Issue no. 22
In this edition
From Our Director Of Teaching & Learning
Reconciliation Week at St Peter’s Girls’ School was a significant event filled with impactful activities and heartfelt engagement, showcasing our ongoing commitment to reconciliation and cultural awareness. This year’s theme, ‘Now More Than Ever,’ resonated deeply as students, staff and the community came together to celebrate and reflect on our shared journey towards reconciliation.
The importance of reconciliation cannot be overstated. Our School community needs to acknowledge and honour the cultural heritage of the Kaurna people whose land we live and learn on. We are building a more inclusive and equitable future for all by fostering understanding and respect.
The week began with a powerful Welcome to Country presented by our Cultural Liaison Officer, Kendall Fitzgerald. Our student RAP ambassadors launched the new Acknowledgment video at the National Reconciliation Week (NRW) Assembly, reaffirming the tone for the week’s activities. During this Assembly, even the youngest members of our community, our ELC Pathways friends, shared their understanding of this special week.
Students across various year levels participated in activities emphasising cultural heritage’s importance. Our Year 3 students engaged in weaving sessions with Kendall, linking their work to Design Technologies. Year 4s experienced the Kaurna Culture Camp earlier this term and Year 5s prepared and presented the Reconciliation Week Assembly.
On Wednesday, we welcomed artist Jessie Lloyd to lead a special assembly with Year 7 – 12 students. Afterwards, she conducted a session with Year 10-12 vocal students, enriching their understanding of Indigenous music and storytelling. This engagement with Indigenous voices provided students with deeper insights into the rich cultural heritage of Australia’s First Nations people.
Middle School students participated in a Breakout Edu session in the library where they were challenged to bring their critical thinking skills to each session. They explored many contemporary issues from truth-telling and stolen generations to tackling racism, exploring Indigenous voice, as well as the impact and injustices of historical events on Aboriginal communities.
St Peter’s Girls’ School takes immense pride in its active reconciliation steps. The creation of a Racism Toolkit by the Early Learners’ Centre (ELC) and the exploration of Indigenous foods in the ELC and Food Technology classes are just a few examples of our ongoing efforts. Weekly visits and activities such as Banbanbalya sessions in the ELC further facilitate cultural education in our student’s lives.
Our commitment to reconciliation is ongoing. We participated in the National Reconciliation Week Breakfast as well as the Lowitja O’Donoghue Oration. Additional flag poles will soon display the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags on the School grounds. As a further sign of respect, our new Acknowledgment of Country will be displayed on student-designed plaques throughout our School. Both these initiatives were driven by our RAP Ambassadors. The Kaurna Co-naming Project by these ambassadors is also underway, aiming to attribute Kaurna names to various School locations, enhancing our cultural connections.
The students’ involvement extended beyond the School grounds. Ten RAP Ambassadors participated in the NRW Walk, coinciding with Sorry Day, volunteering to sell water and soft drinks at the Colebrook Reconciliation site after the walk. While six Year 11 students have returned from our biannual immersion to the APY Lands. These acts of service reinforce the importance of community engagement and support.
As we reflect on Reconciliation Week, we are filled with pride in the steps we have taken as a school community. Our dedication to fostering a culturally safe and inclusive environment is unwavering. We look forward to continuing this journey, learning, growing and strengthening our ties with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Ngaityalia
Kate Fryer
Director of Teaching and Learning
Important Dates
Mid-Year Reception Orientation and Transition Morning: Monday 3 June
da Vinci Decathlon: 4 – 6 June
Year 11 Parent Teacher Interviews: Thursday 6 June
FUSION Performance: Friday 7 June
King’s Birthday Public Holiday: Monday 10 June
Mid-Year Reception Transition Morning: Tuesday 11 June
Reception to Year 9 Piano Eisteddfod: Thursday 13 June
House Charity Day: Friday 14 June
Year 12 Parent Teacher Interviews: Tuesday 18 June
Ladies Night Out at the Movies: Wednesday 19 June
Reception to Year 9 Piano Recital: Thursday 20 June
OSA Sydney Reunion: Saturday 22 June
Reconciliation Through Connection – APY Lands Trip
During Week 4 a group of our Year 11 students embarked on an immersion to the APY Lands, participating in a range of school-based activities aimed at fostering active reconciliation through a reciprocal learning lens. The students visited the communities of Ernabella, Kenmore Park and Umuwa, building connections through shared passions for dance and sports.
