Over the past couple of weeks our Preps, Years 1, 11 and 12s have made a successful transition back to campus and face-to-face learning. It is with a sense of anticipation that we look forward to the return of our Years 2 through to 10 students as they rejoin their classmates back on campus next week. The return of all students across Queensland to school campuses from 25 May will bring some sense of normality to our lives.

While we are all looking forward to our lives, and indeed our world returning to elements of what existed prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, we know that this pandemic has changed, and will continue to change aspects of society forever. For many things in our lives, there will be a ‘new normal’. A ‘new normal’ is not necessarily bad or good – just different.

COVID-19 has caused an abrupt disruption to businesses around the world. The future is not what we thought it was going to be just a few short months ago. It is causing organisations to rethink business models, to consider changed operating environments and evolving customer preferences. It has accelerated contactless economies, digital transformation, automation, and working from home (although I did see a slightly different take on this referring to it as ‘not so much as working from home, as sleeping in the office’). This pandemic has driven significant change and rapid innovation is a very compressed timeframe.

Whether these changes, innovations and accompanying new mindsets become behaviours that stick, it is probably too soon to say.

At the College, we are keeping a careful eye on changes in the environment, and what this means for a St Peters education. As we chart our course for the future, we are carefully examining the innovations can be sustained into the ‘new normal’ that will improve student learning, development and wellbeing.

While this pandemic will create a ‘new normal’, it has also taught us of the things that we need to value from the ‘old normal’, that we need make sure endure in the ‘new normal’. In the case of St Peters, it has reminded us of the importance of community. Although we are relying on social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus, a sense of community is more important than ever for all of us. It this idea of community, of belonging, of connectedness that has distinguished St Peters since its inception in 1945. It has also reinforced the primacy of relationships – particularly between teachers and students. The teacher-student relationship is the cornerstone of effective student learning and development, regardless of what shape the classroom looks like in the ‘new normal’.

Tim Kotzur
Head of College

Drop off / Pick up | Years 7 to 12

For the safety of all on campus and following physical distancing guidelines, parents and caregivers are not permitted on school grounds unless prior permission has been granted.

If you are dropping your child off at school, this needs to be done outside of school grounds. Parents and caregivers are to remain in vehicles. Please do not gather around school gates.

Instrument drop off – please refer to the email sent from the Music Department.

If you hold a permit to drive on campus, parents and caregivers must remain in their vehicles.

Staff only to park on campus.

Uniform Expectations

Years 7 to 12

Full formal uniform (including tie and blazer) is to be worn. If you have HPE or Lifeskills lesson during the day, you are permitted to wear your full correct PE uniform all day (including to and from school).

Girls wearing the skirt are reminded the hem must be at the base of the knee. The old-style kilt is not to be worn.

Formal hats must also be worn to and from school. 

Students may have grown their hair or coloured it during the isolation period. Before returning to school, hair must be school appropriate. Boys’ hair must also be clear of the collar and ears, tapered to the shape of the head and out of their eyes. Girls must ensure their hair is neatly tied back, out of their eyes and that hair accessories are either maroon or white.  

Girls are also reminded that only one set of earrings may be worn in the lower lobe. Earrings are to be either gold or silver studs or sleepers. Make-up and pearl earrings are not a part of the uniform.

Prep to Year 6

Girls are reminded that when wearing the dress, the hem must be no higher than the base of the knee.  Dresses which currently sit above the knee will need to be adjusted before returning to school. 

Extended Day Program (Years 7 to 9)

The Extended Day Program (EDP) is optional and recognises the busyness of modern family life and is an initiative to offer parents and students increased flexibility allowing them to make the most of the St Peters day. 

This program operates Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons providing afternoon tea, dinner and supervised study and will recommence Tuesday 26 May.  If you would like to make a booking, please email EDP@stpeters.qld.edu.au.

Signage

Due to the current COVID-19 climate, you will see new signage and equipment around the grounds.

