ISSUE 16 | Week 4, Term 4 - Thursday 9 November 2023

PRINCIPAL'S WELCOME

Dear Families,

The enthusiastic participation in our recent College Fete warmed the heart of our community. Blessed with sunshine, the event was a vibrant tapestry of joy, industriousness, and unity, weaving together the efforts of countless volunteers. It appears that our collective prayers for pleasant weather were graciously heard. Even as we cherish these memories, our sights are set on next year's gathering with anticipation.  I note that our Newsletter overflows with Fete reflections, photos and offers of gratitude.

During a recent visit to the Year 3 Assembly, I witnessed firsthand the blossoming confidence among our young learners. With unwavering support from our devoted staff, every student stood up to speak, sharing her learnings and insights with courage, even amidst the unpredictability of a squeaky microphone. This resilience and eloquence are a testament to the rich, imaginative, and motivational education in our primary school years.

The Children’s University graduation ceremony this Wednesday was as heartwarming as ever. Thirty diligent students graced the stage, their presentation exemplifying the culmination of countless hours of dedicated independent learning, with the most notable achievement surpassing 900 hours. A special commendation to Aria Sordillo and Liana Samuels and to all our graduates — your perseverance is truly inspirational.

Our 2024 Student Leadership Team convened this Thursday with Ms Ward and Mr Catania at the helm. This gathering was not just a logistical meeting; it was the beginning of a journey in leadership, faith, and friendship, one that will undoubtedly enhance our College spirit and service, sprinkled generously with moments of laughter. As we gear up to commemorate 140 years of educational excellence in 2024, I am filled with pride for this group of leaders who are ready to steer our community with vision and energy.

In a moment of solidarity, I call upon the St Dominic’s community to join in prayer for our Dominican Education Australia (DEA) affiliate, St Lucy’s School, as they navigate through a period of profound loss. Following a tragic accident, the death of their student, Sanad, has left a void in their hearts. Principal, David Raphael offered these words to his community; "Our thoughts and prayers are with Sanad’s family, friends, and the wider school community.” May we join St Lucy’s in collective prayers to offer comfort to their dedicated staff, the grieving families, their students, and especially Sanad’s beloved parents.

Dr Helen Steele
COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

COLLEGE FETE & AUCTION

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AFTERNOON TEA - ROSE CAFE

Thank you to all the volunteers and our families for setting up on Saturday, selling on Sunday, and cleaning away at the end of the Fete – A job well done by all. 365 days to go until 2024!

This year was Suzy Lane’s last year as convenor of the Rose Competition.  She did this for 30 years.  Until this year, the Rose Competition was in the Art Courtyard with the Rose Cafe, and it added to the ambiance and serenity of the whole experience.  The roses looked great.  There were prizes for the best roses and a raffle all provided by Suzy and Bernadette.

Kathryn Hudson

ASIAN FOOD STALL

We want to express our deep appreciation to all the parents who supported the Asian Food Stall during the College Fete. The dedication put into managing orders, food preparation, and service was truly remarkable, and we sincerely value your unwavering support. Your contributions, whether through monetary donations or the provision of essential ingredients such as meat, vegetables, vermicelli, noodles, rice, and various cooking essentials, were exceptional.

We also extend our gratitude to Hanson Fresh Meat (Wingfield), Lemongrass Thai Bistro (Goodwood), Bakery and Asian Foods (Salisbury North), Lucky Asian Grocery (Kilburn), and Hoang Gia Restaurant (Woodville Gardens) for their generous contributions of cooking supplies and fresh produce. We want to offer our heartfelt congratulations for providing outstanding service and delivering high-quality goods.

We are eagerly looking forward to seeing all of you again next year!

Kien & Sr Hieu Tran

AUCTION

It takes a dedicated team to make the Auction a success and we are very grateful to the amazing group of people who volunteered their time this year. We would like to extend a very sincere thank you to Emilia Pace and Alison Boyd and all those involved in this year’s Auction, whether it be by giving donations, helping in the preparation and presentation of the items, or helping tirelessly on the day. 

In these tough economic times, we are very appreciative of the generosity of our donors and their continued support of St Dominic’s Priory College. We ask that you remember them when it’s time to dine out, buy groceries, celebrate life’s milestones, or buy a special gift. Without their support we would not be able to offer such wonderful items at the Auction. In this spirit of generosity, we would like to extend our gratitude to our extraordinary Auctioneers: Vincent Doran and Bronte Manuel of Toop and Toop Real Estate who kept the public enthused and encouraged the audience to “dig deep” to support our college. We were overwhelmed by the generosity of class donations which went towards the many silent and live classroom hampers that were definitely well-contested on the day. The move to the Gym this year allowed the Auction to grow, and the feedback was that it was definitely one of the best Auctions to date!

