Issue no. 21

From Our Deputy Principal & Head of Senior School

Brené Brown, American Professor and Author well known for her research into courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy once said ‘no one belongs here more than you’. Brown’s simple yet powerful quote has resonated with me these last few weeks as I have had the pleasure of attending House Dinners, Spirit Week Chapels and Interhouse Sporting events.

Saints Girls of all ages have come together proudly to celebrate their House. They have sat together at the front of the Chapel listening to fellow students speak about their experiences, the common theme of belonging evident throughout. Young and old, long-standing community members or those who have only just joined Saints share in the delight that is to belong to something bigger than themselves.

Students in Years 7 – 12 have taken part in Interhouse sports, stepping up to cover illness and absences so that their House could compete. Regardless of age or experience, our girls bound by a sense of belonging have taken part. When someone feels connected and as though they belong we see a myriad of benefits. It is no different for our girls – we see increased social interactions, emotional support and the sharing of ideas and knowledge. To belong is to have a safe space where someone is known and valued. St Peter’s Girls prides itself on creating that experience for its students. As we welcomed the mid-year receptions and our newest Saints Girls to school this term, it didn’t take long for them to experience a sense of belonging. Selecting which Prefect they will walk into school with each day can be a hard choice. They quickly worked out which older girl is in the same House and made them their person. Another small example of belonging. From our youngest to some of our older students, Year 11s have been busy coming together to plan for House Dinners. These evenings have been a wonderful time of gathering and celebrating for students and staff.

In the words of Brené Brown, we hope our students, staff and the wider community know ‘no one belongs here more than you’.

Middle and Senior School Pastoral Care Staffing Update
On behalf of the Leadership Team, I am excited to share that as of 2024, Years 7 – 12 will each have a Head of Year Level. Working in partnership with the Home Group Teachers and Heads of Middle and Senior School, the Head of Year Level will be responsible for the care and wellbeing of every student in their respective cohort.

The Head of Year Level will assume responsibility in areas such as pastoral care, student welfare, student transition, content creation and delivery of the School’s Wellbeing Program #EMPOWHER.

In partnership with Home Group Teachers, the Head of Year will play a pivotal role in fostering students’ sense of belonging and will be responsible for overseeing the holistic development of each girl under their care.

Lauren Sutton
Deputy Principal & Head of Senior School

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House Pride Shines Bright at Winter Interhouse

Last week we held our annual Winter Interhouse competition. The girls participated across Aussie Rules, Badminton, Hockey, Netball and Soccer.

The House Captains and Sports Captains worked together to organise the teams, schedule, rules, scoring and umpiring. This was a huge undertaking, and the girls should be very proud of their efforts, as all the events ran seamlessly with great House spirit and skills on display.

Hockey kicked off Winter Interhouse this year. With no Hockey played last year, it was fantastic to see it so well supported. Well done to Hockey Captain Bridgette Leach who did a great job of rallying the girls to get enough support for it to run, and to Winnie Vartuli and Phoebe Lucas for umpiring. Thanks to all the girls who put their hands up to play, some of whom had minimal hockey experience. Based on what I saw, some of you may have missed your calling!

Aussie Rules was next on the list. Aussie Rules Captain Chloe Porter did a wonderful job of modifying the rules so the schedule could fit into the timeframe and all players were active and engaged throughout. Both Middle and Senior School teams were combined across the four Houses and the girls enjoyed being able to play with each other.

Soccer rounded out the mid-week matches on Thursday. Numbers were strong across all four Houses, along with support from many Year 12s and staff. The atmosphere was buzzing, with many goals scored and tight draws being played. Soccer Captain Mary Stavrou ran a tight ship with everything very well organised. It was clear all the girls really enjoyed the matches and the environment Mary created.

Our final two sports were Badminton and Netball, which ran at Saints on Saturday morning. With a bit of drizzle around I’m sure a few were keen to stay home in bed, but House spirit shone through and we had an amazing turnout for both sports.

Badminton Captain Yang Yang Gu organised the girls into their ranked teams and had the fixtures well structured. It was great to see the gym full of badminton girls showing off their skills. We have a very strong badminton program at Saints and this was evident with the quality of matches on display. It was tightly contested, with only three points separating first and second!

