Issue no. 24
From Our Head of Junior School
Term 3 typically offers a rich array of co-curricular learning experiences for our girls. We are excited to see significant numbers of students choosing to take up the challenge and stretch themselves this year.
A large proportion of our Year 3 to 6 students have taken the opportunity to participate in the Australian Mathematics Competition and the Mathematics and English papers of the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS). The mathematics experiences require students to resolve unfamiliar problems across all domains of Mathematics, and apply skills in reasoning and problem-solving. The English tasks involve thinking deeply about a wide range of texts, interpreting written and visual information, deciphering less familiar vocabulary and seeking to understand authors’ intent.
Students in Years 4, 5 and 6 have been preparing for the annual IPSHA (Independent Primary School Heads of Australia) Poetry Recital Competition, with our internal finals being held next week in readiness for the interschool competition. Year 5 and 6 students also have the opportunity to participate in the IPSHA Junior Orator of the Year Competition. This event, involving the delivery of both a prepared and impromptu speech, celebrates the spoken word and effective use of language to inform and entertain.
For upper primary students keen to challenge themselves in other ways, preparations are well underway to find our champion Mind Lab players. We are thrilled with the number of students prepared to step up to this challenge. Our eight strongest players will compete in the games of Checkers, Abalone, Quoridor and Octi at the annual interschool Mind Lab Olympics. We are hosting the competition at Saints Girls this year and look forward to seeing our students pit their wits against the best players from other schools.
All these experiences require students to step out of their comfort zone and show perseverance and determination. As well as stretching students’ cognitive and public speaking abilities, they are valuable opportunities to develop self-confidence and resilience. We are very proud of every student who has taken up one or more of these challenges this term, regardless of the results they achieve.
Suzanne Haddy
Head of Junior School
Winter Interhouse Results
Excitement reached fever pitch at our annual Winter Interhouse! The energy, enthusiasm and effort shown by the girls highlighted just how much they’ve missed being involved in competition. House pride beamed throughout the carnival as the girls battled it out across six sports.
AUSSIE RULES
In a modified format played on the School Oval, it was encouraging to see the strength and resilience of our Year 7 – 9 players when coming up against the senior girls. Their speed and agility certainly added to the day, which saw Kilburn run away with victory for the second year in a row with 3 wins.
1st – Kilburn
2nd – Kennion
3rd – Patteson
4th – Selwyn
BADMINTON
The standard of Badminton at Saints is impressive, and it was fantastic to see such quality in both the middle and senior competitions. All Houses were able to pick up at least 2 wins across the 12 games that each played, with only 1 game separating Patteson as the winners over Selwyn.
1st – Patteson
2nd – Selwyn
3rd – Kennion
4th – Kilburn
CROSS COUNTRY
Following a change of course due to a downpour of morning rain, we were able to get our 2021 Interhouse Cross Country underway. This event follows weeks of practice in PE lessons and involves students from Reception to Year 9. In 2021, our Mid-Year Receptions even came out for a lap of the course and to experience the Saints Girls’ House spirit. Kennion claimed overall victory after placing 1st in 5 of the year levels, but this event is about much more than results as the girls gain an awareness and understanding of lifelong fitness and enjoy exercising outside together in nature.
1st – Kennion (469)
2nd – Kilburn (393)
3rd – Selwyn (384)
4th – Patteson (265)
Individual Results
GOLD
Year 9: Alice Braithwaite
Year 8: Malaika McLeod
Year 7: Elodie de Wit
Year 6: Isla Fahey
Year 5: Lauren Disney
Year 4: Emily Robinson
Year 3: Milly Richardson
Year 2: Lucy Dougherty
Year 1: Rena Bradshaw
Reception: Javeria Ishaq
SILVER
Year 9: Daisy Braithwaite
Year 8: Carys Kinsella-White
Year 7: Chloe Richardson
Year 6: Aleesha Gray
Year 5: Audrey Fox
Year 4: Ella King
Year 3: Aurelia Tan
Year 2: Amber Guo
Year 1: Mia O’Brien
Reception: Millie Dougherty
BRONZE
Year 9: Claudia Pearce
Year 8: Ella Warrick
Year 7: Abigail Hawkes
Year 6: Abbey Phillips
Year 5: Jess Woods
Year 4: Matilda Purvis
Year 3: Olivia Ianniello
Year 2: Jiaen Lu
Year 1: Florence Cleland
Reception: Charlotte Kelly
HOCKEY
With uneven numbers of Hockey players across the four Houses, it was encouraging to see girls who do not usually play the sport step up for their House to field teams. Kennion and Kilburn, who together in the past 15 years had only lifted the trophy 3 times, looked like the strongest teams on the day. A 4 – 3 Kennion victory over Kilburn proved to be decisive as Kennion finished victorious with 3 wins from 3.
