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PETER’S GIRLS’ SCHOOL

Year 7 2026 Handbook

Welcome to Middle School

It is with great excitement that we welcome you to the 2026 school year, and our Middle School. The transition to Middle School is a significant period in your daughter’s educational journey, and marks the beginning of a time in their life of change and growth.

We want to deliver a robust, engaging, inspiring and challenging curriculum, that fosters critical and deep thinking. We want to help students explore and develop individual and group values and create meaningful links to society. We want to have our girls experience success and share in the successes of others, and provide opportunities for self-expression and reflection.

Students are expected to continue to work hard and try hard. We expect students to treat each other, adults and themselves with respect and encourage them to become involved in a wide array of activities and with a broad range of students. In that sense, this is very much a continuation of Junior School, and fits in with the ethos of the whole School. We also encourage students to challenge themselves, take risks within controlled boundaries and to develop organisational skills and resilience that will prepare them for Senior School and beyond.

With change can come challenge, and the challenges experienced during the transition process will be different for every student. For some it will be the increased movement between lessons – but they soon learn to cope with this. Others will find organisation and the number of resources an initial challenge. Getting used to a larger number of teachers, and establishing a relationship with them is certainly a major change – but to an extent this happens at the beginning of every year. The use of specialist teachers certainly adds a degree of complexity and, possibly, raised expectations in some subject areas.

Perhaps the major change, however, is the social shifts that may occur. It is an exciting time, and a transition that many students use to re-position themselves as they mature and their interests change and develop. They may experience their friendships shifting, or they may feel the loss of relinquishing their ‘senior’ status of their Junior School setting, but they also have increased opportunities for interactions with older students and the potential to build new connections through joining co-curricular communities.

We hope that you as parents support us and your daughter in this process, giving them space to make mistakes and to learn from them, to mature and develop independence and resilience, We ask that you celebrate the successes of your daughter, talk with her about her experiences, and maintain contact with us through the Home Group teacher in the first instance.

We look forward to working in partnership with you this year and beyond.

Cherylyn Skewes Principal

Emma Smerdon Head of Middle School

School Day Structure

Terms

Term 1 (10 weeks)

Term Dates 2026

Dates

Wednesday 28 January – Thursday 2 April

Term 2 (10 weeks) Monday 20 April – Friday 28 June

Term 3 (10 weeks) Tuesday 21 July – Friday 25 September

Term 4 (8 weeks) Monday 12 October – Friday 4 December

Home Group Structure

USEFUL NUMBERS

Front Office 8334 2200

School Shop 8334 2228

Health Centre 8155 5762

Absences

Please text 0428 601 957 or email attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Communication with the School

STUDENTS CONCERNS

Please contact the School via your daughter’s:

• Home Group Teacher or Head of Year for all wellbeing and pastoral concerns.

• Subject Teacher or Head of Department for all specific subject concerns.

You can contact them directly via email or through Canvas, or call the Front Office on 08 8334 2200. Receipt of all emails will be acknowledged, and phone calls will be returned, within two business days.

ATTENDANCE

Staff mark rolls between 8.30 and 8.35am. All students who arrive after 8.30am are required to sign in at the Front Office.

Methods of notifying the School of late arrivals (e.g. appointments), early dismissals and absences (e.g. illness) are:

TEXT: 0428 601 957

EMAIL: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

PHONE: 8334 2200

Further information regarding Attendance and Lateness (including applications for leave) can be found in STUD008 Attendance and Lateness Policy.

The Year 7 Team

Head of Year 7

Alastair Eglinton aeglinton@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Home Group Teacher 7DERE

Denise Reid dreid@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Home Group Teacher 7EMOR

Emily Morris emorris@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Home Group Teacher 7SHLI

Shiyi Li shli@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Home Group Teacher 7KING

Kim Nguyen

lnguyen@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Wellbeing

At St Peter’s Girls’ School, student wellbeing is defined as having a positive sense of self-worth, the confidence and skills to embrace challenges and a sense of belonging to our community.

Through a holistic approach to their educational journey, our girls are supported to maintain healthy habits and routines, to challenge themselves for continual growth and to reflect to ensure they develop into young people who are courageous, creative and compassionate.

Students engage in bespoke wellbeing sessions each week that focus on a range of topics relevant to each cohort, at Saints Girls our wellbeing program is called #EMPOWHER. These sessions are framed by our Wellbeing Framework, which was developed specifically for the needs of our girls.

Wellbeing lessons occur twice a week and can be facilitated by the Home Group Teacher, Head of Year, Head of Sub-School or School Psychologist. In Year 7, the following topics will be explored:

• Organisation

• Camp preparation

• Growth Mindset

• Goal Setting – Year 12 Buddies

• Stress Management

• Building Positive Relationships

• Digital Citizenship

• Gratitude

• Mental Fitness Challenge

• Leadership – Peer Led Workshops

• Career Ready (interest, abilities, career interests)

We have a fully qualified clinical psychologist on staff in the role as School Psychologist to provide a confidential assessment and counselling service to all referred students. They also support the development and implementation of the #EMPOWHER program. As an Anglican School, we also value the role our School Chaplain can play in supporting our student’s wellbeing.

School Psychologist

Emily Small schoolpsychologist@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

School Chaplain

Reverend Thomas Bassett tbassett@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

School Counsellor

Domenique Saraceno schoolpsychologist@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Academic Curriculum

St Peter’s Girls’ Middle School curriculum offers a dynamic and diverse curriculum in the following key areas of learning:

• The Arts

• English

• Health and Physical Education

• Languages

• Mathematics

• Religious Education

• Science

• Humanities

• Technology

Our teachers are guided by the principles of our Academic Framework, which was developed based on best practice, to encourage our students to develop and reflect upon key skills, as well as develop a crucial set of attributes.

