St Dominic's Priory College eNewsletter

PRINCIPAL'S WELCOME

Dear Families,

Visiting educational psychologist, Dr Judith Locke proved to be a very positive experience for families. Thank you to all who attended one or both nights of her presentation to St Dominic’s parents. She was clever, funny, direct and provocative. We heard about how we can raise our girls to be resilient, responsible and respectful – three words often used by parents but now understood with a new lens, one that empowers the parent to be …the parent. We suspect there have been a few conversations in families this week which included the words 'chores', 'responsibility' and maybe even the word ‘No’.

The College is very keen to get your feedback on Dr Locke's visit and invite you to provide feedback through a short survey accessed here. One set of questions we pose is “Where to next - How can St Dominic’s Priory College support parents in parenting responsibilities?" The College's history of seeking to develop community through various events is highly valued, and parent nights such as those held this week provide a different platform to make connections, hear the same message, and work in partnership to inspire confidence in our girls. For those who missed the event, Judith has many resources available on her website here. You may also find this interview from 2021 of interest. Her book, 'The Bonsai Child' can be ordered from: Booktopia or Angus and Robertson.

Last Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost – that great day in the church acknowledged as our birthday. The church exists to bring the good news of Jesus to all, through the Gospel stories, the sacred Mass, the sharing of the Eucharist, our prayer life, parish life, our call to social justice; truth and contemplation. For many, Church life is experienced mostly through our schools. At St Dominic’s, this church life is led by our staff who support our girls to understand the world around them in their studies, co-curricular activities, prayer, and moments of formation. I am grateful to our staff who teach from the heart, by means of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (understanding, knowledge, wisdom, courage, awe, reverence and right judgement) to undertake their work. In doing so, they bring our church to life in both subtle and direct ways all the while working professionally, thoughtfully and with the highest commitment. Please join me in offering gratitude to the staff at St Dominic’s Priory College.

In closing, I draw your attention to another packed Newsletter that provides you with an insight into all that is happening at your daughter’s school, a place of excellence, encouragement and joy.

Dr Helen Steele
COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

140 CELEBRATION DINNER

For more information about this event, please visit Humanitix here.

VINNIES MASS

VINNIES WINTER APPEAL

Each year, St Dominic's Priory College is proud to participate in the Vinnies Winter Appeal, supporting homeless and vulnerable persons around Adelaide and South Australia. From now until the end of the Term, we invite families to contribute donations of the following:

WARM CLOTHES (jackets, jumpers, shirts, pants, scarves, new socks and undergarments)
These can be deposited into the white wheelie bins with blue lids (and Vinnies signage), located around the College.
NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS (meal-based jars, meal prep packets, pasta, dried legumes, tinned food)
Each year level has been provided with a tub to collect these in their classrooms.

To make a financial donation directly to Vinnies, visit
https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-sa/winter-appeal-sa

POWER UP WITH VINNIES

Vinnies SA has launched a campaign to encourage people to ‘pay forward’ the $300 discount each household will receive off their energy bill (in the recently announced Federal budget), if they are in a position to do so.

Vinnies SA will take receipt of donated funds and distribute them to eligible households who are struggling with energy bills and general cost of living expenses.

Donations can be made ONLINE HERE.

DIRECTOR OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

AN INTRODUCTION

The past four weeks have brought me great joy. To have been welcomed back into the St Dominic’s Priory College community as the Director of the Junior School, after graduating as a Year 12 student in 1998 is an honour and a privilege. I look forward to working in partnership with the staff, students and families for many years to come. It was lovely to see many parents at the recent Welcome and Commissioning Liturgy and for me to have the opportunity to start building connections with families. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who attended the recent Judith Locke presentation. It was certainly pleasing to see that so many of you prioritised this event and I have no doubt you are grateful that you did.

I have had the pleasure of spending some time in classrooms and getting to know the girls over these past weeks. Seeing their genuine dedication and engagement in their learning is something for us to be proud of.

