Issue no. 23
Face Masks and Sport Attendance – Important Updates
The School has received updated SA Health advice that adults visiting school grounds should wear face masks at all times, even when outside.
With regard to sport competitions, including at other venues, adults and Year 7 – 12 spectators should wear face masks.
We have also been instructed that spectators are not permitted at indoor sports.
This advice extends to Winter Interhouse, meaning face masks for outdoor spectators and no spectators for Badminton in the Gym.
In addition, spectators at sport competitions should physically distance in line with 1 person per 2 square metres, and adults should scan the SA Health QR code upon arrival at venues. Seated consumption of food and drink also applies.
We thank all of our families for your cooperation as the health measures continue to evolve.
Julia Shea
Principal
From Our Director of Teaching and Learning
Our Year 12 students are now in a critical phase of their journey. In the case of the IB Diploma students, it is completing study of content and moving into revision and consolidation as they prepare for their final examinations. For the SACE students, they will be completing their final teacher-assessed pieces this term. All SACE Stage 2 courses are 30% externally assessed, and where this takes the form of an exam, the students will be undertaking more and more exam-type exercises as they progress through these final weeks. To complement the work being done in class, for the first time this year, we have run extra exam practice sessions after school and during the holidays. The girls have responded magnificently, squeezing these sessions into already busy schedules and approaching the practice questions with seriousness and determination. The final round of these exam preparation sessions will occur in Week 5 of this term, with the full trial examinations taking place in the first week of the holidays, which is the last week of September.
More of the SACE examinations will be electronic this year. The students will participate in a familiarisation activity later this term, so they understand all the functionality of SACE’s platform, and we will run many of our trial examinations as e-exams using our own sophisticated exam browser.
For students who will be in the Senior School in 2022, now is the time when the construction of next year’s timetable begins, based upon the subjects our current Years 9 – 11 students have selected in the initial round of student surveys. University entrance processes are becoming more varied and experimental and, as we know, the world of work is evolving rapidly as well. As a result, it can be a daunting time for students to make decisions about their future pathways, and accommodate uncertainty and flexibility. Our ‘Career.Ready’ program aims to give students greater confidence that they are making informed choices. At any time, they can make appointments to see our Careers Coordinators Karen Alderson and Carolyn Farr. Even after the timetable has been completed, changes of subject choice can usually be accommodated, provided classes are not full, and subjects do not clash. It is important to remember that students should be selecting subjects that they think they will enjoy and be engaged in, and subjects that will stretch them and offer some challenge.
For our Year 8 and 9 students, they will have one eye on their examinations, which are coming up later in the term. Teachers are already finalising exam content and revision packs.
I look forward to a busy and productive remainder of Term 3 at Saints Girls!
Nigel Scoggins
Director of Teaching and Learning
Winter Interhouse 2021!
Soccer was the first sport to be played in our 2021 Winter Interhouse carnival, with a strong turnout from middle and senior girls on Wednesday afternoon. In modified 8-a-side games, it was great to see the girls working together as a House and combining well throughout the year levels.
Round 1 saw two closely contested games with Patteson and Kennion both working hard for a 0 – 0 draw, and Selwyn taking the first win with a 2 – 0 defeat of Kilburn. Selwyn’s success continued into Round 2, where they edged out Patteson by a single goal, 1 – 0. Kennion clicked against Kilburn and turned on the style with a 4 – 1 win, setting up a nail-biting final game against Selwyn.
Heading into this game, Selwyn needed at least a draw to take victory; however, they were against the run of play and soon went 1 – 0 down. They quickly managed to regroup and equalised to put them back into 1st place, but this game was nowhere near over with both Houses desperate for the win! Kennion managed to score again to take a 2 – 1 lead and almost had their name on the trophy until, with 1 minute to go, a goal box scramble resulted in a handball and a Selwyn penalty! Cool, calm and collected, Chi Chi stepped up and smashed the penalty home to send the Selwyn fans wild as winners of Interhouse Soccer for the first time in its 17 year history!
Interhouse Cross Country took place today, and our remaining Interhouse sports play out this afternoon (Aussie Rules) and tomorrow morning (Hockey, Badminton and Netball). We hope the girls are excited to represent their House and create a wonderful atmosphere!
We look forward to sharing all of the results and highlights in next Friday’s eNews.
