In this edition
Dear Families
This week has been filled with excitement as the children decorated our Christmas tree with our Friends of ELC. This was a wonderful way to celebrate the festive season and connect with our current unit of inquiry, ‘Celebrations can tell stories’. Across the ELC, children have been exploring different Christmas traditions, where they have come from and how they bring our community together. It has been wonderful to see the children’s enthusiasm and engagement as they have been preparing for our End of Year Celebration. I am sure many children have come home singing the songs and doing the actions that they have been practising at the ELC. We are looking forward to seeing many of our families at our End of Year Celebration which is such a lovely opportunity for community and connection. If you haven’t registered your RSVP for this event, you can Book Now. A reminder that if you are ordering food, this needs to be pre-purchased prior to the event, as orders will not be taken on the day.
As we approach the end of the 2023 school year, and we put preparations in place for 2024, this is an important time to recognise key staff in our community who will be moving on. Jess Catt, our teacher in Bell Yett, will be leaving us. Jess is a much-loved teacher and colleague and will be missed. Jess has been a strong advocate for early years education and has formed strong relationships with children, families and staff; these relationships will be cherished. We will also be saying farewell to Maddy Turner, one of our ELC Co-educators, and Alexandra Portus, a key Co-educator during term time and our Learning Community 2 Vacation Care leader, who will be pursuing her teaching career. We will miss Maddy and Alexandra’s enthusiasm and passion for the children and families. We wish Jess, Alexandra and Maddy all the best in their future career endeavours.
Our New ELC Structure and Environment – Our Vision for 2024
At St Peter’s Girls’ ELC, we draw on contemporary methodologies and practices, with our current learning community model the result of extensive research undertaken by staff. Our learning community model prioritises building a sense of belonging and strong, secure, trusting relationships between staff and children, staff and families, as well as the opportunity for children to learn with and from each other. In 2024, we will continue to embrace these priorities as well as placing a strong emphasis on children moving from Learning Community 1 to Learning Community 2 through a planned and intentional approach around transitions. In the coming weeks, children who are moving into new learning spaces will be involved in experiences to support them to build relationships with their 2024 teachers and co-educators and to become familiar with their new environment.
It was lovely to share information about the ELC upgrade and extension, and the move to 12 months of Pathway to School with families during our recent information sessions. If you missed this and would like to know more, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will be more than happy to chat with you about this exciting development.
Liz Schembri
Director of ELC 
Book Now for Next Week: ELC End of Year Celebration
Book Now for next week’s ELC End of Year Celebration! To ensure our biggest community event runs smoothly, we ask that you please follow these guidelines:
- 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.
- The children will gather on Chiverton Lawns with each ELC classroom having an allocated space.
- The Lawns will be for picnic rugs brought by families only, with chairs to be placed around the perimeter of the grassed area.
- Food and beverages will be available for pre-purchase. Please feel free to bring along your own picnic basket with snacks and drinks.
- 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. 
Important Dates
Friday 1 December: ELC End of Year Celebration
Monday 4 December: ELC Hat Ceremony
Thursday 7 December: Last Day of Term 4
Friday 8 – Friday 22 December: Vacation Care
Monday 25 December 2023 – Friday 5 January 2024: ELC Closed
Monday 8 January – Monday 29 January: Vacation Care
Tuesday 30 January: First day of Term 1, 2024
News from Learning Community 1
This term as we investigate our Central Idea, Celebrations can tell stories, the children have been introduced to many rich stories and traditions that are celebrated all over the world. Over the last few weeks, Mrs Fernandes shared how her family celebrates Diwali, immersing the children in the story of why it is such an important tradition for the Hindu people and how it all began. The children were so enthusiastic about participating in many festivities including:
- Dressing in bright colours and dancing to Bollywood style music
- Learning the traditional dance moves
- Wearing traditional bindi – coloured dot decoration worn on forehead
- Creating firework drawings using posca markers, paint pens and acrylic paint
- Experimenting with sand, chalk and loose parts to create patterned rangoli
- Cooking traditional Indian snacks
- Using clay to create celebratory candle holders called diyas
By introducing children to traditions and rituals from other countries, it enables them to be aware of and respect others’ perspectives, to explore different identities and to develop strong foundations in their own culture and that of others. We want to promote in all children a strong sense of who they are and to show respect for diversity, acknowledging the varying approaches of children, families, communities, and cultures.
We look forward to learning and experiencing all things Christmas over the next few weeks. Please remember to add to your diary our End of Year Celebration on Friday 1 December. No doubt you have heard the children singing along in the car or in the bath as they prepare for this wonderful occasion.
Nell Tierney, Annabelle Redmond and Jessica Catt
Learning Community 1
News from Learning Community 2
With the arrival of our annual Giving Tree, educators across Learning Community 2 use this time to convey to the children one of the most important messages behind the Christmas season: kindness.
The arrival and decoration of our Giving Tree is always highly anticipated amongst the children as they excitedly prepare and hang their handmade decorations. However, the excitement that this process generates is used as a powerful tool for learning about the joy that comes from giving. At this particular age, placing a toy underneath the Giving Tree that you can’t open and enjoy yourself is actually quite a hard concept for children so young to understand.
However, it is through careful and deliberate learning experiences such as the exploration of traditional Christmas symbols or focussing on books such as ‘The Twelve Days of Kindness’ that children can begin to understand the importance behind the charitable action of giving.
As you walk past the Giving Tree, we invite you to share a conversation with your child about empathy, compassion and kindness. Despite the complexity of these topics, you may be surprised at how easily understood they can be in the mind of a 3 – 5 year old.
