In 2023, the first parents of the College that I met were the volunteers involved in the Parents and Friends (P&F) Committee. It was my pleasure to attend the Annual General Meeting with Mrs Natalie Houston last November and introduce myself as the soon to be Head of Springfield for 2024. Since then, I have enjoyed continuing to be part of the many meetings and events that the P&F have held, growing the team and developing our shared strategic focus for 2024 – ‘Enhancing Community Engagement.’
WHY PARENTS AND FRIENDS
Our Mission at St Peters is ‘Excellence in Christian Co-Education’ and one of the core values described in Plus Ultra 2025 is ‘Belonging to and Building Community.’ Furthermore, both the mission and the values are drawn together by our strategic pillar of ‘Connected Community’, where we “aim to grow an inclusive, caring and connected community that embraces our students, staff, families and Old Scholars…”
Evidence also shows that involvement and engagement of parents and families in schools and student learning can increase student confidence, intrinsic motivation and overall positive associations with education (Barker & Harris, 2020; Clark, 2017; Liu, 2017 and Okilwa & Barnett, 2017).
With the above in mind, the growth and involvement of our parents in our school community is vital to achieving our College Mission and improving student outcomes. Therefore, we are very thankful for the group of passionate volunteers who currently dedicate themselves to providing events, stalls and the multiple other ways for our broader community to engage in the life of the College.
BUILDING THE P&F – Events, the Committee and an Invitation
So far in 2024, the P&F have provided the Primary Discos in late Term 1, the Mother’s Day Stall in Term 2 and are planning towards Staff Appreciation Day, Father’s Day and a possible Christmas Carols event later in the year. The College was also happy to, in association with the P&F, provide the Mother’s Day Breakfast.
The P&F meet regularly in the form of either a General or Committee Meeting. At the General Meetings, all parents and friends of the community are welcome to attend, whereas the Committee Meetings are reserved for members (only) to organise, plan and arrange upcoming events. All meetings include President, Treasurer and Head of Springfield reports, along with guest reports often from other members of staff at the College. Most recently, the new Operations Manager Mr Tim Green attended (in April) and Head of Primary Years Mrs Lia Sabri also (in May), where they presented about their individual focus areas within the College, listened to any concerns and offered support to the ongoing growth of the P&F.
Currently, the P&F Committee includes the following members:
College Staff
Head of Springfield – Mr Craig Brown
College Chaplain – Pastor Matt Wilksch
Office Bearers
President – Mrs Nidhi Dhuldhoya
Vice President – Vacant
Treasurer – Mrs Kylie-Ann Martin
Secretary – Mrs Jean Syme
Committee members (up to 6 members)
Mrs Alex Kreutzer, Mrs Catherine Mackay, Mrs Julie Dalton, Mrs Kimmi Huyng, Mrs Lee Clark and Mrs Melanie De Kretser.
We would very much like to grow the number of attendees and participants at the General Meetings and also the number volunteers for events. If you are passionate about growing our College and contributing to ‘Enhancing Community Engagement’, please accept this as an invitation to join us at the below General Meetings at 6:30pm in The Hub or contact me for any further information as required at headofspringfield@stpeters.qld.edu.au.
Upcoming General Meeting Dates:
Tuesday 16 July
Tuesday 3 September
Monday 4 November (Annual General Meeting)
Upcoming Events (for interested volunteers)
Primary Discos – Friday 16 August
Father’s Day Stall and Breakfast – Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 August
Staff Appreciation Day – Friday 25 October
Thank you and blessings.
Craig Brown Head of St Peters Springfield
Wellbeing on Wellness Way
School TV
Because parenting doesn’t come with instructions, SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource that can support you in the challenges relating to modern-day parenting.
This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle.
SchoolTV topics are conveniently arranged into a number of series. Topics feature interviews with leading youth wellbeing experts and researchers from around the world offering hours of relevant and practical information. Additionally, each topic includes a compilation of related resources from key organisations providing a comprehensive stream of content. Resources include informative fact sheets, articles, apps, books, podcasts, websites and other videos - all related to a single topic, in one place for easy access!
