Issue no. 7

Saints Girls Scoop the Pool!

It’s been a huge week in the pool for our swimmers who dominated both IGSSA and SAPSASA Carnivals. At IGSSA, our girls claimed the coveted overall shield for an incredible fifth time in six years.

Our swimmers performed admirably throughout the age groups, evidenced by wins in the U14, 15 and 16 categories. It was this consistency across age groups that led to Saints’ success in a tight overall carnival, with only 92 points separating the top four schools.

IGSSA SHIELD POSITIONS
1 – St Peter’s Girls 859
2 – Wilderness 813
3 – Immanuel 786
4 – Pembroke 767
5 – Seymour 743
6 – Walford 542
7 – Westminster 528
8 – Concordia 431

IGSSA PENNANT WINNERS
U13 Pembroke
U14 St Peter’s Girls
U15 St Peter’s Girls
U16 St Peter’s Girls
Open Pembroke

Well done to all of our swimmers on your amazing efforts and teamwork!

Tommy Peak
Director of Sport

From Our Director of Teaching and Learning

Those of us who have been teaching for many years will sometimes comment that there are very few completely new and radical ideas in the world of teacher professional learning. Instead, there are old ideas that have been rehashed and have come into vogue once again. During my first decade of teaching, there was a lot of talk and training around ‘learning styles’ in that we all have a certain learning approach, but more recent research has largely debunked the theory behind this model. It’s not impossible to imagine that it will resurface at some point in the future and teachers will be steered once again in that particular direction. At any given time, there will be a range of theories and approaches in circulation, and teachers and schools do their best to select those that will work most effectively for their particular setting and their community of learners.

Putting theory into practice is another challenge for educators. What sounds like a great idea at a conference won’t always translate into an excellent lesson back at school, where the students may be less excited about the innovation than the enterprising teacher. One of the most striking aspects of the profession – if my own experience is anything to go by – is how much scope there always is to learn and improve as a practitioner. We are lucky at Saints Girls to have a team of teachers who support the concept of continuous improvement and who use our Growth and Learning Review process to investigate ways of refining their practice.

Yet another challenge for schools is deciding whether to prioritise one particular teaching and learning approach even if this is at the expense of others. At Saints Girls, we trust that our educators can consider various ideas and suggestions and can then choose the paths that best suit their subjects and classes. Currently, we are focusing on how the brain works and, in particular, the limitations of working memory and strategies we can use to circumvent this. We are also looking at opportunities to incorporate more creative thinking into lessons. This professional learning complements work completed in recent years on Assessment for Learning and Project-Based Learning. In 2021, our teachers have been asked to reflect on their teaching ‘sweet spot’; in other words, the blend of approaches that works best for them. In essence, this means considering when it’s better to be the ‘sage on the stage’ in terms of lecture-style teaching, and when being the ‘guide at the side’ with a focus on active, independent and interactive learning is more appropriate.

Through our continuous professional learning opportunities, our teachers are also students, which is one of the reasons why they are good teachers!

Nigel Scoggins
Director of Teaching and Learning

Songwriting Saint Hits Global Stage

Towards the end of 2020, I applied for the International Songwriting Competition after releasing my debut EP in November. I had entered this competition previously and reached the semi-finals four years in a row. However, this year, I recently learned that I am a finalist for my song ‘Breathing to Prove That I Can’, the title track of my EP.

This is a very exciting achievement for me as I am in less than 1% of 26,000 entries to make the finals, and am being judged by some amazing artists such as Coldplay, Dua Lipa and Bebe Rexha.

I am very lucky to be selected in this competition, as well as being able to further my singing and songwriting with the amazing help of the Music staff in my Music Explorations course this year. Although I won’t find out the winning positions until next month, there will be a People’s Choice Award. Everyone is able to vote once a day (every day) for my song in the ‘Teen’ category, and I would greatly appreciate this support.

Click here to place your vote!

Georgie Raftopoulos
Student

Women Who Inspire: A Personal Story

At Junior School Assembly, Reconciliation Ambassador Lakara Stallan, niece of Old Scholar Tonya Bishop (nee Stallan, Kilburn 1994), spoke passionately about her grandmother Laura Knowles, who as a young Aboriginal girl of 3 was taken from her family, separated from her brothers and placed in a mission with her sister on Crocker Island north of Darwin. She lost not only her family and culture but also her name, birth date and Aboriginal identity.

