Issue no. 7
In this edition
Saints Girls Scoop the Pool
Our talented swimmers have pulled off a masterstroke with a series of outstanding results including our Years 7 – 12 girls winning the coveted IGSSA Swimming Shield.
With extra events and an Under 13 age group, Saints were terrific from the outset. It was always going to be close against Seymour, Wilderness and Immanuel, and at the half-way mark, we led by just 1 point. Saints showed their class in the 4x50m relays, winning three of the five, with a 3rd and a 4th in the other two, to regain the Medlen Shield.
Saints have won the shield in three of the past four years – an incredible run! Our girls took out the U13, U14 and U16 age pennants, with the U13 relay team of Isabelle Tran, Georgina Wakeham, Annabel Ryan and Sophie Dansie setting a new age record.
Our swimmers also shone at the State Secondary Schools A Grade competition for students in Years 8 – 12. Being a small school and competing in the highest grade is a top achievement in itself. Saints swam brilliantly, finishing third overall (581 points) behind Seymour (656) and Trinity College (615).
Our younger swimmers excelled at the SAPSASA event for students in Years 4 – 7. All girls competed to a very high standard, with Marcella Tolley (Year 7), Lauren Pearce (Year 6), Ella Pearce (Year 4) and Isla Fahey (Year 4) gaining selection in the East Adelaide district team.
Well done to all girls for their hard work and team spirit.
Neil Fuller
Director of Sport
From the Deputy Principal / Head of Senior School
It is always a wonderful part of the term when the girls commence their rehearsals for Choral Night. To date, we have had seven rehearsals and yesterday I spoke to the Year 12 girls regarding their leadership of their respective Houses. The staff and I have been thoroughly impressed with the organisation they have demonstrated, and what has been very obvious is the support, energy, encouragement and care that they have demonstrated towards younger girls.
What has also been commendable has been their ability to recognise when they require help and offer leadership opportunities to musicians in younger year groups. I have often said to the girls that leadership is not about being the centre of attention. It is instead about ensuring you have the right girl at the centre when needed.
I am very much looking forward to next Thursday evening, for what is guaranteed to be a spectacular night.
Paul Dillon – Drug Education
Yesterday, girls in Years 10, 11 and 12 each had a 90 minute presentation with Paul Dillon. Paul has been working in the area of drug education for the past 25 years and presents at over 200 schools each year. He is a best-selling author and is regarded as a key social commentator and expert in best practice drug education.
Paul has been visiting St Peter’s Girls for over 15 years and his enthusiastic but realistic approach always results in sessions where the girls are engaged with the content. His sessions this week covered a variety of topics including alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy, MDMA, pill testing, drink driving and the impact that drug use has on the teenage brain. More importantly perhaps were his messages to the girls about self-care. I encourage all parents of the senior girls to talk with their daughters about the messages they took away from Paul.
Paul de Gelder. IMPROVISE. ADAPT. OVERCOME
A reminder that our #EMPOWHER guest speaker for this year is Paul de Gelder. Paul will be taking to all girls in Years 6 – 12 on Monday 25 March in the Arts Centre. He has agreed to a filmed interview with two girls and we will ensure that this is released to parents so you can hear his views on topics such as resilience and leadership.
Paul is an ex-Navy diver, author and motivational speaker. In 2009, while completing a dive in Sydney Harbour, Paul was attacked by a shark and consequently lost his right arm and leg. His story of survival and recovery is certainly one that will provide the girls with the inspiration to overcome challenges that will be an inevitable part of their future.
Kate Mortimer
Deputy Principal / Head of Senior School
Throwback Friday – Choral Night 2018
We all love Choral Night for the incredible singing, but one of the evening’s other highlights is always the Year 12 House dances. As anticipation builds for next Thursday’s epic event, take a look back at some of the smooth moves from last year’s girls:
Meantime, we are pleased to announce the two adjudicators for 2019!
