The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." -- Albert Einstein

Our Primary classes have continued to embrace inquiry-based learning in the classroom in 2021. It is an approach that puts students and their questions, ideas and thoughts at the centre of their learning and has important benefits to the way students learn.

Inquiry-based learning provides opportunities for students to question, wonder and to be curious. It is important for educators to instil risk-taking and have a classroom where questions are valued.

Inquiry and curiosity also prepares the brain for learning. If students ask the right questions or have teachers that ask the right questions it provides the right motivation to learn and seek answers. 

It is also important for us as teachers to see teaching as an act of inquiry – that we remain passionately curious about our students. Ask: what are they revealing to us?  Where to next? How are they thinking about this? (Kath Murdoch 2019)

It is by understanding our learners and the best way for them to make meaning of their world now and in the future that guides our approaches to teaching and learning in our classrooms.  As our classes come to the end of their Term 1 inquiry units our teachers will be sharing the guiding questions, the wonderings and what has sparked the students’ curiosity over the term.

Curiocity Program Brisbane City:  https://curiocitybrisbane.com/

Over the weekend I was in the centre of Brisbane and was amazed at the Curiocity installations and the information included to make us curious. I encourage families to take advantage of the wonderful World Science Festival Program in Brisbane from 12 – 28 March 2021. Download the program and walk around Brisbane City/South Bank to take part in Curiocity where children can engage in the interactive installations. It is where new possibilities play and big ideas collide!

Harmony Week 2021

The message of Harmony Week each year is that everyone belongs. It is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values. The message that respect and belonging can be lived by each of us, every day, not just during Harmony Week is an important part of St Peters culture. 

It was wonderful to see our students wearing clothes that represented their heritage. During the week there was a focus on respect and belonging in Chapel, Assembly, classroom devotions and class activities.

Enjoy the photos of our diversity at St Peters Springfield having over 30 cultures represented in our community.

Debbie West-Mcinnes
Head of Primary Years

Date Claimers:

Thursday 25 March
Year 3, 6, 7-9 Indigenous Presentation
Primary Parent/Teacher Interviews 

Friday 26 March
SPY, 6-8 pm (St Peters Youth)

Saturday 27 March
Year 9 Ironbark Graduation

Monday 29 March
Year 11 Exam Block Concludes

Tuesday 30 March
Year 4-12 Cross Country

Wednesday 31 March
Term 1 Concludes

Monday 19 April
Student Free Day

Tuesday 20 April
Term 2 Commences
SLAPS Cross Country Meet

Next week is Holy Week, called that because it is the week that remembers Jesus’ way to the cross. It begins with Palm Sunday as Jesus is received into Jerusalem like a king, and it ends with the crowds turning against Jesus resulting in his death on the cross. But this is not the end of the story - the following week begins with his resurrection, the Easter celebration, a new start…

Holy Week is the most sacred time of the year for Christians around the world and points us to the centre of our faith, the death and resurrection of Christ. One of my friends, also a pastor in a school, used to always write it as one word - deathandresurrection – because, he said, it belongs together, one without the other has no meaning and makes no sense.

Some call this event the pivot of history, and it certainly has changed the lives of countless people across the ages. It is the final clear witness to God’s love and care for all people, all creation indeed. It points us to God’s heart. His unlimited grace.

As Jesus opens his arms in blessing, and prays: Father forgive them…, we can be assured of forgiveness, of the possibility of new beginnings, of the chance to overcome all that binds us and holds us down. As he is raised on Easter morning, we are assured of hope even in the face of death, something our world sorely needs right now.

And this hope, this love, this gift of life enables us to live in freedom, to serve others without fear of missing out, to forgive as we have been forgiven, to bring healing and reconciliation into the world.

As you journey to the cross and the empty grave this year, may you find joy, and hope and peace. Have a blessed Easter.

Pastor Thomas

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in [Christ], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:19-20)

Arise is a Christian Community where people gather each Sunday morning at 9am in the St Peter’s Hub, to meet Jesus the Light of the World. "Arise, shine, your light has come!" Isaiah 60:1

All are welcome.

The video on Facebook is of the complete worship service.

View video of worship service

On the mornings of Tuesday 11 to Thursday 13 May, Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students will be involved in National Testing for literacy and numeracy as part of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).

On Tuesday 11 May, students will complete the Language Conventions Test and the Writing Test.  Reading skills will be tested on Wednesday 12 May with Numeracy skills being tested on Thursday 13 May. The timetable for NAPLAN is below.

