A u gu s t 2 0 0 8 Vo l um e 14 : 2

Lutheran

Australia

The value of values education The argument is that schools have a responsibility to help teach student values. In 2004, in response to the perceived erosion of community values the federal government cobbled together its own set of values and pronounced them mandatory for all Australian schools. And as if to underscore the importance of these values schools were obliged to daily run the Australian flag up their flagpole – all in the name of Australian values.

Defining the terms

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ducation is a value-laden activity. Values are core to a school; they come with the architecture and the furniture and decorations of the building itself.

The value of values education . ................ 1 - 3 Nurturing values .................. 4 - 5 National values education forum . ...................... 6

in this issue

LEA values at St Stephens Lutheran College . ...................... 7 Micro ethics in school leaderships . ................... 8

Small cards and gentle whispers . ........................ 9 REGIONAL NEWS: LEQ . ..................................... 10 - 11 LSA ....................................... 12 - 13 LESER . ................................. 14 - 15 The treasure within ................. 16

But what are values and how are they different from morals and ethics? Values refer to the principles and convictions which an individual holds that act as general guides to behaviour, the standards by which particular actions are judged to be good or desirable. The terms, values, morals and ethics can be separated thus; what is prized or held in high esteem (values) implies standards of appropriate human behaviour (morals) compatible with principles (ethics) governing what is good for the person and for the society to which the individual belongs. In practice, however, the terms ethics, morals, and values, inform each other in unquantifiable and often inseparable ways.

They are personified in the attributes of the teachers and in the standards of behaviour of the students; they are made explicit in the rituals, particularly those that accompany tragedy or celebrate success. However, in recent times there has been a lamenting that core values have been lost from our community. Typically, from the Australian perspective, Judge McGuire, President of the Children’s Court, Queensland, in 1997 said the following, ‘There is now, I believe, a widely accepted view that we as a nation have abandoned many of our traditional values, and are living off our moral capital’. Others have linked the lack of values by children with an increase in family breakdown and delinquent crime, Australia’s high youth suicide rate, and a decline in respect for those in authority.

Values in schools Schools as institutions have their own value sets. In a landmark ethnographic study of a Canadian Catholic school, Peter McLaren (1993) found that

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the underlying values system in this school was the importance of students to ‘become catholic’ and to ‘become workers’. Despite the curriculum being well taught by the teachers somehow the students were ‘subliminally’ imbued with the notion that to be catholic and to be a worker mattered most. This then begs the question; What value statements are we conveying to the students in our particular Lutheran school(s)? If we think about, and work with, our students as ‘clients’ what value statement is this making to our students? Similarly, what value messages are we conveying when we think about, and work with our students as: • market share • things to be babysat while they grow into rational beings • empty vessels to be filled with information • a means to an accumulated school year 12 ranking • servants of the school/college or as: • a part of God’s creatio continua • redeemed children of God • sharers of, and contributors to, lifelong learning? There are such things as school or institutional values just as there are community values and family values. And there are individual values held by adults and children alike.

sValues

THEME FOR THIS ISSUE:

The development of values To the casual observer, values may appear to develop, or build up over time in much the same way as barnacles accumulate below the water line of a boat. And it appears also that many of our Lutheran schools trust time to take its course such that over the life of a student in one of our Lutheran schools they accumulate ‘Christian values’. School prospectuses attest to Lutheran schools having a strong values program or Christian values, but when you scratch a little deeper very few Lutheran schools actually has an explicit values program. It appears that many of us in Lutheran schools assume that teaching Christian Studies together with a worship program will imbue our students with (Christian) values. However, expecting the ethos of the school do the teaching of values is like expecting a Mercedes Benz car to transform the driver! No matter how good the ethos of a school is, it will never replace good explicit values teaching as the vehicle for values development. Indeed, it has been shown that a child/ student’s values can be positively changed through the process of direct curriculum intervention.

Values education The term ‘values education’ has encompassed and, in practice has often been seen as having a particular emphasis on, education in civic and moral values. Over time there has

friendship, obedience, appreciation, honesty, responsibility, co-operation, self-control, humility, courage, justice, love, kindness, hope, forgiveness, thankfulness, peace, joy, unity, rituals, freedom, celebrations. A new concept word is selected each month and is introduced to all of the students, through classroom discussions, devotions, literature sources (fiction and non-fiction), music and drama. In addition, the concept word is reinforced and practised on a daily basis in classroom and playground settings. School parents are invited to support the program via school newsletter articles.

been a number of approaches or models to values education including; values clarification, values analysis, Kohlberg’s moral development, character education, and Jerome Bruner’s worldview approach. While each of these models has particular pedagogical nuances, they each address the teaching of values in an explicit manner. Schools too will address the teaching of values in differing ways but in order for any values education program to be effective good explicit teaching is involved.

Scaffolding to explore values concepts Values are both multifaceted and multidimensional. To concentrate on the exploration of a set of values or a values system during an isolated lesson in year 4, or as part of the year 11 Christian Studies curriculum, is to deny students the richness that is ‘values education’. The values program at Good News is cyclic in nature and trans-disciplinary in delivery with children encountering each value concept/word every

One Lutheran school’s values education journey In 1999, the philosopher Jonathan Glover wrote a book (Humanity: a moral history of the 20th century) in which he analysed the motivation behind the known atrocities of the 20th century. Glover postulated that if you dismantled the identity of a person, disregarded respect for a person, or suspended sympathy (compassion) for a person then the way was open to commit even the most heinous of crimes against humanity. Good News Lutheran School, Middle Park, Qld, has adopted a program of values education that builds on positively developing the identity of each student as well as reinforcing respect and compassion for all people. In addition, these three ‘pillars’ are supplemented with the purposeful introduction of twentyfour value concept words (based in part on the West Kidlington model); tolerance, faithfulness, patience,

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two years. This allows each student to encounter the concept of justice, for example every two years and with a growing level of maturation and complexity. In this manner students are able to explore the many facets of a value concept and in the process begin to construct their own meaningful set of values. An emerging and coherent value system for each student is probably possible only at the later stages of secondary education but coherence and cohesion is enhanced by the groundwork undertaken at all stages of primary and middle school.

Measurement of children’s values While the methodology for assessing student cognitive development is well known to educators and it has, over time, yielded significant information about the students in our schools, the methodology for the measurement of non-cognitive aspects of student progress, such as affective and social development, values and attitudes is much more problematic. This poses a problem, namely, on the one hand, we hear calls for positive values and efficacious values programs to be

taught in our schools and on the other hand we note that the measurement of the efficacy of values and values programs is problematic. From 2001-2006 I undertook the task to develop an instrument to measure the profile of primary school children. Known as the Children’s Values Profile the instrument captures the values dimensions of: Emotional Intelligence, Self-Concept, Worldview, School Climate, Student Behaviour, Social Skills, and Social Expression (Note: a spirituality dimension for the Children’s Values Profile is being developed). Each of these dimensions has a set of attending questions, which, when self-reported by the students on a 5-point Likert scale,

yield rich data about individual student values profiles. By aggregating the data for each school, strengths and weaknesses in a school’s values program can readily be identified. The Children’s Values Profile is constructed and normed to measure the values profiles of students in years 4 to 7.

for the dimensions of social skills, school climate and worldview, while boys recorded higher scores for areas associated with physical activity, mathematics, ‘friendships’ with boys, and doing things ‘to gain rewards’. An important element of the Children’s Values Profile data was the comparison of the characteristics of students with high values profile scores with students with low values profile scores. A normal frequency distribution was achieved across the participants’ scores. A low 15% cut-off point was calculated (15th percentile) and the results of these students were compared with students in a high 15% cut-off (85th percentile). Using a combination of qualitative

Research findings Children’s Values Profile data was collected from eleven Lutheran schools, both country and city and representing differing socio-economic status scores. The results support the notion that children’s values formation can be influenced by socio-economic status factors and gender. In terms of gender, girls recorded higher scores

and quantitative procedures it was identified that students with low values profile scores had fewer friendships, featured low in peer selection for games and tasks, had poor to average social competence according to teachers’ ratings, had low social comprehension skills, utilised fewer abstract and inferential thinking skills, and were over represented by boys. In comparison, children with high values profile scores as a group had greater gender balance, and these students had a wide circle of friends, were reported to be leaders, were highly competent socially, appeared to participate in, and to value, strong social contacts, and to utilise more abstract and inferential thinking skills. Finally, students with high values profiles displayed high levels of language pragmatics and ‘theory of mind’ skills when verbalising their moral choices. Children with low values profile scores tended to value moral choices that advantaged themselves and demonstrated less abstract understandings of social language.