Old Scholars in the Spotlight
Earlier this year, we were thrilled to welcome back singing sensation Izzy Norman (Patteson 2020) to take the stage at Choral Night. What a performance it was! Izzy is currently studying at the prestigious Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and we can’t wait to see where her music career takes her.
Here, Izzy shares some reflections from her time at Saints Girls:
I began my musical studies in Year 3 at Saints in which I learnt violin as part of the Year 3 Strings program. From then, I was fortunate to be able to study saxophone, trombone, piano, guitar and voice, before finding and settling on my passion for singing and the study of the voice.
I studied Ensemble Performance in Year 10, Class of Cabaret in Year 11, and Solo Performance and Music Studies in Year 12, subjects that contributed massively to my ability today and the skillset I have to offer as I undertake university studies as a musician. The excellent choir and band programs at Saints were crucial to my development as a musician and as a person, and I honestly don’t know what I would do had I not been lucky enough to have those years of such fantastic music education throughout my schooling.
I am undertaking a Bachelor of Contemporary Music Practice at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in which I will study song-writing, vocal production and the fundamentals of recording. As a part of these studies, I am in the process of writing and recording my own original music which I am very excited to release in the future.
Back to the Futures for Market Day
Today, our Year 7 Futures students hosted a Futures Market Day during lunchtime in the Gym where they had an opportunity to showcase and sell a range of products they’ve created to the student community.
Up for grabs were bath bombs and body scrub bars, handmade bracelets and clay rings, homemade candles, lip balms, bubble tea and more!
Futures is an exciting and innovative aspect of the Middle School curriculum. During Futures lessons, Year 7 students work together and develop practical skills in applying entrepreneurial thinking to run a business that aligns with their passion.
Futures is a key subject for all Year 7 Saints Girls; below we hear from Charlotte:
Futures is really enjoyable because we get to create our own small businesses. We learn about small businesses, how they become successful, and put the skills we learn into practice by creating a small business in groups. It has challenged us as we receive money which we can use to buy the items that we need to create our products, but we have to pay back the loan with interest, so we need to make enough money. It has been inspiring to learn about small businesses and become our own businesses, and there is a friendly competition between the groups which makes it even more fun.
Saints Girls Honoured for ANZAC Spirit
Congratulations to Year 10 students Ellie Humphrey and Saffron Chen for being selected as awardees of the Premier’s ANZAC School Spirit Prize. Also, well done to Jessica Zhang (Year 9) and Annie Bui (Year 10) who were awarded certificates for their excellent participation.
Students investigated how their chosen veteran from either World War I or II reflected the ANZAC spirit, and then composed more than 2,500 words to address key criteria. The girls uncovered remarkable tales of bravery, survival and sacrifice, and did remarkably well to participate and balance this with their academic and co-curricular commitments.
The judging panel, comprising members of the RSL, History Teachers’ Association and Virtual War Memorial, selected Ellie and Saffron as awardees. They will formally receive their prize, which includes a study tour to historically significant sites in Darwin, at ANZAC House, Torrens Parade Ground on 3 September.
The Humanities Faculty and the whole School community are extremely proud of these students’ achievements and we look forward to the more formal acknowledgement of their success.
Gregor Dingwall
Head of Humanities
Girls Branch Out for National Tree Day
National Tree Day was held last Friday. It started in 1996 and has grown into Australia’s largest community tree-planting and nature care event. It’s a call to action for all Australians to get involved in the environment and give back to nature and the community.
Burnside Council supports National Tree Day and donated plants to our School. The SPGS Environment Club, along with support from the Property Services team, were fortunate to plant the following:
Hymenosporum flavum (native frangipani)
Callistemon Endeavour (bottlebrush)
Callistemon Harkness (bottlebrush)
The native frangipani plays a foremost role in nature as it is capable of providing a canopy, and the flowers are great for attracting birds and native bees. The Callistemon Endeavour will brighten up the School with its large, abundant, bright red flower bushes that attract bees, butterflies and nectar-feeding birds. Finally, the Callistemon Harkness’s stunning flowers are also a great attraction for native nectar-feeding wildlife including insects, butterflies and birds. Furthermore, these native plants will comfort the native wildlife, providing them with food and shelter, ultimately helping the relationship and connection between animal and plant populations.
This week, we had the pleasure of celebrating trees and the many benefits they have in society such as health, wellbeing and environmental sustainability. This day connects society with nature and inspires and educates future generations on the importance of trees. It was a great opportunity for our students to interact with and make a difference to the environment.