I hope the remainder of the term goes smoothly for you all, and I thank you for your support of the College as we work in partnership to nurture and support your daughter/s to achieve excellence in her studies and confidence in her future.

Mrs Natalie Cameron
DIRECTOR OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

PRIVATE BUS SERVICE

PORT ADELAIDE TO ST DOMINIC'S PRIORY COLLEGE

Tickets for the private bus service between Port Adelaide and St Dominic's Priory College are now available for purchase, from the College Office. The prices are as follows:

$2.40 for a Single Trip
$20 for Ten Trips
$180 for a Term Pass (available for purchase from Term 3).

This service will be provided by Grants Coachlines before and after school, exclusively for the use of St Dominic's girls in Years 5-12 (and accompanied younger sisters) from Monday 27 May (Week 5). For further information, please refer to the service flyer linked below.

No tickets will be available to purchase from the driver.

Dedicated Bus Service

RESCHEDULED PHOTO DAY

SAVE THE DATE - SCHOOL PHOTO DAY IS TUESDAY 11 JUNE

Following the sudden closure of Academy Photography, St Dominic's Priory College has engaged MSP Photography to provide this service in 2024. Our rescheduled whole school photo day will take place on Tuesday 11 June (Week 7), directly after the King's Birthday weekend. All students in Reception to Year 12 will have their school photos taken. These photos will include class photos, student leadership photos and extra-curricular photos (other than sports photos). Order Envelopes will be distributed to students in Week 5, next week.

As a one-time offer to families who had prepaid Academy Photography for photos scheduled to be taken on Friday 17 May, MSP will honour packages that had been pre-purchased online, and provide a like-for-like substitute. Families affected will be asked to provide proof of purchase, by way of a receipt or credit card statement, to claim this offer. An information sheet with further details will be attached to each order envelope. MSP Photography will then liaise with impacted families directly, and manage the entire process. The College will not manage this aspect of photos.

On photo day, all students will need to be correctly attired in their formal Winter Uniform, as per College policy:

Blazer
Tie / top shirt button done up
Jumpers to be worn under blazers
Hair tied back with the correct black or navy blue ribbon
Correct brown socks pulled up or grey stockings
Clean shoes
No makeup, acrylic nails, coloured nail polish, fake eyelashes/lash extensions
One small stud earring in each ear only. No other body piercings.

Further information will be sent home via School Stream as it becomes available.

Ms Olivia Couch
SCHOOL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

MAKE IT 16 CAMPAIGN

In the April school holidays, I was lucky enough to travel to Canberra as a part of the Make it 16 Campaign, where we advocated for the extension of political participation to young people. And one of the ways we hoped to achieve this is by lowering the voting age to 16. Although it sounds ambitious, it is something that we felt strongly about, and were able to discuss with several ACT members of Parliament, as well as a Federal member. Isn’t it odd that working minors are expected to pay tax but are not granted a say in how that money is spent? People like to counter that 16-year-olds are too immature and ill-equipped to make such impactful decisions, but truly, what is the difference between the political literacy of a 16-year-old student and an 18-year-old adult when both have stopped mandatory civics education in Year 8? Lowering the voting age would exist as a government incentive to increase the quality of civics education in schools, and as 16-year-old students would be voting, they would have direct access to teachers and more recent memory of how the voting system works. You can tell that this is a passion of mine, and I am glad to say the movement has garnered mass support thus far. The workshops I attended helped me build my campaigning skills and showed me the importance of communication and networking, and I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of this amazing campaign. It is so important for young people to not only understand how the system works but exercise their right to participate in it. After all, it is this generation who will be inheriting the Earth. Shouldn’t we get a say in how it’s run?

I am also incredibly happy to say that the South Australian Youth Forum has not only received the Premier’s Certificate in recognition of outstanding volunteer service, but we were recently awarded the 2024 SA Connecting Communities Award by 7News Young Achievers Award. As a group, we look to facilitate the needs of young people in the state and strive to make lasting impacts on the next generation. I am so thankful to be a part of this wonderful team and have a part in the future of South Australia.

