Mrs Michelle McDonnell - Principal

It is hard to believe that we have almost reached the end of Term 1.  It has been a wonderful term, filled with learning for all in our community.  Our students have begun the year well, settled into their classes and are making amazing progress - their teachers are very proud of them.  Our teaching staff have undertaken professional learning in many areas and it was wonderful to see so many parents at our Parent Information Sessions last night to learn about the new Mathematics curriculum.  I hope that those who were able to attend found this helpful!

I trust that families were able to enjoy time together over the Easter long weekend, reflecting on the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus.  Perhaps you attended a church over this time?  It was wonderful to see many of our school families at the services at Campbelltown Anglican Churches.  I know that all of our local churches would love to see you back each Sunday.

With the upcoming holidays, I pray that families are able to spend some time relaxing and getting ready to return safely to school for an amazing Term 2!

It is exciting to be able to share with our school families that during Term 2, we will begin a renovation project on our Year 6 classroom spaces and the Main Administration building.  

This renovation will provide us with modern multipurpose classrooms, withdrawal / small group learning spaces, a new school clinic and interview spaces and a welcoming reception area accessible for all with the inclusion of a ramp.  This renovation will increase the number of classroom spaces within the school, allowing us to have all St Peter’s Heart classes fully integrated among their St Peter’s Grammar peers.

We envisage that building will begin early in Term 2 and to avoid disruption to learning and school operations, we will move our administration and clinic services during the upcoming school holiday break.  4M will be relocating to the ground floor of our library building, where we have created a self contained learning space for this class.  They will begin Term 2 in this space.

We are excited for the opportunities that the new spaces within our school will provide and look forward to sharing more details of them with you in the coming weeks.

I invite our school community to join us on Monday, 8 April at 9.00am for our first Whole School Assembly for 2024.  Students from Kindergarten - Year 6 in Grammar and Heart will attend this assembly, where we will gather as a school community to celebrate the completion of our first term and the learning that has taken place.

At St Peter’s we love to celebrate our Mothers along with other special people who play this role in our students' lives.  Please find below an invitation to our Mother’s Day Breakfast which will be held on Friday 10 May.  

Bookings are essential for catering purposes and can be made by scanning the QR code on the invitation.

We look forward to sharing this special event with you. 

A reminder to families that it is a requirement that we are provided with a reason for all student absences.  With the move to TASS, parents are sent a text message on the day of absence.  This message includes a link to the TASS Parent Lounge where parents can acknowledge the absence and provide a reason.  

There are a number of students with outstanding absence notifications.  We would appreciate parents attending to this prior to the end of Term 1.

Mrs Nerida Hadfield - Deputy Principal

Last Thursday our students celebrated Harmony and International days with an extravaganza of colour and culture! As a school we were exposed to a showcase of performances and parades. 

This was a day where we came together to celebrate the different cultures that make our school such a beautiful place. Students had the opportunity to learn about and appreciate the different traditions, languages, and customs that make us all unique.

When we learn about other cultures, we're not just learning about what makes us different, but also what makes us the same. We all love to laugh, play, and spend time with our families and friends. By understanding and respecting each other's cultures, we can build friendships that last a lifetime.

We had the chance to explore the world without leaving our school grounds. Students heard stories, were entertained, and some even learned a few words in languages from around the globe. By doing this, students were opening their hearts and minds to new experiences and broadening their horizons. This calls us to be OPEN MINDED.

Harmony Day isn't just about celebrating our differences; it's about coming together in unity and peace. It's about creating a world where everyone feels valued and respected, regardless of where they come from.

Thank you to all the students who performed at our showcase and to the staff team for their organisation of the day.

On Thursday, 25 April, ANZAC Day, St Peter's staff and students have been invited to participate with other schools, community members and RSL Veterans in the ANZAC Day March along Queen Street, Campbelltown. The March will conclude with a wreath laying ceremony at Mawson Park in respect of all who have given their lives in defence of this great country.

It would be wonderful to have as many of our students present to mark this significant day. If you are able to attend, students should wear full summer or winter uniform including their walking hat. We will assemble near Campbelltown Mall, on the corner of Queen and Allman Streets at 8.00am to secure our place for an 8.25am start to the march.

Please report to Mrs Hadfield, who will be present on the morning.

Our school Anzac Assembly will be held in the School Hall at 9am on our first day of Term 2. Parents are welcome to attend this service.

To finish our Harmony Day, the whole school had our Easter Chapel service in the hall. Miss Burns and Mr Stevenson spoke about the three gardens.

Mrs Jamie Nielson - Head of Teaching & Learning / PYP Coordinator

Last night, we hosted Primary Numeracy Project Parent Information sessions for our St Peter’s families. These sessions, led by Henrietta Miller from the Association of Independent Schools NSW (AISNSW), were designed to provide families with a deeper understanding of the NSW Mathematics Syllabus. Our main objective was to equip families with practical tools to support children in developing a solid foundation in their numeracy skills and understanding. 