The way forward We know that good pro-social programs aid and abet values development. We know that ‘theory of mind’ skills (the ability to read and respond to the body language and emotions of others and oneself) enhance values development. We know that good explicit values teaching can positively change children’s values. And we know that values are multifaceted and multidimensional relying on exploration across the full range of primary, middle, and secondary schooling. The task then is to put all of this together into a cohesive program for all students in the Lutheran school system so that at the very least Lutheran school students will be, ‘contributing to the moral capital of this nation’. Dr Loyd R Fyffe Principal Good News Lutheran School Middle Park, Qld

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Nurturing values

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alues education has been firmly on the national education agenda for four years now. The previous federal government’s emphasis upon values in schools has certainly had a mixed response from educators and community members. There has been significant debate about what values education should look like in schools, as well as the anticipated outcomes for students, in both the short and long term. Lutheran education has recognised that, if we accept Hill’s definition of values as lived beliefs (Hill: 2004) then values lie at the heart of the education we offer. We realise that our values occupy centre stage because our underlying philosophy about being human is shaped by our theology. Christenson (2006) summarises this perspective when he states that Genesis ‘tells a story about how we, as humans are related to the created world and how we are related to the Creator. He explains further, ‘our second informing story is the story of God’s love for the world in Christ Jesus’ (Christenson: 2006). This in turn impacts upon our view of education. Lutheran education becomes both broader and deeper than merely focusing on ‘the what’. Instead we believe that ‘education is about the coming to be of person (and) in the process . . . about learning particular skills and knowledge’ (Kloeden: 2007). Lutheran Education Australia has produced a key document A vision for learners and learning in Lutheran schools (LEA, 2005) to summarise this perspective. We keep abreast of current research to understand our learners and learning. We recognise that this knowledge may change as new insights are provided. Our view of learners and learning is also shaped by theology; key theological tenets that are drawn from our biblical understanding.

Woven together, these key statements provide us with a clear direction about the kind of education we offer to our students. Education becomes much more than acquiring a whole lot of facts. Schooling is actually about the nurture of individuals. We state: [In] Lutheran schools . . . [our] students [are] informed and sustained by the Word of God, to develop their Godgiven talents so they [in turn] may shape and enrich their world. [A framework for Lutheran schools] We recognise that we want our students to develop and ‘grow’ particular attributes and abilities whilst they are at our schools. We call these Lifelong Qualities for Learners. These attributes include not only ‘being good learners’ but also being able to discern what knowledge is worth knowing. We want our young people to know how to learn, to be able to think, solve problems, lead and contribute to our world.

Loyd Fyffe and Good News staff schools across our system have been working diligently to give these values human skin, to demonstrate what they look like in action. As a system, we have been working nationally and regionally to support schools in this endeavour. There are three main ways that we have demonstrated particular, important values. Firstly we have demonstrated the core value that is related to our Christian heritage and theology. Secondly we are developing a range of activities so that children appreciate the meaning of particular values, and thirdly, regional themes and projects have been linked to particular, specific values stated in A vision for learners and learning in Lutheran schools (LEA, 2005).

As a system we ask: How do students shape and enrich their world?

What lifelong qualities do we want to demonstrate for our students? What lifelong qualities do we want them to exhibit when they leave our school gates at the end of their student careers?

Demonstrating the value of our Christian theology and heritage First and foremost LEA has worked hard in recent years to provide, as a core part of its program, a Christian Studies curriculum that is contextually appropriate for the Australian scene and for 21st century learners. The LIFE curriculum has been replaced by the more contemporary Christian Studies Curriculum Framework. The time and budget attached to the systematic rollout of this curriculum framework nationally demonstrates that this project truly reflects our

Again we turn to the document A vision for learners and learning in Lutheran schools (LEA, 2005) where we boldly name ten significant qualities – our values: Love, justice, compassion, forgiveness, service, humility, courage, hope, quality and appreciation. Following the documentation of these values (and in some cases even before they were documented)

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heart to the world. The more recent adult education programs including the three part Pathway series (Pathways: spiritual focus, Pathways: theological focus and Pathways: vocational focus), together with Equip demonstrates that we are serious about orienting teachers who join the Lutheran education system. In short, we are keen to support and ‘grow’ teachers’ understanding of the Lutheran theology that undergirds our system and ‘how this theology informs critical areas of school life’ (Core propositions describing highly effective teachers in Lutheran schools: 2000). We also seek to demonstrate the lived reality of a Christian community by providing active and age-appropriate worship at our school sites together with a network of pastoral care for our students and their families. The issue of behaviour management is another area where many Lutheran schools are questioning punitive practices and asking: Do these practices reflect our values? As a result, many are developing a restorative approach that is both ‘whole of school’ and encourages students to be accountable for the real consequences of their actions. The focus is always on building and enhancing positive relationships for all in the school community and beyond. In South Australia, Unity College is a leader in this field. In Queensland nine

schools (St Andrews, St James, St Peters (Boarding), Peace Cairns, St Johns Kingaroy, Redeemer Biloela, Faith Plainlands, Faith Redlands and Living Faith) have become pilot schools during 2008 under a theme ‘relational management’. The theme coordinator (part time) is Steve Brady, counsellor from St Andrews College. All pilot schools have agreed to undertake training, examine their policies and documents with a restorative lens and work collectively to share their experiences.

Developing students’ understanding of the meaning of values Since our values have been explicitly stated, many schools provide a range of experiences to develop students’ understanding of particular values. Good News Lutheran School, Middle Park Qld, was the recipient of the Rolph Mayer award for a longstanding values education program it provided. This school has designed and implemented (and evaluates in an ongoing manner) a research-based values program which is deeply embedded across the entire school. The program began in 2001. They focus upon one value each month. The program encourages each student and the wider school community to learn about specific values; each is challenged to reflect upon those values, how they shape our interactions and frame our lives. The school has willingly shared their expertise and insights into effective

values education with other schools, both state and non-state, within Queensland and nationally. The principal, Dr Loyd Fyffe summed up: ‘Values are both multidimensional and multifaceted. With this in mind, values will develop over time and will take on a particular ‘shape’ for each individual as life experiences, engagement with the school curriculum, and social interactions intersect and meld. Values are, in part, formed by a worldview and, in turn inform a worldview’.

Charina Burgess and Gene Clark with Lutheran teachers during their PNG visit, July 2007 to communities (both near and far) by being discerning, resourceful problem-solvers and implementers as well as caring and steadfast supporters and advocates.