Throughout the trip, the girls explored breathtaking landscapes and learned about Aṉangu culture and traditions firsthand. This immersive experience allowed them to gain profound respect for the environment and its significance to Indigenous people. The students visited local schools, conducted workshops, played sports matches, and co-created dance choreography with students from Kenmore Park School for the highly anticipated Ernabella Arts Festival in September.
Our commitment to these important relationships extends beyond the Year 11 students. Junior School students in Year 2 to 6 were actively involved, creating loom band bracelets during lunchtime sessions. These handmade bracelets served as vibrant symbols of connection and sharing between diverse communities. Over 300 bracelets were made and distributed during the trip, with the visiting students also leading an after-school workshop to teach community members how to create their own, further strengthening the bonds between our schools.
Building reciprocal relationships with the APY communities is crucial. It’s about learning from each other, valuing their knowledge and culture, and working together as equals. Being active in reconciliation is a responsibility we all share. Our biannual immersion opportunities to the APY Lands are a powerful way for our students to learn about Indigenous culture, make new friends, and open their minds to different ways of life. These experiences will undoubtedly shape our students and enhance the connections between our communities.
We extend our thanks to the Adelaide Crows Foundation who also joined us on the trip. Their knowledge, connection, and commitment to the lands allowed our School to once again strengthen our own connections.
Dance Choreography Evening – Create 24
CREATE24 was a display of creativity, teamwork, leadership and storytelling. Addressing many issues and themes such as gaming addiction, child soldiers, the Hello Girls and what the future might hold for humankind, audiences left more aware and informed. Through supporting the development of their choreographic ideas, I have learnt so much about the world and better understand what our teenagers are passionate and concerned about. It’s been a wonderfully rewarding experience watching the process evolve from initial planning to final performance.
Kate Burnett
Head of the Arts
Aussie Sprint Cyclist Inspires
On Thursday 23 May, Kristina Clonan, a Commonwealth Games sprint cyclist came to talk and inspire us with her sporting journey from long-distance bike riding to sprint cycling. She taught us how to set meaningful goals to help us in our lives, careers, and sporting journeys. She emphasised how important it is to be resilient, how you can learn from your bad results and come back stronger. Kristina highlighted how important it is to be honest in sports and how this follows through into life. We are so grateful for having the opportunity to hear about Kristina’s story and learn so much from her.
Izzy H and India Goodall
Year 9 Students
Hills Alive with the Sound of Music
Last Sunday, the hills certainly were alive with the sound of music. In this case it was our Jazz in the Hills concert at the beautiful Hahndorf Convention Centre. With stunning weather and spectacular scenery, parents were treated to drinks on the balcony overlooking the beautiful gardens, before settling down to a buffet lunch.
Entertainment was provided by all of our jazz ensembles and included over a hundred students from Year 6 to 12. Our jazz choirs, Just Jazz, IntaJazz, Bella Voce and Enchante sang up a storm while Stage Band and Little Big Band performed with impressive pizzaz. Extension Strings were a hit as always with their electric violin version of ‘Brazilian Spice’ featuring Samantha Li.
Our student musicians were very fortunate to perform with several professional musicians including four female professional horn players who provided wonderful role models for our girls in an area often dominated by men. The choirs also worked in partnership with our guest artist ‘The Adelaide Connection’, with some of their vocalists performing as soloists within our own jazz choir repertoire.
A day like this is an enormous undertaking with many, many hours of planning, administration and manpower that goes into its preparation. Special thanks to Scott Lorien and Tom Leach for helping us to complete the huge task of loading and unloading, setting up staging, lighting and sound, and to Jeanne Phillips for her administrative assistance.
ELC – Erindale Learning and Teaching Evening
Please join us on Tuesday 11 June at 6.30pm for the Erindale Learning and Teaching Evening at the ELC.
To support your child’s transition into our Erindale room in Semester 2, we will be holding an information session. This is an opportunity for you to meet Laura Reiters, the Erindale teacher, as well as some of our Learning Community 2 staff.
During this session, you will have the chance to visit the learning environment that your child will be transitioning into and gain insights into the daily rituals.
Laura will share how you child’s growing independence and development is nurtured and the rich opportunities for learning that are offered. We look forward to working in partnership with you to support your child to thrive and reach their full potential.