Lakara described this amazing woman’s inspirational journey:

Despite all the hardships she faced, being stripped of her indigenous identity and connection to her culture, she made something of herself. She was moved to Adelaide by a foster family, worked as a nurse, faced a lot of racism and discrimination, married, started a family and lived an abundant life until 2015 when she passed away.

She could have been mad and angry at the world for the injustice of her life, but she was the happiest, most loving and caring soul who loved her life and those around her. Her happiness and love for life were contagious. The one thing that did sadden her was the fact that she could not pass any traditions or culture onto her children and grandchildren. She was compassionate, strong and kind. And although she didn’t get to live the life she was born into, she still made the most of what she had.

This courageous woman gained many positives in connecting with others from the Stolen Generation who became her lifelong friends or as she referred to as her brothers and sisters.

My nana, Laura Knowles, is my role model. Her experiences inspire me and through my sharing, I hope she has inspired you too.

Lakara Stallan
Student

Celebrating Our Multicultural Community

Did you know that a quarter of Australia’s 22 million people were born overseas? And that nearly 20% of Australians speak a language other than English at home? Adding to the data, Australia has the highest ratio of international students per capita in the world by a large margin. In 2019, international students represented almost 27% of the student body population in Australian universities. These facts explicitly show that Australia is a multicultural country, and we are all part of this multicultural community.

At Saints Girls, we are so grateful to have students and staff members from various cultural backgrounds. As an international student, I am keenly aware of the empowerment of being in a multicultural school community. And one of the greatest benefits of being in a multicultural environment is that the perspective gained appreciates different views through interacting with individuals of other cultures, backgrounds and faiths. Being exposed to diverse cultures allows students to shed the stereotypes and fixed perceptions on other ethnicity groups, explore new perspectives, evaluate matters critically and gain intercultural skills by showing respect and understanding. Studies have shown that interactions among racially and ethnically diverse groups result in positive learning outcomes, such as students feeling more engaged in class and motivated to study. They also reveal that students who attend culturally diverse schools and universities have strong critical thinking, problem-solving and writing skills.

Having international students in our community enriches the learning experience for all – both socially and culturally. They bring a global perspective to classrooms and co-curricular, encouraging domestic students to consider new approaches to learning and participating. Opportunities for engagement between local and international students can enhance everyone’s ability to operate in a culturally diverse environment, equipping them with the skills to respond to a changing global workforce.

To keep building multiculturalism in our community, I will organise a series of events and activities throughout the year for international students and domestic students. It will be great to see the girls being BOLD, seizing the opportunities to walk out of their comfort zone, encouraging each other to participate in various co-curricular activities and enjoying the benefits of a multicultural environment.

Cynthia He
International Prefect

Heart and SOL at Our Early Learners’ Centre

Our Symphony of Languages (SOL) Team has been collaborating with children across our Early Learners’ Centre to express themselves through artistic techniques including dance, clay making, painting and technology.

Technology plays a crucial role in today’s world, and our SOL Team promotes the creative use of computers, projectors, cameras and lights for our youngest students.

Leaders Fly the Flag at Commonwealth Service

A group of our Year 9 Student Leaders joined His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, Governor of South Australia, and other guests at a service held yesterday to commemorate Commonwealth Day.

Hosted by the Joint Commonwealth Societies Council in South Australia, the ceremony took place at St Peter’s Cathedral. Old Scholar Elizabeth (Libby) Ellis OAM (nee Plum, Kennion 1965), President of the Royal Commonwealth Society South Australia Branch, invited our students to be flag bearers for the service.

Thank you to Jessica, Daisy, Alice, Jenna, Amelia, Charlotte, Mathilda, Charlie and Claudia for proudly representing Saints Girls in the community.

Melissa Westgate
Foundation Manager

Choral Night 2021 – Next Week!

Next Thursday 18 March

Our girls are gearing up for Choral Night 2021, which will be held at 7pm next Thursday 18 March at Influencers Church in Paradise.

One of the most anticipated events on the Saints Girls’ calendar, this year’s event carries the theme ‘Girl Groups’.

We look forward to the festivities and can’t wait to see what our girls have in store!

World of Food’s Cultural Melting Pot

As part of our current unit on designing and creating dishes using native Australian ingredients, we have been researching native ingredients and their properties. Recently, we were given a great opportunity as part of our Year 10 elective, World of Food, to visit Morialta Conservation Park with Kaurna elder Tamaru.

Tamaru has worked in a variety of areas of the School such as the ELC to help us understand and embrace Kaurna culture. His aim is to not only teach us his language, but also how to view the world from a different perspective. At Morialta, Tamaru taught us to look at nature as our mother and to see each tree and its story. He also explained how the native plants can give us nutrients and how we can survive with just what nature provides.

During the excursion, we sourced and tasted a range of native ingredients and gathered some lemon myrtle. This ingredient has many uses and we used it to flavour the rainbow trout that we prepared in the Food Technology Centre on our return and also some lemon myrtle lemonade. Tamaru demonstrated how to prepare the fish in a traditional manner by stuffing the whole fish with lemon myrtle and wrapping it in clay to cook. The trout was served with rice and quandong sauce. It tasted really good!

This was a terrific experience, learning about the Kaurna land and how to respect it, as well as having the opportunity to try many native ingredients. We now feel much more confident in using native ingredients in our own recipes and look forward to testing out a range of dishes.

Year 10 World of Food Students

Stroke of Genius – State Rowers Eye Nationals

Congratulations to Sophie Barr and Clare Romaniuk (both Year 12 and pictured above), and Milla Barei (Year 11) on their selection for the 2021 South Australian State Rowing Team.

They have been chosen for the Bicentennial Cup Women’s Youth Eight (WY8+), an U21 crew that will compete at the 2021 Australian Rowing Championships to be held at Lake Barrington, Tasmania. To be selected for an U21 crew whilst still at school is an impressive achievement that speaks to the quality of their performances. They will join Old Scholar Olympia Aldersey (Kennion 2011) who has once again been selected for the Queen’s Cup crew.

The Bicentennial Cup crew will be coached by our Director of Rowing, Brynley Millward. In addition, coaches Shaun Hay and Thomas Stevens have been appointed as Assistant Coaches with the Pathway Women’s Eights (U19 development crews) that will compete separately at the National Pathway Regatta in April.

Good luck to all of our current students, Old Scholars and staff involved in the 2021 State Team. Go SA!

Click here to see the announcement from Rowing South Australia.

Empowering Role Models Captivate Year 4

The Year 4 girls were thrilled to share recent learnings with their parents last Friday, in particular, what we have discovered about role models.

‘A role model is someone you look up to and they inspire you. Role models have miraculous attributes. They are kind-hearted and courageous. They are passionate about what they do.’ – Sophie E

‘Role models are chosen by their attributes, which means characteristics. A person can be a role model if they do something extraordinary or not.’ – Ishana C

We took our parents to our dynamic Junior School learning spaces to challenge their thinking in a series of activities including ‘Treasure Island’ (Mind Lab game) and Tower of Terror (Mathematics ‘renaming’ game). We loved sending messages to our parents in Morse Code using our Lego Wedo Telegraphs. This took place in the Maker Space and was definitely a highlight which tested our parents’ skills in decoding. As a real treat, we made our way to the Media Hub to snap a photo with our role models using some very inspiring props and costumes. A special thank you to Saskia for lending her Prefect blazer. It was definitely a popular choice!

Thank you to our parents for visiting us. We hope you enjoyed learning a thing or two.

Year 4 Students

Creature Features on IB Biology Excursion

The Year 9s recently travelled to Aldinga Reef to investigate the distribution of organisms along the shoreline.

We walked out to the edge of the reef and began to record how many organisms were there using a quadrant. It was interesting to see the different organisms and the connections between their distribution and the abiotic factors.

I really enjoyed the hands-on aspects of this excursion and being able to interact with the environment.

Mathilda Thomas
Student

Drama Unfolds at Arts Festivals

The Adelaide Festival and Fringe Festival are in full swing, allowing our Dance and Drama students to attend a number of performances, ranging from musicals and contemporary drama to physical theatre.

The Year 10 Drama students enjoyed The Pulse by Gravity and Other Myths, an Adelaide-based physical theatre and circus company which performed in Her Majesty’s Theatre with 30 choristers. Year 8 Dance and Drama students attended the musical Fangirls at the Adelaide Showgrounds, which is receiving rave reviews for its hilarious portrayal of life as a 14 year old girl. As part of their investigation into Theatre, the Year 11 students attended Fringe show Rosehill, a quirky musical satire performed at the Goodwood Studios. Year 12 students were able to see various outstanding performances at the Adelaide Festival, including the headlining opera A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Medea which was live-streamed from the Netherlands.

Being able to appreciate live theatre is incredibly important for our students’ development as dramatic artists, and I look forward to seeing how these experiences inform their own work over the course of the year.

Katherine Kitching
Drama & English Teacher

Courage and Connection on Year 7 Camp

At St Peter’s Girls’ School, we have a fantastic Outdoor Education Program which is designed to challenge students and promote personal growth in a safe and supportive environment. As part of this program, our Year 7 classes recently spent a week camping in Robe. I am pleased to report that the students had an overwhelmingly positive experience.

Among the experiences, we visited the Naracoorte Caves for some adventure caving. As we crawled through the caves, there were a series of ‘challenges’ that we could try along the way. While I can only speak for my group, all of the girls attempted to complete these caving challenges. It was excellent to see students facing their fears and encouraging one another to try something daunting and new.

Another highlight was the kayaking. Under the guidance of our experienced instructors, girls learned to navigate the shallow waters in their kayaks. Once they had gained some confidence manoeuvring through the water, they played a few games and then, using two small tarpaulins as sails, they ‘rafted up’ to create a makeshift sailing boat out of their collective kayaks.

The overnight expo proved to be the most challenging experience for most of the girls; however, they did not let their fatigue or discomfort get them down, instead remaining positive and open-minded throughout. During expo, we learned how to use a Trangia safely and how to cook simple but nutritious food with limited resources. Most students managed to dish up some impressive meals.

After all of the excitement and apprehension around camp, sometimes it is the simple things that bring the most joy. I was pleased to see how much the girls loved the talent competition, beach swim, night walks, stargazing and bus singalongs.

Personally, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to go on the Year 7 camp with my students and the other classes. We are so fortunate to have had the time together to bond as a class. Once again, the girls conducted themselves in a way that reflected our School’s values and made me proud to work with such a wonderful group of individuals. The Year 7 students should be proud of all that they achieved and overcame while on camp. I am sure they made some very fond memories for the future.

Denise Reid
French Teacher

Entertainment Book

Are you planning to purchase an Entertainment Membership in 2021?

You can buy your membership and support St Peter’s Girls’ School fundraising here:
https://au.entdigital.net/orderbooks/161p201

Immunisation Information – Year 8 and 10 Students

The below information is from Eastern Health Authority (EHA):

The SA School Immunisation Program will be offered at your school by Eastern Health Authority (EHA).

All Year 8 students will be offered:
2 doses of the human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil®9 at two separate visits.
1 dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough vaccine, Boostrix®.

All Year 10 students will be offered:
2 doses of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero® at two separate visits.
1 dose of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine, Nimenrix®.

Further information and videos for high school students are available at: https://www.health.gov.au/news/school-based-vaccinations-for-teens

Immunisation consent packs will be sent home with all Year 8 and 10 students. It is important that you read the information contained in the packs before you give consent for your child to be vaccinated at school. If you do not receive a pack from your child, please ask at the school’s Front Office.

All parents/legal guardians are to complete, sign and return the Consent Cards, even if you do not consent for the student to be vaccinated at school. Students aged 16 years and above can consent for themselves.

Please notify EHA if:
– Your child has already started the above program with another provider
– You wish to withdraw your consent
– Your child’s medical condition has changed

If you do not want your child to be vaccinated at school, please contact Eastern Health Authority to arrange for your child to receive the free vaccines. If you go to your local doctor for the vaccination, they will need to order the vaccine and may charge a consultation fee.

If you have any further questions about the program, please contact Eastern Health Authority via 8132 3600 or eha@eha.sa.gov.au

Remember: it is your responsibility to notify EHA of any changes or information, particularly in relation to your child’s medical condition, on the day of immunisation or prior. A signed and dated note in your child’s diary from a parent or guardian presented on the day is acceptable.

School Immunisation Program records may be required for future employment or travel.

Eastern Health Authority

New Student Winter Uniform Fittings

With Term 2 fast approaching, it may be time to arrange a winter uniform fitting for your daughter.

To streamline the process, we have introduced a new online booking system. It shows available time slots through to 26 March.

Click on the link below to access the calendar and select a time that suits you. Please include your daughter’s name.

https://tinyurl.com/SPGS-SchoolShop

Students will be required to wear their winter uniform from the first day of next term.

Winter Uniform Requirements – Year 4 Students

If your daughter is in Year 4, there are a few different uniform requirements that you will need to arrange before Term 2.

With the winter uniform, the pinafore is replaced by a skirt of the same fabric, so if the pinafore still fits, the bib can simply be removed.

The grandpa shirt is replaced by a collared shirt and tie, and the junior blazer (cardigan) is no longer worn and is replaced by a navy blue jumper and a wool blazer.

Please contact the School Shop on 8334 2228 to arrange an appointment.

COVID Measures

Please note the following information regarding our continued COVID response.

The School has a QR code tracing system to facilitate the safe return of parents on site, in line with wider government measures. Parents entering the campus to drop off or collect their children need to scan the QR code provided each time. This also applies to parents visiting the School for events such as parent information evenings or sports training/matches.

Parents and visitors with more formal appointments at the School, such as meeting a staff member, are still required to sign in/out at Front Office and also need to scan the QR code as well for SA Health tracing purposes.

Adults who do not have a device to scan the QR code need to write their details on the paper form provided in the Front Office.

Parents who remain in their vehicles in the main car park do not need to scan in, and students do not need to scan in as the School already tracks daily attendance.

Logistics around events will be shared in due course, dependent upon the latest advice. Attendance numbers, particularly for indoor events, will still need to be restricted to facilitate social distancing.

The following general requirements remain in place:

Ensure adults maintain a distance of 1.5m from each other.
Practise sound hand washing and other hygiene measures.
Students should remain at home if they are unwell; please notify the School of absences by texting 0428 601 957, emailing attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au, or calling 8334 2200.

We thank all of our families for your cooperation.

Keep Unwell Children Home

Now more than ever, it is absolutely imperative to keep unwell children at home until they have recovered, even if symptoms are only mild.

This is not only for their own health and safety, but for that of all students and staff.

If your child will not be attending school/ELC, please notify the School via one of the following methods:

Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200

Thank you for your cooperation and vigilance.

Health Notification – Norovirus

The School has been notified of some suspected cases of Norovirus, a type of viral gastroenteritis.

SA Health says there have been increased reports of gastroenteritis in South Australia. Symptoms include:

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Abdominal cramps
Headache
Low grade fever

Noroviruses are very infectious and can spread easily from person-to-person via faeces and vomit. Symptoms usually begin 24 to 48 hours after ingestion of the virus, but can appear as early as 12 hours after exposure.

People should be excluded from childcare, pre-school, school and work until there has been no vomiting or diarrhoea for at least 48 hours.

Please keep unwell children home, particularly if they complain of stomach pains in the morning.

For further information on symptoms, treatment and prevention, click here. Please note the recommendations regarding hand washing in particular. The School applies strict hygiene standards 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 following methods:

Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200

If you have any queries, please contact the Health Centre via 8155 5762 or healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Kind regards

Lara Waltham and Sarah Wilkinson
Registered Nurses, Health Centre

Sports News

A quieter period for sports fixtures due to the long weekend, but Saints saw success in the Intercol Basketball with an incredibly tight loss of 33 – 34 in the Middle As contributing to our Opens who won their game 27 – 14.

Next week includes more Intercol fixtures against Walford, and marks the final fortnight of Summer Sport. Nominations are now due for Winter Sport, so if you haven’t yet completed these, please do so as soon as possible through myLink.