Issue no. 33
From the Director of Early Learning
2019 ELC Model: Research and Progression
In the Early Learners’ Centre, we recognise we are one of the first steps in a child’s lifelong educational journey, and as such, we have a strong commitment to ensuring this journey is as rich and nourishing as possible.
Recently, we developed a renewed model and organisational structure for our Centre which will roll out from 2019. Underpinned by more than three years’ research, both academic and action-based, we are restructuring the Centre to enhance opportunities for children’s relationships to be enriched through longer periods of time in one space.
With our global mindset around early childhood, our goal is to allow children to share their knowledge and build stronger relationships, together. The purpose of this new model is to provide a high-quality curriculum combined with a supportive learning environment, minimising the amount of fragmentation in each child’s life.
Moving forward, rather than splitting the Centre into four rooms based on age, our ELC will be comprised of two learning communities: one for the Stonyfell and Bell Yett rooms (children aged 2 – 3.5 years), and another for the Ferguson and Hallett rooms (children aged 3.5 – 5 years).
The rooms will maintain their current names and will continue to be led by a teacher who will have their own responsibilities. By combining rooms into learning communities, we will see one of the greatest benefits of this renewed approach: the opportunity to further enhance collaboration between the teachers and the children. This model will give children up to 18 months in the one room without change.
It has always been our intention to have educators of the highest calibre, who enable every student to see the significance and relevance of their learning; who recognise the different developmental stages of children and that they develop at different rates across different areas, therefore requiring a well-planned and well-differentiated learning environment.
We are also committed to ensuring students have a smooth transition to their school environment. We feel this is an essential part of a child’s foundation to their education. We will deliver further connections to the School campus where children will have regular contact by using the learning spaces and resources to enrich their inquiries. We believe it is our responsibility to support students in developing a strong connection with our School community, encouraging them to become adults who have an appreciation and a responsibility for our wider community.
This week, we had the opportunity to present the new model to the majority of our families, explaining the benefits of less fragmentation in their child’s life. We illustrated what the new model will look like and spent time answering questions from the audience. We received wonderful feedback from those who attended.
We look forward to the journey ahead and the rich learning that will occur in our new learning communities.
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
A Big Plus for Maths Champions
We are thrilled to announce that nine of our girls from Reception to Year 7 are being presented with special awards by the SA Minister for Education, John Gardener, at the Findon Function Centre this evening. The mathematical thinking and creativity in their investigations was amazing. Well done girls! We are all very proud of you.
Reception
Aurelia Tan – Mathematics is not just numbers (Set Task) – State Winning Entry
Year 2
Caitlyn Sam-Ling – Eat Well For Less (Set Task) – State Winning Entry
Lois Burton-Howard – Number Girl’s Adventure (Open Category) – State Winning Entry
Year 3
Ella Pearce – STEM project (Set Task) – State Winning Entry
Year 4
Amelia Kayser – Exploring STEM (Set Task) – State Winning Entry
Evelyn Gautier – My Future Vet Clinic (Open Category) – State Winning Entry
Bettina Dal Cin – Finding Our Way (Set Task) – Highly Commended
Year 6
Mabelle Kayser – Packaging, Packaging and more Packaging (Set Task) – State Winning Entry
Year 7
Mary Stavrou – Entrepreneurs and Mathematics – State Winning Entry
Catherine Kelly
Junior School Learning Strategies
History of Success Mapped Out in National Competitions
In 2018, St Peter’s Girls continued its long and successful involvement in both the Australian Geography Competition (Year 7 and Year 9 Elective Geography) and the Australian History Competition (Years 8 and 10).
Both of these competitions give students the opportunity to participate in a nationally-recognised, rigorous, multiple choice assessment which tests their grasp of the Australian Curriculum and their analytical skills. This year again produced some impressive results, with Distinction and High Distinction recipients receiving their certificates at the Academic Assembly at the end of last term.
Other students will be receiving their certificates through the subject teachers.
