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This week at St Peters we celebrate Multicultural Week. As part of the ‘Parade of Nations’ earlier in the week I spoke to the students about the importance of learning a language other than English. There is no doubt that learning a language is incredibly important. If you lived in Europe you would probably be speaking three, maybe four, languages. At St Peters, perhaps unlike much of other parts of Australia we value the learning of additional languages. This is reflected in the fact that we offer the opportunity to learn five languages other than English – German, Japanese, French, Chinese, and Spanish. I doubt if there is another school in Brisbane that offers such a wide array of languages. 32.55% of students in Year 11 and 42.55% of students in Year 12 at St Peters learn a language at the Senior level compared to the national average of 13%.

At St Peters, we value learning a second language for a range of reasons. As we explore a new language and culture it helps us to gain perspective and new insights into our own language and culture that we may not have previously considered. Learning a second language also opens additional doors to opportunities for studying or working abroad when you get older. In fact, the ability to speak another language is becoming almost essential in a global world. In addition, we value the learning of language because it is the most direct connection to other cultures. Being able to communicate in another language exposes us to and fosters an appreciation for the traditions, religions, arts, and history of the people associated with that language. Greater understanding, in turn, promotes greater tolerance, empathy, and acceptance of others.

Perhaps most importantly the College values learning a language other than English because one of the most rewarding aspects of the human experience is our ability to connect with others. Being able to communicate with someone in his or her language is an incredible gift. Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa once said, "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart."

The diversity of languages spoken and learnt at St Peters gives practical expression to what it means to be multicultural.

Tim Kotzur
Head of College

During the June school holidays, 18 students let themselves be challenged by sleeping in swags under the stars on icy cold nights, by meeting and listening to Indigenous Elders and learning about the ‘Songline of the Seven Sisters’. The group gained a deeper understanding of Indigenous Spirituality and engaged with communities in Amata, South Australia and Docker River, Northern Territory.

For many it served as an eye opener – to hear about the stories of the Indigenous people, to gain a deeper understanding how the stories have been shaped by the history of this country – the coming of the ‘white fellas’ and their attitudes, the impact of the ‘stolen generation’ to name just a few – but also by the Indigenous deep spiritual connection to country.

It was – in the true sense – an immersion into culture and community, seeing for themselves how people in these isolated communities live, getting an insight of their daily struggles but also being taught song and dance, sharing time together to learn and teach, to laugh and just to be with one another.

As the sun set we explored the challenges of the day, tried to make meaning of what we had witnessed and learned during the day and spelled out the deep-felt privilege to have encountered people of our own land. As the sun rose each morning after a long night, it ignites the hope for a brighter future. If we let ourselves be challenged to see, to LISTEN and to learn from the traditional owners of this land it allows us to spell out a joint way forward that acknowledges the hurt and trauma caused in the past as well as acknowledges the deep traditions and spirituality of the people.

The immersion experience invited the participants to make a difference in the way they perceive, speak, respect the communities and improve the understanding amongst all Australians of our Indigenous brothers and sisters who invited us to share their land.

I love sleeping in a swag. It feels like one's own private universe, completely impervious to the outside world. In a way, the red centre is similar – it seems a world apart from the busy, frantic life of the coastal cities. In the desert, it feels like time stands still. The only motion in the entire landscape is the buzzing of the incessant flies. This atmosphere is reflected in the worldview of the local Anangu people: there are never any scheduled times or dates; things simply happen when they happen. Yet despite this unfamiliar lack of structure, our days always seemed to fill themselves with activities.

For example, on day two of the immersion, Lee, an Aboriginal elder, was meant to turn up in the morning. After waiting for over an hour, we realised that his car had run out of petrol on the side of the road. Now Lee would have to wait for someone to drive past and pick him up, take him back to town to get petrol, and then drive him all the way back to the car. What’s more, it was a Sunday, and since the store was only open for 3 hours, there was only a one-hour window for someone to drive past. Luckily, Lee turned up relatively soon, given that Anangu are sometimes stuck on the side of the road for multiple days! Despite this hiccup, however, the day turned out to be completely full of things to do, ranging from driving into the middle of nowhere to look for Maku grubs (which taste exactly like egg yolk) in tree roots, to climbing up Cave Hill where we saw cave paintings dating from 20 thousand years ago and watched the sun set over Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Mt Connor (known as Fooluru because of its uncanny resemblance to Ayers rock).

Given the enormous distances of the desert, it came as no surprise that a significant portion of our time was spent driving. With the state of the roads, this experience was often rather less than pleasant. The roads in central Australia are truly terrible. The Anangu buy a new vehicle every six months simply because they fall to pieces so quickly. A common sight is the chassis of an abandoned car lying upside down on the side of the road with all its wheels stripped off. We even saw two cars piled on top of each other, standing as a permanent monument to the impermanence of vehicles.

