Issue no. 17
In this edition
From the Director of Teaching and Learning
A recent American study examined the impact that high-achieving boys can have on girls in the classroom. The paper, ‘Girls, Boys and High-Achievers’ (Cools, Fernandez, Pattachini, 2019) was researched and written by Cornell University economists and issued by the National Bureau of Economic Research. It concluded that girls’ education can suffer when they have high-achieving boys as peers.
Teenage girls with greater exposure to boys who do well academically perform relatively worse in Mathematics and Science and are less likely to complete full degree courses. The authors write: “Faced with a greater proportion of ‘high-performing’ boys, girls may become less self-confident about their own ability in traditionally male-dominated fields…more generally, these high school girls may become more discouraged or think themselves less competent which could then affect their actual performance.” These findings are consistent with previous studies that have focused on high-achieving boys and their impact on girls and other boys. The popularity of STEM subjects at Saints Girls, and our excellent results across all disciplines, would suggest that our students are thriving in their learning environment. They are much less impacted by any kind of gender stereotyping and are fulfilling their potential.
A quick reminder about the Tutor Program we offer here at Saints Girls: students in Years 7 – 12 can book a before or after-school session with a tutor if they need some additional help with an assignment or would like to consolidate their classroom learning. The booking process is easy – via Canvas – and the tutors are recent Old Scholars who well-remember the demands of being a student and the requirements of particular tasks and units of work. Best of all, this service is free!
As I have mentioned in previous eNews columns, our teachers are life-long learners, and this year, there has been plenty of focus on how we can better explore with our students the broad concepts that underpin much of what they learn, and that apply across multiple subject areas. Allied to this is a greater resolve to help our students make connections across their learning and especially in terms of the skills and understanding that they can transfer from one context to another. In this spirit of interdisciplinarity, we have a number of cross-curricular projects in the pipeline for students in Years 7 – 10. Exciting times ahead!
Nigel Scoggins
Director of Teaching and Learning
The Addams Family Arrives Next Week!
Creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky and altogether ooky, The Addams Family arrives at Stonyfell next week!
Don’t miss out on this epic School Musical featuring show-stopping song and dance routines, dramatic special effects and wickedly morbid costumes and sets!
Three incredible shows in our Arts Centre:
- 12.45pm matinee Thursday 13 June
- 7pm Thursday 13 June
- 7pm Friday 14 June
Uncle Fester can’t wait to see you there!
Tickets are on sale now – www.trybooking.com/BCUXH
A Salute to our Incredible Volunteers
St Peter’s Girls is blessed with an army of wonderful community members who generously give their time to make our School an even better place.
One of our incredible volunteers is Pat Oakeshott (nee Scrutton, Selwyn ‘46), a treasured Old Scholar who was a boarder at Kermode Street. She was a Prefect, a member of the A Hockey team and served on the Library, Music, Red Cross Circle and Chronicles committees.
After school, Pat undertook a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Adelaide, which was conferred in 1950.
She has volunteered at St Peter’s Girls since 1975, mainly in the School’s libraries. Pat, who is a member of the Light Lunch Club and The Friends of the Founders, works with the Junior Library staff every Friday.
Pat keeps fit with her Scottish country dancing five times a week. She loves to spend time with her family here in South Australia and often travels to Tasmania to stay with her relatives there. She enjoys bush walking on these trips. She also loves borrowing books from the Senior Library to read.
Thank you Pat for all of your decades of hard work volunteering in our School.
The staff and students at Saints Girls
SACE Stage 2 Dance Choreography
On Monday night in Week 5, the Stage 2 dancers presented their own choreography for their family and friends in the Arts Centre. Creating, researching, rehearsing and perfecting four minutes of their own choreography is an assessment type in the Dance course.
In addition to developing an understanding of the elements and techniques of dance creation, the students had to narrate a theme through movement, negotiate rehearsal times, work collaboratively with others, design lighting and organise costuming. It was amazing to see how proud they were of their hard work when their ideas came to life on stage or film. The quality, creativity and maturity within the work of each student was outstanding. I was so pleased that the intimate audience had a chance to see the end result.
Kate Burnett
Head of Arts
Saints Girls Call Out Mobile Phone Waste
Year 8 Science students have been studying the elements of the Periodic Table used in the manufacturing of mobile phones and how some of these elements are finite. There are approximately three billion phones in use in 2019 and only 3% are recycled worldwide. The mining of the elements used in the manufacturing of new phones negatively impacts the environment, so the Year 8s have been creating websites to promote mobile phone and e-waste recycling.
