eNews – Week 7, Term 4 2023

I write this, my final eNews article, with such fondness and gratitude for all the great things that make Saints Girls the school that it is.

I will miss the cyclic nature of the school year, and the way that the final weeks bring so much joy amidst a rather silly amount of busyness, with the Reception Christmas Assembly and the Year 1 and 2 Nativity where the girls brought festive cheer and lit up the stage, then the Year 6 and 9 Graduations, along with numerous other events, before the ultimate celebrations, Carols in the Cathedral and Presentation Night. These events mark another year of learning, another year of growth and development, another year of thousands of conversations with students, parents and teachers, thousands of decisions, and tens of thousands of emails! They are also an opportunity to reflect on the year that has been. This time around, for me, I reflect more broadly on some of those things that I will remember most about my time at Saints Girls.

I will miss my daily ‘good morning’ catch-ups with students and parents at the car park – one of my favourite parts of my day. I love the enthusiasm that the girls bring to each new day of learning, and I marvel at the independence and courage our Reception students build so quickly, as they tell us, ‘No, I want to go in by myself’ rather than with a prefect. I feel privileged to have witnessed the progress of our compassionate, kind and generous Year 12’s, who were Junior School students not so long ago.

I am incredibly grateful for the Junior School teaching team; a highly dedicated group of educators who always have the students’ best interests at heart, and who have come with me on an ongoing journey of professional development and improvement across all facets of teaching, learning and wellbeing. We introduced 1:1 iPad technology, expanded coding and robotics; launched the Mind Lab hands-on games curriculum; brought in VCOP and The Big Write, THRASS and Linguistic Inquiry to enhance our literacy programs; embarked on an ongoing Mathematics improvement project; created our #EmpowHer Wellbeing program and introduced URStrong. We completely refurbished the Main Building Junior School Corridor classrooms and expanded into the Sarah Wing. In the middle of all this, the interruptions of a global pandemic required immediate development of skills for teaching online, and our teachers were steadfast throughout.

I thank the ELC team for their willingness to share with me their extensive knowledge of early childhood education and skilfully, knowledgably, and compassionately connecting with and guiding our youngest Saints Girls’ children and their families every day. The strong transition we create between ELC and Reception is a hallmark of Saints Girls and provides an incredibly smooth start to school.

I will miss our amazing non-teaching staff, and they all deserve a very special mention. It’s this team that keeps the cogs of our school turning smoothly and supports everything that happens in classrooms and beyond.

Out of everything that I will miss, I will miss the girls the most. They are what bring me to school each day and drive me to want to constantly improve. I wish every one of them well for their future and know that the world will be a better place with St Peter’s Girls’ Old Scholars making decisions that will shape our community, country and world. I will be watching out for the footprints of this generation of Saints Girls in years to come.

Suzanne Haddy
Head of Junior School

Year 1 and 2 Nativity

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Congratulations to our Year 9 Graduates!

Congratulations to our Year 9 girls on their Graduation, marking their transition from Middle to Senior School.

This event is a chance for parents, staff and fellow students to celebrate the achievements of every Year 9 throughout their Middle School journey. The audience was entertained by excellent musical performances from In-Ta Jazz and the Percussion Ensemble which included Year 9 students Sophie Blight, Eliza Brill Reed, Abigail Hawkes, Octavia Parkinson, Aurelia Pyne, Eve Riley-Male, Kiera See and Adjoa Yawson, and a captivating solo by Eliza Brill Reed.

A special video was also played during the ceremony, featuring some of the highlights of Year 9 in 2023.

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Year 8 Performance Project ‘Ella Enchanted’

At the end of last term the Year 8 cohort came together to watch ‘The Making of the Lion King’ and identified the different roles and jobs involved in putting on a production. As a teaching team, we introduced the teaching and learning approach Project Based Learning (PBL) to the students. This aims to give students the autonomy and independence to make creative decisions, lead their own learning, manage their time and have their own ideas brought to life on stage. Such rich learning was gained throughout this process, wherein students became directors, choreographers, set designers, costume managers, musicians and technical assistants. All the creative choices for this production, which was put together in just 6 weeks, were the students’, it was so inspiring to watch them grow in confidence and become leaders and collaborators. The end result of the production Ella Enchanted was so entertaining, the students were buzzing afterwards, especially as this experience had been their own creation. Many thanks to Joni Combe, Robyn Habel, Kirsten Mansfield and Scott Lorien for supporting the students to produce such exciting work!

Kate Burnett
Head of The Arts

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Fun and Games at Friendship Day

Last Thursday, the Year 2 and 3 girls participated in a Friendship Day with the Year 3 boys from St Peter’s College. This was an opportunity for the students to reconnect and establish new friendships. The students participated in a series of four activities which allowed them to further develop their communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. The activities included a scavenger hunt, Mind Lab games, Scattegories and a STEM challenge.

