"A sense of belonging involves more than simply knowing other people. It is also focused on gaining acceptance, attention, and support from others as well as having the opportunity to provide the same to other people." Dr Emma Woodward
Belonging is a fundamental need for students, especially in the school environment. Recent data from a research project found that students who felt a strong sense of belonging in their school had higher levels of academic achievement, are more likely to feel engaged in their learning, have positive relationships with their teachers and peers, and have a greater sense of school pride.
Our regular student wellbeing pulse checks demonstrate that our students feel a strong sense of belonging at St Peters Springfield. We work hard to cultivate a sense of belonging through proven strategies such as the positive relationships between our students and teachers, a welcoming and inclusive school environment, and opportunities for student participation and leadership.
We are also aware that bullying can erode our strong sense of belonging. Bullying is intentional behavior that hurts, harms, or humiliates someone, whether it's physically or emotionally. It is repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power, where one person has more power than the other. Examples of bullying can include name-calling, teasing, spreading rumors, physical aggression, exclusion from activities or groups, and cyberbullying.
However, not all negative behavior is considered bullying. It's important to distinguish between bullying and other types of behavior that may not be as serious. For example, a single act of teasing or name-calling is not bullying, but it can still be hurtful and damaging. Similarly, a disagreement or argument between peers is not necessarily bullying, as long as it doesn't involve intentional and repeated harm.
It's also important to remember that conflict is a normal part of human interaction. It's okay to have differences of opinion or to experience tension with others, as long as it's resolved respectfully and without intentional harm. When conflict does arise, it's important to encourage open communication and to seek help from a trusted adult if needed.
We have developed our Relational Management Handbook as a guide for our staff to ensure positive relationships are at the centre of all that we do.
Wishing our Year 11 students all the best on the first exam block in Week 9. I know they are well prepared. A reminder that students will remain home unless they have an exam. Students must be in formal school uniform when on campus for exams.
Our Year 10 students are off to Ironbark for week 9. This will be an exciting week of activities to develop resilience, teamwork, and leadership skills. Our Year 10 cohort met with Matt Sullivan this week in preparation for their weeklong experience. We can’t wait to see the photos!
Dominic Piacun Head of Secondary Years
What's On
St Peters Springfield Outside School Hours Care - Easter Vacation Care Program
16 March – NAPLAN UQ Showcase – Year 11 & 12 (1pm)
17 March - Prep Bible Presentation (9.15am)
19 - 25 March – Year 10 Ironbark
21 - 28 March – Year 11 Exam Block
21 March – Harmony Day
24 March - P & F Parent Welcome Night (6pm-8pm)
24 March – Year 12 Y-LEAD Day
27 March – Good Friday Service (8.15am)
27 March – Year 11 Exam Block
27 March – Noumea French Study Tour 2024 Info Night (5pm)
28 March - 4-12 Cross Country Carnival
29 March - Term 1 Concludes
29 March – Year 12 Formal / Year 12 Student Free Day
30 March – Student Free Day
31 March – Student Free Day
01-17 April – School Holidays
17 April – Student Free Day
18 April – Term 2 Commences
Ministry
Arise Lutheran Community Church
Arise is a Lutheran community that meets at St Peters, Springfield. It’s a place where you can come to know God’s love through Jesus, and find light and hope for your life, and connect with other families from St Peters and the wider community.
In our service you will hear God’s word, sing, pray and share in Holy Communion if you want to. There’s a message for the kids too.
Working, weary one Refreshing rest beckons you Autumn leaves let go
I think starting a new job disrupts reality and creates space to see and think more clearly. This is my third week here at St Peters as the Director of Identity, Formation & Service. After seven years in my previous role, I am also rediscovering that all the new seeing and thinking in this new context takes significant cognitive and emotional bandwidth! In Week 8 of Term 1 it seems the accumulated busyness of the term is also catching up for everyone in our community?
In this context of a very full life, I’m thankful for Lent. It is helping me focus my attention on important dimensions of life which can get buried in the day-to-day realities of work and loved ones and whatever else is on the to-do list.