This week we celebrate 'National Boarder Week' - the one community that is still in different places, some isolated, some separated with their communities or families from those who have returned.

It highlights, that even if it is called 'National Boarder Week' its members represent not only different states but also different countries; the community that lives and studies together here at St Peters is made up of national and international students. We are and belong to the ONE St Peters community – yet people from across the world are being part of it. We all bring different traditions and world views, singing different songs yet all of us 'Go to the Rock', singing our school song together and celebrating the One who grants us to be one community.

Boarding and the St Peters community reflect the world in which we live. The last couple of weeks have clearly highlighted how interconnected the world community has become: the virus travelling unseen and unnoticed to all corners of the world, crossing borders, making a difference in people’s lives regardless of place, of social or economic status, irrespective of conviction, or anything that serves ‘in normal times’ as building block to differentiate, discriminate, and divide. It was and is a great reminder that we all belong to the one human family. The impact of the pandemic challenges any ‘them and us’ mentality. All of a sudden people realise that what they need most to combat the virus is produced in a part of the world that had previously been a competitor. It calls for creative ways to bridge the gap, to strengthen communication and ways of supporting one another.

With restrictions being eased, Prep and Years 1, 11 and 12 students – and some Boarders - have returned. The latter, a constant reminder that their sisters and brothers from interstate and across the world still long to be back, and still belong to the one community. We have learned to 'zoom in and out’, to keep contact, to reach out to one another – yet are longing for the day we will all be together again. Word has it that a big celebration is being prepared for the times everyone will be reunited :)

… and who knows? God willing, the world will look on, turn around and celebrate the community, that has been granted through being members of the one human family. God willing, the global community will become a more caring one, recognising, respecting and supporting ‘the other’, recognising that only together, as sisters and brothers of the human family, we will make this world a better one for all. God willing, the end of the pandemic may be the dawn of a new tomorrow.

Embroidered school blazers are ready for collection from Shop 45. Due to physical distancing protocols and limited number of persons in store, you will need to make a time to collect and pay. Cashless payment only.

Blazers are required to be worn to and from school as of Monday 25 May.

Shop 45 Opening Hours

Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays - 7.45am to 4.00pm

Ph:  3377 6209

The Multicultural Committee has put together a mini newsletter to keep the College community up to date with their events and bits of interesting information and family sharing from our committee members. You can read it here.

Credit for the compilation goes to Cherise M. Articles from Committee members.

Students in Years 3-6 who wish to participate in the 2020 ICAS English, Maths or Science Competitions or the Australian Mathematics Competition can find the necessary information on Firefly.

https://stpeters.fireflycloud.net.au/p-6-curriculum-ind/external-academic-competitions

Our Return to School

As we prepare to have our community return to the College, we also take the time to look back and reflect on the weeks that have preceded. What a whirlwind we have lived in and one that we will all remember. Of course, it is important that we prepare our students for the future, but it is also vital that the adults in their lives support them to make sense of the present. To do this, we must help our learners safely explore the changed world in which they live as a first priority.

The context of COVID-19 is new and unchartered, but we can learn from other contexts to support what we do for our students transitioning back to school. By applying other learnings, we will continue to operate in the same way as when we first entered this phase – what we believe is best for our students and our community and tweak if we exactly haven’t ‘hit the mark’.  We are aware that many families will be anxious about returning.

Last week, we undertook a survey of students in Years 5 and 6 to gauge their emotions about returning to school. The vast majority of children rated themselves very positively, excited to see their friends and return to regular routines. For a small group, however, this process leaves them feeling unsure and worried about how they will once again navigate school life. From our perspective, we aim to be clear and protective; showing our students (and their families) that we are putting measures in place to support individual and group safety as well as understanding that time needs to be given to the children to resettle.

From a family perspective, there are also strategies that can be put into place to help not just those who are anxious, but all returning to school next week.

