Issue no. 34
From Our Director of Teaching and Learning
As I have mentioned in previous editions of eNews, teachers at Saints Girls are always thinking about ways to tweak their practice to improve outcomes for the students. All teachers participate in our Growth and Learning Review program (GLR), which is now into its fourth year. Personal learning goals are set in Term 1, and now in Term 4, we are into the time of year when they are reviewed and reflected upon. The GLR process also requires teachers to be observed in the classroom at least once by their line manager. This year, teachers have been guided to use data as part of their end-of-year GLR reflections so that the validity and successes of the 2021 goals can be measured in some way.
In 2020, we launched our own bespoke student feedback survey system. These surveys enable students to provide teachers with some feedback on their teaching and the students’ learning. The statements in the surveys have been tweaked this year following discussion with the Student Representative Council, and the latest cycle of surveys commenced this week, with further surveys planned for Term 1 next year. This system is another way in which teachers can reflect upon their practice and keep their customers satisfied! It should be noted that the student feedback in the survey cycles thus far has been overwhelmingly positive, reflecting the high quality of teaching in our School and the solid relationships that develop in our learning spaces.
It feels like a very long time ago now, but in January, the teaching staff attended a thought-provoking presentation by Dr Brendan Bentley on the subject of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). To put it simply, CLT focuses on the limitations of the working memory and the need for teachers to be mindful of this and to know the ‘work arounds’. Since then, some of our teachers have attended the ‘Science of Understanding Learning’ professional training organised via the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia, which has helped consolidate our understanding of CLT and other implications of scientific research for student learning. We aim to share many of these insights with the rest of the teaching staff early in 2022.
Nigel Scoggins
Director of Teaching and Learning
ELC FUNdamentals Sport Program
Our School’s Director of Sport Tommy Peak has been running a FUNdamentals Sport Program for our ELC friends. The aim is to develop core motor skills through high energy, mass movement and imagination.
The power of sport is in focus at Stonyfell as we raise funds hoping to give Saints Girls a new Gym sooner.
Check out some of our rising sport stars in action:
From Our 2022 Sport Prefect
The physical, psychological and social benefits of physical activity are widely known, but these are not the only advantages. Our School community also reaps the rewards. Girls can apply the courage, resilience, accountability, respect, patience, leadership and teamwork skills experienced in sporting endeavours to all areas of learning and other co-curricular activities. This enhances wellbeing. Additionally, spending time with people passionate about the same things builds close and meaningful friendships with girls across different year levels. Friendships made outside the classroom enhance our School pride as girls feel like they are part of something bigger than just themselves. Our high participation rates in Senior School beyond the compulsory Middle School years are testimony to our School pride and how much we as Saints Girls value our sporting pursuits. We are so fortunate at Saints to have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of sports, setting us up well for a healthy and active lifestyle into the future.
Next week, girls in all year levels will have the opportunity to participate in PE Week. On Monday, we’ll kick off with Junior School girls challenging themselves on our ninja warrior obstacle course in the Gym. Tuesday will see a rock, paper, scissors game for Reception to Year 3 in the Gym, while staff take on our talented Middle and Senior School students in Touch Football on the Oval. On Wednesday, the tennis ball machine will fire balls in the air for all of us to take classic catches on the Oval. An epic ‘capture the flag’ contest will take place on the Oval for Years 4 to 6, while our awesome middle and senior volleyballers show the staff what they’re made of in the Gym on Thursday. Finally on Friday, there will be dodgeball competitions for Years 4 to 6, Middle and Senior School girls in the Gym.
Activities are being organised by the Year 6 Athletics and T-ball Captains, Year 9 Sport Captains, and the Captains of individual sports, which also highlights the teamwork, leadership and organisational skills that girls build through participating in sport within the School community.
Next year, I hope to encourage girls to participate in a range of sporting activities and to apply themselves to do their best.
Charlie Fishlock
2022 Sport Prefect
Generous Soles from Athlete’s Foot Burnside
At Assembly on Monday, Director of The Athlete’s Foot Burnside Byron Davis presented 2022 Sport Prefect Charlie Fishlock with a cheque of $1110 for the School. We warmly thank Byron for his ongoing support. As part of a fantastic community initiative, his store will donate over $13,000 back to local schools this year.
We encourage our community members to participate in this ongoing promotion. $5 from every pair of shoes purchased at The Athlete’s Foot Burnside by anyone connected to our community will be donated to St Peter’s Girls’ School. Please let the staff know that you would like your donation to come to Saints Girls when you make a purchase. Thank you to everyone who has been involved; we appreciate all the support.
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
Sports Lunch 2021 – Next Friday
St Peter’s Girls’ Foundation is delighted to present the 2021 Sports Lunch next Friday 12 November from 12 – 4pm at the Alma Tavern, Norwood.
Enjoy an exclusive afternoon of sporting insights and a sports panel discussion with football icon Mark Ricciuto, Olympic and World Champion Rower Olympia Aldersey (Kennion 2011), and Executive Director of Events SA Hitaf Rasheed (Selwyn 1986).
The afternoon includes a delicious 3-course meal and drinks package, and funds raised will go towards our new Gym!
Be quick to secure your tickets via TryBooking.
Out of the Blue Arts Journal 2021 – Order Your Copy Now!
Ms Burton-Howard and the Student Committee are excited to launch the 2021 edition of the Out of the Blue Arts Journal. Students, Old Scholars and staff have contributed incredible work such as photographs, art, poetry and song lyrics.
The Arts Journal is now available for purchase on TryBooking. Also via the same link, secure your spot for the launch which will be held in the School Chapel next Wednesday 10 November.
Well done to Ms Burton-Howard and the Out of the Blue Arts Journal committee for putting together yet another fantastic edition. We hope to see you at the launch!
Results Add Up for Young Mathematicians
Congratulations to our Junior School Mathematicians who achieved great success in the 2021 Primary Mathematics Challenge!
Girls from Reception to Year 3 scored State Winning Entries and a Highly Commended Entry across various disciplines including how to make a mathematician, maths about the human body, and the mathematics of making pasta.
A special guest from the Primary Mathematics Association will be presenting prizes to our girls at this term’s last Junior School Assembly, which will take place on Friday 3 December.
Special thanks to Ms Burton-Howard and Mrs Liddy for leading the girls in their investigations.
Cath Kelly
Learning Strategies Teacher
Selwyn’s Special Chapter in Service Learning
Several Selwyn students have been supporting their House Charity by participating in The Smith Family’s Student2Student reading program. Up to 60 minutes per week over four months, we read with and gave feedback to a younger student through the Chatty Kids website.
We all had a very positive experience. There were readers eager to read and grateful that they could improve their reading skills outside of the classroom. They did a really good job. We noticed their growth in confidence as they became less nervous about trying to read longer books with bigger words. We helped build self-assurance in a child struggling to read confidently on their own and improve their reading skills.
Through this process, we have also increased our skills in patience, persistence and encouragement. It has truly been a rewarding experience. The program has further opened our eyes to other people’s struggles and their differentiating strengths. We have learned how lucky we are to have the resources and support at home and school. We hope that our buddies found the experience as rewarding and useful as we did.
Grace Beaumont, Emily Hodgkinson, Genevieve Leong
Students
Kilburn’s Tight-Knit Charity Challenge
In Terms 2 and 3, the Year 10 Kilburn Home Group learned how to crochet beanies as a part of their Service Learning. In addition to teaching us a fun new skill, this initiative allowed us to dig deeper into the work of our House Charity, giving us a more comprehensive understanding of how the Cancer Council helps those in need.
We have had the opportunity to help the wider community and have further developed our sense of civic responsibility. Although it did require resilience at times, we were very eager to help and learned that even a small action, such as crocheting a beanie, can have a significant impact.
The beanies have been sent to the Cancer Council Lodge where they will be sold to raise additional funds. We had a wonderful time developing this new skill whilst volunteering for the Cancer Council, and formed tight-knit (pun intended) bonds within our Home Group.
Bronwyn Gautier and Lauren Parker
Students
Year 1 Girls Celebrate Diwali
Yesterday afternoon, we were fortunate to have Ash Khosa, Anya’s mum, and May Sahgal, Eva’s mum, visit our classroom to share Diwali with us. After hearing some of the history of the five-day ‘Festival of Lights’, Diwali being the first day, the girls were involved in activities associated with the customs and traditions of this celebration from India.
Each girl made a rangoli using coloured sand to create a beautiful flower-like pattern, and a diya – a clay pot they painted that holds a candle. As part of the celebrations, the girls were able to wear a colourful bindi. Anya’s grandmother who lives in Malaysia also sent each girl a present as this is part of the tradition.
It was a wonderful and fun learning experience for the girls, and we are grateful to the generous mums for providing all we needed and sharing an important part of their culture with us.
Liz Sandercock
Year 1 Teacher
Food for Thought on Japanese Excursion
This week, the Year 9 Japanese class went on an excursion to the Adelaide Central Market. Our first stop was a Japanese store called Kawaii (かわいい). It had lots of Japanese foods and products that are usually seen at convenience stores in Japan. Everyone was amazed at the wide variety of treats on offer!
We then stopped at Sushi Train for lunch, where we all had to order our food in Japanese. Finally, we did a scavenger hunt around the Central Market. This involved finding multiple stores and answering questions in Japanese. We also had an opportunity to purchase treats throughout the day. It was really enjoyable and a great bonding experience for our class!
Jenna Maione
Student
Taste of the Orient for Chinese Language Learners
On Tuesday, the Year 9 Chinese students visited the Confucius Institute at the University of Adelaide and Chinatown. This was a great excursion because we were able to try different Chinese foods such as wontons, noodles and fried rice. Additionally, it was extremely fun to practise Chinese calligraphy, which was very educational. For instance, we discovered that each Chinese painting is unique, as regardless of whether the artists are painting the same object, they will interpret and thus portray it in their own way. – Abigail Papps and Labrini Psaltis
Whilst at the Confucius Institute, we learnt about traditional Chinese painting, or 国画. We were taught how to hold the brush, or 毛笔. We also learnt how to control the width of the stroke by the angle or exposure of the brush, and the darkness by using a combination of ink and water. We put our learning into practice by painting a scene with prawns, seagrass and rocks. Afterwards, we went to Chinatown and had lunch. There were a variety of meals including fried rice, spicy wontons and noodles. We then explored Chinatown, getting some bubble tea and visiting a Hong Kong supermarket. We concluded the trip by going to the Central Market. The excursion was very educational and we all had a great time! – Alvie Ivey
Smart Partnership with Industry Mentor
Ashleigh Green from Chamonix IT Consulting has been working with Year 10 Business, Innovation and Technology students to extend their thinking about the business opportunities related to creating smart cities and connected spaces.
By understanding the value of data generated by smart technologies, councils can decide what services are in demand and what adjustments should be made to improve the lives of citizens and make/save money.
Students have been asked to design their own connected spaces which highlight a community area with key amenities. They received feedback and mentorship from Ashleigh who shared his own experiences working in the industry.
Monique Green
Digital Tech Teacher & STEM Coordinator
Community at Saints Girls
Parents are a vibrant and integral part of the St Peter’s Girls’ community. Many opportunities are available to become involved with the School, connect with other community members, and build strong and lasting friendships.
Friends of Rowing Meeting
Tuesday 16 November
6.30pm
Senior Art Room
Contact: Ed Parker – edontheroadagain@hotmail.com
Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager
Adelaide Wind Orchestra’s Blue Shades Tomorrow Night
Saints Girls’ students are invited to attend the Adelaide Wind Orchestra’s (AWO) Blue Shades. Students can receive a free ticket to the event using the promo code ‘STPETERSGIRLS’.
From melancholic to joyous, AWO’s Blue Shades is a symphonic homage to the blues and the various shades of blue to reflect and celebrate the end of our 2021 concert series.
Guest conducted by David Polain (South Australian Police Band).
7.30pm Saturday 6 November
St Peter’s Girls’ School Arts Centre
Tickets via TryBooking
Entertainment Membership
To support Saints Girls and secure your Entertainment Membership, click here.
Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.entertainment.com.au for more information.
Health Notices
The School has been notified of several suspected cases of viral gastroenteritis.
Symptoms usually last one or two days and include:
- mild fever
- nausea and vomiting
- stomach cramps
- diarrhoea
Viral gastroenteritis is spread through contamination of hands, objects or food with infected faeces or vomit. The virus is then taken in by the mouth. It can also be spread through coughing and sneezing.
People should be excluded from childcare, pre-school, school and work until there has been no diarrhoea or vomiting for at least 24 hours. If the gastroenteritis is known or suspected to be caused by norovirus, the exclusion period is 48 hours.
For further information on symptoms, treatment and prevention, click here. Please note the recommendations regarding hand washing in particular. The School applies strict hygiene protocols for the safety of our community, and we ask families for their cooperation and vigilance.
If your child will not be attending school/ELC, please notify the School via one of the methods listed in the following absences article.
If you have any queries, please contact the Health Centre via 8155 5762 or healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
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.
Sports News
BASKETBALL
Open A: Saints 38 v Walford 14
Middle B: Bye
CRICKET
Saints 35/3 v Seymour 38/7
JUNIOR SPORT
Touch Football Update
A hard-working group of Year 5 students has been embracing learning a new sport, Touch Football (NRL). After three weeks of training and playing, the girls went out onto the field this week, confident in their core skills. It was amazing to see a tight defence that prevented the opposition from scoring on numerous occasions, and it was also great to watch the players work together to get points on the scoreboard with some great break-away tries. The girls were confident in their positioning and have quickly learnt the terminology and rules of the game. They are a determined and resilient group who have pushed themselves hard against much more experienced teams, many of whom are older and have boys, as this is a co-ed U13 competition. I am looking forward to seeing them continue to develop their skills and grow in confidence over the remainder of the season. We hope that through this experience, we will continue to grow the Touch pathways in the School, equipping our girls to face the challenges of the Middle School competition in the future. – Becca Burton-Howard (Coach)
TENNIS
Open A: Saints 5 (35) v Pembroke 1 (21)
Open B: Saints 4 (26) v Immanuel 2 (26)
Div 1: Saints Yellow 1 (18) v St Ignatius 5 (31)
Div 2: Saints 4 (34) v St Ignatius 2 (19)
Div 3: Bye
Saints White: Saints 2 (23) v St Ignatius 4 (29)
Saints Blue: Bye
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Open A: Saints 1 v Pembroke 5
Open B: Saints 4 v St Ignatius 1
Middle A: Saints 5 v Wilderness 1
Middle B: Saints 2 v Seymour 1
VOLLEYBALL
Open A: Saints 1 v Immanuel 2
Open B: Saints 1 v Immanuel 2
Middle A: Saints 1 v Immanuel 2
Middle C: Saints 3 v Woodcroft 0
WATER POLO
Open A: Bye
Open B: Saints 12 v Seymour 1
Middle A: Saints 11 v St Dominic’s 7
Open B: Saints 12 v Seymour 1
The team played an excellent game against Seymour, demonstrating leadership and teamwork throughout. The girls have improved their gameplay during weekly trainings and it showed. Alice Braithwaite (Year 9) was the best player, showing Seymour how it’s done! Her fantastic swimming skills and counter-attacks wowed the spectators and her teammates. The entire team left nothing in the pool. Well done girls!
The Open Cs had a forfeit win against Mercedes College. However, this did not detract from the spirit of the team! The girls played a scratch match against Mercedes, giving them a chance to show off their shooting, defence and counter-attack skills. The girls worked fantastically together, demonstrating their enthusiasm and sportsmanship throughout. A special mention goes to Claudia Pearce (Year 9) for her amazing shooting skills and eagerness in the pool. – Emily Baldwinson (Water Polo Captain)
STUDENT SUCCESS
KARATE
At the SA Open Championships on 30 November, Siobhan Tsang achieved Bronze in kata in the 13 – 17YO division, in which she was the youngest competitor. This is on top of the Gold she achieved in the 11 – 13YO division, also in kata, in the State Championships in September.