Cole Arthur Riley’s simple description of Lent says, “Lent honours the season of wilderness experienced by Christ and his ancestors. In Lent we make space for grief, and our own interior dissonance. And we commit ourselves to bearing witness to the suffering of the world… it is a season to choose a habit or desire to give up as a kind of sacrifice in solidarity with Christ and the suffering. But we can also consider taking up a practice for collective good…”.
As I reflect on the artist Banksy’s words, "If you get tired, learn to rest not to quit", I wonder if learning to rest requires both giving something up… and taking something up… I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in the Gospel according to Matthew. Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… my burden is light". There’s an invitation here to give up my burdens and take up what God wants for me.
In listening to Jesus’ words, I’m hearing that learning to rest requires me to give up my never-ending focus on working and worrying, achieving, and producing. Learning to rest looks like making time to hear God’s voice reminding me that to be human is not only to do, but also just to be… to be present to beauty as Autumn slowly sneaks in, to be present to, and trust in God’s abundance, and to let go of striving to solve all the problems and complete all the jobs.
To return to the Haiku above, when we are weary, God invites us to rest in God’s love. Haiku traditionally draw our attention to something in nature. As we wander into Autumn, maybe the browning leaves will remind us that sometimes we need to let go, to give up and take up a new place in the world.
Do you need to learn to rest? How might Lent invite you to make space?
May God help us give up our burdens and take up learning to rest…
Steph
Stephanie Maher Director – Identity, Formation & Service
P.S. Did you know a Banksy exhibition is opening in Brisbane this week? I wouldn’t say I’m a Banksy fanatic – but when I’ve encountered Banksy’s work I have been drawn into simple and deep challenges.
Important Notices
2023 St Peters Springfield Parents & Friends Welcome Night | Friday 24 March
The St Peters Springfield Parents & Friends Association invites you to the 2023 St Peters Springfield Parents & Friends Welcome Night on Friday 24 March from 6pm.
This is a great opportunity to meet the new and existing parents in our community, the College Leadership Team, College Staff and the P&F Association members.
Kindly note this is an event for parents and caregivers only.
Wellbeing on Wellness Way
Self Acceptance
The Psychological Armour that Protects Young People
Self Acceptance is the journey of a lifetime. As Maya Angelou stated so famously, “you only are free when you realise you belong no place – you belong every place – no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great.”
The struggle of many is that they try so hard to belong to a group, that it comes at the cost of belonging to themselves. Especially true of teenagers. Self Acceptance however, is the key to unlocking so much of our potential. The following benefits come from accepting all of you:
Positive attitude
Calm
Minimises emotional stress
Less self doubt and negative thinking
The ‘bad events’ that are inevitable doesn’t destabilise
Self improvement and growth
According to research, 58% of people worry excessively about what others think of them. Ain’t that the truth. In this age of social media, and constant distraction, this is even more true. Our children – and us really – are growing up in a society of comparison and constantly are under threat online about questioning who they are, who they can trust and how good their life looks.
And kids are afraid to make mistakes, as many as 35% of young people believe they are a failure as a person if they do badly at school. But when we don’t fail, we don’t learn. As Mr Piacun states, it’s ok to be in the learning pit, that’s where the magic happens.
So what can we do?
Here are 5 things to help your kids to accept themselves and begin the journey back ‘in’ so that they can become who they are supposed to be.
1. SELF ACCEPTANCE – is a way of thinking that can help you feel positive across all aspects of your life. Including mistakes. Demonstrate positive growth language.
e.g. How did you feel you went at that activity? What part did you love doing?
2. CHOICES – engage in conversations about negative and positive reactions to our choices.
e.g. If your child is complaining or whinging about something or blaming others, ask “does this make you feel better”, help them to realise that externalising and blaming external factors on their choices and behaviour is detrimental to self acceptance.
3. DE PERSONALISE – as adults, we find it hard enough to not take things personally. Imagine what that feels like in a child or teenage brain, where they are the centre of all things. It is our job as carers to help them to understand that they are not the centre of the world and that not everything is set out to personally attack them. A simple reframe may be good to use if they are stuck in this habit.
WHAT HAPPENED?
WHAT DID YOU THINK?
