Issue no. 3

From Our Deputy Principal /
Head of Senior School

When designing and implementing a wellbeing program for young people, there is a plethora of topics and themes that could be included. It is, in fact, difficult sometimes to decide what gets included and what gets left out. Likewise, when looking for guest speakers, there are numerous individuals, opportunities and organisations to choose from.

It is in these situations that our student wellbeing insights, data and feedback become such rich and useful tools. This information helps provide areas of focus as we plan for the best wellbeing offerings for our students.

We are fortunate this year to be welcoming back Paul Dillon who is the Director and founder of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA). He is passionate about ensuring that the community has access to accurate and up-to-date alcohol and drug information. Paul will present to the Year 10, 11 and 12 cohorts on Monday 6 March, sharing the latest information and statics regarding young people, drugs and alcohol. His presentations are always engaging, enlightening and provide practical proactive strategies to help our girls remain safe.

That same day, Paul will hold an information session open to parents across Years 5 – 12 on the use of e-cigarettes and vaping, including the potential harms. Practical advice will also be provided on how to talk to your daughters about vaping along with possible responses parents can use should their children attempt to challenge them in this space.

Parent Information Session (Years 5 – 12)
Monday 6 March
6.30 – 7.30pm
Arts Centre

RSVP by Monday 20 February via TryBooking – click here

In addition to Paul Dillon, we are also delighted that we can welcome Australian of the Year Taryn Brumfitt to Saints Girls later in 2023. Taryn will be speaking to students about body image, encouraging them to embrace their bodies and to celebrate diversity in shape, size, ethnicity and ability. With a busy schedule this year following the announcement of Australian of the Year, we are very fortunate to have Taryn join us and I look forward to sharing more information with you all closer to her visit.

Positive wellbeing outcomes for our students are best achieved when school and home work in partnership. We look forward to continuing to work closely with families as we strive to support and develop the wellbeing of all our students.

Lauren Sutton
Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School

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Swimming Carnival – Next Friday!

Next Friday 24 February, St Peter’s Girls’ School will be holding the annual Swimming Carnival for Years 4 to 12 at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre, North Adelaide. Students are expected to be at the Aquatic Centre no later than 8.30am, with the carnival concluding by approximately 3.30pm. Parents and friends are welcome to attend to support the girls.

Students who regularly travel to and from school on School buses will automatically be taken to the Adelaide Aquatic Centre in the morning and will be dropped home in the afternoon on their usual School bus.

To assist other families, we are offering a special bus service to transport students from school to the Aquatic Centre and back. Buses will depart school at 7.45am and return by approximately 4.15pm. To register your daughter’s place on this bus service, please visit TryBooking before 4pm, Monday 20 February.

All other students will need to be dropped off at the Aquatic Centre in the morning and picked up from there in the afternoon.

The carnival is to be treated like a normal school day; therefore, attendance is compulsory for the whole day. We encourage the girls to compete in a number of events, with their preferences being discussed in PE lessons and House meetings.

To view the program of events – click here

To access live results on the day – click here

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Flashback Friday: Swimming Carnival

With just one week to go until Swimming Carnival 2023, take a look back at some of the highlights from this epic Saints Girls’ event in recent years.

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Saints’ Dancers Take Centre Stage

2022 was an exciting year in the School’s Dance program, with the largest Stage 2 class yet! The quality of student choreography, skill development and performance was outstanding, with 100% of our dancers receiving results in the ‘A’ band.

Year 12 student Amelie Zachariah Henley approached the subject with determination and unwavering commitment. In an amazing first for Saints Girls, she was rewarded with a Merit in Dance. Amelie shares:

‘Having trained extensively in dance, I appreciated the opportunity to be able to study it in an academic setting, exploring not only the technicality but the creativity behind dance. Throughout Stage 1 and 2, the class was extremely lucky to see many professional shows, including ones by the Sydney Dance Company and the Australian Dance Theatre, with the focus being on critically analysing the creative works. Not only was this crucial in developing our analytical skills, it also assisted in formulating our own ideas to creatively portray a theme through movement.

We began the year planning our choreographic piece for which we were given the task to create a three-minute item following a theme or topical problem. For my piece, I explored the deep, conflicting emotions surrounding isolation and the way that the absence of love and human connection can affect individuals globally, drawing inspiration from the pandemic. As always, the creative process was challenging, in particular, trying to effectively portray my researched findings on the topic whilst keeping the choreography original and interesting.

I also thoroughly enjoyed preparing for our Stage 1 and 2 performance, with the central theme of CONNECT being explored through each piece. The show featured mainly jazz and contemporary dance and focused on the various ways in which individuals connect to different parts of themselves and the world.

I extend my gratitude to Mrs Burnett for her continuous support and infectious passion for teaching dance.’

Congratulations Amelie, you are very deserving of your incredible achievements.

Kate Burnett
Head of The Arts

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Regal Honour for Profound Pianist

Congratulations to talented pianist Samantha Li who performed at the Ruby Celebration of the Accompanists Guild of SA in front of guests including the Governor of South Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC.