Linking values to themes and projects Service, as one of the Lutheran Education Australia values, is pivotal to our understanding of who we are and Whose we are. Our understanding of service is linked to a Lutheran understanding of vocation. Vieth (2002) summed up the breadth of our understanding of ‘service’ by stating:

It is with this intent that the group seeks to better understand and reflect a culture where this core value, service, flourishes. One way Lutheran schools have developed this value is by making connections to and developing partnerships with other service arms of the Lutheran church, eg, Australian Lutheran World Service, Lutheran Community Care and with local community agencies near-by particular schools.

In God’s design, each person is to love his or her neighbors and to serve them with the gifts appropriate to each vocation. This means that I serve you with my talents and you serve me with your talents.

Recent research literature has provided insights about developing the value service and linking this to educators’ growing understanding of learning. We believe that this paradigm of linking service and learning provides additional insights as we grow and develop the value of service within Lutheran schooling in Queensland. At the heart the notion of service learning is the intentional connection of classroom instruction with community service. Service learning links three domains: cognitive (the head), affective (the heart), and behavioural (the hands) (Billig 2004).

Many schools are exploring diverse ways this value of service can be enacted in an educational context. Lutheran Education Queensland has gathered together a Service Learning Group of interested teachers and leaders to discuss how to give expression to this value. We want to encourage our students to contribute

Recently educators from Lutheran schools have been provided with the opportunity to explore the significance of service in a different cultural context. Australian Lutheran World Service has led teacher tours to countries such as Nepal and Papua New Guinea. Dr Adrienne Jericho led an educator tour to PNG in 2007. Educators from two Queensland

Sonya Sutherland and Helen Folker visiting the primary school at Lawe Beringen, Tanah Alas, Indonesia

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Lutheran schools visited schools in the Tanah Alas region of Aceh as part of a LCA Qld District – HKBP Tanah Alas District partnership program. In short in Australian Lutheran schools values and values education is not an appendix, an attachment or add-on to our education program. Instead values and values education is positioned centrally. Our values, in fact, reflect Lutheran education’s ‘beating heart’ to the world. These values that bind our community and community practices are infused by a spiritual dimension. Christians have first experienced and had these values demonstrated by a living and loving God. For example, it is the Christian God that first established the value of love, compassion and forgiveness towards humanity through Christ. Therefore we not only list our values but recognise their Source as well as our need for mutual encouragement together. Hence as we state our values we include these acknowledgements: Whilst living in community, learners are encouraged to reflect characteristics of God through core values, especially love, justice, compassion, forgiveness, service, humility, courage, hope, quality and appreciation. Meg Noack Executive Officer – Curriculum Lutheran Education Queensland

National Values Education Forum

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here has been much debate, experimentation and thoughtful activity around values education in Australia since the 2005 publication of the National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools. In late May the National Values Education Forum provided an opportunity for schools from around the country to share their journeys, successes and challenges, and also demonstrated how far the values education conversation has progressed in Australia over the recent years. Earlier discussion focussed on questions such as ‘Is teaching values possible and desirable for all Australian schools?’, ‘Which values are important for all students?’ and ‘Of what value are the Nine Values for Australian Schooling (Donkey) poster?’ The focus has now firmly shifted to centre on deeper questions about effective values teaching, its connection to other school programs and to the academic achievement of students. Following is a short summary of key themes emerging from this forum.

Teaching values Nazreen Darsoo (University of Johannesburg) provided a useful framework for thinking about levels of knowing about values essential for effective and transformative learning: Knowing that (declarative): this is simply knowing what a value is, what it means; but this kind of knowledge will not produce change Knowing how (procedural): this is knowing how to demonstrate a value is important, but transfer of this knowledge to behaviour is still not automatic Knowing to (volitional): this is learned primarily by seeing valued adults living the value; this learning leads to changes in moral/ethical behaviour Teaching which enables learning at each of these three levels needs to occur to enable students to live the values we envision for them. It concerns the whole child, the whole of school and the whole curriculum

past fifty years, this has not translated to higher rates of reported happiness (in fact, depression rates have risen sharply). A focus in schools only on academic competence and work readiness will clearly not guarantee our students a happy and healthy life.

and can be incorporated into activities such as: • • • • • • • •

student action teams philosophy for children socratic circles peer support programs sustainability projects involvement in community events service learning integration into units of work in any curriculum area • story, drama and the arts • pastoral care programs • worship program

Happiness, according to Professor Seligman, is a function of: Positive emotion (the pleasant life): this is the superficial happiness, for which there are many shortcuts! Positive character (the engaged life): where a person feels actively involved in and contributing to life Positive institutions (the meaningful life): where a person attaches deeper meaning to their engagement in life

Such teaching is grounded in real life and experience, it is relational and it speaks personally to students and enables their voice to be heard.

It is the second and third aspects of happiness that are foundational to life satisfaction and wellbeing (pleasure ONLY adds to these) and both engagement and meaning can be modelled, taught and nurtured in students through both formal and

Andy Furco’s (University of Minnesota) typology of values education also provides an overview of understandings students need opportunities to develop (below). Values clarification

Some values may be interpreted and operationalised differently in different cultures. Students need to understand this and develop a language to discuss values with others

Values discernment

All values are not equal; one may be more important or better than another in a particular situation. Students need to learn to apply good judgment

Values optimalisation

A value operates on a continuum; each of us has a point along the continuum we’d describe as ‘best expression’ of that value; sometimes conflict arises not as a result of a values clash, but from differing degrees of application.

Values incongruity

In some situations, values may be incompatible and in conflict; a person reconciles an internal conflict in values through rationalisation and justification. Students need opportunities to face and work through such difficult tasks.

Values preference (and dominance)

Individuals have predispositions for particular values. Students need to consider their predispositions and the implications of these.

informal methods. And the teaching, discussion and reflection on values in both curriculum and other school contexts is central to this.

Values education and student wellbeing Professor Martin Seligman argues that schools must play a role in nurturing students’ wellbeing, sense of meaning and life satisfaction. His research indicates that while western culture has seen vast improvements in material wealth, technology, health, human rights and protections over the

Values education and academic achievement Terry Lovatt describes values education as ‘not a moral imperative – but a pedagogical imperative’.

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Enriching academic programs with values dimensions provides opportunities to connect to students’ personal and emotional selves, to engage in real world problems and contribute here and now (your value is not just in what you will become, but in what you are and can do today). When values are embedded within the fabric of teaching and learning in the school, they provide a significant platform for engaging students and their voices in school. Furco pointed to Australia as a leader in this area, avoiding the ‘trap’ of the ‘bolted on’ values education program where learning is unconnected to real experience or wider learning. While at this stage research which clearly indicates the links between values education and academic achievement of students is yet to emerge, we do know that the goals of values education do have a positive effect on academic outcomes of students, as demonstrated below. Values education

• Positive identity • Social competency • Positive values • Commitment to learning • Empowerment • Positive working climate • Constructive use of time

Academic achievement

Values education, while certainly not new, particularly to Lutheran schools, continues to evolve in Australia. Internationally people are taking notice of what is happening here. For more information on the 2008 National Values Education Forum, school projects or resources being developed for schools, go to www.curriculum.edu.au/values. Vicki Schilling Education Officer – Curriculum Lutheran Education Queensland

LEA values at St Stephens Lutheran College

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he LEA values for Lutheran schools were produced at a very opportune time for our college. We had been grappling with developing a succinct set of values that reflected our college community and the way in which we wanted members of our community to relate and interact with each other. We also required the values to provide the language to springboard those relationships and be part of our everyday interactions. Our approach has been multifaceted and incremental over the past 3 years.

