Issue no. 21

From Our Deputy Principal & Head of Middle School

Last week I spoke with the Year 8 cohort to discuss the upcoming exam session. This will be the first concentrated examination period they will have experienced, so I wanted to impress upon them the reason why we have exams during the Middle Years.

I explained that whilst practicing exams during middle school might not seem like a top priority, it’s more crucial than they might think. Final exams in Year 12 might seem a long way off now, but there are a number of reasons why getting familiar with the format now really pays off in the longer term.

Regular practice with exam formats, question types, and time constraints builds confidence and reduces exam day anxiety. I stressed that taking small steps now in Year 8, in relatively low-stake exams, is a great way to become increasingly comfortable with study routines and exam pressures in the longer term, helping to optimise performance later on.

Middle school exams often have strict time limits. Practising exams helps students develop effective time management skills, ensuring they complete exams within the allocated time. Practice exams also reveal strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these areas for improvement allows our students to focus on what they need to learn better, seek help, and make necessary adjustments.

Repetition is a powerful tool for memory retention. Consistent practice reinforces knowledge, making it easier to recall information when it matters whilst exams often feature challenging questions that require critical thinking and problem-solving. Regular practice sharpens these skills, making students more effective problem solvers in various aspects of life.

I stressed the need to establish a well-organised study schedule covering all subjects and allowing ample time for revision. The 2023 Middle School Exam schedule and revision guides are available here. The girls have already started using these guides during #EMPOWHER sessions to plan their study.

We discussed study preparation and the need to prepare materials before engaging in a variety of study techniques. It’s important to have all the necessary study materials, including textbooks, notes, and practice exams, and organise them to avoid last-minute stress. Familiarising yourself with the format of the exams, including question types, mark allocations, and any specific instructions is also a crucial element of exam preparation.

There are many ways to study, but active study sessions based around smaller, manageable chunks with achievable goals for each study session have proven to be successful for generations of students.

Most study guides would suggest incorporating practice exams into a study routine, starting with easier questions and progressing to more challenging ones as confidence grows. However, it is equally as important to review answers carefully after practice exams to identify errors and understand why they occurred, which helps to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

We have allowed dedicated preparation time in lessons leading up to the exam period in Week 8, as well as time during the week between exams to continue to study. It is important that our girls don’t hesitate to ask for help when struggling with certain topics. Teachers, classmates, and online resources can provide valuable assistance.

Above all, however, I urged the girls to maintain a balanced sense of perspective when approaching these exams. Their main purpose is to help our girls take the first step on a long journey to exam comfort and low stress success.

I wish all our Middle School girls the best of luck for a calm, challenging yet enjoyable exam period. If we can take steps now (and make a few mistakes as well) that help us feel as well prepared as possible in the future, then it will have been time well spent.

Richard Lisle
Deputy Principal & Head of Middle School

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Introducing our Next Head of Middle School

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs Emma Smerdon as our new Head of Middle School commencing January 2024.

Emma is a highly regarded staff member at St Peter’s Girls’ School. Her dynamic nature, humour, and integrity as an educator will be well known to many in our community, having taught across a range of subjects and been a key support for student wellbeing in her roles as Home Group and subject teacher.

Upon the completion of both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Environmental Management and Sustainability, Emma worked as a Business Development Executive at Capital Transport. She then chose to pursue her passion to teach, and after being awarded her Master of Teaching and gaining valuable teaching experience, she joined St Peter’s Girls in 2014. Her unwavering commitment to the ongoing development of relevant and up-to-date curricula and wellbeing programs which best serve our students has been highly valued by staff, students and families during her time at the School. This commitment to continual best practice is further reflected in her current study of a Master of Education (Learning and Leadership).

Emma’s extensive experience in the middle years and the respect she has established with our students, families and staff, set her in good stead to lead the Middle School Team in further strengthening our holistic education and the rich opportunities it offers our students across Years 7 – 9. Emma’s personal connection to the School as an Old Scholar, her deep knowledge of its history, and her progressive educational outlook will drive her future vision for our Middle School. She shares our passion for all girls’ education and advocates for the middle years being a time of growth founded in rounded learning experiences. Emma also holds a deep understanding of the value of connection, and the significance of fostering relationships that empower our girls to be courageous, creative and compassionate.