This week, they also launched the School’s first mobile phone recycling collection drive with Katie Braid from TechCollect. They are calling on the School community to search their drawers and cupboards for any broken or disused mobile phones. Take a look at the launch video!
Christopher Carey
Science Teacher
Aerobics Girls Pumped for Stellar Season
Our aerobics girls have been working hard on their routines, making a successful start to the competition season. Most teams competing for Saints qualified for the Schoolaerobics State Finals and all teams qualified for FISAF (the Federation of International Sport Aerobics and Fitness) State Finals.
Sapphires – Our Primary team started their aerobics training late last year; they went out to their first competition and performed like they had been training their whole lives. They defeated Linden Park Primary’s team, Linden Stars, and came 1st in their division for Schoolaerobics. In the FISAF competition on the following weekend, they claimed the Gold in the Primary School Aerobics division.
Golden Accent – The girls were confident and ready to compete on Saturday morning, eager to get onto the stage and show everyone what they had to offer. They competed in the Secondary Aerobics division for Schoolaerobics and were 2nd, defeated by Exhilar8 from Activ8. They were then defeated by our own Saints’ teams in FISAF, coming in 3rd place in the Secondary School Aerobics division. They qualified for State Finals and are now practising for that contest.
Ignite – The girls from Ignite had the audience on the edge of their seats, pulling out their best tricks and giving their all. They competed in the Secondary Open B division of Schoolaerobics but were defeated by Illumin8 from Activ8 and sadly did not make it to State Finals. It is unknown where they placed due to technical difficulties. The following Sunday, they were even more excited to perform at FISAF. They competed against our own teams, Golden Accent and Energise, and came 2nd. They have passed districts and now are moving onto States. A special mention to Caitlin Scane, who performed a solo out of school and placed 1st at Schoolaerobics.
Energise – The girls competing in Energise made sure their performance was a memorable one; they energised anyone and everyone in the crowd. They competed at Schoolaerobics and were defeated by Activ8’s Deton8, coming 2nd and are now moving onto State Finals. They then performed in the Secondary School Aerobics division at FISAF the next weekend and came 1st, continuing into State Finals.
Stop, Drop and Roll – Our own Saints’ trio Stop, Drop and Roll pulled out all the stops. They mesmerised the judges and Stopped, Dropped and Rolled their way into the Schoolaerobics State Finals, coming 1st in their division.
Well done to all of our aerobics girls!
Receptions Enjoy Festival of Senses
On Friday 31 May, the Receptions from 0AL and 0MK went on an excursion to the DreamBIG Children’s Festival at the Adelaide Festival Centre, as part of exploring our Term 2 central idea, ‘We experience and learn about the world through our senses’.
We visited three different exhibits. The first, ‘Animate My World’, included student work from Elizabeth Grove Primary School. Their students created some amazing stop motion films which we enjoyed viewing on iPads.
The next exhibit was the ‘Firefly Forest’. We crawled through a tunnel into a really dark space where we saw some glowing fireflies on the ceiling. We got to lie down and trace the beautiful, twinkling fireflies with our fingers. We needed to stay really quiet so we didn’t scare the fireflies away!
Finally, we visited the Playable Cubbytown exhibit. We used our sense of touch to press the artwork on the cubby walls, which then made different noises. The words on the cubby walls also lit up when they were pressed.
We delighted in exploring all the exhibits using our senses of sight, touch and hearing.
“I liked the Firefly Forest because it was relaxing when you got to lie down in the dark. I liked following the fireflies with my finger.” – Edwina
“I liked the fireflies because they were pretty and relaxing and I liked how they flew around.” – Lucy
“At Playable Cubbytown, when I touched the clock, the cubby house started to be haunted. It sounded scary.” – Emma
“When I touched one of the fruits, it made a piano sound.” – Ci Ci
A big thank you to bus drivers Craig and Bruce as well as parents Scott Jeffrey, Meghann Cannon, Jenny Ju, Toni Moro, Maria Caruso, Natalie Drake, Jem Christo and Cindy Liau for supporting us on our excursion.
