This Saturday, 11 March, sees our annual Open Day at Indooroopilly. Open Day provides the College with the opportunity to showcase to the community many of the amazing and wonderful opportunities that exist at St Peters. As well as tours of the campus led by some of our students (who are always wonderful ambassadors for the College on these sorts of days) and various displays in classrooms around learning and cocurricular activities, during the day there will also be several presentations from key senior staff in the PAC about life at St Peters.

With over 3600 people registered there continues to be a strong interest from prospective families in a St Peters education for their children. This desire for a St Peters education is the result of the positive way our current families share the St Peters story with friends, neighbours, and work colleagues. Thank you for your ongoing support and confidence in the College.

On Saturday I will be giving a short presentation about ‘Why St Peters – 10 Reasons’. The reasons are a synthesis of what our Year 12 students appreciate and value about the College and arise out of conversations I have had with our Year 12s over the past seven years when I host lunches with them in Ross Roy over the course of Semester 1. While I have shaped their responses into more of a Head of College ‘language’, there has been remarkable consistency from our Year 12s about what they value and appreciate about St Peters, reflecting a consistent, shared experience for our young people as they journey through the College.

The Top Ten things that our students love and value about their St Peters education are:

1. Our students love the sense of belonging and sense of community
2. We offer Co-education from Prep to Year 12, with Boarding available from Year 6
3. We enjoy a tradition of academic excellence
4. Our students benefit from strong preparation for post-school success and future learning
5. We emphasise a values-based education and character formation with a focus on service to others
6. We focus on the balanced holistic development of each child through our extensive cocurricular, extra-curricular, service learning, and outdoor education programs
7. We offer multiple learning pathways
8. We have great teachers
9. Our first-class learning environment
10. We have happy successful students

Many thanks to all concerned with putting Open Day together especially the Community Engagement, Events, Facilities & Services, Housekeeping, Academic Departments, and Cocurricular activities for their important contributions to Open Day.

Tim Kotzur
Head of College

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8th around the world. This day provides an important opportunity to reflect on the progress made towards gender equality and to renew our commitment to achieving it. 

In Australia, IWD has been observed for over a century and is a day that highlights the significant achievements of women and the ongoing challenges they face. The day is a chance to celebrate the economic, political, and social contributions of women to Australian society and to recognise the barriers that still exist to their full participation.

Over the years, Australian women have achieved significant milestones in the pursuit of gender equality. For example, in 1902, Australian women were among the first in the world to win the right to vote and stand for election. More recently, the Australian government has made efforts to improve women's representation in leadership positions and to address the gender pay gap.

However, despite these achievements, there is still much work to be done to ensure that women in Australia are able to fully participate in all aspects of society. Women continue to face barriers to their economic participation, experience higher rates of violence, and are underrepresented in leadership positions.

The 2023 campaign theme #EmbraceEquity seeks to forge worldwide understanding about why equal opportunities aren’t enough. Equity isn’t just a nice to have, it’s a must have. It’s not simply something we pay lip service to or occasionally write about. It is something we need to know, value and embrace. 

As a co-educational community, we have the unique opportunity to support and empower all students to become advocates for gender equity. We must encourage all students to challenge gender stereotypes and recognize the value of diversity and inclusivity in our school community.  Therefore, providing equity for all students, regardless of their gender, and promoting a culture of respect and acceptance of all.

On this International Women's Day, let us celebrate the achievements of women and recognise the ongoing efforts for gender equality. Let us commit ourselves to challenging gender bias and inequality, and work towards creating a more just and equitable society for all. #EmbraceEquity

Lisa Delaney
Deputy Head of College

The St Peters Open Day is on Saturday 11 March. If you know families who may be considering St Peters for their child's education encourage them to attend Open Day. Register here

A fun event for Fathers and Sons to bond while challenging each other and others in a Rocket League Tournament. This event is suitable for ages 8+ whether you've played Rocket League before or are brand new to the game. This will be a playoff style event. The four best teams will battle it out in the final half hour in semi and grand final matches which will be a blast to watch!

Where: Endgame esports, Unit 1/32 Sumners Road, Sumner
Times: Registration from 1:00pm, start approximately 1:30pm, finish approximately 4:30pm
Cost: $32 per player (including booking fee)

Prizes to be won!

Light refreshments included. Parking available on site.

Due to console availability and to ensure everyone has a great time, numbers will be limited to 50 people. There will be Endgame staff on hand to support all players and other activities available.

Tickets available here.

