Social and Emotional
The happiness of each of the girls is of utmost importance, as this has a direct influence on her success in all areas of her education. We aim to nurture and support girls, in all facets of their lives. Our Pastoral Care system is based on the values to which we espouse, responsibility, resilience, compassion, honour, respect and collaboration.
We endeavour to assist each girl to build the confidence and independence to face and solve the challenges of life in today’s hectic world. The Director of Pastoral Care meets with class teachers, mentors, the Head, Deputy Heads, therapists and specialist teachers weekly, in order to be mindful of, and assist in the development of, emotional quotient (EQ) in the girls and to monitor girls who need assistance in any specific area of their lives. St Peter’s Prep has developed a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying and has a 'restorative' approach to dealing with social and emotional issues.
Girls are encouraged to explore various options when faced with a particular problem and are empowered to make their own choices in dealing with a situation or incident. A staff member may serve as the facilitator in this process. Instead of isolating girls who do not conform, the team strives for an amicable solution through building relationships and finding common interests to ensure that all girls feel worthy and part of the school system.
Our Grade 3s ‘buddy up’ with a Grade 7 girl in the first term, to ensure that their transition from Junior Prep to Senior Prep runs smoothly. This is also a Leadership opportunity for the Grade 7 pupils. All grades have weekly Life Orientation lessons, and Grade 6 and 7 girls have a mentor, with whom they meet on a regular basis.
Leadership
At St Peter’s we believe that all girls should be given the opportunity to lead. Leadership is taught deliberately through the LO curriculum and informally through activities, workshops, camps, and community service. Leadership Development is about helping the girls learn and practice positive character attributes that support leadership skills. When we build good character, we build strong leaders and thus strong communities. Servant leadership is of utmost importance and this is encouraged by girls being encouraged to serve not only family and school, but also the entire St Peter’s Prep community and its surrounds.
School Houses
All girls in Grade 3 to 7 are allocated to a house where they feel a sense of family and belonging. House competitions take place throughout the year, encouraging participation. The three houses are Founders (red), Oliver (blue) and Waverley (yellow).
HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL HOUSES
Waveney House was the name of one of the two boarding houses. In 1972, the School Council approved the Headmaster’s suggestion that the new boarding house should be called Waveney House, after the name of the valley in which the school stood. The symbol for Waveney House is the Baobab tree, symbolising the tenacity and self-reliance of the boarders.
Founders House was named after one of the two boarding houses. The boarding house, Founders, opened in 1997 and accommodated 55 boarders. It was named Founders House after the founding father of the school and its history. The symbol for Founders House is the Celtic Cross. Celtic Christianity (much loved by St Peter's Prep founder, Stanley Dodson) is associated with equality for men and women, a reverence for nature and hope.
Oliver House is named after Simon Oliver because he was the Chairman of Council when the boarding houses were renovated to become the Girls Prep School. The House was named after him in recognition of his contribution to the Girls School. The symbol for Oliver House is an Olive wreath, symbolizing the resilience and strength of Olive wood.
Old Girls
St Peter’s Girls School opened in 2006 with Grades 0 and 1. Hence, our first group of Grade 7 pupils only left the school in 2012, after which, the Old Girls Association was launched.
The positive feedback received from high schools, to which our girls have moved, has been gratifying and heart-warming and we feel proud to have laid the foundation for such successful and prosperous pupils.
Each year we host an Old Girl’s Tea and in 2017, we held a Matric Chapel Service - for our first ever class of matrics. This will now be an annual event.
The primary aim of the St Peter’s Old Girls Association is to promote and encourage interaction and networking between the Old Girls and School – with the view of building long-term relationships and a strong community.
We would love to hear news about our St Peter's Old Girls. Please keep in touch and share with us any interesting announcements, achievements and relocations by emailing news to ceggett@stpeters.co.za.