The Auction Committee

BBQ 

Thank you to all the parent and student volunteers that helped make the BBQ a great success this year. It was good to see the sun after last year's washout and was also great to back up amongst the action. The Bacon and egg muffins were a hit again as were the sausages. This year we trialled BBQ Chicken skewers and I’m pleased to say that they were also a hit so look for them next year. While everyone that volunteered this year was fantastic, I would like to give a special thanks to the student volunteers that helped, you bought some great energy to the stall and really put in a great effort.

BOOK STALL

Thank you to the families and friends of St Dominic's for the generous donation of books for the stall.  Thank you to the Maintenance staff for helping facilitate our pre-sorting activities, and all those who helped on the day and setting up - look forward to doing it all again next year...

The Scharfbillig family

CAKE STALL

Once again the Old Scholars' Cake Stall at this year's Fete was sold out before 2 pm!

A very big thank you to all Old Scholar & current College Community bakers. The tables were laden with an amazing array of delicious goodies!

Old Scholars' Association

CHAPEL AND MUSEUM TOURS

Chapel and Museum Tours as well as the display of Year 7 illuminations attracted interest as Fete goers came in via the Chapel gate. The numbers who joined us, close to 150, included Old Scholars, Parents and students, as well as those interested in textiles and embroidery. This year’s additional focus was a display in the cloister of photographs from the past 140 years of the history of the Dominican Sisters of North Adelaide.

The Convenors would particularly like to acknowledge staff and student support of the organization of this event.

Sr. Jill Havey and Danielle Trewartha

CHOCOLATE WHEEL

It was lovely to be out in the sunshine and around the hive of activity of the iconic SDPC Chocolate Wheel. 

We had lots of enthusiastic support from the Fete crowd to try their luck at winning an amazing selection of wine, gin, beer, and of course chocolates.

Thanks to the whole SDPC Community for all the generous donations received; we were able to provide three prizes for 45 spins of the Wheel over the day.

Much appreciation for our lovely volunteers who helped make it a fun day for all and ensured we had all the paddles back at the end of each round - not as easy as it sounds!

Special mention to Jess and Libby for helping us to collate and wrap all the prizes on offer before the day.

Sandra & Derek Gregory

CRAFT STALL

 Thank you to all of the wonderful craft stall volunteers, you were a great halp and made the day incredibly enjoyable.

Thank you also to Marni and the P&F for helping us set up and for their help on Fete day.

A big thank you also to everyone who made donations. We sold out of most items, so please consider donating again next year.

DESSERTS

A massive thank you to everyone who assisted with the Dessert Stall this year: Schinella's for continuing to support the College by donating strawberries; Muratti cakes and Gateaux for their ongoing support donating meringues and chocolate for the St Dom's Pavlova Crush; all the parents and girls who donated their time chopping the fruit and serving customers so ably; and to the many people who visited the Stall and purchased something, helping us sell out in record time!  We couldn't have done it without you all!  Lastly, thanks to Genesia for helping the day run so smoothly.

Skye Newton, Chris Guntner and Giulia Hart

LUCKY DIP + MERCHANDISE

Thank you to the Staff and Students who helped put together and operate the Lucky Dip and College Merchandise Stall.  We appreciated that the girls were so enthusiastic and wanted everyone to have heaps of fun at the Lucky Dip.  Special thanks to Genesia, Vanda, Hayley and Larry.  Already looking forward to next year.

Sarah Brogan

POT PLANTS

Our gratitude to the primary students who helped with potting.  Their hard work turned the saplings supplied by Living Colour Nursery, into a wonderful array of plants. We also extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated plants; especially Lucie Haskett for the palms. Such a fantastic selection for the picking! Big thank you to all the students, teachers and parents; including Lucie Haskett, Melanie Cordon and Penelope Bennett, who all gave their time so cheerfully and made the day lots of fun. A special mention to Co-Convener Michael Puddy, the pillar of the Pot Plant Stall, thank you for your wonderful knowledge and planning skills which helped the stall run so smoothly.

Bernadette Smith and Michael Puddy  

SWEETS STALL

Thank you all for your help and support in making our sweet stall a huge success. This would not be possible without the help of our volunteers. Thank you to all students, families, and friends of the College Community who generously donated sweets. To those who purchased sweets - we thank you and hope you enjoyed your sweet treats.

