Issue no. 21
From Our Head of Junior School
St Peter’s Girls’ School vision is to inspire our girls to become women of character and influence. Women who can serve and lead with integrity and imagination in a global society. Developing the confidence and skills required to lead projects and others takes time and practice. This week, our Year 6 girls pledged their service to our School community at our Year 6 Leadership Chapel Service. Every student was presented with a badge, recognising the service group they belong to. A representative from each of the groups (that ranged from Tech, IT and Art Leaders, RAP Ambassadors, SRC Coordinators, Student Guides, House Leaders, Sport & Quiz Captains, Chapel, Music, Library & Mindlab Leaders) also shared a mission statement, which was a clear intent of what their group hoped to achieve in 2024 and the values that would guide them.
This Junior School leadership program provides our students with authentic real-life opportunities to work collaboratively with others to make a difference. Our Year 6 girls are already demonstrating initiative with their plans for the year and are now excited to be great role models and change agents within our School. We congratulate all Year 6 students and warmly thank Mr Bassett (Chaplain), Mrs Smith (Deputy Head of Junior School), and our Year 6 teachers (Ms Butler-Nixon, Ms Riley and Mrs Braithwaite) for coordinating a lovely Leadership Chapel service.
Head of Junior School
Important Dates
ELC Twilight Family Picnic: Friday 23 February
Old Scholars Paint & Sip Event: Friday 23 February
International Women’s Day: Friday 8 March
Public Holiday: Monday 11 March
Head of the River: Saturday 16 March
Choral Night: Thursday 21 March
ELC Coffee Van: Thursday 28 March
Good Friday: Friday 29 March
Easter Monday: Monday 1 April
Last day of Term: Friday 12 April
Swimming Carnival 2024
And the winner is… KILBURN!
Swimming Carnival 2024 blasted off the blocks today, House spirit was on full display as girls in Years 4 – 12 went stroke-for-stroke at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre.
Team spirit, competition, determination and participation featured throughout the day, with impressive performances in the races and fun in the novelty events, including the annual crowd favourite, the Crocodile Relay!
House chants were at maximum volume and the Year 12 costumes impressed, it was terrific to see House pride shine with the girls cheering on teammates from the stands.
Congratulations to all involved! Detailed results will appear in next week’s eNews.
Governor of South Australia Visits Saints
On Tuesday we were lucky enough to be visited by Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia. While engaging in an insightful address and a Q & A assembly with her Excellency both Sophie and I gained a deeper understanding of the attributes required to be a successful and influential leader.
One thing that resonated with us was Her Excellency’s advocation for following your own path. While speaking about life after school Her Excellency made the point, that deciding on what to do post school can be difficult, but it shouldn’t cause stress. Her Excellency expressed how you are most likely going to change your mind many times over the years and that’s exactly how you find the perfect balance between what you are passionate about and what you excel at.
Another key piece of advice that Sophie and I took away from Her Excellency is the importance of speaking your mind. Whilst being respectful of others is important, being firm with your values and beliefs is the key to being a respectable leader and admirable member of society.
Both Sophie and I are so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from such an inspirational and influential woman.
Daisy Kennett
Head Prefect
Introducing Our New Robot Dog
There was much excitement at assembly on Monday when the girls were introduced to our newest team member, the Go2 Quadruped Robot.
This robot dog is capable of walking, running and dancing, amongst other commands and can be fully programmed or voice activated. Students will be able to work with the latest and upcoming technology, learning to code, problem-solve and create solutions for various units of schoolwork. It uses light detection technology and AI functionality and can be utilised by all students from ELC through to Year 12.
We are looking forward to seeing all the possibilities with this new bionic creature.
Exploring Lifecycles through Hatchlings
Last Monday, the Year 2 classrooms buzzed with anticipation as three adorable chicks and a dozen eggs made their debut for our captivating exploration into lifecycles. Throughout the past two weeks, the students diligently conducted scientific inquiries, closely observing the chicks’ growth and development from hatching to maturity.
The hatching process has been absolutely fascinating, and we’ve had some amazing observations to share:
- ‘The incubator needs to be nice and warm for the eggs to be able to hatch.’
- ‘When the chickens hatch, it can take a little while because they need lots of rest to be able to open up the egg.’
- ‘Some eggs hatch quickly, other eggs take a lot of time, and some eggs explode!’
- ‘Chickens aren’t fluffy when they are born, they actually come out wet and it takes time for them to be fluffy.’
Having these delightful chicks around has made our learning experience even more special. It’s amazing how much we’ve discovered about lifecycles just by watching them grow right before our eyes!
