Issue no. 9
In this edition
From Our Head of Junior School
You don’t have to look far to recognise that the House system at Saints Girls is a fundamentally important cornerstone of students’ and families’ sense of belonging and community. From our youngest Reception students to our oldest Old Scholars, House identity bonds girls and women together across the ages.
School House systems promote positive and inclusive cultures. They create caring, supportive environments where students feel valued and can demonstrate loyalty and allegiance while contributing to their House’s success. Junior School students regularly receive House points as recognition for contributing positively to class activities, supporting others, demonstrating our School values or achieving personal goals in their academic endeavours. Our Year 6 House Co-Captains share each fortnight’s House successes at Assembly and organise House-based activities for the younger students. Other House-based Year 6 leadership groups are charged with assisting with the organisation of major events such as Swimming Carnival, Sports Day and the R to 3 Sports Morning. Another group organises an annual House Quiz afternoon. These are fabulous opportunities for our students to learn leadership skills and support others in reaching a shared goal. Our youngest students look up to their big House ‘sisters’ and relationships are built across the year levels.
As with many things, there is enjoyment in both participation and anticipation. Watching our older students’ phenomenal skills and energy at their recent Choral Night rehearsal certainly inspired many Junior School girls as they projected thoughts of their future selves into the competition in years to come. Transition points through the School see students looking forward to their turn at participating in the Junior Swimming Competition in Year 2, School Swimming Carnival and Sports Day when they reach Year 4, being a House Leader in Year 6, going to a House Dinner in Year 7 or dressing in novelty House costumes in Year 12.
Our Year 3 to 6 girls are getting excited for their Summer Interhouse sports competition on the last day of term. This year, a new format has been devised, with a cricket-based challenge and games inviting maximum participation from all. Concurrent activities will enable all students in a year level to play simultaneously as they attempt to hit, bowl and field their way to House victory. We look forward to a great day to end a wonderful first term and seeing the girls embracing their House spirit.
Suzanne Haddy
Head of Junior School
Choral Night to Remember
Saints Girls is still buzzing from last week’s epic Choral Night! Well done once again to victorious Kennion, and to all Houses for putting on an incredible show.
Take a look at some of the vocal and dance highlights:
Notable Old Scholar Returns to Stage
We were thrilled to welcome back talented Old Scholar, former Head Prefect and Head Chorister Sophie Norman (Patteson 2022) who took to the stage at Choral Night.
Our audience was delighted to hear Sophie’s sublime vocals again and thoroughly enjoyed her captivating performance.
Earthly Award for Environment Club
Congratulations to our Environment Club on receiving the City of Burnside’s Young Environmentalist Award for raising awareness of environmental issues and taking action.
I attended a ceremony at Kensington Gardens Reserve to accept the award and Ms Skewes presented it to Environment Club Captain Emily McCorley (Year 11) at this week’s Assembly. The girls received a beautiful red gum bowl handcrafted by Flora Rumbelow from the Adelaide Hills, a $250 voucher to go tree climbing later this year, and a lovely congratulatory letter from local MP and Shadow Assistant Minister for Environment and Heritage Jack Batty.
The Environment Club is working on a number of projects which will be revealed throughout the year. Congratulations girls!
Anna Stefopoulos
Environment Club Facilitator
IB Students Mix in Global Circles
On Wednesday, Saints Girls hosted a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Immersion Morning for Year 11 IB students from Mercedes College, Roma Mitchell Secondary College, St Peter’s College and Unley High School.
The day aimed to help students form connections with IB students from other schools whilst exploring a key area of knowledge, that being language. The schools were split across tables and given tasks such as a metaphor hunt and a quiz. After morning tea on Chiverton Lawns, other activities included creating an advertisement about the importance of having a variety of languages internationally. These were quite entertaining and ranged from jingles to song parodies to posters. We also learnt that more than 7000 languages are spoken in the world.
To conclude, a panel comprised of Mr Lisle, Mrs Smerdon, Miss Moxon and Mr Martelle was asked a number of questions about their experiences and interpretations of different areas of knowledge such as Maths, English, Humanities and Sciences.
