awards. Charlotte was also nominated for the U16 Track and Field Athlete of the Year along with Carys Kinsella White. Taking home the Di Burge Award for the Best Female Sprinter was Lakara Stallan, while Daisy Braithwaite was nominated for the U16 Road, Cross Country and Walks Athlete of the Year.
We also commend Old Scholars Christine Gayen (Patteson 2014) and Rose Pittman (Kilburn 2019) for being nominated for the Open Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Here are some of the girls’ reflections of the season:
This season, I have competed in various races across Australia. Some of my highlights include the Sydney Race Walking Nationals where I finished 4th, and the VIVA All Schools where I competed in the 2km Steeplechase, 1500 run, and 1500 walk. I was very happy with my results and can’t wait for what next season brings. – Daisy Braithwaite
Winning Most Promising Multi Eventer was one of my main highlights this season. I also competed at the Australian Athletics Nationals in Sydney where I raced in the 200m and finished 2nd overall. – Charlotte McAuliffe
Over the season, I have competed in various events across both track and field. My main achievement this season was finishing 4th in the Multi Event at Nationals. – Carys Kinsella White
Winning the Open 100m and 200m at States and throughout the season were some of my main achievements, as well as running my 100m PB, breaking 12.00 and running 11.93 seconds. – Lakara Stallan
Dazzling Young Dancers Light up the Stage
This week, the Reception and Year 1 students took to the stage to showcase their impressive dance moves and skills. RMK were cool cats that like to hide in boxes, RAL brought sunshine with their groovy beach dance, 1ML expressed their emotions playfully through colours and 1LS were toys that came to life!
Over the past semester, the girls have thoroughly enjoyed their weekly dance lessons with Kirsty Battersby. During these sessions, the girls have explored skills in drama and dance, which have helped develop their flexibility, coordination, spatial awareness and motor skills. An enormous thank you to Kirsty for her passion and creativity.
Meg Karvonen
Reception Teacher
Forensic Investigators Crack the Case
This week, the Year 9 girls took part in ‘A Case of Identity’, a forensic science activity run in the Science Centre. They took on the role of a forensic investigator and had to work through 11 different stations of evidence to solve the case. They discovered how forensic evidence is gathered, how it is analysed and how the results of these analyses are compiled to provide a detailed picture of the events leading up to a crime and of the criminal even when eyewitness accounts are not available. It was an opportunity for the girls to see how the methods and experiments they are using each day in the laboratory are developed and applied in the real world.
Craig Byrne
Head of Science
Last House Standing in Dodgeball Quest
At lunchtime on Wednesday in the Gym, the Year 9 Sports Leaders ran a Middle School Interhouse Dodgeball Competition. All Middle School students were welcome to play for their House, facing off in a 5-minute elimination.
The teams played with unbridled enthusiasm as they fought to complete the 5 minutes with more girls left standing on the court. At the end of the round robin competition, Kilburn was victorious. The Year 9 Sports Leaders have announced more of these Interhouse competitions will come throughout the year, with a perpetual trophy up for grabs at each event.
The girls have also initiated a rostered equipment container on the oval for all students to access at lunchtime, and spoke at the last Assembly about the challenges and advantages of being active in structured and unstructured environments.
Alice Braithwaite, Daisy Braithwaite, Amelia Lucas, Mathilda Thomas, Claudia Pearce
Year 9 Sports Leaders
Student’s Inspiring Encounter with Our Lorna
This week, the Year 10 students have been completing work experience. For my placement, I was looking for something to do in the health care area. I thought of a family friend who’s a nurse at Bordertown Memorial Hospital who I love staying with and I undertook my placement at the hospital in aged care. I have been getting to know all of the residents through sing alongs, bingo, UNO games and more. One of the residents happens to be our oldest Old Scholar Lorna Henstridge (nee Paterson, Selwyn 1933) who recently celebrated her 107th birthday.
I have spent quite a lot of time with Lorna and we have talked about how St Peter’s Girls’ School has changed over time and what she did when she went to Saints Girls. Lorna’s dad rode with her on a horse every morning to the train station where she took the train to the original campus in North Adelaide.
Lorna lived on her own right up until she was 103. She enjoys going to the pub for a meal and watching the footy. She is a very proud Saints Girl and her room has many School photos, magazines and drawings that the younger girls did for her when she visited for the School’s 125th anniversary. Her daughters all attended Saints Girls and one of them, Jenny, is now the Director of Nursing at the hospital. Lorna is gorgeous, so lively and she has an amazing attitude and memory. I cannot believe she’s 107. She’s amazing!