Samantha and Trinity College student James performed a four-minute rendition of the 3rd Movement of Horovitz Sonatina in A minor. They received many words of encouragement, with Her Excellency congratulating them and praising the guild for its work with our State’s young musicians. Samantha was also invited to the AMEB SA/NT Showcase concert as she received her LMUS Diploma Award with a Distinction for piano in December. She will be attending the AMEB Graduation Ceremony 2022 in April.

Sally Rounsevell
Director of Music

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PE Girls Ride Crest of a Wave

As part of the Year 12 PE course, the girls have been participating in a skill acquisition unit focusing on learning methods related to surfing.

Before we head to the beach for surf instruction, the girls have been harnessing VR goggles and mobile phones to simulate the experience of catching a wave. This method of training has been shown to influence sensorimotor capabilities, replicating environment and competition situations, which therefore fosters improved skill acquisition.

The girls enjoyed this experience and are now looking forward to moving from the virtual to real world in the coming weeks.

Dan Searle
Heath & Physical Education Teacher

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Aquatics Camp Makes a Splash

In Week 2, the Year 9 cohort was fortunate to attend a two-day Aquatics Camp at Willow Creek.

We began Day 1 by heading to Middleton and separating into our Home Groups for beach activities including surfing and aqueduct building. Surfing was a new experience for some, but everyone put in their best and by the end, many were able to stand up. It taught us to be resilient and keep trying. After the beach visit, we drove to camp, set up our tents and participated in more activities in our Home Groups.

Day 2 began by packing everything up and riding the bus to Encounter Lakes where we enjoyed kayaking and raft building. The kayaking was a bit windy but really fun, and some of us even walked the plank and jumped into the water.

This camp was an excellent experience and a great opportunity to get to know our new Home Groups.

Elodie de Wit and Hannah Dillon
Year 9 students

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Community Unity at Drinks on the Lawns

Last Friday, we held our parent Welcome Drinks on Chiverton Lawns. We were incredibly fortunate to have such beautiful weather for the event, and we couldn’t have asked for a better turnout. The energy and enthusiasm that you all brought made for a fantastic start to the school year.

We were thrilled to see both familiar and new faces, and it was a great opportunity to come together. Our Principal Cherylyn Skewes enjoyed meeting many of you for the first time and getting to know our community in such a wonderful social setting.

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend. We look forward to more opportunities to connect throughout the year.

Jess Geraghty
Director of Enrolments, Marketing and Advancement

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Community Groups at Saints Girls

One of the truly special things about St Peter’s Girls is our strong sense of community. We have a wonderful and valued group of people who volunteer to form our Community Groups.

We would love to welcome additional volunteers who would be able to contribute to our Community Groups and programs.

Friends of Sport
This group supports the sporting program throughout the year including House merchandise sales at various carnivals. They also provide sausage sizzles for students and parents at key events.

Friends of The Arts
This group supports The Arts program at St Peter’s Girls by facilitating beverage sales at various events, providing assistance for the Music Camp and organising social occasions.

Friends of Rowing
This group supports the Rowing Program by organising food and beverages at regattas and facilitating events on the Rowing calendar.

If you are interested in volunteering with these groups, please contact the Community Relations Office: Fiona McGregor – fmcgregor@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au or Jesseca Geraghty – jgeraghty@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

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Cyber Security Checklist

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has released the Kids Cyber Security Checklist for parents and carers. It helps teach primary school-aged children basic steps to stay secure online. It is vital to instil cyber secure behaviours early, so children are equipped to identify and mitigate cyber threats.

To access the checklist and other resources – click here

Tracey Guyers
IT Manager

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‘URSTRONG’ Friendship Program

We are proud that our Junior School has become a ‘URSTRONG School’ in 2023. This whole-School friendship strategy will connect students, teachers and parents with a common language around friendships.

Junior School parents are invited to take advantage of a free Parent Membership to access hundreds of resources. For more information – click here

We are also pleased to partner with the URSTRONG organisation to offer a ‘Language of Friendship’ parent and child online workshop on Wednesday 22 March at 6pm. This session will teach you and your children the skills and language to foster healthy, feel-good friendships. To register – click here

Helen Smith
Deputy Head of Junior School

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Junior School Parents – THRASS Information Evening

In the Junior School, the Linguistic Inquiry approach to the teaching and learning of spelling and vocabulary includes integrating the skills and tools of THRASS (Teaching Handwriting, Reading and Spelling Skills).

Junior School parents are invited to enjoy an engaging presentation about the THRASS chart and the THRASS approach more widely during our THRASS Information Evening:

Tuesday 21 February
6 – 7pm
Arts Centre

If you have previously been to a THRASS Information Evening, you are very welcome to come along for a refresher. Parents of older girls may be interested to learn how a better understanding of the code of English can assist students to develop a broader range of spelling strategies as they progress through the year levels.

No registration is required. We look forward to seeing many of you there.

Helen Smith
Deputy Head of Junior School

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Old Scholar Occupational Therapist Seeking Study Participants

My name is Ellana Welsby and I am an Old Scholar of St Peter’s Girls’ School (Kilburn 2013). I’m an occupational therapist and am currently completing my PhD studies at the University of South Australia.