Evenings were spent beside the campfire singing songs and telling stories, the sparks rising high into the air and blending with the blanket of stars that descended as low as a ceiling. Entering our swags was always an ordeal, as we had to ensure even the slightest holes were sealed to avoid being frozen in our sleep. Waking in the morning, I found it exceedingly difficult to get out of my swag, requiring much prompting from angry fellow campers. Our breakfast was eaten around the campfire, and once we perfected the art of only slightly charring our toast, our morning meals were at least edible, if not quite as indulgent as those of home.

For me, the most eye-opening part of the immersion was simply the complete difference in socio-economic standards. There are very few jobs in such remote areas, and those that do work often earn very low wages. Food also needs to be transported huge distances before it gets to the communities, so it is insanely expensive. The price of two kilos of mince, for example, was $30. Since the price of food is so high, families will often go hungry. Thankfully, children are fed breakfast and lunch every day at school. Often the first meal a child will see after lunch on Friday is breakfast on Monday.

Yet despite this myriad of hardships, it is hard to find someone without a smile on their face. All the children we met in schools were overjoyed to see us, and they were always eager to play games like rugby or softball. Seeing how happy they were with so little really opened my eyes to how lucky we are.

Helping out in the schools was one of my favourite parts of the Immersion. At the Docker River School we had three full days of helping teach the students. The schooling system was very different to Brisbane. There is usually only one classroom, and the students will often come only two or three days a week. A school day consists of perhaps two hours of work in the morning, then a very long break, then miscellaneous activities. Since many students are five or more years behind their age in school, even the addition and subtraction of two- or three-digit numbers presents a challenge. It was shocking to realise that a student’s entire mathematical education would encompass only simple arithmetic. Despite this, the students were fast learners, and they made good progress even in the short time that we were there.

Perhaps the greatest gift we were able to give to the Aboriginal communities was not any donations or tutoring, but rather the stories and culture that we brought back with us. Traditionally, cultural stories, or tjukurpa, were passed down orally from generation to generation. Today, however, many children see no use in learning tjukurpa, since all their food and shelter needs are met by stores and houses. There is no benefit in learning to hunt for maku grubs if there is a hamburger readily available at the local store. Thus many communities are trapped between two worlds; reluctant to fully embrace Western culture and education because of their background and remoteness yet lacking the motivation to continue a traditional lifestyle. The sad consequence of this is that Aboriginal culture is in danger of dying out over the next few generations. The hope is that school and tour groups like us will create a ripple effect: we will bring our children back to learn, and inspire others to come to the Centre, who will bring their children back to learn, and eventually the culture will spread and establish long lasting roots throughout Australia.

My memories of the Red Centre last within me and feel like a seed planted, giving hope for a culture in danger of being lost and love for a landscape and people unknown to me until recently; and also an inkling of an understanding of an Australia spanning myriad generations of people whose bare feet felt this land and who were nourished by it and who nurtured the land themselves.

– Lief L

In recent weeks, many will have seen images or heard about the changes that occurred over the break in our Years 3-6 classrooms. While the children were away regenerating, it was a busy time for our works crew and IT teams getting everything ready for the students’ return. Certainly, it has been an exciting event for our students and teachers, but there is a lot more to this change than just updating the furniture.

Flexible furniture, agile classrooms, or contemporary learning spaces, whatever we call it, represent a common philosophy. It’s the idea that we want our classrooms to not just be places that students come to, but rather for them to be part of a student’s learning experience. Indeed, as a PYP school, the concepts of student agency and inquiry-based learning are central to our pedagogy. As such, we wanted to create classrooms that were responsive to students’ needs and the tasks that they are engaging with, to inspire curiosity and be spaces that represented and were part of student learning. At St Peters we believe our physical spaces hold the potential to influence what and how children learn.

As educators, we recognise the importance of individuality, collaboration, choice and flexibility. During the refurbishment, the co-construction of the classroom environment was imperative in providing students with choice, voice and a sense of ownership over their learning space. Even before the arrival of the furniture, teachers spoke with their students about the sorts of things that they would like to see in the classroom and factored this into their designs. Once the students returned, many actually setup their own spaces and in the weeks that have followed, teachers have continued worked with their classes to explore the flexibility of their rooms and adjacent areas.

Some of the features of this new furniture are: the ability to move it around the room easily to create spaces for small group or larger group collaboration, writeable surfaces so that students can share their thinking with others, various table and seating options- sitting, standing, chairs, cushions, high tables, low tables, individual and group desks to accommodate the preferences of different students and finally the ability to create zones where students can share, work and reflect. In essence, the change reflects a physical representation of the pedagogy of inquiry and the PYP. We hope that the children enjoy their new spaces and embrace the opportunities that they provide.

Character Strength of the Week - LOVE

In Junior High this week, our Character Strength focus has been ‘LOVE’.