Calling all St Peters Dads! Our annual Father Daughter Breakfast is back again on Thursday 20 April. Join us to spend some quality time with your daughter over a delicious breakfast. We look forward to hearing from special guest and current St Peters parent Katrina Blowers – an award-winning newsreader, author, MC, mentor, podcast host, and news anchor for the Seven Network Brisbane.

Katrina will be sharing her advice and tips for how to be a more confident and compelling speaker by identifying your unique speaking personality, conquering your nerves, using body language to convey confidence, even when you might not be feeling it, and much more.

Tickets for the annual St Peters Father Daughter Breakfast go on sale 9:00am, Monday 13 March. You can register for a reminder here.

One of the things I love doing in my garden is composting.  After several months with a bit of patience, I can make rich compost from my kitchen scraps, garden trimmings and lawn clippings.  Then I have the pleasure of digging the earthy humus back into my vegetable beds or flowerpots.  It is extremely satisfying to reuse organic material from my household and with the help of decomposition, re-enter it into the environment through more fertile soil.  This enriched soil then helps me to grow more flourishing flowers, plants and vegetables.  Soil and compost are so important for our environment, our care of creation, and our food supply.  It is also important in teaching us how God acts in the world.

During this end of the term our community journeys through the season of Lent. Lent which begins with Ash Wednesday where people have the opportunity to have dirt placed on their heads, ash on their foreheads in the shape of a cross.  This ritual act is accompanied by the words; “remember you are dust and to dust you will return.”  Ash, dust, dirt, these elements all remind us of how vitally connected we are with the soil and how all life that has been created by God will eventually decompose and return to the soil.  This was God’s message to Adam in Genesis 3:19 that he would return to the ground where God had made him.  Composting is part of God’s plan for the world and shows us that new life and new growth are coming.

The American poet and farmer Wendell Berry says that soil is Christ-like.  Christ-like because it constantly welcomes death and turns it into new life.  That was God’s point in sending Jesus to us, to show us that his pattern for the world is to work through death to bring us resurrection.  New life and hope can sprout and flourish from what was decaying and dying.  One soil scientist, after years of research, concluded that our soil is unexplainably mysterious in how it keeps on turning matter into new life and feeds and nourishes the world.  Composting and connecting with the ground we live on is good for our gardens, our environment and for us spiritually.  Getting our hands and heads dirty is not such a bad thing.  It can be a God thing when it connects us with Christ who grows new life in us. 

Have a blessed Lent and enjoy a garden and composting if you can.

Pastor Tim Jarick
St Peters Indooroopilly 

Families with children already at St Peters Lutheran College wishing to enrol a sibling in either Year 5 2025 or Year 7 in 2026 are reminded to submit an online application for your child if you haven’t already done so.  

Due to high demand for College places, applications for siblings must be received by the end of Term 1 2023.

Last week, our College Captain, Chloe B and Vice-Captain, Joy F spoke at the Senior School Assembly about International Women's Day. Their speeches were so well received we wanted to share them with you all. Kudos to our amazing leaders!

Joy:

As International Women’s Day is next week, I would like to recognise, celebrate, and continue to encourage the many achievements of our girls, but also acknowledge that women have faced oppression, discrimination, and struggle in their respective paths to success. The truth is, there has been no better time in Western history to be a woman: through tireless protest and systematic change, we now have the right to vote, to own property, to reproductive health, to autonomy in its many forms - yet it is important to consider how these historical restrictions may still impact our beliefs and attitudes towards women and their role in society, whether they be conscious or unconscious.

Both men and women are expected to conform to traditional gender roles and stereotypes, affecting the ways they think about themselves and what skills they choose to develop. For example, women may be expected to be polite, accommodating, and nurturing. At school and in the workplace, they may be encouraged to pursue fields like education, while being discouraged to pursue STEM or face resistance in trying to join other male-dominated fields. While we encourage women in our society to have positive character traits and pursue fields which use these skills, we should carefully consider the role this plays in self-perception and career or subject choices for women and girls. Are the expectations placed on women limiting their ambition? Is it fair to judge women’s career choices based on societal expectations, or should we empower them to follow their own path? Let us acknowledge these expectations and instead strive to create an environment where girls are encouraged to pursue their passions without fear of judgment or limitations. For example, the way our school fiercely cheered on our QGSSSA swimmers last night was an incredible and moving scene of empowerment, advocacy, and support.

Another issue I’d like to discuss is one I think is especially relevant to girls my age. I see that women and girls are expected to spend time on their appearance and find it important. While there is nothing inherently wrong with the appreciation of aesthetic beauty, I encourage you to consider how girls might think of themselves differently if other aspects of their lives were prioritised. Instead, what if girls were valued for their capabilities, their strengths, their skills, their character? How might this change how they think about other women?

