06 December 2018
Today I share with you the final part of my 2018 Speech Day address (continued from Week 6 newsletter).
This year brings to a closure my 42 years in education, including 33 as a Head. This has provided me with one of the greatest gifts of life – to interact with children on a daily basis. I will miss the boys at Saints very much who have given me so much joy and laughter, and who have an inspiring thirst for learning. And boys, I would like to leave you with one last thought on this significant occasion. If you do only three things in life well, you would be wise to always be respectful, always display good manners and always be grateful for all that you have in life. And God’s richest blessings for the future to our Year 6 boys who move into the Middle Years in 2019.
As I move towards retirement, I have decided to do nothing for a few months, after being involved in education since I was 5 years of age! My wife and I will then travel to visit family overseas. My first commitment in retirement is to my wife. She has selflessly and generously allowed me to give some 60 – 70 hours a week to Saints so I can do the job I love. I now want to repay all that time I have been away from home, by spending a lot more time with her. I only hope she hasn’t had enough of me being at home by March next year!
It is almost impossible to summarise in a few words what a blessed and fortunate career I have had as an educator. I look back with a degree of pride at my accomplishments and with gratitude for how good life has been to me. Good health, wonderful family and friends, an amazing career, the opportunity to work with thousands of children, staff and parents, and the good fortune to lead and then retire in a School which rightfully occupies a place as one of Australia’s exceptional schools.
I wish Saints all the very best for the future. I have been privileged to be one of only 10 people to have led its Junior School since it began in 1910, and I look forward to hearing of its continued successes and achievements with David Kolpak initially, and then Jasmine Taylor at the helm.
May I wish all our families a blessed and peace-filled Christmas and a happy New Year.
Pro Deo et Patria
David Hine
Head of Junior School
Staff News
I would like to thank and acknowledge the following staff who leave us at the end of this year:
Nick Crawley who is moving to teach in the Middle Years
Aaron Barrie who is moving to teach in Darwin after 2.5 years service
Helen Press who is moving to be with family after 7 years service
Barbara Sedgley who is retiring after 16 years service
Kathy Simpson who is retiring after 24 years service
I am most grateful to each of these staff members who have enriched our school community with their positive contribution, especially Barbara and Kathy’s service which is significant, and which has left a lasting impact in the music and learning support areas of the Junior School, respectively.
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 team in LAP, please contact:
Geraldine Waldron LAP Coordinator
Tel: 8404 0415 or 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 in 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. However, 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 am to 8:15am each school day. The After School Care program runs from 3.00pm to 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.
- Your combined family income
- Your fees (Hourly rate caps apply for each service type)
- 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
Camp Australia has also set up new payment Options for Before and After School Care. These apply to both Permanent Bookings and Casual Fess. Please visit their website to check out the new Options.www.campaustralia.com.au
Car Parking
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Parents have indicated that there are parents who are driving whilst on mobile phones in our school carparks, and potentially endangering the safety of our Junior School boys. Obviously we would ask that parents do not engage in this illegal practice.
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
For the information of parents we have 4 lost property bins in the Junior School.
- One near the photocopy room outside 1G.
- Two in the Bickersteth Building opposite the 3N classroom (for all clothes).
- 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