Issue no. 20
From the Principal
In Australia it’s a truism that professional athletes, whether they seek to or not, assume the status of role model. And it’s through this lens that we judge their behaviour. Recently, the tennis world has provided us with a stark contrast. On the one hand, we have Ash Barty, the recently crowned French Open champion and now world number one. She’s ‘down to earth’, softly spoken, humble, and her roots and family are extremely important to her. On the other hand, we have Nick Kyrgios, whose brash genius took him to the final 16 at the world’s most famous tennis tournament at Wimbledon. Yet that achievement has been lost amidst his tantrums and racquet throwing and the repeated calls for him to get over his highly inflated sense of self-entitlement and to try throwing a dollop of humility in there somewhere.
For me, the most fascinating element of Barty’s career to date remains the period three years ago when she put her racquets away, rested, and briefly swung a bat for the Brisbane Heat. Her tennis career wasn’t in disarray but the enjoyment wasn’t there. A highly intelligent young lady, she made the decision to walk away and spend time with the people who made her happy.
Walking away is so often treated as a negative – the phrase itself has connotations of failure and weakness – when, in reality, a willingness to walk away from something is actually an expression of strength and control. In a world where it seems as if there is never enough time, it’s tempting to relegate things like self-observation to the back burner. After all, when there’s so much to be done, who has time for contemplation? But if you’re serious about making yourself the best version of you, then you need to find that time. Ash did, and as they say, the rest is history.
We’ve all been there as parents. The daughter who’s learnt violin for as long as you can remember, who has so much talent but then, out of the blue, tells you that she doesn’t want to play anymore. The amazing swimmer who’s been tracking that black line on the bottom of the pool for years and then decides that enough’s enough. The gifted academic who achieves an amazing ATAR, gets into the tertiary course she’s always dreamt of, only to find it’s not for her. As a parent, you feel so heavily invested in your daughter’s journey and we can’t help ourselves … Are you sure you want to quit? Maybe give it another 12 months and then see how you feel. You’ve come so far, it would be a shame for you to stop now. But we need to step back and give our senior girls, particularly, space for that contemplation. When our girls find themselves in a situation that no longer brings them the joy it once did, the ability for them to change it by taking a break, be it temporary or permanent, is the ultimate expression of power. Throughout my journey as a parent, I’ve lost a cellist and gained a dancer, I’ve lost a violinist and gained a State rower. Ash’s parents temporarily lost a tennis player but because they gave her the chance to leave, contemplate and return, they gained a Grand Slam champion. So, as we enter the three week break, let’s not see it just as a time for practice, practice and more practice, but a chance for thinking, reflection and recalibration. Perhaps if the basketball loving Nick Kyrgios followed Ash’s lead, he might benefit more from a season with an NBL club than yet more time spent wrestling with a game he claims he does not particularly enjoy.
Building Works
The Science Centre remains on track to be opened at the start of Term 4. The final windows should be in place by the end of the month, fully securing the building and limiting the impact of any future rain on the project. Over the holiday break, a canopy will be installed over the Stott Wing balcony allowing the girls to utilise this space even when the weather is inclement. Refurbishment of the Sarah Wing area will commence in Term 4 as soon as Science has relocated to the new centre. As this area is easily cordoned off from other facilities, these works will have little impact on the day to day running of the School.
Staffing
Alex McKay and Sarah English both return from maternity leave at the start of next term. This means we bid farewell to Matthew Houston and Danielle McGregor and thank them for the wonderful contribution they have made to Saints Girls. And of course, best wishes to Dani for the impending birth of her twins! Sari Noble commences some much deserved long service leave and Cat Davies also finishes her time with us.
Best wishes for the school holidays and I look forward to welcoming the girls back to school on Tuesday 23 July.
Julia Shea
Principal
ELC Hat Ceremony
‘Congratulations! Today is your day.
You’re off to great places! You’re off and away!’
– Dr Seuss
This week, we celebrated one of the biggest days on the ELC calendar: the Hat Ceremony!
Our newest Saints Girls were thrilled to receive their ‘big school’ hat and bag from the Year 12 Prefects before they start Mid-Year Reception next term.
“On Monday 24 June, the Mid-Year Reception girls, along with a group of their peers and teachers attended the school assembly, another component in their transition journey to school. Ms Suzanne Haddy, Head of Junior School presented the girls with their special gift of a School bag and hat to celebrate their transition to school. We were thrilled to share this special moment with them and as you can see by the photographs the children were beaming with pride. We wish all girls a wonderful start to school next term and look forward to hearing more about their continued journey at St Peter’s Girls’ School.” – Kirsty Porplycia (Assistant Director of Early Learning)
#EMPOWHER in our Junior School
As we come to the end of our second term teaching the #EMPOWHER course in our Junior School classes, I pause to reflect upon the wonderful work being done by our Junior School students and teachers in this area.