Toni Christiansen
Environment Club Captain
Language Learning Fun!
The Reception girls have been learning about two countries: China and Australia. They have learned how to introduce their nationality in Chinese, and captured in the photos are the girls participating in a game of guessing which country crown they are wearing. Their task was to say the whole sentence, ‘I am from…’ in Chinese when guessing. The girls did a fantastic job! We had lots of fun learning.
Heng Wang
Chinese Teacher
Book Week Dress Up Parade
Dress Up Day will be held on Friday 27 August. Junior School students are invited to come dressed as their favourite book character. Class parades will be held during a Junior School Assembly at 8.40am in the Arts Centre.
Please note: parents are unable to attend due to COVID density requirements; however, the School will share highlights from the event.
The Long Lunch – Sunday 19 September
Seeking Donations for our Auctions
If you are a business owner or know someone who is, we are seeking donations for our Silent and Major Auctions, raising money for our new Gym.
All contributions will be acknowledged in the lead up to the event and on the day. Excellent donation ideas include:
– Hampers
– Money-can’t-buy experiences
– Artwork including glass, ceramics and sculptures
– Educational toys, games and computers
– Small electrical appliances
– Vouchers for services
– Sporting equipment and memorabilia
– Jewellery and handbags
– Contemporary furniture, fixtures, fittings and lighting
– Fine wine and dining vouchers, winery tours, behind-the-scenes tours and exclusive tastings
If you are able to donate an item, or have a suggestion for one, please contact Foundation Manager Melissa Westgate via 8334 2244 or mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au. All items can be delivered to our Community Relations Office, or we can arrange to pick them up.
Meantime, tickets for the event are selling fast, so secure your seat and join us for a tantalising Asian Fusion at The Long Lunch. Enjoy an afternoon among friends and colleagues with entertainment, auctions and delicious food paired with exceptional refreshments.
Sunday 19 September 2021
12 noon – 5pm
Tickets are $150
Only 200 available
Book now via www.trybooking.com/BQADN
Sports Day Raffle Prizes
The Saints Sport Support Group is looking for donations to assist with the upcoming Sports Day Raffle. We need your help!
Each year, the committee offers 4 raffle prizes at Sports Day, and this activity is wildly popular with the students. All proceeds support Saints Girls in their sporting ventures, umpiring and coaching.
Donations of sporting equipment, vouchers, tickets, clothing or games can be left at the Front Office for collection. Alternatively, please contact Katie Lucas for pick up via katie.lucas@opencolleges.edu.au
Share the Dignity Campaign
We are supporting ‘Share the Dignity’ again this August to help the many women who cannot afford sanitary items. We are a collection point for this amazing charity. We encourage students to bring along packets of pads and/or tampons and place them in the pink boxes located in the Library, Middle School area, or give them to Mrs Risbey in the PE Office. Let’s get behind this charity and fill the boxes over and over.
Share the Dignity collects thousands of personal hygiene products every year for women experiencing homelessness, poverty and domestic violence. Small dignities make a big difference.
Thank you in advance on behalf of the many women and young girls who will benefit from your kindness.
Out of the Blue Arts Journal – Call for Entries
Out of the Blue is our annual Arts Journal that celebrates the best of artistic endeavours at St Peter’s Girls’ School. We are looking for new entries for this year’s journal. They can take almost any art form such as photographs, art, poetry, cakes, song lyrics and tapestry. If you can think of others, please chat with Ms Burton-Howard.
We can take photos of people playing their instrument, as well as performing dance or drama. We can also attach a QR code to link to a performance video/recording. Any film that we include needs to be owned by the person submitting it, and it must include royalty-free music. It is also important that our Arts Journal reflects our whole community; therefore, we are interested in poetry written in its original language along with a translation.
We accept entries from ELC to Old Scholars and staff. The closing date for entries is Friday 20 August (Week 5, Term 3). Successful artists will be notified, and a celebration with awards will be held in Term 4. Our journal was a huge success last year, featuring more than 150 submissions and selling over 125 copies. We look forward to receiving more submissions this year. All entries need to have your name and year level written clearly, and the work must be original. Entries can be placed in the Out of the Blue boxes in classrooms or in the Library.
We are also looking for new committee members from the student body in Years 9 – 11. If you are interested, please email Ms Burton-Howard.
