Issue no. 6
In this edition
From Our Principal
As I’m sure you are all aware, deeply distressing allegations of sexual assault and harassment against women have dominated national media in recent weeks. The shockwaves have rocked various institutions and refocused the spotlight on the treatment of women in the workplace, highlighting the lack of accountability and power imbalance that so frequently exists. This has ignited impassioned calls to action, including questioning the role that schools play in ensuring our world is one in which the rights of each individual are genuinely respected.
As a proud all-girls’ school, we are a fundamental part of the change that is so desperately needed. The welfare, wellbeing and happiness of each and every one of our girls has and always will be at the heart of everything we do – not only during their schooling, but beyond.
A vital pillar of our pursuit for change was the development of a dedicated wellbeing program crafted specifically for the needs of our girls. #EMPOWHER exists to equip our students with tools and strategies to face the challenges they will likely experience as girls and women. As it should be, this program is always a work in progress; we seek feedback from focus groups, collaborate with Old Scholars and look at what other schools are doing well in this space. In addition, our Health curriculum covers sex education in depth, including healthy relationships, informed consent and refusal skills. We are staunchly committed to putting our girls first in the hope that they will go on to lead happy and healthy lives as women of character and influence. This is our purpose and our promise, as it has been for more than 125 years.
On Wednesday, Australian of the Year Grace Tame delivered a powerful address at the National Press Club. Sadly, her distressing and graphic story is not unique. But in speaking out, she has drawn attention to the attitudes of male sexual entitlement, disrespect, privilege and callousness that underpin these attacks. She is a remarkable young woman and the courage she displayed in winning her fight to have the victim’s voice heard was indomitable. There are others who do not wish to be identified or fight their battles so publicly. But it is important they know that they are in our thoughts.
We are cognisant that the recent media coverage may be having a profound impact on our girls and families more generally. We are here to support you. Alongside myself and our Heads of Sub-Schools, our School Psychologist and our Home Group teachers are on hand to assist. Other support channels are available externally, such as the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service 1800RESPECT which can be contacted on 1800 737 732, or crisis support service Lifeline on 13 11 14.
As we mark International Women’s Day, there is so much more work to be done, and we need everyone’s unwavering commitment to climb that mountain. It is imperative that we celebrate the amazing girls and women in our lives, and give thanks for the progress that has been made. But, it is also a call to arms to unite for change, to make the world a better place for us all.
Julia Shea
Principal
Introducing Our New Careers Program
We are delighted to announce the launch of our revamped career education program ‘Career.Ready’. It forms a pivotal part of our Strategic Plan in establishing a future-focused and personalised careers program that suits the needs of our girls and connects them with industry to set the foundations for success.
Career education is a continually evolving space within schools, and best practice suggests that the majority of career education content should be covered before students enter Year 12. The application of a logical mindset supports this belief. For example, when our girls enter their final year of school, they should be able to describe the work involved in professions that reflect both their interests and their values. They should have a deep understanding of transferrable skills and have the ability to articulate how these will be utilised in various professions. They should have a thorough knowledge of industry and have been provided with the opportunity to talk with a range of professionals. Finally, they should have an excellent working knowledge of the different pathways they can access to enter the workforce such as university or TAFE.
To ensure our girls are well prepared in this changing space, Career.Ready is a bespoke program designed for our girls. Lessons will be delivered through Years 7 to 12 and teaching content draws from the Australian Blueprint for Career Development as well as intensive programs that are taught in other Australian states. Girls in each year group will also complete career action plans, and data will be shared with parents and explored by students so that they are able to revisit and adjust their plans each year. I have spoken with parents of girls in Years 10 and 11 about the importance of career education and we look forward to sharing further information with all parents later this year.