Netball is our largest participating sport at School and due to this, the Middle School and Senior School competitions were run separately. Results were then tallied with one overall winner. Netball Captain Willow Stewart-Rattray took on this massive task and did a wonderful job of organising the eight teams, eight umpires, four scorers as well as timers and someone to collate the results. It ran like clockwork – not even a few raindrops during the last match could dampen the girls’ spirits.

Our House Captains Olivia Slivak (Kennion), Zara Blight (Kilburn), Georgina Wakeham (Patteson) and Cartia Lanzoni (Selwyn) did a mountain of work alongside the Sports Captains to organise and promote Winter Interhouse amongst the student group.

Thank you to all the staff who assisted with umpiring and scoring as well as those who came out to support, in particular Dan Searle, Roger Mills, Alastair Eglinton, Brynley Millward and Yuhan Liu for assisting with their respective sports.

Thank you to Friends of Sport for braving the wet conditions to put on a BBQ on Saturday morning! And to the families, friends and students who came out to cheer the girls on. It was wonderful to see so many people supporting our girls and their sport.

Finally, to all the girls who participated, well done! It was great seeing you display your skills and show your competitive side in your chosen sports, as well as seeing some of you put your hands up to play sports you’d never tried before.

Winter Interhouse Results

AFL
1^st Kennion
2^nd Kilburn
3^rd Patteson
4^th Selwyn

Badminton
1^st Selwyn
2^nd Patteson
3^rd Kennion
4^th Kilburn

Hockey
1^st Kilburn
2^nd Kennion
3^rd Patteson
4^th Selwyn

Netball
1^st Kilburn
Equal 2^nd Patteson & Kennion
4^th Selwyn

Soccer
1^st Kennion
2^nd Kilburn
3^rd Selwyn
4^th Patteson

Alice Johnswood
Sports Administrator

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Charlotte Wins Bronze Medal at  Commonwealth Youth Games

Last week I travelled to Trinidad and Tobago to compete in the Commonwealth Youth Games. I competed in both the 400m and Mixed 4 x 400m Relay. I came 4^th in my individual event and we came 3^rd in the Relay.  I had an amazing time and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be able to represent Australia. I really enjoyed making new friendships from the trip and being able to compete and immerse myself in a different culture.

Charlotte McAuliffe
Year 10 Student

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Junior School Art Trail: 5 – 8 September

Artwork by Eliza Phillips (Year 6)

The 2023 Junior School Art Trail will launch on Tuesday 5 September (Week 7). Grandparents and treasured friends are invited to join us for this magical journey through our School, showcasing the imagination and creativity of our Reception – Year 6 artists.

Artworks include giant treasure maps, coiled ceramic plates, sustainable bird sculptures, abstract painted flags, upcycled chairs, hanging lanterns, ceramic cultural buildings and a collection of collaborative paintings.

The exhibition will be staggered across the day. Visitors are invited to arrive at the time scheduled for their youngest Junior School student in the family. Older Junior School students will join the tour scheduled for their younger sister’s year level:

• 8.45am – 10am: Mid-Year Reception and Reception (and older Junior School sisters)
• 10.30am – 11.45am: Year 2 and 5 students (and older Junior School sisters)
• 12pm – 1.15pm: Year 3 and 6 students (and older Junior School sisters)
• 1.45pm – 3pm: Year 1 and 4 students (and older Junior School sisters)

Parents are invited to view the trail with their daughters between 8 – 8.30am and 3.30 – 5pm Wednesday to Friday, 6 – 8 September. We can’t wait to see you there!

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Patteson Spirit Week Reflection

Last week the entire School came together to celebrate everything about Patteson during our annual Spirit Week. Throughout the week, the Patteson girls displayed their House pride by wearing red ribbons each day, also donning an additional red accessory on Friday, with the Year 12 Patteson girls dressing from head-to-toe in red. One of the highlights of our celebration was the daily scavenger hunt which involved dissecting and deciphering a daily riddle to locate our Patteson mascot, Mario, who was hidden in various locations around the School grounds. During Friday Lunch, the Junior School girls took great delight in joining in on the House celebrations, participating in a treasure hunt to win a lolly prize.

