ISSUE 13 | Week 8, Term 3 - Thursday 14 September 2023

PRINCIPAL'S WELCOME

Dear Families,

I hope this Newsletter finds you well as we enter the final two weeks of Term 3. As always, there is much to celebrate at St Dominic’s and I trust this week’s Newsletter will keep you connected to life at the College.

Our Year 9 students have recently enjoyed both their Retreat Day and three days of camp. Both events provided opportunity for personal growth, teamwork, and building lifelong memories. Meanwhile, our Year 11 students enjoyed an evening of music, dancing, games and food as they celebrated with each other last Friday evening. The event was a lot of fun, with the girls going away happy and connected with their peers and teachers.  We are grateful to the staff who so ably supported this event, particularly as the weather forecast necessitated a last minute change of venue.

Building strong partnerships between parents, students, and teachers is essential for success. Our Parent and Staff Learning Conversations provided a valuable opportunity for open and meaningful discussions about academic progress, goals, and strategies for improvement for students from Little Dom’s through to Year 12. Held in the Adams Mayo Building, the conversations were rich, informative and affirming whilst highlighting areas for growth for students. Thank you to all parents who attended the evening.

Transitioning to Secondary School can be a big step, and we want our Year 7s 2024 to feel confident and excited about this new chapter. Our New Year 7 Transition Day was held today with great excitement along with a few nerves. There were opportunities for fun, making new friends, meeting teachers and learning about the St Dominic’s community. We are very pleased to welcome our 2024 Year 7 cohort to the College. It's the start of a fantastic journey!

As this Newsletter goes live, the music students are putting on the final touches of what is always a wonderful evening of entertainment. The Annual Music Concert showcases student and staff dedication, creativity, and excellence in music. I am looking forward to "A-Chord-Dance" with great anticipation.  The event will be held in the College Hall on tomorrow night, Friday 15 September, with all tickets ($10 each) available at the door from 6:45pm.  

In other news, we have been busy with our preparations for the College Fete. The Fete Ambassadors' hats bring a brightness to the College; reminding all that this event is on its way. Thank you to all who have donated goods for stalls and the Auction. I invite all families to look closely at the Fete Notices (below) as there is opportunity for all to be involved. In recent weeks, I communicated to all families inviting participation in registering their business so that we can bring together a directory of Services. Additionally, I appeal to families who own business to consider donating to the College Fete. All donations are welcomed. 

As our valued Parent Community, I invite you to participate in our Parent Opinion Survey. Your feedback is crucial in shaping the educational experience for your daughter and all students at the College. This survey delves into key areas such as parent engagement, student success, student wellbeing, and teacher connection. By sharing your thoughts and insights, you help us ensure that St Dominic’s Priory College remains a nurturing and excellent learning environment for all students. Your voice matters, and as we often say, it is in our partnership that we can continue the good work of raising confident girls and young women. Please take a moment to complete the survey and be a part of our ongoing commitment to excellence.  Please CLICK HERE to access the 2023 Parent Opinion Survey.

On Monday morning, Joseph Catania led our staff prayer and I have found myself returning to the Psalm we read in chorus. The beauty of the Psalms lies in the richness of the language overflowing with personal and religious meaning. I share a verse of Psalm 107 with you – knowing this is the prayer of our community this week:

Awaken, all you who are yet asleep.
Let us plant seeds for the commingling of heaven and earth;
For the Energy of Love radiates in everything
and receptive hearts are purified by its fire.

Dr. Helen Steele
COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

FETE NEWS

ARE YOU FOLLOWING THE FETE & AUCTION EVENT PAGE ON FACEBOOK, YET?  Check it out here.

UPCOMING FETE CONVENOR MEETINGS
Thursday 21 September 5:45pm - 6:45pm
Thursday 19 October 5:30pm - 7:00pm

All enquiries to fete@stdominics.sa.edu.au 

2023 FETE PARENT ROSTER

The PARENT ROSTER for the 2023 Fete & Auction is now live.