Our careers team includes Karen Alderson (Career Advisor and Coordinator), Carolyn Farr (Careers Coordinator) and myself. Carolyn, who is also our IB Coordinator, is overseeing links with industry and she has already made contact with many Old Scholars and parents regarding our ‘JobChat’ initiative. The program allows our girls to talk with industry professionals who will offer insights and guidance into possible career choices. Should you be interested in contributing to JobChat, I encourage you to make contact with Carolyn via cfarr@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Kate Mortimer
Deputy Principal/ Head of Senior School
Career Check at Girls in Tech
Our annual Girls in Tech Expo was bigger and better than ever!
Our students joined forces with girls from neighbouring schools to fly drones, test out virtual reality goggles, rub shoulders with humanoid robots, and so much more! It’s a fantastic opportunity to expose girls to tech and the rewarding careers associated with the field.
Take a look at some of the highlights:
The event was opened by South Australian Minister for Education John Gardner who later saluted our School and Girls in Tech Coordinator Monique Green for this outstanding initiative during Question Time in parliament:
Meet Our First Scientist in Residence
As St Peter’s Girls’ School’s Scientist in Residence, I am very excited to be working closely with the girls this year to showcase the breadth of scientific careers available to them and to mentor them as they begin their STEM careers.
When I was a young girl, I watched a documentary on climate change showing melting ice caps, forest fires and the animals that would die as a result of this. Disheartened, I tried reassuring myself that scientists, somewhere, were working on this problem and would solve it. Then it hit me, why should I wait for someone else to do something? Why don’t I do something? Fast forward 12 years and I am finishing my PhD in Science focusing on coastal plant habitats and the management and conservation of mangroves, seagrass and saltmarsh. My love and passion for the ocean stems from the peace I find when I am in the water or walking along the beach. I love the intricacies of life beneath the waves and really want future generations to be able to experience the same joy for the ocean as I do.
My Science journey has been interesting to say the least; I started with a Bachelor of Science (Advanced) at the University of Adelaide. During my third year, I worked at the university as a research assistant, conducting field and laboratory work on the Coorong to quantify decline in seagrass communities and develop recommendations to prevent further losses. I then completed my Honours degree, which took me to White Island, New Zealand where I spent time scuba diving and conducting underwater experiments. The natural carbon dioxide vents beneath this volcanic island were a glimpse into future ocean acidification impacts. I then pursued a PhD with an entirely different focus: I developed a new method to assess how coastal plant habitats have changed over time using DNA buried in sediments. I spent time collecting sediment cores and took these to ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) to carbon date them myself. I then conducted DNA analysis to detect the presence of coastal plants in sediments thousands of years old. Developing a method to reconstruct the history of our coastlines is just the start, now I want to use this information to restore and protect coastal plants. This is my goal; I want to communicate my science to governments and the broader public so that we can learn from the past and create a more sustainable future.
I am passionate about encouraging scientific curiosity in young people and am grateful I get the opportunity to do this at St Peter’s Girls. I am at the School every Monday where I sit in on the girls’ Science classes and I continue to run lunchtime enrichment activities which build upon concepts covered in class.
I spend a lot of my free time hiking, diving, surfing and snorkelling – basically anything active or water based – and have also started a blog www.into-the-ocean.com to share my love for science and the environment.
Dr Nicole Foster
Scientist in Residence
Saints Girls Celebrate International Women’s Day
It is on this day where females around the world are celebrated for who they are and what they have become. It is also a chance to reflect on women’s rights and how they have evolved over time.
This year’s theme is #ChooseToChallenge and the Prefect Team encourages everyone to be bold by challenging and calling out gender bias and inequality. I strongly believe that both men and women, of all ages, should be collaborating as one in order to keep evolving and making the world a better place. Collectively, we can all create a very supportive and inclusive world.
At Saints Girls, all staff and students as well as our ELC friends wore a bright purple ribbon to celebrate the inspiring women in our School community. It was beautiful to see everyone come together and proudly support such an important day in recognising women’s rights.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Saskia Jonats
Head Prefect
Historic Medal Haul at Rowing State Championships
Our rowers competed at last weekend’s South Australian State Championships regatta, a two-day event combining underage, school and open events. Crews from all squads progressed to finals at all levels of the competition, with our Senior and Intermediate rowers building on the historic medal haul of five medals from 2020 by winning six titles this year!