Reflecting on this, I would like to share a quote from poet Rupi Kaur.

“I want to apologise to all the women i have called beautiful
before i’ve called them intelligent or brave
i am sorry i made it sound as though
something as simple as what you’re born with
is all you have to be proud of
when you have broken mountains with your wit
from now on i will say things like
you are resilient, or you are extraordinary
not because i don’t think you’re beautiful
but because i need you to know
you are more than that”

Thank you.

Chloe: 

To provide some historical context, International Women's Day was first celebrated in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark in 1911. It began with the women’s suffrage movement in the early 18th Century, and transformed with the growth of the feminist movement in the 1960s and 70s. It has continued to this day, transitioning to a reminder of the history of oppression of women and minority groups, and serving as a catalyst to encourage people to strive for improvement and reflection on how this history still affects bias and stereotypes today. But that's enough history, what do women's rights in modern Australia look like? 

Though we are very lucky to live in a first world, progressive country, Australia is still subject to the historical oppression of women. Currently, women in Australia earn 87 cents for every dollar a man earns. Furthermore, one in five Australian women have experienced sexual violence. These facts are proof that International Women's Day is still relevant, and needed as a day of reflection on what we can do to improve these statistics.

Whether subconsciously or consciously, historical bias affects everyone. I encourage everyone, regardless of gender, to think about their words and actions, their effects on those around you. Stereotypes such as girls being more emotional, less academically inclined, vain, obsessive, compliant, and seeking male validation, have stemmed from the systematic oppression we’ve experienced throughout history. I encourage you all to recognise this history, and think before you enforce these stereotypes.

To finish our talk about International Women's Day, I would like to recognise some people in this room who I personally look up to, for breaking stereotypes and proving to me that they truly are just that – stereotypes.

Grace P (Year 12), who last year received the Engineering Award and Amelia vW (Year 12) who received the Construction Award. Both these girls topped heavily male dominated subjects, despite the stigma and bias that affects and discourages women to participate in these fields.

Joy F, my Co-Captain and an incredibly intelligent, thoughtful leader who I am learning from constantly. She continues to show me how important it is to have women who aren't afraid to speak up in leadership positions.

All female staff members, for being role models and powerful educators for us to look up to.

And most importantly, every student in this room, irrespective of gender identity, but particularly my female peers. At a co-ed school such as St Peters, we are so lucky to have respectful and progressive students. I am so incredibly proud to be your friend and leader, and it is my greatest pleasure seeing every one of you thrive in so many different ways.

Week 8 will bring the Year 11’s first exam block for QCAA students only. The schedule has been provided for students via email and Firefly, and they should take careful note of the examinations scheduled.

As this is a new experience for these Year 11 QCAA students, the College has outlined the following expectations to students:

• Year 11 QCAA Students only attend exams during Week 8. No Year 11 QCAA classes will be run.
• Please check the scheduled start times carefully as these vary for each session.
• As all students will be present at school on the 13 March for both examinations, the Café will be available for a study space during Period 3.
• Normal Special Consideration rules and processes apply. If you are unwell or adversely affected, you MUST obtain a Medical Certificate and submit a Special Consideration form to the Academic Hub.
• If you are a student who receives adjustments for examinations, please ensure you talk to your teacher about where your examination is to take place. At times, there will be a specific room created (e.g. Maths and Religion), however in some cases you might be placed at the back of the scheduled room or in the Study centre. Having a conversation about the arrangements that have been made can help to reduce anxiety for all involved on the exam day.
• Please ensure that you arrive to the examination room with plenty of time before the exam with your correct equipment. With ONLY the required equipment; no mobile phones.
• If you are staying more than 30 minutes prior to or after an exam, you are asked to sign in at Senior School Reception.
• All normal school rules still apply e.g. full school uniform requirements.

NAPLAN 2023 testing will commence next week on Wednesday 15 March for students in Year 7 and Year 9. You can support your child to perform at their best during the testing period by encouraging them to:  

• Close any programs and restart their laptop the night before a test.  
• Pack their testing equipment in their bag. They need headphones (wired, not Bluetooth), a laptop charger (named) and a pencil. 
• Re-familiarise themselves with the format and functionality of the online tests by accessing the public demonstration site. 
• Adopt a positive attitude towards the test. Remember NAPLAN is an opportunity for them to show what they know and what they can improve on. It is also a chance to recognise and celebrate progress over time.  

If your child is absent during the testing period due to illness, please follow normal school procedures to notify the College.  

If you have any further questions or concerns about NAPLAN 2023 please speak to your child’s Form teacher or send an email to: t.russell@stpeters.qld.edu.au.  