Semester 2, 2006: Introducing the values to our college community • The devotion roster for the semester was based on a value per week. The value formed the basis of staff and student daily devotion as well as the weekly chapel address and student presentation. • That value also formed the basis of the pastor’s reflection article in the weekly college newsletter.

• As a culminating activity students created posters [pictured below] for each of the values. The posters then formed the basis of our promotional display at the local city council library during term 4.

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2007: Reinforcement • The devotion theme for the year was Heroes: From Old Testament to New Testament and on to modern Christian. The heroes studied were linked to the values, initially specifically individual but becoming more multidimensional as the year progressed. • As a culminating activity during term 4 each class nominated a value which they explored by defining the value in terms of what it looks like when I demonstrate this value in the college community; selecting a well known person who exemplifies this value and giving a short description of ‘how’; and choosing a text. • Our college calendar for 2007 used the values to illustrate

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each month. Each value was illustrated with photos of students, a text, a hero and a related description. Our Student of the Week program was also based on the values; again a specific value each week progressing to leaving it open for teachers to nominate the value applying to their student nomination. At our annual presentation night the SSLC awards were based on a consistent display of all values over the year. The citation for each student then formed an integral part of the Head of College address. The values posters created by our students were displayed on numerous occasions over the year such as at church, during National Lutheran Schools Week, at information nights, expos and promotional displays. Our main college promotional brochure was redesigned and we took the opportunity to weave the values through the photos at the top of each page.

2008: Integration • Our college calendar was again based on the values and used the definitions developed by the students, again with a text and photos of members of the college community. • Student of the Week during term 1 was again value specific with the remainder of the year being teacher directed. • Our managing personal behaviour policy, procedures and forms were reviewed to integrate and reinforce the values language; as were our various pastoral care skilling programs. • Our student diary has all ten values illustrated on the cover. The LEA values are at the heart and soul of St Stephens. They have become embedded in our daily practice as we live out our faith in service to others. Cheryl Lupschen Head of College St Stephens Lutheran College Gladstone Qld

As a member of our St Stephens Community, I can show the value of

FORGIVENESS

by:

zSaying

sorry as well as accepting the apologies of others holding grudges or dwelling on past hurts zAlways looking for the positive side to any situation zBelieving that anyone can change their behaviour for the better zSeek to understand when someone upsets me zNot

One day God spoke to a man named Jonah. “I want you to go to the city of Nineveh. They are doing bad things there. You must warn them to stop or I will punish them.” Jonah disobeyed God. He ran away. He bought a ticket on a ship that was sailing to Spain, in the opposite direction to Nineveh. God sent a big storm. It was so bad the ship was going to break in two and sink. All the people on the ship were frightened, except Jonah. He was fast asleep. The sailors found Jonah and woke him up. “Why has this storm happened?” they asked. Jonah said “It was because of me, because I have disobeyed God. If you throw me into the sea the storm will stop.” The sailors threw Jonah into the sea and the storm stopped. God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah. While Jonah was inside the fish, he prayed and asked God to forgive him. After three days and nights, the fish vomited Jonah out on to the shore. Once again God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. This time Jonah obeyed. The people of Nineveh listened to Jonah and stopped doing bad things. God was very pleased that the people had changed their ways, and he decided not to punish them. (Book of Jonah)

As a member of our St Stephens Community, I can show the value of

COURAGE by: zStanding up for our values

and beliefs zNot giving up on difficult tasks zAdvocating for the rights of others when they are unable to do so zAttempting to go beyond previous achievements like not stopping half way up the rock wall

For the spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love and self control. 2 Timothy 1:7

Daniel was a very wise and good man. He served the king so well that the king gave him a very important position. This made other men jealous. They couldn’t find anything wrong with his work or his life. So they decided that they had to find something wrong with his religion. They saw that Daniel prayed everyday to God. So they went to the king and said “Your majesty you should make a new law to Say that noone can pray to any person or god except you. Anyone who does not obey this law will be thrown into the lion’s den.” The king agreed. Daniel heard about the new law. He went home, knelt in front of his window as usual, and prayed to God as he had always done. The men saw Daniel praying and went to tell the king. The king like Daniel, and tried to find a way to save him. But he had to do as the law said. So Daniel spent the night in the lion’s den. The next morning the king ran to the lion’s den and called out to see if Daniel was still alive. Daniel answered the king. “God knows that I did not do anything wrong. He sent his angel to protect me from the lions.” The king was very happy to see that Daniel was safe. He punished the men who had tricked him into making the bad law and ordered everyone to respect Daniel’s God. If we try to live our lives God’s way, like Daniel did, God will give us the help we need. (Daniel Chapter 6)

Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you. Colossians 3:13

As a member of our St Stephens Community,

As a member of our St Stephens Community, I can show the value of

I can show the value of HOPE by: zPlacing my trust in God to provide what I need zBeing open to all possibilities and not being limited by what we might wish for zLooking forward with confidence

LOVE by: zResponding from my

heart as a response to God’s love

Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous our conceited or proud; love is not ill mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope and patience never fail. Love is eternal. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

My trust is in you, O Lord; you are my God. I am always in your care. Psalm 31:14

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Micro ethics in school leadership … the devil is in the detail

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he world in which we live, the place where Lutheran schools are operated, is a place of confusion and uncertainty. In the area of values and ethics there are a number of responses that seem to be available for every issue or dilemma that presents itself to the busy school leader. There are numerous views on what it means to be an ethical educator. Experts from a variety of traditions have competing suggestions to offer us as we seek to ‘make ethical choices’ or to ‘make Christian choices’. It is easy for us to become confused not only about the choices we should make, but even about the bases on which we should make them. As Lutheran Christians we have a long tradition, but applying that tradition to the complex issues and questions that we face daily in our classrooms and schools is neither easy nor straightforward. We are confused by differing opinions, advice and suggestions. Even the experts do not always sing in harmony. Our contemporary Lutheran schools are no longer monocultures centred on German Lutheranism fully informed by the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions. They are pluralist social institutions where we live and interact with people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences, customs, religions and cultures. They contain atheists and agnostics, Muslims, Buddhists, New Age advocates, Baptists, Catholics, Christian fundamentalists, Calvinists in several forms and Jews, as well as lifelong Lutherans. These folk hold not only different beliefs, but also a wide variety of ethical and moral convictions. Teaching in this rich tapestry can be trying, testing and traumatic. However it can also be a place that makes for a vital, engaging and interesting educational and evangelical challenge.

Our Australian society is struggling with its moral and religious roots, as increased mobility, unstable families, me-ism, uneven wealth distribution and secularism erode and undermine a common moral and ethical perspective. Our schools are very much a microcosm of this overall situation. We have a need to work out our own values, and then to hold crucial conversations with staff, parents and students that enable us to come to agreement on those values. Specifically, there is a need to take on board what standard or framework the Lutheran Church holds to and how this will find expression in a particular school community.

overwhelmed by God’s love for us just as he finds us, and compelled by that love to follow, albeit imperfectly, the Christ. Martha Stortz suggested that we need to look more closely at the practices in the life of the church that shape the life of discipleship. She speaks of these practices as the way that we are formed into the Christian life and come to trust the promises of God. For her, formation can be seen as initiation into the practices of discipleship. Formation shapes moral action. It does so by causing the individual to ask not, ‘What is the right thing to do?’ but rather, ‘Who am I called to be?’ This leads to the important question, ‘Whose am I?’ Thus the focus is on the individual’s identity as the basis for their morality. The focus is not on how to act, but on how to respond to the acts and promises of God.