Melissa Calabria

CONDOLENCES

Remembering Malcolm Bartsch, Adelaide artist

The communities of St Dominic’s Priory and College record with gratitude the work of Malcolm Bartsch since the 1970s in presenting both exterior and interior views on our campus. After a brave battle with Cancer, Malcolm passed away peacefully at home on Thursday 12 October. A private funeral was conducted.

Many of our Old Scholars have one of his works at home. It was the Old Scholars Association whose initiative was to commission his remarkable drawing of the interior of the Chapel for the centenary in 1983. This work, pictured here, is temporarily placed inside the Chapel.

Our condolences and prayers are extended to Malcolm’s family.

Sr. Jillian Havey OP

DIRECTOR OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Children's University offers opportunities and recognition to children for completing and participating in beyond-school learning.  It recognises and encourages a love of learning in their pursuit of a possible future career. Children’s University provides them with a system to navigate potential future pathways through this learning and are encouraged to use the CU learning portal. Students are encouraged to do this by leveraging local educational activity providers such as museums, theatres, school clubs, and sports groups. Engaging in a wide range of experiences such as these is proven to develop a child’s self-efficacy, confidence, and aspirations. They are encouraged to explore new ideas, concepts, and experiences.

Children’s University involvement has been shown to foster 10 measures of success. The 10 A’s: Achievement, Advocacy, Attendance, Aspiration, Agency, Attitude, Adventure, Adaptability, Awards, Attainment.

All successful students graduating each year must complete a minimum of 30 hours learning outside of school hours. With each individual activity/learning experience eg: netball, dancing, piano, martial arts is capped at 10 hours. Hours accrue each year and they try to increase their level to get a higher graduating certificate.

We are grateful to the many parents who have supported their daughter with extra learning opportunities and keeping passports up to date. Staff who have organised lunchtime or before school clubs, Netball, Running Club, Knitting, Gardening Club and Chess, your support has been appreciated by the girls. We thank Mrs Heggs for the many hours that goes into processing all the CU passports for authentication.

STUDENT RESPONSES:

I liked CU because it encourages students to think outside the box. - Natalie Michail (Year 4)

CU helps children to learn more than they usually would at school and encourages new ideas. - Sidak Hans (5G)

CU is a fun experience, you must be organised, and when you graduate it is very realistic. - Natanya Koongodage Randeniya (6B)

Students from Years 4 to 7 are invited to participate and this year 25 students graduated on Wednesday 8 November at Bonython Hall at Adelaide University. Dressed in their Graduation regalia, cap, and gown they represented St Dominic’s Priory College with enthusiasm, poise, and dignity. Students graduate if they reach 30 hours of learning. The awards range from Bronze, Silver or Gold undergraduate certificates to Bronze, Silver, or Gold postgraduate certificates and then through to a Bronze, Silver or Gold doctorate. Our highest graduating students this year are Aria Sordillo (7W)  reaching 800 hours and Liana Samuels (7B) 959 hours of extra learning giving them a Postgraduate Master’s Degree.

Ms Cate O'Leary
DIRECTOR OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

GTASA PHOTO COMPETITION

The Geography Teachers Association of SA holds an annual Photo Competition that invites students in Years 7-9 to step outside and view South Australia through a geographical lens.

The theme of the 2023 competition was "“Changing Human and Physical Landscapes”.

We are pleased to report that Isla Stanborough (7B) was the overall winner in this statewide competition. An outstanding achievement! Isla's entry, 'Time to Change' (see above) focused on Climate Change and this is what she had to say about her submission:

This photo suits this year’s theme ‘Changing Human and Physical Landscapes’ because of the powerful message conveyed to people through an innocuous street artwork. This important message, ‘Climate action now’ tells us that we need to step up and reduce our impact towards climate change. The physical landscape around us is constantly changing, due to man-made impact. This photograph is appealing because the bold message is painted in black which contrasts with the white background. The rusting metal of the pole frames the artwork and has corroded over time due to human impact, adding an industrial feel to the photo.

- Isla Stanborough 7B

YEAR 11 PASTORAL CARE

 “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire”. 