Australian History Competition
High Distinction (Top 15%)
Lucy White
Chi Chi Zhao
Azaan Singh
Anushka Rajbhoj
Adele Russell
Distinction (Top 25%)
Shreya Jayaprakash
Ruby Deakin
Lucy Moten
Charlotte Adams
Bridget Healey
Annie Bradshaw
Funto Komolafe
Isabelle Norman
Charlotte Bleby
Sophie Johnson
Emily Downie
Australian Geography Competition
High Distinction (Top 10%)
Lady Murphy
Eliza Monaghan
Angel Li
Ellie Humphrey
Ruby Croston-Melling
Poppy Marshall
Candy Feng
Keely Flannagan
Distinction (Top 20%)
Bronwyn Gautier
Madison Liddy
Ruby Richards
Bridgette Leach
Lauren Parker
Willow Stewart-Rattray
Alicia Toh
Farm Fun for Happy Campers
There was great excitement on Thursday 18 October as the Year 2 girls arrived at school ready for their first camp. After stopping in Strathalbyn for morning tea and a play, we arrived at Narnu Farm ready to meet the animals for 24 hours of farm fun!
The girls learnt about traditional farming practices such as blacksmithing and hand ploughing, experiencing first-hand as we explored the Central Idea ‘learning about the past helps us to understand the present and imagine the future’. Highlights were feeding the baby animals, holding the chicks and, of course, riding the horses!
Narnu Farm encouraged the girls to take risks and enjoy new experiences and challenges. It is a fabulous foundation for the Saints Girls’ Outdoor Education program.
Kathryn Clark and Sallyann Bruun
Year 2 Teachers
New Sisters’ Sanctuary a Blessing
On Wednesday 31 October, Friends of the Founders hosted their final event for the year in the sunshine on Chiverton Lawns.
Community members including many past staff and Old Scholars gathered together as Bishop Tim Harris conducted a formal blessing of the newly-developed Sisters’ Sanctuary close to the Chapel. The Friends of the Founders’ 2018 theme of ‘Women in Business and Enterprise’ continued as the audience had the pleasure of listening to guest speaker Michele Lally (nee Prince, Selwyn ’94). She shared her business journey including marketing the Savannah Lamb brand and building her Australian Micro Abattoirs business, as well as her most recent awards won.
The Year 9 Event Leaders assisted in serving a delicious morning tea.
Megan McCormack
Old Scholar Officer
Drama Double Act
The Year 9 and 10 Drama students have been hard at work on their class productions which will be presented on Thursday 22 November at 7pm in the Arts Centre.
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon presented by the Year 9s and Miss Polly’s Institute for Criminally Damaged Young Ladies Puts On a Show presented by the Year 10s, are both comedies written by Don Zolidis.
It is a great opportunity for the students to engage with all aspects of theatre production, from acting to design and stage management. Entry is free and we look forward to sharing our work with you!
Katherine Kitching
Drama Teacher
Fire Danger Season
With the fire danger season upon us, it is timely to remind families about the School’s Bushfire Action Plan.
The policy was developed in consultation with the CFS, MFS, Education Department and other stakeholders to ensure staff and students are prepared in the event of an emergency. A routine bushfire drill will be conducted in the coming weeks. Staff will guide students to the Arts Centre, which is the designated Bushfire Ready Building for St Peter’s Girls.
For more information, you can find our Bushfire Action Plan via the myLink parent portal by clicking the ‘School Documents’ menu item, followed by the ‘Whole School’ tab.
Parents/Guardians of Current Year 3 Students
As your daughter will be in Year 4 next year, there are a few different uniform items you will need to purchase before Term 1, 2019.
The junior blazer (cardigan) is replaced by a navy blue jumper and a wool blazer. The rash vest and solar pant is replaced by the School bathers.
It is advisable to make an appointment on 8334 2228, as the School Shop is currently busy with new student fittings.
Year 10 Lunchtime Music Concert
After weeks of singing, strumming and playing, the Year 10 Music class will showcase its talents during the lunchtime concert on Friday 16 November. This free show will be held on the Food Tech Deck. With hit songs from artists such as Shawn Mendes and Khalid, this concert is too good to miss!
Faye Ma
Year 10 Music student
Prince Alfred College – Bugsy Malone Casting Call
Prince Alfred College is looking for girls to audition for roles in its 2019 musical Bugsy Malone. Auditions will take place on Tuesday 27 November. If interested, please see the links for more information, and Mrs Kitching for the sample scripts.
