Issue no. 5
In this edition
Top Honours for Music Stars
We are incredibly proud to announce that two talented Saints Girls have been awarded the Don Maynard Music Prize for the most outstanding achievement in a SACE Stage 2 Music subject.
Cheri Wong received her award for Ensemble Performance – a phenomenal feat given she was in Year 11 last year!
Recent graduate Izzy Norman (Patteson 2020) was honoured for Solo Performance. This year, Izzy is studying at the prestigious Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
The accolades are testament to the passion and dedication of our Music students, supported by our wonderful staff, tutors and renowned guest artists.
Have a read as Cheri reflects on her music journey so far:
Music has been such an important part of my life ever since I first picked up the violin when I was 6. Flashback to 2009, the 6 year old me had just walked into my first group violin lesson at the Adelaide Youth Conservatory Program. That was the moment I realised my love for music. Though initially, my family may have complained about the cat screeching noise coming from the living room during my practice time, give or a take a few years, I was soon a ‘good violinist’.
My music journey kickstarted when I began participating in ensembles including the primary school string orchestra, Adelaide Youth Orchestra, and later to Senior Strings, Extension Strings and Stage Band when I became a Saint Girl. By immersing myself amongst other musicians, I was able to develop my musicality not just as a soloist but as an ensemble player. I learned that it is one thing to be able to play well as a soloist, but a completely different set of skills is required for ensemble playing.
When the opportunity of completing the SACE Ensemble Performance subject was offered, I was well prepared. Extension Strings were involved in all the practical elements of my assessments for this subject. Not only was I judged for the musicality and technique of my violin playing, but also my ability to collaborate with other musicians. My results were very dependent on the other girls in Extension Strings, and all their hard work in practising each passage to perfection paid off. The repertoire chosen for this subject by Ms Noble included a diverse range of genres, from the musical theatre, ballad-styled Meadowlark, to the romantic lullaby of the theme from Schindler’s List. All six pieces performed last year showed my ability to play in a different genre and with strings techniques applicable to the type of music.
On the release day of the SACE results, I was so nervous to finally see what mark I received. Soon, all this anticipation was filled with happiness when I saw the words ‘A+ with merit’. All the planning by Ms Noble and Ms R, and the long hours of rehearsals/practice by the Extension String members and myself contributed to my merit in Ensemble Performance. The surprises didn’t end there, because last week, to my shock, I found a big envelope in the mail with my name on it posted by SACE. I discovered that I had received the Don Maynard Music Prize which is awarded to the most outstanding achievement in Stage 2 Ensemble Performance. Starting in group lessons has developed my interest in ensemble playing, and to this day, I am still heavily involved and enjoy playing in different ensembles.
Cheri Wong
Music Prefect
From Our Director of Early Learning
The Significance of Belonging
As we enter a new school year, we construct multiple ways for our children to connect to our Learning Community. Our intentional approach is given much thought and has formed the basis of our research – every child needs to feel welcomed and valued. However, not every child enters a situation in the same way. The teachers and educators in the Early Learners’ Centre design many rituals within our day that offer children the opportunity to be part of a group. Group size is significant, and we offer experiences in both small and large groups.
The responsibility we have as adults in children’s lives is to ensure they are developing the social skills necessary to support their development. We ask ourselves, ‘What are the essential skills required to function and thrive in our modern world?’ Looking forward is challenging, however, we know that if our children can operate in a group, learning how to collaborate, co-construct knowledge, listen to the perspective of others and have a voice that offers their point of view, we are heading in the right direction.
We observe care for others, an awareness of others’ emotions and a dialogue around how we are different. It is not our role to establish sameness in our groups of children, but rather to build an awareness and respect for each other’s differences. We are continually amazed by our children’s abilities to recognise and articulate how they are feeling and how important it is to belong to a group.
The rituals we have established have a strong intent of welcome, of giving each child and their educators a sense of belonging. The anticipation for the morning ritual is extremely special; our experienced friends who have been at ELC for a few terms are already eager to lead and guide others in these magical moments that define our daily culture. Coming together makes each child feel special and valued, and they feel confident knowing that their contribution will be heard.