Because Lutheran schools are Christian, and because they are staffed by what are euphemistically called ‘practising Christians’, there is a strong expectation that they will in fact be communities within which virtuous moral lives are lived. This leads to tension points for those hired to work in the schools and for those who attend them. Can we have a common understanding of the values on which a moral life is based? I would argue that from the point of view informed by Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, a moral life is a life of discipleship. Therefore, it is important that we gain an understanding about being a disciple of Christ.

A second point that Stortz makes is that formation requires community. Formed disciples are not rugged individualists, but rather people in a network of relationships with God, self, and others. Disciples are shaped by and help to shape their communities. She points out that, ‘Luther is deeply aware of how relationships constitute both the individual and the community. His explanation of the Fourth Commandment creates a taxonomy of reciprocal relationships between parents and children, church and believers, citizen and state, servant and master.’ For her the key is the orientation for all relationships to the individual’s relationship with God.

What is the nature of being a disciple? It is not about being a perfect person. It is about being a person open to the work of the Holy Spirit, who is moulding and transforming people tainted and broken by sin, until the day they become fully restored to their true nature in the image of God. It is about living as if we were not still shackled to our sinfulness.

For Stortz, formation helps the disciple take on the ordinary. It is easy for people to see ethics as something needed to assist in deciding the big questions. Formation on the other hand is the tool that develops the lens through which the individual looks at the mundane, day-to-day situations of life. Formation assists the disciple

We are called to be restored; we are called to be justified; not because we can do it ourselves, but because Christ has done it for us. As disciples we are

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to see more accurately the world, the people around us and the God in whom we ‘live and move and have our being.’ Formation gives a vision of reality that is true and accurate, avoiding the narrow focus of self that casts all others into its shadow. Finally, formation is centred in the church and theology. According to Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Formation is not an independent process or condition which can in some way or other be detached from this form. The only formation is formation by and into the form of Jesus Christ. The point of departure for Christian ethics is the body of Christ, the form of Christ in the form of the Church and the formation of the Church in conformity with the form of Christ. Thus formation is initiation into practices of discipleship and the practices for a distinctive way of life that we call Christian. It has its basis in the church and its teachings. Our ethical challenge usually does not present itself in the big issues of school operation, although these should receive due consideration and decision. Rather, the ethical challenge is in the thousands of little decisions to speak or not speak, to act or not act that occur in day to day living. Often the ethical challenge is overlooked because of the rather mundane and ordinary nature of the situation or event. We are challenged to the establishment of a consciousness of the important in the routine, of the significant in the ordinary and of the value-laden nature of every act. Dr Ken Albinger Lutheran Strand Coordinator Australian Catholic University Limited

Small cards and gentle whispers Living in community reflecting characteristics of God through core values, especially love, justice, compassion, forgiveness, service, humility, courage, hope, quality and appreciation. (LQL, p 5)

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utheran schools are gospel places. The LCA and Its Schools statement states that Lutheran schools aim to provide a ‘formal education in which the gospel of Jesus Christ informs all learning and teaching, all human relationships, and all activities in the school’. The gospel forms the foundation for all that happens in a Lutheran school community. Lutheran schools are, therefore, grace places. God’s grace is two-fold. God’s accepting grace, his unconditional acceptance of, and love for, us provides assurance of our salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection. The second side of the grace coin is transforming grace which shifts a person’s worldview. They perceive the world and particularly the people in it from a changed perspective, in a new light, through new eyes and influences how they respond to the circumstances and challenges faced and in their encounters and relationships with others. Transforming grace is evidenced in how people live out their vocations, shaping their response as husband or wife, as a parent to children, as a child to parents, as a teacher to students, in conversations with others, how they drive when behind the steering wheel of a car, how they wait in a long queue at the supermarket check-out. In the Old Testament we read about the time God ‘passed by’ Elijah in the desert. It was not dramatic or loud. He was not in the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire, but rather in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-13). Today he continues to reveal himself in gentle whispers which are heard in the small things that Christians do as they live out their vocations. Although

hidden, we ‘see’ God in the ordinary lives of ordinary people faithfully living out their vocations regardless of how grand or mundane they may be perceived to be in human terms. The LEA values highlight the fact that God sends us back into our communities to be earthy individuals – to be in relationship with others, but transformed by the grace of God to be his gentle whispers and reflecting the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit is love from which flows ‘joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control’ (Gal 5:2223). This love will be seen as compassion, kindness, humility, and a desire to ‘bear with [others] and forgive... grievances’ (Col 3: 12-14). The values for Lutheran schools are gentle whispers which embody the nature of transforming grace: love, justice, compassion, forgiveness, service, courage, humility, hope, quality, appreciation. Now the LEA values are available in card format which utilise artwork by Cheryl Lupschen and her students from St Stephens Lutheran College, Gladstone Qld. The LEA values have come alive through the value cards which serve as constant reminders of what we are called to be and what we are capable of becoming in Christ.

where it is viewed by many people who represent diverse committees, groups and agencies of the church when they meet to discuss, deliberate and decide on important matters relating to their specialised area of ministry. It hangs as a reminder of the values upheld by an integral part of the mission and ministry of the church, namely its schools. It also serves as a constant reminder of God’s two-sided grace coin.

The values for Lutheran schools have also been produced in poster form. The LEA Living in community poster which features the values for Lutheran schools is displayed quite prominently in the LEA office. A copy of the poster has also been framed and now hangs in the LCA national office boardroom

Adrienne Jericho and Joan Scriven Lutheran Education Australia

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Regional news:

Lutheran Education Queensland Grace Caboolture campus opens

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he final day of National Lutheran Schools Week saw the official opening and dedication of the Grace Lutheran College, Caboolture campus. So it is that our ‘community of Grace’ now extends from the Redcliffe Peninsula to Caboolture. With the campus established, we now complement St Paul’s Lutheran Primary School and will offer a genuine P-12 learning environment for those students learning in St Paul’s today or enrolling in the future. It seems appropriate that we have begun to grow a new college in Caboolture, known as ‘Grace’, out of the ground work done by the congregation and primary school of St Paul’s Caboolture. We started the year rolling out Plan B due to extended building delays caused by heavy rain and tangles of red tape. Despite teaching in two locations 1.5 kms apart, and literally driving miles between lessons each week during term one, we have ‘kept our noses above water’ academically and now enjoy the benefits of our modern, well-equipped campus. We loathed

the statement ‘as the weather permits’ during term one, but now finishing term two in our new campus (home) we seldom give it a second thought. What words do you use to describe the activities of the first term of a new school? Pioneering, exploring, adventuring, travelling? Learning, persevering, playing, praying, hoping, encouraging? Founding, grounding, growing, building? The list goes on… Trinity Lutheran College students

We have been encouraged by the enthusiasm and exuberance of our 88 founding students across year 7 and 8 and their willingness to embrace a range of learning experiences. Even with torrential rain, mud and the ‘cabin fever’ it brings, the campus staff have not wavered in their resolve to deliver quality education and build solid relationships with their students.

TLC: an internationally minded school!

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ince their beginnings Lutheran schools have sought to prepare and equip their students for a life of service to their God and their community. Over time, the way in which Lutheran schools have sought to do this has changed. In the 21st century globalisation has been the most powerful factor impinging on how we imagine our world. As a result of globalisation the world has become borderless and nothing is overseas anymore. National boundaries have become less significant, ‘for this is a borderless world in which one’s humanity counts for more than one’s nationality, and where we all have collective responsibility for the planet’. As such, Lutheran schools need to be preparing and equipping our young people for a life of service in a globalised world, and all that it entails.

