From the Head of Junior School
Dedicated to the improvement of outcomes for all student learning
When The Australian published national NAPLAN comparison listings of different schools in June, it was thrilling indeed to see the success of our Junior School.
In the top 50 Comprehensive Private Primary Schools, St Peter’s Girls was rated 35 in the nation and was the only South Australian School listed. In the nation’s Top 100 Primary schools, St Peter’s Girls’ School was rated 60 and again was the only South Australian school on the list.
Our NAPLAN results at Year 3 and at Year 5 over the past two years have demonstrated significant gains in the areas of Reading, Mathematics and Writing. We are extremely proud of these achievements as we are constantly dedicated to the improvement in learning outcomes for all students in all learning areas.
While these results celebrate student achievement and success, we also recognise and celebrate the talented teachers who support our classroom learning programs, the high curriculum expectations and the generous classroom resourcing that also contributes to this success.
While NAPLAN testing in some areas is still seen as controversial, we firmly believe this is one form of credible assessment that provides real data for analysis by schools over time, and allows for planning and resource allocation to improve the learning outcomes for all students not just at the school level, but within school sectors and across the nation.
The My School website is the key channel for reporting on schooling and was developed to also enable fair comparisons to be made between schools with statistically similar groups of students, with the intention of celebrating success and identifying areas for improvement. ACARA has been releasing data on My School since 2008. We now have seven years of comparative data allowing for comparisons of results from schools with students from similar socio-educational backgrounds, using the index of community socio-educational advantage scale.
While we celebrate the School’s achievements in the areas of Reading, Mathematics and Writing, and the use of NAPLAN data as a tool for improvement in all areas of literacy and numeracy, we also acknowledge and use a wide range of other assessment and testing tools to ensure the progress of our students is being constantly monitored and improved across the wider curriculum areas.
Continual assessment and authentic feedback to students based on this information in a range of forms is integral to the highest levels of teaching and learning.
One prime assessment and tracking tool, and one that complements the NAPLAN testing is our end of year School-based testing for all students from Reception to Year 6. The Reading Age, Spelling Age and Maths Age of all students are monitored on an annual basis. This allows for student tracking in the critical areas of literacy and numeracy progress and development. While the NAPLAN testing is completed every second year of a student’s journey through the primary school our School-based testing is annual and allows for the closer monitoring of overall progress in these critical basic skill areas. At the classroom level teachers use the IB PYP assessment guidelines to skilfully, thoughtfully and effectively guide students through the five essential elements of learning: the acquisition of knowledge; the understanding of concepts; the mastery of skills; the development of attitudes; and the decision to take action. Through the reporting and interview process they also provide feedback on the broader knowledge and conceptual development and progress of every student.
A comprehensive range of assessment strategies, which include classroom observations, performance assessments, standardised tests, process focussed assessments and open-ended tasks are all used to provide a balanced view of the students’ learning and progress. Within these strategies a range of tools such as rubrics, exemplars, checklists, continuums and anecdotal records are all used to build a comprehensive picture of student performance and the efficacy of the program.
Maintaining a dedicated focus on the learning of our students will continue to drive the improvement and success of all students during the critical primary years of schooling.
STEM: linking Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Most students learn best in Science when their curiosity is engaged and they can see connections between the concepts and their lives. Making our teaching engaging and relevant whilst ensuring that students effectively develop their knowledge, understanding and skills requires us to carefully balance our learning activities. It can be argued that students have only really learned when they can transfer their knowledge and skills to new problems and contexts. Making connections between ideas and skills in different learning areas and their application in problem solving is a focus of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education.
I was fortunate to attend the STEM Education Conference (A decade of development – STEM Education for 2025) in Sydney last week. Presenters included The Hon Karen Andrews MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry & Science (a Mechanical Engineer); Professor Hugh Bradlow, Chief Scientist at Telstra; and many other leaders in the development of programs in schools, universities, industry and other research organisations. They gave fascinating insights into current developments and initiatives and possibilities for the future.
Some key messages to come from this conference were:
- 75% of the fastest growing careers in Australia have a STEM focus
- jobs in STEM fields grew at 1.5 times the rate of other jobs in the economy in recent years
- Australia needs more people with a qualification in STEM than we are currently producing
- the need for highly capable STEM-qualified professionals can only be met if a greater proportion of our population takes up these opportunities. In particular, girls and women provide the best chance of meeting the demand.
St Peter’s Girls provides a wonderful environment for girls to develop their interest and understanding in STEM subjects. I would like to share with you two initiatives that will foster this development in Years 7 and 10.
The Year 7 Maths/Science Inquiry subject in Semester 2 will be based on the Engquest Challenge and the Science by Doing materials, developed by the Australian Academy of Science https://www.sciencebydoing.edu.au. Guided Inquiry strategies will be used to engage students with concepts and skills from across the curriculum, with an emphasis on STEM.
In direct response to the opportunities available for girls and women in the STEM careers of the future, a new Year 10 elective subject, GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Mathematics and Science), is being offered. The purposes of this subject include developing planning and problem solving strategies through the use of scenarios, models and simulations and encouraging girls to consider a wider range of STEM careers. The exact content of the course will be determined from the interests of the students but possible focus areas include:
- Renewable energy sources
- Electricity production, transfer and storage
- Sustainable housing
- Solar vehicles
- Aviation
- Science and Engineering Challenge
- Engineering design process
- The Australian STEM Video Game challenge
Business embraces social media and the hotel industry
Girls in both Stage 1 and 2 Business and Enterprise classes have many varied opportunities to engage with the business community and learn about new trends and issues.