By establishing our children as the authors of their learning, and giving strong emphasis to enquiries, we are giving them the ability to navigate their own social and emotional pathways and recognise that their perspective is significant. Through our Learning Community model, we aim to give children the skills to resolve a difference of opinion, to problem-solve and reflect, and to have a sense of democracy in their everyday life at ELC.
We know that if our children feel a strong sense of belonging, their own happiness and wellbeing will prosper and they will build a connection over time. Their days, months and years with us will have a direct impact on the positivity of their futures. Our ELC children grow into thoughtful, inquisitive and remarkable students. We are fortunate to see this happen before our very eyes, and it is one of the most rewarding experiences one can have as an educator.
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
Swimming Carnival 2021 – Full Results
McGill Shield
1st Selwyn (3504), 2nd Kilburn (3254), 3rd Kennion (3209), 4th Patteson (3054)
Junior
1st Selwyn, 2nd Patteson, 3rd Kennion, 4th Kilburn
Middle
1st Kennion, 2nd Selwyn, 3rd Kilburn, 4th Patteson
Senior
1st Kilburn, 2nd Selwyn, 3rd Patteson, 4th Kennion
Year 4 Aggregate Cup
Emily Robinson (Kilburn)
Juliette Tang (Kilburn)
Sasha Connor (Selwyn)
Year 5 Aggregate Cup
Meg Paul (Patteson)
Lauren Disney (Kennion)
Beatrice Tolley (Selwyn)
Year 6 Aggregate Cup
Ella Pearce (Selwyn)
Isla Fahey (Selwyn)
Lauren Fuller (Patteson)
Year 7 Aggregate Cup
Stella Spalvins (Kennion)
Holly Robinson (Kilburn)
Tammy Tang (Kennion), Madison Dornbusch (Kilburn)
Year 8 Aggregate Cup
Alyssa Tran (Kilburn)
Emma Everitt (Kennion)
Emily Tolladay (Kennion)
Year 9 Aggregate Cup
Alice Braithwaite (Kennion)
Daisy Braithwaite (Kennion)
Ayla Blaskett (Kilburn)
Year 10 Aggregate Cup
Isabelle Tran (Kilburn)
Poppy Marshall (Selwyn)
Georgina Wakeham (Patteson)
Year 11 Aggregate Cup
Tara Young (Kilburn)
Emily Baldwinson (Kennion)
Sophie Norman (Patteson)
Year 12 Aggregate Cup
Stephanie Smalls (Patteson)
Lily-Rose Spartalis (Kilburn)
Lara Wakeham (Patteson)
Junior Champion Swimmer
Emily Robinson (Year 4 Kilburn) & Ella Pearce (Year 6 Selwyn)
Middle Champion Swimmer
Alice Braithwaite (Year 9 Kennion)
Senior Champion Swimmer
Stephanie Smalls (Year 12 Patteson) & Tara Young (Year 11 Kilburn)
Junior 100m IM
Ella Pearce (Year 6 Selwyn)
Lauren Disney (Year 5 Kennion)
Meg Paul (Year 5 Patteson)
Middle 200m IM
Emma Everitt (Year 8 Kennion)
Alice Braithwaite (Year 9 Kennion)
Alyssa Tran (Year 8 Kilburn)
Senior 200m IM
Tara Young (Year 11 Kilburn)
Isabelle Tran (Year 10 Kilburn)
Poppy Marshall (Year 10 Selwyn)
Records:
50m Breaststroke | 4 | Emily Robinson (KIL) | 58.06
50m Backstroke | 4 | Emily Robinson (KIL) | 53.28
50m Backstroke | 10 Isabelle Tran (KIL) | 30.67
Virtual School Tour
Following the completion of several state-of-the-art building works, St Peter’s Girls will be launching a public, online Virtual School Tour to showcase life at our wonderful School.
On Monday and Tuesday, sophisticated air and land drones and 360 degree cameras will be used to create dynamic aerials and building fly-throughs that capture our facilities as they’re being used by staff and students.
