St Peter's Collegiate Girls' School

St Peter's Collegiate Girls' School
Location
Adelaide, South Australia
Australia
Information
Type Independent Anglican School For Girls
Motto Pro Ecclesia Dei, Beati Mundo Corde
For the Church of God, Blessed are the Pure in Heart
Established 1894
Principal Julia Shea
Chaplain Natasha Darke
Grades P–12
Enrolment 730
Campus Stonyfell
Colour(s) Navy Blue, White
Affiliations Anglican Church
Website www.stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au

St Peter's Girls' School, (officially Saint Peter's Collegiate Girls' School, also commonly known as Saints Girls), is an independent girls' school located in Adelaide, South Australia.

Founded in 1894 and originally located in Kermode St, North Adelaide (at the current site of the Women's and Children's Hospital), the School is currently located in Stonyfell, 6 km east of the Adelaide city centre. Located on one campus and surrounded by natural bushland, students from Pre-school to Year 12 thrive in an environment that encourages independence and resourcefulness, develops firm friendships and promotes shared goals.

St Peter's Girls' is a day school which offers the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) and is an Authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) World School teaching both the in the Junior School and the Diploma Program in Years 11 and 12.

History

Opened in 1894 by the Community of Sisters of the Church the School was originally established in North Adelaide (Kermode St). The School moved to its present site at Stonyfell, just 6 km east of the city of Adelaide, South Australia, in 1957.

The Sisters who opened the School were English women who had joined the Anglican Sisterhood founded in 1870 by Miss Emily Ayckbowm, with its headquarters in the London suburb of Kilburn. The members of the community were active in educational and social work in England and because the then bishop of Adelaide, Bishop Kennion, knew of this he asked them to come and serve the needs of which he was aware. His request was answered by the arrival in Adelaide of the first sisters in 1892, and the School opened in 1894 with 4 pupils.

The first lay Head was appointed in 1969. In 1985, the sisters established an incorporated association managed by a Board of Governors and gifted the School and its assets to this association. A history of the School, 'Not Saints, But Girls', written by Dr. Janet Phillips, was published in 1994. It is available from the School Shop on (08) 8334 2228. The school's motto; Pro Ecclesia Dei Beati Mundo Corde, means for the Church of God: Blessed are the Pure in Heart. The School celebrates its 120th Birthday in 2014.

Campus and Facilities

The school is situated entirely on 9 acres (36,000 m2) of landscaped grounds located on Hallett Road, Stonyfell.[1] Purchased at an auction in 1949, the Stonyfell property known as ‘Chiverton’ featured a two storey, 14 room residence and stables with a 2 room cottage.

The first day of school at the new campus was Ascension Day, 30 May 1957 with the official opening held on St Peter’s Day, 29 June 1957. The main building originally comprised an assembly hall, tuckshop and 24 classrooms.

During the late 1960s, science laboratories were built, and an extension to the eastern end of the building, for a library, was begun. In the 1970s, the oval was further developed, a sports pavilion was erected, the gymnasium was built, and the swimming pool, the Junior library and the art centre were added. The Humzy Theatre was constructed in 1981, and in 1994 a new Information Technology Centre was completed. In 2001 the front office and car park were refurbished, and in 2004 an "Early Learners' Centre" was opened. The campus celebrated its 50th Birthday in 2007. In 2010 the School built an Arts Centre. .

House system

The School's House system was introduced in 1927 to foster a sense of belonging and encourage friendly rivalry and competition.

Upon enrolling at the School, students are allocated into one of the four School Houses, each named after a prominent figure in the School's history: Kennion (pale blue), Kilburn (gold), Patteson (red), or Selwyn (green). The four houses engage in numerous inter-house competitions every year, including: Sports Day, Swimming Carnival, House Music Eisteddford, Summer and Winter inter-house, inter-house debating, as well as the hotly contested Choral Night, widely regarded as the community highlight on the School's calendar.

Alumni

Some of the School's notable alumni include:

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Location". St Peter's Girls' School.
  2. ↑ Harris-Rimmer, Susan (2013-09-20). "Bishop joins ranks of the few". Canberra Times. Retrieved 2013-10-20.