Despite the unpredictable weather, the students had an enjoyable time getting to know one another and spending the day in each other’s company. The girls are to be commended on their efforts as hosts, warmly welcoming our visitors, ensuring they were able to navigate their way around the school. We look forward to fostering the connection between our school and St Peter’s College in the future.

Alana Lesiw, Rebecca Greenhalgh, Jodie Heath & Sarah Mulraney
Year 2 & 3 Teachers

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Divas and Drama in the Year 9 Production

Hats off to the Year 9 Drama students who performed ‘The Rehearsal’ in Week 6 and 7. This entertaining play centred around a young teacher trying to pull off a production of Guys and Dolls. He quickly discovered that putting a musical together is not easy, especially with a megalomaniacal stage manager, a lead who’s convinced that Wicked is a much better show, and an actor who insists she is clinically incapable of following directions! The girls embraced the humour of the play with great focus and dedication, resulting in two very entertaining performances. Well done, girls!

Joni Combe
Drama Teacher

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Prize Winning Chinese Singing

This term six of our students participated in the 2023 Chinese Singing Competition organised by the Australia-China Cultural Promotion Association. The girls walked away with third prize which is an acknowledgement of their exceptional talent and unwavering dedication. Lily Croser-Barlow, Carissa Lush, Molly Liu, Emily Robinson, Jana Song, and Mika Valmorbida left the audience spellbound with their captivating renditions of the ancient poetic song, ‘Bidding Farewell.’ Their performance, blending vocals and instruments effortlessly, deeply resonated, fostering a genuine appreciation for Chinese culture, language and music.

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Carols in the Cathedral – Next Week!

St Peter’s Cathedral, North Adelaide
Tuesday 7 December
Students to arrive at 6.30pm (Musicians arrive at 6.15pm)
Doors open at 6.45pm, event commences at 7pm and concludes at 9pm

Carols in the Cathedral is a compulsory event for students in Years 5 – 12

Illustration by Leila Buttigonol (Year 7 Student)

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Presentation Night 2023

Thursday 9 December
Venue: Adelaide Convention Centre, Halls CD on the right as you enter the main entrance from North Terrace
Students to arrive at 6.30pm (Music Students to arrive at 6.15pm).
Doors open at 6.45pm, event commences at 7pm
Parking is available in the Adelaide Convention Centre carpark on North Terrace

Presentation Night is an event that allows us to reflect on some of the highlights of the year, celebrate the achievements of our students and provide a final opportunity to bid farewell to our Year 12 graduates.

All Middle and Senior School students are required to attend. Students are to be in full summer uniform (blazer not required) and must arrive at the Adelaide Convention Centre by 6:30pm. The event will conclude at approximately 9:15pm.

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Vacation Care Bookings Open Now

With the School Holidays just around the corner why not take a look at our Vacation Care program and join in on one of the many exciting adventures planned to keep the children entertained.

Click here to book, places are limited so get in quick!

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Shane Davidson Presents – Hairspray Jr

Good morning, Baltimore! It’s 1962, and sassy teen Tracy Turnblad has one big dream – to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. Based on the famous movie this show is open to children aged 8-16 years. Auditions are this Sunday 3 December in the Jeffreys Linn Arts Centre.

For further information please email.

Season 8-10 March 2024.

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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

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Bushfire Action Plan

It is important to remind families about the School’s Bushfire Action Plan.

The policy was developed in consultation with the CFS, MFS, Department for Education and other stakeholders to ensure staff and students are prepared in the event of an emergency.

For more information, you can access our Bushfire Action Plan on the myLink parent portal by clicking the ‘School Documents’ menu item, followed by the ‘Whole School’ tab.

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School Health Centre Notices

It is imperative that all medical information, including immunisations, is up to date on the School’s myLink parent portal.

Please follow this pathway to check and/or update details: myLink > Community Portal > My Details > select child name

If you have any questions, please email healthcentre@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

COVID-19 Information

Please find the latest guidance from SA Health:

• It is strongly recommended that students stay home if they have cold or flu-like
  symptoms, and test for COVID-19.
• Whether they receive a positive or negative result, they should stay home until symptoms subside (usually five to seven days).
• While face masks are no longer mandated, they are an important physical barrier to help stop the spread of COVID, particularly when indoors.

If your child tests positive to COVID-19, please inform the School. Please also notify the School each day of absence, or provide the expected period of absence.

You can notify us via one of the following methods. Please include the name of the ELC Room, Class or Home Group. If emailing, feel free to ‘CC’ the teacher of the Room/Class/Home Group as well.

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

For more SA Health information, click here

Please note that if your child is unwell, they should remain home until they have recovered, irrespective of the illness.