Most recently they were fortunate enough to have Shane Brown from Northpoint Toyota present to them an interactive session about utilising social media.
So why are businesses embracing social media? Why are those advertisements appearing in your news feed? Essentially there are four main reasons which all relate to the fact that social media provides businesses with considerable benefits including:
- It provides two-way communication, not just one-way
- Specific and incredibly focussed targeting of customers and audience
- Analytics enable a business to measure success of their marketing
- Cheaper and more cost effective at reaching target audiences.
Shane took the girls through a hypothetical task involving the Facebook account of Northpoint Toyota and how they can use this platform to meet specific measurable goals. It was fascinating! It certainly made us all realise that businesses really need to know how to use and react to the real time analytics available and that the marketing role within a business has so many exciting opportunities available through social media to help them grow. I know that the students valued getting this perspective on a platform that they are in many cases regular participants of, but have not before had the opportunity to view from a business perspective.
Both classes also participated in the International College of Hotel Management (ICHM) Home Program (Hospitality Operations and Management Exercise) which introduced students to various management roles within the international hospitality industry. Touching on everything from marketing to human resources and general management the students were asked to design their own hotel properties for the government of the fictitious region, the United Kingdom of Pacific States (UKPS).
Before deciding the specifics of each property, the team had to assign each member a management role and briefly describe her function; following which they set about naming their hotel and deciding on the inclusions for the property with the aim of attracting a specific target market. The exercise allowed students to develop a better understanding of the complexities involved when running an international business in the multi-billion dollar hospitality industry; and a broader perspective on what is possible in this diverse field.
Both opportunities were embraced by the girls, enabling them to apply the theory studied directly to the ever-changing business environment. Special thanks to Northpoint Toyota’s Amanda Gosse and Shane Brown for being so enthusiastic to support our girls.
Emily Monaghan
Business and Enterprise Teacher
Selwyn Spirit Week
Being the first house to have their spirit week this year, Selwyn girls started off the week with a green statement, by wearing all different types of green ribbons.
Our annual “Find George, the green monkey” commenced, where we hide a green monkey around the School for the Selwyn girls to find. Once George is found, the girls are to bring him to the common room and are given a prize.
On Wednesday at our whole school Chapel all Selwyn girls sat up at the front to show our spirit. Selwyn House Captain, Laura, spoke of the incredible teamwork and cooperation that Selwyn House shows, with an underlying theme of the jungle, to show that support from each other is what is really important.
We finished the Chapel service with the whole House processing out of the Chapel and cheering outside.
On Friday, the School was full of green colour. The Year 12s, as it was their last spirit week, went all out and put on everything green they had. We had girls wearing green leg warmers, necklaces, and earings.
On Friday afternoon, it was a few hours before the much anticipated House dinner! From lunchtime, the Year 12s, Year 11s and amazing helper parents helped tie balloons, make balloon trees and make the centrepieces.
After five weeks of planning, the Selwyn jungle was set up in the Arts Centre for the ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here’ House Dinner. With further help from the Year 11s, parents and Property Services men, tables were decorated, the giraffe and palm tree cardboard cutouts were hung up, and the foyer was decorated.
As the Selwynites arrived, two dads dressed in gorilla costumes greeted the guests. As we entered the Arts Centre, an overwhelming amount of green was to be seen. With the photo booth at the back of the stage, the lineup grew as more Selwynites arrived.
To begin the evening, entrée was served while each year level paraded down the runway, showing off their amazing costumes. The Year 12s chose the awards; Georgia Naughton dressed as Snoop Dogg was awarded with most creative, Funto K awarded with overall best dressed as Katy Perry, and Emma Auricht awarded with best look-alike as Ariana Grande.
Throughout the night, the House participated in a baby photo quiz of the Year 12s and a music quiz. Five girls from each year level volunteered to take part in a relay game where the first person attempted to find 2 gummy bears in a pit of lolly snakes. The next two people were tagged and one was fed a bowl of green jelly through the arms of the other person. Following this, the next person attempted to eat a hanging donut with no hands. Finally, the last person let their makeup run as they struggled the apple bobbing challenge.
Overall, it was a great night with help from the parent helpers, Year 11s and Year 12s. Everyone looked amazing and allowed the last House Dinner for the year 12s to be very memorable.
To view the photos, visit the Focus School Portraits website and enter the password: SaintsGirls (this is case sensitive), then select the Selwyn House Dinner gallery.
Laura Falconer
Selwyn House Captain
Year 2 students go to market
The Year 2 unit of inquiry has ignited a passion for taking action! As the girls explored the central idea that water is essential to life and is a precious resource they became immersed in a guided inquiry about how children in different parts of the world use and access water. They used the three lines of inquiry to investigate:
- The different uses of water
- The properties and sources of water
- The sustainable management of water
The book, ”Our World of Water”, by Beatrice Hollyer in association with Oxfam, was used as a powerful provocation to travel the globe and discover that water can be sourced from melting glaciers in Peru and from deep underground wells in Ethiopia. The girls conducted science experiments to find out how to move water from its source to the point of use. The connections the girls have made between our science experiments and observations and the real-life situations we have researched through our guided inquiry were very clearly evident. It was with this knowledge and understanding that they considered the enormous impact that access to clean, fresh water has on people’s daily lives.
