St Peters Lutheran School Newsletter

Term 4 Issue 1 - 5 November 2020

From the Principal - Bronwyn Wilson

From Little Things Big Things Grow

The story of the Gurindji Strike is the basis for the famous Paul Kelly song, “From Little Things Big Things Grow” and is also the theme for our Chapel services in Term 4. The hero of the story, Aboriginal man Vincent Lingiari gives us a wonderful example of what great things we can achieve starting with small steps.

The story of the Gurindji Strike, also known as the Wave Hill walk off, is the story of the Gurindji's claim to their traditional lands, that was taken over by the Vestey group. The nine year battle, which started with the Gurindji people leaving their work on the cattle station and protesting against the large UK corporation, ended in a small part of their land being handed back to the Gurindji people on a 30-year-lease by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. This then sparked the Indigenous Lands Rights movement. This symbolic and powerful moment in history started with one man taking a stand and generated a movement that has had a fundamental impact on our country.

Luke 13:18-19

Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

Jesus talks about the kingdom of God like a seed that is planted in the hearts of human beings. It begins as a first inkling of what Jesus and the Gospel are all about. It starts as a grain of faith that is planted like a mustard seed which then germinates and begins to grow. In all things, begin with the small and watch how these develop into great and wonderful things!

Bronwyn Wilson, Principal

Retirement of ELC Director

We congratulate Mrs Diana Gaskell on the recent announcement of her retirement at the end of the 2020 school year. Diana has served as an educator for 45 years with the last eleven as the Director of our ELC. Diana has made a lasting impact on our school. Her loving, caring nature is evident in all her relationships with all members of our school community. The children in her care have always felt special, valued and empowered. Her warm and welcoming nature has made the ELC a very special place to learn and grow. Diana is very much looking forward to travelling around Australia in her caravan and spending more time with her loved ones, including her grandchildren.  We wish Diana all the best and look forward to seeing many photos of her adventures around our amazing country!

From the Chair of the School Board - Tim Geue

Principal Announcement 2021

Dear Parents, Staff and other members of St Peters School Community,

Following Mark Rathjen’s time at St Peters ending last year, the board appointed Bronwyn Wilson as the interim Principal for 2020. We thank Bronwyn Wilson for her work this year which has seen positive changes moving forward, while managing the difficult year that 2020 has been.

The Interim appointment has given the School Board time and the ability to work through a process of appointment to ensure we have confidence in the future leader of our school fulfilling our goals with the passion and foresight that St Peters School deserves. After receiving applications at the start of term 3 from both South Australia and interstate as well as from Bronwyn, a panel of Board members, a representative from Lutheran Education South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia (LESNW) and an experienced former Principal of Lutheran R-12 colleges conducted a comprehensive recruitment process.  We thank all candidates who applied.

The preferred candidate recommended by the interviewing panel was ratified by the board and endorsed by both LESNW and the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA). The process through the various parties was extensive and after a resolution from the General Church Board of the LCA the school board was able to offer the position.

I am happy to announce to St Peters community that Miss Bronwyn Wilson has accepted the appointment as Principal for 2021 and beyond.

Bronwyn has shown strength in her leadership and a passion for the school that the board admires.  Furthermore, Bronwyn’s strong faith in our Lord and Saviour and her modelling of the love and caring that makes our school special and the grace by which Lutheran Schools are places of acceptance and inclusiveness. The board believes Bronwyn is the right person to lead the school into the future and is looking forward to working with Bronwyn to achieve our strategic goals.

Congratulations Bronwyn!

I ask that you acknowledge Bronwyn and work with her, supporting her as she continues to lead and to learn, keeping her and the school as a whole in your prayers.

As this, the strangest of years, is drawing to a close I would also like to thank and acknowledge the care and dedication shown to our students and their families by the staff of St Peters throughout this year.

Yours in Christ

Mr Tim Geue
Chair, St Peters Lutheran School Board

From the PYP Coordinator - Nicolle Jakube

Sharing the Planet - Unpacking the Transdisciplinary Themes

Sharing the Planet is an inquiry into the rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

As with all 6 transdisciplinary themes Sharing the Planet is covered from ELC – Year 7, each inquiry focussing on a different part of the theme description.

Our students inquire into:

  • Biomes and living things
  • Biodiversity
  • Sustainability
  • Poverty
  • Pollution and the effects on the environment
  • Gender equality in sport… and more!


There are many other aspects of the school programme that provide natural opportunities to explore ‘Sharing the Planet’ including gardening, composting, recycling, collecting 10c containers, conserving water, wodli building, exploring the St Peters scrub, Waste Free Wednesday and whole school meetings where problems and shared and solutions reached.

When exploring this theme students collaborate with teachers to identify and investigate a real-life issue and offer a solution or solutions.

Our students learn to:

  • engage in in-depth, collaborative inquiries
  • demonstrate independence and responsibility in their own learning
  • demonstrate the attributes of the learner profile in real world contexts
  • explore a range of different perspectives of the one issue
  • take action as a result of personal inquiry
  • effectively express yourself and communicate ideas in a formal setting
  • celebrate their learning with the community

The learning around this transdisciplinary theme certainly lends itself to students taking authentic action.  We are proud of the many ways our students involve themselves in making a difference for others (people and creatures) and the world in which we live.

Nicolle Jakube, PYP Coordinator