Andrew Fuller, a clinical psychologist specialising in the wellbeing of young people and their families recently wrote an article titled, ‘Seven things for a smooth transition back to school-based learning’.

Below are excerpts from this article which I believe are pertinent for our Primary aged students.

Priority Number One – The sleep cycle

Sleep changes are a common effect of the recent times. Dreams change, schedules shift.

It is time to re-establish a more usual sleep cycle. What sets our sleep cycle most powerfully is ‘first light, first bite’. Get up at the time you would need to on a typical school day and eat breakfast soon afterwards. If you can, go for a walk outside or at least sit near a window.

Getting your sleep cycle back into sync with the school and work day improves learning and mental health.

Priority Number Two – Can’t wait to see you

One of the main things that helps us all to transition back is knowing there is someone there who is wanting to see us. We all look forward to catching up with good people and having some fun. Reaching out and making contact with school friends and specific teachers sets this up.

Priority Number Three – Safe and certain

We are all in the care of one another. There needs to be a clear understanding that we intend to keep everyone safe and well and have planned as much as we can, for this outcome.

This means we need to have a plan if someone feels unwell either physically or by feeling scared or apprehensive. These are the times when community’s need to draw together to support everyone.  In these times, ambiguity is our enemy and will increase anxiety. Clarity is our friend.

Priority Number Four – Restart the year

What we are looking for is a whole fresh start. During the turbulence, priorities and lives have been re-structured. Social connections have changed. The orientation we need to do now is to form new connections, and to renew our attitude towards learning and success.

Limbering up for learning will involve rekindling friendships, warming up our curiosity and stretching our imaginations. We will all need a few practice runs before we feel we can safely regain our full stride.

Priority Number Five – Plan for success

Given that the shape of the year has changed more than any of us expected, we need to plan for success. A way to do this is to assess each young person’s learning strengths. Have your child identify what style of learning they enjoyed about At Home Learning and what they are looking forward to at school.

Priority Number Six – Less really is more

It is understandable that some people will feel in a rush to make up for the time and opportunities missed in the early part of the year. Cramming in as much as possible to make up for lost time is a compelling idea. It is also a certainty that if we do this, it won’t work.

Given the upheaval of past months, rushing too much or putting too much in place too early is a recipe for exhaustion, disenchantment and disengagement. While we are back in business, easy does it. Taking our time now to slowly rebuild a sense of success will pay off. Take it slow and make it fun! We have all had more misery than we need this year.

Priority Number Seven – Review

About five weeks after the resumption of school-based learning, we need to schedule time to review the process of re-integration. Communicate with your child’s teachers to ascertain how things are going, from each perspective.

Thank You

Our staff have done an amazing job throughout the period of At Home Learning. While most teachers have been busy with their classes each day, a small, dedicated team has continued to be the front face of those students who were at school during this time. The following staff supervised, problem solved and energised the students of our essential workers.

Ros Grant one of our regular, dedicated relief teachers; Laura Buckby and Josh Singh, Sports House; Jackson Rigby, educator from OSHC and Peter Dawson, Head of Primary Sport all deserve our congratulations and thanks for a great job. Teacher Assistants supported the learning where they could, being on campus, knowing the students and their learning added a very personal touch for many of our students.

The administration team in Primary – Ms Sonya Quinn, Mrs Pip Morton, Mr Mike Bishop and Mrs Elaine Ripamonti acting as our skeleton staff ensured that everything continued to run smoothly. We are very grateful for the work that everyone put in to make our At Home Learning as successful as it could be under the circumstances

Further communication regarding specific processes for our Return to School learning will be disseminated in separate correspondence.

Pam Carden
HEAD OF PRIMARY YEARS

Return to School

We are excited by the confirmation that our Years 7-9 students will be returning to face-to-face learning next week and we are very much looking forward to having them back on campus.  