Emma Warren and Alana Lesiw
Year 2 Teachers
Morning Tea for Ovarian Cancer Awareness
On Thursday 16 February Alysa Trinh, Emily McCorley and I went to the Health and Medical Sciences building on North Terrace to attend Senator Simon Birmingham’s annual morning tea to raise awareness for ovarian cancer.
We were shocked to learn that only 15% of women with ovarian cancer survive beyond five years after diagnosis. Despite significant research, there is still no early detection test for ovarian cancer. This is a major problem as it means when women find out they have ovarian cancer, it is already at an advanced stage.
The speakers discussed many current projects and research on ovarian cancer, including CAR T Cell Research. After the presentation, students were given a tour of The University of Adelaide’s state-of-the-art simulator facility. We were introduced to various pieces of advanced technology for medical and allied health education. The Centre had some shockingly realistic practice mannequins which were made from silicone, they were extremely lifelike, some of them even blinked and moved. Simulation technicians mentioned that they use actors to simulate real life situations for practice.
Overall, it was an incredibly educational and enlightening experience.
Scarlett Riley-Male
Year 12 Student
Creepy Crawly Experience for Year 1s
Last week, the Year 1s delved into the theme of ‘Sharing the Planet’ with an exciting visit from ‘Bugs n Slugs’, focusing on invertebrates. Kris and James from the program orchestrated hands-on experiences, allowing students to interact closely with safe invertebrates while observing potentially harmful ones from a safe distance.
The students grasped the concept of invertebrates and learned how to categorise them into different groups. Engaging in an information session, they ignited their curiosity as inquirers and honed their research skills, embarking on a journey to explore the scientific realm around them.
This inquiry promises to be both informative and captivating as students continue to nurture their wonder and explore various aspects of invertebrates. To continue to build enthusiasm of this highly engaging inquiry, we are delighted to be growing and taking care of stick insects and caterpillars of a monarch butterfly, where students will develop their knowledge and understanding of their life cycles through real life experiences.
Meg Jordan and Liz Sandercock
Year 1 Teachers
Head of the River Dinner 2024
The Friends of Rowing invite rowers, family and friends to celebrate the efforts, improvements and achievements of our St Peter’s Girls’ rowers throughout the 2023/24 season.
The annual Head of the River Dinner will be held at the Kent Town Hotel. The evening will feature speeches from students and coaches about the season that has been and will conclude with awards being presented. The dinner includes a two-course menu. Soft drinks and other refreshments will be available for purchase from the bar throughout the event.
Saturday 16 March, 6pm arrival for 6.30pm start.
Kent Town Hotel (76 Rundle St, Kent Town SA 5067)
Tickets – $80 per person
Click here to purchase tickets.
Ticket sales close at 5pm, Monday 4 March
Please note, all rowers are expected to attend this event.
Brynley Millward
Director of Rowing
Countdown to Innovation: Girls in Tech Trailblazers
Mark your calendars for an exciting event next Thursday 29 February, as St Peter’s Girls School proudly hosts Girls in Tech Day. Now in its sixth successful year, this day is more than a gathering; it’s a transformative event where our Year 5 and 6 girls engage with technology in workshops and visit exhibitors in our Innovation Hub.
By aligning with Australia’s positive trends in STEM, this event shines as an engaging moment of change, fostering confidence and curiosity among our future female leaders. Girls in Tech is a day brimming with interactive experiences, from coding and career workshops to hands-on activities like drone operations and crafting coding bracelets. Our Innovation Hub will be filled with the latest technologies, featuring quadruped surveillance robots and immersive virtual reality experiences, thanks to our partners, including Saab, JB Hi-Fi, Compnow, and OzGrav.
This community event is a vibrant way we celebrate proactive engagement and empowerment, offering young girls a dynamic platform to explore the intersections of learning, growth, and inspiration in technology.
It’s a unique community event as well. We have Year 5 and 6 girls from several schools diving into the vibrant world of technology and envisioning themselves in flourishing STEM careers. It’s a day of proactive engagement and empowerment, offering young girls a dynamic platform to explore technology’s intersections of learning, growth, and inspiration. Look out for photos in next week’s enews!
Melissa O’Loughlin
STEM Innovation Leader
Shakespeare on the Lawn – Save the Date
Year 10 Arts students present to you Shakespeare on the Lawn, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Save the Date: Friday 5 April from 5.30pm
Drinks and food available to pre-order.
Families and friends welcome, more details to come.