Working through a rich and rigorous curriculum, built on the evidence-based programs, ‘Bounce Back!’, ‘Kimochis’, ‘Positive Psychology in Action’, ‘Braingrow’, and incorporating the VIA Character Strengths, the teachers feel that we are making a true difference – focusing on key ideas about social issues, how we think, learn and behave, and building more resilient, positive people.
Each class engages in a Home Group lesson every week specifically focused on an aspect of the #EMPOWHER program, but because Junior school teaching is holistic, it permeates all that we do, and is constantly reinforced. We have already noticed a difference in our girls and their feeling of empowerment in day-to-day life.
I took time to visit classes and gather some comments from the students about the #EMPOWHER wellbeing lessons. They were absolutely delightful and insightful. Here are some of their thoughts:
“ I enjoy them because I’ve found out about using slow thinking to help us be successful.” – Stella (Year 5)
“I’ve really liked learning about our different emotions and why we have them.” – Emily (Year 3)
“I enjoyed watching the Braingrow videos and writing about how I can connect them to what happens in MY life.” -Zara (Year 4)
“This year Kimochi cat helped us learn not to be bossy. We have also learned how to bounce and have courage. We’ve been watching Hector’s World to learn about cyber bullying.” – Olivia (Year 1)
“I think it’s good because it teaches me all the positive parts of situations rather than negative. I need to be open and have a growth mindset to activities.” – Jodhi (Year 6)
“We have been learning to talk about what we are afraid of and how to give things a try.” – Harper (Reception)
“I learnt that it’s good to look on the bright side and think about the good things that have happened.” – Matilda (Year 2)
Your ongoing support at home is, as with every element of school, appreciated. In Term 2, each class received some posters with a magnet to take home and put on the fridge. These can be a very valuable source for discussion and a point of reference for supportive ideas. We have also placed overviews of each term’s course content on myLink so that you can follow up on the lessons and use them as prompts for ‘dinner table conversation’.
We, as staff, are very excited about the #EMPOWHER sessions and they will continue to develop and grow, based on reflection and feedback.
Shelley Hampton
Year 5 teacher and Junior School Wellbeing Coordinator
Year 5/6 Netball Interhouse
On Monday 24 June the Year 5/6 Netballers played in their annual Netball Interhouse. The teams were all eager to take out the win and showcase the skills they had learnt throughout the season.
Our student coaches, (Chloe Venning, Adele Eaton, Toni Christiansen, Sivanthi Sivasuthan, Efua Yawson, Charlotte Adams, Pearl Richards, Maddie Harrex and Grace Richards) who have been working with the girls under the guidance of senior coaches, Karen Braund, Rebecca Scott-Toms, Sophie Caon (Kennion ’16) and myself took the reins. They coached the girls, as well as umpired and scored each match providing feedback to the girls and ensuring strong combinations on court were maintained.
The competition was fierce with tight defence making scoring difficult. It all came down to the final match between Selwyn and Kilburn, with both teams having won their previous two matches against Kennion and Patteson. The game was a see-sawing affair with Selwyn winning by one goal to take out the 2019 Year 5/6 Netball Interhouse!
Thank you to all the girls for another wonderful season, our very special senior coaches and student coaches, to the teacher support staff (Sarah Braithwaite, Pauline Noblet and Liz Sandercock) and our umpires (Letitia Page-Thomson and Willow Stewart-Rattray). The season would not have run so smoothly without your support.
A final thank you to the families of the girls who assist with transport, scoring, cheering and encouragement from the sidelines and most importantly bringing oranges to half time!
Already looking forward to next season.
Alice Johnswood
Director of Netball
Have You Considered Using The School Bus Service?
Avoid the car park rush – just catch the School Bus!
Getting your daughter to and from school safely and on time is an important part of daily life at Saints Girls.
We offer a convenient, personalised bus service for our School families, catering for students who live in the north, south, east or west. We have five 24-seat buses which start at Tea Tree Gully, Golden Grove, West Lakes, Brighton and Mount Barker and two 11-seat vans servicing inner southern and inner northern suburbs. To ensure we are providing a convenient service for our School families, the exact route that each bus takes is regularly reviewed based on the addresses of students. The service will pick up and drop off your daughter at your door (when and where possible as determined by the Transport Manager). Our buses and vans are operated by experienced and qualified drivers, who are part of our staff, chosen to meet the high standards set by the School. All vehicles are equipped with mobile phones for last minute bookings or cancellations and emergency communication.
