In this edition
Dear Families
On Saturday we had our School Tour. This is such a wonderful occasion as it provides the opportunity to showcase the St Peter’s Girls’ ELC and the rich learning that is happening in each Learning Community. I love seeing the joy on families’ faces as they experience our beautiful environment and hear the positive comments that are shared. One of the families mentioned that the atmosphere felt warm, homely and inviting. The Reggio Emilia approach places a strong emphasis on the construction of the learning environment.
This week we had our ELC New Family Welcome Evening. This is a great time to chat about our ELC environment and the program and practice that occurs at St Peter’s Girls’ ELC. We get to engage with families at the start of their early learning journey. During the preparation for the presentation to families, I am reminded of John Dewey, an educational theorist, who is well known for saying, ‘Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself’. At a time when children’s brains are growing so rapidly and they are laying the foundation for their brain architecture, it is so important that we are providing them with an environment that sparks wonder, joy, curiosity and imagination. It is also essential that the children have a voice in their learning, are able to be active and engaged participants.
Next time you walk through the ELC environment, look carefully at the learning spaces; they are carefully curated to support children’s learning and developmental needs. You will see the rich inquiry around our central idea, ‘Celebrations can tell stories’. I have loved seeing the explorations and investigations into Diwali and the festival of light, children unpacking why we celebrate birthdays and the inquiry into Ceremonies in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. When we make changes to the environment, it is always through the lens of how this will support children’s learning and development and provide opportunities for connection and collaboration.
Liz Schembri Director of ELC
Important Dates
Monday 13 November: Reception Transition Visits Commence
Friday 1 December: ELC End of Year Celebration
Monday 4 December: ELC Hat Ceremony
Thursday 7 December: Last Day of Term 4
ELC Upgrade and Extension Announcement
Dear Families
We are thrilled to share some wonderful news with you. As part of our commitment to providing the best possible educational experience for your children, we are pleased to announce that we will be upgrading and extending our St Peter’s Girls’ ELC. This expansion will bring new opportunities for growth and development for your children.
What to expect:
- Extension of the current learning space
- Brand new commercial kitchen
- New and additional toilets for children and staff
- Upgraded Piazza
- Extension to the outdoor play area
When to expect the changes:
The upgrade and extension will begin at the end of this year, and we anticipate completion by January 2025.
Our School Leadership Team has worked alongside the architects, builders and the Educational Standards Board to ensure that any changes to the ELC will cause minimum disruption to the children and families throughout 2024 and to ensure protocols are in place.
Where to from here:
In Learning Community 1, we will continue to offer a smooth transition into the Early Learning Centre. We will continue to create a strong sense of belonging and consistency for children and families, laying the foundation for children’s social and emotional development and continued success for learning. Children are supported to build deep relationships with teachers and peers, as well as share their knowledge through intentional group experiences as we cater for each child’s holistic development.
To support each child’s transition from Learning Community 1 into Learning Community 2, they will move into the Erindale room, our current Pathway room. During this time, children’s independence and their growing developmental needs will be nurtured, such as their transition from sleep times and other key milestones. The children in the Erindale classroom will build strong relationships with Pathway staff and become familiar with the Learning Community environment through a planned and intentional approach around the transition into Learning Community 2.
12 month Pathway to School:
We have received extremely positive feedback from the community around our Pathway to School. We realise the value that a full year of Pathway offers our children in supporting them to develop the capabilities that they need to be successful learners and helping them to further develop their independence.
From 2024 children will be in Pathway to School for 12 months. We will have two Pathway rooms:
- One for children transitioning to school in the Mid-Year intake
- One for children who will transition at the start of a school year
Kirsty Porplycia will be the leader in Learning Community 2 and will oversee Pathway to School in 2024. Fundamental capabilities that are accelerated through our Pathway to School include social, emotional and self-management skills to further develop independence, organisation and resilience. Literacy, numeracy and STEM explorations are amplified during daily rich inquiries and interwoven play activities, guided by problem-solving and creativity. Relationships are developed with key staff in the Junior School, and emphasis is placed on familiarising children with the environment and facilities of school. Children will be supported to feel confident and comfortable as they transition into Reception and embark on the next stage of their learning journey.