After a very early start on Monday 13 May, students were excited to begin the much-anticipated tour. They demonstrated organisational skills in assisting to load luggage onto and off the bus and in moving through check in at Brisbane Airport. The plane trip was abuzz with excited chatter.
On landing, we met our bus driver and split into two groups: Group 1 with Ms Levitt, Chappie Ben and Mrs Neil; and Group 2 with Mrs Cullen, Ms Peterson and Pastor Matt. Over the four-day tour, groups visited the Museum of Australian Democracy: People Power and Making Change program, where students worked collaboratively to learn about important people and objects from Federation to today and investigated their continued impact on our democracy. It was meaningful for students to experience history where it happened, by sitting in the historic chambers of parliament. At the National Electoral Education Centre, they explored the key concepts of enrolment and voting and investigated how people are elected to the House of Representatives. After the release of the Federal Budget the previous night, it was a very exciting time to be at Parliament House. In our guided tour, students learned about the work of the parliament and how the Australian system of government works, which is an upcoming component of their current Unit of Inquiry. They were also able to view the House of Representatives and Senate chambers. Led by Government House staff, students walked through the beautiful gardens of Government House and toured the house. They learned about the special role of the Governor-General, both ceremonial and official.
Our visit to the Australian War Memorial was much anticipated as in discussions prior to the tour, a number of students shared their family connections with both past and present service men and women. We walked along the walls of remembrance and saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the eternal flame. In the guided tour, students listened to personal stories from several different conflicts and operations, investigated the significance of symbols of commemoration and saw many amazing artefacts from all the wars Australia has fought in.
At the National Museum of Australia, students explored the Great Southern Land interactive gallery, which tells the story of the Australian continent across four chapters – power, connection, life and change. Within each chapter, they considered their own relationship to Australia - past and future. At the National Portrait Gallery, we viewed the portraits of activists who stand strong for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights and listened to the stories of how they fought to change history for the better.
At the CSIRO Discovery Centre, students were engaged in the interactive activities, discovering how CSIRO's innovations have solved some of Australia's greatest challenges, as well as impacting their own daily life. Questacon was another science highlight. Spanning four floors, the first floor was very interactive and had a vertical slide, four-way hand hockey, hockey with a robot, a spiral walk-through tunnel and a scarf tunnel. The other levels were really fun because they were about illusions, light work and Lego.
Students were led on a short bike ride on a safe path around Lake Burley Griffin, spent a beautiful morning outdoors at the National Arboretum Canberra and were able to go behind the scenes of AIS to learn about what it takes to compete at an elite level of sport. Sportex was so much fun, where students were able to try wheelchair basketball, virtual downhill skiing, rock climbing and football penalty shootouts. We then had a quiet last night at Limelight Cinemas watching ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’.
On our return to school, these experiences will make students’ learning so much deeper as they would have had the chance to live our history and the workings of the Australian Government - not just read about it!
Susan Levitt and Alana Cullen Year 6 Pastoral Care Teachers
Secondary Years
Idea and Imagination - An Annual Student Award Competition
Performing Arts
Performing Arts News
Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit and never dies.
Assembly
Thank you to Ariya G who performed at the start of Assembly this week. Congratulations to Miandri K who was awarded her High Distinction Certificate for 6th Grade AMEB Violin exam held earlier this month.
Ipswich Eisteddfod
Congratulations to Dolce Voce, Director Mrs Schmeider and accompanist Mrs Pomerenke who competed at the 78th Annual Ipswich Music Eisteddfod on Tuesday morning. The students presented a polished performance of their two contrasting pieces. Well done to all who participated and congratulations to Dolce Voce who placed first in their category.
South- East Queensland English Speaking Union Public Speaking Competition
Last week, Shanaya D and Ruby W competed at the above event against 50 students and both girls are through to the Grand Final to be held in a few weeks. The topic was set by ESU and was a quote from Mark Twain - "Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life." Thanks to Mrs Kathy Wilson for supporting the students in this activity.
