St James Lutheran College
| St James Lutheran College | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
|
138- 172 Pantlins Lane Urraween, Queensland | |
| Coordinates | 25°17′55.39″S 152°48′51.99″E / 25.2987194°S 152.8144417°ECoordinates: 25°17′55.39″S 152°48′51.99″E / 25.2987194°S 152.8144417°E |
| Information | |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Lutheran |
| Established | 2003 |
| Founder | St James Lutheran Church |
| Houses | Eli, Wabby, McKenzie |
| Website |
www |
St James Lutheran College is an independent, co-educational Kindergarten to Year 12 Lutheran College under the Lutheran Church of Australia. The school is located in Urraween, a suburb of Hervey Bay, South East Queensland, Australia. St James Lutheran College currently caters for approximately 500 students, after opening in 2003 as one of the newest Christian schools on the Fraser Coast.
Curriculum
In the Junior School years, St James has a strong focus on the development of sound Literacy and Numeracy skills, taught within the framework of the Australian English and Mathematics Curriculum. Teachers dedicate a significant amount of time each day towards Literacy and Numeracy development. The other core curriculum areas taught in the Junior School are Christian Studies, Science, Humanities and Health and Physical Education (HPE). Integrated as part of these units of work are The Arts and Technology learning areas. Junior School students also engage in a number of specialist subjects each week, including: Languages Other Than English (LOTE); Japanese; Music and Dance / Drama (MADD) and Library (Information, research and literature appreciation).
The Middle School curriculum program is designed to meet the needs of adolescents for a sense of belonging and an inquiry-based learning environment, as well as opportunities to work as corporate beings in a group context and engage their creative sensibilities. The core curriculum offering in the Middle School comprises Christian Studies, English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities (History / Geography); and Health and Physical Education (HPE). Middle School students also engage in a range of specialist subjects, including: Languages Other Than English (LOTE) - Japanese, ongoing for two semesters each year, and one semester each year in: Music and Dance / Drama (MADD); Visual Arts; Wood Technology; and Food Technology.
In 2012, St James is offering its Senior School curriculum program for the first time. Subject offerings are based on the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) courses and the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) syllabus. The following are core subjects: Christian Studies; English; Mathematics; Science (including Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Marine Biology); Humanities (History and Geography); and Languages Other Than English (LOTE) – Japanese. The following elective subjects are also offered: Health and Physical Education and Outdoor Education; Arts – Music and Dance/ Drama (MADD), Visual Arts and Media; and Technology – Wood Technology, Food Technology and Fabric Technology.
Vocational education and training (VET) is an option for students in Year 10. VET qualifications and options include: Certificate I, Certificate II, Certificate III, Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma, and Traineeships and apprenticeships.
Co-curriculum
There are a variety of extra-curricular activities offered at St James Lutheran College. Some are weekly and others occur according to the school season. The most commonly occurring extra-curricular activities include the following:
- The St James choir which performs at civic and school functions.
- The St James band.
- Participation in the local ANZAC Day march.
- Participation in the University of New South Wales ICAS testing program in English, Writing, Spelling, Maths, Science and Computing.
- Participation in the local Maths Challenge competition.
- Fishing Club
- Chess Club
- Equestrian Activities
- Wildlife Club
- Gardening Club
- Film and Television Club
- Robotics Club
- Dance Club
- Learning Central
- International trips such as Japanese exchange program and the Spain Trip
Other activities that occur from time to time according to the school seasons and interests of students include swimming and athletics training. St James also participates in local community events such as The Whale Festival and local shows.
Houses
St James has three Sports houses, which are named after local waterways on Fraser Island: Eli, Wabby and McKenzie. These houses regularly compete in a spirit of participation and sporting achievement for the annual House Shield. The St James annual carnival program (Cross Country, Athletics, and Swimming) is supported by seasonal sporting carnival days as well such as Netball, Soccer, Cricket, Rugby, AFL, Basketball and Volleyball. Involvement in weekend sport has also commenced in 2012.
Doctrinal emphasis
The mission statement of St James Lutheran College states: “we are called to share God’s love by providing a quality Christian education that nurtures each student’s faith in Jesus Christ, and presents learning opportunities that encourage the development of the whole child.”
St James focuses on the promotion of the Lutheran denomination of the Christian faith, however adherents of any belief—as well as those who have no religious faith—are welcomed.
History
The College began operation in a demountable classroom block consisting of 4 rooms in 2003 with and enrolment of approximately 70 students. It has since grown to include 10 blocks of classrooms and a Library building all of which house over 500 students as of 2016.