With this in mind, our girls decided to take action to change the world in a small but powerful way! They conducted research through the Oxfam Unwrapped website and aimed to raise $135 to purchase a well to provide a village in Sri Lanka with a clean, fresh water supply.
The girls planned and organised a Market Day to sell delicious edible treats as well as hand-crafted art and craft items. They worked at home with their families and a great deal of enthusiasm to make this day a success. The girls identified that they needed count money and give change in preparation for the day.
This culminated in a day celebrated with a Parent Sharing morning of Our Wonderful World of Water and the girls eagerly awaited their first customers – the Reception and Year 1 classes! The girls had a wonderful experience pricing goods, counting money and calculating change. They also had various specials and sales throughout the day.
We raised $308.00 and then received a very generous donation from Levanya De Silva and family which enabled us to purchase three wells for villages in Sri Lanka from Oxfam Unwrapped!
We would like to extend sincerest thanks and appreciation to everyone who supported this event.
Kathryn Clark and Sallyann Bruun
Year 2 Teachers
Year 7 – 10 Big Science and ICAS Science Competition Results
All Year 7-10 students took part in the Big Science Competition. This online competition assessed knowledge and understanding from each of the four strands of the Australian Curriculum Science. It gives us valuable information about how well our students have mastered each part of the curriculum. Years 7 and 8 students entered the Junior category, with Years 9 and 10 students attempting the Intermediate category.
A High Distinction is awarded to students in the top 5% in Australia. High Distinctions were awarded to Year 8 students, Sarah Matheson and Amy Rice, Year 9 student, Erin Barrera, and Year 10 students, Sophie-Louise Shearwood, Hannah Vine Hall and Mirella Di Cesare.
Distinctions are awarded to students in the top 20% in Australia. Distinctions were awarded to Year 7 students, Emily Downie, Eliza Hannon, Sophie Johnson, Charlotte Bleby and Natacha Zisos Troupakis.
Year 8 Distinction winners were Aditi Tamhankar, Amy Li, Rachel Kameniar, Sarah Carrodus and Zoë Scobie.
In Year 9 Distinctions were awarded to Antonia Kirsten-Parsch, Lucy Cox, Ziyi (Michelle) Yeoh, Alice Tyson, Ava Loechel, Georgia Bowden, Jaime Darley, Kate McKellar-Stewart, Tiffany Babidge, Ashleigh Rogers, Emma Bleby, Georgia Nairn and Kate Landon.
Year 10 Distinctions were awarded to Amber Frost, Emma Roberts, Georgia Murdock, Zoe Zito, Emily Keough, Abbey Goodwin, Emily Murdock and Georgia Bateman.
This year the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) Science Competition was sat by selected students. The ICAS Science competition assesses students’ skills in the key scientific areas of:
- Interpreting data, including observing, measuring and interpreting diagrams, tables and graphs
- Applying data, including inferring, predicting and concluding
- Higher order skills, including investigating, reasoning and problem solving
All students will receive a certificate and a report showing their achievement in each of these areas.
Students who achieve a high score in the competition are awarded a particular certificate.
A High Distinction is awarded to students in the top 1% of all students in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Emily Murdock in Year 10 was awarded a High Distinction.
A Distinction is awarded to students whose achievement ranks them in the next 10% of all students in SA and NT. The following students achieved Distinctions:
Aleisha Elliott in Year 7; Sarah Carrodus in Year 8; Year 9 students, Bethany Cross and Dominique Rigby; and Year 10 students, Sophie-Louise Shearwood and Aanchal Chandiramani.
A Credit is awarded to students who rank in the next 25% of students in SA and the NT. The following students achieved a credit:
- Year 7: Funto Komolafe, Eliza Hannon, Isabelle Norman, and Ella Liddy
- Year 8: Amy Li, Hannah Brown, Sarah Matheson and Sophie Le Mire
- Year 9: Ziyi (Michelle) Yeoh, Ava Loechel, Grace Russell-Jarvie, Ashleigh Rogers, Antonia Kirsten-Parsch and Charlotte Yandell
- Year 10: Hannah Vine Hall, Hazel Huang, Emily Keough, Sophia Casanova Clarke, Rachael Disney, Abbey Goodwin, Sophie Freeman and Mikaela Georgiadis.
Mothers’ Club update
So we’ve finished the amphitheatre, but it needs one more thing… a BBQ!
So come on everyone, can we build it? Yes we can!
We just need some cash to buy a few bricks and pieces.
We’ve lined up some stellar prizes for our Fathers’ Day Raffle – so here’s your chance to win dad an awesome present and help us throw a snag on the new barbie!
Next week, families will receive a special envelope, with your sausage tickets included. Just return the tickets with your payment and we’ll pop the sausages on to cook on our display in the Front Office.
The more tickets you buy, the more chance you have of winning!
The raffle will be drawn on 3 September. Good luck and thank you for your continued support of the Mothers’ Club.
Recorder lessons
We now have a fabulous recorder teacher on staff at School. Julia Norman is a highly experienced and enthusiastic recorder graduate from The University of Adelaide. She is also a registered teacher and is currently working with some of our Year 9 Music girls.