After an intensive recruitment process from a field of high-quality applicants, we are proud to be appointing a current staff member to this role and are excited for Emma’s contributions to further excel our Middle School. I know you will join me in congratulating Emma on her appointment.

Cherylyn Skewes
Principal

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SACE Dancers Take Centre Stage

I am very impressed with the way our SACE dancers worked together across different year levels and abilities this week to create a magical show ‘Welcome to Oz’. This production has been 3 terms in the making, and I am proud of every dancer’s ability to execute choreography and tell a story through performance. Most importantly, these dancers have shown incredible support for each other, celebrating improvement and success, and cheering each other on from the wings. Thank you to everyone who came along to support the dancers! What a wonderfully rewarding experience this has been for us all.

Kate Burnett
Head of The Arts

As a SACE Stage 1 Dancer this year, I have loved being part of the 2023 SACE Dance performance, Welcome to OZ. Although challenging at times, the rehearsal and preparation process has been extremely rewarding, seeing the choreography and concepts come to life. One of the highlights for me was using the light sticks for the first time in our hip-hop number; we were able to experience how production elements such as props and lighting can enhance choreography. I loved being a part of this performance and I am looking forward to performing in the years to come!

Alexandra Nguyen
Year 10 Student

Being a part of Welcome to Oz has been one of the most memorable experiences in my performing arts journey at Saints. I loved playing the role of the Tinman, my favourite number was the iconic ‘Ease on Down the Road’, the energy of this number was so much fun to perform. Collaborating with Mrs Burnett, The Stage 1 Dancers and my Stage 2 peers has allowed me to develop creativity and communication skills, all of which led to the amazing and entertaining performance the whole cohort was able to produce.

Daisy Kennett
Year 11 Student

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Saints Musicians Collaborate in Canberra

20 girls from our Senior music ensembles represented the School last week in Canberra for the Sisters of the Church Music Festival.

Throughout the week the girls were able to collaborate with our 5 sister schools from across Australia and New Zealand in music and social activities. A highlight being the 80’s dress up disco and visit to Questacon!

The girls were heavily engaged in learning repertoire for the concert on the Saturday evening and were lucky to work with some outstanding Australian musicians and conductors including Paul Jarman, who wrote several of the pieces featured at the concert.

One of the most rewarding parts of the event was collaborating with so many like-minded staff and students form across Australia and New Zealand. Our sister schools not only have their founding Community of the Sisters of the Church in common, the girls discovered over the course of the week that many of the students sitting alongside them in ensembles had similar experiences, hobbies, academic and co-curricular opportunities in their schools that we have at Saints.

On Saturday evening, our 20 girls were involved in numerous ensembles including the combined Festival Choir, Wind Ensemble, Stage Band and Symphony Orchestra.

Our Music Captain and Head Chorister Samantha Keough was one of the selected students to open the show with a vocal solo. Saints Girls also had their own featured item in the concert, we performed ‘We are St Peter’s Girls’ (our song about the school) and ‘He’s Everything’ from the movie Joyful Noise.

Sally Rounsevell
Director of Music

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Kilburn Spirit Week Reflection

In Week 6, the School community glowed bright with yellow to celebrate Kilburn Spirit Week! Throughout the week, all the Kilburn girls shared their House pride at School, with yellow ribbons filling the hallways. On Friday, girls also wore a yellow accessory and the Year 12s dressed up in yellow attire!

The annual Kilburn House Chapel was held on Wednesday to celebrate our House in 2023. The Chapel service started with a video compilation of interviews we conducted with of a range of Kilburn students and staff, which was a crowd favourite! As House Captain, I had the great honour of giving a speech sharing all the wonderful qualities of Kilburn House, reflecting on all our achievements this year!

We were fortunate to have Junior School House Captains Lydia Zhao and Evie Bowering share their love and passion for Kilburn. The service was also assisted by Deputy House Captain Bridgette Leach and Middle School House Captain Lexie Fishlock. Our talented Kilburn musicians Aurelia Pyne, Kimberley Psaromatis, Sophie Blight, Lara Maione, Jenna Maione, Lauren Parker, Nathara Perera and myself (supported by Georgia Evans) performed a beautiful rendition of The Beatles’ iconic ‘Here Comes The Sun’; a piece which we believe encapsulated the joy and brightness that Kilburn has. At the conclusion of the service, the Kilburn girls in Years 7-12 were treated with a delicious yellow cupcake, made by the Year 12 girls.