Whilst we were unable to retain our titles in the Schoolgirl 8+ and the U19 Women’s 8+, St Peter’s Girls’ crews took a clean sweep of every other U19 event! We also retained the title in the Schoolgirl Coxed Four.
Well done to all of our girls. Your results are a credit to your hard work and training throughout the season. The 2021 SA Schools’ Head of the River will be held on Saturday 20 March. Details regarding spectator numbers and COVID restrictions are being confirmed – stay tuned for details of how you can support our rowers on the day!
U19W4+ – Letitia Page-Thomson (Cox), Sophie Barr, Clare Romaniuk, Milla Barei, Charlotte Parker
U19W4x – Clare Romaniuk, Milla Barei, Chloe Porter, Georgina Wakeham
SG4+ – Stella Rasheed (Cox), Sophie Barr, Clare Romaniuk, Milla Barei, Charlotte Parker
U19W2x – Sophie Barr, Clare Romaniuk
U19W2 – Milla Barei, Clare Romaniuk
U19W1x – Sophie Barr
Brynley Millward
Director of Rowing
Drum Roll: Our Choral Night Adjudicators
The countdown is on and excitement is building with less than two weeks until Choral Night 2021!
We are thrilled to announce the two outstanding adjudicators we have arranged for the event.
Jen Frith
A passionate Arts creator, practitioner and educator, Jen has created belonging, acceptance and community for children and young people through youth arts over many years. Co-Founder of Chalk and Pelican Productions, Jen was inducted to the 2019 South Australian Women’s Honour Roll for her contribution to the Adelaide Arts’ community and was selected as a workshop presenter for the 2020 World Congress for the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People. Accolades for Jen and Pelican Productions include ‘Best Youth Production’, In the Heights, Theatre Association of South Australia 2020, Finalist (Arts) Women in Innovation Awards 2018, 2017, ‘Best Show, Youth’, Bring It On: The Musical, Adelaide Theatre Guide Awards 2017, ‘Best Ensemble’, ‘Best Technical’, The Little Mermaid, Adelaide Theatre Guide Awards 2015. A finalist for children’s songwriting in the National Songwriting Awards, Jen’s passion for words is lived through original poetry and stories.
Kylie Green
Kylie completed her Diploma of Music (Voice), Flinders Street School of Music, in 1995 and a Bachelor of Music (Voice) from Adelaide University in 1997. During this time, Kylie played principal roles in over 16 musical theatre shows. After university, Kylie taught voice in a number of schools and still enjoys teaching voice privately at ‘The Nest’. In 1999, she established the founding Kindermusik business in Adelaide where she taught music to children aged 0 to 5 years. This quickly grew into centres centres across Adelaide. In 2004, Kylie met Jen whilst on the production team of The Wizard of Oz. It was here that Pelican Productions and Music Theatre Camp were born, beginning its first year in 2005 with 65 children. By 2019, this had grown to 500 children. Pelican Productions has since branched out to run ‘Sing Oz’, an adult musical ensemble for people who just love to sing, acting classes, and Broadway chorus and vocal workshops in their new venue ‘The Nest’. Kylie co-produced Grease in 2013 and was the co-producer and musical director for The Little Mermaid in 2014. She co-produced Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Bring It On: The Musical, for which Pelican Productions won the Curtain Call for ‘Best Show, Youth Theatre’ in 2017, and has also co-produced and musical directed Annie, and co-produced Seussical.
Choral Night rehearsals commenced this week and recognition must go to all of our Year 12 students, in particular the House leaders as well as those girls who are stepping up to lead choirs and bands. There is no doubt that their hard work will culminate in a wonderful performance on the evening.