A Night on the Green
Don’t miss this year’s Dads Night Out for some barefoot bowling. Come along for a fun night – bring a mate, meet the other fathers at St Peter’s Girls!
Date: Friday 1 March 2024
Time: 6.30pm onwards
Venue: Tranmere Bowling Club, 1 Kings Grove, Tranmere
Tickets: $40 via https://www.trybooking.com/COKYT (Includes entry, bowling fees and a hamburger)
Bookings close Tuesday 27 February at 5pm Drinks and Lucky Squares can be purchased on the night.
Enquiries: Fiona McGregor fmcgregor@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Supported by the Friends of Sport
ELC Coffee Van
ELC families are invited to enjoy a coffee and hot cross bun to celebrate a successful first term.
Thursday 28 March from 7.30am, Chiverton Lawns
We can’t wait to see you there!
Generations Breakfast and 130 Photo
We would like to invite our Old Scholar mothers and grandmothers, along with their children to participate in our Generations Breakfast and 130 Photograph event.
To acknowledge the Old Scholars’ connection and highlight the importance of generations in the School’s rich history, we will be capturing a moment in time with a group photograph of our current students with their Old Scholar mothers and/or grandmothers.
Please join us for breakfast on Chiverton Lawns, Thursday 7 March at 8am prior to the photograph with your child.
Our guest speaker Fiona Dorman (nee Khor, Patteson 1996), President of the National Council of Women SA, will also join us as we celebrate International Women’s Day.
*Attending students will commence the School Day in Lesson 2.
Please RSVP here by Friday 1 March 2024
Old Scholar Issy gets into WAPAA
Congratulations to Old Scholar Isabella Lowry (Kilburn 2023) on receiving a position at the prestigious Western Australia Performing Arts Academy (WAPAA).
We asked Issy a few questions:
What is the name of the course you got into?
Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance).
When did you start dancing?
When I was 3 years old.
Why do you choose to dance?
I choose to dance because it allows me to let go and not worry about other things happening in my life, I can channel emotions like stress and sadness into my dancing. I can also be very creative with dance.
What other skills and opportunities has dance provided you with so far?
Dance has helped me become more resilient, confident, and creative.
What is your dream role to perform and with what company?
Right now, there isn’t one particular role I want to play, but my ultimate goal is to get a contract with a professional dance company in 2027 after I graduate from WAAPA. My dream dance company is the Australian Ballet or ABT in America. If I had to choose just one ballet it would be Swan Lake, that has always been my dream!
What are you most excited about for 2024?
I am so excited to move out of home and experience a different city that is bigger than Adelaide, living out of home will force me to grow my independence as a person. I am also excited to be in a place where everyone has the same goal and we get to dance full-time, five days a week, which will enable me to improve my dancing to achieve my goals too.
What an amazing achievement! Enjoy this opportunity Issy, we wish you the very best and can’t wait to see you achieve your dreams.
Music Student Success
Congratulations to Year 6 student Nishka Juneja who scored a high distinction in her AMEB exam. (Australian Music Examination Board)
If your daughter completes an exam this year and you would like us to celebrate her achievements, please send an email to comms@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au with the grade and results.
School Shop Notice
School Shop Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 8am – 4pm (closed for lunch 12 – 12.30pm)
Parents can also order items via our Online School Shop. This is now accessible via the Flexischools platform which also administers our Online Tuck Shop. To sign in or sign up to Flexischools, click here
Absences from School
If your child will be absent from school/ELC or is arriving late or leaving early, please notify the School via one of the following methods:
Text: 0428 601 957
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200
Please ensure to include your child’s name, the name of the ELC Room, Class or Home Group and the reason for the absence i.e. illness/appointment/family/sport etc
If notifying via email, feel free to ‘cc’ the teacher of the Room/Class/Home Group as well.
It would be appreciated if notification is received prior to 9am.
Sports News
Sport Results
Wednesday 14 February – Tuesday 20 February
BASKETBALL
Senior B: Saints (43) v Scotch Senior B (14)
Senior C: Saints (18) v Westminster Senior C1 (15)
Senior D: Saints (3) v Immanuel Senior C1 (26)
Middle A: Saints (26) v Westminster Middle A (66)
Middle B: bye
Middle C: Saints (12) v Immanuel Middle C2 (16)
Middle D Blue: Saints (8) v Immanuel Middle C1 (28)
Middle D White: Saints (5) v Concordia Middle C2 (46)
Best Player: Angela scored all of our 7 points and defended with such great effort all game!