Michael Griffiths
Michael graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with a Bachelor in Music (Theatre) in 1999 and has a Diploma in Music Composition. He won the Helpmann Award for Best Cabaret Performer in 2016 for his Cole Porter tribute and was nominated for a Green Room Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Bob Crewe in Jersey Boys. He has appeared in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, We Will Rock You! and Shout! His acclaimed cabaret shows In Vogue: Songs By Madonna, Sweet Dreams: Songs by Annie Lennox, Lucky: Songs By Kylie, Adolescent, Livvy & Pete and By Request have delighted critics and audiences across every cabaret festival in Australia and beyond to New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Hong Kong, Auckland and Edinburgh Fringe where he has received five star reviews and standing ovations. With Amelia Ryan, he mentors the annual Class Of Cabaret program presented by the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and he is Musical Director for Les Girls’ star Carlotta and Black Comedy’s Steven Oliver.
Carol Young
Carol Young is an Adelaide-based freelance artist, whose experience spans many genres. She is an accomplished musical director, musician, performer, choir leader, arranger and accompanist.
As a performing artist (singer, pianist, performer), Carol has appeared at the Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane Festivals of Arts, Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Fringe, Melbourne Comedy Festival, and The Famous Spiegeltent. She has worked with the State Theatre Company of South Australia, Belvoir Street Theatre Company, Brink Productions, Australian Dance Theatre, State Opera of South Australia, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Festival Centre.
Carol is the Music Program Coordinator and Choir Conductor of Tutti Choir at Tutti Arts, an Adelaide-based inclusive arts organisation whose vision is to bring the work of artists with a disability to the world. Later this year, Carol will be the Musical Director of End of the Rainbow for State Theatre Company and Adelaide Cabaret Festival, plus performances at Festival of Voices in Tasmania. She also leads a community choir, La La Land, and is a festival accompanist for the Public Primary Schools Music Festival.
Join us at 7pm on Thursday 21 March at the Adelaide Convention Centre for Choral Night 2019! One of the most anticipated events on the Saints Girls’ calendar, this year’s event carries the theme of ‘Colours’.
Due to the popularity of Choral Night, there is a limit of two tickets per family.
Book via www.trybooking.com/BAWOH
International Women’s Day Breakfast
Early last Friday morning, 22 Year 12s travelled with Ms Mortimer and Mr Trobbiani to the Adelaide Convention Centre for the International Women’s Day Breakfast.
In its 26th year, the event was attended by over 2500 people. It was hosted by Senator Penny Wong, and Jane Caro was the guest speaker. Whilst eating a wonderful breakfast, we were able to listen to both Penny and Jane speak to us about equality in the workplace, feminism and various other topics that were very interesting. We were even lucky enough to take photos with them.
On behalf of all the girls who attended, I can say it was a wonderful experience and I hope we have the opportunity to do it again in the future.
Isobel Tan
Year 12 student
From Montreal to Stonyfell – Canada Exchange
“Last September, I spent a month in Montreal, Canada. This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It was incredible to go to the other side of the world by myself and see the lifestyle of people who live so far away from me. I made great friends and it is an experience I will never forget. Through this exchange, I have grown independently and learnt many life skills.
I was quickly educated about the culture and way of life of Canadians and was immersed into the society normalities. I found that living with people from a different city is a lot more valuable than just visiting it as a tourist because you learn so much about the city and the people. The thing that appealed to me the most about the idea of the exchange was the fact I would be given the opportunity to also show someone around the place that I live and show pride towards it. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was extremely beneficial to me and something that I will always remember.” – Georgina Devine, Year 10 student
“I have had the amazing opportunity to spend a month here in Australia. This is an experience that I will never forget. I was unsure what to expect and was a bit nervous about what was to come, but I was immediately welcomed by my host family. They made me feel right at home straight away. Knowing nobody but one person at school, all the girls were so nice to me, and I felt comfortable so quickly. This exchange has taught me so much about myself. Before this, I could not even imagine myself traveling across the world alone. I can confidently say that this experience has made me a more open-minded and independent person. I now know for the future, that when I am doubting my ability to do something, I will realise that I can do it, and risks are worth taking. It has been amazing to see the Australian culture first-hand, and live in heat that Canadians never experience! I was lucky enough to be brought to Sydney, where I was able to visit famous landmarks. Seeing things like the Opera House, the bridge, kangaroos and koalas made me realise that there is so much of the world that I had no idea existed. During my time here, I have made friendships that I will cherish forever.” – Carley Star, Year 10 exchange student
Rowing Girls Glide into Nationals
Congratulations to Sarah Carrodus, Amy Carrodus and Rachel Kameniar (all Year 12) who have been selected in crews to compete at the Sydney International Rowing Regatta later this month. Rachel has been chosen for the South Australian Women’s Youth 8, Amy has been selected as coxswain for the South Australian Boys’ Pathway 8 and South Australian Male Youth Pathway 8, and Sarah for the South Australian Girls’ Pathway 8.
