Issue no. 14
In this edition
From Our Deputy Principal /
Head of Senior School
With the term and lessons underway, students are well and truly engrossed in learning. It would seem then, that now is a perfect time for students to take a moment to reflect on their time management, their academic goals and study habits.
Having recently met individually with Year 10 students, most commented that they had noticed an increase in workload from Year 9 to Year 10. While most reported that this was manageable, they noted that their time management strategies needed to change to reflect this step up and increased demands. This reflection would ring true for all students regardless of their year level. What worked in the previous year may not necessarily be appropriate as students progress through their schooling journey.
The school diary is always the perfect starting point to help your daughter to manage her time. When I suggest this to the Senior Students some look at me as though I’ve been living under a rock as they opt for electronic diaries, laptop ‘sticky notes’ and the Microsoft to-do list. Whether it be the traditional handwritten diary or an online format, a record of workload, due dates and prioritising is always essential for success.
In addition to reflecting on time management strategies, students and families are also encouraged to look at study habits. Does your daughter leave homework to late at night? Is there a quiet but not isolated place for her to complete homework in? Are phones left in another room to avoid distractions or adequate breaks planned? Making some simple changes such as starting homework earlier in the afternoon, creating a clutter free study space in a dining room away from distraction and leaving phones or devices in another room all help to create positive study habits.
Finally, as the workload increases and as the Senior School builds towards exams, maintaining positive wellbeing practices is important for all students. Taking a break for a family walk, playing sport, or socialising with friends and family are all simple steps that anyone can implement. Reframing the purpose of exams and tests as simply a ‘snapshot of progress’ at that point can also help to reduce stress or anxiety around assessments for students of any age.
I encourage you to take a moment to talk to your daughter about her time management strategies and study habits. They may even have some useful tips and advice for us adults!
Lauren Sutton
Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School
Performing Arts Dinner – Next Week!
Next Friday evening, our Performing Arts Captains, Amelie and Zara, and The Arts Faculty will be hosting the inaugural Performing Arts Dinner for 2023!
We invite you to this cocktail-style evening to celebrate our vibrant Performing Arts community, enjoy fun music, a live DJ and great food catered by ‘Little Adelaide Catering Company’ whilst hearing from a range of industry professional guest speakers.
If your daughter is involved in Dance, Drama or Music (as a subject) from Years 9 – 12 or is a part of the cast or crew of this year’s School Musical, Matilda, we would love to see you there.
Friday 26 May
6.30pm – 9.30pm
Arts Centre, St Peter’s Girls’ School
Cocktail Dress
Adult: $55 per ticket, includes food and complimentary drink on arrival
Student: $40 per ticket, includes food and unlimited soft drink
Book your tickets via TryBooking by 9am Tuesday 23 May (extended).
To secure your tickets – click here
Zacharia Henley and Zara Blight
Performing Arts Captains
Interhouse Cross Country Results
Last Friday saw students from Reception to Year 9 compete in our Interhouse Cross Country – with the exception of the Year 6s, who competed on Tuesday following their return from Canberra. The course in neighbouring Bell Yett Reserve ranged from 1km for our Reception students, up to 3km for students in Years 8 and 9.
Interhouse Cross Country is a fantastic opportunity for students to challenge themselves to achieve their best and contribute to a collaborative effort, with every student who completes the course earning points for their House.
As always, the final result was incredibly close, with only 28 points separating the winning House from the runners up. Congratulations goes to KENNION for taking out the 2023 Interhouse Cross Country Shield!