We finished off the golden week with the annual House Dinner on Friday night, the theme this year being Disney. The Year 11 girls worked tirelessly throughout the year to put this amazing night together, which included a delicious dinner, quizzes and games, and the Kilburn tradition of the Lip Sync Battle. It was fantastic to see a variety of iconic Disney characters fill the Arts Centre, and the costume efforts of all the students, staff and parents were awesome.

In conclusion, Kilburn Spirit Week was jam-packed with special traditions and celebrations. I loved seeing all the Kilburn girls show their House spirit. I would like to thank Bridgette Leach and Mrs O’Brien for all their assistance; the week would not have been possible without them and their passion for Kilburn. I wish all the Kilburn students and staff the best in the coming years, Kilburn is a truly special House that always shines bright.

We’re gold, you know it!

Zara Blight
Kilburn House Captain

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Book Week Literature Activities in the Junior School Library

Leading up to Book Week, the Year 1 girls were involved with the Children’s Book Council of Australia Sun Project. During Library lessons, they enjoyed the shortlisted books from the CBCA Early Childhood category, they completed creative responses to reflect their learning about each book. These included a mix of construction, drama, art and writing activities, such as making friendship postcards for each other, as well as using tangram pieces to make main characters.

The Year 6 Shadow Judging group of Erin, Jessica, Elizabeth, Lily N and Lili C-B met weekly to discuss the shortlisted books in the ‘Early Childhood’ category using the same criteria as the CBCA judges. The main areas considered were setting, plot, learning message, language, characters, perspectives, age appropriateness and design. The group had some great discussions while they ate lunch together in the JS Library. Their votes were included in the Shadow Judging Awards this Book Week.

The Year 4 classes enjoyed ‘Book Tastings’ in their Library lessons as a way to explore books in a range of the CBCA categories.  They enjoyed a book buffet, a book café and a book picnic, at which they read books both individually and together, as well as making a review pamphlet about their thoughts. The cohort voted in the Shadow Judging of the CBCA ‘Picture Book’ category.

Two Book Week displays in the JS Library were put together by Year 5 and Year 6 students.  For Year 5 the focus was on visual literacy techniques. In pairs, the students investigated specific aspects of books in the ‘New Illustrators’ category.  Their thoughtful analyses formed part of a colourful display. The Year 6 students worked in small groups to create table displays about each of the books in the ‘Eve Pownall – Information Books’ category.  These included facts, glossaries and simple craft activities that the younger students enjoyed trying out during lunchtimes.

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Enchante Originals – Song 1 Teaser

This week, we are excited to share a teaser of Enchante Originals’ ‘Right Back to You’, composed by Year 12 singer/songwriter, Stella Rasheed.

Stella says, ‘I have always been a lover of jazz and pop genres, and wanted to incorporate both styles into my composition. I chose to use the structure of a pop song with the addition of complex chords to produce a song which complemented both genres and utilised sophisticated harmonies. The lyrics reflect the story of a teenage girl who is navigating her first love, together with the thoughts and feelings she experiences.’            

Credits
Choral Director – Sari Noble
Arranged – Namoi Crellin
Guitar – Sam Leske
Keys and Audio – David Goodwin

Sari Noble
Director of Choirs

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Vacation Care – October Holidays – Book Now!

Our next exciting instalment of Junior School Vacation Care is almost here! We have some great activities guaranteed to keep the children entertained throughout the October school holidays. With an array of excursions and on-site adventures, there is plenty of fun to be had.

Click here to view the program.

Places are limited, so secure your booking now – Click here

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Ladies’ Night Out

Date: Wednesday 20 September, Week 9
Venue: Regal Theatre, 275 Kensington Road, Kensington Park
Time: Foyer opens at 6.30pm (movie starts 7.30pm)
Movie: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
Cost: $25 per person
Raffle tickets: $5 for 1 ticket, $10 for 3 tickets

Grab your girlfriends, mothers and sisters and get ready for a fabulous night celebrating the power of family and laughter at our ‘Ladies’ Night Out’ with the highly anticipated My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.