To be selected, rowers have to do a 2km ergo and a seat race, which helps find the best rowers from the different combinations that they row in the different boats.
Saints Girls’ rowing coaches will also feature at the regatta, commonly known as ‘nationals’.
Carys Jones (Kennion ’17) South Australian Women’s Youth 8
Emily Webb (Patteson ’18) South Australian Lightweight Women’s 4X Reserve
Brynley Millward (Senior Coach – Saints Girls) South Australian Lightweight Women’s Coach
Ben Flannagan (Director Of Rowing – Saints Girls) South Australian Masters Women’s 4X Coach
We wish them all the best!
Good Rap for Year 6 Hip Hop Class
Our three Year 6 Music classes were joined by award-winning hip hop artist and educator Scott Griffiths, aka ‘Optamus’, for an amazing workshop last Thursday.
Scott has worked in youth centres, schools, prisons and some of the most remote communities in Australia. His focus is utilising hip hop and technology to engage students who are often in challenging environments.
The girls spent a double lesson learning about rhyme, beats and rapping. Scott spoke about hip hop culture and the positive elements behind this multi-facetted art form. At the end of the session, the girls created and performed their very own rap in small groups. To cap it all off, Optamus did a rap performance where the girls sang and danced on stage with him. A fun and educational time was had by all!
Robyn Habel
Music Teacher
Saints Café Back for 2019!
Saints Café is open Tuesday and Friday mornings from 7.30 – 8.15am. Our barista team is making both hot and cold drinks:
Coffee and hot chocolate from $3
Iced drinks for $4
Please bring your own keep cup to help the environment, and this will give you a discount of $1!
We are so excited about the year to come for Saints Café and look forward to seeing you all there.
From the Saints Café team
Entertainment Book
The St Peter’s Girls’ Parents’ and Friends’ Association is fundraising via Entertainment Book/Digital Membership.
We’re thrilled to let you know about special bonus early bird offers for loyal supporters.
Pre-order the NEW 2019 | 2020 Entertainment Membership and receive bonus offers you can use right away.
Purchase your membership here!
It’s a Bug’s Life for Year 1
As part of their central idea, ‘Invertebrates have a role in balancing the natural world’, the Year 1 classes had a close-up look at different types of invertebrates during a fabulous ‘junior entomologist’ activity.
‘Bugs n slugs’ educators brought in a large variety of ‘creepy crawlies’ and the students were able to explore the invertebrates and even touch and hold some of them! The creatures included giant millipedes, caterpillars, stick insects, a scorpion, beetles and spiders. Snail racing was also a big hit! It was interesting to learn about the special roles invertebrates have in nature as pollinators, decomposers and pest controllers.
Did you know that spiders have blue blood and that cockroaches are experts at holding their breath?
Mrs Liddy and Mrs Sandercock have been impressed by the girls’ research skills as they have continued with individual inquiries into invertebrates. They have researched habitat, diet, life cycle and special role in nature, as well as interesting facts such as the above!
Liz Sandercock and Michelle Liddy
Year 1 Teachers
Golden Opportunity for Year 5
The Year 5 cohort ventured to the Adelaide Hills last Thursday 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 investigate the Australian gold rush era of the 19th century, prior to their Study Tour at Sovereign Hill, Ballarat next month. The central idea for this unit 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 time period in South Australia. They are now writing expository letters to the Department of Mines and Energy. The letter addresses the girls’ perceptions of the site, including its historical significance, with them having the opportunity to provide suggestions for improvements 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 in our history which warrants appreciation.
