Issue no. 1
From the Principal
Welcome to the start of the 2019 school year, a year in which this wonderful School celebrates its 125th anniversary. It’s a year in which we reflect on the incredible courage, creativity and compassion of our founding Sisters, and give thanks for their unwavering commitment to quality girls’ education. Our 125th year was officially launched at an inspiring Assembly on Wednesday. Burnside Mayor, past staff member and Old Scholar Anne Monceaux (nee Harrington, Kennion ’66) was our special guest and the girls also received a video message from another notable Old Scholar, The Hon Julie Bishop MP (Kilburn ’73). The festivities burst to life with delightful music, confetti cannons and a shower of blue and white balloons. It is indeed a special time to be a Saints Girl. There are many wonderful events planned throughout the year, one of which will be the 125th Anniversary Ball to be held at Adelaide Oval on Saturday 19 October. Please mark this date in your diary. It’s going to be a fantastic evening where we celebrate all that makes Saints Girls so unique, and I’d love to see you there.
Turning 125 doesn’t make us great. We’re not great because we’re old. Quite the opposite; we’ve managed to grow old because we’ve been great – great at preserving what Saints Girls has been and has stood for across the past 125 years, yet evolving to meet the demands of changing times. We have a proud history of embracing thoughtful change whilst affirming our core values of courage, creativity and compassion in ways that fulfil this extraordinary School’s enduring promise to its girls. ‘Continuous improvement’ can’t just be a catchphrase. It must be a genuine focus if the School is to thrive for another 125 years. Any successful organisation seeks honest and constructive feedback from its stakeholders. As such, we will be seeking feedback from our parents, staff and girls via an online survey in the weeks ahead. Please take the time to complete the survey and play your role in the formulation of the School’s next Strategic Plan.
#EMPOWHER
The School’s unique, evidence-based wellbeing program was introduced into the Middle and Senior Schools last year. Reflecting the timeline outlined in the current Strategic Plan, the Junior School #EMPOWHER program will be launched at Assembly next week. It’s imperative that we adopt a whole-school approach, and we’ll continue to develop parent resources so that you can follow up on these important issues at home.
Staff News
We welcome a number of new staff to Saints Girls:
• Garth Coulter commences in the role of Head of IT and eLearning
• Elizabeth Mitchell joins the Junior School and will teach Year 3
• Chris Carey and Thomas Barclay join the Science staff
• Vicki Dent will teach PE and Nutrition
• Flor Groenen, Grace Le and Matthew Houston join the Languages Department
• Cathy Wang and Emily Downie join the team of co-educators in the ELC
• Allyssa Gepp joins the Tuck Shop staff
• Harry Simpson joins the School’s amazing Property Services team
Your daughter’s Home Group teacher remains your first point of contact with the School. They will be in touch with you in the first few weeks of term. Please don’t hesitate to contact them should you have any queries in the meantime. Don’t forget that you can access your daughter’s timetable and contact staff via the links available on the myLink parent portal. Parents of girls in Years 7 to 12 should also click on the ‘marks’ icon for each subject regularly to see the results and detailed feedback on the most recent assessment tasks. Please contact the IT Department on 8334 2227 if you are experiencing difficulty accessing myLink.
Absence from School
Schools are required under the Education Act 1972 (SA) and the Education (Compulsory Education Age) Amendment Act 2007 to ensure that students enrolled at the school do attend school and participate in the learning program. Whilst I accept there are things such as family emergencies and opportunities for girls to participate in various competitions, sporting and otherwise, that necessitate absence from School, the booking of family vacations during term time is not something the School can support. Of the 365 days in 2019, 186 are designated school days – just 51% of the year! In order to maintain the continuity of your daughter’s education, it’s important that she attend all 186 of those days. Applications for leave from school should be sent to the relevant Head of Sub-School. Applications seeking leave for family holidays during term time will not be approved. Term dates for 2019 and 2020 are available on myLink and it would be appreciated if you could check these dates prior to booking vacations.
