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| ===Chorale=== | ===Chorale=== | ||
| The ] is claimed to be one of Australia's best non-professional youth choirs. It tours regularly, nationally and internationally. Most recently, in ] it toured through ], the ] and parts of ]. The Chorale's repertoire includes Australian music by Graeme Morton, Matthew Orlovich, Dan Walker, Stephen Leek, Peter Rankin and Sarah Hopkins, and traditional music such as the Mozart Requiem. Its conductor, Graeme Morton, is a renowned musician. He recently took up a Churchill Fellowship to study choral conducting in ] and has served at ]. | The ] is claimed to be one of Australia's best non-professional youth choirs. It tours regularly, nationally and internationally. Most recently, in ] it toured through ], the ] and parts of ]. The Chorale's repertoire includes Australian music by Graeme Morton, Matthew Orlovich, Dan Walker, Stephen Leek, Peter Rankin and Sarah Hopkins, and traditional music such as the Mozart Requiem. Its conductor, Graeme Morton, is a renowned musician. He recently took up a Churchill Fellowship to study choral conducting in ] and has served at ]. In ] it was visited by the Paradubice ] ], with which it shared accomodation while touring through the ] in ], performing at concerts and giving the visitors a brief tour of the city. | ||
| ===Other ensembles=== | ===Other ensembles=== | ||
Revision as of 13:03, 29 June 2006
St Peters Lutheran College (SPLC) is a co-educational Lutheran day and boarding school for students from Preparatory to Year 12. The College is situated on a 21 hectare campus at Indooroopilly, eight kilometres from the Brisbane CBDin Australia. It was established in 1945. It claims to be a school of involvement and energy; a school of faith, hope and optimism, where staff and students teach and learn in close co-operation in a rigorous and caring culture.
Symbolism
The College emblem possesses symbolic qualities including:
- Martin Luther]]'s iconic white rose (from his seal (left)); and
- an inverted crucifix for St Peter, the founder of Catholicism, who was crucified upside down.
The School's motto, Plus ultra (Latin for "aim higher"), describes the school's desire to set high standards and achieve excellence in all endeavours.
Facilities
St Peters offers facilities including libraries, boarding houses, a gymnasium, computer laboratories, 25 and 50 metre swimming pools, tennis courts, three ovals, and a one hectare rainforest. The school is separated into three sub-schools (the junior, middle and senior schools), each of which is geographically separate within the campus.
Heads of College
The present headmaster, Mr Stephen Rudolph, was appointed in 2003, after 27 years in Lutheran school administration including a period as Principal of Luther College, Melbourne. He is also the Vice-Chairman of the National Board for Lutheran Education. The College's past headmasters are:
- Mr W C Schneider (1945-1954)
- Mr H W A Lohe (1955-1970)
- Dr Carson Dron (1971-1993)
- Mrs Sally Chandler (1994-2002)
Notable alumni
St Peters has produced a number of Olympic athletes and world champions (including Maxine Seear, Chris Noffke and Shane Gould) and internationally acclaimed musicians and actors (including Sigrid Thornton, Lisa Gasteen and James Cuddeford).
Other renowned past students include Brisbane author Rebecca Sparrow; Brisbane Lions player Mal Michael; 1986 Commonwealth Games 1500m Freestyle Gold Medalist Jason Plummer; 2002 Commonwealth Games Women's Marathon Bronze Medalist Jacqui Gallagher; Director of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music Professor Peter Roennfeldt; and co-founder of clothing label Sass & Bide, Heidi Middleton.
Music program
St Peters describes its music program as extensive, inclusive and innovative. The school offers music as a subject available to all students. In addition, students can take up individual instrumental, vocal and theoretical studies.
Its music program was acknowledged by the Australia Council, the Federal Government's arts funding body, in 1988 when the College received a financial grant to establish the "Composer in Residence" program in an Australian school. The program has a particular focus on Australian music, culminating in the commission of compositions from Australian composers including Sarah Hopkins' Past Life Melodies and Stephen Leek's Songs of Passage.
