Issue no. 37
In this edition
From the Assistant Director of Early Learning
The ELC community celebrated our amazing year during our ELC Christmas Celebration last Friday evening. The children had been looking forward to this event for many weeks as they practised, learnt dances and marked off days on the calendar. While some naturally gravitate towards the stage and are eager to perform in front of a large crowd, other children are more hesitant and prefer to modify their participation that fits their confidence and stage of development.
In the ELC, we provide numerous opportunities for the children to grow their confidence in performing in front of others. Performing through song and dance develops children’s confidence, wellbeing, self-esteem and social skills. It was heartwarming to watch the School’s youngest students experience the joy of Christmas, sharing their favourite songs with their families.
The event also celebrated our new Learning Community model. The children, educators and families have brought this vision to life each and every day as they have worked in collaboration across the ELC exploring big concepts including sustainability, democracy, Kaurna culture and language, and creating an ELC Community Garden. At our celebration on Friday evening, we shared these investigations with our families through songs in Kaurna, Chinese and Japanese. We shared the joy in singing and dancing together as a community. This year, we have celebrated some wonderful achievements, and in times of need, we have pulled together, held each other’s hand, and walked side-by-side.
We took the opportunity at our celebration to thank Mrs Fiona Patten. Fiona has worked as our ELC Music Teacher for a number of years, and the children have really enjoyed learning music with her. After the celebration performance, our community came together to enjoy a picnic on Chiverton Lawns. It is one of the most loved and enjoyed events on the ELC calendar. The atmosphere was festive as families and educators mingled and shared our Saints Girls’ spirit. We thank Mercato and Chesini House who kindly donated pizza that was shared at the picnic, and the Friends of the ELC for their ongoing support. Our 2020 Prefect Team was a perfect addition to the evening, showing their commitment to their leadership responsibilities within our community.
On behalf of the ELC, we wish our extended community a very Merry Christmas.
Kirsty Porplycia
Assistant Director of Early Learning
SaintsTV Rocks Red Carpet at ARIAs
SaintsTV, the School’s newly-established show created by and screened to students, has provided an abundance of media production activities for girls in Years 7 – 12. In particular, we were absolutely thrilled to be given the opportunity of a lifetime in attending the 2019 ARIA Awards on the red carpet this week to interview talented music artists. In working with Mr Coulter and Mr Davidson, we spent lunches and recess times to prepare for the big event. This included training on interview skills, question types, camera work and overall presentation.
Upon early arrival at the venue, the Star Sydney, we were surprised at how many familiar faces we recognised before the opening of the red carpet. We were fortunate to introduce ourselves to Khalid’s performing artists and dancers and talk about their experiences. We would never have imagined meeting Daryl Braithwaite, Jessica Mauboy, Scotty Tweedie, the cast of the School of Rock musical, and so many more incredible performers, including Old Scholar Erin McKellar (Patteson 2013), who was there with a new band she’s been coaching, Girl Nation. It truly was an amazing day and one we won’t forget.
Lucy Young and Soph Stewart
SaintsTV students
2019 Saints’ Sporting Success
At the annual IGSSA Sports Awards evening, Saints Girls topped the ladder as the most successful of the 10 independent girls’ schools in the association in 2019. Across all of the sports played within the association through summer and winter, and including the shields and pennants on offer, 9 of the 10 schools won at least 1 of these, but I am proud to say that Saints won 11 in total, with the nearest rival being Immanuel College with 6.
In addition to the above success, Saints also had winning teams in Touch Football, Water Polo, Triathlon, Rowing, Aerobics, Cross Country, and a State Knockout trophy in Softball.
The success of our program starts at the grassroots where we continue to offer and provide opportunities of skill development through a variety of activities run by Kelly Sports, with specialist coaching also available in Tennis, Soccer and Netball.
As students progress through the year levels, a broader range of sports and activities are available, with many girls trying a variety of these. We seek and employ quality coaches who are supported by a number of keen and experienced staff members and Old Scholars.
I continue to be proud of working at Saints Girls and appreciate the opportunity to work with girls of all ages and watch their progress.
Neil Fuller
Director of Sport
Back to the Futures – Market and Expo
Our Year 7 and 8 Futures students ran a special Market Day stall yesterday, the culmination of a semester spent developing a social enterprise business that addresses a problem they are passionate about solving. The market was an opportunity for girls to test whether their product has been successful and also whether it achieves their desired social or environmental goal. In the evening, parents and students were invited to attend the Futures Expo to celebrate their achievements.