How often do you have conversations with your child about what it means to give and receive love? ‘Love’ is one of those concepts where a common understanding of what it means is often assumed. However, when you ask the question "What does giving and receiving love look and feel like?", it soon becomes evident that there are many different opinions on this matter. What is also evident is that it is something that we could spend a lot more time focusing on if we are going to raise young people who are equipped to live in strong, happy and fulfilling relationships.

If you’re unsure of where to start a book I can highly recommend is Gary Chapman’s ‘The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers’.
Chapman believes there are five key ways we give and receive love and that while we receive joy from all, we tend to favour some over the other. In addition, demonstrating love means understanding the needs of others and what their preferred way to receive love is.

Words of Affirmation - a kind word, praise, recognition
Physical Touch - a hug, hand on shoulder, intimacy
Quality Time - making time with some a priority
Acts of Service – doing something to lighten someone else’s load
Gifts – the giving of gifts

By equipping our teens with a common language to use when discussing concepts of love, we help them avoid falling into the trap of believing the shallow, selfish and one directional forms of love they are bombarded with in popular culture.

Excellence in Christian Co-Education

What does Excellence look like at St Peters? Each year, we recognise excellence in academic, sporting and cultural arenas through our Gold and Silver Awards, as well as awarding our major prizes to the top students, sportspeople or performers. Here at St Peters, however, we also espouse a belief that ‘personal excellence’ is not necessarily being the best – but doing your best.

We believe that it is through raising expectations and striving for personal excellence that each student will reach his or her individual potential. In our Year Level Assemblies this term, we formally acknowledging those students who have, over the course of the year, achieved their academic ‘Personal Bests’ in their journey to reaching their full potential and demonstrating personal excellence. Students are also acknowledged if their average GPA result has increased by 0.5 or more.

These are not necessarily ‘A’ students, nor the best in their class or their year level, but those who have shown academic improvement. To improve is to advance - and to advance enables us all to get closer to our end goal. We will continue this process of acknowledging student achievement as the term progresses.

Parent Information Sessions: 2020 Subject Selection and Ironbark

Thank you to all those who attended the various Information sessions last week regarding the Subject Selection process for 2020 and the placement of Year 9 2020 students into their Ironbark classes. The Year 8 into Year 9 and Year 9 into 10 Subject Selection information for 2020 that was presented can be found under the Academic Operations tab on Firefly, or accessed here .

The Ironbark PowerPoint presentation can be found under the Junior High Parent Information Year 8 tab on Firefly. For those parents who were unable to attend, their student’s Preference Form can be downed via the link that was emailed to parents last Friday. If you have any questions or are seeking clarification, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Tetley-Jones, Year 9 Coordinator.

Jeans for Genes Day

Tomorrow, Friday 2 August is the annual Jeans for Genes Day. This College wide event is a wonderful opportunity for students to support the amazing research being done to find cures for childhood genetic diseases. For the cost of a gold coin donation students can wear jeans to school for the day.

There are some conditions for appropriate dress for the day.

Students must wear jeans – no skirts or shorts
Jeans must be long denim, with no tears.
Shirts must have some form of sleeve and must cover the midriff
No offensive graphics on shirts please

As this week is Multicultural Week also our students are encouraged to wear some form of cultural shirt with their jeans. Alternatively, they may wear a bright colourful shirt, formal or HPE shirt. Student must wear closed shoes and remember the right shoes for HPE and Tech classes.

Mrs Tetley-Jones has issued a challenge for all Year 9 students to be involved.

As can be seen, the first few weeks of term have been busy and rewarding in Junior High, where individual and collective achievement has been recognised. Through our award processes and our co and extra curricular activities, we will continue to acknowledge and value ‘Academic Improvement’ and ‘Personal Best’ achievements in our students in their ongoing journey towards personal excellence.

Patricia Aishford
Head of Junior High

Late last term I shared an article written by Glen Gerreyn from the Hopeful Institute. The content discussed clearly resonated with parents in our College Community, and I am grateful for the positive feedback shared and received. This week, I have included a second article from Glen, and I hope that it once again reaffirms the challenging yet rewarding role parents play in supporting their students.

HOW TO RAISE A TOUGH TEEN

Our world is becoming ever more complex socially, environmentally and politically. It is a world where many flounder, making it increasingly difficult for them to develop meaning or mastery. Blinded by societal pressure and fears, many young people find themselves future-blind and disengaged. Rapid changes in technology, and increased addiction to social media have seen people becoming stuck in a permanent and ceaseless present.

For these reasons it is vital our children develop specific skills to enable them to be successful in this new epoch – skills such as adaptability, social and cultural interaction, productivity, self-management and problem-solving.
Three additional character traits your child will need to acquire in order to lead and to create positive impact in the world around them are examined below.

