Last week a new tradition at St Peters was welcomed — the presentation of Ironbark Badges to formally recognise the completion of an extraordinary outdoor education program seen as a significant Rite of Passage for Year 9 students. Students from 9A, B, C & D were the first groups presented with their Ironbark badges by representatives from the 2018 9A–D groups.

The Multicultural Committee have been part of the St Peters Community for well over ten years celebrating cultural diversity. Part of that cultural celebration is the St Peters Multicultural Week 2019 (29 July to 2 August – Term 3 week 3). The Multicultural Week was a huge success with the Whole of College International Parade of Nations, the Multicultural Gala and International Food Festival/fair. The week-long festival has grown considerably in the last eight years and it is a testament to the dedication of students, teachers and volunteers behind the scenes contributing to its success.

We are all different; individual gifts and talents, diverse backgrounds. We represent different countries, languages, faiths and spiritualties, traditions and customs. Community is a gift. Without the uniqueness in individuals, the community would miss out on your special gifts and talents and on your unique personality.

St Peters Year 6 students are working on an extraordinary project in which they’re investigating the story of a migrant who has come to Australia. In its second year, this project will lead on to the creation of beautiful Virtual Museums to be completed in the following weeks. With help from student leaders, teachers and children’s author Deborah Abela, their research and investigation will bring their migrant story to life. The project also has the potential to further explore and connect with their family’s history.

At St Peters Lutheran College we prepare students for an innovative world—as achievers and leaders. Our staff and teachers collaborate across subjects and disciplines to achieve these objectives. An integral part of that collaboration is our eLearning team, they support students and teachers, from Prep to Year 12, by helping them use technology in effective and meaningful ways in the classroom.

Established at St Peters in 2018, The Rite Journey creates a self development journey for Year 10 students over the course of the year. Using a framework incorporating ceremonies and celebrations, these events help transform teens into self-aware, responsible and resourceful adults. Events are crafted for individual, unique experiences to best suit the resources and geography of the school. The program was developed over a decade ago by Andrew Lines—Teacher, Educational Consultant and co-developer of The Rite Journey.

St Peters Lutheran College Year 5 students raised $8,000 in donations for the ongoing flood relief effort in Townsville. The Lutheran Church of Australia Queensland Division (LCAQD) will help distribute the money through the Australia DisasterRelief Fund. Donations will go towards targeted funding areas such as playground equipment for an Early Learning Centre, clothing and household goods.

The St Peters Career Centre is an incredible asset to the College exploring post-school options including work experience. During the holidays the Career Centre helped Year 11 students develop their work experience in the engineering field. With many pathways laid out before them, and more opportunities than ever before, having an experienced Career Counsellor on hand for advice is invaluable to help guide students.

Australian Adventurer and Mountaineer, Alyssa Azar, was our inspirational guest this week for the St Peters Father Daughter breakfast. Crossing the Kokoda Track at 8-years-old was just the beginning, she has also climbed the highest mountains in Australia, South America, Africa, Russia and Nepal. At 19-years-old, Alyssa was the youngest Australian, and youngest woman, to summit Mount Everest. During breakfast the adventurer discussed her incredible journey to Mount Everest, including the planning and goals she had to make for herself to keep mentally and physically prepared.

St Peters provides an immersive and exciting learning experience for students beginning with Primary Years. The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for children nurtures and develops young students as caring, active participants in a lifelong journey of learning.

The St Peters community works hard to be an inclusive and welcoming community, a place where people from different backgrounds can learn and work together, get to know each other and so overcome prejudices and stereotypes. College Senior Pastor, Thomas Böhmert, reflects on how we can move forward with our families in the shadow of the Christchurch tragedy.

The successful Adopt-a-Boarder Program has begun with over 60 St Peters staff and teachers being involved and adopting boarders.

At St Peters we strongly believe in learning experiences for our school community, encouraging all to participate in the opportunities we host throughout the year. The St Peters Soloists String Orchestra embarked on an international music tour of epic proportions, visiting six countries in 20 days. Heather, our St Peters Year 12 student, talks about the remarkable benefits while travelling with her peers.

Building a greenhouse... Breathtaking architecture... Caring for others... Read about this extraordinary trip of a lifetime as Ella, our Year 12 Captain, describes the experience of travelling to Cambodia and Vietnam with her peers.

The holidays are a great way to prepare for the positive challenges of the year. Read about how our St Peters students and staff traveled through their holidays with a snapshot of their incredible experiences.

Ironbark has long been a talking point at St Peters, but did you know that it isn't just for current Year 9 students? Read on to find out how you can visit and experience the joys of Ironbark!

Have you ever wondered what goes on at St Peters over the school holidays? You’d be mistaken if you thought the College became a ghost town—aside from the lack of students, boarders and teachers being physically present on campus, it’s still a hive of activity!

Last week we starting looking in to how our St Peters libraries have been adapting to the changes presented by emerging technologies. The discussion continues in this second and final post.

The world is becoming more technology-focused, there's no doubt about that, but have you ever stopped to wonder what our libraries are doing to keep up? We caught up with St Peters' Langer Librarian to find out.

The bond between boarders, they say, is one that can't be broken. Read on as Coordinator of Girls Boarding, Kim Holman, explains why.