Semester 1 Recitals
We had over 80 students perform in the Semester 1 Recitals this week. Thanks to all students, instrumental tutors, Leadership, staff, parents and carers who attended and delighted in the beautiful music and speech presentations. There are many hours involved in preparation for a performance and the development of organisational, creative, communication and performing skills is immeasurable and lifelong. Well done to all!
Performing Arts Showcase Concert Semester 1
Next Wednesday 29 May at 6:00pm in the Junior High Precinct (JHP) Foyer the Semester 1 Performing Arts Showcase will be held. Communication concerning groups and soloists who will be performing has been emailed to parents. Students are to perform wearing their full winter uniform (dance and drama items exempt). Students are to arrive by 5:30pm and move to their assigned classroom JHP 10-12 to unpack. Ensure you bring music, instrument, St Peters music folders and any other additional equipment.
Upcoming Events Term 2
Performing Arts Showcase Concert Semester 1: Wednesday 29 May Sing Together 2024: Wednesday 12 June Beenleigh Eisteddfod: Monday 15 July – Monday 22 July
Mrs Geraldine Campbell Performing Arts Coordinator
Sport
Springfield Sport
Term 3 AIC and QGSSSA Sign On
A reminder that communication has been emailed to both students and families to register interest for Term 3 AIC and QGSSSA Sport. Please complete these forms as soon as possible to help our coordinators determine teams for these Sports.
Running Club
Running Club continues Thursday mornings; attendance is high and it has been great to see so many students getting some exercise in before school. Those students interested in representing St Peters at either the AIC or QGSSSA Cross Country Championships are encouraged to attend these sessions in addition to other trainings.
QGSSSA Cross Country
It was great to have six St Peters Springfield girls as part of the St Peters team that competed at QGSSSA Cross Country Championships on Saturday 18 May. The St Peters team performed incredibly well, finishing in outright third. Congratulation to Jade H (Year 11) who was named as Vice-Captain on the team this year. Jade also had a top 20 finish in an incredibly competitive age division. Tahnee B (Year 9) also had a top 20 finish.
Congratulations to Mia K (Year 9) who won the Open Ages Multiclass Division, well done Mia!
Other St Peters Springfield competitors were, Olivia A (Year 9), Sarah M (Year 7) and Zami R (Year 7). Well done to all the girls as all efforts helped secure third place
Mr Brendan Johns Head of Sport
Girls Sport
Congratulations
Water Polo
Congratulation to Lily E (Year 8) on her selection in the 14&U Girls Queensland Maroon (A) Water Polo team that will compete in the 14&U East Coast Challenge held in Melbourne in June/July. Best of luck, Lily!
QGSSSA Cross Country
Congratulations to the 82 members of our QGSSSA Cross Country team who achieved incredible results at the QGSSSA Cross Country championships last Saturday.
Highlights include:
Overall 3rd place in Aggregate Cup and Joan Benson Shield for Percentage
1st Place in 17 Years & Over Age Group and Open Multiclass Pennant
Juliana S (Year 7) placed 1st in 12 Years & Under 3km
Claire R (Year 8) placed 1st in 13 Years 3km, closely followed by Gemma D (Year 7) in 2nd place.
Milla R (Year 12) placed 2nd in 17 Years & Over 3km
Mia K (Year 9) won the Open Multiclass 3km event
A big thank you to our Captains April F and Ella K (Year 12), Vice-Captain Jade H (Year 11), and Head Coach Mrs Kerry Schrieber for their support and leadership of our team.
Run club continues each Friday morning – meet at 6:30am at the St Peters Bus Stop.
QGSSSA Autumn Fixtures
Round 9 vs St Margaret’s AGS – Reconciliation Round
On Friday 24 May, all schools in the QGSSSA community will recognise Reconciliation Round ahead of National Reconciliation Week, 27 May – 3 June.