HOW DID YOU FEEL?
HOW DID YOU ACT?
This kind of reframing helps young people to come up with new, more beneficial ways of thinking, reacting and behaving.
4. SELF TALK – this is an essential part of creating self acceptance. And it has a lot to do with how YOU, as models of behaviour, talk about YOURSELVES. How kindly are you talking to yourself?
5. IMPROVE SELF REGULATION – poor self regulation can severely impact a child’s ability to develop meaningful and long lasting friendships and can have a significant impact on their self identity. Help your students regulate their emotions by openly communicating about their feelings and appropriate reactions. Catastrophe scale is a great tool in the younger years.
Self acceptance is an important part of growing and developing. Our young people are only just at the start of their journey and discovery is key in these years. Surround your young people, and yourself, with caring mentors, and maintain positive role models for your children. Remember one of most important ways to be successful is to know who you are.
Sarah Johnson Guidance Counsellor
Schooltv.me
Secondary Years
Year 10 Welcome to Senior School Dinner
Last Thursday, our Year 10 students and their families gathered at the Ipswich Turf Club to celebrate our students’ transition to the Senior School. During the evening, the students listened to guest speaker Mr Chris Choi. Chris shared his relevant schooling and athletic journey that emphasised the importance of self-discipline and resilience. He reminded the students of their new role as school mentors as they enter their senior years. To conclude the evening the student representatives reflected on their journey thus far. In line with the St Peters tradition and all students were presented with their Senior ties. It was a wonderful evening where students, families and staff celebrated together as a community this rite of passage.
Mrs Michelle Atkins Year 10 Coordinator
The Arts
HABIT 5 - Regular Review
The final practice habit in this series is ‘regular review’. Many experiments have shown that reviewing activities 7 times over 10 days helps your brain learn much faster. This applies to
everything you learn, not just playing an instrument! There is plenty of evidence to suggest people who learn musical instruments also excel in other areas of education and life. Maybe it isn’t just the playing – maybe it is because those who play a musical instrument recognise the importance of regular review and apply it to other areas of their life!
Make it a habit
Make it a habit to review everything you have practiced during a session at the end of the session once your other targets for that session are achieved. Think of this as an important time saving device for the future... with regular review you do less practice for more progress.
Don’t rush it
Make sure you don’t rush your review. Play everything through once, a little slower than you achieved during your practice to ensure all notes are 100% correct.
The most important review you will ever do
The most important review you do is the one you do when you arrive home from your lesson. Having a review session following a lesson helps fix everything from the lesson clearly in your mind. Your understanding of techniques is heightened, and your muscle memory develops much quicker. Practicing following your lesson also gives you a chance to see what you can already play and plan your practice for the coming week.
Plan a review session following your lesson. You won’t regret it!
Dr Bradley Voltz Coordinator of Performing Arts (Cocurricular)
Thursday 9 March saw the first SLAPS event of 2023, with the ten associated schools meeting at St Peters Indooroopilly for the 2023 swimming competition. With a dedicated team of 28 students ranging from Year 3 to Year 6, it was great to see many students so enthusiastic to compete that they were looking to double up on events or add new events to their program just to be in the pool more. At the end of the competition, St Peters Springfield came out victorious in the 11-12 Boys age group, with many of our competitors doing double duty and backing up from the successful AIC championships earlier in the week. Our team finished second in Division 2 but came away with the number one position in the Division 2 Percentage competition. A successful day for all our swimmers and a great effort from our team. Well done to all involved.
QGSSSA Girls Sport
Girls in Sport Health Information Evening
Please click on the link below to view the recording of the Girls in Sport Health Information Evening.
A big thank you again to our wonderful Events Department for all their work to put on this evening, this Netball Parent Support Group event would not have been possible without their support.
We have received wonderful feedback from the evening, if you were unable to attend, Mums and Dads, please take the time to sit with your daughters to watch the recording.
Girls Rowing Success
As the excitement builds for the commencement of the 2023 Girls Rowing season, many of our girls have been training hard for the recent NSW and QLD State Rowing Championships.
