Mrs Michelle McDonnell - Principal

At St. Peter's we are very proud of our students and encourage them to show pride in the way they present themselves each day, coming to school ready to learn.  You will have noticed we have been reminding students of our uniform expectations as they arrive at school in the morning by way of a sticker in their diary.  In doing so, we have seen a marked improvement in the wearing of uniform correctly every day and we thank parents and carers for their ongoing support in this matter.

Students in Prep - Year 2 will be participating in the Junior Primary Athletics Carnival on Friday, 25 September 2020.

• Students are to wear Full Sports Uniform, with House colour polo shirt and sport shorts worn underneath tracksuit.  
• Students must wear their normal white sports sneakers.
• Please ensure that your child brings sufficient water for the day.

Unfortunately, due to COVID - 19 restrictions this year our carnival will be for students only. 

As part of this special day students will have the opportunity to purchase up to two items from the Canteen at recess. Students may choose from chips, popcorn, ice blocks and juice boxes.

Orders and payments must be made online prior to the day and students will use Pete's Cash at the Carnival.

Canteen Link: Canteen Booking System

Thank you for your support and we look forward to an exciting day!

As perviously advised, the final day of Term will be a half day for students. 

If families would like to collect their children early please click on the Google Form

Drive through will occur in the main car park only for all students. Prep students will need to be collected from the gate, as normal.

Today our students have had a wonderful time engaging in Science activities. They explored different concepts related to water and our oceans, and enjoyed a wonderful presentation by our Fizzics Education presenter, Ben.

Thanks to all of our teachers for the activities they prepared and to all of our students for being amazing inquirers and problem-solvers!

Mrs Lana Schwigtenberg - OSHC Coordinator

Hello from OSHC.

The children have been continuing to have fun with their peers and educators as they engage in many activities. Some of their favourites have been playing T-ball, soccer, tennis, and foosball. They have also been busy with spring craft, gardening, and playing Kahoot.

If you have not noticed, loom bands are back! The children have loved these and they have been working on their own and in groups to create the longest loom band chain. They have also been making lots of bracelets and necklaces. We have extended the children’ s interests here with the introduction of French knitting which they have been loving. 

A reminder that our Vacation Care Programme will close today.

If you have not made a booking but would like to do so please book on line through the Trybooking Link ASAP.

If you need to cancel any booking please contact Lana Schwigtenberg through the OSHC email: oshc@stpeters.nsw.edu.au

Families have the option to pay the Annual Fees for 2021 at current years’ rates if paid in full by 31 October 2020.

Please email casc@casc.org.au  to register your interest.

• Give thanks for God's safety and provision throughout the term.

• Pray for our new students and families as they settle into the St. Peter's Community

• Give thanks for our School nurse Mrs Sultana and the safe arrival of her baby boy, Christian Robert.

• Give thanks for Mrs George and the safe arrival of her baby girl Abigail Margaret. 

 Term 3

Monday, 27 July 2020 - Friday, 25 September 2020

Week 9

Wednesday, 23 September 2020

Years 3 -6 Modified Cross Country Carnival

Friday, 25 September 2020

Prep - Year 2 Junior Primary Athletics Carnival / Half Day

Year 3 - Roald Dahl Day

Food Day - Canteen at Recess

Last Day of Term 3

School Holidays

Monday, 28 September 2020 - 9 October 2020

Term 4 

Monday, 12 October 2020 - Tuesday, 8 December 2020

Monday, 12 October 2020

Students Commence Term 4

Friday, 16 October 2020

10:00am - 11:00am - Prep Story & Play

I am pleased to confirm that our Winter IPSSO Teams will play in a best of three competition against Broughton Anglican College and St Gregs in Term 4.

A reminder that Soccer and AFL require the red football socks and Volleyball and Netball will require the St. Peter's sport ankle socks.

I trust that you have had the opportunity to review the specific communication from the Head of Development & Operations in relation to a very harmful video that was being circulated across a number of platforms on social media. 

Unfortunately the reality of the dangers, alongside the many benefits, of social media is becoming more clear as time goes on. The risks associated with unfiltered or unsupervised access to the internet has the very real potential that our children will be exposed to information, images or other content that is not only unhelpful, but also potentially damaging. 

Our senior staff spend considerable time addressing social issues that often stem from unsupervised or unmonitored access to the internet. I cannot stress more clearly the importance of regular check ins, conversations and access to the internet being limited to common spaces in your home. 

There are specific guidelines on most social media platforms that wisely restrict access to these for primary aged students. 13+ is common on Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. A simple hands up exercise in classrooms often shows that many of our students have access to these sites. I encourage some conversations amongst families to ensure the safety of our children. 

It isn't just the alarming video that was embedded into innocent posts on these sites in recent weeks. The over sexualisation of our children is commonplace and something we must seek to avoid. 

If you would like to discuss options or advice on these important matters, I encourage you to make contact with one of our Stage Deans, Mrs Nielson, Mrs Hollis, Mrs Hadfield or Mr Stevenson. Mr Connell as our Dean of ICT is another source of support for wisdom in this vital area. 

Mrs Nerida Hadfield - Deputy Principal

During Term Three, students in Year 3 delved into the creative world of Roald Dahl. They have been reading a range of books written by Dahl and have been participating in a range of activities based on their novel. From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Esio Trot to Matilda, students have enjoyed the opportunity to read these novels.