As this is a formal presentation, we recommend parents/guardians only attend this event.
Tuesday 11 June
6.30pm, St Peter’s Girls’ ELC
Meet in the Erindale room
*Please note: This information session is for families whose children will be transitioning from Learning Community 1 to Learning Community 2 (Erindale room).
Health Careers Expo
On Thursday 13 June, St Peter’s Girls’ School will be hosting a Health Careers Expo for Senior School students.
The Expo seeks to offer our students invaluable insights into the real-world applications and opportunities within the diverse Health field. By partnering students with Saints Girls’ community members, such as Old Scholars and parents, we hope to provide students with access to real world insights into vocational fields to inform these far-reaching decisions.
The Expo is scheduled for Thursday 13 June, from 12.15pm to 1.50pm in the School Gym. Year 7-9 will be welcome to attend the Expo during lunchtime.
Heidi Selected for Physics Olympiad
It is with great pride that we announce Heidi Gong’s (Year 12, Kilburn) selection for the Asian Physics Olympiad. This is the second year in a row that Heidi has been selected for the prestigious competition. The Asian Physics Olympiad provides students who have been selected, opportunity to interact with peers from diverse backgrounds, learn from each other and answer questions from various areas of physics including mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, optics and quantum mechanics. She will travel to Malaysia before competing with her teammates between June 4 and 10. We wish Heidi all the best of luck, we are very proud of you!
Samantha Goes for Gold
Congratulations to Samantha Paltridge who recently won two gold medals for Violin at the Adelaide Eisteddfod String Division. She competed in two categories: the 8 and 9-year-old String Solo and the AMEB Grade 6 String. Well done Samantha for your hard work and achievement.
FUSION 2024: A Showcase of Musical Theatre
We hope you are all getting PUMPED for ‘FUSION 2024: A Showcase of Musical Theatre’!
This year a massive cast of 64 students, under the guidance of Mrs Kate Burnett and Ms Joni Combe, will be presenting songs from four iconic musicals: ‘Cats,’ ‘Legally Blonde,’ ‘Hamilton’ and ‘Chicago’. We can’t wait to show off our talented students and celebrate the immense hard work that has gone into this production.
Jeffreys Linn Arts Centre
Friday 7 June (Week 6) at 7pm
Click here to book your tickets now!
We look forward to seeing you there!
Katherine Kitching
English & Drama Teacher
Piano Eisteddfod – Registrations Closing!
On Thursday 13 June in Week 7 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 learn the piano at School or outside of School. 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. Please encourage your daughter to prepare well for their performance to enable them to feel confident on the day.
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 at 6pm on Thursday 20 June. 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 fill out and return the Piano Eisteddfod consent form by Monday 3 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
Selwyn House Charity
The Year 10 Selwyn girls are very excited to announce a bake sale that will raise money for The Smith Family on Friday 14 June (Week 7). The Smith Family is a National children’s charity that raises money for disadvantaged Australian children to get the most out of their education to create better futures for themselves.
There will be a range of sweet treats from 50c – $3. Dairy, gluten-free and vegan options are available.
Parents of girls in Reception to Year 2 can pre-order via Trybooking – click here.
The Trybooking page will be open from 22 May, 9am until 6 June, 5pm.
Students from Years 3 – 12 will be able to purchase items directly from the stall at lunch. Cash-only purchases.
We will be set up at the courts near Chiverton Lawns and we would love to see you there supporting the Smith Family with us!
Elodie de Wit and Adjoa Yawson
Year 10 students
Kilburn House Charity
On Friday 14 June (Week 7), the Year 10 Kilburn Home Group will be selling sausages and drinks to raise money for our House Charity, Treasure Boxes. Treasure Boxes provides vital essentials to families living in disadvantage within our community. We are selling a range of options, with meal deals costing $5, which include a sausage and drink. Sausages with the option of onion are $3, as well as soft drinks (coke and lemonade) and an assortment of juice boxes costing $3 each. Gluten-free bread and vegetarian sausages are also available.
Families of Reception to Year 2 students can pre-order their food, which will be delivered to them via our Year 10 Kilburn girls. Please click here to purchase through Trybooking. The link will be open until Thursday 6 June, 5pm, so please place your order before then! Students from Years 3 to 12 can buy sausages and drinks on the day. We are taking cash-only payments.