Building Works
As you can see, the building works have progressed over the holidays. The new changerooms on the northern side of the pool should be completed part way through this term. The new Science Centre remains on track to open by the start of Term 4 this year. As building works continue, girls in the Middle and Senior Schools are encouraged to meet their parents in the surrounding streets, thereby limiting the volume of traffic entering the school grounds. Please be aware that there is no right hand turn into or out of the entrance to the car park at any time of the day – even when you think no one is looking!
Traffic Flow and Pick-up Procedures
Still on traffic arrangements, this year, Reception classes will conclude at 3pm and Year 1 classes will finish at 3.15pm. The girls, accompanied by their teacher, will walk to the designated pick-up zone. Parents will be able to drive through and collect their daughters. In order for this to work effectively, it’s imperative that all drivers are aware of the following:
• Only those collecting Reception and Year 1 students will have access to the pick-up zone prior to 3.30pm in the afternoon. Year 1 parents should not arrive prior to 3.15pm.
• Drivers must not leave their car in the drop-off/pick-up zone. If your daughter is not in the designated area when you arrive to collect her, you must find legal parking before exiting your car and coming to look for her.
• Senior staff will be on duty. If you are asked to move on, please do so. It may be necessary to circle the block and rejoin the pick-up line.
• Girls must always enter or exit from the passenger side of the vehicle.
• Our girls’ safety is paramount and hence each driver’s full attention is required. Please refrain from talking on your mobile phone whilst using the drop-off/pick-up zone.
• Out of consideration for others in line, girls should ‘load up’ quickly, allowing traffic to move smoothly through the zone.
• Always drive as far down the zone as possible to prevent traffic queuing behind you.
• As girls in Years 2 to 12 need time to pack their belongings and make their way to the car park, it is recommended that parents do not arrive prior to 3.35pm.
Your adherence to the above guidelines is much appreciated.
Have a fantastic first term and I look forward to seeing you at our two big community events in the coming weeks – P&F Drinks on the Lawns which will be held next Friday commencing at 7pm, and the Garden of Saintly Delights on Sunday 24 February.
Julia Shea
Principal
Welcome Drinks on the Lawns
The Parents’ and Friends’ Association invites all parents to welcome in the new school year at the traditional Welcome Drinks on the Lawns next Friday night.
This annual, parents-only event is a great opportunity for new parents to meet and connect with other parents, teachers and school staff in a relaxed atmosphere.
Food and drinks will be provided courtesy of the Parents’ and Friends’ Association, as well as a DJ spinning some groovy tunes throughout the evening.
Please feel free to seek out our P&F Committee Members on the night to learn about the volunteering opportunities here at Saints Girls.
Friday 8 February
7 – 9.30pm (new parents welcome from 6.30pm)
Chiverton Lawns, St Peter’s Girls’ School
Bronwyn Bartter
Parents’ and Friends’ Association President
Compassion in Cambodia – Service Learning Trip
Each year in December, a group from St Peter’s Girls and Prince Alfred College head off on a joint Service Learning trip to Cambodia. After weeks of fundraising and preparations, we were all excited to fly to Phnom Penh to start our adventure.
In the capital, we learnt about the history of Cambodia, the Killing Fields, S21 Prison and Pol Pot’s regime. We then spent five days at New Hope for Cambodian Children Village (NHCC) where the girls assisted with PE and Library lessons. NHCC is a residential village and K – 12 school for 190 children with HIV. The girls worked 1:1 with Year 4s to make reindeer antlers, wrote and taught the children a school song, and painted classrooms and inspirational murals on the walls. We donated $1000 worth of new sports equipment and toys along with a substantial monetary donation following fundraising efforts and a Coles sports promotion.