On Wednesday, we held our annual House Chapel, where I was honoured to present a speech on the qualities that make up each and every Patteson girl, particularly bringing to attention the qualities of sportsmanship and integrity within the House. Our Deputy House Captain Phoebe Black shared what being in Patteson has meant to her, placing an emphasis on the connections she, and past generations within her family, have made within the House. We were also lucky enough to hear from Junior School Patteson Leaders, Bessie Kennett and Natalia Quinn, who shared some valuable insights into what leading Patteson has meant to them, and the connections they have made through their House. Our talented Patteson choristers, Sammi, Montana, Charlotte, Daisy, and Mollie, accompanied by Eliza and Jana, performed a breathtaking rendition of Halo/Walking on Sunshine by the Glee Cast to conclude the Chapel. Following the Service, the Patteson girls all enjoyed a delectable red cupcake, baked by the Year 12s.

To finish off an exceptionally red week, the Year 7 – 12 Patteson girls came together for their annual House Dinner. The Year 11s worked extremely hard to organise this event which was an immense success and certainly a night to remember. It was amazing to see the girls’ musical costumes come to life and to celebrate the pride each girl has as part of this mighty red team.

The week was full of celebrations to reflect on the year that has been, and I am so excited to see what the rest of the term holds for Patteson!

Go Patteson!

Georgina Wakeham
Patteson Head Prefect

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Junior Girls Compete at MindLab Games

In the St Peter’s Girls’ Junior School, the students enjoy playing a variety of MindLab games. These thinking games support students to develop cognitive, emotional and ethical skills.

In term 2, the School ran a MindLab competition for Year 5 and 6 students. The competition included four games; Octi, Olympics Checkers, Abalone and Quoridor. From this, eight students were chosen to represent our School in the Interschool MindLab competition. Both the Premier and Division 1 teams spent the day competing at Trinity North. The students displayed excellent concertation, humility and sportsmanship. I would like to congratulate all eight students in their efforts. Each player further developed their skills in their chosen game and represented the School beautifully. A notable mention to Jessica Dong and Shan Yu Koo who placed 3rd in their individual game, Quoridor.

Zoe West
Year 4 Teacher

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Saints Team Winners at Maths Quiz Night

Last Wednesday (August 9), we attended the MASA quiz night at Marryatville. For some of us, it was our second time competing, and for others, it was their first. On the night, we were faced with challenging general knowledge and mathematics questions which pushed our critical thinking as well as our collaborative skills. The competition was split into three sections over the course of two and a half hours. With a fully stocked table of food, we headed into the competition without high expectations of placing and tackled the papers with resilience. Our resilience and food did not go to waste, as Ms. Farr popped in to give words of encouragement (and to also take an occasional chip.) After an intensive two and a half hours, we were shocked and delighted to find that we had placed first overall in the intermediate division! The night left us with fond memories and a newfound appreciation of mathematics.

Angelina Tran, Beverly Hii, Olivia Ng and Phoebe Liu
Year 9 Students

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Environment Club Volunteer at Ferguson Park

Two weeks ago, the Environment Club girls visited neighbouring Ferguson Conservation Park to plant new native grasses under the supervision of Geoffrey Bishop. This was an amazing opportunity to work with Australian nature and learn more about the history of our flora with Geoffrey. The native grasses are both types of Wallaby Grass and are perennials.

Austrodanthonia fluva, a small grass with fine foliage.

Austrodanthonia racemosa var. racemose, a more robust grass with broader foliage.

We plant grasses first when replanting an area as they are early colonisers and provide cover. Stage two involves introducing small ground-cover species. Native grasses are also useful in edge areas or near buildings (rather than larger shrubs) as they are low growing, can be mowed after setting seed (November-December), they respond to rain during summer and put on green growth thereby acting as a fire retardant.

Geoffrey shared ‘it is also important to clear the site of weeds as they compete with native species for space, light and moisture. The area will need follow-up weeding, especially if the Soursobs return.’