Sharing the Path to Reconciliation
In mid-February, Letitia, Charlotte and myself were given the privilege to commemorate the stolen generation and their ancestors during the Reconciliation Apology Breakfast at the Adelaide Convention Centre. It was truely inspiring to watch the Welcome to Country performed by Uncle Moogy and witness a preview of the documentary Unbreakable which was launched that day. We heard from Premier Steven Marshall about upcoming initiatives to honour and preserve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and traditions. It was also truely memorable to meet and speak with Jack Buckskin, Uncle Tamaru, Major ‘Moogy’ Summer, Premier Marshall, Rachel Sanderson MP and Adelaide Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor.
Excitingly, we spoke with Prince Alfred College’s RAP Program Director and she has challenged Saints Girls to a competition of which school will learn the acknowledgment to country in Kaurna language first! This will be introduced as a RAP initiative in the coming weeks.
Tara Young
Student
Trish Tynan
EAL/D Specialist
Service Learning – A Life-Changing Experience
This term, Senior School students and parents have been given the opportunity to volunteer at the Moore Street Centre as part of our Service Learning Program. Moore Street Dinners provides food and company to underprivileged and unhoused people on Saturday nights. Three to four girls go each week, where we serve food, talk to people and are able to help out the community. While some changes have been made regarding how the centre is run due to COVID-19, complicating the process, the hard work and compassion of volunteers makes the evenings possible. During my nights at the centre, I’ve been able to hear new perspectives, make new friends and help people in a meaningful and engaging way, and I look forward to continuing to do so this term.
Here are some perspectives from other girls who have been involved:
Grace, Year 11:
The highlight was being able to chat to other volunteers, people receiving food and other girls from Saints, as we were all working together. The time went really quickly and I really enjoyed helping out and fostering such a great community. I’m excited to go back!
Candy, Year 12:
I thought this would be a great way to help people in need, disadvantaged and lonely. It is valuable to communicate with people who are in different life situations and listen to their stories to reflect on my own life.
Lara, Year 12:
The highlight of working at Moore St for myself and my mum was spending an evening connecting with people, each with a different story, who came that evening not only for a meal but also for company and conversation.
Ultimately, through our involvement in community service at the Moore Street Centre, we have all learned more about the South Australian community and have been able to reflect on various ways in which we can serve this community. We are all looking forward to our continued relationship with the centre.
Sara Peak
Community Service Prefect
Remarkable Camp Rocks KI!
A spectacular Year 8 Camp took place on Kangaroo Island last week. We participated in many activities including snorkelling, boogie boarding, a 12 kilometre hike and sand boarding. Boogie boarding was an all-round favourite, especially when the dolphins came out to play! Travelling to Kangaroo Island has given us a greater understanding of the dangers of bushfires and the recovery process our environment goes through. We also found it very interesting going to many different beaches and seeing the beautiful crystal water.
Alix Douglas
Student
Dramatics Scenes with LA Actor
The Year 10 Drama students have been incredibly lucky to be able to work with actor Mark Fantasia as part of their studies on Realism and Naturalism. The Los Angeles-based actor is currently in Adelaide, sharing his experiences of working in the American film and television industry.
Mark workshopped a variety of scenes with the students, helping them to employ techniques for using emotional memory in order to be more expressive and ‘real’ as actors. Through finding their truth within each scene, students were able to present more naturalistic and engaging performances. These skills will be invaluable in their upcoming performance assessments.
The workshop was extremely helpful in developing our skill for drawing on our experiences or past emotional states so that we could make our performance more realistic. I felt that my performance improved after Mark gave some tips on what situation to draw on which deepened my emotional presence during the scene. – Ruby
It was so inspiring to see the way actors bring real-life situations to stage and screen. I look forward to taking on Mark’s advice and using it whilst I study drama and perform. – Cartia
We were fully immersed in the activities which allowed us to go into depth and really examine and take apart our scenes. As a class, we developed our trust towards each other which is crucial for further development in realistic acting. – Sammy
Katherine Kitching
Drama and English Teacher
Year 5 Excursion Pure Gold
The Year 5 cohort headed for the Adelaide Hills last Friday to visit the Jupiter Creek Goldfields in Echunga. This is an important part of our current unit of inquiry, Gold Fever, as the girls begin to explore and investigate the Australian gold rush era of the 19th century. The central idea for this unit of inquiry is, ‘The discovery of any resource has challenges, consequences and opportunities.’