During the second week, we visited Angkor Wat temples and ‘Apopo’ – an organisation that trains giant rats, ‘HeroRats’, to save lives by detecting landmines in countries such as Cambodia. The girls worked hard constructing three houses with Volunteer Building Cambodia, and provided a nurse to conduct medical clinics in poor villages through fundraising efforts and the donation of medical supplies.
We also boosted the economy of Siem Reap with our night market shopping!
This amazing adventure is life changing; it provides our students with an understanding of living in a developing country with all its disadvantages and, in contrast, an appreciation of their lives and opportunities here in Australia.
Lynne Spry
History/Legal Studies Teacher
Girls Buoyant After Rowing Camp
During January, a large number of girls headed up to Avoca Dell in Murray Bridge for a rowing camp. The week focused on building skill at a high rate to prepare for upcoming regattas. Technique was also a key area, ensuring the girls could move together and row with efficiency.
The camp was a great place for girls to bond with their crews and everyone in the program. It is always one of the highlights of the season and this year proved to be no different.
Amy Carrodus
Captain of Rowing
Saints Girl a Runaway Success
At the end of Term 4 2018, I attended the Australian All Schools Championships in Cairns, where I competed in the U18 400m and 800m running events. Despite the torrential rain, I was able to run a personal best, and receive second place in the 400m and win the 800m.
At the end, it was announced that team SA accumulated enough points to take home the small state award against WA, Tasmania, NT and ACT.
Rose Pittman
Sport Prefect
Immunisation Information for Parents of Year 8, 10 and 11 Students
The SA School Immunisation Program is being delivered at St Peter’s Girls by the Eastern Health Authority (EHA).
All Year 8 students will be offered:
Two doses of human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil®9 at two separate visits
One dose of the diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough vaccine Boostrix®
All Year 10 students will be offered:
Two doses of meningococcal B Vaccine Bexsero® at two separate visits
One dose of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine Nimenrix®
All Year 11 students will be offered:
Two doses of meningococcal B vaccine Bexsero® at two separate visits
Immunisation consent packs have been sent home with all Year 8, 10 and 11 students. It is important that you read the information contained in the packs before you give consent for your child to be vaccinated at school.
All parents/legal guardians are required to complete, sign and return the consent cards, even if you do not consent for the student to be vaccinated at school.
If you did not receive a consent pack from your child, please contact the School’s Front Office.
If you do not want your child to be vaccinated at school, please contact EHA on 8132 3600 to arrange for your child to receive the vaccines free at your local council. If you go to your doctor, they will need to order the vaccine and may charge a consultation fee.
Remember to keep your child’s School Immunisation Program records in a safe place as they may be required for future employment or travel.
If you have any questions about this program, please contact EHA on 8132 3600 or the immunisation section of SA Health on 1300 232 272.
Swimming Carnival 2019
The Years 4 – 12 Swimming Carnival will be held on Friday 22 February (Week 4) at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre. School buses will be available to take students from the School to the Adelaide Aquatic Centre, and then back to the School at the end of the Carnival. Click here to book the bus. House colours are encouraged, however coloured zinc and body paint are not permitted in the pool.
More details and a program will be released in coming weeks.
School teams for SAPSASA (Years 4 – 7), SSSSA (Years 8 – 12) and IGSSA (Years 7 – 12) will be selected from the Swimming Carnival results.
Neil Fuller
Director of Sport
Extension Strings Extend to Thousands
On 21 December, Extension Strings, directed by Sari Noble, had the pleasure of performing at the annual Paradise Carols held by Influencers Church. We played the beautiful songs What Child is This and Carol of the Bells. For us, this was a professional gig in which we had to assume full responsibility. It was inspiring for us to get to work with other musicians, dancers and tech crew at such an extremely popular event which attracted a crowd of thousands on the night. Each performance was outstanding and the atmosphere was incredibly festive. It was also great to hear and meet Silvie Paladino, one of the greatest female voices in Australia. It was a top night and we hope to do more events like this in the future.