Trish Russell
Head of 7-12 Curriculum (Academic Staff) 

NAPLAN 2023

Next week, students across Australia in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will participate in the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). At St Peters, these tests will take place from 15 – 17 March. A more detailed schedule has been published on Firefly.

The NAPLAN tests assess a variety of skills essential for students: reading, writing, language conventions and numeracy. NAPLAN is not a test that children can prepare for in the same way they might prepare for an end of term test. NAPLAN tests skills that develop and improve over time. These are skills that are continuously developed throughout the Primary Years and not just in the lead-up to NAPLAN.

NAPLAN tests will all be conducted online, except for the Year 3 Writing test which will be completed as a paper-based test. It is important that students are prepared and ready for this so that their technology doesn’t cause any stress. The table below reiterates information already shared:

There can be an element of worry associated with NAPLAN and it is important to help students normalise this process. Our class teachers have been talking with students about this as just another learning experience. We have been encouraging students to do the best that they can and try their hardest, as we would expect with any task. Please rest assured that your child’s teacher will do their best to manage these days for the children; other than completing the tests each morning on these days, it will be business as usual.

At home you can support your child by doing the following:

• Maintain a positive attitude toward the assessment program and reassure your child that testing is a normal part of schooling.
• Encourage your child to "give it a go” and “try your best”, reinforce that your expectations are for your child to do their best.
• Discuss feelings/concerns- let your child know that feeling worried is normal, listen to their fears and reassure them of your expectations.
• Prepare your child- a good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast, plenty of water and being prepared with any equipment they need will assist.
• Keep perspective- this is just a test in time, it is one form of assessment that is used in schools.
• Remind your child that the room may look a little different on the days of the tests, posters in classrooms may be removed or covered and desks will be separated, but teachers will talk students through this in the days closer to the tests.

If your child is sick on any of the days of NAPLAN, please do not send them to school. They are unlikely to perform at their best if they are unwell. We will complete Catch-up assessments, so please ensure that they are well enough to attend school before they return.

If you have any further questions or concerns about NAPLAN, please speak to your child’s teacher or send an email to: s.mitchell@stpeters.qld.edu.au. You can also read more about it here.

Simone Mitchell
Head of P-6 Curriculum

Lighten the Load – Dr Justin Coulson

I recently heard failure described as trial-and-error learning. It was one of the most empowering things I’ve ever considered.

Failure feels final. It feels scary. Maybe that’s why we react so strongly when we receive negative feedback at work or when our teens get a bad mark on a test. Maybe that’s why our kids get so mad when they lose a board game or miss the goal in their netball match.

Learning feels like a process. We know that we will make mistakes, but that we will get better with practice. So, if we can rethink our failures as just an error in our process of trial-and-error learning, we can realise that we can learn from it, and try again.

Your failures aren’t final. Your kids’ failures aren’t final. They’re just another step in the learning process.

Have you signed up for the College’s free subscription to Dr Justin Coulson’s Happy Family website? Use the link found here. Please use the password - happysplci - to unlock the many resources included on this website.

What an exciting week it has been in Junior High!

On Tuesday our Year 7 boys along with our Year 9 male leaders attended the AIC Swimming Championships at Chandler to support the Swim team. This day was a wonderful opportunity for students show their school spirit by cheering on their peers.

Back at school, a full day of special activities was organised for the Year 7 girls including:

Cross Curricular Activity – students were set a real-world challenge to redesign the Walter Taylor Bridge to ease traffic congestion in Indooroopilly. In groups of 5–6 students had to come up with a design, build their bridge (using set materials), write and present a pitch to the 'Brisbane City Council' (peers) to convince them why their design should be chosen.

Body Image Session – using material from The Embrace Hub championed by Australian of the Year, Taryn Brumfitt, students were challenged to reflect on toxic influences in their life and recognise the damage they are doing to their self-esteem and sense of worth. I would encourage all parents to have follow up discussions with their girls and perhaps spend some time exploring the parent resources here.

Key messages for this session were:

• Celebrate Diversity – everybody is worthy of love and respect
• Focus on functionality – our bodies are amazing instruments – nourish them, move them, respects them and enjoy them
• Be kind to yourself and others – beware the inner critic, practice self-compassion, judge less and love more
• Focus on real role models

Careers Session – it’s never too early to start thinking about what they want to do post school, so girls spent some time exploring the Careers Education on Firefly. The College’s Careers Centre is open to all students at lunch time and can be found on the top level of Theile House. For more information, please contact our Careers Counsellor, Mrs Jacquelene Estevao.

A fun physical activity in the Gym lead by the HPE teachers.