Audition Poster
Audition Information
Audition Cast List
Sports News
This week, we extend our gratitude to all of our Year 12s who have played sport throughout their time as a Saints Girl. It has been wonderful to have them represent the School, and we wish them the best as they embark on their exams and a new future beyond school. Hopefully the memories from their participation will last a lifetime, and we look forward to welcoming many of them back as coaches, officials or players through Old Scholar sport and other events. – Neil Fuller and the PE staff
BASKETBALL
Open B – Saints 34 defeated by Scotch 44
With five focus points before the game, Saints went into the third and fourth play-off game with renewed confidence. The first half was tough with Scotch, featuring a 6-foot player, scoring 12 points before Saints adjusted with Sivi Sivasuthan and Emma Matheson stepping up in defence to assist Paris Robinson, who had her best game and scored a career-high 11 points. Playing a zone defence, Saints pressured the ball, and in the second half, this paid dividends with many turnovers by departing Year 12s Holly Cunningham and Ella Robinson. Sarah Matheson was strong in offense with 9 points including a 3-pointer. Bella Bernardi (4 points), Holly Cunningham (5 points including a 3-pointer) and Ebony Lohe (2) also contributed, as Saints won the second half 21-18. Overall, a great end to the season. – Neil Fuller
Middle A – Saints 30 defeated Walford 24
We won! After showing continued improvement, the team won its first game of the year and played some great basketball. Up against a much taller team who played zone the whole time, we drove well to the basket and created some good shots form outside which were going in all game. All girls played well. – Brenton Davies (Coach)
Middle B – Saints 24 defeated by Walford 45
A good game offensively and, in particular, from Lucy Moten who scored 14 points. However, defensively we could not keep up with Walford who were quicker and taller and scored too easily against our defense. – Brenton Davies (Coach)
Middle C1 – Saints 8 defeated by Immanuel 28
Immanuel was a much tougher opponent. Credit to the team for not giving up the whole game. We will work on our shooting as we missed a lot of good shots, but the girls are gaining confidence. – Sarah Turnbull (Coach)
Middle C2 – Saints 20 defeated Wilderness C1 14
The team had another excellent win against Wilderness. It was terrific to see more girls getting involved and trying some new skills. – Sarah Turnbull (Coach)
SOFTBALL
Open A – Saints 7 defeated Immanuel 1
The girls put in an outstanding effort for our second game of Term 4, defeating Immanuel by 6 runs. Everyone gave their all and played exceptionally well. A special mention must go to the juniors who really helped the team get ahead and end with that awesome result. Everyone communicated well on and off the field and the batters made some great hits. When on the field, the team scored many successful outs. We did extremely well against a strong team and to come away with a high score is an achievement to be proud of. Great job girls! – Aroha Munroe (2019 Captain)
Year 5/6 Silver – Saints 7 defeated Wilderness 5
Despite the hot weather, the Silver team had a great day on the field and in the batter’s box. Firstly getting 7 runs with some top team batting and running in the first inning with some great hits by Aurelia Pyne and Madeleine Penley. The team then had a successful fielding innings, getting 3 outs by playing first, limiting Wilderness to 2 runs. Lysiane Franchi did well catching all the throws to first. Unfortunately, in the second innings the team wasn’t successful with the bat but managed to limit Wilderness to 3 runs, with Savannah Walls playing at first and making the outs. Well done to Nellie Ion and Aurelia Pyne for both putting on the catcher’s gear despite the very hot conditions! – Claire Hale (Coach)
TENNIS
Open A – Saints 6-36 defeated Westminster 0-2
Singles: Tiana Glazbrook 6-0, Yasmin Glazbrook 6-0, Sienna Glazbrook 6-0, Olivia Harby 6-0
Open B – Saints 6-36 defeated Westminster 0-9
Singles: Maiya Jakupec 6-4, Mia Dodd 6-2, Ruby Deakin 6-1, Annabel Baldwinson 6-0
Division 1 Blue – Saints 1-21 defeated by Westminster 5-34
Singles: Imogen Nienaber 5-6, Taj Shahin 5-6, Lily-Rose Spartalis 2-6, Ella Dnistriansky 2-6
Division 1 White – Saints 6-36 defeated Immanuel 0-5
Singles: Georgia Mallick 6-1, Charlotte Staples 6-0, Bridgette Leach 6-2, Georgia Langley 6-1
Division 2 Blue – Saints 6-36 defeated Wilderness 0-10
Singles: Issy Harker 6-3, Annabelle Langley 6-2, Amelie Eaton 6-2, Milly Wood 6-0
Division 2 White – Saints 4-24 defeated Westminster 0-8
Singles: Tiffany Zhou 6-1, Adele Eaton 6-1, Ariel Spartalis 6-5
Division 3 Blue – Saints 0-6 defeated by Scotch green 6-36
Singles: Faye Ma 2-6, Siena Zito 2-6, Tara Nedumaran 2-6, Anna Wan 0-6
Division 3 White – Saints 5-31 defeated Scotch White 1-21
Singles: Eva Young 6-1, Chase Hocking 6-3, Sophie Abbott 6-2, Shunem Josiah 1-6
Division 4 Blue – Saints 1-10 defeated by Scotch 5-32
Singles: Jasmine Si 6-2, Deepali Asundi 2-6, Saffron Chen 1-6, Amy Hu 0-6