Sarah Mulraney, Shelley Hampton and Olivia Coulter
Year 5 Teachers
Receptions Spring into Grasshopper Soccer
This term, the Reception students have been exploring the Unit of Inquiry, ‘People play different roles in the communities to which they belong.’
As part of this, they recently enjoyed a session of Grasshopper soccer with Andrew Davidson where they learned about the role of a sporting coach.
Pauline Noblet
PE Teacher
ELC and Catch up Photos
This year, our ELC group and individual photos will be held on Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 March, from 9am – 12 noon.
Please ensure your child is wearing their ELC uniform on each of these days as they will potentially appear in multiple class shots, depending on the days they attend. Please also ensure your child’s hair is styled as neatly as possible.
If you have any questions regarding ELC photos or require further information, please contact Kate Mount via kmount@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au. As you can imagine, these photos will require a large amount of organisation and we appreciate your support and cooperation.
For students in Reception to Year 12 who were absent when these photos were taken we have scheduled a time on Tuesday 26 March at 1pm on Chiverton Lawns. For any questions regarding these please contact Fiona McGregor via fmcgregor@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Launch of St Peter’s Girls’ Career Tools Website
St Peter’s Girls now has a dedicated school careers website. It’s a ‘one stop shop’ for everything families need with career planning and help. This site is now available on myLink via the Career Tools tile or careers.stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
It has valuable information for students and parents which includes:
• The SACE and the IB Diploma
• Careers Calendar of upcoming careers events in SA
• Post-school options with links to all tertiary admissions centres and overseas study options
• Workplace learning
• Specific parent information
• A student area (PLP students have begun using this for career planning)
This site will be regularly updated and will hopefully become an invaluable tool for all parents and students, particularly in the Senior School.
If you have any queries about the site, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Karen Alderson
SACE Coordinator/Careers Advisor
IMPORTANT – Traffic Safety
At St Peter’s Girls, the welfare of our students, parents and staff is paramount. As such, we remind our community to adhere to potentially life-saving safety practices.
When crossing the road outside the school grounds, please ensure you use the designated school crossing on Stonyfell Road or the pedestrian traffic light crossing on Hallett Road. There have been a number of recent near-misses and we cannot stress the importance of taking these simple precautions.
For drivers, please abide by the no right turn rule when entering/exiting the car park, as well as ensuring traffic is kept to a single lane.
We greatly appreciate your cooperation and support in this crucial area.
Seat of Encouragement – Style a Tile
The Next Challenge: Building for Tomorrow
Our ‘Seat of Encouragement’ will be a striking feature in our new Science Centre. Located on the second level between the four general laboratories, the seat will be accompanied by individual tiles, recognising donors who contribute to this unique St Peter’s Girls’ Foundation campaign.
We invite current/past parents and staff, Old Scholars, friends of the School and local businesses to purchase an expression of encouragement to embolden and inspire our girls.
The St Peter’s Girls’ Foundation raises funds to advance the School’s educational, scholarship and building programs. By purchasing a tile, you will be supporting the learners of today and tomorrow.
All tiles can be personalised and many offer the choice of a motivational quote. They can be purchased via www.trybooking.com/BARQD.
Become One of Our Saints
It is said that it takes a village to raise a child. Beyond parents or guardians are a host of people who are deeply connected to our girls. Saints Girls is encouraging these very loved ones to join our newly-created community group, Our Saints. Our aim is to bring together those people special to our girls who want to participate in and know more about their education at St Peter’s Girls. This could include grandparents, aunts and uncles, Godparents, Old Scholars or friends of the family – anyone who takes an interest in the life and education of a Saints Girl.
Benefits include:
> Every edition of our biannual community magazine Saints Alive
> An invite to our ‘Our Saints’ Annual Morning Tea
> Invites to other special functions throughout the year
> Members will also have opportunities to make classroom visits (ELC, Junior School and Middle School) to see their girls in action
If you or someone you know is interested in joining Our Saints, please fill out the form here.