Super woman: Joshitaa had a great first ever game of basketball. Her effort was huge all game and she showed great potential in her dribbling and shooting skills.
Great spirit from the girls in a tough loss, we improved each quarter and really got into the game by the end.
CRICKET
Senior A: Saints (3/66) v Scotch Senior A (5/84)
Best Player: Amelia Lucas – 26* (17)
Super Woman: Phoebe Lucas – great energy in the field including 2 direct hits 1 from the boundary resulting in a run out.
Senior B White: Saints (0/96) v Scotch Senior B (3/51)
Best Player: impossible to separate Milly Sheridan (scored 20* (16) and took 2/3 (2)) and Sophie Ricciuto (scored 19* (14) and took 1/5 (2)). Opened the batting together, positive and clear calling singles, always looking to rotate the strike. Together they were once again instrumental in setting up the win.
Super Woman: Amy Dillon once again took an outstanding catch; keeping wicket a top edge bobbled up and Amy had to cover roughly 10m to take the catch, which she took at full stretch. Another amazing effort!
5/6 White: Saints (10/62) v Wilderness 5/6 White (8/73)
TENNIS
Senior Open A: Saints (19) v Pembroke Premier League (48)
Senior Division 1.2: Saints (46) v Seymour Division 1.3 (17)
Senior Division 3.3: Saints (9/5/38) v Seymour Division 3.2 (9/4/35)
Best Player: Sylvie Flavel – Great foot work and skills
Superwoman: Antra Docherty for being courageous and filling in for the team above this week.
The girls did a great job this weekend against Seymour and were able to come out on top! All girls played well and demonstrated persistence throughout their doubles and singles matches. Well done girls!
Experienced Blue: Saints (3/3/16) v Wilderness Intermediate Blue (3/3/15)
Intermediate Blue: Saints (1/1/7) v St Ignatius Blue (5/5/24)
Intermediate Navy: Saints (4/4/13) v Wilderness White (0/2/8)
Intermediate White: Saints (3/17) v Seymour Intermediate Blue (1/6)
Best Player: Victoria Teo
Superwoman: Kate Yin
Beginner Blue: Saints (2/8) v Seymour Beginner Purple (4/21)
Beginner White: Saints (3/8) v Seymour Beginner Green (1/6)
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Senior B: Saints (4) v St Dominic’s 1 (2)
Middle A: Saints (3) v Mercedes 1 (6)
Best Player: Eleanor Bartter. Great skills, reads the play well.
Superwoman: Wei Ning Khoo. First time playing Touch and she gave it a red hot go and looked like she has been playing for years. Player voting.
Middle B: Saints (3) v Seymour 2 (6)
VOLLEYBALL
Year 4-6 Blue: Saints (1/51) v Seymour 5/6 Purple (1/50)
Best Player: Colette Palmieri
Superwoman: Zara Millhouse
Serving was great this week for the Blue team.
Year 4-6 Silver: Saints (3/75) v Seymour 5/6 Blue (0/47)
Best Player: Samaira listened to all the feedback, and it showed as she received the ball very well and her serves were incredible.
Superwoman: Penny kept the energy up throughout the whole game and cheered all her teammates on. She lifted the spirit on and off the court!
Senior A: Saints (1/61) v Seymour 5/6 White (2/73)
Best Player: Annabel Keough
Superwomen: Alannah Godfrey, Asha Eaton and Kiera See – Amazing effort by these 3 to make a competitive match with 4 players.
Both teams were carrying an affliction called ‘formal tan’ making a number of players unavailable on both teams. Saints played with only 4 players but being short 2 players did not stop them giving their all. Some really good rallies as serving and ball placement by both teams made it harder to set a strong attack and easy kills. The spirit of the game was enjoyed by both sides making it an enjoyable match to play and watch. Good to hear the formal affliction is short lived with everyone available back next week. Go Saints!!
Middle A: Saints (3/65) v Woodcroft Middle A (0/40)
Middle B: Saints (2/54) v Woodcroft Middle B (1/50)
Middle C Blue: Saints (1/54) v Immanuel Middle C1 (2/63)
Best Player: Nishka
Super Woman: Ruby
Middle C White: Saints (1/54) v Concordia Middle C5 (3/75)
Winter Sport Nominations Are Now Open
Even though Summer Sport is still in full swing, it is time to start thinking about what sports your daughter wants to participate in during Winter.
All Winter Sport Nominations will now be done via Clipboard. Please click here for instructions on how to navigate Clipboard for your daughter.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Alice Johnswood
Director of Sport