Recent survey responses from over 500 of our Junior High students indicated that the top three things they are looking forward to when they return to school are:

1. Seeing friends
2. Cocurricular
3. No more Zooming

On the other hand, the top three things they are not looking forward to are:

1. Waking up early
2. Overdue work/assessment
3. Health guidelines not being followed

Although a number of students have expressed their concerns and some anxiety about returning to school, the vast majority indicated they feel happy, excited or eager to return.

In Junior High, we have been preparing for the physical return of our students to the campus and a range of measures have been put in place throughout the College to maintain the health and safety of students and staff to enable effective teaching and learning to occur. 

Expectations and Guidelines

In the coming days, Junior High students will be informed about various changes and expectations that will assist in their transition back to being on campus and we encourage parents to discuss these expectations with them. As communicated in our Junior High Assembly this week, students’ actions and behaviours in the coming weeks should reflect their respect, care and concern for others in our community as well as keeping themselves safe.

The ‘Caring for the St Peters Community’ guidelines provide further detail of the processes and expectations related to the students’ return to campus. In essence it is imperative that students stay home if they are feeling unwell; continue to follow well-documented hygiene practices and be respectful of social distancing protocols both inside the classroom (keeping at least 1.5m away from the teacher at all times) and during break times. Further to this, students have been asked to bring their own personal water bottle and hand sanitiser.

Parent Survey

Staff will ensure continuity of learning for all students across the College in the coming weeks, including those unable to return at this stage.  Some of the At Home Learning protocols will continue for those students not on campus (including students currently overseas or interstate or in remote communities).  In order to assist and support all students who are unable to return for whatever reason, parents are reminded, as a matter of priority/ urgency, to complete the Years 7 to 9 survey to advise if their child is NOT returning to campus next week.   

Attendance Records

A reminder that all attendance protocols for Junior High students will return to normal next week. If your child is unwell, has an appointment or unable to attend school for any other reason, please notify Junior High attendance via email (jhattendance@stpeters.qld.edu.au )

Term 2 Junior High Parent Support Group Meeting

Please note that our Term 2 Junior High Parent Support Group Meeting has been rescheduled to Wednesday 3 June. Due to current social restriction protocols, this meeting will be delivered via a video presentation; a link will be provided on the morning of the Meeting for parents to access the session. We hope this later scheduling will allow the opportunity to provide additional information and updates to parents relating to Government, Health and Curriculum authority advice and will also give further time to reflect on Term 2 experiences.  In particular, it is hoped that at that stage we will have some definitive information to communicate in relation to the Year 9 Ironbark program for the remainder of the year.

Gratitude

We are grateful for the messages of support and encouragement provided by parents to members of staff in these uncertain times. Your positive and constructive feedback provided over the past few weeks has been much appreciated. As we continue this journey as a community, our Junior High Academic Care and Wellbeing team (consisting of our Form teachers, Year Level Coordinators, our Counselling and Chaplaincy team members, along with Mrs Tetley-Jones and myself) will continue to provide advice and support to our students and families in Junior High.  Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any concerns or questions in the coming weeks.

Kelly Fox
Acting Head of Junior High

By  Glen Gerreyn from ‘The Hopeful Institute’

Old habits die hard but COVID-19 has given us the opportunity of a fresh start. Here are some things to leave behind for good as our lives return to normal.

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” ― Maya Angelou

There are signs some things are starting to go back to normal. Shops are reopening, schools are welcoming students back on campus, and the commute to work for some is starting up again. Parents will no longer have to be schoolteachers. Daily routines will return… and toilet paper and pasta is back on our store shelves.  

During times of uncertainty, many people crave normalcy. And yes, it’s only natural to long for the familiar and the comfortable. But honestly, I hope we never go back to normal. Instead of pining for the past, let’s press on for the new.

American Futurist Alvin Toffler sagely said, “The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

Could this global pandemic be the catalyst for us to unlearn and relearn specific unconstructive patterns and catapult us into a renaissance of wellbeing?