1. Be proactive, not reactive
Being proactive is about taking responsibility for yourself. We cannot keep blaming everything that goes wrong on our parents, our grandparents, our teachers, our genetics or our circumstances. Real change occurs when we resolve to make the necessary changes to bring about a transformation in our life. Our motto needs to be – 'If it’s going to be, it’s up to me!' If our children are struggling in a particular subject, finding it hard to make friends or complaining that their teacher doesn’t like them, don’t let them throw their arms up in the air and say, “I quit!”. Who told them that they had to accept failure?

If life isn’t going to plan, help them devise a strategy. Take them through the steps on how to organise a tutor or ask the teacher for more help. In order to have friends, one must be a friend. Brainstorm how they can show hospitality to those around them or how a small act of kindness towards a teacher may help them realise they really want to learn and hence build a more positive connection.

Most problems have a creative solution and, if they don’t, work together to determine how to enable them to alleviate the discomfort and carry on.

A proactive person uses language like – 'I can. I will. I must.' A reactive person use language like – 'I can’t. Do I have to? If only.' Teaching our children how to respond wisely to life’s challenges rather than reacting blindly is a formidable trait. In our family, our first response in any situation is – we don’t fuss, we don’t react, we don’t worry. We put together a plan and we execute it.

2. Develop hardiness
I want my four kids to be tough! Yes, they also need to be vulnerable and open, but that is also about toughness, as it takes courage to be vulnerable.

I don’t want them to fall apart at the smallest things. I once caught my four-year-old daughter telling my seven-year-old daughter to “Toughen up, princess!” That was a proud parenting moment.

Our family motto, (thank you, Brene Brown) is 'WE DO HARD THINGS'. It’s plastered in large black letters across the top of our kitchen window. It’s there to remind our children (and their parents) that, on occasion, they will be called upon to do hard things. They will be called upon to step up and be brave. Giving them the knowledge that they can do hard things – and I truly believe they want to do them – gives them the permission they seek to go for it … and fail … and go for it … and fail … until they get there.

A study found that entrepreneurs are three times more likely than the general public to have dyslexia and people with ADHD are also three times more likely to start their own company. Disadvantaged people, with a mindset and a heart set towards hardiness, can make setbacks work in their favour. We don’t have to allow a closed door to remain closed. If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door or pick the lock. Learn how to survive and, if necessary, teach young people how to live by their wits, find a new angle and be creative.

3. Have a bias towards action
Fortune favours the brave because the brave take action! We must help our children accept that in real life nobody is going to turn around their big red chair and say, I want you on my team. If they really want to progress, they can’t wait to be ordained, approved of or picked out of a crowd of hopefuls and given a crown. Sometimes, uninvited, you need to make the choice yourself and take the action necessary to step closer to your goals. True leadership comes from within – following your heart.

The truth is YouTube wants your child to have their own show, but they are not going to call; iTunes wants your child to write their own song, but they are not going to call either; Amazon wants your child to write their own book, but they are not going to text you. The platforms are available, the opportunity is at our fingertips, the audience is standing by, but the all-important ingredient, action, is elusive.

There are 13-year-old girls making $8000 a month selling slime on Instagram and the highest earning YouTuber last year was a 7-year-old boy who made $22,000,000 unboxing toys. Neither of these young people is smarter or more talented or possesses more opportunity than your child. What they both have is a bias towards action. They are willing to give things a go, fail, fall, get their heart broken and then try again.

Soft skills are really not all that soft. They can be harnessed to help lift your child – and yourself – to a level beyond their current capacity.

For more information on Glen's Positive Parenting Seminars please visit www.thehopefullinstitute.com

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” Anne Lamott

Years 4-6 Inter House Athletics Carnival

The Years 4-6 Inter House Athletics Carnival was held on Wednesday 24 July on Mayer Oval. Under sunny skies the Years 4-6 students had a wonderful day of Inter House competition participating in several track, field and novelty events. Well done to all students for their active participation throughout the day.

When the points were tallied it was Leichhardt who took out the day by three points over Cunningham. Congratulations to Leichhardt team members!

The Prep-3 Athletics Carnival will be run on Thursday 1 August. Points from the Prep-3 and Years 4-6 Carnival will be combined to finalise the Primary Years Inter House Athletics Carnival winner.

Primary Co-Curricular Sport Term 3

The following sports are on offer in Term 3.

Girls Club (WDNA) Netball
Years 4-6 Athletics Training – selected students only
Years 4-6 AIC Boys Basketball
Years 4-6 AIC Boys Tennis

Girls Club Netball

WDNA Training will continue throughout Term 3 on St Peters Harts Road Courts; Wednesday afternoon (3:30pm – 5:00pm) and Friday afternoon (3:30pm-4:30pm).