Language Conventions includes spelling, grammar and punctuation. Numeracy includes number, space, algebra, function and pattern, measurement, chance and data. Years 3 and 5 students are not permitted to use a calculator for the Numeracy test, however Years 7 and 9 students will complete both calculator and non-calculator elements.

NAPLAN is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: English and the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. Questions are multiple choice or require a short written response. This year, the Writing task will require students to write either a narrative or a persuasive text. This will be evident from the stimulus they are given and we will not know what it is until the day of the Writing test. There will be one Writing prompt for students in Years 3 and 5, and a second, different prompt for students in Years 7 and 9.

National Testing provides information on how students are developing in the specified areas in relation to national benchmarks.  The tests also useful provide useful information which assists in improving teaching and learning.

Teachers will expose students to similar test formats and question types through an integrated approach in the lead-up to national testing.  NAPLAN tests are one aspect of the school’s assessment and reporting process, and do not replace the extensive, school-based assessments of student performance.

Parents, guardians and caregivers can support their children by making them feel comfortable about the purpose and nature of the tests and encouraging them to do their best.  They can also assure students that the tests will give them an opportunity to show the knowledge and skills learned in class.

All students are encouraged to participate in NAPLAN tests. Students with a disability may qualify for adjustments that reflect the support normally provided in the classroom. Mrs Stephanie Wise, the Exceptional Learners teacher, will contact you if your child is eligible for special provisions for the tests.

A formal exemption may be granted for a student with significant intellectual disability and/or significant coexisting conditions, or for a student who has recently arrived in Australia and has a non-English speaking background. Parents or carers may withdraw their child from the tests to address issues such as religious beliefs and philosophical objections to testing.

For more information, please visit: http://www.nap.edu.au/home and NAPLAN on Paper: Information for Parents and Carers

For further information regarding NAPLAN or the processes for adjustments, exemption and withdrawal, please contact Susan Levitt (Prep – Year 6 Curriculum Leader).

Our new Occupational Therapist, Sarah Shakibaie from Ready kids will be our new therapist at St Peters Springfield. Sarah will be providing OT support on Fridays during the school term. This is a fee for service arrangement. If you feel your child would benefit from accessing this OT service, please contact Mrs Stephanie Wise (Exceptional Learners Teacher). s.wise@stpeters.qld.edu.au

NDA 2021

We were excited as a school community to Take Action Together alongside 60% of Australian schools on Friday 19 March. 

This day has been operating since 2011, to encourage school communities to stand together against bullying and violence. The theme for 2021 was Take Action Together. It aims to elevate student voice, empowering young Australians to join the national conversation. During the day our school community made pledges for actions they could take to a spread a kindness culture.

We spent the week educating students on bullying, its consequences and steps to take to ensure the positive well being for all members of the school community.

During the Unit of Inquiry the Year Four students have inquired about how the geographical location affecting an Ecosystem. The students were required to explore Australia, Africa and South America and locate these continents on a World Map, focusing on the environments and location. They selected and researched an endangered animal from one of these continents and created a 3D sculpture of their animal, mapped the animal’s environment and constructed an information report. Please view the photos of the students in the process of constructing their 3D endangered animal.

Private Tuition Programme

Congratulations to all students and tutors for the progress achieved this term. There will be Recitals held during Term 2, where students can showcase their new repertoire and skills to family, teachers and friends, so keep up the good work.

Anyone wishing to commence Private Tuition next term is requested to complete the enrolment form in the Private Tuition Handbook, and return to Ms Sally Grennan (S.Grennan@stpeters.qld.edu.au) prior to the commencement of the holidays.  This will enable timely and efficient timetabling.

Many students like to listen to music as they complete homework and other tasks.  This article, from Dr Anita Collins, is of interest, as she discusses the impact of background sound on focus and concentration.

On behalf of the tutors and Music teachers, all the best for a safe, Holy and enjoyable Easter Vacation.  We look forward to seeing and working with students during Term 2.

Which sounds should we play for productivity – music or nature?

Dr Anita Collins, Bigger Better Brains

Have you ever noticed when you are driving with music playing, or your children are chatting in the back as you drive to a new place, you quickly turn the music down or ask the kids to be quiet? Why do we need quiet to do new things and, conversely, why do we find having music on motivating when we are doing old or repetitive tasks?

All big questions, and in this study, the researchers wanted to know how different background sounds impacted on the completing of tasks. Here is what they found.