This visit enabled the girls to gain perspective into how the area was impacted by the gold rush and what went on during this period in South Australia. Following this, the girls are now writing expository letters to the Department of Mines and Energy. The letters address the girls’ perceptions of the site including its historical significance. This gives them the opportunity to suggest improvements that can be made in this area to attract tourism. Letters will be selected from within the cohort and sent to the department, with the hope of making a positive impact in preserving a time and place of significance in our history.
Sarah Mulraney
Year 5 Teacher
Amazing Race – Year 4 Challenge Day
We kicked off the first day of March with an action-packed morning for our Year 4 Challenge Day. Almost 50 girls were ultra eager to participate in a series of team challenges conducted by Wilderness Escape.
Activities including Powerball, Hoverboards and Wild River challenged the girls to develop their social and team collaboration skills. The hardest team challenge was Quick Silver which is similar to a marble run. The girls couldn’t quite complete this challenge, but they definitely developed skills in persistence and communication. Billy cart building and racing was by far the most exhilarating activity. For many, it was their first experience using tools. The morning session concluded with a billy cart race which became quite competitive. It was especially hilarious to spectate, with many students steering their billy carts wayward.
The Year 4 Challenge Day was thoroughly enjoyed by all participants and achieved the objectives of developing individual and team skills.
Olivia Coulter
Year 4 Teacher
Zoe West
Year 4 Teacher
Year 2s Hatch Eggcellent Plan
Over the past fortnight, the Year 2 girls have welcomed baby chicks into the world through the Henny Penny Chicken Hatchery Program.
In each classroom, there were 13 eggs in the incubator which have since hatched. The girls have been observing the process as part of the ‘How the World Works’ unit of inquiry. Lifecycles are a fascinating aspect of the natural world and the girls have been identifying the cyclic patterns through their mathematical investigations.
Kathryn Clark
Year 2 Teacher
Rebecca Greenhalgh
Year 2 Teacher
Equestrian Girls Riding High
It was terrific to see our riders out and about competing last weekend. Annabelle (Year 5) competed at the Trinity College Gymkhana, riding Henry and earned two ribbons for pleasure pony and pair of ponies not exceeding 14hh. She also rode confidently around the 35-45cm show jumping course. Annabelle also rode in a local show and had three clear rounds at 35cm and two clear rounds at 45cm in the show jumping arena.
Imogen (Year 8) represented the School at the Angaston Show where she placed 2nd in the show hunter and 3rd in the working hunter on her pony Dexter.
Both girls and ponies were in fine form and proudly represented the School at their events.
Pauline Noblet
Physical Education Teacher
Museum Musings for Student Detectives
The Year 6 students recently enjoyed visiting the Migration Museum to support their current inquiry into human migration. Small groups worked together as curators, researchers and historians while exploring the suitcase of someone whom had migrated to South Australia. Together, teams recreated the stories of migrants, why they came to Adelaide, and the challenges and opportunities they faced in their journey.
The girls then travelled to the South Australian Museum where they again worked in small teams in ‘The Shadow Initiation’. They raced against the clock to locate information, decipher clues and complete challenges. The experience required students to use a number of general capabilities to successfully navigate situations. Lots of fun was had by all.
Sarah Braithwaite
Year 6 Teacher
Clean Up Australia Day – 7 March 2021
Clean Up Australia inspires and works with communities to clean up and conserve our environment. Getting involved is an opportunity to do your bit for your local community, cleaning up waste that would otherwise remain among local wildlife or enter the ocean.