Bus use is charged on a per trip basis ($7 per trip*) or students can have a Term Pass ($310*), which allows for unlimited trips for the term.
If you are interested in using the School’s bus service please contact the Transport Manager, Peter Anderson, on 0419 830 458 or by email to panderson@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
*Prices current as at 28 June 2019
Emily – A Musical Coming to Saints Girls!
In 2017 our sister school Perth College embarked on an amazing artistic adventure. To celebrate a milestone in their school’s history, the Director of Arts, Danny Parker, and Director of Music, Chris Goff, decided to write Emily, a musical based on the life of Sister Emily Ayckbowm, who started the Community of the Sisters of the Church.
This musical was presented to all of the Sisters of The Church Schools, including Saints Girls, at the biennial Sisters of the Church Music Festival, held in Tasmania in 2018. To celebrate our 125th anniversary we are now bringing this show to St Peter’s Girls’ School.
Emily is a one-hour musical and will be held in the Chapel in Week 1, 24 – 25 July at 7pm. Entry is free and there is no need to book.
Among the 20 girls involved in the cast and band, the musical will feature Year 11s Isabelle Norman as Sister Emily and Victoria Thorp as the Archbishop of Canterbury. The premise of the musical is that the Chapel is for sale and Sisters from the Community of the Sisters of the Church are looking to purchase the building in order to turn it back into a school for underprivileged children. Our ‘Realtor’ for the evening will be Sophie Norman (Year 9) and we also have Old Scholars Charlene Lee (Selwyn ’18) and Nicola Jones (Selwyn ’18) involved in the production.
Mr Goff and Mr Parker are both flying in from Perth to direct the musical over the coming school holidays and we look forward to hosting them here at Saints Girls as they support our girls in this very exciting venture.
Sally Rounsevell
Director of Music
Year 4s Visit Burnside Council Chambers
On Wednesday 26 June, both Year 4 classes experienced first-hand what it is like to be an elected member of the City of Burnside Council. This excursion explored the central idea, ‘Societies have different systems for making decisions that influence the lives of citizens’, under the transdisciplinary theme of ‘How we organise ourselves’.
The students were fortunate to spend time with Burnside Mayor, past staff member and Old Scholar Anne Monceaux (nee Harrington, Kennion ’66) in the Council Chambers where she explained how local governments function as well as how the services provided by the Council support the community. She also discussed her role on Council, her influences and the attributes one requires for a place in public service.
Some of the questions the Year 4s asked Mayor Monceaux were;
“If you went back in time, would you still want to be mayor and why?” – Zara
“What was your job before you became Mayor? Did it help you with skills a Mayor needs?” – Iris
“If you could change anything about the council area what would you change, and why?” – Lola
“Has your education at St Peter’s Girls inspired you in your current role? If so, how?” – Maddison
“What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your role as Mayor?” – Abbie
“How do you deal with conflict with members of the council?” – Diya
Students then visited the library and had a ‘behind the scenes’ look at how the library system functions and its important place in the community.
Rebecca Riley and Shane Davidson
Year 4 Teachers
State Selection for Year 6 Hockey Talent
Congratulations to Year 6 student Winnie Vartuli who has been selected in the School Sport SA 12U girls’ hockey team! She will be travelling to Bendigo in August to compete.
“I started playing hockey when I was 8 years old for Burnside Primary School and Adelaide Hockey Club. I now play Under 13 for Adelaide Hockey Club and for Saints Girls. I usually train once a week for school and once a week for club. I recently competed in the Under 13 State Zone championships over the June long weekend and our team won out of all Under 13 girls’ hockey clubs. I enjoy playing in defence/half back.” – Winnie Vartuli
Good luck Winnie!
Book Week 2019
Dress Up Day will be held on Friday 23 August 2019
Come dressed as your favourite book character! There will be class parades during a special Junior School Assembly at 8.40am in the Arts Centre. Parents are most welcome to attend.
Opportunity to Join Our Board of Governors
St Peter’s Girls’ School is a leading ELC to Year 12 Anglican and International Baccalaureate World School located in Stonyfell, just 5km from Adelaide’s CBD. With transformational capital works and cutting-edge curriculum offerings, the School has never been in a better position.