Touring forms a significant part of the College's music program. Student ensembles have recently toured throughout the Asia-Pacific region, Russia, USA, Europe and China.
Graduates of St Peters now fill leading professional posts in Australian and overseas orchestras and arts organisations and have used their St Peters music education as the basis for graduate study at such leading institutions as Yale University, St Olaf College, the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music.
Chorale
The St Peters Chorale is claimed to be one of Australia's best non-professional youth choirs. It tours regularly, nationally and internationally. Most recently, in 2005 it toured through Poland, the Czech Republic and parts of Western Europe. The Chorale's repertoire includes Australian music by Graeme Morton, Matthew Orlovich, Dan Walker, Stephen Leek, Peter Rankin and Sarah Hopkins, and traditional music such as the Mozart Requiem. Its conductor, Graeme Morton, is a renowned musician. He recently took up a Churchill Fellowship to study choral conducting in Northern America and has served at St Olaf College. In 2006 it was visited by the Paradubice Prague Choir, with which it shared accomodation while touring through the Czech Republic in 2005, performing at concerts and giving the visitors a brief tour of the city.
Other ensembles
St Peters has quite an extensive systems of ensembles, including the Year 8 Band, the Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Winds, who recently won the Queensland Youth Music Awards (2006) performing a composed by St Peters' orchestral director, Paul Bonnetti.
Curriculum
Curriculum at St Peters:
- is based on a view of human life and understanding as being part of the whole of creation under the lordship of Christ
- recognises that literacy and numeracy are basic and essential skills for learning
- is structured to incorporate the eight nationally recognised Key Learning Areas (KLAs) and, in keeping with Lutheran Education Australia policy, additionally incorporates the study of a ninth KLA, that of Christian Studies
- is very broad and provides a diverse range of learning experiences that centre on the individual student and his/her needs, abilities and interests
- actively incorporates appropriate technology within its delivery
- is based on the concept that all students should study an essential common curriculum that will introduce them to the major fields of human study and knowledge
- is flexible and structured in such a way as to provide for the learning needs of all who are committed to the College
- promotes an appreciation of cultural diversity and aims to promote multiculturalism and develop a sense of internationalism within the College community
Curriculum organisation
The curriculum at St Peters is designed to provide a continuum of experience and knowledge acquisition from Prep to Year 12. To this end, St Peters offers programs within three separate sub-schools; the Junior School (P-5), Middle School (6-8) and Senior School (9-12). Each sub-school operates semi-autonomously with its own Head of Sub-School and administration. There are plans for the future to have the Middle School run from years 5-7, and have a Junior High (8-9) and a Secondary High (10-12). The Junior School will then run from P-4.
Within the broader framework of a combined P-12 college, curriculum oversight is maintained by the Deputy Head - Curriculum, who has responsibility for policy and strategic management across all levels in the academic curriculum of the College.
The separation into Junior School, Middle School and Senior School enables St Peters to:
- enhance and develop curriculum and support structures appropriate to the students' developmental and intellectual needs;
- provide appropriate pastoral care structures to cater for the needs of each individual student; and
- expand specialist facilities, tuition and support necessary to complement the student's growth and development.
The curriculum construct at St Peters centres on a model of cognitive development that focuses on the acqusition of basic cognitive skills in the early years, the development of meta-cognitive skills and knowledge in the middle years and cognitive maturity and self-directed learning in the senior years of schooling. The College curriculum is under continuous review so as to keep abreast of educational developments, but broadly follows the syllabus documents of the Queensland Studies Authority.
The programs and facilities at St Peters ensure that students have a solid grounding in traditional academic studies, are confident in using today's technology, appreciate their cultural heritage and enjoy sporting and recreational activities.
Publications
The school has a number of publications that are made available to the school community and others. The school's weekly newsletter, currently known as The Rock, is available from student and parent portals, plus the SPOSA (St Peters Old Scholrs Association) network, in PDF format. Plus Ultra, a magazine printed three times each year, can be found at the publicly-accessible section of the school's website and is mailed to all students and staff. Other publications are detailed on the school's website here. A yearly publication knows as The Review is circulated to all students in the following year. Angela Gardner is editor for both Plus Ultra and The Rock. Becky Cole is editor for The Rock.