In the spirit of Community and Service, two of the Dominican values that form the foundations of our College, the dedicated parents and friends of the College that form the Fete Committee are calling out to their fellow parents and friends to support the success of this event by committing to a 2-hour roster over Fete Weekend.  This vibrant community event has been a staple of the College's Calendar for over half of its 139-year history, and is an experience your daughters will look back upon fondly in years to come.

To sign up to a roster, and support the fundraising and community-raising endeavours of the College, visit https://signup.com/go/bBEAGnb.  The 2023 Roster is open now.

FETE STALL APPEALS

The Fete Stall Appeal for Week 8 is packets of sweets for the SWEETS STALL. It is followed by Chocolates / wine for the CHOCOLATE WHEEL in Week 9.  Students can hand in their contribution to their Class Teacher in the mornings, or bring to the College Office during school hours.

Information about the 2023 Stall Appeals was sent to families via SEQTA on 11 August, or can be reread, here. 

AUCTION HAMPERS

Auction Hamper donations will continue to be gratefully received by the parent-led Auction Committee until the end of term.  See below for each year level's theme, or reread the letter distributed in Term 2, here. 

UPCOMING MUSIC EVENTS

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS MUSIC FESTIVAL

Come and support our students at the Friday 29 September performance.  Tickets on sale now from Ticketek: CLICK HERE.

PRAYER & LITURGY

A RETURN TO THE 'SEASON OF CREATION'

The beginning of September, while commenced a little chilly, has since bought forth some wonderful days of sunshine, welcomed warmth, and a bursting of radiant colours from the blossoming tress and returned presence of spring flowers.  It is very fitting therefore that we celebrate the month-long Season of Creation which provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon and renew our relationship with our Creator and the world around us once again. This year's theme, "Let Justice and Peace Flow," reminds us of the interconnectedness of all living beings and our responsibility to nurture and protect our planet.

During this season, we are called to celebrate the beauty and diversity of our natural world, to undergo personal conversion by adopting more sustainable practices in our daily lives, and to make a commitment to safeguarding the environment for future generations. The Season of Creation invites us to remain awake and engage in meaningful conversations, explore ways to reduce our ecological footprint, and work together as a community to promote justice, peace, and harmony with all of creation. May this Season of Creation be a time of reflection, action, and deepening our appreciation for the precious gift of our planet. Together, let us strive to let justice and peace flow in our hearts and in the world around us.

We are very grateful to our maintenance staff who through their work in planting, nurturing, maintaining, and caring for our environment, invite us to notice the awe and wonder of God’s creation.  Thank you, also to our Environment Group (pictured above) who likewise remind us of responsibilities to be Stewards of Creation.

Mr Joseph Catania
DIRECTOR OF FAITH & MISSION

DIRECTOR OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

THE STRATEGIC PLAN IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Focussing on our Strategic Plan we share an example of Priority 3 where we provide rich and relevant and diverse teaching and learning experiences for our students:

YEAR 4 SUSTAINABILITY: Students have been examining visual and written texts, connected to sustainability. They have learnt to identify and summarise explicit and implied information related to sustainability and the environment. Using their new knowledge and investigative skills, they have written a film script showcasing their understanding of sustainability and how they can contribute to creating a sustainable future. They will have a short Film Festival at the end of the term showing their parents their iMovie, with added music and voice overs.

YEAR 5 NIGHT OF THE NOTABLES: This study asks our students to be experts on the life of a well know woman who has made a notable contribution in history. Each student selected a person to focus on and created inquiry questions to guide research into their life and legacy. The project culminates with a “Night of the Notables” event where families join us for a formal presentation evening where each student learns by heart, a two-minute monologue as they transform into significant women from across the decades.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE PART OF A DOMINICAN COMMUNITY: Year 6 students explored and articulated their connection with the Dominican Values. 

• PRAYER: Praying and participating in daily prayer you can sense the Holy Spirit which also relates to Religion lessons. The Holy Spirit guides us to be compassionate and empathic towards the less fortunate and this was reflected by the recent Ronald McDonald charity event.
• STUDY: I respect the way that the teachers manage our academic journey throughout our lives. If you have the heart behind your passion, you can create something unimaginably amazing. I may not be great the first time, but I make sure I have persistence to keep going. This has shaped me in who I am today because I always aim high, and I always have perseverance to continue something whether it’s in study or something else. I have the confidence to try new things and to never give up.
• COMMUNITY: Our school community is loving when everyone is being nice to each other and making people feel welcomed and accepted.
• SERVICE: We should help others and not expect things back. It is part of our human nature to help and love. It means a lot to be part of a community that believes in every single person. I think that the Dominican Values and Expectations have created a loving, supportive, and unique community, with each person bringing something new.