I want to share with you nine habits I hope we never go back to. By avoiding these habits for good, we can take advantage of the tools we learnt from being in isolation.

Nine things I hope we never go back to

Original social distancing

We are all getting used to standing a few feet apart and not shaking hands but social distancing is not a new concept. It is something we have been doing for a very long time, years before COVID-19 even began and I hope we never go back to it in its original form.

Every time you picked up your phone in the presence of another person you were socially distancing yourself from them. By picking up your phone, your mind slipped into a wormhole, dissolving geography and eclipsing the limits of time, space and distance to connect with a pixel.

Our smartphones can connect us to people all across the globe but disconnect us from the person sitting right in front of us. They are immensely powerful in their ability to connect us with people all around the world, but destructive in their ability to disrupt daily presence, rhythm and connection.

Let’s not go back to normal. Imagine if from now on, we gave the person in front of us the dignity of our full presence and remember we don’t have to “post it to prove it”.

Complaining

Is there any activity you were complaining about two months ago that you now can’t wait to go back to? It could be sports practice, meeting up with family regularly or going to school every day.

When you finally get back to it, stop the whining. It has been hurting you for a long time.

Complaining does not bring out the best in you. In fact, it drains you of your potential. The reality is life is amazing, there is so much to be grateful for. I hope isolation forever tattoos this on our mind. There is sheer goodness in just being human. COVID-19 has helped us realise the things which feel like a daily grind are actually precious gifts.

Entitlement

The world does not owe us anything. Bad stuff does happen to good people. Good stuff happens to bad people. Life is not always fair.

The world is messy, people have flaws and in life you will experience disappointments. Getting angry every time something doesn’t go your way only breeds discontentment.

The peak of COVID-19 was a disorienting time, and we weren’t all in the same boat. During this storm, some people were in cruise liners or yachts, others in kayaks, and some just holding on with a lifejacket or buoyancy aid.

When things don’t go to plan, don’t become bitter and entitled. Become better and enlightened and look for ways you can rescue others in more dire situations.

Empathy and humility are the remedies for entitlement. During COVID-19, I was thrilled to see so many young people check in on their elderly neighbours or grandparents to make sure they didn’t feel alone and had adequate supplies.

Risk aversion

This was a massive global crisis and yet, for the most part, the world as we know it survived. Sadly, lives were lost, unemployment escalated, businesses suffered, and the economy was damaged. But we averted global catastrophe because we managed the risk and didn’t bury our heads in the sand.

Many people don’t like to lose or have a fear of failure. They will do anything to avoid risk, including reducing their goals to something mediocre. But our great hope during COVID-19 was that things were going to get better. Nobody knew this would definitely happen and at the time it was a risk to believe in a better future.

But dawn will always rise. Hoping did not mean doing nothing. It means going about our assigned tasks, confident of a bright future ahead.

Our destiny as a people is not in our inaction or compliance. Our future is in the practice of being active and engaged citizens.  Not running from risk but dancing with it. It is always present and should not be evaded.

Let’s learn the lesson that risk management, not risk avoidance is the portal to a better world.

Busyness

Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse said, “If you want to be creative, be less productive”. In the age of productivity and busyness, we don’t want that to be true. We want to tick off our list of things to do and announce “I cleaned the house, I did the laundry, I emptied my inbox”.

We want to say, “I was busy and productive and therefore important”. Yes, you were busy, but were you creative? Did you do something to move you personally forward? If your mode of being is connected to being busy all the time, this can lead to soul exhaustion.

During isolation, I trust you took the time to think and contemplate and reflect. This time of isolation should have inspired creative innovations for ourselves and others. I can’t wait to see what is produced.

Pressing the pause button is a necessity for everyday life. I pray it is never enforced on us again in such a dramatic way but hope it becomes a personal preference and habit.