Information sessions:
We will be holding information sessions to discuss our upgrade and expansion and any questions that you may have. These sessions will be held in the ELC on:
- Tuesday 14 November at 8.30am
- Tuesday 21 November at 6pm
To attend an information session please Book Now.
We are pleased to show this continuous endeavour to provide an exceptional learning environment for our children and families. We look forward to 2024 and supporting your child to thrive and reach their full potential.
Water and Sensory Play in the ELC
At St Peter’s Girls’ ELC, we value and offer children a diverse range of play-based provocations and mediums to explore. As summer approaches, we embrace this change in season and use it as an opportunity to emphasise the importance of non-conventional play opportunities such as water and sensory play.
Our team of educators know that our senses are the gateways through which we perceive the world, for young minds, this exploration is a fundamental building block for cognitive development. Sensory play engages a child’s sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing, laying the groundwork for enhanced neural connections.
The tactile experiences that children receive through their engagement with different materials not only promotes fine motor skills but also fosters an understanding of the physical world. It’s through sensory play that children learn to distinguish between various textures, temperatures and shapes, refining their sensory perception.
The philosophy within our ELC views sensory and water play as vital components of a holistic approach to early childhood education. Because of this, we kindly ask that families support their children to engage in these meaningful learning opportunities by packing ample spare clothing items including spare underwear and shoes, so that barriers to water and sensory play are eliminated.
Chloe Skoss
Learning Community 2 (Ferguson Room)
Nature Education Fun at Playgroup
This week, Playgroup had a visit from the Nature Education Centre. Our host, Christina, introduced the children and families to a range of unique creatures from soft possums, hopping marsupials and a large range of lizards. This visit provided the children with an opportunity to marvel at the beauty of our native wildlife and through the nature of play and touch, children delighted in the individual moments they received with each animal. These simple moments of joy and excitement laid the foundation for cognitive development.
It is widely known that play is the fundamental component of early childhood development. However, what is often underestimated is the significate role it plays in shaping young minds. When children engage in play, they enhance problem-solving skills, boost theory creativity and sharpen their cognitive abilities. The visit from Nature Ed was a perfect example of how it can be seamlessly integrated into the educational experiences of children of any age, igniting the children’s curiosity and paving the way for a thirst of knowledge.
The Playgroup children unknowingly embarked on a lifelong journey of discovery, soaking up knowledge about local animals, their habitats and diet. By exposing them to these valuable learning moments, their parents were nurturing their intellectual growth and expanding their cognitive abilities all in a social and heart-warming way.
Playgroup runs every Wednesday during School term from 9.30 – 11am. Please contact Kathy McCabe at kmccabe@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au for more information about this weekly event.
Kathy McCabe
Playgroup Coordinator
News from Learning Community 1
One of the earliest skills children develop in mathematics is to notice. To be able to make comparisons, children must be able to notice differences and similarities in their environment. It is widely recognised that the ability to notice size, space and quantity lays the foundation for the development of all mathematics skills to follow. Once established, children can sort, classify and begin to make patterns.
Throughout the year, the educators in Learning Community 1 have been observing and listening closely to identify what children are noticing in the spaces around the ELC. These observations tell us what to put into our environment for the children to explore and work with. During Term 4, we have been working closely alongside the children in the Bell Yett and Stonyfell rooms to further develop understandings of pattern. Pattern is at the heart of all mathematics and children notice patterns in the world around them from a very young age. Research from Australian universities have indicated skill and understanding of pattern in early childhood greatly supports later mathematical competence in number, geometry and algebraic thinking.