She was very happy to have a Saints Girl at the hospital and I have loved getting to know her. Lorna and I will definitely keep in touch.
Grace Richards
Student
Girls Sparkle at Twilight Music Concert
It was wonderful to hear from the Flute Ensemble, In-Ta Jazz and the Percussion Ensemble on Tuesday evening at our Twilight Concert. The audience was also treated to solo percussion performances from students across Years 5 – 10. Congratulations to all the girls who performed with such confidence and musicality.
A big thank you to Dr Nick Parnell, Samantha Hennessy, Kate Lewis and David Goodwin for their support in preparing our students for the concert.
Next term, we look forward to preparing for the ABODA Band Festival in Week 4, including our string, band and percussion groups. The SACE Concert will take place in Week 8 featuring our Year 12 Music Solo Performance students, and choirs, string and band groups that involve Year 12 students. We are also looking forward to special guests St Peter’s College who will be singing in a mass choir with our Chamber Choir in the SACE concert.
Sally Rounsevell
Director of Music
String Sharing Evening
The girls from all the string ensembles have been rehearsing hard throughout this term, so it was great to finally showcase all our hard work to parents and the junior girls.
On Monday evening and Wednesday lunchtime, the string groups performed a range of repertoire, including a special piece composed by one of our Year 11 students, Caitlin Middelberg. Thank you to Natalie Maegraith and Hilary Kleinig, our String Coordinators, for organising these sharings and helping each ensemble reach its potential. Also, special mention and congratulation to the girls involved in Adelaide Youth Orchestra and Adelaide Symphonia Orchestra this semester.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone back next term and ready to perform at the ABODA Band Festival and the SACE Concert.
Cheri Wong
Music Prefect
Year 1s Check Out Supermarket Shopping
Year 1 excursion to Drakes Supermarket in Newton
This term, the Year 1 students have been learning that food can go through stages of production to meet people’s needs. The Drake family kindly welcomed us to their Newton store, providing an intensive shopping experience for the girls. The excursion was informative as the girls experienced all aspects of what takes place in a supermarket. The Drakes’ team also generously provided each girl with a sample bag of goods which they took to the checkout to scan.
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to JP, Natalie and their team for providing a valuable and enjoyable learning experience for the Year 1 students.
‘When we got there, we got to have a shopping bag. We went on a treasure hunt. We collected an apple, white bread, water, popcorn and eggs. We scanned the food by ourselves. There were customers there, but for us it was free. We got to decorate doughnuts, and we got a piece of watermelon. We wore a hairnet, and we got a name tag. They had a special machine to clean the trolleys. My favourite part was looking for food.’ – Olivia
‘We went into the freezer room. It was very cold. They keep ice cream and milk in it. After that, we went to the pasta room. The lady was making pasta. We got to feel the warm pasta. Then we went into the room with bakery food like doughnuts. The oven was very hot. We got to make our own doughnuts with icing and sprinkles. They were delicious.’ – Heidi
Liz Sandercock and Michelle Liddy
Year 1 Teachers
Out of the Blue Arts Journal 2021 – Entries Now Open
‘Out of the Blue’ is our annual Arts Journal that celebrates the best of artistic endeavours at St Peter’s Girls’ School. We are looking for new entries to fill this year’s journal. The entries can take almost any art form such as photographs, art, poetry, cakes, song lyrics and tapestry. If you can think of others, please chat with Ms Burton-Howard.
We can take photos of people playing their instrument, as well as performing dance or drama. We can also attach a QR code to link to a performance video/recording. Any film that we include needs to be owned by the person submitting it, and it must include royalty-free music. It is also important that our Arts Journal reflects our whole community; therefore, we are also interested in poetry written in its original language along with a translation.
We accept entries from ELC to Old Scholars and staff. The closing date for entries is Friday 20 August (Week 5, Term 3). Successful artists will be notified, and a celebration with awards will be held in Term 4. Our journal was a huge success last year, featuring over 150 different art submissions and selling over 125 copies. We look forward to receiving more submissions this year. All work needs to have your name and year level written clearly, and the work must be original. Entries can be placed in the Out of the Blue boxes in classrooms or in the Library.