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATIONS: St Dominic's Priory College continues  to celebrate a wonderful collaboration with the local North Adelaide Parish and nearby Catholic Schools with our shared responsbility in preparing our students for their Sacraments of Initiation into the Catholic Church and supporting our families in this. Recently, nine Year 4 and 5 students celebrated their Confirmation and their First Eucharist. We are grateful to Bishop O’Kelly, Father Paul and Father Ben for presiding and the many families, friends and teachers who supported the girls as they continue their faith journey.

Ms Cate O'Leary
DIRECTOR OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

PARENTS & FRIENDS

UPCOMING PARENTS & FRIENDS MEETING

The next Parents & Friends Meeting will take place on Thursday 14 March, from 7:00pm until 8:30pm in the Adams Mayo Library.  A key topic of conversation will be planning for April's Twilight Sports Day, and the projected Term 2 Calendar.  All parents and/or guardians are welcome.

SCHOOL UMBRELLAS - $25ea

Don't find yourself caught off-guard by unexpected Autumn showers!!  Get in ahead of the winter rush and grab an SDPC Umbrella for your schoolbag or car today.  They are available to purchase directly from the College Office.

Payment can be made in person via cash or EFTPOS, or else ordered over the phone from the Finance Office (08) 8331 5100 and collected during school hours.

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK

3 – 9 September 2023

‘Every child in every community needs a fair go’

Last week was National Child Protection Week, an opportunity for us to reflect on the message that ‘Every child in every community needs a fair go’. There was also another thread running through the week exploring the notion that ‘Where we start matters’.

At St Dominic’s Priory College, we acknowledge that where we start our lives in terms of where we live, the resources available to us, and the opportunities presented to us make a significant difference to our life outcomes. We seek to support you and your daughters so that together we can make a difference for the young people in our community.

In recent research young people were asked about what makes a strong and supportive community and they identified the following:

• Good relationships
• Being safe
• Welcoming and safe places
• Household resources
• The importance of public services

To hear more about the “Community jigsaw” you are invited to watch the video, “What makes a strong and supportive community for children?” How might your daughter respond to that question?

Below is a snapshot of some of our activities aiming to give our students a great start:

CHILD PROTECTION CURRICULUM

In Year 7 there has been a focus in Pastoral Care on ‘listening to warning signs’ and ‘family and domestic violence’. An initiative of the Pastoral Care team has been to create ‘check-in boxes’ for each classroom. This is a locked submission box for the girls to check-in at any point in the day about how they’re doing. Teachers check this once a week and reach out to students if needed. This is an alternative to emails or face-to-face chats that can sometimes be daunting for students.

In Year 10 there are two focus areas for the Child Protection Curriculum this term, the first is the ‘Right to be safe’ and the second is ‘Relationships’. Through discussions and examples, students will be able to recognize warning signs of when they feel safe or unsafe and be armed with strategies to assess and respond to any risks. They will also explore what it means to feel safe in all relationships and discuss their rights and responsibilities. Via a range of activities, the classes will examine what healthy relationships should look like.

FUTURE PROOFING PROCESS

In Year 10, students continued to participate in the longitudinal study that they began in Year 8. The Black Dog Institute visited the College to update the girls on the progress of the study and to invite students to complete a survey. The girls were reminded of the importance of sleep, as findings show that adolescents not meeting minimum sleep guidelines were more likely to show symptoms of anxiety and depression. Adolescents aged 14-17 years should be getting between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night.

SUBJECT & FUTURES COUNSELLING

Our Year 10s and 11s are currently planning for their future. Subject Counselling at this time of the year, reminds the girls to forward plan and consider a learning pathway that helps them to work towards their future beyond school, be it further study or employment. A new initiative, the Subject Expo, was well received by students who appreciated the opportunity to have conversations with the teachers in small groups.