Jessica Zhang and the Out of the Blue Arts Journal Committee
STEM Holiday Workshops for Mums and Daughters
Rethink Pink
This year, Sunsilk surveyed over 1400 women from Australia and New Zealand to uncover misconceptions around careers and futures in STEM. They discovered only 1 in 10 mums has a strong understanding and knowledge of STEM skills to impart to their daughters. Almost 2 in 3 girls list their mums as their most influential role model.
Girl Geek Academy is running free STEM workshops in the next school holidays for mums and daughters. They feature 4 different modules:
– The Science of Hair
– Engineering Empowered
– Tech for Two
– Maths for the Real World
For more information and to secure your spot, visit https://girlgeekacademy.com/sunsilk/
Monique Green
Digital Tech Teacher & STEM Coordinator
Important Reminders
Email Notifications
It is timely for all parents to check their email account settings to ensure email notifications from the School will not be diverted to junk/spam folders or blocked entirely.
For many platforms, you can check whether stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au has been blocked by accessing Blocked Senders via your account Options. You may also be able to add stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au to your Safe Senders list. If you require assistance, please contact our IT Department (details below).
Personal and Medical Information
It is vital that personal, medical and other important information on the myLink portal is up to date and complete. This also covers photo/video permission where imagery is used in print and online communications to celebrate student success, share exciting news with our community and promote the School more widely. In the digital era, this may also extend to some events being live-streamed on public platforms. If permission is not granted, the School will work diligently to implement specific measures, which may include temporarily withdrawing the student from certain activities. Please note, the permission does not apply to the School Yearbook where all students are included, or to the internal usage of photos/videos for the purposes of teaching and learning, such as content on Canvas.
Follow this pathway to check and/or update your details, and your child’s details: myLink > Community Portal > My Details > select the appropriate tab (child or parent name).
Policies
It is also imperative that families are familiar with the School’s current policies, as new ones may be introduced and existing ones are periodically reviewed and updated. You can view our policies on myLink via the ‘School Documents’ page.
Assistance
For tips on how to navigate myLink, take a look at our instructional videos by clicking the ‘Help’ tab on the Welcome page.
If you have any issues accessing myLink or are not receiving our email notifications, please contact our IT Helpdesk via helpdesk@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au or 8334 2227.
Kathmandu Offer for School Camps
From Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 August, Kathmandu’s Rundle Mall and Rundle Street stores will offer exclusive discounts for St Peter’s Girls’ students and staff. This brochure must be displayed at the store for you to take advantage of the offer.
School Banking Announcement
CBA School Banking will resume from Wednesday 11 August. For more information, please click here.
Thank you for your support.
Entertainment Membership
To support Saints Girls and purchase your Entertainment Membership, click here.
Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.entertainment.com.au for more information.
Laptop Bags Available at School Shop
Laptop bags are now available at the School Shop. They offer two zipped compartments: one for your laptop and the second for other belongings. They also feature top handles plus an adjustable and removable shoulder strap. Students are welcome to purchase a laptop bag for $29 each.
School Shop
Absences from School
If your child is going to be absent, late to school or leave early, please use one of the following methods to notify the School providing student name, class/Home Group and reason:
Text: 0428 601 957
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200
Feel free to include the class/Home Group teacher when emailing. It would be appreciated if notifications could be made prior to 9am.
It is absolutely imperative to keep unwell children at home until they have recovered, even if symptoms are mild. This is not only for their own health and safety, but for that of all students and staff.
We thank all of our families for their cooperation.
Road Safety Alert
The School is extremely concerned by reports of dangerous driver behaviour including speeding through the car park. All drivers must obey the 10kph speed limit.
Please also note the speed limit along Hallett Road has been reduced from 60 to 50kph.
Road safety and courtesy is everyone’s responsibility and is of the utmost importance in a school setting. We appeal to all of our families to take extra care in our car parks and on the roads for the safety of our students, parents, staff and the wider community.
Sports News
STUDENT SUCCESS
Lucy Lowry, Mathilda Thomas, Jasmine Segredos, Alice Braithwaite, Ellie Humphrey and Grace Richards have been selected to represent South Australia in Touch Football. As the first group of girls to make their respective State Touch squads, we are very proud and excited for the future of Touch at Saints.
Phoebe Lucas and Yashika Agarwal have been selected to represent South Australia in the U13 State Hockey team in Tasmania later in the year. Congratulations girls!