Meg Karvonen and Alana Lesiw
Reception Teachers
Old Scholar’s Brush with the Queen
What an exciting and memorable experience for Old Scholar Thenu Herath (Patteson ’15) who met Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace last month. Thenu has been on a university exchange to Sciences Po University in France since the beginning of the year. She recently finished her semester and is travelling in the UK before heading home.
Thenu shares, “It was an honour to meet Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace during a garden party. A huge thank you to the Australian High Commission for the invitation. I have eternal gratitude for being granted the opportunity to meet such incredible people who have influenced our shared history and actively work to create a positive future.”
Wonderful news Thenu!
Important Health Message
With the State in the grips of a flu crisis, we must reiterate an important health message to our community.
If your child is showing any signs of illness, please do not bring them to school. This includes if they have a temperature of 37.5 degrees and above, and/or if they’ve received medication such as paracetamol. This also extends to other ailments such as stomach aches and vomiting.
This is not only for your child’s comfort and recovery, but also to protect other children and our staff.
For more information regarding influenza, please click here.
Should you have any queries, please contact the Health Centre via 8155 5762 or healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au. If your daughter will not be attending school due to illness, please notify us via one of the following methods:
Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts)
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200
Feel free to also include the Class/Home Group teacher when sending via email.
Seat of Encouragement – Style a Tile
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to make your mark on our new Science Centre.
Purchase and personalise a tile for our ‘Seat of Encouragement’ and leave a legacy for generations of Saints Girls. Many tiles also include inspiring quotes to further empower our girls.
Secure your tile via www.trybooking.com/BARQD.
If you require more information or have any constructive feedback to add value to achieving our collective goal, please contact Melissa Westgate via 8334 2244 or mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Reconciliation Week Reflections
Immersed in Australia’s History
As part of Reconciliation Week, all Middle School classes participated in a role play that explored the truth behind the impact of white settlement on indigenous Australians. Students were able to develop their understanding of the forced removal from traditional lands and the long-term consequences of the supposed ‘protection’ policies leading to the Stolen Generations. This was an excellent way to acknowledge our nation’s past history and was a fitting embodiment of this year’s theme: Grounded in Truth – Walk Together with Courage.
Students from 8CDA were asked to reflect on the workshop using the critical thinking technique, ‘I used to think…but now I think’; here are some of their insights:
“I didn’t really know how the indigenous people and Torres Strait Islanders felt about white settlement. But now I think that they were very mad and sad about white settlement as they cared deeply for their country. I also learnt that many died due to hunger as there wasn’t as much food because the British took all of the good farming land and didn’t leave much for the indigenous people.” – Pearl Richards
“I used to think that the white settlers were a bit unfair on the Aboriginals and that the settlers still left a big part of the land for the Aborigines. But now I know that the white settlers were indeed very unfair and stole almost all of the usable land from the Aboriginals, as well as their culture.” – Emily Hodgkinson
“I used to think the First Fleet took over all of Australia at once and there were still native Aboriginals in Tasmania. But now I think settlers claimed parts of land for themselves bit by bit, slowly forcing Aboriginals away to a new land and all the native Tasmanian population was completely wiped out.” – Isabel Burmester
“I used to think that indigenous people were just ordinary people who lived around Australia who were treated the same way as everyone else. But I now think that they were very poorly treated and were only given the right to vote after the Federal Referendum in 1967 – more than 50 years after Australian women got that right.” – Angel Li
“I used to think that Captain Cook founded and claimed Australia, even though it already belonged to the Aboriginals. He had little sympathy for the Aboriginals. But now I think that the British colonised Australia and killed and imprisoned any Aboriginals they believed were in the way. Over time, the British took over Australia, leaving a small area for the Aboriginals, which was disrespectful and outrageous.” – Emily Bryce
Momentum is Building at Saints Girls
Our new Science Centre has reached a significant milestone with the successful installation of the roof, keeping the project on track to open in Term 4. As work ramps up on the southern side of the construction site, the main playground will be closed from Tuesday until the end of term to ensure safety. The top playground will still be available and other activities on the oval are being planned. During the holidays, a new canopy will be installed over the Stott Wing balcony providing much-needed shelter.
Once we move into the Science Centre, our existing Science facility will be transformed with a new IT hub, a dedicated space for media production, as well as additional new classrooms for our Junior School. Following those upgrades, classrooms along the Junior School corridor will be refurbished and new breakout spaces will be created including plans for a deck overlooking Ferguson Park.