A special thank you to all those Year 7 teachers and other staff who helped to organise and run these special activities. A similar day will be held for the boys later in the year when the girls attend the QGSSSA Athletics carnival.

Information for Parents/Guardians of children in Year 7 – change to the National Immunisation Program

In February 2023, the National Immunisation Program changed the recommended Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine schedule for Year 7 students from two doses to one dose, using the same vaccine. Please click here to read the fact sheet.

Patricia Aishford
Head of Junior High

7 in a Row

The St Peters 2023 Boys AIC Swimming Team can proudly and confidently hold their heads high after once again performing amazingly at this year’s AIC Swimming Championships. Setting the platform from the first event of the day, our swimmers all dug deep right until the very last event of the day. On aggregate points St Peters won the day, 39.75 points ahead of second place Marist College Ashgrove.

AIC Swimming Top 3 Places

1. St Peters Lutheran College – 661.5 Points
2. Marist College Ashgrove – 621.75 Points
3. Villanova College – 440 Points

This 2023 win makes it seven consecutive years in a row for St Peters Boys Swimming, a magnificent feat and a real credit to all involved in the Swimming program.

I would like to acknowledge all the hard work, guidance and expertise that takes place each day, week and month in the lead up to these events and make special mention of our St Peters Swimming Coaches: Dean, Mick, Richard, Andrey, Jacob and Sienna who guided our team to victory.

Likewise, a massive thank you to our Swimming Coordinator, Peter Dawson, who worked tirelessly in organising, cross checking, comforting, motivating and communicating with every swimmer before, during and after the day of the Swimming Championship. Equally as important were the roles played by Shaun Nodwell. Over the years, his knowledge of every swimmer and their swim times and the communication of this knowledge to all involved within St Peters Swimming has been a significant factor in St Peters' 2023 success. 

Seven consecutive AIC Swimming victories is a testament to a successful and growing Swimming program which has been developed by a proud and enthusiastic Swimming community. On behalf of St Peters Boys Sport, I thank everyone involved. Your College is extremely proud of you!

New Records Achieved

• Boys 16 Years 200 Metre Medley Relay Div 1 – 1:50.35 – Kai G, Liam V, Thomas D and Ethan R
• Boys 13 Years 200 Metre Medley Relay Div 1 – 2:05.42 – Jacob S, Luke A, Kasey G, Cael E
• Boys 13 Years 200 Metre Freestyle Relay Div 2 – 1:59.32 – William T, Oliver K, Jonathon K and Sam N
• Boys 12 & Under 50 Metre Breaststroke Div 1 – 35.95 – Tom B
• Boys 13 & Under 50 Metre Butterfly Div 2 – 30.25 – Jacob S
• Boys 15 & Under 50 Metre Butterfly Div 2 – 27.22 – Seamus C

Age Group Placings

Senior AIC Team:

• 12 Years – 1st
• 13 Years – 1st
• 14 Years – 2nd
• 15 Years – 2nd
• 16 Years – 1st
• Opens – 1st
• Overall – 1st

Junior AIC Team:

• Year 5 – 5th
• Year 6 – 2nd
• Overall – 3rd

Orange Day Celebrations

A massive thanks to the St Peters and Iona College Volleyball communities for their generous support of our Orange Day last Saturday to raise awareness about blood cancer! Well done to all involved on a great day of volleyball and inspiring community spirit!

Special mention to:

• Coles Jindalee for their generous donation of food for our BBQ
• The Norton family for the sliced onions
• Our St Peters Volleyball community for their amazing donations of cakes and baked goods

We raised $2,360 for the Leukaemia Foundation – there is still time to donate via: https://bit.ly/stpeters-volley...

A message from the Leukaemia Foundation: 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! St Peters Lutheran College Volleyball team on raising wonderfully $2,360 from your Orange Day! Thank you for the generous support, with the $2,360 raised and donated to the Leukaemia Foundation will help to:

• Fund an important research program for a day. This program allows researchers and clinicians to push breakthrough therapies and diagnostics from the lab into clinics faster.
• Cover over 2 weeks of city accommodation for a regional family needing to relocate for life-saving treatment. This is one week of precious relief so they can focus on solely on getting better.

This Week in Sport

We now move towards Round 6 this weekend. St Peters will compete against Padua College in Australian Rules, Cricket and Volleyball on Saturday. Most of our senior teams (Years 10 to 12) will be competing home at St Peters, whilst most of our junior teams (Years 7 to 9) will be away at Padua College venues.

With St Peters Open Day taking place this Saturday 11 March parking and access to the College will be restricted. Please ensure that you arrive at the College with enough time for your warm-up and games.

Please check the St Peters App for venue details and time of games.

