News from Learning Community 1
Our Daily Orange Ritual: Health, Wellbeing and Joy in Every Sip
In Learning Community 1, we believe that healthy habits start young — and that learning about food can be a joyful, sensory-rich experience. One of our favourite rituals with the 2 to 3 year olds is preparing and enjoying fresh oranges together.
Why Oranges?
Oranges are packed with vitamin C, which supports growing immune systems, and they’re also a good source of fibre for healthy digestion. The natural sweetness makes them a favourite for little tastebuds, while the bright colour sparks curiosity and delight.
Hands-On Learning Through Juicing
Each day, we invite the children to help with our orange juicing ritual. They roll the oranges on the table to release the juice, smell the fresh citrus scent, and help press them using child-friendly juicers. This process is rich in learning opportunities — it strengthens fine motor skills, builds hand–eye coordination, and encourages turn-taking and patience.
A Moment of Connection
The ritual is more than just about nutrition — it’s about community. As we work together, children chat, laugh, and encourage one another. They experience the pride of making something with their own hands and the joy of sharing it with friends. Afternoon connections are about making tea with juice and warm water, served from a teapot into china little teacups. This wellbeing ritual is about relaxation, slowing down and being present with each other.
Building Healthy Relationships with Food
By involving children in food preparation, we are nurturing positive attitudes towards fresh, whole foods, straight from Ms Parente’s garden. They acknowledge where juice comes from, taste the difference between fresh and packaged drinks, and develop an early appreciation for healthy choices.
This daily moment of sharing juice together, nourishes not only the body, but also the sense of belonging, connection, and wellbeing that’s so vital in the early years.
Nell Tierney, Kathy McCabe and Annabelle Redmond
Learning Community 1 Teachers
ELC Book Week Parade – Save the Date!
To Families,
The ELC Book Week Parade will be held on Wednesday 20 August (Week 5). This year’s theme is Book An Adventure.
Book Week is an exciting time for our youngest learners as it celebrates the magic and significance of reading and storytelling. Books transport children to new worlds, fostering creativity and imagination. They play a crucial role in supporting language, cognitive, social, and emotional development, laying the foundation for early literacy and instilling a lifelong love of reading.
All children are invited to dress up as their favourite book character for the Parade!
The Parade will commence at 9.30am on the Chapel Path, behind the ELC in the School followed by a shared story time. Please ensure your child is signed in and dropped off at their class by 9am if they are attending on the day of the Parade. If your child does not usually attend on this day, they are still welcome to participate in the Parade; however, due to staffing requirements, you will need to stay and take your child home afterwards.
Families and treasured friends are warmly invited to join us and enjoy the Parade. To help us celebrate our Book Week Parade, a coffee van will be available to enjoy a complimentary coffee to mark this special occasion.
We kindly ask that families:
- Avoid bringing hot drinks into the ELC.
- Do not exit through the ELC after the event to ensure the safety of all children. Instead, please exit via the School path that runs alongside the Chapel and leads to Hallett Road.
- Please note that babycinos will not be available due to allergy considerations.
There will be books available for your family to purchase as a donation for the ELC. Your family’s name will be featured on the inside cover of the book to remind us of the special gift and your ongoing support of our community.
We look forward to seeing you at the Parade and celebrating the magic of reading together!
Artwork by Jess McGeachin | © The Children’s Book Council of Australia.
Book Week – Book Donations to the ELC
At the ELC, we are thrilled to take part in this annual event that celebrates books, imagination, and the joy of shared stories. As part of our Book Week festivities, we will have a collection of specially selected books available for families to purchase as a donation to the ELC. These books will become part of our classroom libraries for all children to enjoy.
To honour your generous contribution, your family’s name will be featured on the inside cover of the donated book, which will be a lasting reminder of your support.
We look forward to seeing you at the ELC Book Week Parade!
Warm regards,
Liz Schembri
Director of ELC
Fathers and Treasured Friends’ Afternoon Tea
Dear ELC Families,
St Peter’s Girls’ ELC is delighted to be celebrating Fathers and Treasured Friends who play a special and significant role in the lives of our children. Please join us for this important occasion.
Make your bookings by Monday 1 September by clicking here.
Join us on Friday 5 September
2pm in the ELC
We hope to see you there!
Parent Representatives for Semester 2, 2025
Would you like to help shape and strengthen our vibrant ELC community?
We are currently seeking Parent Representatives for Pathway Ferguson and Erindale rooms for Semester 2, 2025. This is a wonderful opportunity to support your child’s learning community, connect with other families, and help foster a warm, inclusive environment.
We warmly welcome more than one representative per room, as this provides a fantastic support system and allows responsibilities to be shared.
As a Parent Representative, you will:
- Be a key point of contact for families in your child’s class and help create a welcoming and connected atmosphere.
- Assist with and promote events – and if you’re interested, even help organise an event or activity for your class. Our Communications and Community Relations team will support you with promotion, logistics, and planning.
- Stay informed about school initiatives and current events, helping to spark meaningful conversations across our community.
- Attend brief meetings twice per term, with flexibility to rotate if your class has more than one representative.
We truly value the contribution of our Parent Representatives and look forward to working together to build a strong, engaged community. If you are interested or would like to learn more, please speak to your child’s teacher.
We hope you’ll consider getting involved; we’d love to have you on board.
2026 Enrolments for the ELC
Dear Families,
We currently have an extensive waitlist for St Peter’s Girls’ ELC. Therefore, as we prepare for Term 1, 2026 enrolments, we are reaching out to confirm any changes to your child’s attendance.
If you would like to:
- Request additional days for Term 1, 2026 (subject to availability)
- Reduce or change your current days, or
- Confirm that your child will be finishing at the ELC at the end of the Term 4, 2026
Please notify Sarah Elliott via selliott@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au by Tuesday 2 September 2025. Please note that if you do not require any changes to your child’s bookings, their current booked days will carry through to 2026.
This information is essential as we finalise enrolments and offer places for Term 1, 2026 and beyond. We endeavour to accommodate all requests for changes; however, availability is limited due to our extensive waitlist. Any change of day requests received after Tuesday 2 September 2025 will be placed on a waitlist.
Your prompt response is greatly appreciated, and we thank you for your continued support.
Warm regards,
Liz Schembri
Director of Early Learners’ Centre