Our highly-anticipated pool change rooms are now complete and new seating is being ordered ready for the summer season. Another project about to get underway is the restoration of the Chiverton balcony, which requires a delicate touch as it is heritage-listed.
As we know, there has never been a better time to be at Saints Girls and the future is even brighter as we deliver these transformational building works.
Car Park – Action Required
Once again, we urge parents of Year 2 – 12 students not to enter the School’s car park for pick up until at least 3.30pm to allow for the smooth and safe early collection of Reception and Year 1 students.
We also reiterate that there is no right turn into or out of the car park.
We thank you for your cooperation in helping to improve safety and traffic flow for all.
Reminder to Dog Owners
A reminder that all dogs visiting the school grounds must be kept on a lead and under the control of an adult at all times, and must not go inside school buildings or into the ELC grounds. Additionally, they are not to impede the walkways when students and families are moving through the grounds. It is also expected that owners pick up after their dogs. We thank you and your dog for your cooperation.
Community Golf Day
St Peter’s Girls’ Community Golf Day will be held on Thursday 14 November.
Book your spot to play on the day and network with other community members and businesses connected to our School: www.trybooking.com/ZZHE
Community Golf Day Information
If you require further information about this event, please contact Melissa Westgate in the Community Relations office via mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au or 8334 2244.
Entertainment Book
The St Peter’s Girls’ Parents’ and Friends’ Association is fundraising via Entertainment Book/Digital Membership.
Pre-order the NEW 2019 | 2020 Entertainment Membership and receive bonus offers you can use right away.
Purchase your membership here!
Saints Girls Now on Instagram!
The School is proud to launch our newest social media offering to celebrate our fantastic community.
We look forward to sharing exciting images and cutting-edge videos showcasing life at Saints Girls. Be a part of the action and follow us via @stpetersgirlsschool
Saints Girls Teams Up with BankSA
BankSA has partnered with St Peter’s Girls’ School in offering our community a great fundraising opportunity. If you’re keen to take your support to the next level while potentially saving yourself money, then this program is for you. We’ve made it really easy to further support the School, while also making sure you’re getting the best possible service and a great deal on your home loan.
Not only will you get a great rate with BankSA, you’ll also be supporting St Peter’s Girls’ School, as each BankSA home loan allows us to make a charitable donation in your name of between $1,000 and $6,000. As the SPGS Building Fund has DGR status, you may be entitled to claim a tax deduction.
It’s that simple
- The more home loan referrals, the more money BankSA will donate to the School
- Donation paid at settlement of the home loan
- Unlimited donation potential
Both St Peter’s Girls’ School and BankSA have a proud history in South Australia and a strong sense of community.
To discuss further how BankSA can assist you and make a charitable donation in your name, simply call our BankSA Partnership contact:
Jasper Ooi
0401 717 894
ooij@banksa.com.au
Code Camp Winter Holidays
Code Camp is returning to St Peter’s Girls these winter holidays. Girls and boys have fun with friends while building important skills including logic, creativity, problem-solving, app and game development.
This camp is from Wednesday 10 July to Friday 12 July, and St Peter’s Girls will be hosting Spark, Web Hackers and Little Heroes.
Bookings can be made via www.codecamp.com.au/stpetersgirls
Sports News
AUSSIE RULES FOOTBALL
Open A – Saints 3.3=21 defeated by Seymour 4.8=32
This week was the best game the girls have played yet. The improvement that is being shown within these talented players is outstanding and although the score was not in our favour, we definitely put up some tough competition. The kicking, hand balling and communication has really developed which was reflected in the intense game play. Special mention must go to Anda Ceplite and Kellie Bested who both fought extremely hard for the ball, producing some excellent kicks and game play. In addition, Sarah Matheson provided some great leads for the girls within the forward lines. Overall, it was an outstanding game and the girls should be extremely proud of their efforts and determination. – Bella Bernardi (Captain)
BADMINTON
In last week’s matches, our badminton players won overall 4 out of 6 games against Seymour and Immanuel. We had some convincing wins from the A, B and both C teams, who showed great strength against the opponents. All players have approached the matches with amazing effort, and applied their badminton skills and team strategies well. Unfortunately, the D and E had another loss, however, the girls continue to improve in terms of mindset, teamwork and basic skills. It is great to see the new players playing with passion and more confidence on court. Congratulations to everyone who competed last Saturday!