We will also be running a competition for the design of the front cover. All submissions must be black and white, a simple outline style and can be either digital or hand-drawn, clearly linking to the title and/or the concept of an Arts Journal. Entries for the cover close Friday 23 July (Week 1, Term 3). We are also looking for new committee members from the student body in Years 9 – 11. If you are interested, please contact Ms Burton-Howard via email.
Jessica Zhang and the Out of the Blue Arts Journal Committee
Year 5 Production – Singin’ in the Rain JR.
Year 5 is abuzz with rehearsals underway in earnest for the Year 5 Production: Singin’ in the Rain JR.!
Our girls are excited to display their talent in what will be yet another show-stopping Saints Girls’ production in the last week of Term 3. Eloise will play the iconic tap-dancing role of Don Lockwood made famous by Gene Kelly, and Maisy will play the hilarious character of Cosmo Brown made famous by Donald O’Connor.
Tickets will go on sale in early Term 3. As always, they will sell fast, so make sure you get in quick to snap up the best seats in the house.
Shelley Hampton
Director
Year 5s Dive into STEM Head First
Year 5 students were extremely fortunate to attend the STEM Innovation Lab by Lumination to align with our studies on space technology. It was a perfect opportunity to expand upon classroom teaching about technology and, in particular, Mars missions. The girls tried out VR headsets to view informational videos and pictorials about Mars, its surface and how spacewalks are done.
The girls then worked on their iPads, guided through a design process using Co Spaces and Tinker Cad to create their own designs to solve an issue with inhabiting Mars in the future. Many chose to look at the provision of a food or water supply or what forms of habitat units would need to be provided as dwellings. They soon learned to manipulate 3D shapes to build examples of their prototypes to solve their chosen issue.
An adjunct to this was the opportunity to don full VR gear to experience a space environment. The girls were extremely courageous in their use of this equipment as a disturbance to balance and spatial awareness can accompany such an experience. We were very impressed by how they immersed themselves in the entire day.
Shelley Hampton
Year 5 Teacher
A Taste of Paris for French Students
Braving cold and windy weather, the Year 11 French class set out on their excursion to French brasserie ‘Hey Jupiter’ and the surrealist exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Despite its not particularly French sounding name, Hey Jupiter brings a little slice of Paris to Adelaide’s East End, with décor reminiscent of an authentic Parisian brasserie and its offer of some typical French dishes. Jupiter is closely associated with fine dining and wine.
For our late breakfast, we enjoyed authentic food, such as a croque monsieur and toast français. Inspired by the French atmosphere and the company of native speakers, the conversation was held entirely in French, which, along with the delicious food, was a highlight of the excursion.
‘I thought the French cuisine was really interesting and fun and that Hey Jupiter captures the French culture really well. I also enjoyed speaking in French with everyone.’ – Eva
After a short walk to the Art Gallery, we explored the recently opened surrealist exhibition, which gave us a glimpse into the oeuvres of two surrealist artists who worked in diverse media such as painting, film and sculpture. The visit also gave us a little background of this important 20th century movement, which rebelled against the constraints of reason and traditional conventions in favour of creativity. The movement encompassed visual arts, poetry and literature, originated in France and had a significant impact globally.
Everybody appreciated the extraordinary artistic prowess and some of us are planning to go back for another visit.
Dagmar Schmidt-Duncan
French Teacher
Subject Expo – Year 9, 10 and 11 Parents Save the Date
On Thursday 22 July, St Peter’s Girls is holding its Subject Expo, taking place face-to-face this year in the Middle School between 4.30 and 7pm.
The Subject Expo incorporates information sessions about Years 10, 11 and 12 subjects and pathways in 2022, subject displays, SATAC and university entrance advice, and more.
Parents and students are encouraged to attend. Further details have been sent out via email. Hope to see you there!
Nigel Scoggins
Director of Teaching and Learning
Woodworkers Nail the Task
This term, Year 9 eTECH students have been working with wood and using simple hand tools to create different types of joins. Our multi-purpose Maker Space was transformed into a woodwork hub so the girls could better understand different types of materials and how they are used to build products.
The main project for this term was to investigate, design and build a box to solve a problem. We explored how we could use different types of varnishes and oils to finish the box and how engraving an image or text on different types of woods produces different results. Our Property Services team worked around the clock to help cut our box panels to size and provide expert advice about the best way to construct them.