“Any time there is background noise, our brain actively works to filter it out–with the largest effect for fluid, outdoor sounds like vehicle traffic … We were able to change brain activity during a cognitive task in a noticeable and reproducible way, simply by playing outdoor sounds in the background … These findings show that our environment affects how we perceive the world around us–and means that much of what we know about the brain is oversimplified since it has primarily been researched in a laboratory setting.”

Two things to take away from this last statement are 1) how often or quickly do we notice how the background noise is affecting us and our productivity and 2) how important is the “real world vs lab environment” factor in the application of the research to our everyday behaviours and learning activities?

Let’s go back to turning the music down when we are driving to a new place. A person will likely make this step instinctively, but if you ask them afterwards why they did it, they may not immediately recognise that they were taking control of their sound environment to enhance their concentration. So in answer to the first takeaway, we might be more productive if we paid more attention to our sound environment.

In the second takeaway, the “real world vs lab environment” factor, it could be very important to not only read the research findings but also consider if the research was conducted inside or outside the lab environment. As teachers, who work in noisy, bustling schools, where intense and continuous learning is meant to be happening, background noise may not always be considered in the learning process.

So next time you reach for your music playlist to accompany your activities, think about playing a background track of nature or outdoor sounds and see what happens.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Anon

I can’t believe I am writing the last Rock article for Term 1 as we approach the Easter Holidays. What a busy but exciting term it has been for Girls Sport. I would like to take this opportunity to commend all the girls on their fantastic efforts and thank them for their support. From all of us in Sports House, we wish you a Happy Easter and have a wonderful, safe holiday.

TRAINING FOR ALL QGSSSA AUTUMN FIXTURES & CROSS COUNTRY

THE LAST TRAINING SESSION FOR TERM ONE WILL BE NEXT MONDAY 29 MARCH.

TRAINING IN TERM 2 WILL RECOMMENCE ON MONDAY 19 APRIL (STUDENT FREE DAY) IN PREPARATION FOR OUR ROUND 4 CLASH WITH SOMERVILLE HOUSE ON FRIDAY 23 APRIL.

BUS TRANSPORT FOR AUTUMN FIXTURES

All girls are expected to take the school buses provided to the Autumn Fixtures each Friday afternoon (for AWAY games only). Bus details are always provided at the bottom of the draw, the draw is placed on the St Peters App as soon as it is finalised each week.

If girls do not require a seat on the bus for any reason, please email your Sport Coordinator to ensure buses are not waiting. If girls are not returning on the bus provided at the end of the games, they must advise the coordinator before leaving the venue.

A reminder to those Senior students, parental permission is required for any students to drive themselves to and from fixtures. Parents are to email the sport coordinators and myself to give this permission. Students are not permitted to give other students lifts unless the parents of the passengers also email to notify of this arrangement. Many thanks for helping keep the girls safe whilst in our care.

BASKETBALL

Coordinator: Mr Orhan Memedovski – o.memedevoski@stpeters.qld.edu.au

Round 2 Review: St Peters v St Aidan’s

Our first official round of QGSSSA Basketball was a huge success! It was wonderful to see the St Peters girls working together as a team, displaying excellent sportsmanship. Despite not having much training due to wet weather, many teams had dominant performances. A huge congratulations to all students, including those who played in their first competitive Basketball game for St Peters. Keep up the fantastic effort and continue to represent St Peters with pride!

Round 2 by the Numbers

80+: The number of points our Senior A and Opens won their games by. A huge point total complimented with efficient offence and tenacious defence.
7:  The winning margin for our 10A girls.
30:  The number of points our 7A girls scored in their first win of the season!
2:  9B girls lost by two baskets, demonstrating great improvement each quarter, being down by 14 earlier in the game.
34-12: The final score for our victorious 9A team.

We look forward to Round 3 of Basketball against Brisbane Girls Grammar school.

Round 3 Games v BGGS: Friday 26 March – Please CLICK HERE for the draw (bus details are included).   

FOOTBALL

Coordinator: Mr Tim Arnold – t.arnold@stpeters.qld.edu.au

Fortunately, after a long week of rain, the sun came out to allow most games to be played on Friday. This round saw our girls take on St Aidan’s which always provides some competitive games. The Junior girls had another big win taking down the opposition 12-3. A special well done to Sophie K who scored four goals and had a spectacular game. The Seniors went down 1-3 but fought hard right to the very end. The Open team had a nail-biter to come away with a 2-1 win in the end. A big shout out to Kate E for having an incredible game and stepping up in attack to put the pressure on the opposition. The Junior/Intermediate B’s came up against BSHS and went down 0-5. The girls have shown excellent progress early in the season and the coaches look forward to continuing to develop their skills. Unfortunately, the Intermediate game got rained out, however, the girls are eager to get back on the pitch this week to continue a successful start to the season.