Open A: 6 – 0 defeated Seymour
Open B: 6 – 0 defeated Seymour
Open C1: 4 – 2 defeated Seymour
Open C2: 5 – 1 defeated Seymour
Open D: 2 – 4 defeated by Immanuel
Open E: 2 – 7 defeated by Seymour
Best players
Open A – Yang Yang Gu, Gloria Gao, Amy Li, Mahala Truscott
Open B – Amelie Dunda, Amanda Fang, Candy Feng, Yujia Sun
Open C1 – Charlotte Stewart, Vanessa Pols, Natacha Zisos Troupakis
Open C2 – Christina Song, Holly Wallman-Craddock, Alice Liang, Heidi Chow
Open D – Drishti Nair, Tiffany Wang
Open E – Yvanda Qu, Jasmin Baker
HOCKEY
Open B – Saints 1 defeated by Wilderness 9
The girls played a hard-fought game against Pembroke, scoring in the first five minutes of the game but with no substitute and the cold getting to the team. Unfortunately, Pembroke overran the girls, scoring 9 goals. Even through the score looks rough, Mabel played great in goals and Amelia ran hard all match, while Emma and Ruby tried their utmost in the back line to help Mabel out. – Will Stapleton (Coach)
LACROSSE
Under 11 Blue – Saints 6 defeated by St Aloysius 8
Despite having no subs, all the girls played really well. Chelsea Francis (Year 3) used her determination to fight super hard for ground balls. Lilly Meo (Year 3) was goalie in the first half and saved a number of shots. In the second half, she did a great job at being an option for the next pass in attack. Ruby Kelly (Year 3) also positioned herself well in attack to be the next pass and saved goals as our goalie in the second half. Using her pace, Amelia Lively (Year 3) ran quickly down the field with the ball into attack and threw it long for her team to run onto. Matilda Birmingham (Year 3) did a fantastic job at contested ground balls and her shooting was also great. Well done to all of the girls – it was the best match they have played so far. Goal scorers were Chelsea (3), Matilda (2) and Lily (1). Best players were Matilda and Chelsea. – Lucy Martin (Coach)
Under 11 White – Saints 6 drew with Eagles 6
The team played an excellent game, fighting right until the very end. Enya, Claris and Eliza, with assistance from their teammates, did a great job scoring the team’s 6 goals. Every player should be proud of their efforts as everyone contributed equally, and the collaboration and teamwork really shone through. From Heidi the awesome goalie to Tillie and Anvika running the ball down the line, everyone’s enthusiasm was really valued. The defence was stronger, sticking to the opposition, and the attack worked well passing the ball around – even with a few trick catches by the girls! Next match we will focus on defending in a goal situation and moving away from our player to get a successful pass. It’s been very enjoyable coaching this fun group of girls. – Sophie Auricht (Coach)
NETBALL
Open A – Saints 40 defeated by Seymour 54
Despite a slow start due to numerous girls coming back from illness and injuries, we stepped up and played with strength, confidence and composure. A high level of energy was applied into what was an aggressive and powerful match. Saints kept the score close until Seymour’s defensive pressure challenged every pass down the court, forcing us high and wide. Saints put outstanding defensive pressure all over the court and had good transitions using quick give-and-go tactics and strong feeds into the shooters. We continued to improve as the match progressed and displayed some fantastic passages of play. Hannah Freeman was the best player, working hard and getting many intercepts throughout. The defensive unit as a whole was outstanding, putting pressure on Seymour’s goalies and mid-court, forcing multiple errors. Even though Saints didn’t manage to win, we were competitive and switched around various combinations in preparation for the rest of the season. We definitely improved in our third game and put into practice the skills that we’ve been focusing on in our training sessions. Great games girls!