House Results
1st Kennion (436 points)
2nd Selwyn (408 points)
3rd Kilburn (374 points)
4th Patteson (263 points)
Individual Results
Reception: 1st – Molly Coulter, 2nd – Ishani Nair, 3rd – Anna Lucas
Year 1: 1st – Angela Guo, 2nd – Olivia Wei, 3rd – Mila Zappia
Year 2: 1st – Matilda Farhan, 2nd – Penny Kelly, 3rd – Millie Dougherty
Year 3: 1st – Mia O’Brien, 2nd – Scarlett Drake, 3rd – Florence Cleland
Year 4: 1st – Lucy Dougherty, 2nd – Jiaen Lu, 3rd – Layla Drake
Year 5: 1st – Milli Richardson, 2nd – Aurelia Tan, 3rd – Vanessa Barnes
Year 6: 1st – Emily Robinson, 2nd – Matilda Purvis, 3rd – Mika Valmorbida
Year 7: 1st – Jess Woods, 2nd – Chloe Sturt, 3rd – Lois Burton-Howard
Year 8: 1st – Isla Fahey, 2nd – India Goodall, 3rd – Aleesha Gray
Year 9: 1st – Elodie de Wit, 2nd – Chloe Richardson, 3rd – Lucy Lowry
Alice Johnswood
Sports Administrator
Senior Drama Production Moves Audiences
On the 17th and 18th of May, the Year 11 and 12 SACE and IB students performed Amelia Bradshaw Turns Eight written and directed by Michael Butler-Wills. The play follows a young girl’s eighth (“with a huh-tuh-huh”) birthday party and delves into the intricacies of each child’s family dynamics. It is a naturalistic play with non-realistic and comic elements, that is structured around a range of nursery rhymes which – like the play itself – appear happy and joyous on the surface, but often have a darker meaning that lurks beneath.
Working together in our separate classes – Year 11s and Year 12s – we were able to devise some of the movement sequences and work on the blocking of the individual scenes. We then had rehearsals after school to combine with the Year 12s and solidify the blocking. Before the play started the nerves were kicking in: we had to remember all our lines, focus on our reactions, ensure the accuracy of our timing, and embody the emotions of our character. Both evening performances were tremendously successful with audiences that were engaged and responsive.
Overall, the combined effort of the Year 11 and 12 SACE Drama and IB Theatre students resulted in a beautiful, hilarious, and tear-jerking play.
Charlotte Norman, Zoe Pool, Abigail Papps, Hope Sanders-Wills and Maddy Penley
Year 11 SACE Drama and IB Theatre students
Saints Girl to Compete at 2023 Asian Physics Olympiad
We are thrilled to announce that Year 11 student Heidi Gong will be representing Australia with a small team of talented Physics students at the 2023 Asian Physics Olympiad in Mongolia next week. The competition is one of the toughest science competitions globally for high school students.
The Australian delegation will travel to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to compete against students from around the world. The 2023 Asian Physics Olympiad marks the first time students have travelled overseas since 2019.
Heidi has trained for twelve months to be part of this team and her journey began by sitting the Australian Science Olympiad Exams in July 2022. Heidi’s performance in the exams secured her a spot at the Australian Science Olympiad Summer School, where her talent, enthusiasm and hard work led to her selection for the final team.
Heidi shares, ‘The Asian Physics Olympiad is very difficult, but I enjoy the challenge and find the experiments very fun. Through preparing for the Olympiad I have also gotten to know my team members – they are all awesome people and I’m looking forward to seeing them in person again.’
Executive Director of the Asian Physics Olympiad, Alyssa Weirman, explains ‘the Olympiad is a fantastic opportunity for Australia and for the students, it helps Australia to develop connections between the countries in our region while at the same time developing the science capability of our students.’
We are so proud of Heidi and her hard work and wish her all the best at the Olympiads.
Craig Byrne
Head of Science
Year 6s Visit to Canberra
Last week the Year 6s headed to Canberra* to embark on their study tour linked with their unit of inquiry, ‘How we organise ourselves.’ Driving our learning was our Central Idea: ‘Government systems and decisions impact the broader community.’
The four-day tour provided the girls with an exceptional opportunity to learn about:
• our democratic history at Old Parliament House,
• the preferential voting system at the Electoral Commission,
• Australia’s system of government at Parliament House.
During the tour we visited the Australian War Memorial, which afforded the girls an opportunity to commemorate those men and women who lost their lives defending our rights and freedoms. Other destinations visited during the tour included the National Arboretum, CSIRO Discovery Centre and Questacon – National Science and Technology Centre. The absolute highlight of the trip was a visit to Government House, where the Governor General himself graciously made time to talk to the girls and allowed us a special photo opportunity!
The girls shared:
‘The best part of Questacon was seeing the teachers do the ‘Free Fall’ with us!’ – Jovelyn Chan (Year 6 student)
‘At Parliament House it was great to hear from our local members Senator Simon Birmingham and James Stevens MP. I also really loved seeing the Lego made by ‘The Brickman’.’ – Hannah Ibrahim (Year 6 student)
‘Being in Canberra was a wonderful opportunity. My favourite part was going to The War Memorial and seeing all of the historic artefacts peaking my interest to find out more.’ – Willow Chong (Year 6 student)
*The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government contributes funding of $90.00 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. This rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.