Faye Ma
Year 11 student
Would You Like to Join Our Amazing Team of Volunteers?
Our Learning Strategies volunteers are all enormously valued within the department and the broader School community. Our girls LOVE working with them, and the teachers are so appreciative of their generous donation of energy, expertise and enthusiasm. We have some exciting developments within our department in 2019 and we’d love you to join us.
Our volunteers work with our girls anywhere between a couple of lessons a week through to a couple of days per week. They include parents, grandparents, Old Scholars, retired staff and university students who are keen to gain further experience working with children.
Please contact us anytime to register your interest via:
Catherine Kelly – Junior School ckelly@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Susan Bassett – Middle and Senior School sbassett@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
We will send you a Volunteer Information Sheet to fill out and then invite you in for a chat. We will provide training for some of our Junior School programs.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Learning Strategies Team
The Garden of Saintly Delights
Sunday 24 February 2019
What an amazing event to kick off celebrations for the School’s 125th anniversary. The Garden of Saintly Delights, our annual school fair, is going to be bigger and better than ever.
Bring the whole family along for a fun-filled day of carnival rides, free entertainment on our Chiverton Lawns’ stage, food trucks, market stalls, local sporting personalities and much, much more.
Head to our Facebook page for a full list of the day’s activities and vendors. Please like and share as this event is also open to the public.
If you are interested in volunteering on the day or being a part of the fair, please contact the P&F Association via stpetersgirls.pandf@gmail.com
Bronwyn Bartter
Parents’ and Friends’ Association President
Young Performer Joins Fringe Fever
Year 7 student Daisy Kennett will be performing in an upcoming production of Barnum.
“Barnum the musical is the real story of The Greatest Showman. It is a fun-loving tale with fantastic music numbers and is enjoyable for all ages. I am very excited to be a part of this Adelaide Fringe production and I will be performing in all six shows.”
To book tickets to the show, visit https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/barnum-af2019
Inspired Performance by Old Scholar Sarah Brownridge
Over the past six or so months, I have been putting my heart and soul into my very first Adelaide Fringe show. At first, I struggled to find something to focus on, and then it hit me…music! So with that in mind, I began writing, drafting, and organising. Now, finally it’s done, ready to go, and I couldn’t be more nervous, proud or excited. Fresh, vibrant, yet sensitive, my show Inspired honours women in the music industry who have used their art to ‘inspire’. Accompanied by the amazing Mike Bevan, together we transform some of the most popular hits including Madonna’s Get Into the Groove, Whitney’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi – just to name a few, to suit the intimate bar setting. I would love to see you there!
Tickets via: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/inspired-af2019
Sarah Brownridge (Selwyn ’17)
Sports News
Welcome to 2019. At Saints Girls, we love sharing results and news items, whether it be achievements at school or externally. Please email information to nfuller@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
SWIMMING
2019 South Australian State Open Water Championships
On 6 January, Lara Wakeham won her third consecutive State Open Water title in the girls’ 14 Years 5km Open Water event, winning both her age group Gold medal and the Open Women’s Silver medal. Georgina Wakeham won the Silver medal in the girls’ 12 Years 2.5km event.
2019 Australian Age National Open Water Championships
Following a week of State pool swimming championships at Oaklands Park, Lara and Georgina were two of only 15 South Australian athletes who qualified to compete at the National Open Water Championships at Brighton over the Australia Day long weekend.
Georgina was the 4th placed 13 year old female nationally in the 2.5km event. Lara, the only 15 year old South Australian female to qualify for the 5km event, placed 13th out of 30 competitors.
2018 WA State Long Course Championships
Congratulations to Emily Baldwinson and Lara Wakeham who travelled as part of a team of Norwood Swimming Club athletes competing at the WA State Age Swimming Championships from 15 to 18 December. Emily contested seven individual events, finishing 6th in the girls’ 13 Years 400m freestyle and 7th in the girls’ 13 years 800m freestyle, giving her three top 10 placings overall. Lara contested seven individual events, winning Bronze in the girls’ 14 Years 800m and 1500m freestyle events.
