Issue no. 10
From the Principal
What a week it’s been!
Our amazing staff have been working tirelessly to activate our remote online curriculum delivery.
We thank our families for collaborating with us this week as we all familiarise ourselves with this alternate learning landscape.
Many elements have worked incredibly well and there are inevitably other aspects that warrant refinement. We appreciate the early feedback we have received and we will continue to guide you on this journey.
Our staff met today for an initial debrief about the launch of our remote learning. A more comprehensive review will take place on our pupil-free day next Thursday 9 April, where we will dissect feedback to magnify strengths and confront obstacles in the likely event of remote learning continuing into Term 2.
As I’ve checked in with staff and girls over the past few days, it has filled me with immense pride to witness their ingenuity as they navigate remote learning together, sharing tips and support at every opportunity. I’ve been blown away by the use of digital tools such as smart screen splits with real-time, interactive whiteboards and presentations on one side, and the studious faces of our girls on the other. But what has impressed me the most, as always, is the way in which our community unites when the chips are down. Our values of courage, creativity and compassion truly come to the fore.
I thank each of you for your support as we look forward to finishing the term strongly next week.
Julia Shea
Principal
Thank You Teachers!
As we adapt to remote online learning, we salute our outstanding educators and support staff who have gone above and beyond for our students.
Our Year 12 girls are particularly thankful for their guidance, recording some special shout-outs to show their appreciation:
From the Head of Junior School
The word ‘unprecedented’ has justifiably had a very good workout over recent weeks. Current events are having phenomenal impacts at the world, country, State, community and personal level, and we are all very aware that we are in uncharted waters across nearly all aspects of our lives.
At the School level, on Tuesday, we started delivering remote online learning to students. At St Peter’s Girls, we are accustomed to planning for changes to teaching and learning in a strategic, long-term, sequential way. Professional Learning opportunities with time to practise, trial, reflect, learn more, and reflect again are part of considered and deliberate approaches to ongoing development and improvement. Last year, when undertaking strategic planning for teaching and learning for 2020, changes of the magnitude we have seen in recent days were not on anyone’s radar.
The learning curve for everyone has therefore been enormous. Teachers have worked tirelessly in a very short space of time to take their career’s worth of practice and modify it in order to manage teaching and learning in new ways. The younger students, in particular, have needed to learn how to use systems and platforms with which they were previously unfamiliar. Parents have been on the ride, supporting their daughters through all of this and helping them to manage the online learning world and all that comes with it.
Relationships continue to be paramount, and teachers and students are discovering what works best for them with respect to keeping in touch with each other. The Junior School teachers and students are finding small group video chats useful, and students are gaining confidence in managing morning check-ins, following schedules and finding the resources they need with the help of Teams’ chats with their teachers.
From day 1, teachers have been watching, listening, adapting and modifying the delivery of the teaching and learning program in response to students’ needs, and they will continue to do so in coming days. Their professionalism through this unexpected change has been nothing short of extraordinary. While at this stage we do not know what the beginning of Term 2 will look like, we are currently extremely grateful for everything that our teachers, students and parents have done and will continue to do to flourish in the world of remote online learning.
On a more general note, I wish you all well for a pleasant and safe weekend, with time to reflect on what is important in life, and opportunities to be grateful, compassionate and kind.
Suzanne Haddy
Head of Junior School
A Message from the Chapel Prefect
While Saints shifts to online learning, it is important that every girl finds something active or creative to do for at least 20 minutes each day to get a break from the screens and stay healthy. This week, the Prefect Team promoted ‘Witness the Fitness’ to the School community, aiming to support wellbeing in the face of restrictions on group gatherings.
We are challenging everyone – staff too! – to take the time each day to exercise their brain and body, whether this be before school, in an allocated Home Group time, lunch or after school. We have come up with some creative ways we can all improve our mood, raise endorphins and get motivated for class: HIIT workouts, yoga, hikes or runs, meditation, practising an instrument, puzzles or mind games, painting or drawing, reading, Just Dance and baking.
It is so important in these times that we continue to look after ourselves physically and mentally, not only because it benefits learning but because it also develops skills and gets us out of the house – something we have all come to appreciate lately! At the end of the day, what one can do, another can do, and it really comes down to holding yourself accountable.
#ichallengeyou to Witness the Fitness, and stay tuned for some inspiring workouts from the Prefect Team. So, are you going to sit down and watch your third season of Gossip Girl, or are you going to practise yoga while waiting for your vegan chocolate chip cookies to bake? Remember: 20 minutes a day can go a long way.
Matilda Braithwaite
Chapel Prefect
Teacher’s Pet – Dressed for Success!
As our students and staff work their way through remote online learning, it is also important that everyone makes time for fun and staying connected.
In Home Group yesterday, we held a ‘dress up your pet’ challenge, resulting in some hilarious and adorable happy snaps of furry friends in our School community.