Sports News
BADMINTON
Congratulations to Yang Yang Gu (Year 8) and Gloria Gao (Year 9) who have been selected by South Australia Badminton to represent SA in an U17 event in Adelaide later in the year.
BASKETBALL
We almost won the Inter Collegiate trophy!
Open – Saints 47 defeated Walford 26
The girls played extremely well, defeating the Open A Walford team 47 to 26. The girls attacked the basket well and worked together in offence to create lots of scoring opportunities. Defence in the first half was very strong, stopping Walford from scoring for most of the start. The girls played very well and worked hard down both ends of the court. – Sarah Matheson (Captain)
Middle A – Saints 24 defeated Walford 13
A great win by the girls. After a tight first half which ended with the scores level, our defence really picked up in the second half led by Willow Stewart-Rattray, Sophie Ricciuto and Ellie Humphrey, which resulted in steals and turnovers and some easy layups. With everyone starting to take and make their shots, the standard has really improved. Well done. – Brenton Davies (Coach)
Middle B – Saints 2 defeated by Walford 25
It is a big learning experience for these girls and we are using games to also learn about and improve our fundamentals. We struggled early to get the ball over half way but then Charlotte Norman stepped up and was able to get the ball into offence so we could put up some shots, unfortunately they just did not go in. It was pleasing we did not give up and improved as the game went on. – Brenton Davies (Coach)
Middle C – No game due to long weekend
ROWING
South Australian State Championships
The Rowing State Championships were held on 2 and 3 March. The Saturday was meant to be when we competed in most of our races for the Inter and Senior crews but, due to the hot weather and some niggling injuries, we ended up not racing at all. It was a disappointment for us and the squad as it was something that we had targetted for the season, but that is rowing and you can’t control the weather. The Inters, however, did get another crack at racing on the Sunday in the U17 4x+ which was also a lot kinder with weather. The girls had their heat in the morning and it was the first 4 from each heat to qualify for the final. Unfortunately for the B quad, they just missed out, but that is to take nothing away from them because they had two Juniors step up and race 2km for the first time. The Inter A crew finished 3rd in their heat and progressed to the final even though they had bit of a fight to get in. The final was a great hit out for the girls, racing over 2km which is a distance that they don’t normally race. They ended up coming 4th but it was a strong, consistent performance and definitely gives us something to work on.
School Premiership Series 3
This was the final regatta for the School Premiership Series and, across all year levels, the racing has been hard. Obviously, all the schools want to be represented in the A final at Head of the River which has made these regattas hard-fought.
The Juniors this season have progressed well technically and now that the crews have been a bit more settled, the girls have been able to really work together and fine tune the skills they have picked up. Although we haven’t had any wins, the girls have been improving and moving up the places, which is a positive to take from the season. We have also had many new girls start which is fantastic, and to see them learn and enjoy the sport has been brilliant. I am really looking forward to seeing how all these crews do at HoR; we may have a couple of dark horses who could surprise.
Inters have a really good chance of doing something special at HoR. For them, it is about self-belief; they definitely have the talent. Both made the A final on Saturday reasonably comfortably, as qualifying was their first target without expending too much energy. The finals were reasonable with both crews being there around the finish but just not having that final kick to stick with the winning crews. Racing is one of those things that if you are just out by 5% on the day that can mean the difference between winning and losing. The girls are looking good technically and have the fitness, it is just mindset and hopefully for them it all comes together at HoR; only time will tell.
