Testimonials
"I often get asked the question: Why do you love your school so much? My answer is quite simple. It is because of the people. Coming into the final stretch of my high school career and having met so many people along the way, I can’t tell you that I have ever met two completely alike St Petrians. Every child is different, yet every child belongs. Uniqueness and difference are celebrated here and through that, we get to learn more than we could ever learn from a textbook." – Natalie Molenaar, 2020 Head Girl
"I love this school with everything I have, this school is my heartbeat, my pride, my passion, my other half. This school offers so much, from outstanding academic achievement, to strutting it on the dance floor or scoring that last-minute winner on the sports field. The facilities and extra murals allow you to be a part of anything you want and to be the person you want to be.” – Johnty Webb, 2020 Head Boy
Good Day Mr Macaulay
I don’t usually do things like this but I honestly felt the need to write to you and say Thank you (for what it is worth). Thank you for the professionalism in which your staff have shown over the last few weeks and for the fun videos that you have personally posted to keep everyone engaged and focused on the important things.
More importantly this letter sent out today deeply touched me as I think every one is really concerned about the future and as I got the real sense that St Peters is committed to keeping their kids and helping the parents. I have 2 children and my daughter is not at St Peters and I assure you that the other school has sent out any communication to drive reassurance to the parents or in terms of the schools plans to help in anyway they can. So I realise that St Peters has gone out of their way to reassure parents before the panic is even real.
Thank you for this it really means a lot to me and I am sure to a lot of other parents.
I am so proud to have my son at a school that teaches primarily through the example they set.
Well done and thank you again!
Hi Greg and Rob
Just thought I’d drop you a short note to say well bloody done! You guys and your teaching staff have been doing a fantastic job of navigating parents and pupils through this chaotic quagmire.
The online delivery has been world class and St Peter’s commitment to keep things going and relevant for the boys through this disruptive period is really appreciated. I can truly sympathise myself being in the thick of negotiations with DHET and public universities which appears to mirror the indecision and irrational flip flopping of your Haviana slop factory that is the Ministry of Basic Education!
Notwithstanding the current set back thank you for persevering in the best interest of our kids, I am fully confident you will make the right decisions along the way. Lindsay and I are VERY excited for the day you can eventually welcome them back onto your great campus. I hope your bar fridges have been fully replenished!
Dear Greg and Rob
Just wanted to extend my thanks to you and you team for the way in which the school has conducted itself through this difficult time. As an old boy and parent I am obviously very biased but from my many conversations with friends with kids at other Prep schools, I am very proud to be associated with St Peter’s at this time (as always) given the approach adopted by the school in response to the pandemic.
I look forward to drop off tomorrow
All the very best for what I am sure will be a challenging few months while everyone adapts.
Dear Greg, Darrel, Rob and each and every member of staff
Too often we forget to say ‘Thank You’; and the reason for my note is exactly this…
COVID came fast and with little warning. Yet, once again, I have been reminded how proud I am to be part of the St Peter’s family.
Driving into school is so different and sometimes the stark contrast can take one’s breath away. The nostalgia is quickly replaced by pride as one sees our security guards with their smiling faces waving at each family; the effort that has been put into the directional signage; staff members at every turn waiting to welcome our children; no task too big or small for anyone to roll up their sleeves and get the job done.
Many would say that this is not the year that their Grade 7 child had in mind. Yet, through this time I have seen growth and maturity in our boy that I did not expect. An ownership of learning that was not always there before. An ability to adapt and live in the moment. I need to acknowledge the large part that St Peter’s has played in developing this growth mindset in our son. Not once has he looked back, bemoaned that which has been lost in this year. Instead I have seen empathy for others and a mature involvement in family discussions.
On her first day back, our daughter skipped off happily into a school that is very different to the one she left; yet there has been no anxiety. At the end of her first day she asked me whether she could please send a message to her teacher thanking her for the day. She is a quiet little girl, and I did not expect this.
Thank you for always listening, and for being prepared to include parents in decisions and communications. Thank you for acknowledging the views of all and for being prepared to review decisions. Thank you for taking calls after hours and for replying to every email.
I know that this time is not over and we have many more bridges to cross. It is very difficult to please everyone; but I really feel that the St Peter’s community is trying their very best under trying circumstances.