The Middle School uses the best aspects of primary and secondary schooling to meet the needs of young adolescents. In Middle School, there is an increased need for specialist subject teachers and appropriate facilities, who design and implement learning experiences across our Learning Areas.

Middle School students are expected to undertake homework each night.

• There is a homework timetable which the girls will be provided with, and should be available on subject Canvas pages.

• Typically there will be 3-4 homework subjects a night.

• Year 7 students undertake 60 minutes, with each subject taking 15-20 minutes. If your child is taking excessively longer with the work in a subject, contact the subject teacher to discuss.

Our Curriculum Team

Director of Teaching and Learning

Kate Fryer kfryer@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Head of Department: Arts

Kate Burnett kburnett@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Head of Department: Languages

Matthew Houston mhouston@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Head of Department: Mathematics

Samantha O’Brien sobrien@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Head of Department: English

Michael Butler-Wills mbutler-wills@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Head of Department: Music

Sally Rounsevell srounsevell@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Head of Department: Health, PE and Outdoor Education

Katherine Perkas kperkas@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Head of Department: Science

Craig Byrne cbyrne@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Head of Department: Humanities

Gregor Dingwall gdingwall@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

Head of Department: Technology and Digital Learning

Garth Coulter gcoulter@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

School Uniform

The school uniform is compulsory for all students at St Peter’s Girls’ School. For further information, please refer to STUD017 School Uniform Policy.

SUMMER UNIFORM

• Consists of the summer dress, culottes, summer blouse, straw hat, black school shoes and light blue school socks.

• Shoes must be black lace-up or buckled school shoes.

• The length of the summer dress must sit no higher than mid-way through the kneecap when standing upright and no longer than mid-calf.

• The split must be no higher than 10cm above the hem of the skirt.

• The straw hat must be worn when entering or exiting the School in full summer uniform and when outside the School in public places.

o A School hat (straw or blue broad brimmed) must also be worn outside in non-sheltered areas of the school grounds when in the summer dress.

School Shop

SCHOOL SHOP OPENING HOURS

Monday to Friday: 8am to 4pm (closed for lunch 12 to 12.30pm)

Middle and Senior School students are welcome to visit during their recess or lunch breaks and can pay via their Flexi School Card, Eftpos or Cash.

Alternatively, School Shop items can be purchased online via the FlexiSchools platform flexischools.com.au.

WINTER UNIFORM

• The Winter uniform consists of the winter skirt, shirt, long blue socks or tights, School tie, blazer and black school shoes.

• Shoes must be black lace-up or buckled school shoes.

• Students may choose to wear the navy blue School scarf. This can be worn indoors and outdoors.

• The winter skirt should be no shorter than mid kneecap and no longer than mid-calf.

• The tie (school or house coloured) must be done up to the neck and hide the top button, not worn loosely.

• The blazer must be worn to and from School

• If wearing socks, they must be pulled up to the knee, not worn down around the ankles

MAKEUP, HAIR AND JEWELLERY

• Hair must be tied back if it touches the shoulders or is longer.

o In summer, students must wear a plain light blue ribbon over their hair tie.

o In winter students must wear a plain dark blue ribbon over their hair tie.

o School headbands may also be worn.

o If hairclips are required to keep the hair off the face, they should be light blue, dark blue or the colour of the girl’s hair. No other hair adornments are to be worn.

o Natural hair colour is the expectation.

• Earrings are only allowed to be one per lobe. The earrings worn must be plain, small, non-offensive metal studs, or sleepers, which may be a small diamond or pearl stud.

• One wristwatch may be worn.

• No other jewellery is to be visible unless it is of religious significance or for medical purposes. Permission must be sought from the Head of Sub-school if this is the case.

• Makeup is not to be worn to School and eyelash extensions are not to be worn while in school uniform

• Only clear nail polish is allowed to be worn.

PE/SPORT UNIFORM

• Students may only wear appropriate School approved sports attire to PE lessons.

o blue or House polo, School sports shorts or skort, white socks with blue bands, hat and sneakers or playing shoes relevant to the activity.

o Bike shorts or long blue School sports leggings may be worn.

o School tracksuit pants and jacket, rugby jumper or sports hoodie.

• Students must wear the School bathers during swimming lessons. Students are permitted to wear other bathers underneath or board shorts over the top.

• During Terms 1 and 4 and from Week 5 in Term 3, the School broad-brimmed hat must be worn during outdoor PE lessons, and for trainings and matches unless exempted due to practicalities of the sport.

• Students are to arrive at school in their summer/winter uniform, and if they have PE during the day must change in the break immediately prior to their PE lesson.

• Following their PE lesson, students are required to change back into summer or winter uniform in the break immediately following their PE lesson unless it occurs in lesson 5 or 6 and they have training or a match after school.

• Students may arrive at School in their sports uniform only if they have sports training in the morning or if directed by the School for a specific event.

• Students may wear their sports uniform to Chapel or assemblies, unless informed otherwise for specific events.

• Students who need to leave early for an afterschool sport match may get changed at lunch. Please refer to SPRT012 PE and Sport Uniform Policy for further information.

Co-curricular Activities

We offer a wide range of co-curricular activities for students in the Arts, Music, Sport, Public Speaking, Environment and Philosophy. In Year 7, 8 and 9, participation in a sport each term is compulsory, with a range of winter and summer sports to try. We encourage our girls to try as many co-curricular activities as they are interested in:

• Challenge the girls to try something new

• Great opportunity to meet other students

• Important role in contributing to the wider school community

Clipboard manages all our co-curricular activities. Here, you will find the overall schedule, trainings and fixtures information, activity selection and teams and Groups.