Awards were given to the following groups:
Best Overall Business – ‘Alofa 4 Africa’
Charlie Piper, Astrid Teague, Zara Blight, Charlotte Norman
Most Likely to Produce Environmental Change – ‘OneStraw’
Mathilda Thomas, Grace Richards, Amelia Lucas, Isabella Lowry
Mentor Award – ‘Packs for a Purpose’
Ayanna Roy, Jordan Siaosi, Georgina Wakeham, Lila Gosse, Zoe Pool
Mentor Award – ‘Blanket Blend’
Grace Beaumont, Jasreet Mavi, Emily Holloway, Lydia Tolley
Mentor Award – ‘Queen Beez’
Lilli Bennett, Olivia Slivak, Georgia Hoskins, Georgia Evans
Mentor Award – ‘GigglePots’
Ayla Blaskett, Stephanie Andrejewskis, Georgia Mallick, Tara Nedumaran
Mentor Award – ‘Second Chance’
Abigail Papps, Madison Liddy, Alysa Trinh, Bronwyn Gautier
Mentor Award – ‘Eco Clutch’
Emilia Libri, Annie Bui, Ruby Croston-Melling, Maddy Penley
Year 1 and 2 Performers Star at Nativity
Each and every star on stage shone brightly in the Years 1 and 2 Nativity on Wednesday evening. The traditional story of Christmas was re-told through the stage production of I’m Gonna Shine. Storytellers narrated the tale, which began in Heaven with the stars introducing Gloria, the shiniest star of all.
Led by the stars on the long, dusty road, the Wise Men met many folk along the way. Trouble was averted when they wisely avoided visiting King Herod’s Palace for a second time after it was clear that his ruthless and selfish nature could up-end this historic tale. Instead, the ever-shining Gloria led the Wise Men and followers to the stable where little Baby Jesus lay dancing in his manger, bringing peace and joy to the world. This experience provided glorious opportunities for the Year 1 and 2 girls to develop excellent communication skills, which supported great risk-taking and confidence-building. We are so proud of their commitment and creativity in learning their parts for this outstanding performance!
Kathryn Clark
Year 2 Teacher
New Chapter for Year 5s and their Buddies
Year 5SH students have been working industriously over the past few weeks to create a children’s picture book suitable to share with their Mid-Year Reception buddies.
The process involved a great deal of discussion both at home and school about the content of their proposed stories, as well as in-class discussions about suitable vocabulary. We started the writing as a BIG WRITE in class about the overall storyline, which then was broken down to a picture book of two lines per page. The creation of the books was differentiated to allow the girls to develop them as their learning preference allowed. Some used apps like Book Creator and Sketches on their iPads, others sourced and modified images from the internet, and some drew their books by hand.
This was a great success academically, and at the end point, socially, as the girls enthusiastically shared their books with their buddies.
Shelley Hampton
Year 5 Teacher
Young Composers’ Award Concert
On Monday evening, Year 7 students Scarlett Dillon, Apurva Ichalkaranje and Naadiya Ishaq performed their award-winning song That’s The Key at the Young Composers’ Award Concert. Joined by Daisy Kennett and Charlotte Norman, the girls did a wonderful job of singing their original song to a packed audience at St Mary’s College Performing Arts Theatre. Many other young composers also performed their original compositions in a variety of styles. It was a truly entertaining evening.
Following the performances, the awards were announced, and our girls claimed 2nd place! The awards are very competitive with hundreds of entrants, so well done girls!
Our School has been entering a large number of original compositions into the Young Composers’ Award over the past couple of years, and we look forward to more fabulous original Saints’ music and performances in the future.
Robyn Habel
Music Teacher
Meet Our New Board Members
Following an extensive, independent recruitment process, St Peter’s Girls’ School is delighted to announce the appointment of two new members to our highly-experienced, voluntary Board of Governors.
Ms Michelle Kennedy
An expert in infrastructure and project management, Michelle Kennedy is the City of Burnside’s Group Manager, Assets and Infrastructure, and a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Engineers Australia. She holds a Master of Business Administration, and is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and an accredited Engineering Executive. Previously, she has held key management roles with Adelaide City Council and SA Water. Michelle is an advocate for STEM education, having been involved in several initiatives aimed at igniting in girls a spark for STEM, with a focus on engineering.