We are very grateful to have helped with cleaning up our environment and learning about the history of Australian plants with Geoffrey, and we look forward to our next weeding visit.

Alysa Trinh, Amy Dillon and Monica Isaac
Environment Club

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Saints Rock Princes on Parade

Last week Saints Rock Band performed at the ‘Princes on Parade’ event at the Osmond Terrace Function Centre. Six other school rock bands performed on the night, including bands from Wilderness, Seymour College and Prince Alfred College. Our girls performed three pieces in a range of styles. They started with the catchy Amy Winehouse song ‘Valerie’ followed by the moody ‘Clocks’ highlighting the strength of our rhythm section. The band finished with an impressive version of ‘Crazy’ showcasing our two vocalists. Throughout the night the bands supported and encouraged each other, dancing by the stage and cheering loudly. The night was inspiring, fun and packed full of entertainment, with a full rock light show, synchronised dancing, and some punk antics on stage! This will be a night Saints Rock Band will remember and we hope to do it all again next year!

Robyn Habel
Music Teacher

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2023 Year 5 Production – Aladdin!

Aladdin Jr. is a wonderful tale based on the story of Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp. This was one of the tales told by Scheherazade in the 1000 Arabian Nights.

The Year 5 students have been enthusiastically preparing to share this colourful story of adventure and romance with audiences. What’s not to love – heroes and heroines, an amazing genie and a magic carpet?!

Save the Date – September 28 & 29, St Peter’s Girls’ Arts Centre
Tickets go on sale on Monday 4 September

We can guarantee a fun night out which will have you toe tapping, clapping and leaving with a big smile on your face!

Shelley Hampton
Director

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Old Scholar Composer makes US Debut

As a talented emerging composer, Erin McKellar (Patteson 2013) is one of  Saints Girls’ Music Department’s many success stories.

Graduating in 2013, Erin completed 4 separate Year 12 Music subjects, attaining an A+ for Ensemble Performance (Enchante), an A+ and Merit for Solo Performance, an A+ for Music Special Study and an A for Musicianship.

As a member of ‘Enchante’, Music at Saints Girls was Erin’s first introduction to Vocal Jazz. This led Erin to complete her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance at Adelaide University, after which she studied at the Sydney Conservatorium. She is currently completing her Doctorate of Music in Composition.

In July I was delighted to travel to Pittsburgh USA, in support of Erin, who recently composed a musical in collaboration with her father, a prominent psychiatrist. Based on the theme of Dementia, A Box of Memories received critical acclaim and was awarded best musical at the Adelaide Fringe, while also capturing international attention. Accompanied by our own David Goodwin (Enchante’s accompanist), and with lead roles by Mathew Noble, Lauren Henderson (Head of Jazz Vocal Studies, Adelaide University) and Kathie Renner,  A Box of Memories made its international debut in America, receiving an overwhelming show of support and a standing ovation.

It was with great pride that I was able to support Erin and observe the level of professionalism on display during the rehearsal process, while watching the inner workings of a professional musical. As a result of this international debut, Erin has now been approached to take her musical to Canada and New Zealand. Congratulations Erin!

During my time in the States, as part of my own professional development, I attended a Q&A brunch and performance with the Harlem Gospel Choir in New York, at the legendary ‘Blue Note’ jazz club, as well as listening to and touching base with several renowned jazz vocalists including Tim Stevens (who has been inducted into the Pittsburgh Jazz Society Hall of Fame), and Grammy award nominated Nicole Zuraitis. I also had the fortune to meet up with Liz Tobias, a jazz vocalist and former Music Lecturer at New England Conservatory of Music and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Liz has worked with many incredible musicians including the extraordinary vocalist and Youtube sensation Jacob Collier.

Travelling to the States was a wonderful opportunity, not only to support Erin, but also to continue developing my own international network. I have returned inspired and ready for new and exciting music projects at Saints Girls.

Sari Noble
Director of Choirs

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Recognition for Music Tutor Kendall

Congratulations to Saints Girls’ Piano Tutor and Reception Music Teacher Kendall Latzel on being awarded the AHOMINGS (Association of Heads of Music in Non-Government Schools) Don Burrows award. The award recognises Long Service for Music Tutors, acknowledging Kendall’s consistent, passionate and far-reaching influence on generations of musicians in independent, non-government schools in South Australia. Kendall will be presented her award on Friday 1 September at Cabra Dominican College. 