Modern living is conducive to producing waste. It has become standard for products to be wrapped in packaging that’s immediately thrown away, and it has become normal to buy single-use products because they are convenient, and fast fashion because it’s affordable. We pay for bottled water and takeaway food and tend to replace broken items instead of fixing them. Waste is created by almost everything we do, which is why Australians produce 50 million tonnes of waste each year – that equates to 2 tonnes per person.
With this in mind, I urge every one one of you to participate in Clean Up Australia Day. Encourage your community to get involved and work together to understand the role we can play in protecting the environment. To get involved on cleanupaustraliaday.org, you can search for a Clean Up event near you by entering your postcode or suburb.
This Clean Up Australia Day campaign starts with each and every one of us. Not just today, but every day.
Toni Christiansen
Environment Club Captain
Dad’s Night on the Green
Proudly supported by our Saints Sport Support Group (SSSG), this year’s Community Dad’s Night Out was recently held at Tranmere Bowling Club. There was a great turn out of 72 dads across 18 teams who enjoyed connecting, supporting their daughters and contributing to our Sports Program.
The dads participated in two games of bowls coached by club volunteers and, after the first match, the teams were divided into two divisions. The winners played the winners of the first match and the losers played the losers. Congratulations to the following teams:
1st place team from the Top Division:
David Penley
Simon Birmingham
Jonathan Christo
Jordan Begley
1st place team from the Lower Division:
Nicholas Harrington
Mark Lands
Ashley Flavel
Brett Woods
The raffle and lucky squares were a huge hit. Thank you to all the dads for their wonderful support. Congratulations to Andrew Kelly who took home the $200 voucher from the Athlete’s Foot Burnside; Jordan Begley who won the $100 The Maid Hotel voucher; and Con Psaromatis who collected a beer package. Booing broke out as the winner of the lucky squares cash prize was announced…our Head of Middle School, Richard Lisle!
Thank you to the Tranmere Bowling Club volunteers including Kirsty Blaskett, who is also a member of our Saints Sport Support Group, and her dad. They put on such a top event for us. Also, a shout out to those connected to our community who provided prizes for the winning teams. And thank you to our dedicated volunteers and staff who sold raffle tickets and lucky squares as part of the SSSG’s fundraising efforts for 2021.
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
Friends of The Arts – Music Camp 2021
Although the traditional pilgrimage to Ardrossan was unable to occur in 2021, the same Saints Girls’ passion and resilience was nonetheless on display across all four days of Music Camp.
The Friends of The Arts (FOA), a wonderful community group of volunteers, rose to the challenge to support the fabulous Music Department, led by Sally Rounsevell, in the new venue. Over the first three days, FOA volunteers prepared and served food for over 100 girls and staff. Thanks to Fiona McGregor, Saints’ wonderful Community Relations/Events Officer and a member of staff on the FOA, for taking on the challenge of planning and ordering the quantities of food required to feed this many people. This is just one of many great examples of how parents and staff work together to support our girls.
We warmly invite and encourage parents of girls involved in The Arts in any form at the School to join the FOA committee. It is a great way to find out more about the many Arts’ opportunities on offer and to connect with other parents. To see your girls in action is really a treat!
You are welcome to attend meetings without any obligation to commit to being involved, just come along and see what we do. Alternatively, additional volunteers are sometimes needed; for example, to help on the FOA fundraising bar at events such as the Year 5 Production or, most recently, at the performance day during Music Camp. If this might be of interest, please join our Facebook Group or email Melissa Westgate in our Community Relations Office, another of the fabulous staff on FOA, at mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Thank you for your ongoing support of The Arts at Saints Girls. We look forward to meeting many of you at events during the year or at our next Friends of The Arts planning meeting on Wednesday 10 March, 7.30 – 8.30pm in the Music Office.