Our Year 9 musicians are exploring the different types of recorders, including sopranino, tenor and bass recorder and this group will hopefully become a permanent fixture in our ensemble program.
Recorder lessons are open to all ages, including ELC students. If you would like more information about enrolling in single or small group recorder lessons, please contact Jeanne Phillips in the Arts Office for more information.
60 minutes of physical activity every day
Children who have the fundamental movement skills (FMS) – running, throwing, kicking, catching and jumping – are more likely to become fit adolescents who continue to play and enjoy sport.
Over the past 13 years, 14,000 NSW children aged nine to 15 have been assessed to identify their proficiency in the five basic FMS. By the time they left primary school, less than 50% were competent at running, jumping, catching, kicking and overarm throwing. Two thirds of the girls had poor scores in the over-arm throw, and less than 8% showed competence. It has been found that children who possess good FMS have higher levels of physical activity as well as better health related fitness.
At present, only one in 3 children meet the current physical activity guidelines for children of 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Furthermore, fewer than one in 3 children are meeting the guideline for “no more than 2 hours of screen-based entertainment” every day. It is recommended that children should be encouraged to experience different sports so they can practise and develop a broad range of Fundamental Movement Skills. These opportunities should take the form of both structured sports coaching as well as unstructured play.
The purpose of the Saints Sports Group is to support the Sports Department in promoting the benefits of participation in sport, with the aim of seeing more students and parents being involved. Saints Sports Group is now providing funding for both students and parents to undertake courses that will help them improve their playing, coaching, managing and officiating skills. Anyone wishing to pursue a course for enhancement in any of these areas can acquire more information from Neil Fuller, Director of Sport.
Neil also has leaflets that support the National Physical Activity Guidelines: 0 – 5 years, 5 – 12 years and 13 – 17 years.
Wallace Long
Saints Sport Group
Careers Information
Open Days 2015
The University of Adelaide – North Terrace Campus
Sunday 16 August 9:00am – 4.30pm
www.adelaide.edu.au/openday
UniSA Open Day
City West Campus – Education, Art, Architecture, Design, Social Science, Communication, Business, Law, IT, Science, Maths, Engineering, Aviation, and Environmental Programs
City East Campus – Health and Medical Sciences-Human Movement, Physiotherapy, Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy, Medical Sciences and Medical Radiation Science.
Sunday 16 August 9:00am – 4.30pm
www.unisa.edu.au/openday
Flinders University
Friday 14 August 9.30am – 4:00pm
Saturday 15 August 9.30am-4pm
www.flinders.edu.au/openday
EducationUSA
Suzanne Sealey, Melbourne Representative for EducationUSA, will be visiting Adelaide this term, and we will be hosting a couple of sessions that might appeal to you and your students.
Education USA Information Session
For Years 10, 11, 12 students and their parents|
Monday, 10 August, 6.00pm
Potts Lecture Theatre
Pembroke Senior School
18 Holden St.
Kensington Park
At this session Suzanne will discuss the process of applying for undergraduate study in the US with reference to testing required, the application process, timeline, and costs.
It is expected that the information session will run for approximately 1 hour. Suzanne will also be able to speak to students who are specifically interested in finding out more about sports scholarships.
Students/parents should register online
University of Warwick Visit
Jeremy Burgess, Head of International Student Recruitment from the University of Warwick, will be visiting our school on Wednesday 26 August between 13:00 – 13:45 and speaking to Senior Students on the topic of studying at university in the UK.
Karen Alderson
Careers Counsellor
Reminder: Student absences
Under the terms of the Education Act with which the School must comply, we are required to record and maintain leave records for students. As such, we remind you that the School is required to be advised of absence from school.
Absence due to illness or late arrivals due to appointments can be notified via text to 0428 601 957, email attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au or by phoning the School on 8334 2200.
Requests for leave (e.g. family holiday, sporting events) are to be advised in writing prior to the commencement of leave. These requests should be directed to the Heads of Sub-Schools, Anne Mitchell for Junior School, Richard Lisle for Middle School and Kerry Skinner for Senior School. Any long term leave (a term or more), and notification of withdrawal, must be directed to the Principal, Julia Shea, via email or hard copy.
A formal confirmation from the relevant Head of Sub-School will be sent to you upon receipt of a leave request.
On a further matter, students will not be allowed to attend excursions unless a written permission slip is received by the School. We cannot accept verbal permission.
We thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Kerry Skinner
Deputy Principal
Important safety reminder for our car park
The start of a new term provides an ideal opportunity to remind members of the School community about the importance of complying with the guidelines the School has developed for our car park. We want to ensure the safety of all members of our community.
The most important points to remember are:
- keep the car park entrance and exit zones clear
- use the set down and pick up zones appropriately during peak times
- obey speed limits when driving through the car park
To allow traffic flow, the car park entrance and exit zones must be kept clear at all times. Please do not queue across these areas.
In peak times, do not park in the set down and pick up zones for extended periods. When cars overstay in this area, the car park quickly becomes gridlocked, also bringing traffic on Stonyfell Road to a standstill.
Drivers must observe the 10 kilometre per hour speed limit at all times in the car park, whether entering, exiting or travelling through it. Speed limit signs are clearly displayed in prominent locations and, in order to ensure the speed limit is observed, speed humps were installed two years ago.