A highlight from each of these sessions was the positive feedback from our families who embraced the opportunity to gain insight into the strategies and language used in Mathematics. 

As we plan for future information sessions, we want to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of parent feedback. We are grateful to those parents who not only expressed appreciation for the event, but also offered suggestions for future information sessions and parent education. This feedback reinforced the importance of tailoring our information sessions to address the specific interests and concerns of our families, ensuring that we provide relevant and valuable content that meets the needs of our school community.

It is widely recognised that strong home and school partnerships have a significant impact on student learning and educational success. At St Peter’s, we aim to build authentic connections with our families to provide our students with the best opportunity to thrive. We value the perspectives of our parents and school community, as they are crucial to the learning journey of each each student in our care.

With this in mind, we invite you to share your thoughts on what you would like to see addressed in Parent Education at St Peter’s. Please feel free to provide suggestions or topics you would like us to cover, as we endeavour to ensure that our future sessions are informative and relevant to you. 

Pleased find attached the link to our Parent Survey

Planning for the Future - Parent Education at St Peter’s 

For those families who were unable to attend our Primary Numearcy Project events last night, we have provided links to the session booklets to assist you in supporting your child in Mathematics. 

K-2 - PNP - Parent Information Session

3-6 - PNP - Parent Information Session

Mrs Kathy Hollis - Coordinator of Students Kindergarten - Year 2

In recent weeks as I have been speaking with children and their families, the topic of sleep has become a focus in many conversations. I believe that sleep is often overlooked as a crucial contributing factor to the health and wellbeing of our students.

Sleep is not merely a time of rest; it's a critical period for growth and development, especially for young children. During sleep, the body repairs tissues, consolidates memories, and releases essential hormones for growth. For primary-aged children, who are constantly learning and growing, sufficient sleep is essential.

The amount of sleep required varies with age, but according to the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, primary-aged children typically need between 9 to 11 hours of sleep per night. Sleep plays a critical role in memory consolidation and learning. When children are well-rested, they can better absorb and retain information. Various studies have shown that adequate sleep improves academic performance, including attention, problem-solving skills, and creativity. On the other hand, studies have also shown that children who are sleep-deprived are more prone to mood swings, irritability, and may have difficulty concentrating and controlling emotions.

Tips for Healthy Sleep Habits:

• Establish a Bedtime Routine: Create a consistent bedtime routine to signal to your child that it's time to wind down. This could include activities like reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practising relaxation techniques.

• Limit Screen Time: The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with the body's natural sleep-wake cycle. Avoid screens at least an hour before bedtime and consider implementing screen-free zones in bedrooms.

• Encourage Physical Activity: Regular exercise during the day can help children expend energy and promote better sleep at night. 

The Australian Child Wellbeing Project noted that difficulty sleeping was reported as the most frequent health complaint, occurring almost every day for 12% to 16% of participants in Years 4, 6, and 8. Further information regarding sleep and sleep problems can be found here

Happy Sleeping!

Mrs Kasie Bingham - Sports Administrator

Students are showing improvement in their fitness and skill as the term progresses. There are more wins, and shrinking margins where there is a loss. While we love praising and acknowledging student effort at sporting games, please be reminded that sharing of food rules are in place at IPSSO Inter-School sport games as they are at school. They cannot bring special treats or ice blocks to share, unless it is their birthday. We thank parents for supporting our policies around food.

We love constantly having parents come out to support our teams! If you would like to cheer the teams on from the sideline, download the Term 1 Draw and squeeze a lunch break into your work schedules.

Week 9 - v. Wollondilly Anglican College

Week 10 - v. Macarthur Anglican School

Please note the following updates to the draw:

Week 11 puts the Summer Inter-School sports on hold. These existing teams will resume in Term 4.

Term 2 & Term 3 Winter Sports (Junior: grades 3/4, Senior: grades 5/6)

• Mixed AFL (A selection of 7 boys & 7 girls)

• Boys Soccer (A selection of 15 boys)

• Newcombe Ball (Jnr) / Volleyball (Snr) (A selection of 6 boys & 6 girls)

• Netball (A selection of 10 girls)

Trials for Winter Teams will be held during allocated Sports time on Wednesdays, 1st May & 8th May (Week 1 & Week 2). The AFL teams will be determined in Week one due to a workshop during the Week 2 Trials. All other teams will have two weeks of trials. Students may trial for more than 1 sport.

As always, students face the starting line at Cross Country with a flat surface in their eye line, the inclining treacherous mountains eventually coming into view. Cross Country is no easy Sunday Park Run; it is a test of fitness and stamina. This becomes clear to students early on, with the survival of the fittest aiming for the finish line, knowing they could run the two kilometres or three kilometres at a steady pace to the end.