Our campus is looking stunning right now; check out these amazing angles:
Choral Night 2021
Thursday 18 March
Our girls are gearing up for Choral Night 2021, which will be held at 7pm on Thursday 18 March at Influencers Church in Paradise.
One of the most anticipated events on the Saints Girls’ calendar, this year’s event carries the theme ‘Girl Groups’.
Details regarding tickets have been emailed to Year 12 parents, and will be sent to 7 – 11 parents on Monday.
2021 Prefect Initiative – Be Bold!
In the words of one of history’s great female risk-takers, Hellen Keller, ‘Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.’ Like Hellen, the 2021 Prefect Team is encouraging every Saints Girl to make 2021 their ‘daring adventure’ by living by the motto: Be Bold and Get Involved
Welcome to 2021, the year of Being Bold and Getting Involved, well at least if you’re a Saints Girl! After much brainstorming and looking at ways that we could encourage every girl to be their best selves, we realised that something everyone could do more of was to take a leap of faith by taking risks. Inevitably, we all experience risks throughout our lives, but it is a matter of Being Bold enough to take them, ultimately knowing that you will be better off because of them.
So, you may be wondering, what kind of risks are we talking about? Well, in Week 2 of this term, the Prefect Team launched our initiative by performing an epic dance extravaganza! The majority of us had little to no dance experience, with some of us being downright uncoordinated, but chose to take a risk and Be Bold enough to get involved.
It was incredible to see how our performance got the ball rolling. From last Friday at Swimming Carnival, where girls were bold enough to swim in as many events as possible and cheer as loud as they could for their House, to witnessing amazing displays of kindness, such as last week when a Year 6 student got involved and walked a Reception student she didn’t even know to her classroom from morning drop-off.
We are so excited to witness many more incredible displays of being bold and getting involved in coming events, as well as more exciting activities and events from the 2021 Prefect Team, which will encourage every Saints Girl to take a risk and try something new. So, here’s to the year of 2021, the year of BEING BOLD and GETTING INVOLVED!
Lara Wakeham
Deputy Head Prefect
Year 2 Adventure Out of this World
Last Wednesday began with stargazing for the Year 2 classes as they visited the Adelaide Planetarium as part of the ‘How the World Works’ unit of inquiry. As the girls relaxed in the specially-designed chairs, they could see the night sky appear before them and hear the centuries-old constellation stories. They discovered that the International Astronomical Union has officially recognised the fifth star of the Southern Cross with an Aboriginal name, ‘Ginan’.
‘Tycho to the Moon’ was a fun 3D movie that took us to the moon and back. Crafting space portal windows allowed the girls a creative way to explore and share their knowledge about space, and their pieces are now on display in our classrooms.
Finally, it was time to come back to Earth and use this intersective experience to launch further research and discover what lies beyond the boundaries of our planet.
Kathryn Clark and Bec Greenhalgh
Year 2 Teachers
High Spirits on Wellbeing Day
There were smiles all round on Friday 19 February for the R – 3 Wellbeing Day.
The girls were excited to work with the Kimochis and find out how they care for each other with empathy and compassion through an interactive storytelling session. They then created their own Lovey Dovey and Turtledove birds to share the kindness with friends and family.
Reception – Year 3 Teachers
Head of the River Dinner 2021
The Friends of Rowing invite all rowers, family and friends to celebrate the efforts, improvements and achievements of our St Peter’s Girls’ rowers throughout the 2020/21 season. The annual Head of the River Dinner will be held in the function room at Next Generation on War Memorial Drive, overlooking the beautiful Torrens Lake. 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 two-course menu and soft drinks. Other refreshments will be available for purchase in the foyer upon arrival, and from the bar throughout the event.
To comply with COVID requirements, all adults will be required to sign in to the venue by QR code upon arrival.
Next Gen Memorial Drive
War Memorial Drive, North Adelaide
Saturday 20 March 2021
5.30pm arrival for 6pm start
Tickets
$45 per person via https://www.trybooking.com/BOVBY
Ticket sales close at 5pm, Friday 5 March.
Please note, this event is compulsory for all current rowers.
Brynley Millward
Director of Rowing
Great Outlook for Friends of Rowing
Great news for Saints Girls Rowing!