I can’t wait for the bustle of Grieff Road to return, for the sound of cricket bags rolling down the walkways and the sight of hot-faced children after an afternoon of sport. Until then; please know that all that you do, seen and unseen, is appreciated by many.
Hi Greg
Hope you are keeping well - and warm!! Thanks for sharing a great update this evening.
I also wanted to convey my personal thanks to the teachers and your entire team at St. Peter’s. What a privilege to be part of this family!
Teachers have stepped up on Zoom meetings and with online teaching, supporting and encouraging our boys and contributing to their overall independence and helping them find a little familiarity And structure in this ‘new normal’. Fielding questions and concerns from stressed parents!
A great management team, accessible and always willing to chat and address any points raised by anxious parents, with quick, detailed replies I can readily share with the CC in response.
Awesome security guards who know each of us and our children by name and a team of ground staff who are always willing to help.
Wishing everyone all the best for next week!
Dear Darrel, Pam, Kim and Candice
Hope that you are all well.
So much excitement in the home this week as we were lucky enough to have both kids go off to the school. The house seems rather empty after such a long period of all being together!
I think many moms were emotional dropping their kids off on Monday. Although we are very happy that they are finally back, we have spent some quality time with them over this period. It also felt so strange to enter such an empty school as it is normally buzzing with so much energy! Although one benefit for the staff is that there is no car park chatter!!
I just wanted to express our sincere gratitude to all the staff for making this whole experience the best that it could possibly be under the circumstances. It has been a huge amount of extra work and yet you still take various parent’s comments into consideration. We have been so impressed with the programme that you have offered the girls. Even the Arcade day last Wednesday was also so much fun for Rachel and was just what she needed at that time. Thank you also for making the settling back into school process so easy for the girls even though there are so many big changes. Rachel has been bubbling over since being back.
From a purely selfish point, I am so sad to have been missing out on all these last events at this amazing school. But I guess that is a good sign of how happy we have been!
Thanks once again to all the staff for your dedication and hardwork over this period.
Hi Catriona,
I hope you and your girls are all better - I cannot imagine that having sick children would've been easy over this time.
I'd also just like to take the time to thank you and applaud the amazing work that you and the other Grd 1 teachers are doing! I have been so impressed and blown away by the level of work that you have put out, as well as the care and genuine missing of being at school with your pupils that I've witnessed. It cannot be easy, as a teacher, to not be with your pupils - please know that you and the St. Peter's school at large are so very missed by Erin and our family.
I want to throttle people when I hear them say that teachers are having a nice holiday and not really having to do too much during this time!!! I immediately tell them about you with your three girls, many zoom chats, online teaching, marking... as well as still maintaining sanity! I really think you're amazing and hope that you know how appreciated you are:-)
We look forward to the day that we are back at St. Peter's, but until then will keep on keeping on!
Dear Greg
This is just a short note to commend you and the entire St Peters team for your handling of the Covid 19 crisis. Similar to St Peters, businesses have to contend with constantly changing, and often poorly constructed, legislation that allows one little time to respond. I have not seen any organisation that has communicated better, responded quicker, and executed more effectively than St Peters, all this whilst taking into account the varied community which you serve. This could not have been better illustrated when we sent you Nicola Aylward’s letter. We were not intending it to be a petition but merely pointing out that we felt that the Department had not fully considered the impact of long term mask wearing and over sanitizing for children’s developing immunity systems. St Peters has taken note of this and responded by putting together an advisory team to consider this and all other issues. We are fully supportive of this initiative.
Well done, again, to you and your team.
Dear Staff
This time a lovely note from the Morris family. Cecilia – please also pass onto your team.
Nic and I would like to make a point in commending all St Peters management, teachers and ground staff on an excellent job! The planning and organising that has been undertaken to keep our children in school, learning, safe and happy has been immense and you have left no stone unturned. The smiling faces directing traffic on our arrival and departure each day, the teachers checking in with our children to make sure they are coping both academically and emotionally, and the fact that you have been able to seamlessly run the "online program” and the “at school program” congruently, giving us the choice as to whether we would like to stay at home or send our kids to school, has been absolutely incredible.
Knowing that no matter what happens, our children's education will not be impacted has been a stress that we have not had to deal with, we are very grateful to everyone involved in making our daughters school term a safe and happy experience!
Stay healthy and well, enjoy the holidays and we so look forward to returning in September.