Rebecca Riley
Year 6 Teacher
ELC: Our Visit to Reggio Emilia
Over the holidays I was fortunate to visit Reggio Emilia in Italy along with ELC staff members Jess Catt, Elina Qian and Emma Huang. This was a wonderful experience that reinforced the incredible work that is happening across our Learning Communities. It was a great opportunity to engage in rich dialogue about Early Childhood Education with teachers and educators from across the world.
We are now looking forward to sharing this experience within our ELC community. Next week our staff will explore our learnings from Reggio Emilia and how we can use these to build on and improve our programs to provide the very best learning environment for our children and families. This will continue to be a great source of inspiration as we plan for the future and continue our journey as leaders in the early learning space.
Liz Schembri
Director of ELC
Scarlett on Readings Teen Advisory Board
Congratulations to Year 10 student Scarlett Schmerlaib who was accepted on the Readings Teen Advisory Board. The Readings Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is a volunteer group of teenagers that meets once a month to discuss all things books!
Scarlett shares, ‘Anyone who knows me knows that my Goodreads list is as long as they come. In March this year, Ms Smith suggested I apply for the Readings Teen Advisory Board. Readings is an independent retailer of books with eight shops operating in Melbourne. The flagship Readings Carlton shop was established in 1969 and supports many literary endeavours and has won multiple bookseller awards.
In my application, I expressed my love for reading and everything book related, and to my surprise, I was accepted. As part of this Board, we meet monthly and interview authors, have guest speakers talk about the book industry, post book reviews on the Readings’ website, and create podcast episodes promoting books and the book community. As part of the Board, I receive books from Readings for monthly review and discussion – more books to feed my reading habit! This month I received Royals by Tegan Bennett Daylight, Isles of the Gods by Amie Kaufman, It looks like us by Alison Ames, and Two can play that game by Leanne Yong.
This experience has been very inspiring for me, and I can’t wait to collaborate with my Board members across the year and dive further into literature and the book community.‘
Mel Smith
English Teacher
Students Connect with Australian Authors and Illustrators
Earlier this term, the Junior School Library and Chapel Leaders were fortunate to attend an interschool ‘Luminary Lunch’ hosted by St Peter’s College. Each school’s group was joined by an Australian children’s book author or illustrator at their table.
We decorated our table and wore related accessories in a style to suit our author, Kristin Weidenbach, who writes historical fiction books about significant Australians from the outback. Kristin told us about her writing journey, answered all sorts of questions that we posed for her about being an author and was kind enough to give each of the students a signed copy of her book, King of the Outback : The Story of Sidney Kidman.
During lunchtime we also answered quiz questions about books related to the authors and illustrators who were present at the event.
The girls shared:
‘I learned that authors don’t always get to choose the illustrator for their books.’
– Crystelle Cox (Year 6 student)
‘I found it amusing that Kristin really likes to write straight after she eats breakfast.’
– Charlotte Layton (Year 6 student)
‘It was great hearing how Kristin got all the ideas for her book, Tom the Outback Mailman, from actually meeting him.’- Zoe Curtis (Year 6 student)
Louisa Mitchell
Junior School Teacher Librarian
CREATE23 – Stage 2 Dance Choreography Evening
Monday 29 May, 7pm
Arts Centre, St Peter’s Girls’ School
The Stage 2 Dance students have been working on their own choreography from conception to planning, researching, rehearsing and performing, these pieces are completely student devised. Their incredible work will be presented for assessment at CREATE23.
With many Year 9 and 10 dancers also involved in this process, it would be wonderful for you to join the dance community in supporting our students and their creative work. Entry is free, and no bookings are required.
Kate Burnett
Head of The Arts
Selwyn House Charity Day – Sausage Sizzle
The Year 10 Selwyn Home Group is selling sausages and drinks on Friday 2 June (Week 6) to raise money for our House Charity, The Smith Family. The Smith Family organisation opens doors to education opportunities for disadvantaged Australian children and their families.
We are selling $5 meals deals with a sausage and a drink. Sausages with onion are $3, soft drinks (coke and lemonade) are $3 and there will be juice boxes for sale as well. There are also gluten free and vegetarian sausages available.