Whilst working alongside the children in Learning Community 1, we have followed the simple rule that a pattern is a ‘design that repeats itself’. As a whole class, we have highlighted the pattern we can make in song and body movement, for example, clapping loudly, softly, loudly, softly, and tapping heads, shoulders, heads and shoulders. Within intentional small groups, we have worked with a range of open-ended materials to copy a simple repeating pattern. For example, using coloured beads to copy a ‘red, blue, red, blue, red, blue’ repeating pattern. Sounding out the pattern has greatly supported the children’s ability to follow along.
The learning intention in small groups is differentiated to consider age and experience. Groups of older children have been invited to experiment with more complex patterning, using materials to continue a pattern or adding a third and fourth element to their design. Alongside pattern, educators have also been scaffolding children’s ability to recognise number and match numerals.
Exploration of mathematical concepts are playful and full of exciting experimentation. Educators are mindful to point out to children when they are ‘thinking like a mathematician’ in their play and exploration, as we endeavour to create a life-long love for mathematics.
Nell Tierney, Annabelle Redmond and Jessica Catt
Learning Community 1
News from Learning Community 2
During Week 3, across the entire ELC, we celebrated our learning through sharing our Portfolios. Every child’s Portfolio was available in the Piazza for the entire week for families to look through with their child and for the children to share with their friends and educators.
Our Portfolios are used as a powerful tool to document and share the children’s involvement in our inquiry units. The Portfolios demonstrate their involvement in these explorations. They are a great way to see the journey of learning, what we have explored and the progress the children have made. For the children, their Portfolios are a joyful way to see what they have achieved and worked on across the terms.
The children have been working in small groups to look at their own Portfolios and then to share them with their peers and educators. They loved reflecting on the learning that has occurred and what their favourite parts have been so far. It has been a wonderful opportunity to tell their own story of their learning and show just how much they have been involved in.
We hope you have enjoyed this opportunity to sit with your child and celebrate their learning!
Chloe Skoss and Laura Reiters
Learning Community 2
News from Pathway to School
In the Pathway to School classroom, the children are initiating much discussion about going to school. The children have started to share their excitement, wonderings and nerves about starting Reception and what their future pathway looks like as they move into the school environment.
One observation that the children often share with us is that ‘there are lots of big kids’ at the School when they visit. To support the children to feel more comfortable sharing their learning environment with older children, we have connected with one of our Year 3 classes and have started a Buddy Program, where they have been visiting the Pathway to School classroom and we have engaged in several experiences together. Having the opportunity to talk to, play with and learn alongside an older student builds confidence in our younger children and supports their social and emotional learning.
Older children benefit from the Buddy Program as well, as it allows them to mentor our ELC children, which builds on their sense of responsibility and empathy skills. It is joyful to watch the Pathway children greet the Year 3 students as they walk through the doors and delight in the opportunity to reconnect with their buddy. Over the next few weeks our Buddy Program will expand, and we will be connecting with the Reception and Mid-Year Reception classrooms.
Kirsty Porplycia and Kathy McCabe
Learning Community 2 (Pathway)
ELC Giving Tree
In a special ELC tradition, and as part of the Saints Girls’ Anglicare Christmas Food Hamper Drive, we are once again partnering with Anglicare SA for our annual ELC Giving Tree.
ELC families are invited to bring a donation from Thursday 23 November (Week 6) to place under the ELC Giving Tree for families less fortunate. The ELC Giving Tree will be placed in the Piazza.
General Hamper:
- Long life milk 1L
- Spread (peanut butter, jam, vegemite) 400/500g
- Can of fruit 825g
- Can of vegetables (corn, peas, mix) 420g
- Can of beans (chickpea, cannellini, kidney)
- Can of baked beans or spaghetti 420g
- Can of soup
- Can of diced tomatoes
- Jar of pasta sauce 500g
- Packet of pasta 500g
- Breakfast cereal 700g
- Coffee, milo or tea
Christmas Fare Hamper:
- Christmas pudding
- Pkt fruit mince pies
- Tin/pkt shortbread or sweet biscuits
- Pkt savoury biscuits (Jatz, shapes or rice crackers)
- Chips (crisps, pretzels, nuts)
- Bag of lollies
Please leave unwrapped.