‘I really enjoyed the TOK morning and being able to spend time with other students who do the IB Diploma. The sessions were lots of fun and it was exciting to hear other opinions and views. One of my highlights was morning tea because we were able to roam around and talk with different people. I enjoyed speaking to students from other schools about their subjects and interests inside and outside of school.’ – Maddy Penley (Year 11 student)
‘The experience was really insightful and a great opportunity to learn and meet people studying the International Baccalaureate in Adelaide. Thank you to Ms Cother and Pitkin Sensei for providing us with this amazing opportunity. We all enjoyed it and left with a wealth of new knowledge.’ – Misha Yagnik (Year 11 student)
Cindy Pitkin
Head of Languages
Architect Builds Career Knowledge
Some of our senior girls were fortunate to hear from architect Anthea Perkas as a part of our Career.Ready and JobChat program. Anthea shared her expertise regarding studying to become a qualified and registered architect and what a day in her job looks like.
‘I found learning about the pathways to get into architecture and become registered very interesting as I didn’t know how long it can take to start working in this field.’ – Zara (Year 11 student)
‘I really enjoyed the JobChat session as I learnt about a range of interesting tasks an architect has to undertake to build various structures, which typically starts from a simple drawing of a building that can lead to consultations with clients and engineers, and then to being involved in the construction process. Architecture is a very fascinating subject that may interest anyone who likes The Arts and engineering, and the job involves a lot of project management.’ – Rumaisa (Year 12 student)
‘I found the JobChat insightful and I am grateful that our School provides us with such opportunities’ – Gloria (Year 11 student)
Carolyn Farr
Careers Coordinator
Matilda School Musical – Tickets Open Tonight!
In our biggest-ever School Musical, more than 100 Saints Girls are working hard on stage and behind the scenes as we countdown to Roald Dahl’s Matilda next term.
Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, with book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda the Musical explores the anarchy of childhood and the power of imagination through the inspiring story of a little girl who dreams of a better life. With high-energy dance numbers, catchy songs and unforgettable characters, Matilda will be a girl-power showcase of our fabulous singers, dancers, actors and musicians.
7pm
Wednesday 7, Thursday 8 & Friday 9 June
Arts Centre
Tickets will be available to purchase from 5pm tonight – click here
Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
Book by Dennis Kelly
Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin
Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia).
All performance materials supplied by Hal Leonard Australia.
Orchestrations and Additional Music – Chris Nightingale.
Senior Drama Production – Book Now!
The Year 11 and 12 SACE Drama and IB Theatre students have been busily working on this year’s Senior Drama Production: Amelia Bradshaw Turns Eight.
Suitable for all ages, the play is a poignant comedy that explores the nature of human politics, growing up and the effect of the choices we make on who we become.
7pm
17 – 18 May
Arts Centre
To secure your tickets – click here
Michael Butler-Wills
Head of English/Drama Teacher
Alice in Wonderland by Shane Davidson Presents
Tonight and tomorrow, some of our talented Saints Girls will be appearing in the production of ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Shane Davidson Presents. Come with Alice as she ventures through Wonderland and the Looking Glass, meeting a wonderful array of characters.
Venue: Holden Street Theatres, 34 Holden St, Hindmarsh
Dates: Friday 31 March (7.30pm) and Saturday 1 April (1pm, 4pm and 7.30pm)
Tickets: $35 via TryBooking – click here
Mobile Phone Policy Review
At St Peter’s Girls, we maintain a register of the School’s policies with a formal review cycle. Our policy for student use of mobile phones at school is due for review this year. We thank several parents who have approached us, wishing to discuss the pros and cons of the School’s current policy.
We know that schools in the government sector are now mandated to introduce policies prohibiting student use of mobile phones during the school day by the end of this school year. One of the many advantages of being an independent school is being able to respond to the needs of our students, staff and parents pertinent to our unique context. Our aim is to educate our students whilst considering the range of perspectives amongst members in our School community. Please be aware that our current policy only applies to students in Years 7 – 12. Students in our ELC and Junior School are not permitted to use mobile phones during the school day and we do not foresee this changing.
During the remainder of this term and early next term, we will commence the review of our Mobile Phone Policy by discussing it with our SRC representatives from Years 5 – 12, and we will be meeting with staff focus groups to seek their views. In the first part of Term 2, we will also be sending out a survey for parents. We hope that as many parents as possible will find the time to complete this short but important survey, and we look forward to reviewing the results.
Cherylyn Skewes
Principal
Winter Uniform Appointments
A reminder that it’s time to check Winter Uniforms ready for the start of Term 2.