We then visited Makerspace Adelaide, a volunteer-run community fabrication workshop. The girls enjoyed learning about the difference between a circular and linear economy and the movement towards ‘lending libraries’. After a quick overview of various power tools, they were keen to get to work. With only a few finishes required to complete our boxes, the girls felt confident using different types of tools for different purposes.
Monique Green
Digital Tech Teacher and STEM Coordinator
Junior School Vacation Care
Our next awesome instalment of Junior School 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.
June/July 2021 Vacation Care Program
Places are limited, so click here to secure your booking now!
St Peter’s Girls’ Community Bingo Night
Thank you to everyone who came along to our Community Bingo Night in our School Gym last Saturday. Our guests enjoyed a fantastic night of lively competition, fun and catching up with other community members.
A big thank you to our Director of Sport Tommy Peak and bingo guru Anthony from Olympic Bingo Adelaide for their help on the night – as our bingo callers, they were given five stars (or as Tommy sang, five golden rings!).
A special thank you to our generous prize sponsors: Richard Powell from Plumbing and Pipeline Solutions, as well as Cimone and Stephen Lam, Ed Parker, Caroline and Jeff Owler, Bunnings Kent Town, John and Megan Mallick for the Windsor Meats vouchers, Euro Pizza, Olli and Amelia Porter and The Glynde Hotel.
In between five bingo rounds, our guests played other games, testing their skills by throwing a coin for accuracy and putting a hole-in-one on the golf green. Congratulations to the winners of each bingo game who won a range of fantastic prizes including a $250 voucher for the School Shop, $25 vouchers for Euro Pizza and three bottles of wine, meat trays from Windsor Meats and plants from Bunnings Kent Town.
Lorraine Scarr was the big winner on the night, taking home a wheelbarrow filled with gardening products and other goodies in the raffle. The second prize was a voucher for Plumbing and Pipeline Solutions, and the third prize was a beautiful vase won by Helen Jeffery, who also won a raffle prize at our recent Ladies’ Night Out.
Thanks to our staff for their help, including bartender extraordinaire, Principal Julia Shea. We appreciate all the assistance from Friends of Rowing who also organised volunteers for the night.
We are looking forward to finishing the financial year with an excellent fundraising result from our Annual Appeal supporting our new Gym. Let’s all work together and shoot for 100% participation at any level you are comfortable with! You can donate here. Also, we look forward to our next big community event, the Foundation Long Lunch in September. Be quick to purchase your tickets here as they are selling fast!
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
The Long Lunch – Sunday 19 September
Join us for a tantalising Asian Fusion at The Long Lunch. Enjoy an afternoon among friends and colleagues with entertainment, auctions and delicious food paired with exceptional refreshments.
Sunday 19 September 2021
12 noon – 5pm
Tickets are $150
Only 200 available
Book now via www.trybooking.com/BQADN
Songbird Society School Holiday Music Workshops
The Songbird Society is launching its first-ever School Holiday Music Workshops.
Located in Bowden, the Songbird Society is a new, community-minded recording studio and music education space whose intention is to inspire, empower, and elevate music artists of all backgrounds, experience and goals.
Be quick to enrol as slots will be occupied on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendance is capped at 10 participants per workshop session.
Years 1 – 7
A 3-day program that offers children an opportunity to explore the magic of music in a fun, engaging and encouraging environment. Participants can look forward to creative activities, educational games, hands-on activities, vocabulary lessons and more!
Session 1: 9am – 12pm, Monday 5 July – Wednesday 7 July
Session 2: 9am – 12pm, Monday 12 July – Wednesday 14 July
Enrol before 28 June.
Years 8 – 12
This 3-day program empowers teenagers with the knowledge of how to create their own song demos from scratch. By the end, the goal is for participants to have completed an original demo. They are led by instructors through interactive lectures, creative activities and more, while using the widely-available digital audio workstation GarageBand.
Session 1: 1pm – 5pm, Monday 5 July – Wednesday 7 July
Session 2: 1pm – 5pm, Monday 12 July – Wednesday 14 July
Enrol before 28 June.
Click here for more information about both opportunities.
You can also visit the Songbird Society website here.
School Holiday Beam Camp
Beam is the innovative holiday camp for bright sparks aged 7 – 12 run by the education team at Lumination made up of STEM educators, robotics experts and coding superstars. The program will run at St Peter’s Girls’ School from 30 June – 14 July.