The final date for all donations is Friday 2 December.
A tax-deductible gift can also be made to the 2023 AnglicareSA Christmas Appeal. Simply visit the website at www.anglicaresa.com.au to donate today.
Thank you for your participation in this special giving tradition.
来自ELC园长：
亲爱的家长朋友们，
在上周六是我们的ELC参观日。这是一个非常好的契机为大家展示圣彼得女校ELC和每个学习社区中正在发生的丰富的学习。我感到很高兴的是，能看到家长朋友们在参观我们ELC学习环境时所露出的喜悦，听到他们分享的积极反馈。其中一个家庭提到，气氛真的很温暖，感觉很温馨，很吸引人。正如瑞吉欧教学所展现的一样，学习环境的建设是十分重要的。
本周我们将举行ELC新家庭欢迎晚会。这是也是一个很好的机会来谈谈我们ELC的学习环境以及正在进行的教学实践。这是一个特别的时刻，我们与新家庭交流的时刻，来开启他们的早期学习之旅。在准备演讲的过程中，我想起了教育理论家约翰·杜威的名言:“教育不是为生活做准备，教育就是生活本身。”当孩子们的大脑发育得如此之快，他们正在为他们的大脑结构奠定基础时，我们为他们提供一个激发奇迹、快乐、好奇心和想象力的环境是非常重要的。同样重要的是，孩子们在学习中有发言权，能够成为积极参与者。
当下次你走进ELC环境时，欢迎您来看一看我们的学习空间;他们是被精心策划以支持儿童的学习和发展需要。您将看到围绕我们教学中心思想：“庆典可以讲述故事”的丰富的探究。我很高兴的是能看到对“排灯节（Diwali）”和光的探究。孩子们解释我们庆祝生日的原因，以及对原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民文化仪式的学习。当我们对环境做出改变时，我们总是考虑到这将如何支持孩子们的学习和发展，来创造联系和合作的机会。
园长
Liz Schembri
Emma Huang (ELC Educator and Chinese Community Contact, Fluent in Mandarin) works in Learning Community 1 on Mondays and Tuesdays from 8:30am – 4:30pm.
Book Now: ELC End of Year Celebration
Book Now for the ELC End of Year Celebration!
To ensure our biggest community event runs smoothly, we ask that you please follow these guidelines:
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Please arrive at 5.30pm, for a 5.45pm start. This allows time for the children to get settled into their classes before the celebration begins. The children are invited to wear their Christmas party clothes.
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The children will gather on Chiverton Lawns with each ELC classroom having an allocated space.
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The Lawns will be for picnic rugs brought by families only, with chairs to be placed around the perimeter of the grassed area.
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Food and beverages will be available for pre-purchase. Please feel free to bring along your own picnic basket with snacks and drinks.
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During the sharing of the Christmas Carols, we ask that everyone remains seated so that every parent can have a clear view of their child.
RSVP your family and pre-purchase food and drink by Monday 27 November by clicking Book Now.
This is a much-loved event, so most importantly, enjoy the festivities and have fun!
We look forward to sharing this special time with you and your family.
New Uniform – Compulsory for 2024
The ELC is excited about the launch of our new custom-designed uniform. This beautiful new range takes into consideration the unique sizes, proportions and needs of our youngest community members, giving our ELC children a smart, cohesive look, and simplifying the routine of getting dressed in the morning.
As of Term 1, 2024, the new ELC uniform will be compulsory, consisting of both the top and bottom pieces (t-shirt; shorts; long sleeve top; long pants). A plain navy-coloured long sleeve top will be permitted to be worn underneath the t-shirt.
For summer and high UV periods, children will wear the new ELC bucket hat, and for cooler periods, there is a new ELC jacket and vest. These items are available from the School Shop.
All items that come to the ELC, including your child’s clothing and water bottle, must be clearly named.
Please ensure your child wears appropriate enclosed footwear for active and safe play, including excursions into Ferguson Park.