The sausage sizzle will be located on Chiverton Lawns, so come down at lunch to support our girls and Treasure Boxes.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Alyssa Piantedosi and Lucy Lowry
Year 10 Students
Year 7 and 10 Immunisations
Immunisation Information for Parents / Legal Guardians of Year 7 and 10 Students
The SA 2024 School Immunisation Program will be delivered by Eastern Health Authority (EHA) on Tuesday 11 June 2024.
All Year 7 students will be offered:
- 1 dose of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil®9
- 1 dose of the Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping Cough vaccine, Boostrix®
All Year 10 students will be offered:
- 2 doses of the Meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero® at 2 separate visits (2 months apart).
- 1 dose of the Meningococcal ACWY vaccine, Nimenrix®
Further information and videos for Senior School students are available at:
School based vaccinations for teens | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Immunisation consent packs were given out at the beginning of the school year with information about the vaccines on offer. It is important that you have read the information supplied in the packs before you give consent for your child to be vaccinated at School. If you did not receive an Immunisation Consent pack from your child, please ask at the School office.
Please notify EHA if:
- Your child has already started the above program with another provider
- You wish to withdraw your consent
- Your child’s medical condition has changed
Tips for the day of immunisation:
- Encourage your child to have a good breakfast and recess on the morning of immunisations
- Wear sports uniforms to aid easy access to the upper arm and avoid unnecessarily exposing yourself if clothing needs to be removed/undone
- Encourage your child to keep their arms moving and drink plenty of water throughout the day.
If you have any further questions about the program, please directly contact Eastern Health Authority on 8132 3600 or via e-mail at eha@eha.sa.gov.au
Remember it is your responsibility to notify EHA of any changes or information, particularly in relation to your child’s medical condition. A signed and dated note in your child’s diary from a parent or guardian presented on the day is acceptable.
School Immunisation Program records will be available on MyGov within 24 hours of the school visit.
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 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 i.e. 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.
Sports News
Sport Results
Wednesday 22 May – Tuesday 28 May
AUSSIE RULES
Senior A: Saints (14.19.108) v Wilderness Senior B2 (0.0.0)
Middle A: Saints (22.4.136) v Scotch Middle B Navy (2.2.14)
Best Player: Anisha Puhaja for defensive pressure and repeat efforts
Superwoman: Charlotte Dodd for clean bounces, breakaways, strong marks and a goal from the midfield.
Year 5-6: Saints (3.2.20) v Seymour Year 5/6 Purple (11.4.70)
Best Player: Molly Burnett for taking a ripping chest mark on the wing!
BADMINTON
Senior A: Saints (7/4/157) v Walford Senior A (3/2/115)
Senior B Blue: Saints (5/9/165) v Walford Senior B (1/1/114
Senior B White: Saints (0/0/36) v Wilderness Senior B2 (6/10/210)
Senior C Blue: Saints (4/4/116) v Walford Senior C (2/2/78)
Senior C White: Saints (2/2/101) v Wilderness Senior C1 (4/4/99)
Senior C Silver: Saints (2/2/98) v Westminster Senior C (4/4/103)
Senior D White: Saints (1/1/85) v Westminster Senior D (5/1/124)
Senior D Silver: Saints (4/4/118) v Walford Senior D1 (2/2/66)
Senior E Blue: Saints (2/2/104) v Wilderness Senior E5 (7/7/181)
Senior E White: Saints (3/3/80) v Wilderness Senior E1 (3/3/110)
BASKETBALL
Year 5—6 Silver: Saints (2) v Walford Year 4-6 Blue (44)
Best Players: Dilini Ranathunga, Emilia Wang, Ruoyu Chen
Superwoman: Esther He for showing fantastic positive spirit and teamwork throughout the game, verbally supporting and encouraging her teammates while on and off the court.
Year 4 White: Saints (14) v Pembroke Year 5/6 Green (18)
Best Player: Emily Do
Year 4-6 Blue: Saints (20) v Wilderness Year 5 Blue (28)
Best Players: Ashlee White and Maggie Will
Superwoman: Amelia Bartter for responding to team feedback and leading by example to improve rebounding, resulting in more scoring chances. Amelia was tough on defence, not afraid of body contact to get steals and deflections.