2023 AIC Cross Country & Runners Club

A reminder that training has commenced for all our boys who are wishing 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 Year 7 to 12 boys who will be playing Term 2 Sport (Rugby & Football) to consider attending at least one Cross Country session or Runners Club to enhance their overall fitness level in preparation for Term 2 Sport.

Cross Country at St Peters has traditionally been well received and very competitive at both AIC and QGSSSA. Let’s work hard in 2022 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. More details about Cross Country can also be found in the weekly sport email sent to students.

Mrs Schreiber has also sent out an expression of interest for Cross Country Camp. This will be held on the weekend of Saturday 29 April to Monday 1 May and will take place on the Sunshine Coast. Please contact either Mrs Schreiber or Mr Lohe for more information.

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:

• 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:

• Training – all St Peters AIC Cricket players must wear their ‘program shirt’ to their first training session of the week. The second training session you are to wear your sports uniform.
• Games – all St Peters AIC Cricket players are to arrive to their game wearing their ‘program shirt’ and then get changed into your 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 are expected to be dressed in St Peters uniform.

Term 1 & 2 AIC Sport Coordinator Contacts

If the sport specific information you are looking for cannot be found on the St Peters App, please contact the Coordinators below:

• St Peters Cricket Coordinator: Mr Gary Munday – g.munday@stpeters.qld.edu.au  
• St Peters Volleyball Coordinator: Miss Laura Buckby l.buckby@stpeters.qld.edu.au
• St Peters Swimming Coordinator: Mr Peter Dawson – p.dawson@stpeters.qld.edu.au    
• St Peters Australian Rules Coordinator: Mr Mark Holman – m.holman@stpeters.qld.edu.au
• St Peters Cross Country Coordinator: Mrs Kerry Schreiber – k.Schreiber@stpeters.qld.edu.au  
• St Peters Chess Coordinator: Mr Wolf Stuetzel – w.stuetzel@stpeters.qld.edu.au

QGSSSA Swimming Championships – 10 IN A ROW!

TEN IN A ROW – WHAT AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE FROM OUR 2023 QGSSSA SWIM TEAM

To recap on last week’s QGSSSA Swimming Championships, congratulations to all the girls who were led and inspired by captains Amelia W and Claveria J-T, winning the Mollie Gould Cup by 128 points over St Margaret’s and Moreton Bay College.

This was St Peters' tenth win in a row which breaks the record held by Brisbane State High in the 80s, what an incredible achievement!

St Peters won the 17 years & over, 16 years, 15 years & 14 years age groups and placed 2nd in the 13 years age group. St Peters also won the Open & Junior Brockway Cups. 

Congratulations to the following girls for their record-breaking swim in the 13 years 4 x 50m Freestyle relay, well done to Olivia G, Chelsea G, Illy D & Isabella L.

As the Swimming season draws to a close, we thank our Coordinators, Shaun Nodwell, Peter Dawson, Jeremy Lohe, Team Manager Lara North and our amazing coaches for all their work. Special thanks also to our Swimming parents, your support of your child’s swimming is very much appreciated.

Congratulations QGSSSA Basketball, Touch & Football Open Teams & Captains

On Monday afternoon it was once again an honour to welcome Mr Kotzur and Mrs Delaney to present the Open uniforms to our 2023 QGSSSA Open Touch, Football & Basketball teams. It was great to have parents attend the presentation as we celebrated this great achievement of the girls.

When presenting the girls their uniforms, Mr Kotzur spoke about the honour of representing St Peters at the highest level and the role models they are to our younger students. He also spoke about our motto Plus Ultra and striving ever higher to give their all to inspire others to do their personal best.

We thank Mr Kotzur and Mrs Delaney for joining us and inspiring our girls.

QGSSSA Basketball

Amelia R, Anna B, Ella M, Toby S, Sophie B, Naya T, Aldora T and Kayla G
Well done also to the 2023 training partners – Mia C and Edie R.
Congratulations to our Basketball Captains Isla L and Kayla G.

QGSSSA Football

Mimi B, Cassie B, Lily D, Gabby E, Lila F, April F, Rose J, Sophie M, Bonnie Mc, Emmilia Mc, Natalia M, Isla M, Savannah N, Sienna O, Halle P, Gabby S, Summer T and Ellie S-S
Congratulations to our Football Captain Ellie S-S and Vice-Captains Natalia M and Isla M.

QGSSSA Touch

Addie M, Alex M, Charlize D, Chloe B, Chuva M, Emily C, Jadey C, Jessica H, Lauren G, Megan B, Sachiko M, Sophie M, Tayden T and Zara L-R
Congratulations to our Touch Captains Jess H and Megan B and Vice-Captains Lauren G and Charlize D.