If you have any feedback or questions about the car park guidelines please direct them to Mr Andrew Rosser, Business Director, on 8334 2218.
Senior Drama: Carmella Finds Out
The Senior Drama students have been working hard on their production, ‘Carmella Finds Out’. As has been the case for the last four years, they are presenting an original work… written, developed, workshopped and constructed in-house.
The play itself is a symbolic exploration of oppression, social structures and faith. Set in a bland world of black and white and brown, the fable-like narrative follows Carmella who dreams of colours, and charts the conflict she experiences as a result. Imagistic and expressionistic, the play uses sound and vision powerfully to complement the unfolding story.
Don’t miss out on a startling piece of theatre!
Time: 7:30pm
Dates: 12, 13 and 14 August 2015
Venue: Arts Centre, St Peter’s Girls School
Tickets: $10 Adults or $5 concession
To book, visit www.trybooking.com/ILVF
Please note the play is suitable for children over the age of 12, as it contains some adult themes and frightening scenes.
Michael Butler-Wills
Drama Teacher
Winter Cabaret
The Winter Cabaret music concert will be held from 7pm on Saturday 8 August.
The Australian Army Band Adelaide will be a guest performer at our concert. In addition to performing a set featuring an eclectic program of music from traditional Concert Band repertoire, World War I music to top 40 songs, the band will also combine with our own Senior Concert Band to play a magnificent finale. This will include a high impact fanfare and music from the original Star Wars movies.
The Concert Band girls have been busy rehearsing with the Army Band recently. Playing alongside professional musicians is such a wonderful experience and gives our students an insight into future career paths, as well as a much better understanding of the impact Concert Band music, played by top musicians, can have.
The Winter Cabaret will definitely be the highlight of the Music calendar this year. Don’t miss out – tickets for the Winter Concert are still available!
As well as the Concert Band, the Winter Cabaret will also feature the Chamber Ensemble, Senior Strings, Junior Choir and Concert Choir, Stage Band, Senior Rock Band, Year 8/9 Percussion Ensemble and Senior Percussion Ensemble, as well as several Year 12 soloists.
Friends of the Arts will have pies and pasties, platters and drinks available for sale on the night.
Proceeds from the concert will be donated to Legacy.
When: 7pm, Saturday 8 August 2015
Venue: Arts Centre, St Peter’s Girls’ School
Tickets: $15 adults or $10 concession
Tables of 10 will be set up in the lower area of the Arts Centre or general admission seats can be booked in the top section.
Bookings are now open: visit www.trybooking.com/IFHQ
We look forward to seeing you there.
Sally Rounsevell
Director of Music
Open for comment
Burnside City Council has recently released the proposal for Bell Yett Reserve and this is open for public comment.
To view the proposal, and show your support for the project, please complete the online survey here: www.engage.burnside.sa.gov.au
> Read about the proposal
> Feedback survey
Would you like to try rowing?
If you’ve ever wanted to give rowing a go or think this could be your sport, you’ll be more than welcome at Saints Rowing.
Join us for an information evening to learn more about the Saints Girls rowing program, how you can be involved, and why rowing is such a great sport. The evening will be held at 6pm, Tuesday 25 August in the Humzy Theatre.
There will be a free Come and Try day from 11am – 1pm on Sunday 30 August for students in Years 6 – 10 at the Scotch Boatshed, Victoria Drive, Adelaide (behind the Convention Centre). Rowers will have access to a modern fleet of boats and excellent coaching staff.
Girls may also be interested in taking on the role of coxswain (cox). The cox plays an important leadership role by taking charge of the crew and supporting the rowers through their training program as ‘the coach on the water’.
The sport of rowing assists girls to develop lifelong skills including leadership, health, nutrition, fitness and how to work as an effective member of a team.
Info night: 6pm, Tuesday 25 August in the Humzy Theatre
Come and Try: 11am, Sunday 30 August at Scotch Boatshed, Torrens River
Official training commences for Years 7-11 students in Week 8 this term. The Learn to Row program for Year 6 students commences in Term 4.
Ben Flannagan
Director of Rowing
Winter Interhouse
Winter Interhouse will be held on Saturday 8 August for all students in Years 7-12.
Netball – 8-9:30am
Hockey – 8-9:30am
Badminton – 8-10am
Soccer – 10-11:30am
Barbecue breakfast, coffee and drinks will be also be available.
Sports Results
Open Knockout Hockey – Tuesday 28 July
Saints participated in the Open knockout and faced Unley HS and arch rival, Seymour. Seymour defeated Unley and then Saints defeated Unley 6-0, with some excellent play from Sophie Fry, Carla Lawrence and Tash Hammond, and some great short corners from Ellie Stroeher to set up a number of goals.