Alexandra Calica-Chavez, 12B

DALTON LOVE DAY

What has now become a tradition at St Dom’s is an activity that the girls have come to anticipate with excitement and cherish with open hearts. 2024 Dalton Love Day was a great success and one that strengthened our school community's values and spirit.

The Year 11 Pre-English Literary Studies classes have been busy studying the short stories Trent Dalton collected and wrote by sitting on a street corner during the COVID-19 pandemic. One by one, strangers approached his little desk and typewriter and volunteered a love story to him. What emerged were stories that spoke of lost love, first love, self-love and everything in between. The anthology ‘Love Stories’ has Dalton’s trademark style of narrative which makes for compelling and evocative reading. The students gobbled these stories up and studied his unique style of narrative voice and structure.

On the day, students scattered themselves across the schoolyard with a red helium balloon acting as a beacon and invitation to staff. One by one, staff approached students to share their love stories with them. The girls learnt about Mr Dawson’s proposal under the Northern Lights, Ms Fiacchi’s amateur wooing of her now husband, Ms Mason’s dalliance with first love, Mr Mau’s grandfather’s watch, Ms Noujaim’s inter-generational sweeping love story saga, and Ms Riccio’s love for travel; just to name a few. The stories shared were generous in detail and heartfelt; even a tear or two were shed between student and teacher.

The girls are now busy in the drafting stages of honouring the stories they heard and working to emulate Dalton’s writing style. It was a joyous day that staff and students alike have come to look forward to. Students have often remarked on how this experience allows them to see their teachers in a new light, one that reveals a new facet of their personality and life experiences. Once stories were shared, students offered a token of thanks with a sweetheart chocolate and our very own ‘Love is Lit’ playlist of songs compiled between both classes of our favourite love songs. As Shakespeare said, “if music be the food of love, play on!”

Ms Sara Nigro
LEARNING AREA LEADER - ENGLISH

PAPER BAG BOOK REPORTS

FROM THE YEAR 5 CLASSROOMS

The Paper Bag Book Report assignment is a fantastic way to see the interests of our students early on in the school year. In Term 1, students are required to choose a novel that interests them, and this is the basis for their assignment. Students read the novel and choose 6 items or characters from the story that are memorable or that made an impact on them as a reader.

The next stage sees students creating written explanations about how these items fit within the story and why they personally chose to use these items in their assignment. Students are taught descriptive language techniques to make their descriptions more appealing to the reader and the finished products immerse the viewers into the story excellently.

The final stage of the assignment gives students a chance to show their creative capabilities. They create their six chosen items using raw materials, which are then displayed with their written explanations.

Students presented their Paper Bag Book Reports to their peers in small groups as well as to their family at our presentation night, which was held in Week 10 of Term 1. All students were very professional and engaging on the night and we were very proud of their efforts.

Mr Byron Mortimer
ON BEHALF OF THE YEAR 5 CLASS TEACHERS

I chose We run Tomorrow as my book. One of the items that I created was the pop sticks with coloured tips, these represented fairness in the book. – Chloe Haddad, 5G
I chose Star Friends as my book; I created a compact mirror out of circular wooden pieces that I then painted. This represented a dark shadow that was in a mirror that was making the main character’s sister upset. This was a really important part in the story. – Sienna Cavallaro, 5B
I chose Scoop McLaren and the Detective Editor. I liked at the very start of the story how there were frogs raining; this was to represent a problem. I chose to use this in my ook report and made around 30 origami frogs to represent this. It took me a couple of days to do this!! I also made four 3D frogs to go with it. – Ruby Le, 5B
The Mask Maker was the book I chose. One of the items I created was money and this was relevant to the book because the main character was being bullied by the richest child in the school and the money represented that child. – Aura Patel, 5B
I chose Brindabella as my book which was about an orphan kangaroo that got adopted by people. One of the items that I used was a baby bottle. This was relevant to the story as this was used to feed Brindabella. – Miah Vu, 5G
I chose to do my assignment on Robodog. I created the main character, Robodog, out of AL foil, toothpicks, googly eyes, feathers and corks. I found the whole experience very fun. – Danielle Lipapis, 5G

YEAR 7 CAMP

As we reflect on the exciting Year 7 camp held at Woodhouse Adventure Park last term, it's impossible not to feel a sense of pride in our students.