Please check game times and court allocations using the following pathway. To access the court allocations for weekly games, please follow the steps below:

Western District Netball Association Website
Go to the COMPETITIONS tab at the top of the page
FIXTURES AND RESULTS
Selecting the correct age and division from the GRADE drop down menu

Years 4-6 Athletics Training

Years 4-6 Athletics Training will be offered twice a week on Monday and Wednesday afternoons this term. The sessions will be run by St Peters Athletics Coaches. Training will only be open to selected students. Members of the Primary Athletics DRAFT Team are to meet at the Lower Primary Undercroft at 3:20pm on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Training will conclude at 4:30pm on both days and students will be bought back to the Lower Primary Undercroft where they are to be picked up by parents. Students in the DRAFT team will be training for the Inter Lutheran Athletics Carnival that will be held on Wednesday 28 August.

Years 4-6 AIC Boys Basketball Season

The AIC Basketball Season will be played throughout Term 3. Training will be at the SPLC Outside Gym Courts on Wednesday afternoon 3:30pm – 5:00pm.

Years 4-6 AIC Boys Tennis Season

The AIC Tennis Season is underway. Training throughout Term 3 will be on Lohe Street Courts on Friday afternoon 1:50pm – 3:10pm during Sport for Life time.

Training Times

Primary Girls WDNA Netball

Wednesday afternoon 3:30pm – 5:00pm | Harts Road Netball Courts
Friday afternoon 3:30pm – 4:30pm | Harts Road Netball Courts

Term 3 AIC Basketball Training

Wednesday afternoon 3:30pm – 5:00pm | Outside Gym Courts

Term 3 AIC Tennis Training

Friday afternoon 1:50pm – 3:10pm | Lohe Street Courts

Primary Years HPE

Court Games: Monday 29 July – Friday 16 August
Hip Hop Dance: Monday 19 August – Wednesday 18 September

Save the Date:

Hip Hop Dance SPECTACULAR for Years 4-6 HPE Classes

Date: Wednesday 18 September
Time: 2:15pm – 3:00pm
Venue:PAC

Rowing

Coordinator: Mr Peter Hicks

BSRA Rowing

Congratulations to all the BSRA rowers that participated and rowed in the first BSRA regatta for 2019. It was a fantastic day particularly Year 8 crews. Congratulations to the following year eight crews who rowed in their first regatta.

Year 8 Third crew of Niamh S, Makenza K, Gabbie E, Mahi K R and Sky B who achieved 7th place.
Year 8 Second crew of Robyn M, Maya N, Isabel M, Brie D and Megan B who achieved 4th place
Year 8 First crew of Kate M, Leila M, Heidi L, Lara F and Olivia A who achieved 7th place.

There were also some fantastic results from the Year 9 single sculler Giselle G. who achieved 4th place, less than one second behind 3rd place and also the Year 10 sculler of Ella H. who achieved a 5th place.

We are looking forward to the next regatta this weekend at Wyaralong dam.

If you are interested in learning more about Rowing or becoming a part of the Rowing Program please contact Peter Hicks via p.hicks@stpeters.qld.edu.au.

Peter Hicks – Head of Rowing

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Coordinator: Mrs Phoebe Anderson

Well done to all our gymnasts involved in some productive rehearsals. Good luck for the final week of preparations.

With the QGSSSA Rhythmic Gymnastics Competition fast approaching on Friday 9 August, girls competing in the event will receive an email with competitor details, this will also be on the St Peters App. The QGSSSA Competition Schedule will also on the St Peters App.

Winter Fixtures

Well done to all teams who had fantastic wins against Somerville House. Good luck to all our teams playing Round 3 v BSHS. Please remember if you cannot make game day for any reason your coach and coordinator must know as soon as possible so suitable adjustments can be made to teams.

Hockey

Coordinator: Mr Cameron Glass

Congratulations to all girls who contributed to one of our most successful weekends of QG Hockey. Opens won 5-1, Seniors won 1-0 and our Juniors had a 1-1 draw. Two wins and a draw against Somerville House is something I have not experienced in the ten years I have been involved with St Peters Hockey. It is a credit to all of you and your ability to adopt many of the tactics and plans the coach implemented at training last week. Whilst we improve after each week of training it certainly was our tactics and how we executed our skills that was the difference between the Grammar and Somerville fixtures.

Tougher opposition this week as we take on Brisbane State High. Ensure you bring your running legs as it will be important defensively not to over commit in defence but to run with your opponent stay in the challenge. See you at training! Mr G

Netball

Coordinator: Mrs Anne-Marie Champion

Last Saturday, Harts Road Courts was the venue for St Peters to play Somerville House in their home game. It was a competitive round of Netball with St Peters recording five wins and a draw. Well done to our Open team on another strong performance, our 7A team had a convincing win, our 7B, 9B & 10B teams all held on to win in close games. Our 8A team fought hard and came away with the draw. There were many other pleasing signs with improvement in many teams, special mention to the 7C White team who did such a great job and played so well.

NSG MEETING – Tuesday 23 July

On Tuesday 23 July, the Netball Support Group held their inaugural meeting. Thank you to all the Parents who came along and offered their help to support Anne-Marie and the Sports House Team with the Netball program.