Congratulations to Eva H who has qualified for the 2023 Queensland Schools Pathway 8 and will be competing at the National Selection Regatta in April. Eva’s results are below.
QLD States
First Place - U17 Double Scull
First Place – U17 Four
First Place - U17 Coxed Quad
Fourth Place - U17 Single Scull
NSW States
First Place - U17 Coxed Quad
Fourth Place - U17 Double Scull
Also performing amazingly well at the QLD State Championships, congratulations to Poppy Y, Poppy’s results are below.
Second Place - U17 Four
Third Place - U17 Coxed Quad
Fourth Place - U17 Eight
Fourth Place - U19 Eight
Other St Peters rowers competing were Robyn M, Tiara R and Jess M, well done to you all, and we look forward to seeing you back on the water representing St Peters very soon.
This Week in Girls Sport
It has been another busy week in Girls Sport!
Sign on for BSRA Girls Rowing and QGSSSA Rhythmic Gymnastics has now been finalised.
An early Sign on for our Winter Fixture Sports, Netball, Volleyball, Tennis and Hockey has been emailed to the students this week. Further details of trials/training will be advised next term.
2023 Senior Australian Rules
The 2023 Senior Australian Rules season is now complete and what a fantastic season it has been. Well done to the girls and thank you to our Australian Rules Coordinator Peter Hicks and our team of coaches, Chris, Dean, Rohan, Sophie and Ella. The improvement is evident for all to see as is the joy of playing this great game, the girls (and parents) have loved it!
We look forward to the Junior Australian Rules Season (Years 7-9) in Term 4.
Water Polo Finals
Four teams through to the BWPI Water Polo Grand Finals is amazing, well done to all involved last Saturday, it was a special day for St Peters Water Polo.
Well done to all the girls who participated in Round 1 of Basketball, Football & Touch last Friday afternoon, it was great to get the seasons started. Our first home games are scheduled for this Friday as we take on Moreton Bay College, with extra excitement for the Touch girls with the first of the 2023 Focus Rounds. Let’s get along and support our teams.
QGSSSA Cross Country
The first of the 2023 QGSSSA Cross Country meets is scheduled for next Tuesday 21 March, students have been emailed to sign on. Further details can be found on the St Peters App.
Good luck to all our girls competing this Friday/Saturday, go Saints!
Congratulations to the Senior Australian Rules Football girls who finished their season last Saturday morning. These girls, over the past five weeks, have played two games each Saturday morning with fantastic improvements and results coming from the second QGSSSA season of Australian Rules Football. It was particularly pleasing to see all three teams (Opens, Seniors and Year 10’s) each finish within the top three of their respective divisions. Results are below.
Open Team – Three way tie for first place with St Hilda’s and Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Senior Team – Outright Second place
Year 10 Team – Outright Second Place
The Senior Australian Rules season will be finished with a celebration afternoon next Tuesday, 21 March, please see an email from Mr Hicks for details regarding this event.
The Junior Australian Rules Football season (Years 7-9) will take place in Term 4, please email Mr Hicks if you have any questions about this season.
Grand Finals are scheduled for this Saturday 18 March.
The Grand Finals draw will be on the App as soon as it is finalised.
Last Saturday was an exciting day for St Peters with Open Day and our amazing Water Polo players fighting to stay in the competition and an opportunity to play Grand Finals.
We had four teams playing in the knock out semi-finals and I can proudly say we have four teams into the Grand Final. Semi-final Polo saw a rise in the level of the game and the spectators got to witness some awesome skills and heart stopping moments.
The U15's defeated St Rita’s who were undefeated and had only conceded 17 goals this season. We won and we put 8 goals on them almost half of what they had conceded for the entire season. Watching the U15's both Coach Tenealle and the birthday boy Coach Rob were super excited by the way our girls played such a great team game. Anni's baulk baulk; made the goalie drop and the goal set the standard. Romi was on fire with her hot hand finding the back of the net on numerous occasions. Both goalies were tough. We play River City next week, our last game against them was in Round 7 (4 Feb) the game went to the wire and we lost 6-8.
