Issue no. 21

From Our Deputy Principal & Head of Senior School

Years 7-12 came together today to acknowledge and celebrate R U OK Day. R U OK Day is a public health initiative that promotes and encourages people to stay connected and to start a conversation with someone simply by asking ‘Are you ok?’ Students and staff were provided with the 4 simple steps on how to best check in with someone. By asking the initial question ‘Are you ok?’, listening to the response, encouraging action and checking in with the person later on we can continue to build and foster a supportive community while also removing the stigma around mental health issues.

Under the guidance of the Prefect Group, students and staff learnt how to ask ‘Are you ok?’ in a variety of languages representing the many different cultural groups that make up the Saints community. Students took part in a positive affirming activity and then heard from Senior School Teacher Ms Mel Smith on the topic of mental health. The R U Ok Day assembly also complemented the Prefect Term 3 initiative of ‘Saints Stands 4 Support’. Students have been encouraged to contribute to walls of encouragement that each week focused on a new area of our community. It has been wonderful to see students take the time to write positive notes for Senior students going through final assessments, for their Houses during Spirit weeks, and for their peers.

In addition to the assembly, students in Year 11 and 12 also spent a Home Group this week writing letters for the not-for-profit organisation ‘Letters of Hope’.  Founded in 2018, Letters of Hope aims to spread kindness, raise awareness and break the stigma around mental health through sending handwritten letters to those who are going through a tough time. The simple act of writing a letter provided the students with yet another opportunity to reach out to someone in need, while also encouraging them to open up to their peers and teachers about their own wellbeing.

Lauren Sutton
Deputy Principal & Head of Senior School

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Colour and Creativity at Junior School Art Trail

Last week, we hosted our biannual Junior School Art Trail. Parents, grandparents, and treasured friends were invited to view the wonderful artwork by our Reception – Year 6 students. Guests enjoyed a magical journey through our School, viewing the colourful creations our young Artists have been busy creating.

Mid-Year Receptions created playful ink stained flowers, Receptions painted energetic and lyrical aerial landscapes, Year 1s coiled and joined clay to create a food safe plate,  Year 2s studied what it means to be a sustainable artist and constructed bird sculptures using recycled materials, Year 3s focussed on colour with their abstract flags, Year 4s up-cycled unwanted chairs and considered why so many famous artists use nature as their inspiration, Year 5s constructed and painted Arabic inspired lanterns and Year 6s were inspired by architecture around the world when creating their own building from clay.

During Terms 2 and 3, we were lucky to host Ballardong-Noongar artist Mya Damon as our Artist in Residence. She collaborated with Year 5 and 6 students to design seven large collaborative paintings. In connection to Reconciliation Week, Mya emphasised the importance of sharing histories, cultures and achievements. During their art lessons, all Junior School Artists had the opportunity to paint on their year level canvas.

A stand out favourite this year was the interactive ART letters on the lawn. Visitors and students were encouraged to create together with the coloured yarn, twisting, tying, braiding and finger knitting. Giant painted flowers could also be found on the lawn and gave an excellent photo opportunity for the girls’ special visitors.

The Junior School Art Studio had a large window mural on display, which was the result of the Year 6 Art Leaders’ workshop that was 100% student run.

It felt as if the School was splashed with colour from head to toe. It was a magical exhibition celebrating our youngest artists and their wild imaginations. One to remember!

Sarah Casson
Junior School Art Teacher

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Senior Girls Join in Job Chat

JobChat provided girls in Years 10 to 12 the opportunity to engage in conversations with Heidi, a midwife, and Caitlin, an ICU nurse, both employed at Flinders Hospital. These discussions proved highly beneficial for the students, as they gained a deeper understanding of the responsibilities of these professions, insights into university life, a grasp of the pros and cons, the differences between private and public practice, and a clear distinction between the two roles. Personally, it motivated me to consider pursuing both degrees simultaneously, thereby expanding my horizons and creating more opportunities, especially in rural areas.

Georgia Evans
Year 12 Student

It was great to hear from Heidi and Caitlin today. They were informative and provided detailed insight into the life of a nurse and midwife. They both elaborated on balancing Uni with a part-time job, as well as giving in-depth knowledge into a day in their life. They both talked about the benefits and rewards of working in the health system which has further pushed me to enter this field in 2024.