The parents of Reception to Year 2 students can pre-order a meal deal with a juice box via TryBooking – click here
Students from years 3 to 12 can buy sausages and drinks on the day. Cash only purchases.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Asha Eaton and Alex Nguyen
Year 10 students
Kilburn House Charity Day – Bake Sale
On Friday 2 June (Week 6) the Year 10s from Kilburn will be running a bake sale to support the Treasure Box Foundation which help support kids and families with basic essentials for life.
We will be selling a variety of sweet and savoury delights ranging from $1 – $3. There will also be dairy and gluten-free options along with vegan options. We will be set up on Chiverton lawns at lunch.
Parents of girls from Reception to Year 2 can pre-order via TryBooking – click here
Students from Years 3 to 12 will be able to purchase items directly from the stall. Cash only purchases.
We look forward to seeing you there and supporting the Treasure Box Foundation together!
Lara Maione
Year 10 student
Thank you for your Responses
I wish to thank those of you who recently completed our Mobile Phone Policy survey. We received a staggering response rate, with over 500 families and Teaching Staff sharing their feedback. The results will be reviewed by the Senior Leadership Team over the remainder of this term and we look forward to sharing the outcomes with the School community in due course.
Cherylyn Skewes
Principal
IB Expo 2023
Tuesday 30 May, 5:30pm – 7pm
Would you like to learn more about the IB Diploma Programme? Research suggests that there are many benefits to choosing the Diploma Programme (DP). The programme aims to develop students who have excellent breadth and depth of knowledge – students who flourish physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically.
We encourage students and parents from Years 8 – 10 to attend the IB EXPO which will be held on Tuesday 30 May. There will be an IB presentation in the Arts Centre from 5:30pm. Following this, from 6pm in the Middle School, there will be an opportunity for parents and students to speak with subject teachers, current IB students and graduates. All members of our community and the public are also welcome.
Please contact me if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you and sharing my passion for this programme.
Check out the video below for a taste of IB at Saints Girls.
Carolyn Farr
IB Diploma Coordinator
Books Ahoy at Junior School Book Fair
Get hooked on books next week as the Junior School Library hosts a Scholastic ‘Bookaneer’ Book Fair : Where Books are the Treasure! The fair will run from lunchtime Monday 22 May to lunchtime Friday 26 May.
This pop-up bookshop event is a wonderful opportunity for students to purchase books to take home whilst also supporting a very important cause. Funds raised will go towards the ‘Solar Buddy’ Service Learning Initiative helping to provide solar study lights to children living in energy poverty in a range of countries.
Books and stationery will be on sale at the following times in Week 5:
Before school: 8.10 – 8.30am
Lunchtime: 1.15 – 1.45pm
After school: 3.30 – 4pm
Cash and credit card payments are accepted. We look forward to seeing you there!
Louisa Mitchell
Junior School Teacher Librarian
Now Casting: SEUSSICAL
SHANE DAVIDSON PRESENTS is now casting for its upcoming show: SEUSSICAL.
This song and dance musical follows the stories of Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who and Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. With over 20 roles, there are many opportunities for those seeking experience.
Auditions: Saturday 20 May, St Peter’s Girls’ School
Show: August 2023
If your daughter would like to participate or you would like more information, please email shanedavidson@internode.on.net
Matilda School Musical – Book your Tickets Now!
In our biggest-ever School Musical, more than 100 Saints Girls are working hard on stage and behind the scenes as we countdown to Roald Dahl’s Matilda in Week 7.
Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, with book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda the Musical explores the anarchy of childhood and the power of imagination through the inspiring story of a little girl who dreams of a better life. With high-energy dance numbers, catchy songs and unforgettable characters, Matilda will be a girl-power showcase of our fabulous singers, dancers, actors and musicians.
Matinee Performance: 8 June, 1pm
Evening Performances: 7, 8 & 9 June, 7pm
Arts Centre, St Peter’s Girls’ School
To secure your tickets – click here
Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
Book by Dennis Kelly
Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin
Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia).
All performance materials supplied by Hal Leonard Australia.
Orchestrations and Additional Music – Chris Nightingale.
Piano Eisteddfod – Coming Soon!
On Thursday 22 June in Week 9 of Term 2, the Arts Department will hold St Peter’s Girls’ Piano Eisteddfod. It is open to all Junior and Middle School students who play piano. Parents are welcome to attend, and the time of each student’s performance will be communicated to families.