For parents keen to watch their daughters row, we have sourced a dedicated viewing space at the Lakes Hotel for the next few weeks.
The Lakes Bar looks out onto the course and has been set aside for us for the following regattas below (you can also go outside on the patio for a great view down the course).
Saturday 27 February: 7.30am – 4pm
Saturday 6 March: 7.30am – 4pm
The bar will be open for food and drinks, so please come along, watch the girls, have a meal and support the Lakes Hotel (a family business connected to the School) for making this opportunity possible.
They will also have a live stream of the rowing on the big screen throughout the day.
To view a map of the area, click here.
Ed Parker
Friends of Rowing
One Week to go Until The Lion King JR.
Congratulations to Saints Girls Maisy and Lola for being chosen to play main roles in The Lion King JR., a production by Shane Davidson Presents.
Maisy is excited to be taking on the role of Young Simba, and Lola will be performing as Young Nala.
About the show
Shane Davidson Presents: The Lion King JR. – a lavish production where the African savannah comes to life on stage with Simba, Rafiki, Nala and Scar supported by an unforgettable cast of characters featuring some of our Saints Girls as they journey from Pride Rock to the jungle…and back again. With songs such as ‘Circle of Life’, ‘I Just Can’t Wait to be King’, ‘Hakuna Matata’ and ‘He Lives in You’, this show has a talented cast of 50, great dance routines and wonderful music. The staging features stunning projections, magnificent lighting and colourful costumes.
Performances:
Saturday 6 March – 4pm and 7pm
Sunday 7 March – 4pm and 7pm
St Peter’s Girls’ Arts Centre
To secure your seats, visit TryBooking
Shane Davidson
Year 5 Teacher
Saints Café Full of Beans for 2021
Saints Café is back in 2021. The team, consisting of 34 keen Year 10 students, works on a rotating roster with the girls learning to pour and serve coffees as well as other hot beverages. This year, we will be open Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7.30 to 8.15am on the Food Tech Deck, with coffees starting from $2.
Saints Café gives the girls a small taste of the hospitality industry and is a great opportunity for them to develop skills they can carry into casual or part-time work. Each shift, the girls are required to set up the café, manage the orders and finance and, most importantly, make coffees on our small, but reliable, one group coffee machine. Please support the girls this term to get your morning coffee fix. We have a range of milks including dairy, soy, almond and lactose free.
Emma Weber
Mathematics Teacher/Head of Kennion House
Clare Gaskell
Science Teacher/Head of Selwyn House
New Student Winter Uniform Fittings
With only five weeks remaining until the end of term, it is time to arrange a winter uniform fitting for your daughter.
To streamline the process, we have introduced a new online booking system. It shows available time slots from 1 March through to 26 March.
Click on the link below to access the calendar and select a time that suits you. Please include your daughter’s name.
https://tinyurl.com/SPGS-SchoolShop
Students will be required to wear their winter uniform from the first day of next term.
Winter Uniform Requirements – Year 4 Students
If your daughter is in Year 4, there are a few different uniform requirements that you will need to arrange before Term 2.
With the winter uniform, the pinafore is replaced by a skirt of the same fabric, so if the pinafore still fits, the bib can simply be removed.
The grandpa shirt is replaced by a collared shirt and tie, and the junior blazer (cardigan) is no longer worn and is replaced by a navy blue jumper and a wool blazer.
Please contact the School Shop on 8334 2228 to arrange an appointment.
Good Soles Support Saints Girls
In November, The Athlete’s Foot Burnside presented the School with a cheque for $890 for our involvement in its school rewards program. We encourage our community members to support this ongoing promotion. When you visit The Athlete’s Foot Burnside, $5 from every shoe purchased by anyone connected to our community will be donated to St Peter’s Girls’ School. Please let their staff know that you would like your donation to go to Saints Girls when you make a purchase.
Thank you for your kind support.
The Athlete’s Foot – School Rewards Program Information
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
COVID Measures
With the school year underway, 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 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.
Keep Unwell Children Home
Now more than ever, it is absolutely imperative to keep unwell children at home until they have recovered, even if symptoms are only mild.