Neglecting our family

One thing I loved seeing during self-isolation was whole families walking and exercising together. I saw dads walking with their daughters and making bread together. Mums were holding their young sons’ hand and kicking the football.

I’m sure during self-isolation there were a few family disputes due to such close proximity for extended periods. But overwhelmingly, I witnessed families connecting. It was a pleasure to see comments online being replaced by conversations.

Ingratitude

Don’t ever postpone your happiness for another time. Learn to live in every moment.

I spend a lot of time at high schools talking with students and teachers. So many people say, I will be happy when…I turn 16… I finish school… I get my licence… The kids grow up… I retire…

Why not get happy now?

I desperately hope we come up out of these extreme circumstances full of gratitude for the little things.

Life is made up of ordinary mundane moments. Find the wonder in the everyday slog and routine of life. Don’t let it pass you by. There is an American Indian saying, “While you are complaining about this and that, a great wind is flying across the sky.” Wonderful, breath-taking moments are happening all the time, yet too often we miss them, if our heart is not pivoted towards gratitude.

When researchers interview people who experienced unimaginable trauma like the loss of a child or a loved one, the thing they said they miss the most was the ordinary moments. They would say things like, “I miss hearing the sound of the garage door open and knowing my husband is home from work” or  “I miss the way my wife set the table” or “I miss hearing the kids laugh on the trampoline”. 

These ordinary moments are what we experience every day. If we can remember to stop and say, ‘I am grateful for this’, that’s when the wonder happens.

Knowing it all

Sometimes we are so desperate to know something, we will make up an answer and call it a fact. So much of this pandemic was uncertain. As a species, we like to be certain and to know what will happen next.

We love the concrete and deny the abstract. In this new epoch, can we get comfortable with not knowing? Can we come to school and work with more questions than answers? Can we humble ourselves to the point where learning is more esteemed than knowing?

We need to ask ourselves these questions. Have the patterns of thinking I have come to adopt become biased? Do I have an inability to hear new ideas without becoming offended?

Let’s not go back to normal. There is a big difference between truly knowing something and reciting what you have read online.

Seeing Complexity as a Rarity

In this modern world, people have become very proficient at using filters. We are experts at showing the world that our lives are amazing when we are actually suffering.

Not everything is black and white and not everything is grey either. Wisdom is knowing that not every decision is binary. There are so many nuances and complexities.

Our world is being divided between those who have trained themselves to handle complexities and those who are overwhelmed by them. We must train ourselves to discipline our minds and not be in a constant state of distraction. Instead of spending time scrolling aimlessly, we must teach ourselves to focus our attention on that which we endeavour to learn.

Life is a struggle and always will be, but that idea does not have to take our joy away. Remember, the only way to get strong is to get sore! During resistance training your muscles fibres encounter trauma. The right amount of trauma causes growth. This can be applied to all areas of your life.

Managing complexity is better for your health than trying to avoid it. Go after what creates meaning in your life and trust that you can navigate through the complexity.

My expectation is this isolation cultivated fresh insights for all of us. I hope you came out of this very significant moment in history forever changed with a new and awakened sense of purpose and direction.

Glen Gerryn and The Hopeful Institute are about shifting thinking and empowering school communities.  For further information and additional resources to use in support of your students please visit www.thehopefullinstitute.com.

It has been lovely this week to again hear music being made in PAC studios by Senior music students. In Week 6, we look forward to hearing so many more great sounds as instrumental and vocal lessons return to the PAC and Lower Primary music studios.

For most instrumental and vocal students, these lessons will return to being face-to-face lessons however, a small number of teachers, for personal reasons, will continue to teach via Zoom until the end of the Term 2. These students will be contacted by their teachers, and lessons will occur in a PAC music studio supervised by PAC Reception staff.

Students and music parents are reminded that, due to the COVID-19 regulations, the College has made some changes to the usual process regarding dropping your instrumental student onto campus. 