Division 4 White – Saints won by forfeit
Year 5/6 Division 1 – Saints 1-16 defeated by Seymour 5-26
Singles: Mathilda Thomas 2-4, Winnie Vartuli 2-4, Alexandra Nguyen 3-4, Chloe Richardson 4-2
Year 5/6 Division 3 – Saints 2-17 defeated by Cabra 3-21
Singles: Jerrie Wu 2-4, Gloria Zou 3-3, Emily Bates 0-4, Charlotte Thorpe 4-1
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Open A1 – Saints had a bye
Open A2 – Saints 2 defeated by St Ignatius 5
The team put up great defence throughout the game using a new method learnt at training. In attack, the girls had some great rucking up the field but needed to use set plays to draw the opposition in to make space on the line to score. This is something we will focus on in training and will incorporate into our next game. Hannah and Ella scored this game using their speed to pass through – well done! – Eve Habel (2019 Captain)
Open C1 – Saints 4 drew with Mary McKillop 4
In a fast-paced game, Saints fell behind in the first half. After regrouping in the second, we were the dominant team, but unfortunately could not score the sealer. Sarah Matheson and Bella Bernardi worked the ball up the middle hard, both penetrating the opposition defence to score. Ehi Oyugbo used her pace to advantage on the wing and scored twice, after some great work through the middle by others.
With 10 players picked for this match, it was important our rotations were managed effectively, to which Lucy White excelled. An unlucky result, but a game where we should never have allowed ourselves to be behind to start with. A good learning exercise for this week. – Ben Goldsmith
Open C2 – Saints 0 defeated by Marryatville 3
The players worked hard on improving their understanding of the sport and developing their basic skills in what was only the second game for many. They worked hard to ensure they were initiating and calling the touch. The team put up a strong defence and there were a number of try-saving touches put in by players. In the second half, the rucking improved with more fluidity being seen in the play. As the team moves forward, we will continue to develop our rucking and attacking play. – Becca Burton-Howard (Supervisor)
Year 7/8 – Saints 5 defeated St Aloysius 0
The team enjoyed their first win for the season. They had the advantage in the first quarter, with their opponents being down a player, but still managed to keep up the pressure and scored 3 tries in the first half. Attack on the ball was good, but we still need to work on rucking the ball hard and fast for the first three touches. In the second half, Adele Russell demonstrated her agility, stepping around the defence to come away with 2 tries. Our other scorers were Ellie Humphrey (1), Pearl Richards (1) and Madison Liddy (1). – Tracey Hunt (Coach)
VOLLEYBALL
Year 8/9 Knockout
Everyone was eager to play and nerves turned to excitement as we kicked off our first game against Paralowie. A new rotational system to learn for the day added some complexity but was adapted well into the team structure. The team got off to a flyer in the first set, with Paralowie digging deep to get back into the set. Close call 25-22. We entered the second set trying different combinations and struggled to pass receive in a number of rotations, losing the set 9-25. We found the right combination in the third to win the set 25-14 and the match 2-1.
Renmark was the next opponent and are traditionally strong. They had some tall timber and got off the mark well. We improved in the second set and settled better in the third, feeling we would face them again in the final.
Our third match was against Parafield Gardens on an extremely low net. Playing a strong team combination, we won the first set easily with strong serving runs. We swapped the whole team over as an experiment and were able to win the second set. We mixed it up a little in the third again, serving strongly with enough time to squeeze in an additional fourth set.
Qualifying for the final against Renmark, we again started with strong serving runs from Anna White and great team blocking, narrowly losing the first set 21-25. Everyone stepped up a gear and Georgina Keough had a great serving run to help close out the second set 25-23. With time running out, we knew we had to win or finish the last set ahead to progress to the next round of Knockout. We gave our all but Renmark finished 6-5 to win the day and progress. – Georgina Keough
Open B – Saints 0 defeated by Immanuel 3 (19-25, 23-25, 15-17)
Immanuel started well with a number of players already warm from the previous match. It took a while for the team to focus and gel, and once Isobel Tan got the communication going, we were back in the hunt. Toni Christiansen made her debut in the Open team, slotting into the passer/hitter position. Her strong, consistent serving kept the team in the match. Lucy White also joined the Open ranks, being recognised for her hard work in improving her skills. With setters Molly Lucas and Ankita Rajbhoj always in the thick of the action, the rest of the players were able to focus on blocking and defending.
