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In my final two newsletters at St Peter’s College, I will share with you the transcript of my Speech Day speech for 2018.

Researchers have found that the most important character strength a person can have is gratitude. Since being offered the position of Head of Junior School by Simon Murray OAM, I have had a sense of overwhelming gratitude at fulfilling this important role for the past eight years. To work in one of Australia’s great boys’ schools is a daily privilege and one which I take very seriously. I recently spoke to a colleague from a boy’s school interstate who visited our Junior School this year. He was struck by the warmth of the School, its staff and boys and in his words, “I have never seen so many fantastic learning opportunities for students in my life”.

I am truly indebted to the support I have received from both Simon Murray OAM and Tim Browning, and successive members of the Council of Governors. Their tangible backing of the important learning, wellbeing and student life initiatives in my eight years have been greatly appreciated. The result is a Junior School which has grown its enrolment by over 100 boys in that time and placed itself at the forefront of primary education in this state. It is this legacy of which I am most proud at Saints.

I have been blessed with an outstanding leadership team in Sheryle Yorston, David Kolpak, Ceri Slinger and Suzanne Haddy (now Head of Junior School at St Peter’s Collegiate Girls’ School). People comment constantly on my high visibility around the School. One reason is strategic, the other is that I am incredibly fortunate to have had such quality leaders, who through their effectiveness and efficiency allow me to regularly visit the classrooms and attend student life activities, so I can be actively engaged with the boys.

Teaching is such a noble but challenging profession in the 21st century. A school will only grow by over 100 students in an eight year period if current and prospective parents are happy with the staff and the care they can provide for their sons. I see first-hand the passion the staff have for teaching the boys here at Saints, and the hours they commit both individually and as a member of a team to realise the School’s vision of being an exceptional community of learning. I have enjoyed working with them immensely.

Thank you to each and every parent at Saints who places the ultimate trust in the School for educating their son. It has been a privilege to get to know so many families in my time here and your overwhelming support of the School is deeply appreciated. You make great sacrifices to give your son a Saints education – I hope they show their gratitude for the opportunities being at St Peter’s College offers them now, and in the future. Can I particularly thank Mellissa Larkin and her hard working JSFoS Committee for another very successful year of fund raising and friend raising.

(to be continued in Week 8)

Mr David Hine
Head of Junior School

Dates to Remember

24 November 8.00-10.30am Norwood Christmas Pageant
26 November 6.30-7.45pm Band, Choral and Strings Concert in Memorial Hall
28 November 5.30-6.30pm Reception Concert
29 November 12.15-1.00pm Chapel Service for Years 4-6
30 November 9.15-2.30pm News Boys / Step-Up Day
3 December 1.45-2.45pm Year 6 Graduation Ceremony
4 December 7.30-8.30pm Nine Lessons and Carols – St Peter’s Cathedral
5 December 1.45-3.00pm Junior School Speech Day
6 December 11:30-12.00pm ELC Concert in the Junior School Hall
Reception – Year 6 Excursion Day
7 December 8.30-9.30pm
11.00-11.45pm
12.15-12.30pm
JSFoS Morning Tea
Advent Service
Term 4 Concludes for ELC – Year 6

A Call for Junior School Volunteers
The Junior School runs a very successful Learning Assistance Program (LAP), which is supported by a regular group of Volunteers who provide an hour and a half (1.5 hours) of their time from 8.45 – 10.15am once a week. This program is of significant benefit to a number of boys in Years 2 – 6 with their literacy development, and only operates with the generous support of our Volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer at the school and would like more information about joining our friendly and supportive LAP team, please contact:

Geraldine Waldron, LAP Coordinator
P: 8404 0415 or E: gwaldron@stpeters.sa.edu.au

Traffic Safety
St Peter’s College is situated in close proximity to the CBD of Adelaide, and adjacent to the Botanic Gardens. The School campus sits between two high-traffic roads of North Terrace and Hackney Road. The safety of our boys is of paramount importance and caution must always be taken when walking, riding or driving in this vicinity.

Pedestrians
When boys are crossing North Terrace on their way to and from School, they must always cross at the pedestrian traffic lights situated near Trinity Street. Boys should not cross the road at any other place, even when traffic is stopped for the lights.

Boys who need to cross Hackney Road must use the traffic lights on the corner of North Terrace, or walk under the bridge (over the River Torrens) to the north of the School. Alternatively, boys should use the pedestrian island opposite the entrance to Plane Tree Drive.

In the Junior School, parents should use either the North Terrace or Hackney Road car parks. Parents are asked to respect any designated spaces signed for Staff parking.

The Junior School Avenue is open for parking until 9:30am. It is then closed for traffic throughout the day and reopens at 2:30pm.

Drop-offs
Parents may drop boys off inside the School grounds in the Hackney Road carpark, North Terrace carpark or in the Avenue. Please note there is no parking in the Avenue.

Photographs on Social Media
Out of respect to other families within our School community, St Peter’s College asks that photographs taken at any School event or function that contain images of other students not be published, distributed to others or placed on any form of social media, without the consent of the relevant student’s family.

Outside School Hours Care
The Before School Care Program at St Peter’s College operates from 7:00-8:15am each school day. The After School Care program runs from 3.00-6.00pm school days.

From 2 July 2018, the Government has replaced the Child Care Rebate (CCR) and the Child Care Benefit (CCB) with the single Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

There are now three key things that will determine how much subsidy each family will receive.

  1. Your combined family income
  2. Your fees (Hourly rate caps apply for each service type)
  3. Your fortnightly activity

More information is available at:

https://www.education.gov.au/ChildCarePackage

To find out how these changes affect you please contact Centrelink or visit:

www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/child-care-subsidy

Car Parking

  1. I would like to remind parents of the regulations regarding use of the Junior School carpark. People using the carpark need to stick to the 10km/h speed limit and follow the arrows to assist us with the safety of our boys and their families.
  2. Could parents who are collecting boys in the area near the School Uniform Shop please ensure they do not park around the round-about at the end of the road and also do not park in front of cars that are parked in marked car parks, making it impossible for these cars to leave the car park.
  3. Could parents please respect and take note of the fact that there are disabled carparks in the Junior School. We currently have parents parking in these bays who do not have the appropriate permits.

Playground Supervision
Each morning teachers supervise the playground from 8:15–8:30am before the boys go to class for the start of the school day. Boys who arrive at school before this time should go to Outside School Hours Care (OSHC). After school there is supervision of the exit points to 3.40pm. After this time, any boy not at a co-curricular activity or still waiting to be collected by a parent will be taken to OSHC by the teacher on duty.

Parents are responsible for the supervision of their son on any playground equipment after school, as teachers are rostered on duty at various exit points in the Junior School. We do ask that boys do not play on the equipment outside the Years 3 and 4 classrooms until after 3:15pm. 

Lost Property
We have 4 lost property bins in the Junior School.

  1. One near the photocopy room outside 1G.
  2. Two in the Bickersteth Building opposite the 3N classroom (for all clothes).
  3. One outside the Art Room (for all lunch boxes and bags).

We would encourage boys to check these bins for any lost property, as all left-over items are donated to charity at the end of each term.

Term Dates for 2018

Term 1             30 January – 13 April

Term 2             1 May – 29 June

Term 3             24 July – 28 September

Term 4             16 October – 7 December

Term Dates for 2019

Term 1             30 January – 12 April

Term 2             30 April – 28 June

Term 3             23 July – 27 September

Term 4             15 October – 6 December