Round 3 Games v BGGS: Friday 26 March – Please CLICK HERE for the draw.

TOUCH

Coordinator: Ms Anne-Marie George - a.george@stpeters.qld.edu.au

Round 2 of QGSSSA Touch Football saw the girls face the Touch powerhouse, St Aidan’s.  The girls played admirably but went down in all but one game; congratulations to our 9/10B Composite Team with an impressive win. 

It also seems that the girls have inadvertently started a rather exciting St Peters tradition with two players scoring tries on their birthdays.  To my knowledge, Skye B became ‘four try Skye’ on her birthday several weeks ago and Leila M picked up a try against St Aidan’s last Friday on her birthday.  Well done girls, Happy Birthday from your St Peters Touch teams and family.  Whose birthday is this Friday?  How many tries should I already put next to your name? 

Whilst, the rain may have washed out many training sessions this season, it is only fuelling our enthusiasm to play, whenever and wherever possible. As always, keep an eye on the St Peters App for Touch related information, especially if it’s been raining and for our weekly draws. 

Round 3 Games v BGGS: Friday 26 March – Please CLICK HERE for the draw (bus details are included).   

CROSS COUNTRY

Coordinator: Mrs Kerry Schreiber - k.schreiber@stpeters.qld.edu.au

It was awesome to see many of our Cross Country runners join in the time trial at Roberson Park on Wednesday. After many cancelled sessions due to the rain it was great to see where we are at with our preparations for the QG Championships which will be held on Saturday 15 May - seven weeks away!

Cross Country Holiday Sessions with coaches will be available on the following days – please meet at the St Peters Internal Bus Stop commencing at 8.00am – 9.30am.

• Thursday 1 April
• Tuesday 6 April
• Thursday 8 April
• Friday 9 April
• Monday 12 April
• Tuesday 13 April
• Thursday 15 April
• Friday 16 April

Important Information from Mrs Schreiber (Ph 0431 960 348)

• All runners will be emailed a holiday training program to follow if they are unable to join in the holiday sessions
• Park Runs are great race practise – please text Mrs Schreiber for details of up and coming events
• Please watch the St Peters App for cancellation of sessions if the weather is inclement
• Any enquires over the holidays – please text Mrs Schreiber

ALL CROSS-COUNTRY INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE ST PETERS APP.

Please note in your diary the following dates for the QGSSSA Cross Country lead up meets:

1. UQ meet @ University of QLD – Wednesday 21 April (Week 1, Term 2)
2. BGGS meet @ Fig Tree Pocket – Tuesday 27 April (Week 2, Term 2)
3. St Hilda’s meet @ Rivermount – Tuesday 4 May (Week 3, Term 2) – THIS MEET IS COMPULSORY FOR ALL GIRLS WISHING TO BE SELECTED IN THE QGSSSA TEAM

Run Club is on every week! Join our Running Community on Friday mornings - meet at 6.30am at the St Peters Bus Stop.

ROWING

Coordinator: Mr Peter Hicks - p.hicks@stpeters.qld.edu.au

Thank you to the girls who have signed on to row in 2021. If girls have missed sign ons, please email Mr Hicks.

Just a reminder on a couple of important dates:

FIRST DAY ON THE WATER FOR THE GIRLS – Tuesday 20 April (Week 1, Term 2)

ROWING CAMP – An important event on the Girls Rowing calendar is the Rowing Camp, this will be held on the first week of the school holidays at the end of Term 2, Saturday 19 June - Friday 25 June.

Please mark these dates in your diaries.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Coordinator: Mrs Nicole Maynard – n.maynard@stpeters.qld.edu.au

Thank you to the many girls that attended the Rhythmic Gymnastics sign-on/information session last Monday.

Please see below for important information discussed at the meeting.

• Training sessions will commence on Wednesday afternoon, 28 April (Week 2, Term 2).
• There are 2 training session times: 3:30pm – 5:30pm OR 5:30pm – 7:30pm. The girls must be able to attend ONE of these sessions.
• Uniform for training - PE uniform / bike pants
• Start practising ball throwing in the air (and catching). You may use a basketball, volleyball, netball, or soccer ball
• Teams will be made up of 4 girls – this will be organised early in Term 2
• The 2021 Rhythmic Gymnastic Calendar can be found on the St Peters App

WET WEATHER

With the wet weather continuing for many days next week, please keep an eye on the St Peters App for cancellations. We will endeavour to do this by 1.30pm for afternoon training sessions/fixtures and 5.30am for morning training sessions, however this is not always possible with storms around. Students will also receive an email.