SUPPORTING FAMILIES

One of the initiatives of the Child Protection Week is to support parents to access services so that all families have the opportunity to give every child a great start. At the College, we have a very student focused approach to support. However, it is just as important to also recognise that adults need support too. Please find a list of free support services for families and adults. Sometimes the first step can be lifechanging and it is as easy as making a call.

• Parenting SA (Phone 8303 1660) 
• Grandparents for Grandchildren (Phone 8212 1937) 
• Office for Problem Gambling (Financial Counselling)
  Phone 1800 007 007 weekdays from 9:30am to 4:30pm 
  

Ms Aurora Reid
SAFEGUARDING COMMITTEE MEMBER 

BOOK WEEK

READ, GROW, INSPIRE

‘Read, Grow, Inspire’ was the theme for Book Week in 2023 with every part of the statement being supported in the Library with books, reading, competitions and games. The experiences that were offered to students over Book Week were fun, challenging, and fresh, engaging students at every level.

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In the Junior School, there was a much-anticipated Book Swap, followed by headdress craft making, activities on shortlisted books, and some inspirational time for reading and writing. Meanwhile, Year 8 English took over our Instagram Stories, and the Adams Mayo Library hosted a 'Guess Who' display; featuring childhood photos of staff alongside the cover of a book (or books) that INSPIRED them to READ and GROW when they were students.

Also in the Library, Thursday's Fun Day was the pinnacle of the week with lunch time dedicated to games, music and the screening of the inspirational movie Disney’s ‘Mulan’. Students filled the library and enjoyed the activities with enthusiasm. The Lucky Dip was a massive success with queues to participate winding right around the library!

The Year 6 Readers’ Cup Grand final proved to be one of the highlights of the week with two Year 6 classes participating this year for the first time. The format of Readers’ Cup provides a positive environment for students to work in small teams, collaborate and read for success, which was ultimately what happened. The photos show the concentration of the participants and the excitement and delight of all involved.  Thank you to Year 6 teachers Rachel Bolt and Kirsty Nankivell for supporting and navigating the students throughout the process.

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As we look forward to another Book Week in 2024, I would like to offer a huge thank you to Library Assistant Ms Angela Vaughan for ensuring all the events, books, games and logistics were managed with success. It truly was inspirational!

Book Week was a positive and uplifting experience and now we need the students to embrace the ‘Read’ component of the statement and keep developing reading skills and a love of reading for the future.

Mrs Sandra Mason
LIBRARY COORDINATOR

GROWTH MINDSET
The Top 3 Benefits of Gratitude

GRATITUDE & EMOTIONAL BENEFITS
Practicing gratitude is known to impact our emotions and emotional health. Evidence has shown that a regular “attitude of gratitude” can…

1. MAKE US HAPPIER
   Simply journaling for five minutes a day about what we are grateful for can enhance our long-term happiness. Noticing what we already have can make us feel more positive about our lives, those who pay attention to what is good in their life instead of what is bad are more likely to feel positively about their life.
2. INCREASE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING
   A high level of gratitude has a strong positive impact on psychological well-being, self-esteem, and depression. Basically, this means that we can reap the best benefits of gratitude by embodying gratitude and truly living a life of gratitude, a state that we can get to through regular practice and commitment.
3. ENHANCE OUR POSITIVE EMOTIONS
   Feeling grateful every day keeps the envy at bay! Research has shown that gratitude reduces envy, facilitates positive emotions, and makes us more resilient.

Adapted from Positive Psychology.com 

YEAR 8 REPORT

As we progress through the second half of the year, it has been lovely to see the Year 8s (actively!) embrace the warmer weather and engage positively with a wide range of school activities. These include our annual Gala Day, Multicultural Day, and our St Dominic’s Day celebrations, to name a few.

On Gala Day, the Year 8s listened to the stories of homeless people living in Adelaide and donated generously to help support the Hutt St Centre as part of our outreach program. These donations were accompanied by handwritten cards of reassurance and well wishes of encouragement. With such a positive response, a ‘Walk A Mile In My Boots’ fundraiser for the Hutt St Centre will take place early next term for Year 8 parents and students. An email and Consent2Go with more details will be communicated later this term. Stay tuned!

