Tatachilla news

With shovels in hand and plenty of enthusiasm, our junior students were ready to get their hands dirty for this year’s Tree Planting Week.

Students in the junior years recently took part in the annual Tree Planting Week, making a positive contribution to the college EcoSanctuary.

Throughout the week, students from Reception to Year 6 teamed up with their buddy classes to plant a variety of native grasses, trees, shrubs and groundcovers. These species have been carefully selected to create important habitat for our resident brush-tailed bettongs, long-nosed potoroos and local birdlife, providing shelter, food sources and protection as the vegetation establishes over time.

It was wonderful to see students of all ages working side by side, helping one another with digging, planting and watering. There were plenty of muddy hands and shoes along the way, but the students embraced the experience, having fun while getting stuck into some important conservation work!

The activity not only gave students a hands-on understanding of habitat restoration but also highlighted the importance of caring for our local environment and native wildlife. Planting Week provides a meaningful opportunity for students to contribute to a real conservation project within our very own EcoSanctuary, while developing environmental stewardship, teamwork and a deeper understanding of the role native vegetation plays in supporting local wildlife.

This annual planting event helps maintain and enhance habitat, increase biodiversity within the EcoSanctuary and contributes to the long-term health and resilience of the ecosystem.

Pictured above: buddies Freya (Year 6) and Freyja (Reception) work together to plant their tree in the EcoSanctuary.

Our beautiful EcoSanctuary became an outdoor art studio as senior and junior students came together to learn, create and share their passion for art.

Our Year 11 Visual Arts students recently embarked on an inspiring excursion to the Art Gallery of South Australia to explore the Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition exhibition.

Centred on the inquiry question, “How can artists transform the ordinary into something extraordinary?”, the visit enabled students to study masterworks by artists including Claude Monet, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. A major highlight was exploring Monet’s approach to ‘seeing light’, including his use of vibrant colour and broken brushwork to capture fleeting atmospheric effects rather than relying on traditional black shadows.

Bringing this inspiration back to campus, the Year 11 students became mentors to their Year 1 buddies during a ‘plein-air’ (outdoor painting) session in the college's EcoSanctuary. Drawing on Monet’s techniques, the Year 11 students shared ‘Monet’s Secrets’ with the Year 1 students, introducing them to ‘shadow magic’ using cool blues and purples instead of black, as well as dabbing techniques to ‘catch the light’ with watercolours.

Working together in the EcoSanctuary created a wonderful opportunity for our senior students to share their knowledge and passion for art with their younger buddies. As the Year 1 students explored the natural environment through the eyes of an artist, the Year 11 students strengthened their own understanding and visual language by teaching others. The experience was a wonderful example of our senior and junior students learning together and building connections across the college.

Pictured above: Oli (Year 11) works with Maxwell and Aidan (Year 1) to create their outdoor masterpiece in the EcoSanctuary.

There was plenty of creativity, precision and icing involved as our Year 12 food and hospitality students brought their 'Celebration Cake' designs to life.

The Year 12 food and hospitality class recently showcased their creativity and developing industry skills through an exciting Celebration Cake project. With guidance from local baker and cake decorator Tayla from TJ Sweets, students designed and created exceptional celebration cakes inspired by current trends in the cake decorating industry.

Students explored contemporary decorating techniques, developing their ideas from initial designs through to the finished cakes. They experimented with different methods and finishes while learning how precision, creativity and attention to detail come together to create a professional result. 

A special thank you to Tayla for sharing her expertise and inspiring our students throughout the project. The finished cakes were a fantastic display of talent, dedication and innovation, highlighting the high standard of work achieved by our Year 12 food and hospitality class.

The 'Celebration Cake' task has become a cherished tradition across the college and a memorable milestone for Year 12 students, with many eagerly anticipating the opportunity to create their own unique design. The project celebrates creativity and personal achievement while showcasing the practical skills students have developed throughout their studies. It is also a wonderful way to inspire younger students, many of whom look forward to their own opportunity to take on this special Year 12 experience.

Pictured above: Mia (Year 12) with her 'Very Hungry Caterpillar' inspired Celebration Cake.

Our talented musicians and performers embraced the opportunity to share their talents and learn from others at this year’s Balaklava Eisteddfod competition.

More than 20 students from the college’s senior choir, string orchestra and student-led band, ‘ALTR’, competed at the 30th Balaklava Eisteddfod on Friday 31 July.

The Balaklava Eisteddfod is an annual performing arts competition held in Balaklava in South Australia's Mid North. Established in 1997, it provides a nurturing stage for people of all ages to showcase their talents in music, speech and drama.