Dear Rui and Darrel
A huge thank you to both the Prep and the College for turning what has been a turbulent, and somewhat traumatic time, into what appears to have been a seamless transition into a new way of educating our children. Being a teacher at St Peter’s I know that this was not at all seamless for teachers, and Phil and I cannot thank each and every staff member and member of the St Peter’s schools enough for their role in ensuring our children not only continue to learn, but also remain happy and emotionally well throughout this time. This had to happen in winter, and the coldest winter experienced in years! Yet every teacher who is greeting the children on arrival with chattering teeth and ice cold toes still has a smile on their face and a warm greeting. Almost every day both Emily and Sophie return from school with a huge smile and stories to tell of the fun they have had. Every Grade being back full time is incredible and having the option to work online when needed is reassuring – although both our girls have forsaken some later sleep ins because you have made this ‘new normal’ of schooling too much fun! We cannot express the extent of our gratitude for the huge amount of work that has gone into ensuring the school environment is safe and the girls health is kept a priority.
Once we saw St Peter’s girls school in the year Emily was born there was never any other school for us, and we have never doubted our decision. In these Covid times we are so very grateful that we are a part of the St Peter’s community and know that our children are privileged to be a part of these fabulous schools. Thank you, thank you for all you and everyone has done.
Can I just say WELL DONE to you ladies for what you have done to prep for this Term 2.
We have gone from me having to sit alongside her all day, not able to get any work done (because Home Schooling has taken over my life), to me setting her up each morning, opening up all the windows with the videos and giving her the worksheets for the day and she’s off!
I am no longer stressed because I can’t get any work done, so much so, that yesterday afternoon at 15:00, I didn’t know what to do with myself! I know it must have taken up a HUGE part of what was supposed to be your holiday, but I thank you for your sacrifice! I REALLY DO! More importantly the rest of the Mogale family thanks you, because it would seem that “Godzilla” has gone into hibernation.
Dear Darrel and Rob
I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate the strategies that you and your teams have put in place for our children. I feel that they are safe and are really enjoying having real contact with the teachers and other students.
I am so proud of St Peters! Talking to parents from other schools, you hear of the challenges that they are facing, that our school seems to have handled in their stride!
Please also pass on our thanks to all the teaching staff who are having to not only cope with their own challenges at home, but are also having to do double the work with the online and at school spaces. We really do appreciate their outstanding work.
I am also very thankful to be able to send both my kids to school. This has given me a much needed chance to catch up on my real job which has fallen behind during lockdown. Fortunately, I have a boss who is understanding.
Thank you for all you do!
Hello Angi,
I hope you and your family are well. Just wanted to say a thank you to you and the Pre-Prep team for making learning in lockdown enjoyable and engaging. Hriday loves it. I also just wanted to commend teacher Tay. Her approach and concern for the little ones is above comparison. We could not be happier. Please do take care and best wishes amidst the chaos of lockdown.
We are absolutely devastated school isn’t opening on Monday
Hannah’s response when we told her:
“Mommy you must give the teacher your car to bring the school home"
Just wanted to say a big thank u for making Michael’s transition back to school so easy, clearly you did the most amazing job as always, as he loved being back. A million thanks.
Aah thank you so much. She misses you a lot!!!! We all do. But love all the lessons you and teachers have set for us. Jaimie and Cole get sooo excited when they see it’s a lesson from you!!!
This afternoon I was chatting to my best friend who works at a private school in Pretoria. We were sharing notes about our respective Online Programmes, and I told her how the Grade 1 team is teaching via 20 zooms a week (small groups-before anyone has a heart attack J). She gasped and asked how on earth I was getting through all of Livi’s work too. She was absolutely shocked to hear that we are at school and that teacher’s children are being assisted by specialist teachers, with regards to technical glitches and the like, on Google Classroom and Zoom.
Dear Greg and Covid team
You and your team rocks!! True story – the amount of information, quick response from the school and the obvious thought processes put into “next steps forward” is truly applaudable. I am super impressed with St Peters. Visionaries comes to mind. People that think and truly try to work out best solutions for ALL parties.
Tonight we will say a prayer at dinner for all our St Peters teachers and staff. Heaven knows, they have been challenged at every level, whilst being expected to run their own families with their own obstacles simultaneously to teaching our goslings.
Respect.
Cheers to all of you teaching hero’s and stay safe,
Natasha