Chloe Skoss and Laura Reiters
Learning Community 2
News from Pathway to School
The Pathway to School children hope that you have received your invitation to our celebration on Thursday 7 December at 2pm in the ELC. This celebration is going to be very special for the children. When the educators discussed the idea for an end of year celebration for the children transitioning to school, it was important that we involved the children in the process so that they had a voice and were able to make decisions on an event that involved them. Involving the children in the planning was a very rewarding experience because we saw their excitement and enthusiasm to be a part of the organisational process.
Creating the invitation was a very important literacy experience, where the children engaged in research about what the purpose of an invitation was. We created special pieces of artwork that we would then vote to be displayed on the invitation. The children felt extremely passionate about the need to have everyone’s artwork displayed on the invitation that you received. This invitation has a special meaning. It shows how as a class we have grown to become a group that values and respects each person, so no one is left out.
We are working on another valuable item for this celebration, and we cannot wait to share it with the community. If your child does not attend on a Thursday, we ask that you kindly bring them into the ELC and arrive just before 2pm ready to begin promptly. Please remain with your child if it is not their enrolled day. We welcome all parents to join and watch the celebration. Please be mindful when taking photographs and to take photographs of your child only. We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday 7 December at 2pm.
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 Appeal, we are once again partnering with Anglicare SA for our annual ELC Giving Tree.
ELC families are invited to bring a gift from Week 6 to place under the ELC Giving Tree for a child less fortunate.
Gifts could include books, board games, craft sets, Lego, musical instruments, footballs and soccer balls, toy cars and dolls.
Please note, all items must be new, not wrapped and placed under the ELC Giving Tree by
Friday 1 December.
Thank you for your participation in this special giving tradition.
Vacation Care
Vacation Care will run from Friday 8 – Friday 22 December 2023 and Monday 8 January – Monday 29 January 2024. The Centre will be closed on the Australia Day Public Holiday: Friday 26 January 2024.
Please note: ELC will be closed from Monday 25 December 2023 – Friday 5 January 2024.
Families must book the days they would like their child to attend Vacation Care.
To access our online booking form, click here
Alternatively, you can contact Wolita Harding ELCVacationCare@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Vacation Care runs similar to a normal day within the ELC, led by Valentina Fernandes in Learning Community 1 and Alexandra Portus in Learning Community 2. Our days are filled with a range of creative, inquiry-based and hands-on experiences, using our indoor and outdoor spaces as well as our ELC Community Garden and the School lawns. Children will frequently participate in music, dance, picnics on the lawns, gross motor and cooking experiences.
Similar to typical ELC days, children will need to bring their own packed lunch, hat, water bottle and a change of clothes. Due to allergies, we ask that you do not pack nuts. A healthy morning and afternoon tea and late snack will continue to be provided to children.
If you need to make changes to your booking, please email ELCVacationCare@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Please note: As Vacation Care catering and staffing is based on bookings, please book by Wednesday 6 December. Due to limited spaces during Vacation Care, please book early. Any bookings made after this date will incur a late booking fee of $5 added on top of the daily rate per child.
View the Vacation Program here.
来自ELC园长：
亲爱的家长朋友们，
在这一周，ELC充满了欢声笑语，孩子们和ELC的朋友们一起装饰圣诞树。这是一个庆祝节日的好方法，并与我们这个学期的学习关于“庆祝可以讲述故事”相联系。在整个ELC，孩子们一直在探索不同的圣诞节传统，他们来自哪里，以及他们如何将我们的社区团结在一起。看到孩子们在为我们的年终庆祝活动做准备时投入了他们的热情，真是太棒了。我相信很多孩子已经唱着歌回家，做着他们在ELC练习过的动作。我们期待着在我们的年终庆祝活动中看到许多家庭的参与，这是与社区联系的好机会。如果您还没有注册这个活动，您可以现在预订。温馨提醒：如果需要点餐，请在活动前提前预定购买，因为活动当天不接受订单。
随着2023学年尾声的临近，我们同样为2024学年做好了准备。这是一个重要的时刻，在这一刻我们对我们即将要离开我们ELC的教师们感到依依不舍。在Bell Yett班，我们敬爱的Jess Catt老师，将离开我们ELC。 Jess老师是一位深受爱戴的老师和同事，我们会想念她的。 Jess一直是早教的坚定倡导者，并与我们的孩子们，家庭和教师们建立了紧密的关系。我们还将向Maddy Turner和Alexandra Portus告别，Maddy Turner是我们的ELC教师之一，Alexandra Portus也是我们重要的教师之一，也是我们的假期班负责教师，她将继续追求她的教学工作。我们会想念Maddy和Alexandra对孩子和家庭的付出的热情。我们也祝愿Jess、Alexandra和Maddy在未来的职业生涯中一切顺利。
我们的新ELC结构和环境-2024年的愿景：
在圣彼得女校ELC，我们借鉴了当代的教学方法和实践。我们目前的学习社区模式是教师与学生共同探究广泛学习课题。我们的学习社区模式优先考虑在教师和孩子、教师和家庭之间建立归属感和牢固、安全和信任的关系，以及孩子们相互学习的机会。在2024年，我们将继续保持这一重要的教学理念，并通过有规划的教学方式，将重点放在儿童从学习社区1过渡到学习社区2上。在接下来的几周内，孩子们即将陆续进入新学习空间的过渡期和体验期，以这将支持他们与2024年的班主任老师和教师们建立关系，并熟悉他们的新环境。
在最近的信息发布会上，我们很高兴与家长们分享ELC新发展和愿景，以及在12个月里“ELC小学预备班”与学校衔接课程的信息。如果你错过了这一分享交流会，并想了解更多相关信息，请不要犹豫与我联系。我很乐意和您交谈这一激动人心的发展。
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.
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)
myLink Parent Portal Tutorials
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 Childcare 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