Girls in Sport Health Information Evening

To view the recording of the Girls in Sport Health Information Evening, please click here.

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.

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 been emailed to the girls this week.

ROWING IS FOR GIRLS IN YEAR 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12

Girls cannot row and play a Winter Fixture sport (Netball, Volleyball, Hockey or Tennis) - they must choose one.

St Peters is a part of the BSRA Rowing Association.

Training for Rowing will commence in Week 1, Term 2 – details are being finalised.

Regattas commence in Term 3 with the Head of the River on Saturday 26 August.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS IS FOR GIRLS IN YEARS 7 - 12

The QGSSSA Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships will be held on Friday 4 August (Term 3, Week 4).

Training for Rhythmic Gymnastics will commence in Week 1, Term 2 – training sessions will be on Wednesday afternoons (2 sessions) in the Indoor Gym, you must be available for these sessions to participate. An addition morning session will be offered closer to the Championships, further details will be provided.

Once signed on is completed, a welcome meeting will be advised for later in Term 1.

I went to support all three Senior Australian Rules teams last Saturday and was impressed with what I saw. The improvement in the girls over the season has been impressive. With one game left for each team this Saturday, the 2023 Senior Australian season has been as great success. Well done Girls!

It is Semi Finals time this Saturday for four of our Water Polo teams, our Open, U16 D2, U15 D3 and U13 D2 teams. The Open team enjoyed the week off last Saturday after qualifying to go straight to the Semi Finals but the U16 D2, U15 D3 and U13 D2 teams all had fantastic wins last Saturday. Our remaining teams, U18 D3, U15 D4, U14 D1 and U13 D4 were all defeated but boy did they put up a fight! What a great season for St Peters Girls Water Polo, 4 teams through to the semis is a great result!

Round 1 has arrived for our Touch, Football and Basketball girls who play St Margaret’s this Friday afternoon/evening. Thank you to Ms George, Mr Edwards and Mr Allen-Ankins and all our coaches, a lot of work goes into setting a season and we can’t wait for the games to commence.

Now that swimming is over for 2023, Mrs Schreiber and her coaches will be cranking up the preparations for the QGSSSA Cross Country Championships!

Good luck to all our girls competing this Friday/Saturday, Go Saints!

Term 1 Girls Sports

QGSSSA Senior Australian Rules

Coordinator: Mr Peter Hicks – p.hicks@stpeters.qld.edu.au
The fifth and final week of the 2023 QGSSSA Senior Australian Rules season is scheduled for this Saturday 11 March.
Week 5, Saturday 11 March – Please click HERE for the draw

BWPI Water Polo (continuation from Term 4)

Coordinator - Mrs Tracey Bruce – waterpolo@stpeters.qld.edu.au
Semi Finals are scheduled for this Saturday 11 March.
The Semi Finals draw will be on the App as soon as it is finalised.

Autumn Fixture Sports – Basketball, Football and Touch

Please see the St Peters App for training details.

Date Claimers:
ROUND 1 v ST MARGARET’S (A) – Friday 10 March
ROUND 2 v MORETON BAY COLLEGE (H) – Friday 17 March
ROUND 3 v CLAYFIELD COLLEGE (A) – Friday 24 March

QGSSSA Basketball

Coordinators: Mrs Anne-Marie Champion – a.champion@stpeters.qld.edu.au and Mr Matt Allen-Ankins – m.allen-ankins@stpeters.qld.edu.au
Date Claimer: Old Scholars Game – Friday 24 March, further details to follow
Basketball Round 1 v St Margaret’s, Friday 10 March – Please click HERE for the draw

QGSSSA Football

Coordinator: Mr Nathan Edwards – football@stpeters.qld.edu.au
Football Round 1 v St Margaret’s, Friday 10 March – Please click HERE for the draw

QGSSSA Touch

Coordinator: Ms Anne-Marie George - a.george@stpeters.qld.edu.au
Touch Round 1 v St Margaret’s, Friday 10 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 the 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.

Community Run Club - join our Running Community on Friday mornings - meet at 6.30am at the St Peters Bus Stop.

Date Claimers: 

• BSHS Invitation Meet: Tuesday 21 March
• UQ Sport Cross Country Meet: Date TBC
• BGGS Invitation Meet: Wednesday 26 April
• St Aidan’s Invitation Meet: Thursday 4 May
• St Peters Cross Country Camp: Saturday 29 April – Monday 1 May
• QGSSSA Cross Country Championships – Saturday 20 May

Athletic Performance and Development

Coordinator: Mr Leigh Smith – l.smith1@stpeters.qld.edu.au
Please click HERE for the Term 1 Athletic Performance & Development Training Schedule.
The schedule can also be found on the St Peters App.