Sport
Sport is an integral component of the educational experience at St Peters. The co-curricular sporting program provides opportunities for all students to be active participants in a wide variety of sports and physical pursuits. St Peters caters for both beginning athletes and elite performers, fostering the development of essential life-long physical skills, healthy behaviours and positive dispositions.
The College has proud sporting traditions and an exceptional sports record. Our sporting facilities include an indoor sports hall and weights room, a 50-metre and a 25-metre heated pool, six tennis-specific courts, eight additional multi-purpose outdoor courts and three ovals, two of which have turf cricket wickets.
All students are strongly encouraged to represent the College in sport. The College is committed to providing a high level of organisation and coaching in all sports, creating opportunities for all students to realise their potential. Students in Years 4 to 7 compete in The Associated Schools Junior (JTAS), while boys in Years 8 to 12 compete in the Associated Independent Colleges (AIC) competition and girls in Years 8 to 12 compete in the Queensland Girls' Secondary School Sports Association (QGSSSA). On any given weekend, up to 600 students represent the College in a number of different sports.
Students in Years Prep to 5 participate in a motor development and sport skills based program for one hour per week. This is in addition to the time devoted to curriculum Heath and Physical Education.
Sports offered
In addition to these association sports, fitness club, water polo, rowing, equestrian and sailing are offered to students in selected year levels.
For swimmers to be affiliated with Queensland Swimming, they must be affiliated with a club to compete at Brisbane, Queensland and Australian swimming levels. The St Peters Western Swim Club meets this need for St Peters students and others in the community.
The club attracts students from the Junior School through to Year 12. There is a Learn to Swim program plus Junior, Intermediate and Senior squads. Head of College, Mr Stephen Rudolph, is the club’s Patron.
Ironbark
Ironbark is the outdoor campus of St Peters Lutheran College. Ironbark is located near the town of Crows Nest, some 50 km north of Toowoomba and 150 km north-west of Brisbane. The property consists of 600 hectares (1485 acres) of heavily timbered, undulating granite country.
Ironbark was named for the Eucalyptus Crebra, the narrow leaf Ironbark, which grows across the property. The Ironbark is a tree of great resilience and produces hardwood timber of great beauty and toughness. It is the aim that some of these characteristics are reflected in Ironbark graduates.
The donation of land in 1971 provided the College with an opportunity to develop and implement a program based on the twin concepts of \'spiritual retreat\' and \'education for life\'. After several years of discussion and planning, a pilot program was run in 1974. Following the success of the pilot program, the Ironbark experience has been part of the College curriculum since 1976.
Students from the College spend five weeks at Ironbark in Year 9. During their stay, students experience community living, help to run the farm and maintain the property, and undertake a range of outdoor adventurous activities. The students have no formal academic lessons during their stay at Ironbark.
A central aspect of the Ironbark program is the opportunity all students have to step away from their everyday life and reflect upon their own spiritual journey. Students are encouraged to do this by the natural environment together with daily devotions and regular worship services.
Ironbark is staffed by specialist teaching, outdoor, maintenance, catering and farm staff. All staff work closely with students in their areas of expertise. Facilities on site include two dormitories, staff accommodation, a well-equipped workshop, a garden, and a mixed farm. Much of the food consumed by the students is produced on the property.
At Ironbark, students are challenged physically, socially, intellectually and spiritually. Most students appreciate this opportunity to step outside the classroom and many Old Scholars speak of Ironbark as a highlight of their time at St Peters.
A recent issue noticed with Ironbark is the drastic improvement in facilities. Where the focus was on living in simpler conditions barely a few years ago, new technologies such as water heaters and washing machines have been introduced and this focus has been shifted to the significant activities in the program. In mid-2006, staff shortages resulted in certain classes missing minor activities such as the scheduled afternoon activity, and the director at the time, Mr Peter McGlennon, conducted a recruitment drive of sorts, searching the local community for qualified staff - and, for the better part, succeeding.