You’ll be welcomed onboard with a complimentary glass of bubbles and chocolate bar, ready to transport you to Greece with the hilarious Portokalos family as they embark on another antic-filled adventure.

Raffle tickets are available to purchase online with your tickets. Prizes include tickets to Choral Night 2024 and this year’s Carols in the Cathedral – waltz past the queues straight to your reserved seats with the VIP guests! We also have 4 x one month OSX Outdoor Group Fitness Training vouchers (each voucher is for one person and valued at $160 each) kindly donated by Susanna Parkinson (current Year 9 parent).

This wonderful community event is hosted by The Friends of The Arts group with all
proceeds going directly to support the many wonderful Arts programs Saints Girls enjoy.

Join us for an evening to remember.

To book tickets – click here

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SACE Music Concert 2023

The SACE Music concert will be held on Thursday 14 September in the Arts Centre at 7pm.

The evening will feature our Year 11 and 12 Solo and Ensemble Stage 2 music students who will be completing their final assessment. Stage Band, Enchante, Bella Voce and Senior Strings will all perform alongside vocal performances from Samantha Keough and Zara Blight. Our instrumentalists Lauren Parker and Chomilka Hattotuwa will also feature.

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday Week 8 at 7pm.

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Thursday Club Performance – Book Now!

Our annual EDGE program ‘Thursday Club’ performance will be held at the Q Theatre on Halifax Street on Thursday 28 September, 5.30-7pm.

Tickets are $10 click here to book.

Come along and enjoy some beautiful contemporary vocal solo performances from students in Years 7 to 12,  accompanied by renowned Adelaide guitarist Mike Bevan.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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2023 Year 5 Production – Book Now

Thursday 28 and Friday 29 September
St Peter’s Girls’ Arts Centre
Tickets are on sale now! Click here to book.

Aladdin Jr. is a wonderful tale based on the story of Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp. This was one of the tales told by Scheherazade in the 1000 Arabian Nights.

The Year 5 students have been enthusiastically preparing to share this colourful story of adventure and romance with audiences. What’s not to love – heroes and heroines, an amazing genie and a magic carpet?!

We can guarantee a fun night out which will have you toe tapping, clapping and leaving with a big smile on your face!

Shelley Hampton
Director

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Scholastic Book Club Issue 6

Reading has a positive impact on the mental, social and emotional health of children. Encouraging reading for pleasure and giving children an independent choice is key to keeping them engaged in reading. Children are more likely to finish a book if they pick the book themselves. Enjoy reading some of the great titles in this issue such as The Lorikeet by Paul Jennings, Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer and Zoo School by Heath McKenzie.

Due to popular demand, Scholastic have made available exclusively online The Hunger Games novels. They can be ordered on LOOP for $10 each using the following item numbers.

• The Hunger Games Item 460,
• Catching Fire Item 461,
• Mockingjay Item 462,
• The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Item 463

You can place your child’s order at Scholastic Australia LOOP website or using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

Browse Issue six here

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The Lion King Experience Jr. Auditions

Auditions for Shane Davidson Presents The Lion King Experience Jr. are on Saturday 16 September at St Peter’s Girls’ School.

For further information please email – shanedavidson@internode.on.net

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School Health Centre Notices

It is imperative that all medical information, including immunisations, is up to date on the School’s myLink parent portal.

Please follow this pathway to check and/or update details: myLink > Community Portal > My Details > select child name

If you have any questions, please email healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

COVID-19 Information

Please find the latest guidance from SA Health:

• It is strongly recommended that students stay home if they have cold or flu-like
  symptoms, and test for COVID-19.
• Whether they receive a positive or negative result, they should stay home until symptoms subside (usually five to seven days).
• While face masks are no longer mandated, they are an important physical barrier to help stop the spread of COVID, particularly when indoors.

If your child tests positive to COVID-19, please inform the School. Please also notify the School each day of absence, or provide the expected period of absence.