So we now begin to explore new pathways to the future at Caboolture. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know who holds it and together we press on to see what experiences He will bring us. Planning a trip to the Sunshine Coast? Drop in and say hello, we would love to show you around. Allan Dallas Head of Caboolture Campus

At Trinity one of the most important ways we have sought to equip and prepare our students for life in a globalised world has been through a focus on ‘international-mindedness’. International-mindedness has many facets, but crucially it includes helping our students to: • understand themselves and others as a product of their culture • recognise and appreciate the foundation of one’s own culture

From left: Pastor Vince Gerhardy, John Gerlach, Fred Stolz, Adrienne Jericho, Allan Dallas and Pastor Tim Jaensch

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• see others’ cultures a valid and vital as their own • seek to celebrate and affirm others’ cultures • work collaboratively with others of a different culture • seek justice, mercy and a fair go for self and others • have an understanding, respect and empathy for others • see issues in a global context • take responsibility for finding solutions to local and global issues • appropriately serve others on a local and global level • affirm those in the local community with a different cultural background • have an awareness of the human condition and the commonality of human experience • recognise that others with their differences can also be right Trinity has sought to develop ‘international-mindedness’ primarily through the International Baccalaureate. Trinity has been offering the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Program successfully for the last six years, has introduced the Middle Years Program into year 6 and 7 this year, and has spent much of the past 18 months laying the groundwork for offering the Diploma in Senior School from the start of 2009.

Regional news:

Lutheran Education Queensland ‘International-mindedness’ is evident in many ways at Trinity. In the primary school our program of inquiry supports and encourages a culture of acceptance and respect for children and families from different countries and cultures, and the central ideas that guide our inquiry units are globally transferable. For example in year 1 our students learn that people celebrate different events differently, while in year 5 they learn that through migration, people bring unique perspectives and contributions to their new countries. Opportunities for the celebration of our school’s cultural diversity are encouraged and enjoyed. The college provides opportunities for meaningful action and service from P-12. In recent years the college has raised over $30,000 to build facilities for a school in Mozambique; students in the senior school have the opportunity to undertake a service trip to a remote Aboriginal settlement in the Northern Territory; and we are currently looking to build a partnership with two schools in PNG. Through the various International Baccalaureate Programs and its intentional focus on ‘internationalmindedness’ Trinity has sought to continue to fulfil one of the key missions of a Lutheran school – preparing and equipping our young people for a life of service to their God and their community.

variety of sports. We congratulate the following graduates and wish them well in their competitions: Jodie Bowering (Grace LC 1999) Softball Alana Boyd (Immanuel LC 2001) Track and Field Jarred Graves (Concordia LC 1999) BMX Kylie Palmer (Grace LC 2007) Swimming Melanie Schlanger (Immanuel LC 2003) Swimming Jenny Screen (Concordia LC 1998) Basketball Emma Snowsill (Trinity LC 1996) Triathlon Melissa Wu (Trinity LC Primary 2004) Diving Dennis Mulherin Assistant Director, LEQ

Schools technology challenge

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he F1 in Schools Technology Challenge – involving 25 nations – is the largest science and engineering challenge for high school students in the world involving more than two million students from as young as 13 years of age.

It tasks young students, both males and females with designing a miniature 100 km/h F1 racer using the most sophisticated 3D engineering software tools available in the world today. They conduct virtual analysis using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis, manufacturing the car with CNC technology, and carry out physical testing using smoke and wind tunnels. They also have to produce a technical portfolio, collaborate with industry, develop their public speaking, marketing, and team sponsorship skills, and finally race their cars. This is not kid’s stuff!

63 year heritage and only 6 months old!

Concordia Lutheran College is a hub school and we have all the equipment to design, manufacture and test the cars, ready for competition. Our collaborating business are RME (Russell Mineral Equipment), Wagners, Toowoomba City Council and Vanderfields. Students have worked with these companies to develop their own designs for the school challenge to choose two teams for the regional finals.

Classes commenced in January 2008 with almost 100 prep to year 8 students. Each year the school will progress a year level so that by 2012, it will be a full P-12 school with an estimated 1,500 students.

School finals were held during June in the gymnasium. Students were assessed on their designs for engineering and speed. They also presented a folio of the design process and their business plan. The overall winner was team Sub-Zero consisting of Jonathan Lanham, Richard Hensel and Isaac Heuschele who also took out first prize in the Professional class for years 10-12. Team Shadow won first prize in the professional class for years 7-9 with ‘Lumborghini’ coming in a close second. The team of year 8 students, Ven-M, won first in the novice class for years 7-9. The three winning teams will go on to represent the college at the Regional F1 Challenge in August.

Tim Kotzur Deputy Head of College Trinity Lutheran College

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Bring on Beijing! n 8th August when the 2008 Olympic Games officially start in Beijing, Lutheran education in Queensland will have a significant vested interest with eight past students of our schools representing Australia in a

Christine Loan Marketing Administrative Assistant

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lthough St Peters Lutheran College’s Springfield campus has only been opened since January this year, there are clear signs that the benefits of a Lutheran education are very much in demand. Situated in of one of Australia’s fastest growing urban corridors, St Peters Springfield is well-positioned to offer people coming into the area the strong values and traditions that has underscored St Peters Lutheran College at Indooroopilly since 1945.

‘It was important to be able to hand-pick staff, as they are critical contributors to our own embryonic culture, but ultimately, it will be our students who will define us publicly through their interactions with the community and each other, their achievements and their attitudes’ stated Jill Lange-Mohr (principal). Commencing in 2009 staged development will include further classrooms, a community library, sporting and recreational facilities. It will all take time, but then again, they did start 63 years later!

Regional news:

Lutheran Schools Association SA/NT/WA

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TLC EcoClassroom atachilla Lutheran College (TLC) EcoClassroom was essentially created to develop in students and others a sense of the importance of nature and natural processes. It is designed to inspire us all to see the wonder of God’s creation. The intention is to promote an attitude of enjoyment and at the same time, a caring and responsible approach towards the environment so we can make a difference in the world beyond. In 1997 the vision to create an outdoor learning facility became a reality with a 2.4 hectare site at the college being allocated for a dynamic environmental project. The purpose of the area is to be a learning place to facilitate an understanding of plants, animals, soils, water and the atmosphere plus develop a knowledge of the geography and history of the Willunga Basin. Models used to generate this purpose built environment were that of preEuropean ecosystems that would have once existed in the local area. The first step in achieving the project goals was direct seeding of a mixture of Indigenous native plants in a one hectare section of the area in 1997. Since then students and the wider community have propagated plants through Trees for Life and engaged in planting activities on an annual basis.

In 1999 a weather station, wetland pond and feral exclusion fencing were established. By 2001 walking trails were developed and seven distinct microecosystems identified and mapped.

constructed, while improvement to both the physical environment and education program will continue. In recent years, the college community has developed a closer understanding and appreciation of this special facility. TLC invites other schools and community groups to visit this unique resource.

A breeding program commenced in 2002 with the release of brush-tailed bettongs and long-nosed potoroos into the enclosure. Both populations are continuously monitored by the members of TLC Student Environment Council and the Friends of the EcoClassroom and maintained at sustainable levels. In the same year, through the Doorways to Construction program, boardwalks were built in 2004.

This project has been developed and maintained through federal, state and local governments, the college council, Lutheran schools in SA, private businesses and in-kind volunteer support. Dolores Amos Tatachilla Lutheran College

Kaurna Tappa, an Indigenous interpretive trail, was the major project for 2006. This was developed in consultation with Kaurna Warra Pintyandi and describes through interpretive sign features of the area in both Kaurna and English.