Saints then faced Seymour to determine who would qualify for the finals, and in a tense game that Saints led twice the final score finished at 2-2, sending the game to a penalty shoot-out. Sophie Fry and Tash Hammond again led the way, with excellent defending by Shaye Thompson and saves in goal from Hannah Stroeher. On the field Olivia May, Zoe Steinhardt, Georgie Sarah and Lara Khoury all played very well. Despite her best efforts in goal, Hannah Stroeher was unlucky with Seymour edging Saints out 4-3 in the penalty shoot-out. Despite the result, Seymour had played a couple of ineligible players which means Saints were able to progress to the State Finals. Neil Fuller
Junior Basketball – Wednesday 29 July
Year 6 Blue – Saints 13 defeated by Pembroke Green 23
The girls should be commended on their excellent first-up efforts against a strong Pembroke Green team, given that we have a few girls playing Basketball for the first time. We will improve as the term unfolds and the girls gel as a unit. Our better players were Stephanie Smalls and Keeley Fahey, and special mention to first game player Qingxin Feng (Angela). Looking forward to next week already when we play away vs Walford. Darren Berry (Coach)
Year 6 White 14 defeated by Walford 50
For most of the girls it was their first game of basketball. It was a fast and exciting game and the girls tried really hard. As the game went on we got better and better. In the last quarter we even outscored the Walford team! Best on ground was Sophie Kameniar who attacked the ball and shot some amazing goals. Tammy Flannagan (Coach)
Year 5 – Saints 26 defeated Walford 18
In the first match for the term the girls played extremely well to record a win. They all played really well, making some great passing and shooting as well as working hard in defence to win many turnovers. The best player for this week was Sophie Norman. Jo Dalpra and Ella Robinson (Coaches)
Junior Netball – Wednesday 29 July
Year 4 White – Saints 3 defeated by Pembroke 4
The girls’ first game was very close, with Pembroke scoring the winning goal in the last few minutes. All players played well and really showed enthusiasm, a positive attitude and great effort. Pearl Richards played confidently in GD, preventing many attempts at goal, and Devika Mukherjee was excellent in GK for the first time. Well done, girls. Looking forward to next week. Eve Habel (Assistant Coach)
Year 3 – Saints 11 defeated Walford Gold 0
The girls played a very good first game with a pleasing win. They showed their knowledge of the game and put the skills they had learned in training into action. We were especially pleased with the girls’ ability to work the ball down the court. The defence was also strong and impressive. Best players were Claudia Pearce who scored 5 goals and Charlie Piper who was a standout in Centre and made nice passes and good choices when it came to taking the ball down the court. Rachel Kameniar (Assistant Coach)
Soccer – Wednesday 29 July
Open A – Saints 1 defeated Immanuel 0
Last week the Open As played against Immanuel at Immanuel and successfully came away with a 1-0 win. After our early goal we kept up the pressure in defence in order to keep our lead. Well done to Krystina Dianos for strong defending and Elin Michel for her persistence in the striker line. Olivia May (Captain)
Open B – Saints 1 defeated Immanuel 0
The girls played away this week and came away with their first win of the season against a very strong Immanuel team. The girls dominated the game, creating numerous scoring opportunities. It took some individual brilliance from Ella Connaghan to break the deadlock in the first half. The girls defended well in the second half as a team, enabling them to win the game. Special mention to Ella Connaghan, Megan Jenssen – GK for their leadership on the day. Keep up the good work, girls. Peter Krantis (Director of Soccer)
Middle A – Saints 4 defeated Immanuel 0
Right from kickoff the girls controlled the pace of the game, working well together to create lots of goal scoring opportunities early on, with Layne Beveridge converting within the first few minutes with a powerful bottom corner shot. The girls maintained control until the end of the first half, with Sarah Matheson scoring an amazing long range goal. The girls came out in the second half firing, continuing their attacking style, having many shots on goal in the second half, with two more goals from Layne. Best Players: Layne Beveridge, Taylah Simpson, Sarah Matheson. Tom Maracic (Coach)
Middle B – Saints 0 lost to Pembroke 1
The first game after the holidays showed how evenly matched the two sides were. The game swung from one attacking zone to the other throughout the game. Our forwards, Emma, Chloe and Amy, set up quite a few scoring opportunities with their running and strong passing, but unfortunately they could not finish off the good work with goals. Rachel, Olivia, Kate and Charlotte were supporting them strongly in the mid-field by stopping Pembroke’s attacks and driving the ball back into our forward lines. Isabelle, Nicolette and Taylor on the last line of defence were putting their forward under relentless pressure. Unfortunately, the only serious attack that Pembroke made broke through the defence and one long kick ended up scoring the winning goal. It was an entertaining but frustrating game. Best players: Emma Bleby, Kate Landon, Chloe Deieso, Rachel Banham. Craig Morton (Coach)
Year 7 – Saints 3 defeated Pembroke 0
The girls were dominant for the majority of the game, controlling the match from start to finish and having a well-deserved victory! Pleasing to see that they are improving week in, week out. Great team performance. Goal scorers: Olivia Law – 3, Best: Olivia Law, Maddie Tilley, Tahlia Towers. Reeve Wijayasekara (Coach)
Junior Soccer – Friday 31 July
Year 6 Blue – Saints 3 defeated Wilderness Blue 0
The girls have started their season well by recording a 3-0 win against Wilderness. The girls used the first half to get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The defence in the first half was tight. Annie and Georgia played well as our goalkeepers. The second half saw the girls increase their passing game, which resulted in two goals and many more attempts. I can’t wait until next week. Mark Routley (Coach)
Year 6 White – Saints 4 defeated Wilderness White 1
The girls playing their first match of the season came away with a great team win. After going behind early after dominating the play in the first half, the girls responded with 4 great team goals. The girls played good team football and kept the pressure against Wilderness all game. Goal scorers were Sophie Kameniar 1, Kellie Bested 2 and Poppie Goldsmith 1. Great start to the season, with more improvement and wins to come! Charlie Capogreco (Coach)
Year 4/5 – Saints 2 defeated by Seymour 4
Overall, the girls had a great first game; it was very close, with both goalkeepers having a lot of work to do. Many of the players played in both attack and defence, proving their versatility on the pitch. Unfortunately, the game ended in a 2-4 loss but there were many positives to be taken out of a great performance.