To avoid long wait times on the first day back at school, click here to book a School Shop appointment to purchase any Winter Uniform items required.
Middle and Senior School students are welcome to visit during their recess or lunch breaks and can pay via their Flexischools card, EFTPOS or cash.
Alternatively, School Shop items can be purchased online via the Flexischools platform.
School Holiday Opening Times
9 – 4pm
Wednesday 12 April
Friday 14 April
Friday 21 April
Monday 24 April
The School Shop will resume regular hours on Wednesday 26 April.
Junior School Vacation Care – Book Now
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.
April 2023 Vacation Care Program
Places are limited, so secure your booking now – click here
A late booking fee of $5 now applies for each new booking.
Sports Day – Week 1 Next Term
Our Years 4 – 12 Sports Day is being held at the SA Athletics Stadium, Mile End on Friday 28 April (Friday of Week 1, Term 2).
The day will begin at 8.30am and will conclude by approximately 3.15pm.
Excursion Consent
For students to attend this carnival, all families must complete the online permission slip through myLink. Permission must be completed by next Wednesday 5 April.
To complete the online excursion consent, please click here and log in to the myLink Parent Portal with your username (your ID number followed by @stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au) and password. It is advisable to complete the excursion consent on a computer or tablet as you may experience difficulty using a mobile phone. Any queries should be directed to mcox@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Travel Arrangements
Students who usually travel on School buses will be transported directly to and from the venue, departing from and returning to their regular stops. School Bus Drivers will inform families of any expected changes to pick-up and drop-off times.
To assist other families, we are offering a special bus service to transport students from school to the SA Athletics Stadium and back. Buses will depart school at 7.45am and return by approximately 4.15pm.
To book your daughter’s place on this bus service, click here
Bus bookings will close at 5pm on Wednesday 26 April.
Please ensure your daughter is at school well before departure time for roll-marking purposes. Each bus will have teacher supervision.
All other students will need to be dropped off at the SA Athletics Stadium in the morning and picked up from there in the afternoon.
Upon arrival, all students must sign in at the entrance to the stadium before taking a seat in their House area. They will also need to sign out at the end of the day.
Event Details
Students are reminded to wear their complete PE uniform with a hat and House top. We encourage the girls to display their House spirit, however body paint is not permitted at the venue.
There will be no specific meal breaks, but students can eat during breaks between their events. They are to either bring their recess and lunch or make use of the on-site canteen. They are also advised to bring water bottles and be prepared according to the weather forecast, applying sunscreen early. Additional sunscreen will be available at the First Aid station.
We encourage all girls to compete in a number of events, with their preferences being discussed in PE lessons and House meetings. The carnival is to be treated like a normal school day; therefore, attendance is compulsory for the whole day. If a student is unable to participate in their events, a note must be emailed to Katherine Perkas via kperkas@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
To view a map of the venue, click here
To view the program of events with approximate times, click here
Years 4 – 6 High Jump and Years 4 – 12 1500m events will occur during lunch times prior to Sports Day.
Thank you for your support as we count down to another epic Sports Day!
Katherine Perkas
Head of PE, Health and Outdoor Education
Sports Day Merchandise and Raffle
The Friends of Sport are selling House merchandise and raffle tickets ahead of Sports Day in Week 1 next term!
The raffle prize includes a $200 voucher from The Athlete’s Foot, sports equipment from Hughes and Loveday including a Sherrin football, Nike soccer ball, Gilbert netball and Shi hockey stick, plus much more!
You can pre-order merchandise and buy raffle tickets via TryBooking – click here
Raffle tickets will also be sold on the day.
Years 4 – 6: all ordered items will be delivered to classrooms
Years 7 – 12: all orders can be collected from the Front Office on Thursday 27 April
Raffle Tickets: 1 for $5 or 3 for $10
House Bundle: $30 (includes House Cap, Drink Bottle, Wristband and ‘Run like a Saints Girl’ Keyring)
Supporter Cap (blue or white): $25
House Cap: $25
House Water Bottle: $5
House Wristband: $2
Thank you for your support.
Friends of Sport
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).
- It is strongly recommended that parents/guardians inform the School if a student is a
close contact. For further advice regarding close contacts, click here - 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.