To help lift Saints Girls to even greater heights, an opportunity has arisen for two new members to join the School’s highly experienced, voluntary Board of Governors. Skills and experience sought include (but are not limited to) finance, risk, tertiary education or industry. Responsibilities will involve membership of the full Board and at least one subcommittee. High levels of commercial and political acumen complemented by exceptional leadership, communication, negotiation, governance and stakeholder management capacity are all essential qualities. AICD qualifications would be highly regarded. This is an exciting opportunity to make a valuable contribution in supporting girls to become the leaders of tomorrow.
Please visit henderconsulting.com.au to apply.
For further information about St Peter’s Girls’ School, visit stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Applications should be addressed to Andrew Reed or Justin Hinora. For a confidential discussion, please call (08) 8100 8827.
Rostrum Voice of Youth
On 22 June, Misha Yagnik (Year 7), Anika Bruin (Year 9) and Holly Wallman-Craddock (Year 10) competed in the Rostrum Voice of Youth State Finals. For their prepared speeches, the girls spoke passionately on topics close to their heart. In the Junior section, Misha used the topic ‘Timing is Everything’ to explore how the timing of World War I actually inspired many literary masterpieces and provided engaging and hilarious personal anecdotes to emphasise the importance of timing. Also in the Juniors, Anika used the topic ‘On Target’ to discuss the ignorance of some politicians towards current global issues, using the ‘Doomsday Clock’ as a compelling symbol of humanity’s self-destructive nature. Holly, in the Senior section, made astute observations about the stigma surrounding feminism. The girls also delivered 3-minute impromptu speeches for which they only had 15 minutes to prepare. The girls captured the audience’s attention with their enlightening topics of choice. All three girls should be very proud of themselves for the way they spoke and the superb way in which they represented the School!
The girls are pictured here with The Hon Rachel Sanderson MP (Selwyn ’86).
Aditi Tamhankar
Debating and Public Speaking Prefect
Science and Engineering Challenge
On 24 June, 31 Year 10 girls from St Peter’s Girls headed to the National Wine Centre to compete against seven other schools in the Adelaide heat of the Science and Engineering Challenge, a program run by The University of Newcastle. The girls were selected by Science and Maths staff as those who had good engineering knowledge, were good problem solvers, or displayed great teamwork skills. Many of the girls chosen were a triple threat in this regard, demonstrating evidence of all three!
The girls were divided into teams and worked to score points by completing a range of tasks including devising codes to send their teammates messages using coloured lights, creating an earthquake proof tower, designing and building a table and chair, inventing a functional bionic hand, and devising the ideal combination of power sources to provide low-cost electricity to a town. The girls displayed courage and creativity, and great resilience when faced with difficulty in their tasks. At the end of the day we achieved a second place position, but it was noted that the scores in this particular heat were the highest the organisers had seen for some time, so our students should be very proud of their efforts. Hopefully some of the students gained insight into some aspects of science and engineering, and it will encourage them to study STEM subjects in Year 11.
Emily Gough
Head of Science
Year 12 Nutrition Students Visit UniSA
Everyone likes to eat some form of junk food, don’t they? The Year 12 Nutrition class selected some Middle School tasting panels to do just this, while comparing to a ‘healthier’ food version. They then completed a sensory evaluation. To help construct the summative practical report this taste testing was used for, our students visited UniSA City East campus to see professional taste testing rooms first hand. Before viewing the taste testing rooms, our students enjoyed making (and tasting) their own ricotta cheese!
The venture to UniSA was also for the purpose of enquiring into the careers studying nutrition can lead to. Our students were lucky enough for this career information session to be run by the Program Director of the Bachelor of Nutrition and Food Sciences Program herself, Evangeline Mantzioris, who is also a practicing Dietician. They gained valuable insight into the university course structure and its many career opportunities. It has hopefully inspired our future Nutritionists or Dieticians!
Vicki Dent
Year 12 Nutrition Teacher
Year 7 Science Students Explore Adelaide Zoo
As part of the Year 7 Science Curriculum, students have been studying Animal Classification and Ecosystems. The culmination of this unit was an excursion to Adelaide Zoo and the Adelaide Botanic Garden. The excursion focused on taxonomy and adaptations. At the Zoo, students focused on structural features of both native and foreign animals and how these adaptations help them survive in their natural habitat. At the Adelaide Botanic Garden students investigated desert and rainforest plants and their adaptations, and also looked at the possibility of these plants surviving in their own back yards.
Roger Mills
Science Teacher
Our Environment Club Needs Your Help!
Do you have spare wool that you do not wish to use or throw out? We would love any donations of wool. The Environment Club wishes to create croquet blankets for Red Cross. Any donation would be greatly appreciated.