– Sivi Sivasuthan (Captain)
Open B – Saints 21 defeated by Seymour 38
The girls put up a great fight with strong attacking skills. They played a very clean game with fantastic spirit and it is so exciting seeing the team gelling together. Olivia Kelly was a stand out in defence, completing clean intercepts consistently. Isabella Bernardi worked hard in the centre court, always being an option to pass to and taking great intercepts. The whole team was excellent and I look forward to working on specific areas at training. – Eve Habel
Open C – Saints 49 defeated by Seymour 69
The loss aside, we all played a great game. We gained many new players who have never played together before. We introduced Anna Pryor, Jessica Schaedel, Olivia Law and Sarah Matheson to the team, and we also had Sophie Stewart and Lucy White play their first game after coming back from injuries. The whole team did an excellent job throughout, with Amelia Pudney and Sarah Matheson working the ball in the ring really well, hardly missing a shot. – Keeley Fahey
Open D – Saints 1 defeated by Seymour 73
The team played well with great resilience even though it was a very tough game. The defenders did a great job especially the girls in the opposition’s goal ring. As much as there weren’t too many goals on our side, we didn’t give up, and we put our all in. –Jenna Bowden
Open E1 – Saints 42 defeated Westminster 9
The girls demonstrated a great team effort when bringing the ball down the centre third as there was rarely an intercept from the other team. Well done to Teegan Lindsay and Zara Sadri for their hard work in defence, which provided us with many opportunities to score goals even on the opposition’s centre pass. Also well done to Molly Lucas and Zoe Vine Hall for playing centre, as their continuous efforts in easily moving the ball from defence to attack provided our shooters with many opportunities. A very well deserved win! – Ebony Lohe
Open E2 – Saints 21 defeated by Westminster 41
Open E3 (Year 9/10) – Saints 3 defeated by Seymour 54
Year 9A – Saints 30 defeated Seymour 43
Seymour took the lead in the first quarter and continued in the second. The third quarter was good for Saints as we caught up to Seymour being behind by only 3. Ruby Deakin put up a strong defence and Toni Christiansen scored a lot of goals throughout. Lucy White’s defence in the circle was good and Charlie Fishlock’s was strong in mid-court. The team managed to get a lot of turnovers down the defensive end but sometimes lost the ball in the shooting area. The girls put up a good fight and played a great game. – Joss Forster
Year 9B – Saints 50 defeated Seymour 26
Year 9C – Saints 26 defeated by Pembroke 48
Year 8A – Saints 60 defeated Seymour 10
We had a really great game and definitely improved as a team, with an amazing last quarter! Everyone played well with the defenders getting lots of intercepts, the mid-courters feeding into the circle effectively and the shooters never missing! – Ellie Humphrey
Year 8B – Saints 45 defeated Seymour 7
Once again, the undefeated Bs won. Pearl Richards in centre played two amazing quarters, continuously moving for the ball and making great leads. Charlotte Staples in GA had steady feet and put in great shots. Emily Bryce had one of her best games as she was playing her hardest, helping out everyone on the court and making good calls. The team connected very well, as every player was jumping for the ball and encouraging each other. Nikola was constantly talking to the girls to play their hardest and giving out very useful advice to improve the play. – Maddy Lisle
Year 8C – Saints 12 defeated by Pembroke 18
The Year 8Cs had a very intense game. A rough first quarter brought the girls down, and Pembroke’s interesting tactics gave Saints room for improvement. Moving towards half-time, the coaches Lulu and Zoe really helped the girls with their game-play. This paid off, and the girls produced a very challenging game for their opposition. By the end, the team was incredibly happy with how they worked together and listened to the coaches. Although they did not win, the final score came down to that first quarter, but the overall game was very intense. – Georgina Wakeham
Year 7A – Saints 40 defeated by Seymour 41
Our team played an outstanding and tough game. We had an even first quarter with every goal our shooters put up going in. Charlie Piper and Sophie Ricciuto did an amazing job at using all our turnovers effectively and making sure the score was always even. Seymour had great attackers and hard defence which made for a tight game. Airlie McCabe helped to move the ball up the court and was always keeping the pressure on. The girls worked collaboratively to get the ball up our end and keep the game running smoothly. Great effort girls. – Charlotte Norman
Year 7B – Saints 17 defeated by Seymour 24
Everyone put in 100% effort during our game. It was a tough match and although the team were half our height, they still managed to jump, run and get the ball down their end. I would like to commend Ayanna Roy on playing Centre for the last half of the game; she managed to get the ball down to our end. Ruby Adams and Ayla Blaskett managed to shoot many goals with the help of Ruby Powell in the first half. The girls played really well and went into the game with a positive attitude. Even though we did not win, we still had a smile on our faces at the end and I was so proud of our team. Great job girls! – Ayla Blaskett