• Parent vehicles are NOT allowed on campus between the hours of 7:00am – 8.15am and 2.30pm - 3.30pm without a vehicle pass. 
• Parents of students with large instruments who hold a vehicle pass and who need to drop off or pick up students on school grounds are ONLY permitted to drop students at the rear of the PAC. Other carparks are no longer available for this purpose.

Please note that large instruments are limited to: tenor and baritone saxophones, cello, double bass, bassoon, electric guitar, bass guitar, and tuba.  For students in Years 5 and 6, large instruments also include alto saxophones, French horn, euphonium and baritone. For further details please refer to the letter sent to all music parents.

We look forward to Week 6!

Mr Deacon, Mr Sutch and Mrs Taylor
Co-Directors of Cocurricular Music

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” African Proverb

Boys Sport Coordinator: Luke Donatini
Girls Sport Coordinator: Anne-Marie Champion
Primary Sport Coordinator: Peter Dawson

As we approach the halfway mark of Term 2, we are enjoying the vibe of having our Preps, Year 1, Year 11 and Year 12 students back on campus. The students and the energy they bring to the College is why we continue to work hard for the continued growth of Sport at St Peters.

The Physical Activity/Fitness Sessions on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are continuing to gain momentum and this week we have recommenced the St Peters Run Club on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

Please note: NEW VENUE TO MEET – Harts Road Oval at 3.30pm – 4.45pm.

Next week we are looking forward to welcoming back all Years 2 - 10 students. It will be wonderful to have the full cohort of students back on campus and the vibrancy of our fantastic school start to return to the place we know and love.

AIC & QGSSSA STATEMENTS – Please click for the link to the UPDATED Roadmap to Recovery statements from the QGSSSA & AIC Management Committees in relation to the recommencement of Sporting Activities.

REMINDER - YOU WILL FIND AMAZING SPORT RESOURCES ON THE SPORT FIREFLY PAGE

FIREFLY - RESOURCES – COLLEGE LIFE  > SPORT – AT HOME > SPORT SPECIFIC

If you have any questions about any of sport specific, please email the relevant coordinators of your interested sport.

PAST SCHOLARS SPORTING HIGHTLIGHTS

1986 was a great year for Sport at St Peters, this was the year our ‘A Grade’ Netball girls and our ‘A Grade’ Basketball boys won premierships.

This week we are honoured to showcase two wonderful past scholars who to this day have remained great friends and have gone on to excel in their respective sports; Tracey Bruce and Luke Gribble.

Name: Tracey Bruce (nee Foran)
Graduated from St Peters: 1986
Sport: Netball
Achievements:

• 1981 - First Queensland team - Primary School Team
• 1984 - Queensland U15 Years School Girls Team
• 1984, 1985 & 1986 - Australian School Girls Team
• 1984 - Queensland Open School Girls Team
• 1985 - Queensland U17 Years Team                                  
• 1985, 1986 & 1987 - Australian U17 Years Team
• 1986 & 1987 - Queensland U19 Years Team
• 1986, 1987, 1988 & 1989 - Australian U19 Years Team
• 1990 – 1997 - Queensland Open State Team
• 1990 - Australian U21 Team
• 1991 & 1992 - Australian Institute of Sport Scholarship
• 1991 - 1997 - Australian squad member & invitee
•  1992 & 1993 - All Stars team member

Tracey Bruce is a home-grown girl from Oxley in Brisbane’s Western Suburbs. Infamously, in her first game of Netball at Western Districts, she was sent off for ‘Tackling’. Not to be discouraged following this early misdemeanour Trace went on to achieve amazing feats as a Netball player and in her later years as an outstanding coach.