This is not only for their own health and safety, but for that of all students and staff.
If your child will not be attending school/ELC, please notify the School via one of the following methods:
Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200
Thank you for your cooperation and vigilance.
Health Notification – Norovirus
The School has been notified of some suspected cases of Norovirus, a type of viral gastroenteritis.
SA Health says there have been increased reports of gastroenteritis in South Australia. Symptoms include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Abdominal cramps
Headache
Low grade fever
Noroviruses are very infectious and can spread easily from person-to-person via faeces and vomit. Symptoms usually begin 24 to 48 hours after ingestion of the virus, but can appear as early as 12 hours after exposure.
People should be excluded from childcare, pre-school, school and work until there has been no vomiting or diarrhoea for at least 48 hours.
Please keep unwell children home, particularly if they complain of stomach pains in the morning.
For further information on symptoms, treatment and prevention, click here. Please note the recommendations regarding hand washing in particular. The School applies strict hygiene standards for the safety of our community, and we ask families for their cooperation and vigilance.
If your child will not be attending school/ELC, please notify the School via one of the following methods:
Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200
If you have any queries, please contact the Health Centre via 8155 5762 or healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Kind regards
Lara Waltham and Sarah Wilkinson
Registered Nurses, Health Centre
Sports News
BASKETBALL
15 February
Mid C: Saints 6 v Seymour 20
24 February
Open A: Saints 17 v Scotch 51
Mid A: Saints 52 v Scotch 10
TENNIS
15 February
Open A: Saints 9 v Seymour 36
Open B: Saints 20 v Seymour 34
22 February
Open A: Saints 34 v Pulteney 19
Open B: Saints 36 v Pulteney 10
SOFTBALL
20 February
Mid A: Saints 13 v Seymour 19
VOLLEYBALL
20 February
Open A: Saints 3 v Immanuel 0
Open B: Saints 3 v Immanuel 0
Open C: Saints 0 v Immanuel 3
Middle A: Saints 3 v Woodcroft 0
Middle B: Saints 3 v Immanuel 0
Middle C: Saints 2 v Immanuel 1
Middle D: Saints 0 v Immanuel 3
Middle E: Saints 0 v Westminster 3
WATER POLO
18 February
Open A: Saints 14 v SIC 3
Open B: Saints 22 v Wilderness 0
Open C: Saints 8 v Immanuel 0
TOUCH FOOTBALL
20 February
Open A: Saints 0 v Wilderness 5
Open B: Saints 1 v Loreto 4
Middle A: Saints 3 v Pembroke 1
Middle B: Saints 0 v Mercedes 3
Middle C: Saints 4 v SHC 2
It’s been a mammoth week for sport at Saints Girls, with our Swimming Carnival front and centre. Having worked in several schools over the past 10 years, I can honestly say that I’ve never seen a Swimming Carnival quite like that! The balance between performance and participation was hit perfectly and the sense of House spirit shone throughout. My personal highlight occurred when noticing students attaching their ribbons to their House flags. When I asked a student what she was doing with her ribbon, her reply was perfect – ‘That’s not my ribbon, it’s Kilburn’s ribbon.’ I just loved this response, which encapsulated the House spirit shown on the day with a ‘we before me’ attitude.
As you’ll see from the results, there have been some great games played over the past two weeks. Highlights include the Middle A Basketball team taking out a victory with only 5 players against Scotch. What was most impressive was the girls’ game intelligence, slowing the match down with increased possession when they needed a breather, and winning the ball back in high positions to allow for counter-attacks which often resulted in simple lay ups and points on the board.
I’d also like to acknowledge our Water Polo teams, currently undefeated in the pool and a massive 44 goals scored across the 3 games on Thursday. They are looking strong and putting the building blocks in place for a terrific season.
The next few weeks will bring another level of excitement, with our annual Intercol against Walford and Head of the River both fast approaching. I’d also ask you all to keep a close eye out for Winter Sport nominations, which will be released in the next week. Hopefully this provides a new challenge for our girls who get the opportunity to try something new, develop their skills and wear the Saints’ colours with pride.
Tommy Peak
Director of Sport