If you can help please contact Anna Stefopoulos, the staff facilitator of the Environment Club; astefopoulos@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Lucy White and Lucy Young
Environment Club
Senior Drama Production – I, Pandora
The senior Drama students have been working hard on their production for this year – I, Pandora – and it is shaping up to be an evocative and creative show! An original piece, it interweaves both the ancient tale of Pandora and a more contemporary story of a woman whose choices open the lid on a range of unfortunate consequences. The play will run on August 7, 8 and 9 at 7pm in the Arts Centre. Don’t forget to mark the dates in your diary.
Tickets via www.trybooking.com/BDNIZ
Michael Butler-Wills
Head of English/Drama Teacher
Junior School Vacation Care – Countdown is On!
Our next instalment of Junior School Vacation Care is almost here. We have some great activities guaranteed to keep the children entertained through the break. With an array of excursions and on-site adventures, there is plenty of fun to be had.
Places are limited, so please click here to secure your booking now!
Vacation Care Program – July 2019
Click here to book Vacation Care
School Shop Holiday Hours
The School Shop will be open on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 July from 9am – 5pm.
School Shop
Community Golf Day
St Peter’s Girls’ Community Golf Day will be held on Thursday 14 November.
Book your spot to play on the day and network with other community members and businesses connected to our School: www.trybooking.com/ZZHE
Community Golf Day Information
If you require further information about this event, please contact Melissa Westgate in the Community Relations office via mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au or 8334 2244.
Seat of Encouragement – Style a Tile
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to make your mark on our new Science Centre.
Purchase and personalise a tile for our ‘Seat of Encouragement’ and leave a legacy for generations of Saints Girls. Many tiles also include inspiring quotes to further empower our girls.
Secure your tile via www.trybooking.com/BARQD.
If you require more information or have any constructive feedback to add value to achieving our collective goal, please contact Melissa Westgate via 8334 2244 or mwestgate@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Saints Girls Now on Instagram!
The School is proud to launch our newest social media offering to celebrate our fantastic community.
We look forward to sharing exciting images and cutting-edge videos showcasing life at Saints Girls. Be a part of the action and follow us via @stpetersgirlsschool
GIRL POWER Workshops
Our mission at GIRL POWER is to foster a positive mindset, inner confidence and resilience in young girls through fun and interactive workshops. Our workshops are based on positive psychology principles and delivered by way of creative and engaging activities. Girls come away from a GIRL POWER workshop knowing themselves better, understanding the power they have over their own lives and with increased social awareness.
For more information, visit www.girlpowerworkshops.com.au
Code Camp Winter Holidays
Code Camp is returning to St Peter’s Girls these winter holidays. Girls and boys have fun with friends while building important skills including logic, creativity, problem-solving, app and game development.
This camp is from Wednesday 10 July to Friday 12 July, and St Peter’s Girls will be hosting Spark, Web Hackers and Little Heroes.
Bookings can be made via www.codecamp.com.au/stpetersgirls
Sports News
AUSSIE RULES FOOTBALL
Open – Saints 3.2-20 defeated by Scotch 5.5-35
The girls played their best game yet this week. Although we just missed out on the win, Saints demonstrated their incredible improvement and talent throughout the game. For the full four quarters they each played their positions so well, laid hard tackles and had some great kicking and disposals. Special mention must go to Portia Maerschel and Saskia Jonats who both showed their football talent throughout the game. They both read the ball so well and gave it their all. They were perfect examples of how much this team has developed in footy skills throughout the season. Overall, the girls communicated with each other like a team and we certainly gave Scotch some tough competition. – Isabella Bernardi (captain)
Middle – Saints 0.0-0 defeated by Scotch 6.14.50
Scotch College was a tough opponent last Friday night. Our defenders worked hard, making some excellent marks and hard tackles when required. We were able to move the ball out of defence and to half-forward often, thanks to Ella Dnistriansky, Dayna Petruzzella and others. When attacking we kicked and marked well down the wings of the oval but, unfortunately, could not finish our work up the field. The girls gave it their all and are looking to work on a number of areas as we move towards Term 3. – Dan Searle
BADMINTON
On Saturday 22 June, Saints badminton players from each team competed in their last match of the term against Wilderness, except for the C2 team who played Woodcroft and defeated them convincingly 6-0. Overall, the teams had won 4 out of 6 games, showing a consistently strong performance against the opponents. Again, there were some impressive and dominating plays coming from the Open A and B teams. The girls have encountered some difficulties from Wilderness’ smart game strategies, but they still displayed excellent skills on court and genuinely played better than the opponents. It was another unfortunate loss for the Open D and E girls, however, over the course of this season, the new badminton players have shown great improvements in skills, tactics, and confidence. It is amazing to see the girls’ enthusiasm and persistent efforts on court.