At Beam Camp, soar past the boundaries of everyday life while exploring coding, immersive virtual reality, robotics and drones. Beam Campers will make new friends while building digital literacy, problem-solving and design thinking – skills that will be vital for their future.
At Red Planet Rescue drone coding camp, navigate your drone around the model Mars colony using block coding, and learn core concepts such as iteration, functions and variables while you’re at it!
At Beyond 2021 VR coding camp, use fully immersive virtual reality technology to explore our solar system and beyond, and discover what challenges will be facing the colonists in the Trappist-1 system.
At Countdown to Mars robotics camp, build your very own rover, customise it and then program it to perform essential tasks on Mars.
Visit beamcamp.com.au to register.
Use the code HOST-49 for $49 off your registration.
IT Hub School Holiday Opening Hours
The IT Hub is open these school holidays from 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
If you’re in need of any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact or visit our team.
Our direct number is 8334 2227.
Tracey Guyers
IT Manager
School Shop – Holiday Opening Hours
The School Shop will be open on the following days:
Friday 16 July, 9am – 3pm
Monday 19 July, 9am – 4pm
Regular shop opening hours resume from Tuesday 20 July.
Road Safety Alert
The School is extremely concerned by reports of dangerous driver behaviour including speeding through the car park. All drivers must obey the 10kph speed limit.
Please also note the speed limit along Hallett Road has recently been reduced from 60 to 50kph.
Road safety and courtesy is everyone’s responsibility and is of the utmost importance in a school setting. We appeal to all of our families to take extra care in our car parks and on the roads for the safety of our students, parents, staff and the wider community.
Parents and Year Level Representatives Meeting
At the start of Term 3, all parents are invited to attend an information/collaboration meeting in person or on Zoom with Principal Julia Shea and our Community Relations staff. Parents will be updated on upcoming community activities and will hear from Julia. This will give parents an opportunity to get involved in our community events, ask questions, offer advice and provide constructive feedback. For more information, please contact me via 0407 394 183 or mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Term 3 Community Meeting
Monday 26 July, 6 – 7pm
Elizabeth Pike Art Centre (in person)
Or join our Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87061280575?pwd=NjNUeGhSL3dYaGtsRTVlVTMvc3pPZz09
Meeting ID: 870 6128 0575
Passcode: 411205
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
Community at Saints Girls
Parents are a vibrant and important part of the St Peter’s Girls’ community.
Many opportunities are available to become involved with the School, connect with other community members and build strong and lasting friendships.
Friends of The Arts Community Group Meetings – Term 3
Wednesday 28 July, 7pm, Elizabeth Pike Art Centre
Wednesday 25 August, 7pm, Elizabeth Pike Art Centre
Contact: Danielle Parker – dslparker@gmail.com
Saints Sport Support Group Meeting – Term 3
Tuesday 27 July, 6.30pm, Elizabeth Pike Art Centre
Friends of Rowing – Term 3
Tuesday 17 August, 6.30pm, Elizabeth Pike Art Centre – AGM
Tuesday 21 September, 6.30pm, Elizabeth Pike Art Centre
Contact: Ed Parker – edontheroadagain@hotmail.com
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
Entertainment Membership
To support Saints Girls and purchase your Entertainment Membership, including a free upgrade, click here.
Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.entertainment.com.au for more information.
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 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.
Please note: it is absolutely imperative to keep unwell children at home until they have recovered, even if symptoms are mild. This is not only for their own health and safety, but for that of all students and staff.
We thank all of our families for their cooperation.
COVID Measures
Please note the following information regarding our continued COVID response.
The School has a QR code tracing system to facilitate the safe return of parents on site, in line with wider government measures. Parents entering the campus to drop off or collect their children need to scan the QR code provided each time. This also applies to parents visiting the School for events such as parent information evenings, Arts productions or sports training/matches.
Parents and visitors with more formal appointments at the School, such as meeting a staff member, are still required to sign in/out at Front Office and also need to scan the QR code as well for SA Health tracing purposes.
Adults who do not have a device to scan the QR code need to write their details on the paper form provided in the Front Office.
Parents who remain in their vehicles in the main car park do not need to scan in, and students do not need to scan in as the School already tracks daily attendance.
Logistics around events will be shared in due course, dependent upon the latest advice. Attendance numbers, particularly for indoor events, will still need to be restricted to facilitate social distancing.
