Junior School Volunteers

This week, our Junior School volunteers were acknowledged at a special thank you event. The following reflections were shared on the day by staff who work closely with our volunteers and see firsthand the impact their time, care and commitment have on our boys.

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LAP Volunteers

I wish to extend immense gratitude to our Junior School LAP Volunteers, who have turned up every week for another year to support our boys in developing their literacy skills. Our volunteers bring a wealth of experience and offer valuable 1:1 mentorship to the program. It is always a joy to see the boys enjoying their learning with our heart-centred team of volunteers. The value of their support can never truly be measured. The positive results we see in the boys are the reward.

I’m sharing a few of my favourite reflections on service, which speak to the heart of what our volunteers bring to our community:
“Service is what life is all about.”
“Great acts are made up of small deeds.”
“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.”
“As we serve others we are working on ourselves; every act, every word, every gesture of genuine compassion naturally nourishes our own hearts as well.”

Geraldine Waldron
Learning Assistance Program Coordinator

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Chinese Language Program

In our Junior School Chinese Language program, we celebrate many cultural events throughout the year. Providing the boys with authentic intercultural experiences here in the Southern Hemisphere can be challenging, but we are fortunate to achieve this with the support of our dedicated Chinese parent volunteer group.

We are very lucky to have such a strong and supportive group of parents. On Wednesday morning, we invited three of these wonderful ladies for morning tea to show our appreciation:

• Serena Shao
• Sylvia Zhao
• Teresa Chun

Affectionately called “ayi” (meaning “aunties” in Chinese) by the boys, they generously assist each year with cultural crafts and cooking during our major celebrations — Chinese New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

A successful language program connects people from different cultures, and we certainly couldn’t achieve this without the incredible support of our parent community. Our heartfelt thanks to them once again!

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Year 2 Reading Program

Thank you to our wonderful parent and grandparent volunteers whose time, care and encouragement continue to strengthen the Year 2 reading program. Your support nurtures each child’s confidence and enjoyment of reading, while also deepening the important connection between home and the School community. We are truly grateful for the role you play in helping to create a warm, collaborative reading environment for our students.

Mrs Mara Cole
Year Level Coordinator – Year 2
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Library Volunteers

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our wonderful library volunteers, Katrina Ng and Anne Murray-Smith, who have supported us throughout 2025.

Katrina is a past parent whose boys both came through St Peter’s College from ELC to Year 12. She is our covering guru, working at a pace we can only admire.

Anne is our library elf, quietly working behind the scenes to create the exquisite library bags gifted to boys when they enter ELC and Reception. The detail and creativity in every bag reflect the care with which each one is made. We are very grateful that Anne’s grandson is in Palm House, as it means we can enjoy her unique creations for years to come!

If you would like to assist Anne with this special task, please contact the Junior School Library:
Email – jslibrary@stpeters.sa.edu.au

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