To see more photos, head to our Instagram page, and be sure to follow us while you’re there!
Staff Throw their Hat in the Ring
To end the week on a bright note, our Junior School staff headed up a Funny Hat Day today.
Their colourful creations and sparkling smiles lit up the corridors, reminding us how lucky we are to have such positive and vibrant staff!
St Peter’s Girls…Now and Then
Heritage Preserved – The Old Stables
The architects who designed our Science Centre had the clever idea to incorporate an almost 140-year-old building into the complex. This was the old stables of the original Chiverton property.
Building of the grand old house of Chiverton was completed in 1881, along with a two room cottage and stables, all constructed of the beautiful Wistow stone from the Adelaide Hills. In those days, a horse or horse and buggy were the means of transport for well-off people, so stables were included on their large properties. Unfortunately, with the demolition of many mansions in the Adelaide suburbs in the 20th century, many of these stables have been lost.
When Douglas Stott became Principal in 1976, much building activity commenced on our School campus, and the first project was the renovation of the old stables to become the Elizabeth Pike Craft Centre. Pottery and other crafts were produced by our students there during following decades, and it was the hub for senior Art classes.
Now, our girls are able to generate their own masterpieces in the modern art facilities that have been created in the interior of the old stables of Chiverton.
Anne Daniell
School Archivist
Food and Hospitality Girls Take the Cake
As part of our Stage 2 Food and Hospitality assignment on Contemporary Issues, the Year 12 Food and Hospitality class has designed and created a contemporary cake suitable for the hospitality industry. Students researched the many designs of cakes, with the aim of developing their own unique product. They also considered and trialled the ingredients and decorations required, although they were quite challenged in sourcing some of these items. Each student successfully created the many elements of their signature cake, ensuring they complemented each other to deliver a creative and artistic high-quality product.
Consideration of the time available and appropriate storage and temperature control to ensure their creations were completed to a hospitality industry standard was also very important. I am pleased to say that this year’s creations have certainly been very impressive such as a cactus-inspired cake, a cake pops basket and even a sushi cake, just to name a few. It reflects the resilience and flexibility of this creative and talented group of students.
Jenni Manson
Food and Hospitality Teacher
Year 3 Creature Features
In Year 3, we have been using a branching key to help us as taxonomists to classify animals. We have looked at the differences between vertebrates and invertebrates.
Invertebrates play an essential role in the web of life. They are an amazingly diverse group of animals that have conquered almost every environment on earth. We have researched invertebrates in pairs, designed artworks for laser printing and linked QR codes with fact files to educate the public.
Recently, we installed a temporary art display on the fence joining the School to Ferguson Park. We thought that, over the weekend, when you are social distancing, you could take a family walk in the fresh air through the park and learn something new. Don’t forget to bring a phone or iPad to scan the QR codes on our annelids, molluscs, crustaceans, myriapods, arachnids and insects.
Here are some fun facts to entice you:
• The ichneumon wasp’s name comes from Greek words meaning tracker and footprint. – Ishana Chettimada and Amelia Thorpe
• Slaters use gills to breathe, however will drown if submerged in water. – Isabelle O’Toole and Lily Ng
• Female wolf spiders carry their egg sac in their jaws or spinnerets until it is time for those eggs to hatch. – Sasha Connor and Rocia Huang
Mark Routley
Year 3 Teacher
Junior School Vacation Care
Our next awesome instalment of Junior School Vacation Care is almost here. We have some great activities guaranteed to keep the children entertained through the break. With an array of on-site adventures, there is plenty of fun to be had.
Vacation Care Program – April 2020
Places are limited, so please click here to secure your booking now!
Apple’s Cleaning Tips for iPads and Laptops
Apple products are made with a variety of materials, and each material might have specific cleaning requirements. To get started, here are some tips that apply to all products:
- Use only a soft, lint-free cloth. Avoid abrasive cloths, towels, paper towels, or similar items.
- Avoid excessive wiping, which might cause damage.
- Unplug all external power sources, devices, and cables.
- Keep liquids away from the product, unless otherwise noted for specific products.
- Don’t get moisture into any openings.
- Don’t use aerosol sprays, bleaches or abrasives.
- Don’t spray cleaners directly onto the item.
Is it okay to use a disinfectant on my Apple product?
Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or disinfecting wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don’t use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don’t submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don’t use on fabric or leather surfaces.
Here’s the full article from Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204172
Of course, please check your device instructions for specific requirements.
FREE Online Code Camp Program
The team at Code Camp has 50 experienced staff members ready to teach Saints Girls’ students how to code via online webinar classrooms. Topics covered in the lesson plans include loops, sequencing, iteration and animation.
While this is usually a paid program, Code Camp will be providing the online program to Saints Girls’ students for free.
Here is a copy of the digital flyer with the link where parents can sign up for free.
For more information, visit https://codecampworld.com