Mr Paul Sherlock
Paul Sherlock is the University of South Australia’s first Chief Information Officer, with overall responsibility for Library and IT services. Prior to joining the university in 2001, he held senior ICT management roles at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and BHP. Paul’s knowledge and expertise as a tertiary education leader are regularly sought within Australia and overseas, and he has conducted independent reviews for several universities. In addition, he has been appointed by the Commonwealth government to boards and steering committees for major research infrastructure projects. Paul is particularly passionate about quality education and the opportunities it provides.
The School congratulates these outstanding industry leaders on their appointments and we look forward to seeing their contributions in lifting St Peter’s Girls to even greater heights.
Upcoming Events
Carols in the Cathedral
St Peter’s Cathedral
Tuesday 3 December
Students to arrive at 6.30pm, doors open at 7pm
Carols in the Cathedral is a compulsory event for students in Years 4 – 12.
Presentation Night
Adelaide Town Hall
Monday 9 December
Students arrive at 6.30pm (unless advised otherwise by the Music Department)
Doors open at 7pm
Presentation Night is a compulsory event for students in Years 7 – 12.
Junior School Vacation Care
Our next awesome instalment of Junior School Vacation Care is almost here. We have some great activities guaranteed to keep the children entertained through the break. With an array of excursions and on-site adventures, there is plenty of fun to be had.
Vacation Care – December 2019 / January 2020 Program
Places are limited, so please click here to secure your booking now!
OSHC Temporary Relocation
Parents of R – 6 students are advised that the OSHC program, which was based in the Food Tech building, has been temporarily relocated to the transportable on the Oval.
To access the transportable, please use the main staircase outside the Stott Wing (with the St Peter’s Girls’ sign). Children will need to be dropped off and collected from the transportable.
Beck Kranz
OSHC Supervisor
Parent Year Level Representatives for 2020
We are now recruiting and looking forward to receiving nominations for Parent Year Level Reps for 2020!
We thank our 2019 Year Level Reps for their amazing efforts and dedication to the role in our 125th year. There have been so many fantastic year level events which wouldn’t have been possible without our valued volunteers.
In early 2020, Melissa and Fiona from the Community Relations Office will be holding a meeting in which Year Level Reps will be invited to attend, along with the presidents of our community groups at the School. This collaborative information session will set the scene for our 2020 events and give our Year Level Reps the opportunity to appropriately plan their year level events.
If you are a current parent and interested in becoming a Year Level Rep in 2020, or you would like to nominate someone in your year level, please contact us as soon as possible.
Thank you in advance for your kind consideration.
Melissa Westgate
mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Fiona McGregor
fmcgregor@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
IT Hub Holiday Availability
Are you getting your daughter a new device for Christmas that will need to have the School data on it for 2020? What do you do if a device stops working during the holidays?
You won’t need to wait for school to return as the IT Hub will be open for much of the upcoming holidays from 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday. Please note, it will be closed from 23 December 2019 to 3 January 2020.
IT Hub
School Shop Reminder – Year 3 Parents
Parents/Guardians of Current Year 3 Students:
As your daughter will be in Year 4 next year, there are a few different uniform items you will need to purchase before Term 1, 2020.
The junior blazer (cardigan) is replaced by a navy blue jumper and a blazer. The rash vest and solar pant is replaced by the School bathers.
It is advisable to make an appointment on 8334 2228, as the School Shop is currently working through new student fittings.
School Shop
Charging for Charity – Cambodia Service Learning Trip
To support fundraising for the Cambodia Service Learning Trip, the fundraising team is selling portable chargers for just $40 via www.trybooking.com/BEYTR.
We are all very excited to take part in this trip, making life-long memories and seeing the impact of our fundraising in a community where we can improve the quality of life.
The Athlete’s Foot – School Rewards Program
The Parents’ and Friends’ Association is excited to be collaborating with the amazing team at The Athlete’s Foot, Burnside by joining their School Rewards Program.
This is a great fundraising opportunity, with $5 from every pair of shoes purchased being donated back to our School. This applies for each pair of shoes purchased for the whole family, across the complete in-store range of sports, school, work and casual shoes.
So head on down to The Athlete’s Foot at Burnside and check out their exclusive MyFit 3D fitting technology.
Please check the School’s uniform policy to ensure shoes are approved before purchasing.