Girls will have the opportunity to perform a piece to a panel of judges, who will critique their performance based on accuracy, technique and musicality for their specific music level. This is a great opportunity for girls to perform in a supportive environment and receive some valuable feedback.
Girls are asked to play one piece that best displays their musicality and technical ability at their own musical level. There will be no minimum or maximum time limit. While the Eisteddfod provides our top piano players with a platform to perform, the aim is to give performers of all levels the opportunity to participate.
A Piano Recital will be held on Thursday 29 June at 6pm. Students will be chosen from the Eisteddfod performers who show confidence and a high level of musicianship. Selected recital students will be notified by email.
If your daughter would like to be involved, please complete and return the Piano Eisteddfod Consent Form by Tuesday 13 June. Girls can collect the form from the Arts Office or you can download it via the link below. Students will later receive their time slot to perform in the Eisteddfod.
Download the Piano Eisteddfod Consent Form
Sally Rounsevell
Director of Music
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.
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
School Shop Notice
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. This is now accessible via the Flexischools platform which also administers our Online Tuck Shop. To sign in or sign up to Flexischools, click here
Absences from School
If your child will not be attending school/ELC due to illness or otherwise, please notify the School via one of the methods below.
Please include the name of the ELC Room, Class or Home Group, along with the reason for the absence as the School requires this for government reporting purposes.
If emailing, feel free to ‘CC’ the teacher of the Room/Class/Home Group as well.
Text: 0428 601 957
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200
It would be appreciated if notifications could be made prior to 9am.
Sports News
AFL
Open A: Bye
Years 7-10: Bye
BADMINTON
All teams: Bye
BASKETBALL
Junior School
Year 3/4 Blue: Saints (17) v Wilderness (44)
Year 3/4 White: Saints (0) v Pembroke (36)
CROSS COUNTRY
Senior
3rd – Malaika McLeod
4th – Daisy Braithwaite
8th – Alice Braithwaite
17th – Charlotte McAuliffe
18th – Carys Kinsella-White
19th – Zara Trim
20th – Lara Maione
21st – Marcella Tolley
22nd – Jenna Maione
Middle
1st – Elodie de Wit
2nd – Isla Fahey
7th – Audrey Fox
Overall points: 95
HOCKEY
All teams: Bye
LACROSSE
U13 Blue: Saints (8) v Brighton (9)
Best Players: Matilda Purvis and Lois Burton-Howard for controlling the game from mid-field into attack.
U13 White: Saints (1) v Sturt (15)
NETBALL
Senior School
All teams: Bye
Middle School
All teams: Bye
Junior School
Year 6 Blue: Saints (16) v Seymour (15)
‘Great team effort again!’ – Neil Pahuja (Coach)
Year 6 White: Saints (7) v Seymour (14)
Year 5/6 Silver: Saints (17) v Seymour (19)
Best Player: Clara Polasek – a great game for three quarters in Centre, followed by a strong effort in Goal Shooter. Clara didn’t stop running, leading and chasing balls and played a great support to Sophie in goals.
Super Woman: Lydia Zhao – Lydia watched the attack players and took many interceptions, she was very strong in defence for four quarters and kept working hard to clear the ball out of our defence.
Year 5 Blue: Saints (1) v Seymour (20)
Year 5 White: Saints (4) v Seymour (17)
Best Player: Vanessa Barnes
Year 4 Blue: Saints (8) v Scotch (8)
Year 4 White: Saints (4) v Immanuel (3)
SOCCER
Senior School
Premier League: Saints (0) v Immanuel (6)
Best Player: Monica Isaac – Monica brought the effort and led from the front. She was fantastic on the ball but in particular her effort off the ball, both in attack and defence was of an extremely high standard.
Super Woman: Misha Yagnik – it was Misha’s first game of Open As and she was given the job of right back. Misha led from the front and set the tone with her attitude and effort and this came as a huge source of energy for the rest of the team.
‘A much stronger effort this week. We decided that we would focus strongly on our effort and our attitude and I couldn’t fault the girls this week.’ – Alastair Eglinton (Coach)
Year 7-10: Saints (0) v Wilderness (5)
‘The girls played pretty well and worked well together.’ – Ankita Rajbhoj and Kyle Martelle (Coaches)
Middle School
Middle A: Saints (13) v Seymour (0)
Junior School
Year 5/6 Blue: Bye
Year 5/6 White: Saints (3) v St Ignatius (6)
Year 3/4: Saints (0) v Seymour (4)