We are looking for volunteers to help with the set up and pack away for the remaining QGSSSA home games for this year. Many hands make light work and if you are able to help set up time is at 6:45am and we aim to be packing everything away immediately after the last games of the day.

Please keep an eye out in the coming weeks for updates in the newsletter.

Our next meeting will be on the 27 August at the P&F Centre at 6pm.

PARENT MANAGERS REQUIRED

There are teams still looking for a MANAGER - please email Mrs Allie Walsh (Year 7 Teacher & Netball Assistant) a.walsh@stpeters.qld.edu.au if you are interested in taking on this role.

VICKI WILSON CUP/SHIELD

Congratulations to our two Netball teams who competed in the Vicki Wilson Cup/Shield Carnival at Ipswich yesterday. Both of our teams, the Years 7 - 9 team and the Open team, were undefeated and have progressed to the Vicki Wilson Final Series weekend to be held at the QSNS on 21 & 22 of September. This is a great testament to the hard work the girls have been putting in to their Netball and the amazing coaching by Tracey Bruce, Patti Farrell & Cara Newton. Well done all.

Tennis

Coordinator: Mrs Deborah Wilson

What a terrific effort our Tennis girls put in this week. So many close games with many girls fighting back to win matches. Of note, was the doubles match with Zara L and Allya N, they fought hard to finally conquer their match and lead the Opens team to an overall win. The Senior A’s also did an amazing job with a great win this week as well. This week has really shown the girls working as part of a team and showing great partnerships in their doubles matches. The girls are looking forward to their matches this week against BSHS.

Round 3 games take place v BSHS at University of Queensland Tennis Courts. Good luck.

Friday night tennis date claimer - Round 4 games are taking place on Friday night, 9 August. Please keep thIS Friday free. Buses will be provided.

Volleyball

Coordinator: Mr Joshua Singh

Round 2 saw St Peters Volleyball girls come up against a strong Somerville House. Overall, it was great to see our girls working hard to set up plays with three touches, rather than putting the ball over. The run continues for the undefeated teams (7A and 10B), it’s great to see them enjoying their training during the week with great attendance and its clearly showing on the weekends. Congratulations also goes to the 8A, 9B and Opens who have registered their first win for the season. Sadly, we managed to be on the losing end of the tight games, the 7B, 9A, 10A, 10C all going down 1-2 with very close finishes. A reminder that ALL girls at home this weekend (BSHS) are to bring a plate of food. This will be discussed at training. Please ensure the girls ALL have volleyball shirts/jerseys.

Team of the week:
Emmilia M (7A), Paige G (7B), Chloe B (8A), Sian F (9A), Kianga B (10A), Toluwa (10B), Bella W (Senior A), Taz B (Opens).

Opens Report
After being defeated last week by BGGS, the open girls changed their mindset and came determined to work hard at training before playing Somerville. The girls started strong winning the first set 25 to 21. Their support and energy was clearly shown in this set which was carried through to the second set, taking the win; with a score of 25-17. During this set, Somerville were fighting, yet St Peters fought harder. However, during the third and last set, St Peters began losing their energy and encouragement, making it harder for them to stay focused. This gave Somerville a greater opportunity to try and defeat the Open girls in this set. However, the girls dug deep and took out the set with a score of 25-22. This was a great reflection on how the Open girls trained during the week, staying strong and fighting for each point. A special mention to Tazmyn B for being the most consistent all round - serving, hitting, etc. and for scoring the most amount of points in the game. Written by Ella F (Volleyball Captain).

2019 QGSSSA Athletics

Coordinator: Mr Shaun Nodwell

Athletics training is in full swing and well done to all girls who attended. We encourage all girls interested in being considered for the 2019 QGSSSA team to start committing to training early as practice greatly improves your final performance and the more we see you, the more our experienced coaches can help improve your techniques. Please see the training schedule on the St Peters App for full training details.

Next Friday, 9 August, is the first of our QG Lead Up Meets held at UQ Athletics Track. These meets officially take place from 4:00 - 7:00pm. Buses are provided for girls to the track, leaving the St Peters bus stop at 3.20pm. To ensure we have enough seats on a bus we send a sign on via email to the girls and it is essential that girls sign up. We ask that girls are then picked up by parents directly from the track after the individual students last event. Please always notify St Peters staff when leaving to go home. Accommodations will be made to return boarding students to the College.

These lead up meets are fantastic evenings of Athletics and times and distances recorded at these meets (along with other data) are used to pick our final QG Athletics Team. Therefore, the more meets you can attend and the more times and distances you can record the higher your chances are of making our final 2019 team.

Please see staff in Sports House if you have any questions regarding Athletics this year, we look forward to a good season ahead.

Run Club

RUN CLUB IS STILL ON every Friday morning at 6:30am and open to all of the community both parents/friends students and staff. Please join us for a great community run.

We hope you have a great week in sport,

Kelli Rodman and Kerry Schreiber

Term 3 AIC sport is now underway after playing our first round on the weekend against Marist College. Well done to our boys for getting one of the toughest rounds of the season out of the way first up.