1st – Kennion
2nd – Kilburn
3rd – Patteson
4th – Selwyn
NETBALL
The games across both divisions were closely fought with only 4 points separating the top 3 teams. Going into the final round, Selwyn and Kennion were neck-and-neck. Selwyn took on Patteson and Kennion played Kilburn. Wins to both teams would have meant ending on equal points and the winner would have been decided on goal difference, so the pressure was on!
In the Middle School competition, Kennion held on for a 1 goal win over Kilburn, while Selwyn had a 4 goal win over Patteson. So, this meant it all came down to the Senior School results. Selwyn managed a 4 goal win against Patteson in a tightly-contested battle on Court 4. Kennion and Kilburn fought it out on Court 3 in a see-sawing affair with many lead changes. A late surge from Kilburn saw them hit the front and push on to secure an 11 – 7 victory, meaning the overall Netball winner was Selwyn!
1st – Selwyn
2st – Kennion
3rd – Kilburn
4th – Patteson
SOCCER
As reported in last Friday’s eNews, Selwyn took out Interhouse Soccer for the first time in the fixture’s 17 year history with a nail-biting penalty finish.
1st – Selwyn
2st – Kennion
3rd – Patteson
4th – Kilburn
Well done to all players and student supporters who showed such great competitive spirit.
Tommy Peak
Director of Sport
Game Changing Tech Looms for New Gym
This week, the Year 11 and 12 PE classes participated in a European handball match at The Lights Community and Sports Centre at Lightsview. The facility has a state-of-the-art video replay system where we can access multiple recordings during and after the game. This helps the girls to produce evidence to support their implemented match strategies. We are hoping to install a similar system in our new Gym.
The Year 12s are using the game as a trial for the final match which will inform their group dynamics assignment. Students are allocated to one of four coaching roles – technical, tactical, fitness or motivational – and they must display the strategies they applied over a number of weeks to improve the performance of the whole team.
Dan Searle
Head of PE, Health & Outdoor Education
eTECH Girls Take a Stand
The Year 9 eTECH students are learning about the engineering design process to build a production-ready iPad stand. We have partnered with Lyndon Huff from PROHAB, who used the design thinking process to develop a prototype stand that will soon be used throughout the medical industries.
With an easing of COVID restrictions, students were fortunate to have Lyndon visit in person to talk about the ideation, prototyping and problem-solving that went into developing the iPad stand. Students were excited to build and apply scientific concepts and mathematical reasoning to develop a new technology solution. This project provides students with an understanding of the world of engineering as they consider choosing electives for Year 10.
Monique Green
Digital Tech Teacher & STEM Coordinator
Computer Programmers Connect for Success
The Stage 2 Digital Technologies students are currently working on their final assignments. The girls chose to build, secure and operate a gaming server from scratch. They had to research and order the parts, build the computer, program a secure and accessible system, and automate processes to create a standalone server for the purpose of MLG or ‘Major League Gaming’ services.
During the process, the girls have discovered the intricacies of hardware functions, Linux server securities, networks and network planning, and the joy and relief of seeing a boot screen after putting it all together. This has been an exciting, stirring and memorable undertaking that the girls will take away from their time in Digital Technologies.
Garth Coulter
Head of Tech & Digital Learning
Food and Hospitality Health Hustle
Semester 2 of Stage 1 Food and Hospitality focuses on Healthy Eating and the impact this has on the hospitality industry. The students have been converting traditional hospitality menu items in line with healthy eating guidelines.
They recently trialled their converted recipes and sought feedback about the suitability of their dishes for a take away outlet or a tuck shop. Dishes included pumpkin crust pizza with smoked mozzarella and basil, a Mexican-inspired Buddha bowl, healthier burritos, nutty date brownies, wholemeal carrot cake muffins, and banana and spinach muffins.
Jenni Manson
Food Tech Teacher
Kennion House Charity Day
On Friday of Week 6, the Year 10 Kennion girls will be hosting a delicious sausage sizzle. Money raised will go to Kennion’s House Charity, KickStart for Kids, which supports disadvantaged children across South Australia. We’ve been seeing firsthand the impact this charity has on children through the KickStart for Kids Breakfast Program.
The sausages will be $2.50 each (+50c for onion), and drinks will also be $2.50. You can choose a meal deal of two items for $4. Drinks will include soft drinks and juice boxes. Students from Reception to Year 2 can pre-order via the TryBooking link, and students from Years 3 to 12 will be able to buy the items directly from the stall on Chiverton Lawns.
We look forward to seeing you and supporting our charity!
Sowmya Biradar
Student
Annual House Dinners
During Term 3, all Middle and Senior School girls have the opportunity to enjoy a night away from homework to get creative and colourful at the House Dinners.
The Year 11s have been working hard organising decorations, food and games for each event. Visit the TryBooking links below to purchase your daughter(s) a ticket for the night as this is a compulsory event.
We’re looking forward to seeing everyone’s creative costumes and enjoying a fun night with our Houses.
Kennion House Dinner
Theme: Masquerade Ball
20 August (Week 5)
Book now: trybooking.com/BRWZD
Patteson House Dinner
Theme: 70’s
27 August (Week 6)
Book now: trybooking.com/BSRZT
Selwyn House Dinner
Theme: Welcome to Wonderland
10 September (Week 8)
Book now: trybooking.com/BSSPA
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 Long Lunch 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.
Seeking Volunteers
There are several opportunities to get involved and volunteer at The Long Lunch.
We are seeking parent/grandparent volunteers for set up on Saturday 18 September, and are also looking for assistance in the kitchen and for the auctions during the event.
Saturday 18 September, 10am – 3pm
Two shifts: 10am – 1pm and 12 – 3pm
Sunday 19 September, 9am – 6pm
Two shifts: 9am – 1pm and 1 – 6pm
If you are interested in volunteering your time, please contact Melissa Westgate in the Community Relations Office via 8334 2244 or mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au. It is a lot of fun and a great way to meet and work with others from our community.
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 a fabulous afternoon featuring 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
Father’s Day Virtual Gift Stall
The Friends of the ELC are holding a Father’s Day Virtual Gift Stall where all of our students from ELC to Year 12 are able to purchase gifts online for dads, grandfathers, uncles or other treasured people in their lives.
We have a variety of wonderful gifts available for $5 each. There is limited stock, so get in early to avoid disappointment. Gifts will be wrapped and delivered to classes on Thursday 2 September.
To order, visit the Trybooking link.
Purchases close at 5pm, Friday 27 August.
If you have any queries, please contact Fiona McGregor in the Community Relations Office via fmcgregor@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
School Blazers – Half Price Clearance
The School Shop has a half price clearance of remaining stock of wool flannel blazers. They are now $120 each (down from $240 and $250).
Get in quick as there are limited sizes available: 70, 110, 115, 120 and 125.
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
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.
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 four 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.
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.
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
BASKETBALL
Year 6: Saints 54 v Walford 2
Year 5: Saints 18 v Wilderness 20
The Year 6s had a great first game, beating Walford 54 – 2. An amazing team performance with plenty of sharing around the scores! The girls played excellent defence and stuck well on their players, as was evident in the low score for Walford. It was so nice to be able to play again and the team is looking forward to the rest of the term’s games.
NETBALL
Year 4: Saints Blue 8 v Saints White 3
Year 3: Saints 9 v Seymour 1
Our Year 4 Netball teams had their first ‘proper’ round of netball on Wednesday after a delay to the start of the season due to COVID. They just happened to be scheduled to play each other!
The girls were excited to get out on the court for their first official match and the coaches were keen to see them put into practice what they had been learning at training. The match was very close all the way through, with scores tied 3-all at three-quarter time. But then the Blue team went on a goal shooting spree, scoring 5 unanswered goals in the final quarter to come away with the win.
All the girls tried hard and listened well to their coaches and the umpire, and improved as the game went on. We are looking forward to seeing them continue to improve when they hit the court again.
SOCCER
Open: Saints 0 v Scotch 7
Middle: Saints 0 v Immanuel 2
Our Open Soccer girls faced a tough battle against a Scotch team who are undefeated this year. Despite the challenge, the girls kept their focus and intensity, although the pressure that Scotch applied forced us to defend too deep which allowed too much space in front of our defence. Despite the score, the girls have shown huge improvement against a team who last time racked up double figures.