From exhilarating laser skirmishes to conquering the heights of boulders, our girls embraced every challenge with enthusiasm and determination. Culinary skills were showcased by the girls’ fruit-crumbles in the lightweight cooking session, and teamwork and communication skills were tested as they navigated through the park during geo-caching.

A highlight of camp was the infamous Challenge Hill, where a few brave souls had a go at swinging across ropes that led to some unexpected dips into the river!

We commend our students for their exemplary behaviour throughout the camp, and we were delighted to witness the bonds of friendship grow stronger among them. This camp served as a fitting conclusion to a successful first term of high school, and we look forward to more memorable experiences this year.

Ms Anastasia Markou
YEAR 7 COORDINATOR

PARENTS & FRIENDS

PARENTS & FRIENDS MEETINGS IN TERM 2

The next Parents & Friends meeting will be held on Thursday 13 June, from 7:30pm until 9:00pm in the Adams Mayo Library. All parents and/or guardians are welcome.

REMINDER - SCHOOL STREAM ROLLOUT

Families are reminded to ensure they have downloaded and activated their access to the School Stream app by the end of Term 2, in order to continue receiving vital communications from the College. In order for our systems to recognise users as a parent/guardian of the College, we ask that you log in using either the EMAIL address or MOBILE PHONE number you have previously provided the school. Login attempts via Facebook or Apple ID may not be accepted.

To find out more about School Stream, and to download the app from either Apple Store or Google Play, visit: https://www.schoolstream.com.au/download/ and then follow the prompts below.

SCHOOL UMBRELLAS - $25ea

Don't find yourself caught off-guard by long-awaited 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.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES (DHS)
WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK (WWCC) EXPIRY

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Are you currently registered as a volunteer with the College?
Is your Working with Children Check (WWCC) due for renewal this year?

Did you know WWCCs were first implemented in 2019 by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and are valid for five (5) years from the date of issue. If you received your WWCC in 2019 or 2020, then now is the time to check the expiry date. From July 2024, WWCCs will begin to expire.

Please be reminded that it is an offence to do child-related work without a valid WWCC. To undertake any volunteer work at St Dominic’s Priory College, you must hold a valid WWCC.

You can apply for a free WWCC as a volunteer, or check if your existing check will expire within six months by visiting SA.GOV.AU.

Renewed DHS WWCC details can be forwarded to the College at employment@stdominics.sa.edu.au. Persons will be only cleared to attend voluntary work at the College with an up-to-date DHS WWCC.

If you are interested in becoming a registered volunteer with the College please visit our website.

SPORTS NEWS

CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL

On Thursday 16 May, 19 students from Years 4 to 6 competed in the North Adelaide District Cross Country Carnival, competing against many other schools in the area. The Under 10s were required to run 2km, and Under 11 and 12s ran 3km. Cross Country was a challenge, but we are proud to say that nearly everyone from St Dominic's was able to finish the race! Congratulations to Scarlett Diamandi from 4G who placed 9th in her race.
Isla Nguyen, 6G

SCHOOL SPORT AUSTRALIA GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

Congratulations to Elyse Kozlovic (9W). Elyse has been selected to represent South Australia at the School Sport Australia 18 Years and Under Golf Championship. The championship will be held in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory from Sunday 18 to Friday 23 August 2024.

We wish Elyse and the rest of the School Sport SA Team, all the best in August!

SATURDAY MORNING SPORTS

Please note all fixtures are live and may have changes. Please bookmark and refer to this link weekly https://sacssgsa.cesa.catholic.edu.au/sports

Saturday Sports Rounds

ISSUE 7 | Week 4, Term 2 - Friday 24 May 2024