The Athlete’s Foot – School Rewards Program Information
Bronwyn Bartter
Parents’ and Friends’ Association President
Sports News
AUSSIE RULES
Year 5/6 Blue – Saints *no score provided
In the last game of the short season, I am proud of the way the girls have developed and worked as a team. The continued improvement each week is a credit to the hard work at training. The constant questions about what makes a good player and, “Am I doing this right?”, were testament to their eagerness to learn. They played an unreal game including kicking and tackling. I hope the girls had a great time and continue to play in the future; with dedication and determination, they will continue to develop their skills. – Milli Gentle (Coach)
Year 5/6 White – Saints 5.4 = 34 defeated Pembroke Green 4.1 = 25
Playing their last game for the season, all the girls were excited to get out there and have a final run around. With Pembroke only having 9 girls, we played 9-a-side for the match. It started off to be a really tight game, with all Saints Girls tackling hard. It was great to see Lyra Cox, Lucy Shigeno, Valerie Ng, Pollyanna Townsend and Olivia Reynolds make some great tackles, stopping Pembroke from getting a run on. We scored the most goals we have had in a game so far with Januri Wagaarachchi and Anna Venning kicking 2, and Levanya De Silva scoring 1. Jiahui Zhang, Olivia Ng, Penelope Gapes and Kate Thomas all cleared the ball well from stoppages and were able to kick it downfield towards our forward line, setting up scoring opportunities. Finally, a big thank you to Sophia Holoviak for being our cheerleader and coming out to support us in our final game. – Lane Trenorden (Coach)
TENNIS
Junior Division 1 – Saints 4-22 defeated Concordia 2-11
Singles: Chloe Richardson 1-4, Sophie Blight 4-0, Nicole Wang 4-1, Alison Francis 4-0
Junior Division 2 – Saints 3-21 defeated St Ignatius 3-17
Singles: Alexandra Nguyen 4-3, Jerrie Wu 3-4, Shirley Liu 4-0, Charlotte T 2-4
Junior Division 3 – Saints 4-21 defeated Seymour Purple 1-9
Singles: Lily Forby 4-2, Abbie An 4-1, Freya Hermann 4-0, Amelia Olesen 1-4
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Middle B – Saints 4 defeated by Sacred Heart 6
Saints started off in a tricky situation when a try was scored against us in the first few minutes. The team persevered and evened the score, with Amy Dillon being a crucial player, securing two spectacular tries down the wing, including one in the opening minutes of the game. Tries were also scored by Jasmine Segredos and Mathilda Thomas. An exciting moment was when Mathilda intercepted the ball mid-pass and was centimetres from scoring when she was unfortunately touched on the hem of her shirt. It was a well-played match against a strong opponent, and throughout this term, we have really improved as a team. It was the end of an excellent season. – Apurva Ichalkaranje
VOLLEYBALL
Year 5/6 Blue – Saints 2 drew with Seymour White 2
The game was incredibly close with both teams playing so well. Seymour won the first set, and Saints took out the second and third. A fourth set was played, which Seymour won, making the score 2-all. – Ava Loechel (Coach)
Year 5/6 White – Saints 3 defeated Seymour Green 0
My team of Asha, Tina, Chanel, Charlie, and Eala did a great job. I have been very proud of the girls for trying so hard and really focusing during the games, which was demonstrated this week with a 3-set win: 25-13, 25-23, and 25-21. Every week, the girls try to set a goal for the day. In the past, we have tried to high-five every point, cheer on teammates every serve, or work on serves during the matches. This time, the girls tried to master communicating with each other. This has been a season-long challenge and I think they really started to get the hang of it. The girls have learned to be more confident in their abilities and are no longer nervous or afraid to make the call. This has been a great improvement for the team. – Jess Dreswick (Coach)
Year 5/6 Black – Saints 1 defeated by Seymour Purple 2
The team of Alannah Godfrey, Bettina Dal Cin, Ruby Clark and Anna Venning really improved throughout the game, especially in the second set. Anna played well all-round and Alannah did some really great returns off serves. – Georgina Keough (Coach)
WATER POLO
Year 7/8 – Saints 7 defeated by Wilderness 9
The team was unlucky to lose the final game. Despite some outstanding work in goal by Ashlyn May and Scarlett Dillon, there were often times that girls wanted to score more than defend, allowing Wilderness players to find space behind the defence. Lauren Parton and Charlotte Norman both fought strongly against their opponents, and Claudia Pearce and Sophie Ricciuto were continually putting up strong blocks. All of the girls have developed a better understanding of the game; it has been great coaching them and I hope they continue with the sport in the future. – Gemma Rowe (Coach)