Badminton – Saturday 1 August
Open A – Saints 6 defeated Pembroke 0
Great job to all the girls this week with a 6-0 win against Pembroke. Best player goes to Sabrina Chou for fighting back in her tough three set singles game.
Open B – Saints 5 defeated Pulteney 1
The Open B team played against Pulteney, and had a convincing win. Keep up the great effort, girls! Best players Cate Neale, Laura Sievewright, Hazel Huang
Open C – Saints 5 defeated Pulteney 1
This week the C grade girls defeated Pulteney and each player is showing steady improvement in her game play! Best players Charlene Lee, Cheryl Wang, Erica Reid
Open D – Saints 3 defeated by Walford 3
The D grade girls this week performed exceptionally well, unfortunately losing overall to Walford by a few points. Great improvement in your game play, girls; let’s keep it up! Best players Georgia Bowden, Nicola Jones
Open E – Saints 5 defeated Pembroke 3
Best player goes to Lola Dimond who has shown great improvement since the beginning of the season!
Open F and G: With Wilderness forfeiting their game this week, the Saints F and G grade team played against each other, with the F girls defeating the G girls. Best players go to: Ruoyu (Helen) Han, Amelie Dunda, and Shunem Josiah.
Josephine Liu (Captain)
Hockey – Saturday 1 August
Open A – Saints 4 defeated Immanuel 1
We started strongly and we were able to put a goal on the board within the first 10 minutes after some strong team play. The team grew in confidence and constructed a number of scoring opportunities through good passing, and a second goal saw us 2-0 up at half-time. After the half-time break Immanuel came out strongly and were able to score to reduce our lead. Our mid-field dominance eventually wore their defence down and a third goal was scored. The highlight of the game was the final goal scored right on the buzzer, giving us a well-deserved victory. Well done to the goal scorers this week; Sophie, Ellie and Olivia. Sophie Fry (Captain)
Open B – Saints 1 defeated by Sacred Heart 4
The B grade played a spirited match against Sacred Heart College, levelling the match 1-1 at half-time before the opponents scored quick goals towards the end of the match to take control. The girls played with fast movement early but struggled to break through the final line of defence. This came back to haunt them in the second half. Scorer was Grace Packer who was also one of the best, along with Emily Keough, Jemimah Simpson and Olivia Goldsmith. Dan Searle (Supervisor)
Open C – Saints 1 defeated by St Michael’s 15
After playing a strong opponent last week, the Cs had to endure another learning experience playing state players in the C grade. The result was unfortunate but there were some positives, with Emma Carrodus performing extremely well in goals, preventing further carnage, and the structure of the team, especially in the second half where we made the opponents earn their goals. Best players along with Emma were Grace Edwards and Annabel Baldwinson who scored the goal. Dan Searle (Supervisor)
Lacrosse – Saturday 1 August
Under 15 – Saints 8 defeated by Brighton 16
Despite the cold and wet weather, a large number of girls turned up to play the match. Emma Auricht (Year 8) used her speed magnificently in mid-field to get away from her players. Alice Petchey (Year 10) took many of the centres and fought hard to gain possession of the ball. She also did well in attack, as she swiftly dodged around defenders to score goals. Harriet Maerschel (Year 7) also did very well in attack as she ran hard at the goal, trying to find space to help her shoot. Our goalie for the match was Portia Reppucci (Year 10) who saved a number of goals. In defence the girls were particularly focussed on making sure they could see the girl with the ball and their own player. Goal scorers for the match were Alice Petchey, Sophie-Louise Shearwood (Year 10), Millisent Wilkin (Year 7) and Harriet Maerschel. Best players were Alice Petchey and Harriet Maerschel for showing skill and composure in attack. Lucy Martin (Captain)
Under 13 Division 1 – Saints 11 defeated by Brighton 19
It was considerably wet and the grounds were slippery, but the girls went out and tried their hardest. Harriet Maerschel (Year 7) and Millisent Wilkin (Year 7) did a spectacular job in the centres, gaining possession of the ball most of the time or fighting hard when the ball was on the ground. In attack, Chelsea Walls (Year 7) and Ruth Oliver (Year 6) did well in getting away from the opposition and getting the ball. Stephanie Smalls (Year 6) made some fantastic passes in the mid-field, which helped transition the ball smoothly into attack. All of the girls were focussed on trying to shut off the opposition players to inhibit the girl with the ball passing to her team mates. Goal scorers for this match were Harriett Maerschel, Chelsea Walls, Millisent Wilkin and Ruth Oliver. Best player was Harriet Maerschel as she did a fantastic job in defence, mid-field and attack. Lucy Martin (Captain)
Under 13 Division 2 – Saints 15 defeated St Aloysius 5
The girls combined many skills they had learnt in training along with excellent skills being portrayed throughout the game. They had brilliant work in attack and pushed hard to defend the goals. Best players went to Dani Cox and Harriet Maerschel for great work on the field. Alice Petchey
Netball – Saturday 1 August
Open A – Saints 47 defeated Pembroke 44
This week the Open A team went out looking for a win and played a fantastic game, securing a win against Pembroke. There was a genuine whole team effort and our cooperation and encouragement as a team, which has improved weekly, was a major factor in the game. Sophie Freeman had an excellent game, getting countless intercepts, and she had high energy for the entirety of the game. A special mention must also go to Fiona Dawson, who also had a great game, executing some flawless shots! All the girls should be impressed with this week’s game, and of the way we have developed as a team. Amy Wishart (Captain)