Seniors have had an interesting season to say the least. The 1st 8 have been in the middle for the majority of the season with Seymour, Scotch and Walford out in front then us and then everyone else. They had a good row in the prelim heat which gave the girls confidence for the final. It’s funny, though, how things can change and Wildy, who have struggled all season when they have raced, came out and pipped us on the line for 4th. Even though the girls didn’t perform at their best, they did realise where they could improve and made something that could have been a negative into a positive. The 1st 4 have really worked hard to get this crew over the line and it is a credit to the girls for sticking it out. It has been hard because of the inconsistency with crew changes, injury, etc. but we are almost there and they have made it into the A final for HoR which is fantastic for them. The girls had a really good heat doing quite a quick time and it looked good for the final. They put in a really strong performance despite having a couple of hiccups before and during the race. I think these girls have shown amazing resilience this season and they should be really proud of themselves, I look forward to seeing them race at HoR. – Ben Flannagan (Director of Rowing)
SOFTBALL
Year 5/6 Blue – Saints 1 defeated by Seymour Green 11
We played two even innings and then we batted one extra half inning so the six runs we scored in that inning didn’t count. From playing that extra inning, the girls were more relaxed, knowing the score didn’t count and were able to get more safe hits. When we played the other two innings, they were really tense about the game, wanting to win too much that they overcompensated. – Steph Collet (Coach)
Year 5/6 White – Saints 7 defeated Seymour Blue 5
We only played two complete innings but the girls were very focused and had lots of fun. Besides our improved hitting and pitching, our defensive fielding has grown immensely. Charlotte Udall, Matilda Powell, Januri Wagaarachchi and Sophie Bafile all had stand-out defensive plays. Pitching and catching was strong and the girls are having lots of fun playing together. – Jess Dreswick (Coach)
Year 5/6 Silver – Saints 7 defeated by Seymour 9
This was a very evenly matched game throughout, despite a slow start by Saints. Olivia Reynolds and Aurelia Pyne both pitched consistently, with Bettina Dal Cin and Milana Troon doing well catching for an innings each. The team’s batting was far more confident in the second innings. Good game girls. – Louisa Mitchell (Supervisor)
Year 3-4 – Saints Blue 14 drew with Saints White 14
It was a fun and exciting match with both teams batting well. We had only a few outs during the match as everyone ran quickly around the bases. It is wonderful to see the enthusiasm shown by the girls and their understanding of the game growing each week. Well played everyone. – Pauline Noblet (Coach)
TENNIS
No games due to long weekend
TOUCH FOOTBALL
No games due to long weekend
VOLLEYBALL
No games due to long weekend
WATER POLO
Open A – Saints 11 defeated Wilderness 3
Saints started off very strongly, dominating the play throughout the first three quarters with the score being 10-1 at 3/4 time. At this point, we moved our goalie Saskia Jonats out of goals to play in the field. She was the best player, saving many goals as goalie and also showing her skills and versatility in being able to play very well in the field. Once again, we defeated our opposition through impressive teamwork and have maintained our undefeated position for the season. Great game again girls! – Nicolette Miller (Captain)
Open B – Saints 5 defeated by Pembroke 12
The girls started off very well in the first quarter, putting up a tough fight with the score being even at 2-2 at the end of the first quarter. However, although the girls kept up their great intensity and effort, Pembroke was able to pull away and widen the gap. The best player this week was Stephanie Smalls who applied a very strong defensive pressure on the Pembroke players in being able to steal balls and then lead a strong and fast attack down the pool. Great work, the team showed significant improvement. Good luck for the next game! – Nicolette Miller (Captain)
Open C – Saints 19 defeated Sacred Heart 0
Saints won their first game of the year, defeating Sacred Heart 19-0. The girls worked really well as a team in both defence and attack. It was great to see many of the girls scoring goals, which is evidence that the win was a full team effort. They displayed excellent game awareness and impressive skills in keeping possession of the ball. The goalies put in an amazing effort in preventing Sacred Heart from scoring any goals. Best player was Sophie Dansie who won all four swim ups and was the highest goal scorer. Keep up the great work! – Nicolette Miller (Captain)
Year 7-8 – Saints 16 defeated St Dominics 4
Saints again dominated in both offence and defence, getting away to a steady start to lead 4-1 at quarter-time. Saints doubled the score and stretched their lead in the second quarter, adding 4, with some great saves in goal from Ashlyn May. In the second half with Saints asked to focus more on defence, they used this to their advantage and created more chances, adding more goals. It was a dominant display and the girls are all improving each week. Goals: Marcella Tolley (5), Emily McCorley (4), Mathilda Thomas (3), Ashlyn May (2) and 1 each to Ayla Blaskett and Scarlett Dillon. – Neil Fuller (Acting Coach)