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Serving from the heart erving from the Heart was the theme of the Alice Springs Lutheran Schools Conference. 120 staff from Living Waters Lutheran Primary School and Yirara College attended the two day conference hosted by Living Waters in June. It was two days full of worship, workshops, electives, fellowship and sharing wonderful food.

Students and visitors to the site are involved in activities and school subjects including macro-invertebrate studies, fauna monitoring, threatened species, night tours, soil monitoring, water testing, pastoral care, Aboriginal education, photography, art, geography and community studies.

Invited guests from the Lutheran Schools Association SA/NT/WA led much of the conference. Barry Kahl (Director) affirmed staff in the work that they are currently undertaking and his personal reflections testified to the undeniable life-giving value of Lutheran schools both past and current. Neville Grieger’s (Spiritual Development Facilitator) insights into the parables provided heartfood for the spiritual workshops and Lois Pfitzner (Deputy Director) told dynamic stories of Lutheran schooling in the LSA region.

Because of the dynamic nature of the project, work with the environment is ongoing. Within a few years an interpretive research centre will be

On the Thursday evening we had a social function that gave us the opportunity to get to know the staff from each school. This gathering

Tatachilla Garden Group

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Staff at Alice Springs conference was attended by the Mayor of Alice Springs, Damian Ryan. During his speech he paid tribute to Lutheran education and the positive impact it is having in a town like Alice Springs. The focus of the conference was vocation and service coming from the heart, the centre, from one’s personal relationship with Christ our Saviour. Serving from the Heart however is not just a theme for schools and it’s not just about a job. Serving from the Heart is about love in action, in all that we do, all that we say and in all of our relationships. Christian love and service is not about being active in the church but being active in the gospel. Corinthians 10:31 tells us ‘... whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for God’s glory.’ In all our activities we are to serve with a Christian heart. In all our relationships we are to love with a Christian heart. Not out of selfishness to manipulate, or for reward, or to be seen, but out of love. We love, in response, because Christ first loved us. Love the feeling, grows out of love the action. As we serve those around us, we a challenged to have every action, word and relationship filled with love.

Regional news:

Lutheran Schools Association SA/NT/WA 2009 opening for Port Lincoln

Howard Springs Campus opens

eeds are sewn from the service and giving of one person to another through the gifts received from God. The impetus for the start of Lutheran schooling in Port Lincoln comes from such a source.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

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Recipients of care and support after a devastating bushfire in the lower Eyre Peninsula the previous summer attended the SA/NT LCA convention in August 2005 to express their thanks for the love and care shown to them by others. While at the convention they heard the report on Lutheran schooling in the district. Impressed by what was presented about the purpose, actions and outcome of the schools, a seed was sewn about establishing a Lutheran school in their own local area as a means of combining schooling requirements, sharing the gospel with others and nurturing the developing faith of their own young people. Commitment, conviction, vision and faith have marked the years in between as thoughts, ideas and plans come together to realise the dream. A dedicated group [members of the Port Lincoln congregation and associated connections] with an amazing cross section of talent, experience and capability have inspired and driven the investigations in consultation with the LSA.

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his was the theme for the celebrations that occurred in June at Good Shepherd Lutheran College NT. The college celebrated the official opening of the middle and senior school campus as well as joining together with past teachers, students and families to celebrate the 10th anniversary. The celebrations reflected on the fact that through every stage of the development and expansion of the college, faith has been the key. Faith that God will provide land for the buildings, funding from the government, staff to teach and students to attend. The community gave thanks for all that God has provided over the last ten years.

Above: Navigator College Council Chairperson, Kingsley Macdonald with newly appointed principal, Kaye MathwinCox. (Courtesy of ‘Port Lincoln Times’)

The steps for getting the school underway continue to move steadily towards a January 2009 opening. The anticipated enrolment of 150 at starting date will span reception to year 8. The principal [Kaye MathwinCox] has been appointed, the ‘green field’ is undergoing suitable transformation – with a little brown mud as an in between stage – and faith and commitment continue to be the inspiration as details of establishment and operation face the planning community in the coming months.

The opening of the Howard Springs campus commenced with a Welcome to Country by Donna Odegaard from the Larrakia community. Donna welcomed the college to Larrakia land and spoke about the importance of teaching the students about the Larrakia traditions and culture. The buildings were dedicated by Pastor Lester Reinbott and then officially opened by Barry Kahl, Director, LSA SA/NT/WA. Students from both the primary and middle school [pictured below] led the singing and the service was ably led by the college captains, Nicole Klau and Aaron

The school has been named Navigator College and we pray that through its community witness to others the strong Christian spirituality component of its multi-dimensional navigation will be the beacon envisioned by the founding group.

The school will be located within the Port Lincoln city boundaries in a ‘green field’ site adjacent to a waterways residential development identified as the Lincoln Lakes Marina. Next to the school site is the hub of a significant number of major sporting bodies of the town. Courts, ovals, pitches and associated facilities will be in existence for immediate use by the school with anticipated further development in the years ahead.

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Simpson. Despite some unusual gusty winds that managed to send projector screens tumbling and dust flying, the ceremony went off very well. The community then had a 10th anniversary dinner and was fortunate to hear John Heffernan, the founding principal, talk about his experiences of those early days dealing with everything from sewage pumps to curriculum writing. John also shared his delight to now see that the enrolment has grown from the 18 students on the first day to currently over 400. The weekend concluded with a church service. It was a fantastic time that highlighted the role that the college has played in the lives of the children who attend. Students spoke openly about their faith and how the college has helped nurture that faith. Claudia Squire a year 5 student said: Being at Good Shepherd is a wonderful experience. I have been at Good Shepherd Lutheran College since Transition and since then I have learnt so much about God and life. I have become a Christian and I have extended my Christian life by just recently getting baptised last year. Thank you Good Shepherd Lutheran College. This testimony sums up better than anything else the role that Lutheran schools play in the lives of the students that are taught. Julian Denholm Principal Good Shepherd Lutheran College Palmerston, NT

Regional news:

Lutheran Education South Eastern Region

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A Hong Kong experience s flight CX 134 sat at the end of the runway, 15 staff members from Horsham Lutheran Primary School adjusted their seatbelts, said a quick prayer and wondered what they had let themselves in for. There was an air of excitement, nervousness, apprehension and a sense of adventure as we made our way to Hong Kong and the Kimberley Hotel in Kowloon, which was to be our home for ten days. No rest for us this Easter, although it would be a slight exaggeration to say that the tour was all work and no play. We were on a mission to visit Lutheran schools in Hong Kong and learn as much as we

Students from Victory Lutheran College, Wodonga

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A successful joint venture uring June four students from Victory Lutheran College, Wodonga, joined with eleven students from Mt Beauty Secondary College on a Malaysian Airlines flight, bound for Kuala Lumpa and Sarawak. They were accompanied by five adults – teachers and helpers. The group spent eight days in Sarawak in the city of Kuching which we used as our base ‘camp’ staying in the Holiday Inn – a well appointed 5 star hotel. From there we travelled into Bako National Park where we walked through mangrove forests and tropical jungle, seeing Proboscis monkeys in the trees, lizards and hermit crabs. We travelled up the Lemanak River by longboat, and stayed in a longhouse guest house which led to many wonderful experiences: meeting the chief and witch doctor and families of the longhouse, lunching next to the river, jungle walks and much laughter and cards games at night after joining in activities with the families of the long house.