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Kennion House Charity Day – Sausage Sizzle

The Year 10 Kennion Home Group will be holding a sausage sizzle next Friday 25 August  to raise money for our House Charity KickStart for Kids, which provides positive educational outcomes for disadvantaged South Australian children through school breakfasts and lunch programs.

Grab yourself a $5 meal deal (a sausage and a drink), or sausages with onion are $3 and without $2, soft drinks are $3 and juice boxes will also be available.

Reception to Year 2 students can pre-order a meal deal with a juice box. To order – click here

Students from Years 3 – 12 can buy sausages and drinks on the day. Cash only purchases.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Zara Trim and Alice Morel
Year 10 Kennion students

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Patteson House Charity Day – Bake Sale

Next Friday 25 August, the Year 10 Patteson Home Group will be running a bake sale to support the Moore St Centre, which helps people in need by providing home-cooked meals that are made with love.

We will be selling a variety of sweet and savoury treats ranging between $1 and $3. There will also be some delicious dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan options available.

Reception to Year 2 students can pre-order vanilla cupcakes. To order – click here

Students from Years 3 to 12 can purchase items directly from the stall. Cash only purchases.

We will be outside the Art Centre at lunch, so come along and enjoy a delicious treat. We look forward to seeing you there and supporting the Moore St Centre together!

Jackie Balasis
Year 10 Patteson Student

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Read, Grow, Inspire at Book Week

Next week, we are excited to celebrate Book Week! Dress Up Day will be held on Friday 25 August. Junior School students are invited to come dressed as a book character or a character that fits this year’s theme – ‘Read, Grow, Inspire’. Students will parade their costumes along the pathway to the Chapel from 8.35am and families are invited to come and watch. The students will be involved in an assembly following the parade, which will have capacity for students only.

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Out of the Blue Arts Journal – Entries Now Open

Submissions for the 2023 edition of our community Arts Journal, Out Of The Blue are now open!

Submissions can be emailed to outoftheblue@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au or can be placed in the Out of the Blue boxes in classrooms (for Junior School students) or in the Library (for Middle and Senior School students). Please download a Cover Sheet and submit one with each entry. Entries are due no later than Friday 1 September (Week 6).

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Annual House Dinners

This term all Middle and Senior School girls have the opportunity to enjoy a night away from homework to get creative and colourful at our annual House Dinners.

The Year 11s have been working hard organising decorations, food and games for each event. We’ve seen some spectacular colour and camaraderie at Kennion and Patteson’s House Dinners, so we’re looking forward to Selwyn and Kilburn’s fun nights ahead!

This is a compulsory event for all Year 7 – 12 students. Visit the TryBooking links below to book your daughter(s) a ticket for the night.

Selwyn House Dinner – TONIGHT, bookings closed.

Theme: Disco

Kilburn House Dinner – Friday 1 September (Week 6)

Theme: Disney

Everyone is encouraged to dress up as their favourite Disney character for the night. It can be anything from princesses, to villains, to your favourite characters from Disney channel. We look forward to seeing everyone at our Kilburn Disneyland!

Book now: trybooking.com/CJBAL
Bookings close at 9am on Monday 28 August

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Shane Davidson Presents Seussical Jr

Only 1 week to go until SEUSSICAL JR. Come on a magical journey through the Dr Seuss stories – Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th August in the Saints Girls’ Arts Centre.

Click here to book tickets.

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School Health Centre Notices

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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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

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Absences from School

If your child will be absent from school/ELC or is arriving late or leaving early, please notify the School via one of the following methods:

Text: 0428 601 957

Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Phone: 8334 2200

Please ensure to include your child’s name, the name of the ELC Room, Class or Home Group and the reason for the absence ie illness/appointment/family/sport etc.

If notifying via email, feel free to ‘cc’ the teacher of the Room/Class/Home Group as well.

It would be appreciated if notification is received prior to 9am.

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