The following general requirements remain in place:
- Ensure adults maintain a distance of 1.5m from each other.
- Practise sound hand washing and other hygiene measures.
- Students should remain at home if they are unwell; please notify the School of absences by texting 0428 601 957, emailing attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au, or calling 8334 2200.
We thank all of our families for your cooperation.
Sports News
COMMUNITY SPORT – BADMINTON FITNESS PROGRAM
Our new Gym will bring with it many opportunities, both for the student learning experience and community wellbeing. Moving forwards, we see community engagement in our Sports Program at Saints Girls as a key strategic target. We believe that if our girls see their families, teachers and adult community stepping outside of their comfort zones and living an active lifestyle, then they are more likely to adopt a fit-for-life approach themselves.
We are therefore excited to launch our Community Sport Badminton Program in Term 3. This is an adults only program for the Saints Girls’ community. Families, staff and Old Scholars are invited to come together to exercise and socialise in a fun and open setting. With all proceeds raised going towards our Gym campaign, and at only $50 for the 5 week program, what better way to get active and contribute to the new Gym? This is an all-abilities program, so regardless of your age, experience or fitness, you are welcome to attend! Places are limited and the program will run on a first-in basis.
Click here to book.
For more information, please email Director of Sport Tommy Peak via tpeak@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
AFL
Open: Saints 21 v Concordia 27
Middle: Saints 8 v Concordia 16
Both teams came up against Concordia and were keen to finish the term strongly. The development in kicking skills amongst the Middle team has been immense and drop punts are becoming a much more regular feature in games. This has led to improved leading and marking as we are more aware of the direction of the ball. The Middles were unlucky to miss out on the win but they continue to build and will have some good opportunities next term.
The Opens played their best match of the year. The link-up handballing was a feature out of defence and through the middle of the ground. Anda Ceplite and Lily-Rose Spartalis played their best games with great attack on the ball, as did many of the girls. Saints led until late in the game when a quick transition resulted in an opposition goal and the siren went soon after. Little reward for the effort displayed but much to take away from this performance as the girls enter their term break. – Dan Searle (AFL Coordinator)
BADMINTON
Open A: Saints 6 v Seymour 0
Open B: Saints 6 v Immanuel 4
Open C: Saints 3 v Westminster 3
Open D: Saints 3 v Pembroke 3
Open E1: Saints 5 v Wilderness 4
Open E2: Saints 2 v Pembroke 7
Open F1: Saints 9 v Immanuel 0
Open F2: Saints 6 v Seymour 3
Once again, impressive and dominating plays from the Open A and B teams. The girls in the E and F teams were faced with strong players from the four opponent schools and displayed excellent skills on court. Over the course of this season, the new badminton players have shown great improvements in skills, tactics and confidence. It is amazing to see the girls’ enthusiasm and persistent efforts. It was an amazing half of a season and we look forward to continuing our hard work in Term 3. – Candy Feng (Badminton Captain)
CROSS COUNTRY
The SAAS Cross Country season ended on Wednesday night with the State Relay Championships at Waite Oval. Saints Girls competed with 2 teams in the Junior Secondary division, hoping to continue their development from across the season in the final relay race. Our highest-ranked team led the race from start to finish, building on their lead over Immanuel College in each 3km leg, winning the race in a time of 45:45. Our next team also participated with determination, eventually finishing 4th place overall, another great effort. Congratulations to all the girls and thank you to Mrs Cox and parents for their efforts on Wednesday and across the season.
1st place team:
Isla Fahey
Daisy Braithwaite
Alice Braithwaite
Malaika McLeod
4th place team:
Zara Trim
Charlotte McAuliffe
Dani Cox
Carys Kinsella-White
HOCKEY
Open: Saints 0 v Pembroke 7
Year 5 /6: Saints 10 v Seymour 2
Year 3/4: Saints 2 v Walford 1
The Open A team started off strongly against Pembroke. It was great to see Amelia Lucas using her skill to dribble the ball down the field and passing in the circle, but unfortunately, we couldn’t convert. Well done to the defenders who stayed solid throughout and showed great skill when transferring the ball across the field. Well done girls for a great start of the season!