I have partnered with St Peter’s Girls’ School to be involved in the evaluation and testing of a new augmented reality intervention to help children learn and develop key motor skills they need to thrive in their everyday life.

I will be commencing testing this term and would love for your daughter to participate in this exciting opportunity if she is 7 to 12 years of age. All participants will receive an occupational therapy assessment summary of their motor skill performance.

For more information – click here

To sign up to this study, please click here to register your interest.

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Join Our Team of STAR Volunteers!

Our Learning Strategies’ volunteers are all enormously valued within the department and the broader School community. Our girls LOVE working with them, and the teachers are so appreciative of their generous donation of energy, expertise and enthusiasm.

Our volunteers work with our girls on areas such as literacy, anywhere between a couple of lessons a week through to a couple of days per week. They include parents, grandparents, Old Scholars, retired staff and university students.

To register your interest, please contact Aleasha Francis as soon as possible via afrancis@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

We will send you a volunteer information sheet to fill out and then invite you in for a chat. We will also provide training for some of our Junior School programs.

Learning Strategies’ Team

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Head of the River Dinner

The Friends of Rowing invite rowers, family and friends to celebrate the efforts, improvements and achievements of our St Peter’s Girls’ rowers throughout the 2022/23 season.

The annual Head of the River Dinner will be held at the Adelaide Pavilion. The evening will feature speeches from students and coaches about the season that has been, and will conclude with awards being presented. The dinner includes a three-course menu and drinks package.

Saturday 18 March
6pm arrival for 6.30pm start
Adelaide Pavilion (corner South Terrace and Peacock Road, Adelaide)

Tickets
Students – $85 per person
Adults – $95 per person
Purchase via TryBooking – click here

Ticket sales close at 5pm, Monday 6 March

Please note, all rowers are expected to attend this event.

Brynley Millward
Director of Rowing

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Free Bike Health Check – Burnside Council

Bring your bike along for a free safety check by expert technicians from Will Ride.

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COVID-19 Information

Please find the latest guidance from SA Health:

• It is strongly recommended that students stay home if they have cold or flu-like
  symptoms, and test for COVID-19.
• Whether they receive a positive or negative result, they should stay home until symptoms subside (usually five to seven days).
• It is strongly recommended that parents/guardians inform the School if a student is a
  close contact. For further advice regarding close contacts, click here
• While face masks are no longer mandated, they are an important physical barrier to help stop the spread of COVID, particularly when indoors.

If your child tests positive to COVID-19, please inform the School. Please also notify the School each day of absence, or provide the expected period of absence.

You can notify us via one of the following methods. Please include the name of the ELC Room, Class or Home Group. If emailing, feel free to ‘CC’ the teacher of the Room/Class/Home Group as well.

Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)

Phone: 8334 2200

For more SA Health information, click here

Please note that if your child is unwell, they should remain home until they have recovered, irrespective of the illness.

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School Medical Information Reminder

It is imperative that all medical information, including immunisations, is up to date on the School’s myLink parent portal.

Please follow this pathway to check and/or update details: myLink > Community Portal > My Details > select child name

If you have any questions, please email healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

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Bushfire Action Plan

It is important to remind families about the School’s Bushfire Action Plan.

The policy was developed in consultation with the CFS, MFS, Department for Education and other stakeholders to ensure staff and students are prepared in the event of an emergency.

For more information, you can access our Bushfire Action Plan on the myLink parent portal by clicking the ‘School Documents’ menu item, followed by the ‘Whole School’ tab.

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Car Park Protocols

Burnside Council has advised it will be conducting routine street parking patrols to support the safety of all people within the vicinity of the School. For council parking information, please find an information brochure here.

A reminder about the School’s car park protocols:

If the car park is full and you are unable to enter, circle the block until it is clear to enter, find a park elsewhere or, where age-appropriate, meet your daughter in a surrounding street.

Please note that, unless special circumstances apply, parents of girls in Years 2 to 12 should not enter the car park to collect their daughters prior to 3.30pm. Parents of girls in Reception and Year 1 have exclusive use of the pick-up zone prior to this time for safety and traffic reasons.

Please also refrain from turning right into or out of the car park at peak times, and please do not queue in the car park’s lanes as this often prevents drivers who are legally parked from exiting.

We have also previously received complaints about cars being parked too close to or in front of driveways, or across from other vehicles in surrounding streets, making it extremely difficult for residents and other road users to navigate.

We ask all community members to show consideration for others. Thank you for your cooperation.

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School Shop Notices

School Shop Opening Hours

Monday to Friday: 8am – 4pm (closed for lunch 12 – 12.30pm)

Parents can also order items via our Online School Shop

New ELC Uniforms

Our new ELC uniforms are available to purchase in the School Shop.

This beautiful new range is designed for the needs of our youngest community members, giving our ELC children a smart, cohesive look, and simplifying the routine of getting dressed in the morning.

We look forward to seeing the children proudly wear their new ELC attire.