The Open Team’s game was intense with the game going goal for goal. This game was a battle of the Walter Taylor Bridge with the two Indooroopilly schools, St Peters and Brigidine clashing. With a very vocal crowd we came home strong in the second half, Remaya in goals was outstanding. Congrats to Isla L and Chloe M for winning the awards this week. One particularly exciting moment in this game was when we got the Brigidine Goalie excluded and we scored a quick goal!! Ida was great in defence. It was also Coach Nacole's birthday and the girls really turned up to play for her. Next week we take on Somerville House. In Round 1 (22 Oct 2022) we last played Somerville and the score was 7-7 draw!
U13 D2 v Mermaids Blue, in our last game against Mermaids in Round 10 the score was 4-4. We started the game on fire going quickly to 3-0 up but in true Mermaid fashion they came back to draw the game. Our girls showed true Plus Ultra fighting spirit to come away with a two point win. Kelly G scored a rocket goal winning the team award for her efforts. Chloe R was great in goals and the support she was given by all the girls in this team was superb. Coach Lara was spoilt post-game with gifts and flowers. AHS Silver will be our opposition next weekend.
U16 D2 - with 3 from 3 win already enjoyed I walked back into Musgrave feeling nervous. However, this team was sensational with the way they moved the ball around. Both Goalies Rose J (first half) and Elspeth A (2nd half) owned the goals stopping many of Loreto's attempts. These girls showed determination and pride in their performances making Coach Jane, Mrs Champion, Mr Kotzur and myself happy to be wearing the maroon, white and yellow shirt. Amelia R scored a strong 5m and a late goal to seal the win!
A big special mention to Mrs Champion who ran between Water Polo and Open Day and to Mr Kotzur for finishing Open Day at 2:00pm and getting to Musgrave Park Pool for our U16, 2:30pm game.
Tracey Bruce Water Polo Coordinator
AUTUMN FIXTURE SPORTS – BASKETBALL, FOOTBALL & TOUCH
Please see the St Peters App for training details.
DATE CLAIMERS:
ROUND 2 v MORETON BAY COLLEGE (H) – Friday 17 March ROUND 3 v CLAYFIELD COLLEGE (A) – Friday 24 March
Date Claimer: Old Scholars Game – Friday 24 March, further details to follow Basketball Round 2 v Moreton Bay College, Friday 17 March – Please CLICK HERE for the draw
Coordinator: Ms Anne-Marie George - a.george@stpeters.qld.edu.au Touch FOCUS ROUND v Moreton Bay College, Friday 17 March – Please CLICK HERE for the draw
QGSSSA CROSS COUNTRY
Coordinator: Mrs Kerry Schreiber – k.schreiber@stpeters.qld.edu.au Cross Country pre-season training continues, all details including St Peters 2023 Cross Country calendar can be found on the St Peters App.
Do your best to attend as many of these sessions as you can, with Wednesday sessions being a priority.
AIC Boys Sport
With only a few weeks until the end of Term 1, and only one round remaining for Cricket, Volleyball and Australian Rules, it is more pertinent than ever to stress the importance of finishing well. With many great results over the past 7 weeks in St Peters Boys Sport, we sometimes forget that it is easy to become complacent and start to focus on the next thing.
I encourage all St Peters boys to really work hard on finishing off Term 1 well. Whether it be on the sporting field, off the sporting field or most importantly in the classroom, please focus on finishing off well and without complacency. Stay focused and enthusiastic until the very end.
We often speak about and hear dialog surrounding commitment and honouring our commitment to the tasks at hand. This is so true within the sporting realm. A sign of good discipline is the ability to finish well. This also brings with it the satisfaction that you have completed the task (the game at hand, the season to the end) to the best of your ability. From this sense of satisfaction comes the feeling of success and accomplishment which I find is so very important leading into your next task (or sporting endeavour).
This Week in Sport
This Saturday sees our last round of AIC Term 1 Sport. For Round 7, St Peters will compete against Villanova College in Australian Rules, Cricket and Volleyball on Saturday. For Volleyball our junior teams (Years 7-9) will be competing home at St Peters and our senior teams (Years 10-12) are away at Villanova College.
We wish each St Peters team the best of luck and encourage them to lift and live up to our College motto of Plus Ultra.