- St Catherine of Siena

Casting our minds back to Gala Day earlier this year, some of you may remember that each year level concluded the day with an activity of community service for various South Australian charities and organisations. On this day, The Year 11s were lucky enough to have Lorna Riddle from The Mary Potter Foundation visit with the girls and explain the amazing work that her team and volunteers do, caring for patients in the hospice who are nearing end of life. She explained the importance of caring not just for the patients, but their families and all the medical staff who work to preserve the dignity and sanctity of each patient’s life. On Gala Day the girls worked to create Christmas wreaths that would later be hung on every patient’s door and some even sent to grieving families missing their loved ones for the first time this Advent season.

Seeing the girls speak so highly of the Mary Potter Foundation, with some girls having their own relatives spend time there, I felt it was an important opportunity to extend the College’s relationship with the foundation and continue to offer our services to them. Last week, the Year 11s visited the foundation, which is only a little way down from the College, and again set to work making hearts of love tags, writing Christmas cards, constructing care package boxes and wrapping small gifts in preparation for the Christmas season. It was an industrious time and Mel and Lorna from the foundation were overwhelmed not only by the pace at which the girls worked, but the giving attitude they completed each task with.

With our key Dominican values of service and community well demonstrated last week, we plan to reconnect again, later this term with The Mary Potter Foundation and continue our service to this invaluable and important organisation. The girls will once again make light work with many hands and understand the importance of living out our Dominican values, that we hope will continue to ground their values and actions long after their school years.

Ms Sara Nigro
YEAR 11 COORDINATOR

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

St Dominic’s Priory College takes great pride in providing and inclusive educational environment for all our students, including those with disabilities, diverse backgrounds, and experiences. Our teachers work hard to provide inclusive environments and a variety of learning experiences to ensure every student can engage and demonstrate their learning.  Depending on the strengths and interests as they advance through their secondary years, our students can choose from a wide range of subjects, sport, and arts activities, as well as vocational opportunities, that prepare them for life beyond school.

This “quality, differentiated teaching practice” forms the basis of Inclusive Education at the College.

Inclusive Education can be compared to a tiered or layered cake. All students receive the bottom layer of rich and diverse teaching and learning as previously described. For students who need some additional support for their learning, a second tier of “cake” is provided. This may be in the form of in-class support from an additional teacher in conjunction with the subject teacher.  Some students benefit from teachers working more closely with them to check for understanding and task completion. In addition, some students benefit from more targeted instruction and undertake 1-1 or small group intensive, evidence-based literacy or numeracy programs such as MultiLit or Maths U See.

The Centre for Learning (C4L) classroom is where many of these programs take place, facilitated by teachers on the Inclusive Education Team.  This calming, sunny classroom is also used for small Maths and English classes, reading comprehension programs and external allied health practitioners for their sessions.

A third “layer of cake” is offered to a few of our students who require personalised instruction and more substantial support. The Inclusive Education Team liaise with subject teachers to design accessible learning tasks, so that these students can engage with Year level content at the appropriate level of challenge. The Inclusive Education Team monitor the progress of all identified students and collaborate with subject teachers to ensure that students are receiving the support and adjustments required for success.     Some students just need more “cake”!

As an inclusive school, St Dominic’s Priory College strives to create a culture that celebrates diversity and builds on the strengths of every student. We enjoy working in partnership with students, their families, and the community to build connections and provide an educational experience where every student feels they belong.  For more information, please contact Heather Day, on behalf of the secondary Inclusive Education Team.

Heather Day (hday@stdominics.sa.edu.au)
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION KEY TEACHER

YEAR 5 NEWS

In Year 5, Term 4 began with an action-packed camp at El Shaddai, Wellington. The focus of the three days was to challenge yourself and all students demonstrated a willingness to engage with this theme. Camp is also a great environment for fostering friendships and mixing with peers in new ways.

Belinda Baker, Byron Mortimer and Deb Osborne
YEAR 5 CLASS TEACHERS

REFLECTIONS

Before we knew it was our first activity,
for some like me it showed that we possessed great bravery.
There was canoeing, raft-making and the giant swing,
where we were attached to a harness and had to click a bell to drop; ding!
We also had archery, laser tag and vertical crates,
where we had to climb if we did not want to fall on our face.
We had swimming and rock-climbing which tested our flexibility,
who could climb the most tactility?
Then as quick as a blast, camp was over,
and now it was our parent’s turn to manage us and takeover,
Overall camp was the best,
and everyone in Year 5 was fully blessed.