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The theme for 2024, “Now More than Ever”, reminds us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will – and must – continue.
To recognise the occasion, our Open Football, Touch and Basketball teams will gather and play at the St Peters Indooroopilly campus, wearing their indigenous jerseys. On Friday, all St Peters girls will be provided with ribbons in the colours of the Australian Aboriginal flag or the Torres Strait Islander Flag to wear in their hair.
All St Peters and St Margaret’s students playing at the St Peters Campus are invited to attend our Reconciliation ceremony in the Gymnasium from 5:15pm – 5:30pm.
The Girls Shed competed in the BSRA Indoor Rowing Championships at Somerville House and had some great success:
Year 8 Individual – George P – 1st Place
Year 10 Individual – Steph P – 1st Place
Year 10 Team event – Steph P, Mia M, Yoyo W, Lily R and Leila A – 3rd Place
Huge congratulations to these girls and thank you to the supporters who attended to cheer them on. It is a wild evening that can only be described as a cross between a dance party on ergos. All squads are now training hard on the water and in the gym as we approach our Pine Rivers Mini Camp on Saturday, 15 June, and Rowing Camp in Bundaberg from Tuesday, 2 July, to Sunday, 7 July. Sign on for these activities will be out in the next week.
Mrs Helen Allard Rowing Coordinator
Term 2 Sports Coordinators
Before reaching out to one of our lovely coordinators, please first check to see if the information you require is available on the St Peters App.
This week, we look forward to Reconciliation Round for both AIC and QGSSSA, with sporting events on Tuesday for Rugby, Friday for Chess and Saturday for Football. This event marks an important event in the calendar, with 27 May – 3 June being National Reconciliation Week, a time when all Australians learn about the shared histories, cultures and achievements of our First Nations peoples and acknowledge past wrongs and explore how each of us can contribute to walking together in a shared future. This week, we will have a range of cultural activities, including smoking ceremonies, traditional dances, traditional sporting games and a Welcome to Country at each sporting event. Looking forward to seeing you all there celebrating Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander culture and celebrating the wins!
Football News
Join us on Saturday for the exciting Football Focus Round against Iona College! Kick-off starts at 8:30am with Year 9s, leading to the thrilling First XI match at 12:30pm. Don't miss out on the action at Harts Road Oval. Come support your teams and enjoy a day of fantastic Football and reconciliation round performances.
Football Dinner – Saturday 8 June (Victoria Park Herston)
Our annual end-of-season dinner is a celebration for all Football Teams from Years 7 – 12. It is the highlight of the calendar year for both students and their parents (sorry no siblings, as tickets are limited).
This year we are honoured to have Keeley Richards from the Brisbane Roar as our guest speaker.
All coaches will have the chance to speak about how their team performed throughout the season and hand out some special awards.
Students are seated with their teammates and parents with team supporters. It is also a chance to farewell our Year 12s as they complete their final season with the school. Students are required to attend in formal school uniform (blazers required).
Please purchase your ticket early to avoid disappointment as numbers are limited.
Date: Saturday 8 June Time: 6:00pm – 10:00pm Venue: Victoria Park Function Centre, Herston Cost: Parents/Carers $80.00 and Students $55.00
Our annual end-of-season dinner is a celebration for all St Peter’s Rugby parents, coaches and players from Years 4 – 12. There will be an opportunity to hear from the coaches, teams will be recognised for their efforts during the season and awards handed out.
Boys are to be seated with their teammates, while parents/supporters and coaches are seated as they wish.
Dinner: includes welcome drink and canapés followed by a two-course dinner. Date: Sunday, 9 June 2024 Time: 4:00pm–8:00pm Venue: Wests Rugby Football Club, Sylvan Road, Toowong Cost: Parents/Supporters – $80.00 (includes a welcome drink and canapés followed by two-course dinner) Students – $30.00
Students must attend in formal school uniform (including blazers).