Olivia Slivak
Year 12 Student

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Classroom to Jungle: Year 3s Day of Discovery at the Zoo

On Friday 1 September, the Year 3 cohort ventured to the Adelaide Zoo as a provocation for our upcoming ‘Sharing the Planet’ unit of inquiry. The girls will be exploring the central idea, ‘Human actions can preserve or endanger living things.’

When visiting the animal enclosures, the girls took note of where each animal species is currently on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This has become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi, and plant species. Sadly, they noted several animals are vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.

In collaboration with their group, the girls enjoyed the freedom to plan out their visit, managing their schedule and responsibly gathering at meeting points throughout the day to hear Keeper Talks. Viewing the sea lions and penguins was a highlight for many, as they learnt about the status of these animals in the wild and the ways we can help to promote and support their conservation. It was a fun day had by all!

Sarah Mulraney & Monique McLeay
Year 3 Teachers

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Year 7 Excursion to the Living Kaurna Cultural Centre/Warriparinga

Last week, the Year 7 cohort visited the Living Kaurna Cultural Centre as part of their Humanities studies. While the unit being studied is Investigating the Ancient Past, students have been learning how local indigenous culture is part of the longest, continuing civilisation on earth. Participating in workshops run by local Kaurna elders was a great opportunity.

Here are some insights from students:

During our excursion we did 3 activities, the first activity we did was basket weaving and it was a very fun and calming activity. The second activity we did was creating seed bombs. These were made by adding dirt, graphite, water and either kangaroo grass seeds, wallaby grass seeds or lemon grass seeds. We then waited for it to harden at which time it would be ready to plant. For our third and final activity, we went out into the garden and were taught about many different plants and we ate some traditional mint and salt bush. We found out many things about other plants including lemon grass and pigface. Overall, our day was a very fun and interesting experience.
Eva (7RMI)

The excursion to Warriparinga was an incredible experience for the whole Year 7 cohort. We learned many things about the Kaurna people and how they survived without many resources. During the excursion, we enriched our knowledge about native Australian plants and cultural weaving. We all had fun, learned new things, and came back to school a bit smarter and more coordinated with needles and thread.
Aarcha (7ESKI)

Our intention for this trip was to learn more about practises from other cultures. Despite a walk being cancelled due to weather, each class was still able to experience two different workshops: making seed bombs to plant in our gardens, and weaving baskets. Additionally, we wore ochre on our heads and hands and took a tour of the garden. We were even able to smell, taste, and use some of the plants on our wounds! Even though these experiences were somewhat messy and challenging, they were also one-of-a-kind experiences that have further strengthened us as home groups. A massive thank you to Mr Dingwall, Ms Reid, Mr Mills, Mrs Burton-Howard and the Warriparinga staff for making this experience so memorable!
Tabitha (7ESKI)

Our excursion to Warriparinga was really fun and enjoyable. We got to learn about native plants, weaving and how to make seed bombs. The weaving was extremely fun because a lot of the girls in the class had already done it before, so it was a refresher, and for the new girls it was also a fun experience. We were able to use many different colours and the volunteer elder Aunty Janice was really kind and made us feel extremely welcome. When making the seed bombs we learned about another method of growing plants as well as learning about different seeds the majority of our class had never heard of before. After making the seed bombs, we ventured outside and got to see native plants as well as taste some of them.
Roslyn (7RMI)

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Year 7s Explore Biodiversity at the Zoo and Botanical Gardens

On Monday 11 September, the Year 7s were lucky enough to go to the Adelaide Zoo and the Botanical Gardens on a science excursion. There were a whole range of animals that we observed and we studied some of the adaptations that the plants and animals had made to make it easier for them survive in their habitat. Some animals we looked at included the sea lions which can swallow rocks to help them sink deeper into the water and the nocturnal animals who sleep during the day and come out at night to hunt. After our trip to the Zoo, we went to the Botanical Gardens where we looked at several different plant species. We looked at desert plants like cactuses, as well as tropical rainforest plants that have leaves with drip tips. We really enjoyed our day out and we hope that the year levels to come will be able to experience this great trip.

Ivy Pratt, Matilda Birmingham, Beatrice Tolley
Year 7 Students

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Payday for Ponytail Project

As part of our Service Learning Program, 16 of our students courageously took part in the Cancer Council’s ‘Ponytail Project’, which meant cutting off at least 20cm of their hair to raise money to support those affected by cancer.

Our School community raised $11,429 in total, which was donated to the Cancer Council. The hair was donated through an organisation called ‘Sustainable Salons’ which uses donated hair to create wigs for people undergoing cancer treatment.

This week in Assembly, we were lucky enough to have Amy Roker from the Cancer Council speak to students about the effect that fundraising, like ours, brings to people across South Australia who have been impacted by cancer. She spoke about the impact that we have had on people through all stages of cancer from research, diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and ongoing support.

We thank everyone who took part in the Ponytail Project and those who supported the cause through the donation of time and money.

Thomas Bassett
Service Learning Coordinator  

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

Tickets are $10 – click here to book.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Enchante Originals – Song 2 Teaser

Enchante are excited to share the second teaser from their upcoming E.P. Enchante Originals, featuring talented Year 12 singer/songwriter Emma Pool, and her composition ‘Hold On.’

Emma says, ‘Composing songs means so much more to me as an artist than simply producing pieces of work. As someone who wrote a lot of poetry growing up, I have found song-writing an effective way to work through and express complicated emotions regarding various aspects of life. My piece ‘Hold On’ is a pop-contemporary piece which details the melancholic emotions associated with reaching out for help, despite battling drowning feelings of despair. I incorporated an intertextual reference to the nursery rhyme “Twinkle, twinkle, little star”, which becomes a lyrical motif throughout the piece and elevates the “old friend” in my lyrics as someone who was inaccessible and could only be admired from afar.’

Credits
Choral Director: Sari Noble
Vocal arrangement: Naomi Crellin
Audio Production: David Goodwin

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2023 Year 5 Production – Aladdin Jr

Step into a world of wonder and adventure at this year’s Junior School Production of Aladdin Jr!

Our Year 5s have been enthusiastically preparing to take the stage in their dazzling performance including heroes, heroines, a genie and a magic carpet.

Come along to see the Year 5s in action – we guarantee a fun night out which will have you toe tapping, clapping and leaving with a big smile on your face!

Thursday 28 and Friday 29 September
St Peter’s Girls’ Arts Centre

Click here to book your tickets now!

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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 – Next Wednesday!

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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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 6 September – Friday 8 September

BASKETBALL

Year 4-6 Blue: Saints (5) v Wilderness Blue (16)
Best Player: Yun Tong (Lianna) Lei for her aggressive rebounds and tenacious defence.
Superwomen: Penny Coulter for leading the team on attack and Zara Wilkie for her persistent defence.
Special thanks to Maggie and Edwina who both scored and team managed on their rostered off day.
Year 4-6 White: Saints (2) v Seymour Green (60)
Best Players: Leqi (Grace) Lin, Zara Millhouse
Superwoman: Ming Hei (Sophia) Lau for playing excellent defence throughout the game and getting some great steals and blocks!

HOCKEY

Year 3/4: Saints (0) v Seymour Green (4)

NETBALL

Year 4-6 Silver: Saints (23) v Westminster Green (14)
Best Players: Sasha Connor and Anisha Pahuja. Dynamite combo in defence! Butt to hip defence and ability to turn ball was exceptional. Work rate was maintained across all 4 quarters
Superwoman: Ruby Pahuja for the finesse on her passes. Something we’ve been talking about and practising at training. Played a real team-first game today
Year 4-6 white: Saints (9) v Concordia (33)
Year 4-6 Navy Blue: Saints (3) v Scotch Navy (20)
Year 4-6 Royal Blue: Saints (1) v Westminster Green (25)
Best player: Ava Duldig
Superwoman: Grace Osborne for excellent commitment to the game and her impressive improvement each week
Year 4-6 Skye Blue: Saints (6) v Immanuel (23)
Best Player: Alexandra Teh.
Superwoman: Alice Bigg
Year 4-5 Blue: Bye
Year 4-5 White: Bye
Year 3 Blue: Saints (0) v Pembroke Yellow (11)
Best player: Ran Wen (Rania) Gao
Year 3 White: Bye

SOCCER

Year 4-6 White: Bye

Success at SAPSASA Athletics Day

Last week, a number Year 4 – 6 girls were involved in the SAPSASA East Adelaide District Athletics Day. The girls took part in a range of events including, 100m, 200m, 800m, 1500m, long jump, high jump, shot put and discuss. Everyone who competed demonstrated the core values of a Saints girl, particularly courage. Several girls placed in their individual events which is an outstanding achievement, the results are listed below:

Poppy Davidson: 2^nd Discuss
Bonnie Qu: 1^st 100m, 1^st 200m
Sasha Connor: 3^rd Discuss
Ella King: 3^rd High Jump
Emily Robinson: 2^nd Long Jump
Lucy Dougherty: 2^nd 1500m

Bonnie Qu achieved amazing results placing 1^st in both the 100m and 200m sprint. Bonnie shared:

Why do you enjoy competing in athletics?
I enjoy competing in athletics because I get to set and achieve my goals. It gives me something to strive for and measure my progress against.

What is your favourite event?
My favourite event is 100m.

Did you enjoy the SAPSASA Carnival?
I did enjoy the SAPSASA Carnival, as I like the thrill of the competitions.

Are you looking forward to the Metro Carnival?
I am looking forward to the Metro Carnival – I am looking forward to seeing the skills of the many other people at the carnival.

Bonnie Qu and Emily Robinson will be progressing to the Metro SAPSASA Carnival. Good luck girls we wish you all the best! Congratulations to all the girls who were involved in the athletics day, it is truly astounding to see such involvement and participation in prestigious athletics events from young girls in our sporting community.

Amelia Lucas
Athletics Captain

Saints Girls Win Bronze at World Taekwondo Championships

Matilda Purvis (Year 6) and Phoebe Fan (Year 8) recently represented Australia in the 2023 World Taekwondo Cadet Championships (held 28 – 31 August 2023) and the G1 Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Open Championship (held 2 September 2023) in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Australia had a contingent of just 20 athletes competing against over 700 athletes from 73 countries in the World Championships. The competition was tough, but Australia secured a Silver and two Bronze medals, making it the most successful competition since 2014. Matilda and Phoebe both managed to secure their first international medals in the Youth Open, each taking away Bronze in their respective divisions. An awesome achievement and honour to have 2 of our girls representing our Country in their chosen sport! Congratulations girls!

A Grade Badminton Final

The A grade badminton girls were fortunate enough to place top two of the season, allowing them to compete in the finals against Pembroke last Saturday. We were faced with tough opponents but our girls resiliently competed to achieve a score of 2-4. The girls fully utilised their skills that they’ve developed across the two terms to challenge their opponents. Despite the loss, our girls had gained invaluable experience and are ready to challenge the opponents in the next season.

The final game last Saturday closes my badminton journey at Saints. I am incredibly proud and privileged to team with this group of girls and be supported by our coaching team and staff. Best of luck to all the girls who choose to compete in future badminton seasons.

Xin Yi (Yang Yang) Gu
Badminton Captain

Aerobics Teams Perform at Nationals

Congratulations to two of our amazing aerobics teams who were invited to perform at the FISAF National Championships on the Gold Coast last weekend, following our previous success at the State Championships in July.

‘The Jets’ performed in the Secondary Pre-Choreographed (Phase 2) category whilst the ‘Black Widows’ performed in the Secondary Pre-Choreographed (Phase 1) category with the girls placing 7^th and 8^th in their respective divisions. As one of only three South Australian schools at this competition, the girls should be extremely proud of themselves demonstrating high levels of strength, flexibility and endurance throughout their routines.

We had a range of students from Years 7-12 competing, representing Saints to the highest of standards against fierce interstate competitors. Not only am I immensely proud of the quality of our performances but also of the way in which the Saints girls conducted themselves at competitions and supported each other throughout the year. It has been lovely to witness the bond between the older and younger girls strengthen throughout the competition season.

The Aerobics Program has seen amazing growth over the past few years, with around 45 girls initially enrolled at the start of this year! It is an exceptional achievement to have 17 girls travel to compete at nationals, I hope to see the Saints aerobics community continue to grow and thrive.

Amelie Zacharia Henley
Aerobics Captain

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