Our focus for Pastoral Care this term has been “Inspiring Confidence, In my Relationships”. Through this program, the Year 8s are learning practical skills in conflict resolution, problem solving scenarios and understanding perspective to help develop empathy. This has required the girls to undertake some self-reflection on their own behaviour, to better understand what changes they can make to foster positive relationships with people in their lives. This self-reflection has been displayed in the Year 8 Classes as a “Commitment to Kindness”; a pledge that holds the girls accountable to the positive changes they intend to make. I encourage you to ask your daughter about her pledge and continue this conversation at home.

Ms Jessica Spagnuolo
YEAR 8 COORDINATOR

CAREERS & VET

Well done to our VET (Vocational Education and Training) students who are in the process of completing their courses for the year. It has been another very successful year of vocational training for our students, with wonderful stories about insights they have made in their vocational choices. Courses that students have undertaken this year include; business, hospitality, individual support, early childhood education, animal studies, fashion design, health and beauty. Many of these courses involve structured work placements, which allow the students to develop their employability skills. On completion of a full Certificate III, the students gain an industry recognised qualification which is an impressive achievement! VET is a great option for students in Year 10, 11 or 12 and applications are now open for courses in 2024. Students can email me to make a time to discuss these options. More information about VET can be found on the SACE Board website click here. 

August saw many students across the year levels attending the University Open Days. This year again, the universities offered “virtual” sessions, as well as on campus presentations. This allowed many more students to gain valuable information about their career aspirations. We also welcomed two representatives from UniSA to our campus on 7 September where they met with Year 12 students individually to explore career and study options.   

September is a pivotal point in the Year 12 calendar. As well as completing assessments and preparing for exams, they are finalising their SATAC Applications to University and TAFE, and making decisions about post school pathways.  

KEY DATES FOR YEAR 12

(more information can be found on the SATAC website click here) 

Applications are also open for students who wish to apply to interstate universities. Applicants need to contact the relevant tertiary admissions center for that state. See links below: 

• Northern Territory (same as South Aust) -  SATAC 
• Queensland - QTAC 
• New South Wales and Aust Capital Territory - UAC
• Victoria - VTAC
• Tasmania – apply directly to the University click here
• Western Australia - TISC 

Ms Louise Eustace
CAREERS & VET COORDINATOR

Code Breaking in Stage 1 Maths

SPORT NEWS

SAPSASA ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

On Thursday 31 August, 19 students from Years 4-6 attended the SAPSASA Athletics Carnival at SA Athletics Stadium. The weather was very kind to us and the girls had a fabulous day.  St Dominic’s students impressed with their persistence and school spirit. Results on the day included:

Nicole Pace - 1st U/12 High Jump
Soraya Askari - 1st U/11 Shot Put
Catherine Mackay - 3rd U/12 800m, 2nd long Jump
Aliya Walters - 2nd U/11 Discus, 3rd 200m
Sidak Hans - 3rd U/11 Discus
Teresa Tran - 2nd U/12 High Jump
Lakshana Kumar - 3rd U/12 Discus
Alina Mashouf - 2nd U/10 Discus

The following athletes have been selected to represent North Adelaide at the State Athletics Championships at SA Athletics Stadium on Tuesday 19 September: Nicole Pace and Soraya Askari.

Mrs Michelle Richter
CO-CURRICULA TEACHER (JUNIOR SCHOOL)

SATURDAY MORNING SPORT

Congratulations to all St Dominic’s teams. The Winter Season saw approximately 160 St Dominic’s girls across Years 7-12 participating in Saturday Sport. A big thank you to all of our coaches for their expertise and commitment and also to our students for their sportsmanship and enthusiasm to always participate to the best of their ability.

Term 4 Sport Nominations have now closed. Consent2go information has been sent out. Please note: any students without consent or outstanding payment will not be permitted to play the first game.

Practices and team selections will begin in Weeks 9 and 10 of this Term. Students can keep an eye on the Daily Notices for more details.

Mrs Lyndal Pratt
SECONDARY SPORTS COORDINATOR