Open B – Saints 19 defeated by Pembroke 22
Despite the loss, the Open B team played a great game this week, showing huge improvement from previous weeks. Throughout the entire game, the score remained close, a result of the high defensive pressure applied down the court. In the final quarter, the girls managed to really focus on their skills and turn the score around from being 6 down to only 3 at the end of the game. Overall, it was a good game and the girls are showing fantastic improvement each week. Amy Wishart (Captain)
Open C – Saints 18 defeated by Pembroke 45
Open Cs played their best game for the season so far. Everyone worked hard and played as one unit. We also scored the most goals of any game so far. Well done to everyone for showing great teamwork and improvement. Hayley Edge (Coach)
Year 10A – Saints 42 defeated Pembroke 32
The girls started the game strong, with Lily Habel and Mirella Di Cesare both moving well in attack. The girls applied a lot of pressure in defence, causing a lot of turnovers. Despite the weather conditions, the girls stayed in front for the whole game. An excellent game to watch. Best Players: Lily Habel and Mirella Di Cesare. Alana Coppock (Coach)
Year 10B – Saints 17 defeated by Pembroke 18
The game was close from start to finish. The girls applied a lot of pressure in defence and the girls in attack shot extremely well. Unfortunately the girls lost by one goal but every week the girls keep improving their skills and it was an exciting game to watch. All played well. Alana Coppock (Coach)
Year 9A – Saints 15 defeated by Pembroke 58
This week the girls had another tough opponent, with our first quarter being the best, matching Pembroke in score. The team worked very well together by displaying some great skill and in the following quarters, despite the score, we continued to show some great passages of play and the girls worked very hard. Our defence, Lulu Tierney, Jessie Rundle and Charlotte Kelly, worked very hard against very accurate shooters and we were very impressed with their efforts. In the mid-court, Emily Webb, Holly Cunningham, Ella Robinson and India Deere made some great leads and intercepts. Shooters, Olivia Harby, Ava Loechel and Jessie Rundle, also worked well together in the ring, scoring off most of our opportunities. Well done for your hard work this week, girls! Eliza Falconer and Ellana Welsby (Coaches)
Year 9B – Saints 0 defeated by Pembroke 52
This was a really tough week for us. Our goal for this game was having strong one handed passes, which were certainly better, despite the rain and slippery conditions. The defence tried really hard in the second quarter, especially Amira Shahin’s great use of her peripheral vision in order to zone her player in the goal ring. Freya Ware must also be mentioned for her continuous energy in a difficult game, as well as her good movement and intercepts. The leading in centre passes also improved greatly by the last quarter, where the girls started working as a team and they can be commended for continuing on with the game and keeping their heads up. Eliza Falconer and Ellana Welsby (Coaches)
Year 8A – Saints 38 defeated Pembroke 12
The girls played a strong game in the wet conditions and I was impressed with their ability to listen to advice and adapt their game in order to steady the speed of play and maintain ball control down the court. A particular highlight was the effective movement and positioning of both goalies and defenders at either end of the court, something we have been working on at training. Best players this week go to Nicolette Miller, for her continuous hard work in the goal circle and through the centre court, and Amelia Wood for her strong and reliable play in both goals and defence. Well done, girls! Vanessa Brooks (Coach).
Year 8B – Saints 33 defeated Pembroke 19
Our Saints girls had another good win this week. Once again, they were willing to listen carefully to the coaches and then work hard on the court to maintain defensive pressure, causing a number of fantastic turnovers. Unfortunately, they had many missed opportunities due to rushing the play in the first half of the game; however, once they slowed the play and made good passing options, they were able to convert many of these turnovers into successful scoring opportunities. Special mentions go to Hannah Brown for her consistently strong play in centre and Georgina Bafile for her hard work and great movement in the goal circle. A good team effort, girls; well done! Vanessa Brooks (Staff Supervisor).
Year 7A – Saints 24 defeated Pembroke 16
Despite the weather, the girls remembered the skills we had worked on at training, which ultimately led to success on the court. Our defenders had tough opponents yet took every opportunity to create a turnover and their defensive pressure ensured that the opposition had limited chances to score. Jess Wishart shot brilliantly and made the rest of the team’s efforts of getting the ball to our scoring end worth it with a goal. Best players this week were Siena Kulinski and Matilda McCormack for their strength and perseverance in defence. Roger Mills, Corinne Dyer and Emily Wishart (Coaches)
Year 7B – Saints 19 defeated Pembroke 10
The defenders were extremely switched on for the whole game, and ensured that any dropped ball was obtained by the Saints team to give our shooters as many opportunities as possible to score. The girls played a great four quarters and did not give up at all during the game. Best players were Lauren Porter and Paris Greene for their defensive pressure. Roger Mills, Corinne Dyer and Emily Wishart (Coaches)