By Muskaan Agarwal and Ira Poongavanam (5B)

FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES

My favourite activity was the Giant Swing because it’s cool. - Sherry Vo

My favourite activity was Vertical Crates because it was fun. - Soraya Askari

I liked the Raft Making, we saw a lot of wildlife. - Amelia Peacock

I liked spending time with the people in my dorm. - Melina Prach

My favourite thing was the Giant Swing because I felt like Tarzan. - Scarlett Damin

I enjoyed the variety of activities and spending time with everyone. - Liv Carpio

FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM CAMP, PLEASE CHECK OUT THE WEEK 2 NEWSLETTER.

GROWTH MINDSET

SHOW A LITTLE KINDNESS

Being in the habit of giving compliments helps us notice and appreciate what’s good and what we like in those around us. Compliments show appreciation and feeling appreciated is important to our wellbeing.

We’ve all felt the power of kindness. Whether you’re giving or receiving a kind act, you experience a feeling that’s best described as “warm and fuzzy.”

Behind that warm, fuzzy feeling is neurochemistry. Kindness stimulates the production of feel-good chemicals like serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine.

So if we want to raise kind children, we must teach them to be kind. Kindness can be learned like any other skill. It seems like such a simple quality, but unless we teach children to be kind, it won't become an integral part of their being.

In addition, being kind is vital for establishing and maintaining good friendships. They go hand in hand.

Adapted from:  Big Life Journal

2024 LIGHTHOUSE BOOKS ORDERS

Lighthouse Books is St Dominic’s Priory College's preferred provider for stationery and textbooks. The portal for 2024 orders will open from Friday 17 November and can be accessed via www.lighthousebooks.com.au.  Please see flyer below for information on how to order.

All booklist enquiries should be directed to Lighthouse Books – booklist@lighthousebooks.com.au or 8340 2356.  

Orders received after 15 December will be subject to a late fee and may not arrive in time for the start of Term 1. 

SPORT NEWS

REMINDERS

• If your daughter is unable to play a game or attend a Sport Training, it is important that she sends Mrs Pratt a quick email.  The College has a 'Duty of Care' for all girls at Sport and must know where they are.
• If your daughter is carpooling to Sport Training (Water Polo), she will need to have written consent and inform Mrs Pratt via email.

SA ALL SCHOOLS STATE CARNIVAL

We are pleased to report to you that Mali Walters (7W) was successful in qualifying in all events she competed in at the SA All Schools State Carnival.  She will now head to Perth for the National Competition this December.  

• GOLD in the 100m, running a Personal Best of 12.20s; breaking her own State Record (12.42s).  However, due to a tailwind on Saturday, it will not be going into the record books.
• GOLD in the 200m, running a Personal Best of 25.95s.
• SILVER in the 80m Hurdles.
• SILVER in the Long Jump.

Congratulations, Mali, and good luck in Perth next month!

Mrs Lyndall Pratt
SPORTS COORDINATOR

SACPSSA HOT SHOTS TENNIS CARNIVAL

On Wednesday 25 October, the Year 3 and 4 Classes participated in the SACPSSA Hot Shots Tennis Carnival at Millswood. Students participated in Doubles games using a modified red ball and court. Catholic Carnivals are participation-based, and provide students with an opportunity to explore various sports. It was fantastic to see the girls trying their best and they even had the opportunity to showcase their dance moves in the Dance Round. St Dominic's also entered one team in the Pathways Section. 

Congratulations to Kyra Kumar, Clare Gilbert, Fiyin Adejoro, Christina Tsirbas, Alina Mashouf, Elise Zeuner, Isabel Burgoyne, Annabelle Parisi, Kiera Wood, and Lexi Rappold who were the winners on the day and move through to the State Final on Tuesday 28 November at Tennis SA.

SACPSSA ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

On Monday 6 November, 21 students from Years 3-6 attended the SACPSSA Athletics Carnival at SA Athletics Stadium. All students contributed to the St Dominic's team and tried their very best in warm conditions. Congratulations to all athletes.  Results on the day included: 

YEAR 3 
Scarlett Diamandi - 3rd 100m

YEAR 4
Alina Mashouf - 3rd Shot Put 
Anna Calabria - 2nd 100m 
Fiyin Adejoro - 3rd 100m 

YEAR 5
Aliya Walters - 1st Hurdles, 2nd 200m + Long Jump, 3rd 100m 
Soraya Askari - 1st Shot Put 

YEAR 6
Teresa Tran - 1st High Jump 
Fafa Latzoo - 1st Shot Put, 3rd Hurdles, 3rd 100m 
Catherine MacKay - 3rd Long Jump 

Mrs Michelle Richter
JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS

COMMUNITY NOTICES