After attending Primary School at Corinda State School, Tracey commenced her St Peters journey in Year 8, 1982. The St Peters Netball Program was, at the time lead by highly respected HPE teacher Joy Tobiano (nee Munro) and with great support from Principal Dr Dron who did not miss a game. Matches were played on the Outside Gym courts and large crowds attended each home game. In Trace’s final year (1986) her speed and athleticism in the centre court lead to an undefeated ‘A Grade’ premiership to complete an outstanding season. Other current St Peters Netball Mums who were a part of the Netball program include Louise Staunton Smith (Nee Ellingham) Ellie and Jaimie’s Mum and Karen Penfold (nee Downes) Bonnie, Molly, Jemima and Matilda’s Mum.  Current Junior High staff member Sharman Bolton (nee Blaik) was also an outstanding player and her Mum Anne Blaik coached at St Peters for many years.

From 1993 – 1995 Trace was the Administration assistant in Sports House working alongside Mr Mark Manson, the Director of Sport at the time.

Trace went on to complete her ‘High-Performance Coaching Accreditation’ in 1999 and has since filled many coaching roles from Queensland State teams to Year 3 school teams.

Over the past two seasons the St Peters Netball program has continue to grow and improve under the guidance of our much love Mentor Coach Tracey.

Tracey’s passion is development of young athletes.

Name: Luke Gribble
Graduated from St Peters: 1986
Sport: Basketball
Achievements:

• 1985 - Queensland U18 State Team
• 1986 - Member of the St Peters team – TAS Champions, Champion School of QLD (Championships in Rockhampton) & Champion School of Australia (Championships in Adelaide)
• 1986 Queensland School Boys and U20 State team
•  1986 Signed with Brisbane Bullets
• 1987 Ipswich Eagles Queensland State League
• 1987 Queensland U20 State Team – Captain
• 1988 Gold Coast Cougars Queensland State League Champions
• 1988 Queensland State Basketball League- All Star 5 and Youth Player of the Year
• 1989 Hobart Devils National Basketball League – Runner Up Rookie of the Year
• 1990 Hobart Devils NBL – Runner Up Most Improved Player Award
• 1991 Hobart Devils NBL
• 1991 Australian Boomers Basketball Squad (Barcelona Olympics)
• 1992 & 1993 Brisbane Bullets NBL ‘Vince Hickey Award’ winner
• 1994 – 1996 - Brisbane Bullets NBL
• 1997 Brisbane Brewers MVP – Queensland State Basketball League (QBL)
• 1997 Started Teaching / Coaching at St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace
• Now Dean of Waterford Place (Year 10 campus)

Luke Gribble, who grew up in Beenleigh and moulded his Basketball skills in Logan, commenced at St Peters as a Mutze House boarder. His entry to the College began after winning the ‘Ian Watson Bursary Scholarship’ which opened the door for him to complete his Year 12 studies at St Peters. What a year it proved to be for the Richard Stokes coached ‘A Grade’ team! After winning the TAS premiership, the group went on to win the QLD School Championship & then the Champions School of Australia. After a breakout year, Luke was signed to the Brisbane Bullets who at the time regularly utilised the St Peters gym for training.

Luke, a strong, powerful shooting guard was a great leader on the court and went on to play NBL from 1989-1991 with the Hobart Devils and from 1992 – 1996 with the Brisbane Bullets.

Luke has two children, Lily an outstanding Netballer who has played with Moreton Bay College in the QGSSSA for many years and Zac who has making it to the top in the AFL set firmly in his sights.

The Service Learning groups are raising awareness for National Reconciliation Week (NRW). This is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We strive towards a more just, equitable nation by championing unity and mutual respect as we come together and connect with one another.

The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey — the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

This year Reconciliation Australia marks twenty years of operations in shaping Australia’s journey towards a more just, equitable and reconciled nation 2020 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the reconciliation walks of 2,000, when people came together to walk on bridges and roads across the nation and show their support for a more reconciled Australia.

On this journey, Australians are All In This Together; every one of us has a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, When we come together to build mutual respect and understanding, we shape a better future for all Australians.

Today we work together to further that national journey towards a fully reconciled country.

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