School Shop Hours
Monday – Friday: 8am – 4pm (Closed 12 – 12.30pm for lunch)
2024 ELC Enrolment Requirements
We are working through our intake offers for next year and need to ensure our current families have their allocated days in place. We will do our best to accommodate any changes of, or extra days requested; however, this will be based on availability. Please notify Sarah Elliott via selliott@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au if you require an amendment to your days moving forward in 2024, or if you are leaving the Centre at the end of this year.
Our New MyLink Parent Portal Tutorials
We are excited to share our new myLink Parent Portal Instructional Tutorials with you. Our tutorials provide insight into the many features that myLink has to offer including accessing your child’s Learning Community Homepage, placing online Tuck Shop and School Shop orders. Please enjoy exploring the range of tutorials via the links below: ELC Parents Tuck Shop and Online Uniform Shop Ordering
Accessing myLink for the first time:
Each parent has an individual username to access our myLink Parent Portal. Please note that the username is your ID number followed by @stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au (your ID number has been provided to you in an email from the School). If you have not accessed myLink before or have forgotten your password, please follow these steps:
- Visit https://mylink.stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
- Sign in with your parent username
- Click on ‘Forgot my password’
- Make sure the ‘email’ address is your parent username, type in the code, then click the blue ‘Next’ button
- Enter your mobile number registered with the School, with the area code (Australia is +61), dropping the 0 at the beginning (e.g. +61 400000000). Then select ‘Text’
- Enter the security code sent to your mobile number
- Enter the password you would like to use and click ‘Finish’
- Return to the login screen at https://mylink.stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au to access myLink
Accessing the Learning Community Home Page through myLink:
- Access myLink as per the above instructions
- Click on the ‘MYLINK HOME’ tab
- Click on your child’s name tab
- Under ‘Class Contacts’, click on the ELC room name (you may need to enter your user name and password again)
Accessing the Canvas Parent App for the first time:
- Ensure you have previously logged in to myLink on a PC
- Download the Canvas Parent App from your App Store
- Click the ‘Find School’ button
- Look up: stpetersgirls
- Log in using your parent username and password
- Tap on ‘ELC 2023’
- Click on ‘Front Page’ on the top right-hand side
- Here, you can navigate the page through the app
Please note: we do not use the message feature on this app, and ask families to contact their child’s teacher via email rather than this message feature.
If you have any issues accessing or navigating myLink, please contact our IT Hub via helpdesk@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au or 8334 2227.
ELC’s Online Etiquette Policy: please note that the ELC Learning Community Home Page and ELC News contain images and videos of other children. We therefore ask that you do not copy or share images or videos, especially on social media, if they contain other children.
Car Parking Notice
Families are reminded to be extra vigilant when parking on Hallett Road, Stonyfell Road and within the School car park during drop-off and pick-up times. The health and safety of our community is our highest priority, and we ask families to park in a safe and designated parking space on these roads and neighbouring streets. With a constant flow of traffic on the main roads surrounding our School, and families and children present in this vicinity, it is crucial for all drivers to move in and out of parking spaces with caution.
Please supervise children closely when getting into and out of the car. Families are reminded to use the pedestrian crossing to safely cross Hallett Road and Stonyfell Road and model appropriate road safety behaviour. Please do not leave siblings or other children in the car when dropping off or collecting your child.
Late Fee Reminder
A reminder to all families that a late fee is applied for any pickups after 6pm, Monday to Friday in the ELC.
The fee is as follows: $15 per every 15 minutes after 6pm.
We ask all parents to remember to sign their children in and out when arriving and departing from the Centre. This helps to ensure that we have an accurate record of all children who are present at any given time.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our ELC Enrolments and Finance Officer Sarah Elliott via selliott@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Thank you for your understanding.
Sun Smart Practices in the ELC
Following Cancer Council advice, our Centre has strong guidelines for sun protection, mainly on days the UV is 3 and above. Recently, the UV has been high for small parts of the day; therefore, it is important for families to be aware of the following. We ask all families to please return your child’s hat to the ELC, so our Centre can be prepared for warmer days throughout the term as well as Term 4. It’s important that children access the outdoor spaces and Ferguson Conservation Park, which requires children to wear their hats depending on the weather. Please ensure your child’s hat is labelled clearly with their name. Thank you for supporting our sun safe practices. For more information, please visit the Cancer Council website.