Returning to the eisteddfod this year was a valuable learning experience and an exciting opportunity for our students from Year 6 to Year 12. They enjoyed the chance to watch and perform alongside other school ensembles from across Adelaide, gaining valuable experience and confidence along the way.

While competing in the spirit of participation, we were delighted that the Tatachilla string orchestra received a bronze award in its division, while our senior choir received an honourable mention.

We congratulate all members of our three ensembles on their commitment and performances and look forward to building on this experience and raising the performance standard even more in 2027.
 

Pictured above: Dr Barnabas Smith, Music teacher (centre) with Micaela (Year 12) - Concertmaster of the String Orchestra, and Emily (Year 6) - the youngest member of the String Orchestra.

With a hop, skip and a jump our talented dance students landed in Sydney for Tatachilla Lutheran College’s Interstate Dance Tour last term. There, the students danced their way through an inspiring, immersive four-day learning experience that saw them learn from the best and observe world-class performances by professional dancers.

Our students received a special tour and private workshop at the Sydney Dance Company, led by some of Australia’s best professional dancers and choreographers. During the workshop, Tatachilla’s dedicated young dancers had the opportunity to experiment with different dance genres, including musical theatre, jazz and hip-hop, and to learn new techniques and hone their moves. 

The nimble learners also attended the Light the Way Dance Convention, an event created to inspire, educate and connect the next generation of performers with the very best in the industry.

When our students weren’t dancing their hearts out or opening doors to a career in dance, they attended performances of The Lion King musical, Anastasia the Musical and the light festival Vivid Sydney. The group also managed to take in some of Sydney’s other sights and sounds including the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, shopping on Pitt Street and a Sydney Harbour Boat Cruise.

Tatachilla Lutheran College’s dance program first offered the Interstate Dance Tour in 2024. Our goal was to give our students direct experience of the Australian dance industry and insights into career pathways available in professional dance. Due to the outstanding learning outcomes the experience offers students, we have made the Interstate Dance Tour a biennial trip, open to our Year 10 and Year 11 dance students. 

Special thanks to Rachel Overstreet for organising such an engaging learning experience, Jessica Felgenhaur and Josie Palombo for guiding and supporting our young dancers during the trip, and to our students’ families for supporting this valuable educational experience.

Earlier this month, our Year 6 students went on a Young Environmental Leaders (YELP) excursion at Antonio Catholic School, in Morphett Vale. They were joined by students from schools across the southern area for a day of collaboration, leadership and environmental education.

The young learners worked on activities with an environmental focus. Together, they created newspaper buckets for collecting food scraps, made clay animals, explored character strengths that support effective teamwork, and developed group projects that they’ll present at the final YELP Forum in Term 4.

Our students wrapped up their nature-filled day with a tour of Antonio Catholic School’s environmental programs and initiatives, including the school’s bird box project. Using a pole-mounted camera, our Year 6s were able to look inside a nesting box, and in a truly magic moment, spotted two rainbow lorikeet eggs.

We’re proud of the enthusiasm, teamwork and leadership our students showed throughout the day. They connected with other school students and learned more about the environment while living our college values of kinship and growth. Good job, Year 6!

Last week, many of our Year 10 and Year 11 students boarded a bus bound for the 2026 Flinders University Open Day, and for what could be the first step on their tertiary education journey. 

The trip gave students, interested in studying a degree, the chance to sample university life. Our Year 10s and 11s soaked up the atmosphere at Bedford Park campus, which was buzzing with excitement. 

The open day let students learn more about university life and explore the different faculties, courses and study options through a series of structured lectures and interactive displays. 

A special thank you to our Pathways Coordinator Kelly Baldock for organising our senior school’s open day visit, and for keeping our students informed about their future career pathways.

Congratulations to our tremendously talented Year 12 student and Advanced Athlete Development Program alum Emma C. who is one of just eight up-and-coming players invited to the 2026 Telstra AFLW National Draft Combine.

This latest development follows an exciting few months for Emma, who was named captain of South Australia's Under 18 Girls team for the 2026 AFLW National Championships in June after quickly establishing herself as one of Australian football’s most exciting young talents. It seems sporting talent runs in Emma’s family. Emma big sister Teah (Class of 2019) is also a high-achieving althlete and has played for the Adelaide Crows in the AFLW since 2021.

The AFLW Draft Combine will take place over four days from 29 September to 2 October and includes club interviews at the MCG and rigorous physical testing. 

Good luck, Emma! Our community is right behind you, cheering you on!