On return to Kuala Lumpa there was shopping, sight seeing and bargaining. We also visited a secondary school in Kuala Lumpa where we were made very welcome. The students mixed extremely well and our students taught them how to kick a football (Aussie rules that is). We returned home after twelve days of mixing and meeting new students, new cultures, hot and humid weather, wonderful food and very kind and friendly people. The trip was a wonderful success with the students received many compliments on their positive behaviour all the way. GET organisation was wonderful and everything went according to plan with no sickness or accidents. We did get a chance to practise our language skills even though Bahasa Malay is a little different to Bahasa Indonesia. Roll on the day when we can go to Indonesia!

Hong Kong Island

Barbara Cain Indonesian teacher

Lutheran Tsang Shng Siu Leun school

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could about Lutheran education in a range of schools within a different cultural setting. Although it must also be said that some went with the aim of filling their cases with $10 Gucci bags, $12 Rolex watches and other bargains, but that’s another story. As we travelled from the airport to our hotel we were struck by the sheer number and size of the highrise apartments that filled the landscape, and yet this still didn’t prepare us for the hustle and bustle of the streets of Hong Kong. Nathan Road at 9:00pm was about as diametrically opposite to the main street in Horsham as you can possibly get and this was one of the many things we wanted to experience during our tour.

Regional news:

Lutheran Education South Eastern Region Highlights of our tour were many and varied and included: a two-day visit to the Hong Kong International School, a meeting and lunch with the President of the Lutheran Church Hong Kong Synod, Dr Allan Yung, a Chinese worship service with an English interpreter, youth fellowship activities at Lui Cheung Kwong Lutheran College, and day visits to Lutheran Tsang Shing Siu Leun School and St Matthew’s Lutheran School. During our school visits we met and spoke with staff and students and even managed a little bit of teaching as well. Wherever we went we were overwhelmed by the warmth, generosity and hospitality of people and their desire to find ways to improve the educational opportunities for their students.

a dozen of our students to Hong Kong where they will spend a week attending classes at Tsang Shing Siu Leun School. It is hoped that this will be followed by a return visit to Horsham by a group of their students and staff.

After an amazing visit to this dynamic part of the world, where they are intentionally developing themselves to be a truly global city, what next? Our visit became the foundation for our Chapel theme of Mission Opportunities; local and global. It seemed quite natural that from this theme we began to ask ourselves how we might help some of those in our global Lutheran school family. Wanting to further our relationship with Lutheran Tsang Shing Siu Leun School, we are sponsoring their Developmental Dean, Mr Ho Tak (John) Chan, to attend ACLE and then spend some time with us in Horsham. To assist with their students’ acquisition and development of English skills, planning is underway to take about

Our study tour to Hong Kong was a great trip, but may prove to be just the first step of a longer journey. Jeff Gork Principal Holy Trinity Lutheran School Horsham

50 years of Lutheran education in Dimboola

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t Peter’s Lutheran Primary School in Dimboola recently celebrated its 50th birthday. Many ex teachers, students, principals, school council members and parishioners returned to Dimboola for the weekend of celebrations, which concluded with a worship service on Sunday morning. This was led by Pastor Greg Pietsch, a past student and current president of the Lutheran Church Victorian District.

Steve Pugh (1993-1997) and Stuart Ahern (1982-1987). Each principal, together with current principal Leon Kroehn (principal since 2001) provided guests at dinner with amusing anecdotes of their time at St Peter’s. These were added to by students who attended the school in each principal’s term. Whilst currently a small school, over 700 students have attended the school since it began in 1958. Although some students have since left the district, there are a number who have remained in the Dimboola area, have sent their children to St Peter’s and third generation students are now enrolled in the school. The school was recently painted and the garden area given a ‘make-over’. Each classroom boasts an interactive whiteboard and is well-resourced. Students in the school are given every opportunity to enjoy and celebrate learning together.

Former principals of the school who attended the dinner on Saturday night were Alan Wiebusch (1968-1972), Stephen Rudolph (1978-1981), Hong Kong Lutheran school - Senior school assembly and play area

Hong Kong International school Junior school play area

St Matthew's Lutheran school and play area

Dimboola principals (from left): Steve Pugh, Leon Kroehn, Alan Wiebusch, Stephen Rudolph, Stuart Ahern

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The treasure within – revisited climate change, energy requirements and terrorism. The successful growth countries have embraced globalisation, which requires total commitment to the market economy. Those European countries that limit the market by keeping taxes at levels to safeguard social security or protect the rights of workers will not prosper in the new global world order. The market seems to be the ultimate value – pursue market values and the treasure in the new globalised order will be yours.

. . . the kingdom of God is like a treasure hidden in a field . . . and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. [Matt 13:44]

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athew’s parable of the great treasure tells of a person who knows exactly what is being looked for – what the treasure is; the person sells everything, demonstrating total commitment to the task of finding the treasure; and then goes about the task of treasure seeking with joy. The parable is an uncomplicated picture of the kingdom of God and of life generally. Politicians also like to tell an uncomplicated story (create a narrative the journalists would say) that makes all that they say convincing. The 2007 Australian election was about who told the best story about the future. Emphasising such future-oriented themes as youthful leadership, climate change, bandwidth and an education revolution was seen as important in contributing to the present government’s electoral victory. Preparing well for the future was seen to be the ultimate goal or treasure, if you like, that the electorate was seeking.

Lutheran

Not all societies would tolerate the inequalities Watson describes in the USA especially in New Orleans post Katrina. How do countries decide between adequate social care and the low taxation regime required in the market economy? It all depends on what the treasure is. Life is about identifying what the treasure is and having a commitment to pursue it.

Two recent books focussed my thinking about ultimate beliefs and what societies treasure about what is regarded as desirable and fully satisfying. The ultimate treasure makes sense of life and looks to a better future.

As we pursue our treasure may we do so with clarity and with energy. The parable of the treasure also calls for us to go about our task with joy. Our treasure should also be like that parable of the treasure – uncomplicated. Then the little treasures in front of us can have something to really treasure. Adrienne Jericho Executive Director Lutheran Education Australia

It is now ten years since Jacques Delores presented the UNESCO report, Learning: the treasure within. This timeless report is a reminder that the real treasures are within, and educators have the privilege of ensuring that they do not stay hidden. Delores challenged us that education was about: • • • •

Robert Shapiro in Futurecast 2020 paints a picture of the great themes to be faced in the next decade – the fundamental changes in demographics with the impact of ageing, the primacy of globalisation and living with just one superpower and threats from

Australia

It was very clear what the Delores report valued and saw as the treasure. A vision for learners and learning in Lutheran schools is a framework that outlines what Lutheran Education Australia values.

What is our treasure? What treasure do our students see as important for us as individuals, as individual schools and as a group of Australian Lutheran schools? What is the story that we tell from which others learn about what we treasure? What do we want our students to treasure?

In American Journeys Don Watson reflects on his journeys by train and road through America investigating and trying to makes sense of ‘its confidence, its religions, its heroes, its violence, its material obsessions and its stultifying contradictions’. He notes that despite the inequalities and paradoxes, the seemingly infallible belief prevails ‘that if I am an American I am as free as can be’. There seems to be a belief that as long as there is freedom, ‘I will forgive the things that my country does that are not in my dreams or nature’. For the people that Watson spoke to freedom was the ultimate belief and value – the treasure as it were.

Serving Australian Communities Through Christ Centred Education

to education and not to narrow its vision by viewing education simply as the gateway to a globalised market economy.

Learning to be Learning to know Learning to do Learning to live together

These four pillars of learning were a powerful framework with which to think through what happens in schools. The report was a challenge to governments to value education and particularly a holistic approach

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