Overall, this term has been very successful for the Open A and B teams who compete for the shield of the season. After the last match of the term on Saturday, players from these two teams find themselves undefeated so far this season. Congratulations to the A and B players for their excellent results and effort, and also to all the badminton girls who trained and competed with passion. It was an amazing half of a season, and we look forward to continuing our hard work in Term 3. – Amy Li (Captain)
Open A – Saints 5 defeated Wilderness 1
Open B – Saints 6 defeated Wilderness (B2) 0
Open C1 – Saints 3 defeated Wilderness 3 (on points)
Open C2 – Saints 6 defeated Woodcroft 0
Open D – Saints 0 defeated by Wilderness (D1) 6
Open E – Saints 1 defeated by Wilderness 8
HOCKEY
Open A – Saints 1 defeated by Trinity 4
Open A played another great game against Trinity on the weekend and, despite losing, demonstrated our team values and improvement from the first game of the season against them. The opposition’s defence was extremely strong but we managed to score a goal in the third quarter. Special mention to Belle Black and Emma Carrodus who worked together well by creating 2v1s and goal scoring opportunities. Our young guns, Bridgette Leach and Amelia Lucas, were a big influence on the field and played a great game. The girls have improved significantly throughout the season and we look forward to the remainder of the season! – Olivia Goldsmith (captain)
Open B – Saints 0 defeated by Seymour 4
The girls were playing with only 10 players but you could not tell out on the field playing against a full strength Seymour team. The girls kept them scoreless until half time. They went down 4-0, and Georgia reluctantly put the goalie gear on but once in the gear did a great job stopping many shots on the line. All the girls worked hard right until the end. – Will Stapleton (coach)
Year 3-4 – Saints 2 defeated by Pembroke 3
The girls played a very strong game, especially in defence, using their strong hitting and passing skills to clear the ball away from our goal. The structure of the team whilst on the pitch was great and again prevented Pembroke from scoring more than they did. The two goals we scored were the perfect example of teamwork, with each being assisted into the net by someone other than the shooter – an essential skill that will be used throughout each player’s future hockey career. One thing to work on for next season is the accuracy of each pass. I have loved coaching each and every one of the Minkey girls this season and wish all the girls good luck for their future endeavours on the pitch. – Carla Lawrence (coach)
LACROSSE
Under 11 Blue – Saints Blue 4 defeated by Saints White 6
The two Saints teams were excited to play against each other. Matilda Birmingham (Year 3) did well at fighting for ground balls. In addition, Ruby Kelly (Year 3) and Neela (Year 3) did great at sticking to their players closely in defence. Also in defence, Chelsea Francis (Year 3) was fantastic at keeping her stick straight up and blocking the opposition to stop them from shooting. In the first half Lilly Meo (Year 3) was our goalie who ran out of the circle to get the ball to stop the opposition from shooting on her. She also got a terrific goal in the last thirty seconds of the match. Amelia Lively (Year 3) once again used her quick pace to get the ball from our goalie and transitioned it into attack. Goal scorers were Ruby (1), Amelia (2) and Lilly (1). Best players were Amelia and Lilly. – Lucy Martin (coach)
Under 11 White – Saints White 6 defeated Saints Blue 4
It was a fun competition this week for the Saints White team as they played against their rivals and friends! The White team played an excellent game of lacrosse, leading the whole game with a total of 6 goals. The girls are improving their defensive skills and are learning the benefits of close defence, including the ability to easily intercept opposition’s passes. Best players this week were Matilda Wilkin and Claris Stolcman, who consecutively helped the team out in the midfield, running down the line and ensuring accurate and clear passes. This week at training we will look at fast and aggressive ground ball pick-ups and dodging our players in attack to score goals.
Keep up the great work girls, you played an excellent game of lacrosse this week – Saints White should be very proud of their hard work, enthusiasm and inclusiveness, even without any sub players for a rest! – Courtney Tasker and Sophie Auricht (Coach)
NETBALL
Year 8/9 Knockout Netball
Our Year 8/9 Knockout team ventured to Heathfield on Friday 21 June to participate in Round 1 of the Knockout Competition. We were to play three matches against Heathfield High School, Cornerstone College and Murray Bridge High School with the winning team progressing to Round 2.
We drew Heathfield in our first match and after an even first quarter we managed to pull away in the second and were 19-11 up at half time. The girls continued to build on their lead, coming away winners 41-22.
Murray Bridge High School were up next, but they were no match for our team defence and fast attacking play. A truly dominant performance saw us win 62-9.
Our final match was against Cornerstone College, with a win seeing us progress to Round 2, so the girls were keen to start strongly. We picked up where we left off from our last match and ran away to a 20-8 lead at half time. Cornerstone lifted their intensity in the third quarter but we managed to match it and increased our lead to 17 at three quarter time. We saved our best quarter to last, winning it 17-2 and completing our undefeated run with the final score 50-18.
Our mid-court of Alexia Politis, Ellie Humphrey and Charlie Fishlock ran all day! They moved the ball quickly through the middle, hit the circle edge to feed, and used exceptional decision-making when feeding.
Our defensive line of Lucy White, Ruby Deakin, Willow Stewart-Rattray and Chloe Porter were unstoppable at times, working together to create turnover after turnover and making the avenue to goal very difficult for the opposition. They pounced on loose balls and turned half-chances into intercepts. They were able to do this because of the full court pressure applied by our GS, GA, WA and C further up the court. True TEAM DEFENCE!
Our goalies, Annie Warrick, Joss Forster and Chloe Porter shot and moved beautifully in every match. They rotated, used their feeders and most importantly finished off with amazing shooting accuracy.
Well done to all players and thank you to the parents and families who came out and supported. We now take on Brighton High School and St Mary’s College in Round 2. – Alice Johnswood
Open A – Saints 36 defeated by Scotch 51
Saints played an undeniably challenging game and were defeated by Scotch. The game was highly defensive and one on one from the beginning. Saints started strongly by swiftly transitioning the ball from midcourt to the goal third allowing goalies to score. Girls easily and effectively worked through Scotch’s zones intercepting at any opportunity. In both attack and defence girls were patient and effort was put in by all girls who took court. No matter what Scotch did on court, each Saints player was patience in bringing the ball out of defence and working in our goal third to get to circle edge. In the final quarter, Scotch intercepted many balls and ignited the pressure, but Saints’ teamwork and collaboration to play high level netball was evident as each girl on court put out 100% effort. Hannah Freeman was best on court once again as her constant defensive pressure was effective causing numerous errors in the opponents plays. Hannah played a tight one on one defensive game and worked hard each quarter in order to turn the ball around. Throughout the game Saints worked together and fought for every ball from the start of the game. The girls should be extremely proud of their efforts and development from the start of the season. – Sivi Sivasuthan (captain)
Open B – Saints 26 defeated by Scotch 39
The Open Bs played Scotch, losing an incredibly tight game. Scotch was a strong team, however, the girls worked hard in defence to prevent many goals. Charlotte White filled in for this game in GK and did an impeccable job intercepting most passes coming her way! All girls worked hard in attack and kept the ball down our end for the first three quarters. Sadly Scotch pulled ahead in the last quarter. Well done to all the girls! – Eve Habel
Open C – Saints 29 defeated by Scotch 49
Open D – Saints 11 defeated by Scotch 67
Open E1 – Saints 8 defeated by Pembroke 38
Although the Saints Open Es match against Pembroke on Saturday wasn’t our best scoring game this season, all the girls put in a great effort throughout the whole game. Although our passes were a little rushed to start with, we worked on slowing the ball down and playing carefully as the game went on. This particularly helped us with our ball movement around the goal circle, despite the opposition’s tight defence. Altogether it was an enjoyable game and a big thanks to Maddie for stepping in as our coach! – Hannah Brown
Open E2 – Saints 15 defeated by Pembroke 20
Year 9A – Saints 14 defeated by Scotch 40
This week the 9As put up a good fight against Scotch. While the end score may not have been what we wanted, the players did an extremely good job. The shooters were shooting well, and the defence managed to keep the opposing shooters second guessing. The first quarter was played well, and everyone was doing their best against the strong opposition. The second and third quarters were also very strong from our team, but we were getting tired fast. At the last quarter, even though we were down a lot, we didn’t give up. The defence worked the ball out of defence really well by utilising the WD and GD, especially Ruby Deakin. Ella Dnistriansky also filled in for us and she did an amazing job at shooting, even though it was her first game with us. Milly Brett also played very well in GD, especially since she just recovered from an injury. Overall, our team played extremely well against Scotch and we continued to not give up despite the score. – Lucy White
Year 9B – Saints 33 defeated by Scotch 48
Year 9C – Saints 32 defeated by Scotch 34
The 9Cs played an ‘on the edge’ game from start to finish. Leading in the third quarter by two we unfortunately weren’t able to carry this with us into the final quarter. The girls never stopped fighting or working together as a team. – Merridy Nicholls
Year 9/10 – Saints 13 defeated by Concordia 64
Despite not coming away with a win, the girls put in a lot of effort right until the end of the game. The way the girls used the space on the court and worked together to get the ball down to the shooters was immensely satisfying to watch. It was also fantastic to see everyone keeping their eyes on the ball and being ready for backup. The girls should all be proud of how hard they worked and of how they made sure to still enjoy playing. A big thank you to Gracie Ganzis, Caitie Walker and Ayshviina Nair for filling in and to all of the girls for their willingness and flexibility in trying different positions. – Sophie Caon
Year 8A – Saints 30 defeated Scotch 24
We all came together and played a great game to beat the undefeated Scotch team. Our shooters combined well and managed to shoot accurately with really tall defenders, the mid-court fed cleanly to our shooters and put defensive pressure all down the court, resulting in many turnovers. The defenders worked tirelessly to turn the ball over, special mentions to Madison Liddy for her amazing work as WD. – Willow Stewart-Rattray
Year 8B – Saints 28 drew with Scotch 28
Year 8C – Saints 30 defeated Pembroke 14
The girls played an amazing game which was fast paced. Saints implemented strategic set-ups for passes that led to goals. Although the entire team played exceptionally well throughout the game, the girls who stood out the most to the coaches were Lydia Tolley and Georgina Wakeham who shot all of our goals with little to no rebounds, and with the addition of Lucy Schirripa and Isabella Lowry in WD and C, who got the ball down the court to the goal circles quickly yet efficiently. Once again, everyone played an important role in the win on Saturday. Great job to all who played this term. – Mikaela Udall
Year 7A – Saints 22 defeated by Scotch 34
Year 7B – Saints 30 defeated Scotch 20
The girls played really well throughout the game. In the first quarter, our opposition held strong making us all fight harder. Thanks to Ayla Blaskett and Marcella Tolley’s amazing shooting, we managed to catch up to Scotch. Also, our mid-court was very strong and Charlie Edwards worked hard to bring the ball down to the goal third. We put up a very strong fight and, in the end, the score showed their hard work and effort. Good job girls! – Ruby Adams
Year 7C – Saints 2 defeated by Seymour 18
This week the girls experimented with playing different positions, which was a great opportunity to step out of their comfort zone. Alyssa Trinh showed persistence as she had a small fall but was able to get back up and play the game. The girls put in 110% throughout the game. Great job girls. – Naadiya Ishaq
SOCCER
Open A – Saints 1 defeated by Pembroke 2
The Open A team versed Pembroke and unfortunately lost in a very competitive game. Tahlia Towers played up this week and did an amazing job. She not only saved many shots as goalkeeper in the first half, but also scored our only goal! Olivia Law also deserves an honourable mention for her great job as goalie in the second half, stopping Pembroke from scoring many crucial goals. Unfortunately, we were unable to execute our skills this week, which resulted in us conceding two goals. However, the girls didn’t drop their heads and kept fighting until the very end. I commend them on their efforts so far this season and look forward to coming back and improving next term. – Ellie Anderson (captain)
Open B – Saints – match postponed
Middle A – Saints 1 defeated by Scotch 2
The girls played a strong game this week. After previously losing to Scotch 7-0, the girls were determined to achieve a better score. The girls worked well as a team; defending as one and attacking as one. Despite Scotch scoring first, the girls equalised in the final minutes of the first half – congratulations to Apurva Ichalkaranje for her goal! In the second half the girls played their best half of the season yet, however, unfortunately Scotch managed to score a lucky goal. Despite being a goal down the girls continued to work hard and Georgia Evans, Emily McCorley, and Azaan Singh should all be proud of their efforts and were stand out players in the match. This match was a good end to the term, and I can’t wait for the final few games of next term! – Dom Rigby (coach)
Middle B – Saints 0 defeated by Seymour 4
The girls were kept in their own half most of the time but held strong to only be 1-0 down by half time. In the second half a couple of lucky shots slipped in.
Soccer can be a funny game and it’s always a delight to see the girls supporting each other whilst having a bit of a laugh along the way. There are moments of great skills from the girls and they are really beginning to understand how to position better, when is the right moment to tackle, and passing the ball a lot better. Good effort today girls, played in good spirits with some funny moments too. – Kerry Hudson (coach)