All sets were very close but we could not push over the line at the business end of each set to win. A great effort by all in a team that works very well together. – Alistair Keough (Coach)
Open C1 – Saints 3 defeated Immanuel 0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-22)
Bolstered by the Year 12 group, the team was rarely headed with strong serving runs from Asha Short and Lauren Hernan. It was great to see the Year 12 group come together to close out their Volleyball time at Saints with an enjoyable match including much cheering and vocal support for each other. We bid farewell to stalwarts Ally Reade, Ava Loechel, Bethany Cross, Charlotte Carney, Kate McKellar-Stewart and Lauren Hernan, whose experience and skills will be missed in the last match of the season. The future looks bright and there is still plenty of talent coming through with a number of girls progressing from Middle teams to Open in readiness for next year. – Alistair Keough (Coach)
Open C2 – Saints 2 defeated Immanuel 1
Open C2s won in a close game, however, due to great serving from Amelie Dunda and excellent attack at the net from Emily Dobson-May, we were able to win the last set, resulting in a win over a strong Immanuel team. – Victoria Neale (Coach)
Middle A – Saints had a bye
Middle B – Saints 1 defeated by Immanuel 2
Saints started strong, winning the first and demonstrating great teamwork. Unfortunately, they lost focus in the second set and dropped their heads, giving up a number of easy shots. The team lost communication and movement in the third set, which was a disappointing way to end after the great first set. From here we can only learn from this game, put it behind us, train hard and be ready for our next match. – Victoria Neale (Coach)
Middle C – Saints 3 defeated Immanuel 0
The Middle Cs played an amazing game, winning all 3 sets against Immanuel. It was a great match to watch with top serving from Gloria Gao and Angela Feng as well as some fantastic saves by Gracie Ganzis. All round, a great team effort with much enthusiasm shown by every girl on the team. – Victoria Neale (Coach)
Year 6 – Saints 3 defeated Seymour White 0
The team was outstanding, coming away with an easy win. The girls worked very well together, with their serves winning the majority of points. They made an effort to translate what they had learnt in training early that day into their game and ultimately improved their performance. I look forward to watching the girls grow as teammates and athletes as the season progresses. — Charlotte White
Year 5 – Saints 2 defeated Seymour Blue 1
Saints showed great improvement and came out with a solid win. Over the course of the game, improvement was seen from all of the girls, especially Izzy McCabe, with the majority of her serves getting over the net. A fine outcome to a fun and enjoyable game. – Isabella Villani
WATER POLO
Open A – Saints 9 defeated St Ignatius 4
It was a great game with the team working really well together in both attack and defence. The initial focus was to apply pressure to stop the strong attacking opponents, which the girls did extremely well. In attack, we converted many of our steals and counter-attacks to goals. Good job by Fiona Lethbridge and Lara Wakeham for getting 5-metre penalties which resulted in goals. Well done girls! – Nicolette Miller (Captain 2019)
Open B – Saints 12 defeated St Ignatius 2
Defence was strong with the girls reacting quickly to turnovers. They also worked well together in attack to create scoring opportunities. The best player was Stephanie Smalls who came away with many steals in defence and was also very strong in attack. Great game girls! – Nicolette Miller (Captain 2019)
Open C – Saints 6 defeated St Ignatius 4
Saints started strongly and had a good lead at half-time, which put them in a solid position for the rest of the match. They worked well in defence, making it difficult for St Ignatius to score, and also played well as a team in attack, creating many opportunities to shoot for goal. The best player was Kellie Bested, who was strong in both defence and attack. Good job girls. – Nicolette Miller (Captain 2019)
Year 7/8 – Saints 4 defeated by St Ignatius 13
The girls played well considering it was their first game as a team. There are a couple of things they need to work on including being goal-side, staying on their players and spreading out. Good job by Annie Bui, Lila Gosse and Adele Eaton who were the goal scorers. Despite the loss, everyone tried their hardest until the end. Good job girls! – Adele Eaton