FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS & ADVANCEMENT

The Emily Centre: A Celebration of Community

Last Friday, the St Peter’s Girls’ community gathered to celebrate the official opening of the Emily Centre. It was a joyful occasion that brought together students from ELC to Year 12, community groups and supporters.

The celebrations began with a special student assembly, where we welcomed back Old Scholar Melanie Cooper (Kennion 1978). Melanie reflected on her time at St Peter’s Girls, the opportunities it presented her, and the sense of belonging that comes from being part of an environment that encourages you to seek out opportunities to grow. The assembly also gave voice to our current students, who spoke to what the Emily Centre means to them and the role it will play in their journey at St Peter’s Girls.

The celebrations continued with tours of the Emily Centre, welcoming more than 250 members of the St Peter’s Girls’ community, including Old Scholars. Guided by our Prefects and Senior Leadership Team, visitors explored the new facility, shared memories, and reconnected with one another.

The feedback from parents and Old Scholars was wonderful to receive, and it spoke to something deeper than bricks and mortar. Named in honour of our founding Sister, Emily, the Emily Centre reflects a legacy that was clearly present in the conversations throughout the day. As Principal Cherylyn Skewes reflected, Sister Emily would be proud to see this building, but prouder still to know it is so much more than its name and architecture. It is the people who move through it each day who give the Emily Centre its true meaning and who will continue to shape its future for generations to come.

It feels fitting that we celebrated this milestone together. We began the year with our traditional Welcome to 2026 at Saints Girls event on the lawns, and this gathering brought the first semester to a close in much the same spirit, bringing our community together once again.

Thank you to everyone who joined us to mark this special occasion. Days like Friday remind us that while buildings create spaces, it is the people within them who give them life. The strength of St Peter’s Girls’ community, past, present and future, was on full display.