2019 SA State Long Course Championships and Long Course Junior Participation Meet
Several Saints Girls competed at these championships which were held at Oaklands Park from 19 to 24 January. All swam admirably given the challenge of swimming over six days which included temperatures over 40 degrees, making for exceedingly hot conditions within the centre. Many of the girls swam personal best times, made finals, won medals, and posted National Age Qualifying times. They are all to be commended for their efforts over the week.
Matilda Braithwaite – competed in three individual events and two relays for her club. She made finals for all of her individual events, winning Silver in the Women’s 16 Years 100m Breaststroke and Bronze in the 16 Years 200m Breaststroke.
Sophie Dansie – competed at her first State Championships, swimming in three individual events. She recorded personal best times in both her 50m and 100m Freestyle events.
Poppy Marshall – competed in six individual events and two relays for her club. She swam many personal bests, made most of her finals, and won a Gold medal with her 4 x 50m Medley relay team (14&U), and Silver medals in the girls’ 13 Years 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke events.
Ella Pearce – competed in three events at the State Long Course Junior Participation Meet on 19 January. She swam a personal best time in her 50m Backstroke and placed 4th in the girls’ 9 Year Old 50m Breaststroke and 10th in the 50m Backstroke.
Lauren Pearce – competed in eight individual events and two relays for her club. She posted personal bests in all of her individual swims and finished 6th in the girls’ 10-11 Years 100m Backstroke.
Annabel Ryan – competed in four individual events, swimming personal best times in her 50m and 100m Butterfly events and the 50m Freestyle.
Grace Sampson – competed in eight individual events and two relays for her club. She made several finals, winning Silver in the women’s 16 Years 800m Freestyle event, and Bronze in the women’s 16 Years 200m Backstroke.
Ariel Spartalis – competed in nine individual events and two relays for her club. She swam personal best times in six of her individual events, slashing more than 10 seconds in her 200m Medley event.
Lily-Rose Spartalis – competed in 13 individual events and two relays for her club. Despite her very full schedule, Lily-Rose swam personal bests in every event, qualifying for seven finals and securing two Gold medals in the girl’s 13 Years 50m and 100m Backstroke events.
Georgina Wakeham – competed in 11 individual events and two club relays. She contested six finals, winning Silver medals in the girls’ 12 Years 50m and 200m Backstroke, Bronze in the 100m Backstroke and 200m Medley, and a relay Gold and Silver in the girls’ 12 Years 4x 50m Medley and 4 x 50m Freestyle.
Lara Wakeham – competed in six individual events and two club relays. She won Gold in the girls’ 14 Years 400m Freestyle, the Open Women’s Bronze medal in the 1500m Freestyle, Bronze in the girls’ 14-15 Years 800m Freestyle, and Bronze in the girls’ 14 Years 200 Backstroke and 400m Medley.
Tara Young – competed in 11 individual events and three club relays. She contested eight finals, winning Gold in the girls’ 13 Years 200m Medley, 200m Backstroke, and 200m and 400m Freestyle events. Tara won Silver medals in the girls’ 13 Years 50m and 200m Butterfly events and the 100m Freestyle. Her relay team also won Bronze in the 4 x 50m Open Women’s Medley.
Isabelle Tran – competed in seven individual events and two relays for her club. She qualified for four finals and swam personal bests in all of her heats. Isabelle also won a Silver medal in the girls’ 12 Years 50m Butterfly event.
VOLLEYBALL
It is terrific to hear that Anna White and Georgina Keough (Year 10), and Ruby Deakin and Lucy White (Year 9) have been selected for the Volleyball SA Academy program. It gives young athletes the opportunity to develop into elite volleyball players through a carefully-designed high performance training program. This helps identify and develop athletes who are capable of being chosen for State, National and International teams.