The 3/4 Minkey team played their last game of the season against Walford. The girls played well as a team, connecting many of their passes resulting in success. Well done to Ishana Roy for getting a goal caused by a turnover where she dribbled the ball down the field, showing great skill, dragging around players. Mathilda Begg got the 2nd goal after great persistence. Well done girls for an amazing season it’s great to see how much everyone has improved. – Poppie Goldsmith (Hockey Captain)
The 5/6 team had an awesome end to their season. After an indoor training session due to wet weather, we identified key characteristics of the ‘Dream Team Mate’ and our girls showed several of these characteristics come game day. Seymour only had 5 players, so 2 Saints Girls volunteered each half to play for their team. Special mention to Abbey, Yashika, Gabby and Maddy who offered to help them out. Seymour was very grateful that they volunteered and played their best for their team. It has been a pleasure coaching the girls this term, they are all very skilful players with lots of potential. – Liv Goldsmith (Year 5/6 Coach)
NETBALL
On Monday, the Year 5/6 netballers played in their Netball Interhouse competition. It was their final netball session for the term and a chance to show off the skills they have learnt during the season.
Our Student Coaches took the reigns of each House group and our Head Coaches umpired and supervised. Cheers and chants filled the air as the girls took the court. Spirits were high and the girls’ competitiveness shone through. The race for the trophy was very close. No team went through undefeated, but Selwyn came out on top at the end of the day!
Thank you to all the coaches and umpires who have assisted throughout the season and to the parents who have supported the program. To the girls, well done on a great season! It is pleasing to see how their skills and team spirit have developed throughout the term. – Alice Johnswood
Open A: Saints 40 v Pembroke 36
Open B: Saints 38 v Pembroke 33
Open C: Saints 13 v Pembroke 43
Open D: Saints 5 v Pembroke 52
Intermediate A: Saints 23 v Pembroke 38
Intermediate B: Saints 14 v Pembroke 36
Year 10C: Saints 17 v Immanuel 38
Year 9A: Saints 42 v Pembroke 39
Year 9B: Saints 35 v Pembroke 17
Year 9C: Saints 14 v Wilderness 17
Year 8A: Saints 23 v Pembroke 26
Year 8B: Saints 41 v Pembroke 21
Year 8C: Saints 12 v Wilderness 12
Year 7A: Saints 20 v Pembroke 7
Year 7B: Saints 21 v Pembroke 12
Year 7C: Saints 1 v Immanuel 23
Year 7A
What a fantastic game! It started off tightly against Pembroke, but with strong defence and great ball movement, the girls took a 9 – 5 lead into quarter time. They started the 2nd quarter with confidence and determination, leading 16 – 6 by half-time. After suffering a few injuries, Emily Bates was able to fill in. Her tight defence and ball pressure limited Pembroke’s scoring opportunities. Down the other end, Savannah Walls and Mia Bennett worked well together to provide scoring opportunities with strong and confident leads. During the 3rd quarter break, the girls took advice from Coach Lisa Tulloch by focusing on strong passes and using our time on the ball well. The girls played an amazing game and scored a well-deserved win. – Alyssa Piantedosi (Year 7A)
SOCCER
In our final soccer training session of the term, we merged the middle and senior groups together to take part in a 7 v 7 tournament. Replicating the European Championships, the girls chose England, Norway, France and Ireland as their 4 teams competing, with points scored in a variety of ways including a last-minute American shootout. Ireland took home glory with 22 points, followed by France on 20, Norway on 19 and England on 16. After a fun end to the term, the girls are looking forward to being back on the field in Term 3.
TENNIS NEWS
School Holiday Tennis Coaching
Tennis coaching is available these school holidays. If your daughter would like to participate, private lessons or semi-private lessons can be arranged. All skill levels are encouraged! We coach from young beginner using the Hot Shots equipment, up to club competition level. If you would like to arrange a lesson, please contact me via 0412 855 073 or ford.matt@bigpond.com.
Reception to Year 4 Lunchtime Tennis Term 3
The lunchtime Hot Shots tennis program in Term 2 was fantastic. The girls from Reception to Year 4 enjoyed improving their skills and had lots of fun on court! I am happy to announce that we are continuing the lunchtime tennis coaching in Term 3. The program begins in Week 1, but your daughter can join anytime in the term. Group sizes are approximately 4 per group. If you would like to enrol your daughter, please contact me via 0412 855 073 or ford.matt@bigpond.com.
Matt Ford
St Peter’s Girls’ Tennis Coach