Belinda O’Callaghan and Tania Tenten
FOA Volunteers
Great Outlook for Friends of Rowing
For parents keen to watch their daughters row, we have sourced a dedicated viewing space at the Lakes Hotel. 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 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
Immunisation Information – Year 8 and 10 Students
The below information is from Eastern Health Authority (EHA):
The SA School Immunisation Program will be offered at your school by Eastern Health Authority (EHA).
All Year 8 students will be offered:
2 doses of the human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil®9 at two separate visits.
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 two separate visits.
1 dose of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine, Nimenrix®.
Further information and videos for high school students are available at: https://www.health.gov.au/news/school-based-vaccinations-for-teens
Immunisation consent packs will be sent home with all Year 8 and 10 students. It is important that you read the information contained in the packs before you give consent for your child to be vaccinated at school. If you do not receive a pack from your child, please ask at the school’s Front Office.
All parents/legal guardians are to complete, sign and return the Consent Cards, even if you do not consent for the student to be vaccinated at school. Students aged 16 years and above can consent for themselves.
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
If you do not want your child to be vaccinated at school, please contact Eastern Health Authority to arrange for your child to receive the free vaccines. If you go to your local doctor for the vaccination, they will need to order the vaccine and may charge a consultation fee.
If you have any further questions about the program, please contact Eastern Health Authority via 8132 3600 or 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, on the day of immunisation or prior. 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 may be required for future employment or travel.
Eastern Health Authority
New Student Winter Uniform Fittings
With only four 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.
COVID Measures
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
3 March
Open A: Saints 26 v Westminster 32
Mid A: Saints 12 v Westminster 53
Mid B: Saints 18 v Westminster 8
Mid C: Saints 0 v Concordia 16
Mid D: Saints 8 v Immanuel 32
TENNIS
1 March
Open A: Saints 32 v Walford 19
Open B: Saints 34 v Walford 18
27 February
Div 1 Blue: Saints 26 v Wilderness 22
Div 1 White: Saints 32 v Wilderness 13
Div 1 Yellow: Saints 34 v Immanuel 14
Div 3 White: Saints 25 v Wilderness 21
SOFTBALL
27 February
Mid A: Saints 21 v Scotch 5
VOLLEYBALL
27 February
Open A: Saints 2 v Seymour 1
Open B: Saints 3 v Seymour 0
Open C: Saints 0 v Seymour 3
Middle A: Saints 3 v Seymour 0
Middle B: Saints 3 v Seymour 0
Middle C: Saints 3 v Seymour 0
Middle D: Saints 2 v Seymour 1
Middle E: Saints 0 v Concordia 3
WATER POLO
25 February
Open A: Saints 4 v Seymour 9
Open B: Saints 6 v SIC 8
Open C: Saints 14 V SHC 0
TOUCH FOOTBALL
27 February
Open A: BYE
Open B: Saints 2 v Wilderness 0
Middle A: Saints 2 v Marryatville 3
Middle B: Saints 4 v Wilderness 3
Middle C: Saints 5 v Pembroke 1
A big week of victories for Saints Girls culminated with our swimmers taking out 1st place in the SSSA A Grade Championships at South Australia Aquatic Centre on Wednesday. Our students did themselves proud, winning the overall girls’ award for the first time since 2003! When we further break down these results, it shows just how well the 2021 girls have done.
Out of 38 events, they achieved 17 1st place finishes and 30 podium finishes, ending on a huge total of 747 points and over 10% clear of 2nd place. Most notably, however, was the students’ team spirit, ensuring every event was filled and cheers were loud from the stands.
Further success came at the Schools Beach Volleyball Festival at Glenelg with Anna and Lucy White performing admirably, overcoming the strong competition of Brighton to take out 1st place.
Intercol against Walford has got off to a great start with our Open A and B Tennis girls both earning a victory. We look forward to more Intercol games in the coming weeks.
Following a slow weekend of sport, with no games on Saturday or Monday due to the long weekend, we look forward to a host of competitions next week including IGSSA and SAPSASA Swimming and both individual and team State Tennis Knockouts.
Tommy Peak
Director of Sport