AIC Basketball

Coordinator: Mr Grant Carlson (g.carlson@stpeters.qld.edu.au)

Round 1 of AIC competition commenced last weekend vs Marist College Ashgrove. Highlights of the round for St Peters teams were the 5A and 8A boys teams both victorious playing an exciting, up tempo brand of basketball. These performances are very promising for the remainder of the season ahead. Our First V team came up against a fired-up Marist team in front of their boisterous home crowd and suffered a tough loss first up. The boys are now well aware of what they need to work on at training and the attitude and application of these skills will be the focus this week. Several teams including our 10As, 11As and 7Ds were very competitive in their matches, but couldn’t compete down the stretch of the second half only going down by a handful of points in the end.

Round 2 this weekend is against Iona College, for all teams from Years 5-12. Training sessions will be vital towards preparation and all players and coaches will be focussed on performing to the best of their abilities on Friday (Year 5-6) and Saturday (Year 7-12). A reminder that basketball playing shorts (no pockets) will be available for purchase at Shop 45 once they arrive next week. There has been a very lengthy delay in the production and shipment of these shorts and your patience has been greatly appreciated. Thanks to those parents for assisting with our younger boys towards court duties and other preparations. Keep an eye on the St Peters App for the latest updates and playing draws each weekend.

AIC Tennis

Coordinator: Mr Stuart Delaney (s.delaney@stpeters.qld.edu.au)

Action in Tennis over the weekend was a great success, with St Peters winning 12 of the 17 matches against Marist College. Well done to our 1st IV, 2nd IV, 3rd IV, 11A, 11B, 10A, 10B, 9A, 8A, 8B, 7A and 7B teams on their victories and to our entire Tennis program who are gunning for their eighth AIC Premiership in a row this year. Congratulations to Michael K on playing in his first 1st IV match for St Peters on the weekend and to our 3rds team for still winning their fixture despite being down a player. Also, many of our Year 7 boys played in their first AIC match on Saturday and to have both teams get wins over a strong Tennis school, was certainly a positive for the season and for years to come.

I look forward to all teams continuing their hard work on the practice courts and sharing further successes for the remainder of the season. Well done all.

Track and Field

Coordinators: Mr Jeremy Lohe - m.bradforde@stpeters.qld.edu.au | Mr Shaun Nodwell – s.nodwell@stpeters.qld.edu.au | Mr Darren Grose – d.grose@stpeters.qld.edu.au

AIC Athletics training continues to grow in numbers each week. From Week 4 onwards however, these sessions will begin to focus on the Championship athletes as we lead into our meets and eventually our AIC Championships in Term 4. Boys are in the process of being contacted regarding specific events that will be required to train for so boys, keep an eye on your emails.

Details for training are as follows;

Throws – Discus, Javelin, Shot Put: Monday & Wednesday afternoon @ Mayer Oval
Middle Distance – 400m, 800m, 1500m: Wednesday & Thursday afternoon @ Mayer Oval and Tuesday afternoon at UQ
Sprints, Hurdles and Jumps: Tuesday (UQ), Wednesday and Thursday afternoons @ Mayer Oval

Note: Transport to and from the UQ track on Tuesday afternoons will be provided.

For more details regarding training, please consult the St Peters App.

SAVE THE DATES

Thursday 29 August – AIC T&F Meet 1
Friday 6 August – AIC T&F Meet 2
Friday 13 September – AIC T&F Meet 3
Friday 11 October – AIC T&F Meet 4
Thursday 17 October – AIC T&F Meet 5

Interhouse Track and Field Carnival

Congratulations to Cunningham House on their victory (again), in the last of the three big inter-house carnivals for 2019. Cunningham were strong enough to take out the Cross Country shield as well, and Leichhardt spoiled the trifecta by winning the Swimming back in Term 1.

Well done on a great carnival everyone and thank you to the staff who all worked above and beyond to give our students more wonderful opportunities to be a part of more great sporting events.

Uniform

I would like to re-iterate that it is an expectation for boys to wear only their St Peters playing kit or their St Peters Uniform and Jacket. The weekend was an improvement from the previous weekend, however, it can be better. The only acceptable Jacket to wear on Saturdays is our St Peters PE Jacket or a boarders’ hoodie for boarders. Too many of our boys were wearing non-St Peters uniform jackets, tracksuit pants and slides/thongs to and from their games on Saturday. It is not acceptable and looks unsightly. On the point of safety, when boys are wearing their St Peters PE uniforms, it is a lot easier to supervise and keep track of our boys

Punctuality

Our Boys must be at their venue standing next to their court no less than 30 minutes prior to their game this weekend. It is very worrying for coaches when they don’t have all of their players present and they are about to go and warm up. Also, getting to a venue early allows enough time to mentally prepare for the game which is a very easy way to relieve anxiety and stress an optimise focus – performance enhancing.