To celebrate the end of the term and the amazing work students have been doing, we are having Roald Dahl Day on Friday, 25 September 2020.

Students are encouraged to dress as their favourite Roald Dahl character and will be participating in a range of fun activities to conclude Term Three.

On Monday and Friday of Week 7, the Prep classes celebrated Intumbane Slipper Day by coming to school wearing their pyjamas and slippers. Even the teachers joined in on the fun by donning their pj's to start and end the week in comfort!

It was a great day of fun and excitement for our students and wonderful to see our Prep children taking part in supporting our friends in Intumbane.  

This term has seen the return of Tennis Coaching to School Sport.

We have developed a new partnership with the local Tennis Club and as interest builds, private lessons during class time on a Tuesday as well as lunchtime on Tuesday and Wednesday have begun.

If you are interested in small group lessons with 4-6 students, call Jared from Centre Court Tennis on 0404 457 088. Alternatively check out their website at

www.centrecourttennis.com.au

Another vital area that it is important to maintain awareness of, is child protection. I want every child to be known and cared for as they are taught a quality, Christian education here at St. Peter's. We take the protection of our children seriously and comply with all legislation and requirements amongst students, staff, parents and others who may be in our school to have access to our students from time to time. 

The School has a very comprehensive Child Protection Policy and we undergo regular child protection training both here at school and beyond. Part of the legislation and policy at times requires the School to investigate allegations or concerns in relation to child protection. The School takes this responsibility very seriously. 

We also recognise that at times, a child may inform you of information that the School is unaware of. Parents have a vital role to play in the safety of their children in this regard also. If you have something that you are concerned about, I encourage you to contact the School. If the matter is sensitive, please ask to speak with Mr Raft, Mrs McDonnell or myself. 

The partnership in supporting the safe development of our children, cannot be underestimated. I am incredibly thankful for the partnership of our families. 

As the end of year slowly creeps up on us, the reality of changes this year continue to become evident. Things that we have postponed until later in the year, now appear unlikely to continue. It is an unfortunate reality that camps will not occur this year. I am thankful that Year 6 had their first camp at the commencement of the year. Other year groups will be factored into planning for 2021. The School is considering ways to celebrate with our students where they may miss out on something important. 

Our Year 6 students will be pleased to learn that they are currently able to have a Graduation event, most likely this will need to occur at school, without parents and other visitors. The School is investigating ways of being able to share aspects of this safely with families and I am well aware of the disappointment of many that this long standing tradition will need to occur differently. 

Likewise, we fully expect that the end of year Presentation Evening will not be able to proceed as planned. Again, the School will be investigating ways of celebrating our achievements in this year, in different ways. 

Of course, should any of these events be able to proceed as normal, we will do so, where the safety and wellbeing of our community is not compromised. Please don't hesitate to catch me if you have any queries in this regard. 

It gives me great delight to know that our staff love teaching and spending time in the classroom. Mr Raft has approached me and asked for the opportunity of teaching in the classroom next year to further develop his craft and understanding of the PYP. Whilst Mr Raft's gentleness and support of our student community will be universally missed, there will be a cohort of students who will be delighted to have him as their classroom teacher in 2021.

Whilst the Council determine the future offerings of the School, I have therefore asked Mrs Jennifer Shipway to take on the role of Dean of Junior Primary in 2021 and Mrs Nerida Hadfield to take on the role of Dean of Primary. Collectively, Jennifer and Nerida will oversee our students and community throughout the year. Please join me in thanking Andrew for his stellar approach to our students and congratulate Jennifer and Nerida on this new opportunity.

I am delighted to announce the evolution of our Tech Skills Programme into a wider scope of STEAM.

STEAM is authentically, transdisciplinary learning at heart. Miss Samantha Oberle has agreed to be the inaugural teacher of our STEAM Programme, as our Dean of Inquiry, for Kindergarten to Year 6 students. STEAM will incorporate hands on Science, Technology, Engineering and Entrepreneurship, Arts and Mathematics.

We look forward to the development of some exciting initiatives in this area. 

Mr Connell will return to the classroom in 2021 and continue to oversee ICT in the School, both of which he is excited about. 

A reminder that next Friday, 25 September 2020 is the final day to advise the Headmaster in writing should you be intending to leave St. Peter's at the end of the year. This is incredibly important as budgets are determined and decisions on employment of staff are finalised.

We recognise that circumstances may have changed for families and therefore request to be kept informed of your decisions as early as possible. 

Of course, if you'd like to chat about your circumstances, please don't hesitate to get in contact.

As we await the arrival of the term break, I want to acknowledge the challenging year we continue to experience. I am incredibly thankful for the health and wellbeing of our School Community and recognise the wonderful support of our families as the goal posts continue to shift.

We wish all of our families a safe and relaxing holiday period. 

Mrs Kathy Hollis - Coordinator of Students Kindergarten - Year 2

On Friday, 11 September 2020, Year 2 had a fun day being Inventors. It was wonderful to see the students dressed as so many different Inventors and so interesting listening to them share their knowledge of the person they were dressed as.

Their challenge for the day was to adapt a piece of technology we use today to make it even better for the future. They were especially challenged to think how their technology would make life easier or better or people.