Wet Weather Sport Cancellations

Please keep an eye on the St Peters App for cancellations. We will endeavour to do this by 1.30pm for afternoon training sessions and 5.30am for morning training sessions. Updates for game days will also be provided, students will also receive an email.

Anne-Marie Champion
Girls Sport Coordinator

The following sports are on offer in Term 1.

• Boys and girls Swimming
• Boys Cricket
• Girls Club (WDNA) Netball
• Years 4 – 6 Run Club

Primary Boys and Girls Swimming

The Primary Swimming Squad to compete at the Inter-Lutheran Swimming Carnival has been named. Good Luck to all Primary swimmers for the Carnival on Thursday 9 March. A full wrap of the Carnival will be in next week’s The Rock newsletter.

Primary Boys and Girls Wednesday morning Swimming Training concluded on Wednesday 8 March.

Boys Cricket

Years 4 – 6 boys will be playing in the AIC Cricket Competition. Cricket training will continue throughout Term 1 on Wednesday (3:30pm-5:00pm) and Friday (1:55pm – 4:00pm) afternoons at the St Peters Cricket Nets.

On Saturday 11 March, St Peters will play in Round 6 of the AIC Cricket Season against Padua College. Venue and game times can be found on the St Peters App.

Boys AIC Cricket Training will conclude on Friday 17 March.

Girls Club Netball

It has been great to see the St Peters Netball players at training preparing for the Term 2 and Term 3 WDNA Netball Season. In the coming weeks, coaches will be finalising the St Peters Teams and working on gameplay. The WDNA Season (Saturday morning games) commences in early Term 2 and will continue throughout Term 2 and 3 before the finals are played in September.

I encourage all girls to practice their passing, catching, and shooting skills at home. Consistent practice will be very beneficial to player’s skill level and confidence when playing games.   

Years 4-6 Run Club

Years 4-6 Run Club is underway! Each Monday afternoon interested Years 4 – 6 runners are welcome to join Primary Run Club and build their running endurance. Training will be offered once a week in Term 1, increasing to twice a week in Term 2. The sessions will be run by St Peters Running Coaches.

Runners must meet coaches at the Lower Primary Undercroft at 3:25pm. Run Club will run from 3:30pm – 4:30pm. Sessions will conclude at Lower Primary Undercroft.

Training Times

AIC Cricket

Wednesday afternoons 3:30pm – 5:00pm | Mayer Oval Cricket Nets
Friday afternoons 1:55pm – 4:00pm | Mayer Oval Cricket Nets

Primary Boys and Girls Swimming

Primary Boys and Girls Swimming Training concluded on Wednesday 8 March.

Primary Girls WDNA Netball

Wednesday afternoon 3:30pm – 5:00pm | Harts Road Netball Courts

Primary Years 4-6 Run Club

Monday afternoon 3:30pm – 4:30pm | Sessions start and finish at Lower Primary Undercroft

Primary Years HPE

All students will be involved in Swimming during Term 1. Students are required to wear the St Peters swimmers, the St Peters rash shirt, St Peters cap (if required) and goggles. Students have also been asked to bring along fins (flippers). These are required to assist with drill work in developing the stroke of the students. A towel is also required. Any student, for any reason unable to participate in swimming will be required to bring a note. If they are unable to participate for multiple HPE lessons they will require a doctor’s certificate. Students have also been reminded that they are to bring a water bottle and are required to wear their hat to and from lessons.

Following the Swimming Unit, students will begin a Cross Country Unit for the remainder of the Term.

HPE Dates Term 1

• Swimming: Monday 23 January – Friday 10 March
• Cross Country: Monday 13 March – Wednesday 29 March

Local State Member, Michael Berkman is holding a community bike ride to show local support for safe and separated bike lanes on Lambert Rd. Join them at 8:20 am, Saturday 1 April for a relaxed ride from Ambrose Treacy College in Indooroopilly to Robertson Park in Taringa. At the park, hear from a few speakers and have a coffee on Michael from coffee cart Aflorabora.

People of all ages and confidence levels riding bicycles, scooters, and other micromobility options are welcome. You can ride on the road if you are comfortable, or the footpath if the road doesn't suit you. Feel free to join for just the ride, or just the coffee catchup afterwards.

You can find out more and RSVP here.

All Sports Physiotherapy

Q Pilates

Motorama Ford

Ray White Indooroopilly

The Pet Chalet

Green Options

Greg Chappell Cricket Centre

M80 Property Group

Ryan Harvie McEnery