You can notify us via one of the following methods. Please include the name of the ELC Room, Class or Home Group. If emailing, feel free to ‘CC’ the teacher of the Room/Class/Home Group as well.

Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)

Phone: 8334 2200

For more SA Health information, click here

Please note that if your child is unwell, they should remain home until they have recovered, irrespective of the illness.

Sports News

Sport Results

Wednesday 30 August – Friday 1 September

 BASKETBALL

Year 4 – 6 Blue: Saints (9) v Seymour Green (40)
Best Player: Edwina Cannon.
Superwoman: Lianna Lei. Special thanks to Violet Tulloch for scoring while in a moon boot!
Year 4 – 6 White: Saints (12) v Wilderness (32)

HOCKEY

Year 3/4: Saints (0) v Wilderness (3)
Best Player: Lana Rundle.
Superwoman: Claire Lucas.

LACROSSE 

U13 Blue: Saints (6) v Glenelg Blackhawks (4)
Congratulations on winning your semi-final and making it to the prelim final.

NETBALL 

Year 4 – 6 Silver: Saints (27) v Saints White 1 (3)
Year 4 – 6 White: Saints (3) v Saints Silver (27)
Year 4 – 6 Navy Blue: Saints (3) v Westminster Green (20)
Year 4 – 6 Royal Blue: BYE
Year 4 – 6 Sky Blue: Saints (3) v Scotch Navy (23)
Year 4 – 5 Blue: Saints (11) v Seymour Purple (8)
Year 4 – 5 White: Saints (1) v Pembroke Blue (8)
Year 3 Blue: BYE
Year 3 White: Saints (3) v Pembroke Blue (9)

SOCCER

Year 4 – 6 Blue: Saints (0) v Pulteney Navy (0)
Year 4 – 6 White: Saints (0) v Wilderness (4)

Saints Sport Week

The inaugural Saints Sport Week ran this week. An initiative of the Sports Captains, Saints Sports Week was a celebration of ‘all things sport’ at Saints. It was a way for our Sports Captains to give back to the sporting community, connect with girls across Junior, Middle and Senior School and provide some fun opportunities to engage in sports activities.

Throughout the week we had multiple Staff v Students activities. In the Middle and Senior School, the Open A Netball and Soccer teams took on a team of staff in their respective sports. Both matches were tightly contested with the students taking out Netball (21-18) and staff taking out Soccer (3-0). The leader board now stands at one-all, with Touch Football and Basketball to come in Term 4 during PE Week.

Our Junior School Teaching staff also participated in some Staff v Student activities for the first time ever on Wednesday! The staff and students faced off in both netball shooting and soccer goal-scoring activities. The students loved competing against their teachers and showing off their skills, while the teachers showed the students a thing or two and impressed with their abilities.

The final Junior School activity was aerobics, where the students and staff were taught a routine by our Sports Captains and then performed it for each other. While the skills on display were varied, the enthusiasm and enjoyment were ten out of ten across the board.

On Tuesday, our Year 7-12 girls heard from guest speaker Adelaide Crows AFLW player Anne Hatchard. Anne spoke of her experiences going from amateur to professional athlete, how the culture at the Crows has developed, and how important this has been to the team’s success. She recalled her favourite sporting highlight – the 2017 AFLW Grand Final win in front of a crowd of 50,000+ at Adelaide Oval – as a milestone in women’s sport and a shift in societal attitudes towards watching women’s sport.

For our Year 3 – 6 sports teams, we invited coaches and athletes from Basketball South Australia, Football South Australia, Hockey SA and Netball South Australia to run clinics during training sessions. The focus for these sessions was fun, teamwork and developing team connections. All the girls found these clinics exciting and something different from their normal training sessions.

Finally, the girls had the opportunity to share a nutritional fact with our Sports Captains and then choose a good pre/during/post-game snack to eat. There were a lot of great facts from the girls and they enjoyed tucking into bread and jam, fruit, yoghurt and milo!

Overall, it has been a brilliant week celebrating sport at Saints. The Sports Captains have done an exceptional job leading these activities, and leave a wonderful legacy for the 2024 Sport Captains to build on next year!

Alice Johnswood
Sports Administrator

Nikki Brennan
Health & PE Teacher, Junior School Sports Coordinator

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