Health Notification – Head Lice
The School has been advised of cases of head lice. Head lice is spread by direct head-to-head contact with a person who has head lice or, more rarely, by contact with items which have been recently used by someone with head lice, such as:
- combs
- brushes
- hats
- scarves
- pillow cases
Many lice infestations cause no symptoms and it’s estimated less than half cause itching; therefore, you generally need to look at the hair and scalp to see if lice are present. The back of the neck and behind the ears are other common areas for lice.
For more information and advice on treatment, click here.
It is advised that children with head lice stay home until treatment has commenced.
If you find any evidence of head lice, please inform your child’s teacher, or contact the Health Centre via 8155 5762 or healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Health Centre
School Medical Information Reminder
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
Absences from School
If your child will not be attending school/ELC due to illness or otherwise, please notify the School via one of the methods below.
Please include the name of the ELC Room, Class or Home Group, along with the reason for the absence as the School requires this for government reporting purposes.
If emailing, feel free to ‘CC’ the teacher of the Room/Class/Home Group as well.
Text: 0428 601 957
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200
It would be appreciated if notifications could be made prior to 9am.
Sports News
BASKETBALL
INTERCOL RESULTS
Open A: Saints (59) v Walford A (15)
Open B: Saints (17) v Walford (27)
Open C: Saints v Wilderness (Saints won on forfeit)
Middle A: Saints (66) v Walford (12)
Middle B: Bye
Middle C: Saints (10) v Wilderness (16)
CRICKET
Open A: Saints (3/56) v Concordia (3/60)
Open B final: Saints (4/79) and Scotch (2/82) (this match was played in Week 8)
For the second year in a row, our Open B cricket team progressed to the Final, once again playing against Scotch College on their grounds. Saints won the toss and elected to bowl, hoping to restrict Scotch to a low total. Despite some solid bowling and wickets from the bowling of Amy Dillon and Jasmine Segredos, Scotch amassed a total of 2/82. Facing more than a run-a-ball chase, it would have been easy to accept defeat, but our girls fought for the win to the very last ball. The batting performance was strong throughout, and thanks to some late hitting from Jasmine Segredos (21* from 18) and Georgie Williams (14* from 15), the match went down to the final over. Our girls fell just short, scoring 4/79 in reply. The closeness of this contest is a testament to the progress they have made this season, and a positive sign for the future. These girls should be proud not only of the result, but also of how they have modelled our School values in all their matches this season. They have been exemplary. – Brynley Millward (Coach)
Year 3/4 White: Saints (52) v Wilderness (130)
TENNIS
Open A: Saints (5) v Walford (7)
Senior Div 1.1: Saints (3) v Seymour (6)
Best Player: Chelsea Francis – was awesome with great serving
Super Woman: Christina Zhu – played up a division and was very competitive with many close games
Senior Div 2: Saints (4) v Seymour (5)
Best Player: Kaylah Park – played really well and served out her game in style
Super Woman: Lilly Michelon – filled in for Division 1, had some really tough matches but never dropped her head or became frustrated, played in terrific spirit
Senior Div 4.1: Bye
Senior Div 4.2: Saints v Seymour (Saints won on forfeit)
Senior Div 4.3: Internal matches
‘Good effort from all girls; taking some steps in the right direction.’ – Matt Ford (Coach)
Experienced: Saints (15) v Wilderness (13)
Intermediate White: Saints (1) v St Ignatius (6)
Beginner Blue: Saints (3) v Pembroke (2)
Beginner White:Saints (2) v Pembroke (4)
Beginner Silver: Bye
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Open A: Saints (1) v Pembroke (1)
Open B: Saints (2) v Mercedes (2)
Open C: Saints (5) v Walford (4)
Best Player: Charlie Piper
Super Woman: Angelina Hii
Middle A: Saints (6) v Wilderness (1)
Middle B: Saints (1) v St Ignatius (4)
Best Player: India Goodall – ran hard all day to defend and attack really strongly
Super Women:
Jemima Vikor-Lam – intercepted the ball, ran straight then set up Tiana Trench for her first Try
Mila Fassina – worked hard on the wing and broke through the defence line several times
Middle C: Saints (3) v Wilderness (6)
VOLLEYBALL
Open A: Saints (0) v Immanuel (3)
Open B: Saints (3) v Immanuel (0)