HOCKEY
Year 3-4 Minkey: Saints (2) v Pembroke Year 3-4 Green (7)
Best Player: Florence White
Superwoman: Cate McDonald
Senior A: Saints (10) v Loreto Senior A (0)
Best Players: Matilda Patterson, Zara Trim, Winnie Vartuli
Superwoman: Ava Field
Senior B: Saints (0) v Immanuel Senior B (9)
Best Player: Emily Robinson
Superwoman: Lavena Akeel
NETBALL
Premier League: Saints (18) v Westminster Premier League (87)
Best Player: Ella Warrick
Premier League Reserves: Saints (14) v Westminster Premier League Reserves (72)
Senior B: Saints (13) v Westminster Senior B (65)
Best Player: Annabel Keough
Superwoman: Izzy McCabe
Senior C: Saints (13) v Walford Senior C Blue (40)
Best Player: Lexie Fishlock
Superwoman: Abigail Hawkes
Senior D Blue: Saints (26) v Walford Senior D (43)
Best Player: Matilda Powell
Superwoman: Aliya Trench
Year 9A: Saints (13) v Westminster Year 9A (65)
Superwoman: Ruby Marshall
Year 9C: Saints (23) v Wilderness Year 9C (29)
Best Player: Grace Davies
Superwoman: Nathalie Randeniya and Diya Bhinder
Year 8A: Saints (58) v Westminster Year 8A (20)
Best Player: EVERYONE.
Year 8B: Saints (40) v Westminster Year 8B (14)
Best Players: Christina Zhu, April McCabe, Layla Dodd
Superwoman: Vienna Howes
Year 8C: Saints (25) v Scotch Year 8C Navy (12)
Best Player: Ashley Lau
Year 8D: Saints (23) v Scotch Year 8C Gold (18)
Best Player: Maddy Schroeter
Superwoman: Anny Zhang: congratulations on playing your first game of netball!! You showed great determination and spirit on court.
Year 7A: Saints (20) v Westminster Year 7A (58)
Best Player: Sasha Connor got thrown into different positions and had impact wherever she played.
Superwoman: Jessica Dong for taking on feedback and implementing it immediately.
Year 7B: Saints (5) v Westminster Year 7B (39)
Best Player: Alice Richards
Superwoman: Lulu Chen
Year 7/8C: Saints (13) v Westminster Year 7C (39)
Year 5-6 White: Saints (5) v Pulteney Year 5-6 Navy (10)
Best Player: Tia Dong
Superwoman: Ava Duldig
Year 5-6 Blue: Saints (15) v Westminster Year 6 Green (15)
Year 5 Blue: Saints (14) v Pembroke Year 5 Yellow (1)
Best Player: Elina Liu
Superwoman: Cindy Su
Year 4 Blue: Saints (3) v Seymour Year 3-4 Blue (6)
Best Player: Eva Nicholls
Superwoman: Rania Gao
SOCCER
Premier League: Saints (1) v Scotch Premier League (1)
Division 1: Saints (3) v Wilderness Division 1 Blue (0)
Best Player: Labrini Psaltis played an awesome game in the midfield, filling in for the opponents first half and gave her best effort the whole game. Made huge efforts getting back to support defence and transition into attack, also scoring an outstanding goal!
Superwoman: Daniela Vari played GK in her first ever game of soccer! She showed great instincts and made some incredible saves!
Middle A: Saints (4) v Seymour Middle A (5)
Best Player: Mila Fassina
Superwoman: Christina Balasis
Middle B: Saints (7) v Scotch Middle B (0)
INTERSCHOOL EQUESTRIAN
Annabelle Knowles, Aurelia Pyne and Inge R continue to turn heads in the Interschool Equestrian competitions, with some impressive performances across a range of disciplines.
Aurelia and Anabelle’s recent endeavours involved a trip to Naracoorte to compete in the Interschool Combined Training State Team Qualifying competition. Both girls had strong performances, and now eagerly await to hear if they have earned a place in the State Team. If selected, Aurelia will compete in the Combined Training Discipline, whilst Annabelle in Show Hunter.
After dominant performances all season, Inge was a hot contender to also make the team, however due to moving from her 12.2h pony up to a 16h Off the Track Thoroughbred Mare, she can no longer be considered for the team.
We love hearing about your achievements and look forward to seeing what is in store next!