Please ensure you check the St Peters App for both venue details and game times.
2023 AIC Cross Country & Runners Club
A reminder that training has commenced for all boys who wish to be part of the St Peters Cross Country program.
Not only are we wanting boys to compete competitively for St Peters in Cross Country but we are wanting all Years 7-12 boys who will be playing in Term 2 Sports (Rugby & Football) to strongly consider attending at least one (1) Cross Country session or Runners Club to enhance their overall fitness level as they start to prepare for Term 2 Sports.
Cross Country at St Peters has traditionally been well received and very competitive at both AIC and QGSSSA. Let’s work hard in 2023 to maintain this high standard and consolidate on past years participation and performances. Training times for Cross Country can be found on the St Peters App. Boys can also find more details about Cross Country from the weekly sport email sent to them.
Cross Country Camp
We are seeking expressions of interest for St Peters students attending the 2023 St Peters Cross Country Camp, a three (3) day and two (2) night camp from Saturday 29 April to Monday 1 May 2023.
Camp Details:
Venue: Alexandra Park Conference Centre, Sunshine Coast Depart: Saturday 29 April, departure time TBC Return: Monday 1 May at approximately 12:00pm Cost: approx. $375 per athlete
Please complete the form below if you wish your daughter/son to attend the St Peters Cross Country Preparation Camp. Please understand that the St Peters Cross Country Preparation Camp will involve high level coaching with students expected to participate in all aspects of the camp.
Term 2 AIC Sports – Sign On (Chess, Rugby and Football)
Over the past weeks several emails were sent to ALL boys in Years 7-12 regarding ‘Signing On’ for the Term 2 sports of Chess, Rugby and Football.
We strongly encourage all boys who intend to participate in a Term 2 Sport to please check their emails and sign on via the links provided.
Wet Weather and Cancellations
With regards to wet weather and any unforeseen or potential cancellations of AIC sports, please ensure that you keep an eye out for notifications and alerts via the St Peters App. We will endeavour to keep everyone updated on both training cancellations and game day changes as the week progresses.
Dress Standards at St Peters AIC Sporting Training and Games
A reminder that all our boys do need to be dressed correctly at both AIC training and games.
AIC Volleyball
Correct Training and Playing Uniform Requirements:
Training – all St Peters AIC Volleyball players must wear their St Peters sports uniform to Volleyball training.
Games – all St Peters AIC Volleyball players must wear their numbered Volleyball shirt and maroon PE/sports shorts.
NO sports/PE shirts are to be worn at AIC games. WHITE SOCKS ONLY are to be worn at AIC Volleyball Games.
AIC Cricket
Correct Training and Playing Uniform Requirements:
Training – all St Peters AIC Cricket players must wear their ‘Program Shirt’ to their first training session of the week. They are to wear their sports uniform to the second training session.
Games – all St Peters AIC Cricket players are to arrive at their game wearing their ‘Program Shirt’ and then get changed into their playing whites just before the start of play.
St Peters Student Spectators on Game Days
Any St Peters student attending a St Peters sporting event/game outside of normal college hours is expected to be dressed in St Peters uniform.
Term 1 & 2 AIC Coordinators Contacts
If the sport specific information you are looking for cannot be found on the St Peters App, please contact the below sport specific coordinators directly,
Information regarding the St Peters Lutheran College Springfield Sport program will be communicated through a range of modes including email, St Peters App and Cornerstone. Students and parents will primarily receive information from the Head of Sport at Springfield but at times may also receive information from the Girls and Boys Sport Coordinators or individual Sport Coordinators. Parents and students are encouraged to download and use the St Peters App for information regarding the Sport program.
St Peters APP
Please download the St Peters ‘app’ today!!
All information regarding the St Peters Lutheran College Sport program including sport training times and venues, draws, coordinator details and wet weather arrangements can be found on the St Peters App.
*Please ensure that you update your preferences in the Settings> Subscriptions section of the app so that you only receive information from your appointed Campus or area of interest that are relevant to your family e.g. Springfield or Sports.
The app can be downloaded free through iTunes or Google Play, please search for St Peters:
