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Important Dates

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Welcome to 2025 at Saints Girls

Year 11 and 12 Formal

Swimming Carnival (Years 4-6)

Swimming Carnival (Years 7-12)

ELC Twilight Family Picnic

School Tour

Girls in Tech

Dad’s Night on the Green

Head of the River

Choral Night

Years 2 to 12 Music Day Camp

St Peter’s Cathedral Performance

EARLY LEARNERS’ CENTRE

eNews |

Welcome to 2025 at St Peter’s Girls’ ELC

Dear Families,

We are delighted to welcome our children and families back to St Peter’s Girls’ ELC for the 2025 school year, commencing on Wednesday 29 January. We hope your holiday season was filled with cherished moments and joyful memories.

A special welcome to our new children and families joining the St Peter’s Girls’ community. We are excited to have you with us and look forward to fostering strong partnerships that will support your child to thrive and reach their full potential.

Vacation Care

I would like to extend my gratitude to Wolita Harding, Valentina Fernandes, Catherine Jiang, and our Vacation Care team for their exceptional care and dedication during the holiday period. It has been wonderful to see the children so engaged in the rich learning experiences that not only stimulated their curiosity, but also nurtured their sense of connection and belonging.

Key Dates for 2025

We are excited to share the following important dates for your calendars:

  • Erindale Teaching and Learning Evening: Tuesday 28 January, 6:30pm (Erindale families only)
  • Welcome to 2025 at Saints Girls: Friday 7 February, 6:30pm (previously known as Drinks on the Lawns)
  • ELC Teaching and Learning Evening: (Learning Community 1, Pathway Hallett and Pathway Ferguson families): Monday 10 February, 6:30pm
  • ELC Twilight Family Picnic: Friday 21 February, 5pm
  • Parent-Teacher Conversations: 1, 2, and 7 April
  • ELC Coffee Van: Friday 11 April, from 7:30am
  • Vacation Care: 14 to 25 April (please note the ELC is closed on Friday 18 April, Monday 21 April, and Friday 25 April for public holidays)

Welcoming New Staff

We are thrilled to introduce the following new staff members joining the ELC in 2025:

  • Kendal Latzel as our specialist music teacher. Kendal holds a Bachelor of Music (Performance) and a Bachelor of Education (Special Education) and has been teaching music in the Junior School at St Peter’s Girls’ School for five years. Kendal also brings extensive experience teaching piano across all year levels.
  • Matt Houston will teach French in our Pathway to School and Junior School.
  • Laren Taverna (LC1) and Adele Foal (LC2) will join us as Co-educators and are already making wonderful contributions to our community.

ELC Extension and Build

We are excited to share that Stage 3 of our Learning Community 2 extension and upgrade is on track to be completed at the beginning of Term 1. These new facilities will further enhance our environment, supporting both children and families and our day-to-day operations.

Full Food Offering

From Wednesday 29 January, the ELC will cater to all children’s nutritional needs, including morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and a late snack. Shared mealtimes encourage social interaction, language development, and independence. We recognise the critical role food plays in supporting children’s health, well-being and sense of community, and we are committed to fostering a positive relationship with food through our daily practices.

Reminders for the New School Year

Communication
We ask all families to communicate any changes in medications, routines and/or the person picking up their child to the classroom teacher.

Medication
If your child requires medication for allergies, asthma, or other conditions, please provide an up-to-date action plan and in-date medication. All medication will be administered by the School Nurse at the Health Centre.

Uniform
A reminder that we have a compulsory ELC uniform. This beautifully designed collection provides children with a smart, cohesive look and simplifies the routine of getting dressed in the morning. All items are available from the School Shop. We ask that all your children’s clothing is clearly named. Children are required to wear appropriate enclosed footwear for active and safe play, including excursions into Ferguson Park.

Sun Safe Policy
We have a Sun Safe Policy to mini mise health risks due to sun exposure. We ask that you support this policy by:

  • Applying sunscreen before your child comes to the ELC.
  • Dressing your child in the ELC uniform including ELC bucket hat to ensure their skin is appropriately covered when outdoors.
  • Children not wearing a hat will be required to play in an area protected from the sun. If your child has any sensitivities to the SP50+ broad spectrum and water-resistant sunscreen provided by the Centre, we ask that you supply an alternative for us to use throughout the day.

Absences
We ask all families to ensure that they sign their child in and out so that all attendance records are correct. These protocols allow us to ensure consistency and prioritise your child’s safety and well-being. If your child will be absent, please notify the School via:

  • Text: 0428 601 957
  • Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au 
  • Phone: 8334 2200

Include your child’s ELC room name and a reason for the absence (required for government reporting).

ELC Room Contact Numbers:

  • Stonyfell: 8155 5778
  • Bell Yett: 8155 5780
  • Erindale: 8155 5776
  • Pathway Hallett: 8334 2250
  • Pathway Ferguson: 8155 5775

Looking Ahead

We look forward to a year of growth, exploration, and endless possibilities as we work in partnership with you to support your child to flourish.

Liz Schembri
Director of Early Learners’ Centre


Please join us on Monday 10 February at 6.30pm for the Teaching and Learning Evening at the ELC.

The evening will start with a gathering in the School Chapel, where families will have a chance to meet the Director. We will discuss how St Peter’s Girls’ ELC nurtures each child’s learning and development so that they thrive and reach their full potential.

Later on, you will be able to visit your child’s room to see the environment and gain a better understanding of the teaching and learning within our ELC context. Parents and guardians will also hear from the teaching team about how we plan and implement our units of inquiry.

As this is a formal presentation, we recommend parents/guardians only attend this event. Please also note this event is for all families, excluding families and children in the Erindale room.

Monday 10 February 2025
6.30pm, St Peter’s Girls’ ELC
Meet in the School Chapel for an initial gathering.


ELC Erindale Teaching and Learning Evening

Please join us on Tuesday 28 January at 6.30pm for the Erindale Teaching and Learning Evening at the ELC.

To support your child’s transition into our Erindale room in Semester 1, we will be holding an information session. This is an opportunity for you to meet Laura Reiters, the Erindale teacher, as well as some of our Learning Community 2 staff.

During this session, you will have the chance to visit the learning environment that your child will be transitioning into and gain insights into the daily rituals.

Laura will share how you child’s growing independence and development is nurtured and the rich opportunities for learning that are offered. We look forward to working in partnership with you to support your child to thrive and reach their full potential.

As this is a formal presentation, we recommend parents/guardians only attend this event.

Please note this information session is just for families whose children will be commencing in the Erindale room.

Tuesday 28 January
6.30pm, St Peter’s Girls’ ELC
Meet in the Erindale room