Students should be proud of their efforts, whether they ran or walked the track (or maybe attempted a mixture of both). The cold water in their drink bottles would have tasted the sweetest it ever had before once they completed the enormous feat. Then, there were the annual Tug-O-War battles within grades and between sport houses, and independent picnic games that included a school favourite - 9 square!

Our utmost gratitude is to be given to the parents available to help on the day. We appreciate the time and energy that is given. We cannot run successful carnivals without you!

Congratulations to our Cross Country Champions for 2024:

Students will receive their awards at the Sports Assembly in Term 2. Parents will receive notification for this.

We are excited to announce record breakers this year!

Congratulations to the following students who have progressed and will compete at the IPSHA Cross Country Carnival at The King’s College.

• Andy W

• Kalev G

• Harrison S

• Lachlan S

• Xavier B

• Isaac C

• Liam M

• Woojin S

• Samuel L

• Christian S

• Noah S

• William P

• Buck B

• Ava W

• Francesca A

• Karla M

• Kyriana P

• Zoe P

• Ava S

IPSHA and CIS sport team trials are for students in Years 3-6 excelling in a sport at a representative level.

If you have a child who will be in Years 3-6 in 2024, who is already involved a Club Sport Representative team outside of school, please email me to let me know sport@stpeters.nsw.edu.au There are still many other opportunities for State Rep Team Trials in 2024 that include:

• Cricket

• Rugby Union

• Boy’s Field Hockey

• Girls Field Hockey

• Rugby League

• Golf

• Boys and Girls Softball

• Gymnastics

In your email, please inform me of their representative / development team they play for and their preferred playing positions. Entries are limited, so school trials may need to take place.

A huge congratulations to Lachlan S who attended the CIS Swimming Carnival on Wednesday, 27th March. He was decorated with a bronze medal for his efforts in the 50m Backstroke. We are excited and immensely proud of Lachlan’s progression to the State PSSA Swimming Carnival on Friday, 12th April.

The highlight of this term for Kindergarten has been learning how the sounds and letters we have been learning go together to make words and how the words go together to make sentences that we can read and write. 

With the need for explicit instruction evident, here in Kindergarten at St Peter’s Anglican Grammar, our literacy instructional routines are key to learning to read and write for our littlest learners. We ensure that these daily learning routines are fun, fast & friendly! They are highly interactive learning experiences, which are not all about the teacher, but are back and forth, with student participation highly valued and expected. Our students adore their involvement, especially using their whiteboards like their big Year 6 buddies!

Kindergarten follows this instructional routine with play and exploration! Research tells us it's a very valuable way for children under seven years of age to learn, allowing them to rehearse and practise what we have previously focused on during whole class lessons. Watching our learners chatting and playing with words is beautiful!

Mrs Fiona Singline - Library Assistant

A big thank you to all who came to our Book Fair before and after the Easter weekend.

Here are just some of the books your support enabled us to buy for the Library.

Our next Book Fair will be in Week 4 of Term 4, close to Christmas!

With Thanks and Happy Reading,

Mrs Singline 

A variety of Peripatetic Tutors are approved to provide tuition during school hours in the following areas:

Piano (K –Year 6)
Cello (Years 2–6)
Guitar (Years K–6)
Singing (Years K–6)

Piano Tutors
Mrs Jiann Bekes | 0411 300 560 | 4625 8290 | jbekes540@gmail.com
Mrs Koula Johnson | 0405 680 028 | koulajohnson@gmail.com
Guitar Tutor
Mr Daniel Myer | 0439 716 734 | daniel@ultimateguitaracademy.com
Vocal Tutor
Mrs Francesca Olson | Mobile: 0413 942 632 | francesca.olson@gmail.com

Piano / Cello Tutor
Ms Samira Dib| Mobile: 0418 248 239

• Please give thanks for an excellent Harmony Day last Thursday. We are very thankful for the cultural richness and diversity in our school.
• Please pray for teachers who are unwell in the lead up to the school holidays. Pray for good rest and recovery.
• Give thanks for the end of Term 1. Thank God for sustaining staff and students and for the joy of being part of this School community.

Term 1

Friday, 2 February 2024 - Friday, 12 April 2024

Application form is online, click here to go directly to the online application.  

Together with their partners NSW Police Legacy has been producing the Child Safety Handbook for over 10 years. The Handbook aims to raise awareness about risks to children and steps that can be taken to protect and keep them safe.

The Handbook has the support of the NSW Government and of the NSW Governor, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Patron of NSW Police Legacy.

The intent is for all primary school students in NSW to receive a digital copy of the Handbook. You can view the handbook via the link below.

NSW Police Legacy Child Safety Handbook