School Health Centre Notices
Minimise the spread!
To minimise the spread of illness please keep your child at home if they have:
- Received Panadol or Nurofen in the morning
- A fever of 38 or above – children can return to the Centre 24 hours after their last elevated temperature
- Swollen glands
- A continuous runny nose
- A sore throat
- A consistent cough without a doctor’s clearance
- Been unusually tired or lethargic
- Been vomiting or have diarrhoea. Children should be kept home until the these symptoms have been absent for at least 24 hours.
- An undiagnosed rash
We look forward to your child returning once their symptoms are cleared so they can be happy and engaged in learning.
Remember to cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow and wash hands regularly for at least 20 seconds.
COVID-19 Information
Please find the latest guidance from SA Health:
- It is strongly recommended that students stay home if they have cold or flu-like symptoms, and test for COVID-19.
- Whether they receive a positive or negative result, they should stay home until symptoms subside (usually five to seven days).
If your child tests positive to COVID-19, please notify the School. Please also notify the School each day of absence, or provide the expected period of absence.
You can notify us via one of the following methods. Please include the name of the ELC Room. If emailing, feel free to ‘CC’ the teacher/s of the room as well.
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS) Phone: 8334 2200
If children are displaying symptoms, it is mandatory that we send them home. SA Health guidelines advise that symptoms include:
- Fever (a temperature of 37.5˚C or higher) or chills
- Cough
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Tiredness (fatigue)
- Runny or blocked nose
- Shortness of breath (difficulty breathing)
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
- Headache
- Muscle or joint pain
- Loss of appetite
For more SA Health information, click here
Please note that if your child is unwell, they should remain home until they have recovered, irrespective of the illness.
ELC Immunisation Policy
Under the Government’s No Jab No Play policy, families must meet immunisation requirements to attend the ELC and receive the Child Care Subsidy. Families are required to provide all approved immunisation records to the ELC. Further information is available by clicking here.
Children who are suffering from illnesses such as those listed below must be excluded from ELC in line with our Exclusion Policy:
- Influenza
- Chicken Pox
- Conjunctivitis
- Diarrhoea
- Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
- High Temperature
- Infectious Hepatitis
- Measles
- Meningitis
- Mumps
- Rubella (German Measles)
- Scabies
- Scarlet Fever
- School Sores (Impetigo)
- Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
- Vomiting
- Whooping Cough
As part of our approach to prioritising health and safety, we implement effective hygiene practices and work to prevent and effectively deal with any infectious disease in line with the Education and Care Services National Regulations and the advice of health experts. If your child has one of the following, chickenpox, measles, rubella, meningococcal or tuberculosis or any other vaccine preventable diseases we ask that you inform the Centre as soon as possible.
Important Allergy Information
Please remember allergy awareness when packing food for your child. We kindly ask you to refrain from packing nuts or nut products in your child’s lunch box. We have members of our community across the Centre with severe food allergies to the following:
- Nuts
- Dairy
- Sesame
- Fish and shellfish
- Egg
- Banana
Due to the severity of these allergies, we are asking that you be mindful of this when packing food for your child. Please ensure food is safely packaged and/or contained. If you have any questions, please see your child’s Room Teacher. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our community safe.
Absences in the ELC
If your child will not be attending ELC due to illness or otherwise, please notify the School via one of the following methods and include the name of the ELC Room. If emailing, feel free to ‘CC’ the teacher/s of the room as well. Please also provide a reason for the absence as the School requires this for government reporting purposes.
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)
Phone: 8334 2200
ELC Room Contacts
- Stonyfell – 8155 5778
- Bell Yett – 8155 5780
- Ferguson – 8155 5776
- Hallett – 8155 5775
- Pathway – 8334 2250