Year 7C – Saints
The team played exceptionally well. The weather was perfect so we were able to put in 110%. There was a clear improvement in our defending skills, also our speed and agility. We efficiently moved the ball across the court and found ways to spread out and trick our opponents. A special thanks to Rosanna Stone for showing her learning through the skills in the position of Goal Keeper. – Ishita Chellaboina
Year 6 Blue – Saints 13 defeated Seymour 10
The girls played an incredible game against a strong Seymour team. Although they were ahead the whole time, they stayed committed. Many of the girls played their best games yet! The defence was tight, and some girls are starting to pick up on the techniques of blocking. The girls slowed down their play which allowed them to focus on their passes and this really made a difference as the passes and the overall play was much more polished. The girls who shone were Annabel Keough with her tight defence; she has really understood how to use the blocking technique. Asha Eaton played a wonderful game not only by listening to advice given and then imputing that into how she played, but also by picking up and fighting for many loose balls. Kate Thomas moved and shot very well for someone who was playing out of position; her movement in the goal circle was outstanding and she really started to get a feel for being in it. Well done to all the girls for another amazing win! – Chloe Venning
Year 6 White – Saints 13 defeated by Seymour Blue 24
Our girls got off to a sluggish start, which allowed Seymour to take the lead 10-3 at quarter-time. However, they regrouped during the break and started to play the type of netball I know they are capable of. The girls made strong leads and, using direct shoulder passes, worked the ball down the court very well giving our goalies many scoring opportunities. Grace Jones, Matilda Powell and Alyssa Piantedosi moved well in the circle and presented strong targets. The second and third quarters were much closer on the scoreboard and we ended up winning the last quarter by 1 goal. The determination the girls showed throughout the game is a credit to them. They never gave up and kept working hard. Special mention to Sophia Langley, Jerrie Wu and Olivia Reynolds who were outstanding in circle defence and used the ‘turn and block for rebounds’ that we’ve been practising at training to great effect. Great effort girls! I’m proud of the way we are improving each week. – Alice Johnswood
Year 5 Blue – Saints 2 defeated by Pembroke 10
The girls played an amazing game. Hannah Dillon did an outstanding job of making leads and getting in front of her player. Eliza Brill Reed and Alison Francis defended strongly and got lots of intercepts. Pollyanna Townsend did a great job of getting 2 of our goals in. All the girls have improved so much, especially in their stepping and landing on two feet. Although we did not win, we played a great game and the girls should be proud of their efforts. – Efua Yawson
SOCCER
Open A – Saints 1 drew with Walford 1
The Open As played a very close game against Walford this week, and with just the bare 11 players, managed a draw. The girls started off well in the first half, but unfortunately conceded a goal as a result of a free kick. Despite this, Ashley Piper saved some crucial shots and did a great job as goalie. In the second half, an amazing goal was scored by Isabella Villani, after a through ball from Ellie Anderson. The girls were exhausted by the end of the game after putting in 110%. I was very proud of the their efforts as we didn’t have any subs, compared with Walford’s 22-player team. Dion, our Coach, was very happy with the result and the girls should be very pleased with their performance! – Ellie Anderson (Captain)
Open B – Saints 2 defeated St Michael’s 1
A good game from the Bs – another victory and with only 10 players. Emily Downie got us off to a great start with 2 goals in the first five minutes. St Michael’s came back strongly but every time they looked like breaking through, one of our defence managed to pull off a tackle with Imogen, in particular, thwarting several attacks. Great pressure from Molly Bond and Tahlia Towers in midfield winning plenty of ball, with several shots from Annabelle Langley and Emily Downie, but unfortunately, we couldn’t convert any more goals. St Michael’s pulled back 1 goal with a deflected clearance. MVP: Imogen Parkinson. – Steve Benn (Coach)
Middle A – Saints 0 defeated by Wilderness 5
The Middle As had an unfortunate loss to Wilderness. The girl played well and have learnt a lot over the past few weeks, but just came across a strong team. They never gave up and kept putting in their all, almost scoring in the last minute. Special mention to Azaan in defence. – Taylah Simpson
Middle B – Saints 0 defeated by Wilderness 5
Each week, the girls are getting more confident and stronger as they try and learn the concepts of the game. They are gaining a better understanding and displaying the skills they have been learning. Flossie Wilson made some excellent clearances and Mary Stavrou never stopped running in midfield. Saints held off Wilderness for two thirds of the game, then, with some mistakes, Wilderness got some lucky goals. I’m super proud of how well our girls are starting to gel as a team, and what a supportive group of girls they are to each other. Keep going girls! – Kerry Hudson (Coach)