Best Player: Ella Ridge – some great defensive efforts and big serving runs
Super Woman: Alysa Trinh – for having more confidence in her serve and willing to go out of her comfort zone and try overarm serving even though time ran out before she could do it
Open C: Saints (2) v Seymour (1)
Super Woman: Ruby Powell – strong presence and voice to spur the team into action, giving it a go and extending herself to serve overarm
‘Great teamwork with all players putting in non-stop effort to win the match.’ – Laila Narancic (Coach)
Open D: Saints v Immanuel (Saints won on forfeit)
Middle A: Saints (3) v Seymour (0)
Super Woman: Nishka Soodan – stepped in as Captain, displaying great skill and perseverance as a quiet achiever
‘A great team game with plenty of good ball use. Serving was a strong standout in the match, blasting Seymour to hold them to 9 points in the first set. The focus wavered a bit in the 3rd set, but the team rallied and closed out a strong win.’ – Alistair Keough (Coach)
Middle B: Saints (2) v Immanuel (1)
‘Best game by the girls thus far!’ – Antonio Rositano (Coach)
Middle C: Saints (3) v Seymour (0)
Middle D: Saints (0) v Immanuel (3)
‘Very difficult to pick the best because something seemed to click and the whole team kicked it up a few notches. For the first time, all the girls had winning serves, they saved points, they were vocal with each other, they got to 20 points (a first), they almost won. They all put in a great effort.’ – Jason Mitchell (Coach)
Super Women:
Emily L – 6 winning serves in a row and saved a couple points
Aoife Carty – once again had the team spirit and was really vocal
Year 6 Blue: Saints (2) v Seymour (1)
Year 6 Sliver: Saints (2) v Seymour (1)
Year 6 White: Saints (0) v Seymour (3)
Year 5 Blue: Saints (0) v Wilderness (3)
Year 5 White: Saints (2) v Wilderness (1)
Year 4/5 Blue: (3) v Saints Y4/5 White (0)
Year 4/5 White: (0) v Saints Y4/5 Blue (3)
WATER POLO
Open A: Bye
Open B: Bye
Open C: Bye
Middle A: Bye
Middle B: Bye
Lynne Spry Cup Results
Our Open A Water Polo girls recently took to the pool to play against our Old Scholars’ team in the prestigious Lynne Spry Cup at St Peter’s College.
This was by far the toughest game we have had to face all season with the Old Scholars’ team featuring experienced, strong and talented players. Our girls maintained a solid intensity and a fight throughout the whole game that I am so immensely proud of.
Scores were tied 5 – 5 at full-time, so we had to go to a penalty shootout to determine the winner. We were nervous, but five brave girls put their hands up to take the shots. We were able to score twice from our penalties, then it was the Old Scholars.
Claudia Pearce took her place in front of goals, and with her amazing anticipation and reflexes was able to stop the Old Scholars from scoring, and the students won! It was a nail-biting game played with a high level of skill and competitiveness, but most importantly, is was played in the right spirit.
Thank you to our students and Old Scholars for participating in the match and to the spectators who attended. Finally, thanks to Old Scholar and staff member Lynne Spry (Selwyn 1974) who has always been the biggest supporter of our girls – we couldn’t have done this without you.
Sophie Dansie
Water Polo Captain
STUDENT SUCCESS
ATHLETICS
Over the weekend, India Goodall competed in the Little Athletics State Championships. She achieved a Gold medal and is now the State Champion in the U14 Girls 800m and 1500m events. She will compete in the National Junior Athletics Championships in Melbourne and the Senior National Championships in Brisbane in coming weeks.
Best of luck also to Charlotte McAuliffe who is currently competing at the U20 National Track and Field Championships in Brisbane.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Annabel Keough is competing for SA at the Australia Youth Beach Volleyball Championships at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast. Annabel is in the U16 division and her pair has just won through to the Quarter-Finals.
EQUESTRIAN
Annabelle Knowles competed in Dressage and Show Hunter at the recent Interschools State Championship at Strathalbyn. She brought home 1st place blue ribbons for all three elements of the Intermediate Show Hunter class and the Championship rosette for Intermediate Show Hunter. Annabelle and her horse Fern also performed well in their Dressage classes, placing 4th and 5th in their tests and managing a personal best in their second test. Annabelle is hoping to be selected in the State team later in the year. Good luck Annabelle and Fern!