I look forward to our second round for Term 3 seasons this weekend where we face Iona College.

Yours in sport

Darren Grose
Boys Sport Coordinator

P&F Meeting

Monday 5 August
7:00pm
P&F Centre
All welcome.

Primary Years Parent Support Group Meeting

Thursday 8 August
8:20am
P&F Centre
All Primary Years Parents and Caregivers welcome.

Batyr Parent Forum – Mental Health in Adolescents

Date: Wednesday 21 August – Dron Auditorium PAC

Time: 6:30pm

Cost: $5.00 – all proceeds from ticket sales will go to Kids Help Line

Teenagers and adolescents can suffer from mental health issues as they experience new relationships, school or study or starting a new job. Of every 30 students in Australia, seven will be dealing with a mental health issue, yet only two will reach out for support, leaving five suffering in silence. Sadly, most young people dealing with mental health issues do not reach out for help, largely due to stigma.

Led by batyr this Parent Forum will focus on insightful information and practical advice for families. Parents/supporters will walk away with a greater understanding of how to help their child take charge of their mental health, the support services available and how they can foster a supportive home environment for their teen.

batyr is a for purpose preventative mental health organisation, created and driven by young people, for young people. They give a voice to the elephant in the room by smashing the stigma around mental ill-health and empowering young people to reach out for support.

batyr have open honest conversations about mental health with young people, they have presented to St Peters students and teachers, and now parents/supporters will have the opportunity to hear from these mental health professionals.

To book online: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/batyr-parent-forummental-health-in-adolescents-tickets-64350408805

Symposium 2 – Teen Sleep and its Impact on Learning & Mental Health

Date: Tuesday 10 September – Dron Auditorium PAC

Time: 6:45pm

Cost: $5.00 – all proceeds from ticket sales will go to Headspace

Most of our children place little value on sleep and generally are poor sleep managers. Therefore, educationalists, parents, and health professionals all have an important role in detecting and resolving sleep deprivation.

Studies show people who are sleep deprived report increases in negative moods (anger, frustration, irritability, sadness) and decreases in positive moods. And sleeplessness is often a symptom of mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. ... So getting enough sleep and the right kind of sleep is important.

During this Symposium Dr Chris Seton – Paediatric & Adolescent Sleep Physician will show parents/supporters how important sleep is for learning and moods and then give practical strategies to optimise sleep. Dr Seton discusses solutions when detecting sleep problems and how to implement ways to build resilient, high quality sleep, with the ultimate aim of providing protection from stress-induced mood disorders, while achieving optimal school-learning outcomes.

Dr Seton is a Paediatric and Adolescent Sleep Physician who works as a Staff Specialist in the Sleep Investigation Unit and Respiratory Support Service at Westmead Children’s Hospital. He is the founding Director of the SAN Paediatric Sleep Laboratory and also consults in Paediatric Sleep Disorders at Hornsby and St Vincent’s Clinic, Darlinghurst.

Dr Seton’s special interests include Adolescent Sleep Deprivation, Paediatric Narcolepsy and the relationship between sleep and learning in children.

Gain a valuable insight into your teenager's sleep by coming along to this comprehensive Symposium.

To book online: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/teen-sleep-and-its-impact-on-learning-and-mental-health-tickets-64350597369

THE ROCK

The Rock Term 3, Week3: 1 August 2019

In This Newsletter

What's On

What's On | 2 August - 8 August 2019

Friday 2 August

Saturday 3 August

Sunday 4 August

Monday 5 August

Tuesday 6 August

Wednesday 7 August

Thursday 8 August

Head of College

The benefits of speaking more than one language

Ministry

Who do we think we are?

WALK MY WAY – St Peters Community

Korean Worship at St Peters

Important Notices

Photos

Sibling, Year 12 Prefects & 9A/9B Class & Portrait Photos

Sibling photos

Music photos

Around the College

Service Learning as Immersion – a trip to the outback

Red Centre Immersion Reflection

Langer Library

Plus Ultra Short Story Competition

Years 5-8

Years 9-12

World Vision and Jeans for Genes Day

Academic Matters

From the Academic Hub

SUBJECT SELECTIONS

Year 11 2020 - SET PLAN INTERVIEWS

Science

Primary Years

Why the new look?

Junior High

Junior High News

Character Strength of the Week - LOVE

Excellence in Christian Co-Education

Parent Information Sessions: 2020 Subject Selection and Ironbark

Jeans for Genes Day

Senior School

How to raise a tough teen

HOW TO RAISE A TOUGH TEEN

The Arts

VAPAr and Capture

VAPAr is coming!

CAPTURE entries are due this week!

Brisbane City Bands Festival – St Peters Symphonic Winds – Winners!

Theatresports

Jane Rutter 'Madame Flute' Signature Series Concert

Boarding

Girls Boarding

Sport

Primary Sport