Cross Country students competed in the second meet of the AIC season last Wednesday 15 May at Curlew Park with students from Years 5 – 12 representing St Peters. With over 50 boys attending this meet, students were able to test themselves against the championship course and gain insight into how to best perform on the track.
Further information about the championship will be released late Week 6.
Rowing
It was another spectacular day at Wyaralong Dam for the second regatta in the South Queensland School Aged Rowing Conference, and the boys shed continued to build on their strong performances in Regatta 1. The Years 8, 10, and Open categories achieved a podium in every event they entered. This was a truly amazing performance and a testament to their dedication to training hard since February.
Boys Regatta #2 Achievements
Another huge weekend with lots of success for our boys:
Quad Events
Junior Div 3 – Silver
Junior Div 1 & 2 – Gold
Year 8 3rd – Silver
Year 8 2nd – Bronze
Year 8 1st – Gold
Year 9 1st – Bronze
Year 10 2nd – Silver
Year 10 1st – Gold
Open Quad – Gold
Double Scull Events
Year 10 Div 2 – Silver
Open Div 3 – Silver
Open Div 1&2 – Gold
Single Scull Events
Year 8 Div 3 – Silver
Year 8 Div 1 & 2 – Gold
Year 9 Div 3 – Gold
Year 9 Div 2 – Silver
Year 10 Div 4, 3 & 2 – Gold
Year 10 Div 1 – Silver
Open Div 1&2 – Gold
Regatta 3 is this Saturday, 25 May and provides the boys with their final preparation for racing in the Trophy Regatta on Saturday 8 June.
Term 3 Sport Training – Basketball and Tennis
Training has begun this week for Boys Tennis on Lohe Street Courts. Over the next few weeks, students will have the opportunity to trial for their age group for tennis. For the training schedule, please click here, for any questions please contact Miss Lija Marshall at: L.Marshall@stpeters.qld.edu.au
Basketball training starts in Week 7 on Monday, May 27. Please ensure you have signed up and attend your designated training session.
Please CLICK HERE for Rugby Union game day schedule
For our St Peters sporting programs to positively develop and grow, it is paramount that our students attend training sessions for their chosen Sport, so they can improve and refine sport-specific skills and build cohesion amongst their team-mates.
If students are unable to attend some training sessions, it is vital that they communicate their absence to their coaches and the respective coordinators first.
Please also CLICK HERE to access the AIC Sporting Calendar for 2024.
Matchday expectations
A reminder that all St Peters boys do need to be dressed correctly at both AIC training and at AIC games. All uniforms can be purchased from Shop45 or via School locker, please refer to website for opening hours. For matchdays, enclosed footwear must be worn to games, no slides or crocs are to be worn at St Peters or associated AIC schools.
Football
Correct Training and Playing Uniform Requirements
At Training – All St Peters AIC Footballers are to wear their St Peters training uniform to training including shin guards and boots.
At Games – All St Peters AIC Footballers must be wearing:
St Peters numbered Football shirt (NO sports/PE shirts are to be worn at AIC games)
St Peters maroon PE/Sports Shorts
Long socks are to be worn at AIC Volleyball Games with shin guards
Joggers MUST be worn at all times before/after – No slides or thongs are to be worn at any time
Rugby
Correct Training and Playing Uniform Requirements
At Training – students must wear their ‘Program Shirt’ to their training session.
At Games – students are to arrive to their game wearing:
St Peters ‘Program Shirt’ and then get changed into your jersey
Mouthguard is mandatory
Long maroon socks are to be worn at AIC Cricket Games.
Joggers MUST be worn at all times – No slides or thongs are to be worn at any time
Chess
Students to wear full formal uniform for matches
ST PETERS STUDENT SPECTATORS ON GAMEDAYS
Should any St Peters student be attending a St Peters sporting event/game outside of normal College hours, it is expected that they are dressed in St Peters Formal Uniform. Should a student not be wearing the correct attire when attending a sporting event/game, they may be asked to leave the venue.
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.