Sports News

Sport Results

Wednesday 22 November – Tuesday 28 November

AFL

Year 4-6 Blue: Saints (17) v Loreto Blue (35)
Best Player: Anisha Pahuja
Superwoman: Mikayla Rundle

Year 3-4 White: Saints (0) v Loreto (0)
Best Player: Clementine Christo
Superwoman: Ella Zappia

BASKETBALL

Open A: Bye

Middle A: Saints (28) v Scotch Middle A (20)
Best Player: Wei Ning Khoo
Superwomen: Charlotte Dodd

Middle B: Saints (16) v Scotch Middle B (0)
Best Player: Gracie Calvert
Superwoman: Vienna Howes

WATER POLO

Open A: Bye

Open B: Bye

Middle A: Saints (10) v Loreto (5)
Best Players: Abbie Tulloch
Superwoman: Holly Robinson

CRICKET

Senior A: Cancelled

Senior B Blue: Cancelled

Senior B White: Cancelled

Year 3-6 Internal: Internal

TENNIS

Intermediate Blue: Saints (2/15) v Wilderness White (4/21))
Best player: Victoria Teo
Superwoman: Amelia Bartter

Senior Division 2: Saints (26) v Pulteney Grammar School Div 2 (39)

Senior Division 4.1: Internal game

Senior Division 4.2: Cancelled

Senior Division 4.4: Internal game

VOLLEYBALL

Senior A: Bye

Senior B: Bye

Senior C: Bye

Middle A: Saints (3/65) v Pembroke Middle B (0/43)
Best player: Vi Anh (Angelina) Tran
Superwomen: All players as they were asked to challenge themselves and they all stepped up.

Middle B: Saints (3/71) v Woodcroft Middle B1 (0/64)
Best player: Madeleine Battye as she brought a lot of voice to the game and help the team come back from being down multiple points.
Superwoman: Xizhen (Anny) Zhang for playing a great game, and great improvement.

Middle C: Saints (1/64) v Concordia Middle C4 (2/68)

TOUCH FOOTBALL

Middle B: Saints (1) v St Dominic’s (1)
Best player: Kaylisiah Jang for scoring her try.
Superwomen: All girls for showing their improvement by drawing against the team that we started the season with a 7-0 loss against, super proud of all efforts and wish everyone the best for upcoming trails.

One and All Sailing

In the first week of holidays, I was fortunate enough to sail the seas in the One and All sailing ship. It was a week-long youth leadership program. There were 20 trainees, aged between 14 and 17 and we were all placed into watch groups. I was fortunate to be elected as team leader for my watch. As a watch, we worked together to maintain and operate the tall ship whilst facing many challenges. The highlight of the voyage was climbing to the top of the ship and experiencing many beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It was a great experience and one which I will never forget.

Elodie de Wit
Year 9 Student

South Australian Water Polo Representatives

In September, Alice Braithwaite, Daisy Braithwaite, and Claudia Pearce flew to Canberra to compete in the Under 18 South Australian State Water Polo team. Isabella Howie and Olivia Reynolds also showcased their skills in the Under 15 South Australian State Water Polo team. The girls share their experiences in an interview with Claudia Pearce:

What was your highlight of the tournament?
Isabella: My highlight of the tournament was the game against Tasmania. Throughout the game we had some good opportunities, which resulted in some great shots. It was a fast-paced game which meant we were always working hard.

Daisy: My highlight of the tournament was the close game against Victoria. We held a constant lead until the last two quarters where four of our players got kicked out (rolled) for the rest of the game, leaving us with no subs. This was an extremely tough game as it challenged everyone’s fitness and mentality, however we continued to play hard, coming away with a close loss.

Alice: My number one highlight of the trip was when I scored my first goal of the tournament in the second match. Everyone in my team was extremely encouraging and congratulated me.

What challenged you the most during the tournament and how did you overcome this?
Isabella: We did not win our first few games which was really disappointing as we all worked incredibly hard. However, our coach provided us with both individual and team feedback. He is so passionate about the sport and didn’t give up on us which brought the team together and helped us improve our game.

Daisy: Something that challenged me the most during the tournament was the ability to keep going after we had lost a game or weren’t playing as well. A lot of the tournament was a mental game that required so much teamwork and encouragement to continue pushing each other even when things weren’t looking our way. The team and I were able to overcome this by encouraging everyone in our prior and post-game team chat to continue fighting and staying positive.

Alice: Over the course of the tournament, I had a shoulder injury, so I was relying on my teammates to switch positions or sub in for me to give ourselves the best opportunity to win. Even though I was disappointed that I was coming off due to my injury, my team supported me and allowed me to see the importance in resting for a more important game.

Which state did you enjoy playing against the most and why?
Isabella: I enjoyed playing against the NSW teams. Although we didn’t win against them, there was a lot to learn from their playing style, as well as learning to give 100% effort all the time.

Saints Soccer Girls Compete in the SINGACUP

From the 4 to 11 November, Natalia DiMauro, Aurelia Weidenbach, Lauren Disney and Audrey Fox competed in the SINGACUP which was held in Singapore. The SINGACUP is an international youth soccer tournament where the girls represented either the South Australia Metro Team or the South Australia Regional Team.

The girls found it a wonderful experience and were very excited to share it in their interview.

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