DRESS CODE FOR WEEKEND SPORTING FIXTURES

When attending/watching other sporting fixtures (eg Basketball, Football or Touch), girls are asked to ensure they are wearing their St Peters Formal uniform or if they are playing, their St Peters playing uniform is allowed. (PE uniform or casual clothing is not allowed).

Luke Donatini
Boys Sport Coordinator 
3377 6234  |  l.donatini@stpeters.qld.edu.au 

With the recent poor weather and the hope that we can get some training underway for pre-season Term 2 sports, we would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding. Each day we try our best to make the right call on weather and the going ahead or cancelling of training seasons.

In trying weather conditions, St Peters were able to play some trial games in both Rugby and Football on Saturday. Our Open Rugby Teams (1st XV and 2nd XV) travelled up to the Sunshine Coast to play against Matthew Flinders College whilst our 1st XI Football team played against St Peters Old Scholars at home on Harts Road Oval.  Both Rugby teams came away with a win whilst St Peters Old Scholars gained the upper hand over our 1st XI Football team. These games proved most valuable to our coaches as to were we are going well and what needs to be improved before their respective up-coming AIC season.

Congratulations - A Great Performance

Recently Gabriel V C (Year 12) competed at the Queensland Secondary Schools Sport Baseball State Titles whilst representing St Peters and the Metropolitan West Region. Gabriel’s performance at these titles earned him selection into the Queensland Merit Team. Further to this, he has also been invited to participate in the Under 18 National Baseball Squad in Canberra in April. We wish him every success as he trials for selection into the Australian U18 National Team. Congratulation and well done Gabriel!

Fin B (Year 9) placed 2nd (Silver) in the 2km Beach Run Race at the recent Queensland Surf Lifesaving Championships at North Kirra, Gold Coast. Fin also competed in many other events at the State Championships and making finals.  Fin will now set his sights on competing at the National Surf Lifesaving Championships later this year. Well done Fin!

St Peters Football Trial Games Saturday 27 March

This Saturday 27 March various St Peters Football teams will compete against Brisbane State High School in trial games. We request everyone to please check the St Peters App for game times and details. Please also check the App for any cancellations.

St Peters Rugby Trial Games Saturday 27 March

This coming Saturday some of our St Peters Rugby teams will compete in pre-season trial Rugby games against Sunshine Coast Grammar School. The games will be held at St Peters on Mayer Oval. We request everyone to please check the St Peters App for game times and details. Please also check the App for any cancellations.

AIC Chess – Training has commenced

Pre-season training for AIC Boys Chess has now commenced and underway. The AIC Chess competition will commence in Term 2 and will be played on Friday afternoons/evenings.

Please refer to the St Peters App for details about training times and the Term 2 AIC Chess competition draw.

2021 AIC Cross Country & Runners Club

Each boy from Year 7 through to Year 12 has been emailed and alerted about signing on and participating in Cross Country for St Peters. We strongly encourage any boy who is looking at participating in a Term 2 sport (Rugby and Football) or a Term 3 sport (Basketball, Tennis and Track & Field) to get along to at least one Cross Country / Runners Club session. This is a fantastic way to improve their overall fitness and will stand them in good preparation for their up and coming team sporting season.

Cross Country at St Peters has traditionally been well received and very competitive at both AIC and QGSSSA. Let’s work hard in 2021 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.

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.

Term 2 AIC Sporting Coordinators – St Peters Boys Sport

If the sport specific information you are looking for, in relation to Term 2 AIC sports for St Peters boys, cannot be found on the St Peters App, please contact the below sport specific coordinators directly. 

• St Peters Rugby Coordinator: Mr Trent Hacking – t.hacking@stpters.qld.edu.au
• St Peters Football Coordinator: Mr Nathan Edwards – n.edwards@stpeters.qld.edu.au
• St Peters Chess Coordinator: Mr Wolf Stuetzel – w.stuetzel@stpeters.qld.edu.au
• St Peters Cross Country Coordinator: Mrs Kerry Schreiber – k.schreiber@stpeters.qld.edu.au

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. 

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: