Tatachilla news

Our school exchange with Toryo High School enables students to experience new cultures, build friendships and create lasting memories.

Yesterday, we officially welcomed our special guests: 23 students, Principal Fujimoto and teacher Mrs Ueno from Toryo High School at a whole-school chapel service, led by our ministry team, college leadership and college captains. 

The service was filled with memorable moments with our Principal Alison Thacker and Toryo High School Principal Fujimoto speaking at the event and joining one another on stage to exchange gifts.

Tatachilla students had a wonderful opportunity to learn more about life at a Japanese school, with the Toryo students performing their school song on stage. Our junior years students showed their appreciation of our guests by presenting each Toryo student with a personalised gift and message they had thoughtfully created. It was heartwarming to see our youngest students enthusiastically wave and cheer as they met our visitors. 

Our Toryo High School guests, who arrived on Sunday, have had an action-packed week. In the past few days, they have taken part in a boomerang workshop in the EcoSanctuary, PE, Food Technology and Japanese lessons at the college and visited the Fruchocs Factory in McLaren Vale. 

When the students haven’t been attending lessons or going on excursions, they have been enjoying time with their host families and practising their English. Today, the students are continuing to immerse themselves in Australian life, joining their host siblings on a special visit to Cleland Wildlife Park, where they will meet kangaroos, emus and other Australian native animals.

It has been wonderful to form meaningful connections with the students and staff from Toryo High School, while giving our students the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of Japanese culture. Tatachilla students have formed lasting friendships, created wonderful memories and gained experiences that will stay with them long after the exchange has ended.

We are honoured to have you as our guests. Thank you!

Molly Walker (Class of 2023 and Advanced Athlete Development Program alum) has taken home not one but two bronze medals at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Molly’s history making swim has put her firmly on the map as a rising swimming star. 

Molly was one of an elite few female swimmers to compete in the first-ever Women’s 1500m freestyle event where she clocked up a new personal best (PB) time of 16:01.37. Her performance caught the attention of champion swimmer and gold medallist Ariarne Titmus who praised Molly saying, “You don’t see 12 second PBs very often, let alone at this level of swimming.”

Molly’s Commonwealth Games success didn’t stop there. Just two days later, Molly secured another podium position for Australia, taking out the bronze medal in the Women’s 800m freestyle final in an impressive time of 8:25.93. Molly became one of Australia’s newest dolphins and secured a spot at Glasgow 2026 after her PB time in the 800m Women's freestyle. Molly’s double-bronze win tops off a phenomenal debut at the Commonwealth Games. The college community is beyond proud of Molly’s achievements and has been part of her cheer squad since her time in the Advanced Athlete Development Program. What a super star! We’re so proud of you Molly. 

Tessa Ebert is representing Australia this week in the 3000m Steeplechase at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon.

Hot on the heels of Molly Walker’s success at Glasgow 2026, another of our wonderful old scholars, Tessa Ebert, is representing Australia this week in the 3000m Steeplechase at the World Athletics U20 Championships. The biennial event, which is taking place in Oregon this year, showcases the world’s best athletes aged 20 and under.

Tessa, who is the daughter of Tatachilla Lutheran College’s Student Counsellor Mike Ebert, recently took time out of her busy training schedule to visit the college before she headed stateside for the world championships. Tessa met with our Year 6 classes to talk about the qualities of effective leadership. She shared inspiring stories about overcoming challenges, facing adversity, and how leadership, resilience, and consistent hard work have been key to her journey and success.  

It was a wonderful, memorable afternoon and a fantastic learning opportunity, with our students asking thoughtful and engaging questions. Thank you, Tessa, for spending time with our students and inspiring them to strive for their goals. We wish you every success as you compete on the world stage. Everyone at the college is following your progress at the competition and cheering you on. If you want to see Tessa’s races and results, tune into 7Plus to catch all the action.

From the moment the curtain rose on our junior years production of Wind in the Willows, audiences were transported into the charming world of Mole, Rat, Badger and the irrepressible Mr Toad. 

Around 280 students from across the college teamed up to deliver three remarkable performances at the Hopgood Theatre, which were seen by more than 1200 people. 

Rylee as Mole, Valentina as Ratty, Albrecht as Badger, and Scarlett as Mr Toad gave outstanding performances, and the enthusiasm and commitment of the entire cast, brought the much-loved characters vividly to life. 

Every scene was filled with confidence, humour and heart, while the students' acting, singing and dancing combined seamlessly to captivate audiences.

Beautifully realised settings, imaginative costumes and striking visual effects created a sense of wonder. The dynamic staging and polished technical execution gave the performance the quality and professionalism of a large production, making for an immersive experience that allowed the students' talents to shine. 

A production of this scale is only possible through collaboration. Under the leadership of Maxine Lee-Morath, Coral Winterbourn and Peta Johnston, staff from across our college generously shared their expertise and time behind the scenes, working alongside students to create an experience that reflected the college's commitment to excellence in the arts. 

Our students developed confidence, resilience and lasting friendships while discovering the joy of creating something together. The performances were a wonderful reflection of the talent, enthusiasm and spirit that flourish within our community.

Congratulations to every student who took to the stage, worked behind the scenes or sang in the college choir. Our heartfelt thanks to the staff and families whose support made the production possible. 

Wind in the Willows was a memorable theatrical experience and a celebration of what can be achieved when a community comes together through the arts.

In the winter holidays, 21 of our Year 11 students and five teachers set off on the college’s first-ever service-learning trip to Malaysia, as we build on our many successful service-learning trips to Cambodia. Our college has a long-term commitment to service learning because it’s a crucial way for our students to serve communities while achieving personal and academic growth.

Tatachilla Lutheran College works with the Lutheran Church in Sabah, on the Island of Borneo, where we support their community and many other non-government organisations that work directly alongside Malaysian nationals to help local communities overcome many of the challenges they face, such as social exclusion and economic disadvantage.

During the 14-day experience, our college group travelled the length and breadth of Malaysia from Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state, to Kuching, the most populous city in Sabah, to Teluk Intan and the country’s capital Kuala Lumpur on Peninsular Malaysia. Throughout the experience, our Year 11s learned about Malaysia's history by visiting historical sites and places of cultural significance. Staff and students also taught English and provided craft activities for children in a local school and worked with adults and children with disabilities in the community, where fundraising by Tatachilla has contributed to building modest homes, a school, and providing educational resources.

Highlights of the service-learning journey included Bethany Homes, where students worked alongside staff at a daycare centre for people with intellectual disabilities, and visual and hearing-impairments; The Dream Centre, a not-for-profit outreach service; and DumoWongi a social enterprise in Sabah specialising in the natural farming of herbs and edible flowers.

Our service-learning is designed to enable students to learn more about themselves and the world they live in, while meeting genuine community needs and key curriculum requirements. Importantly, service-learning teaches empathy and advocacy at the local, national and global level and is a part of educating the whole child as a responsible, global citizen. 

The trip has had a lasting impact on our students with many reflecting on their experiences:

"In Kota Kinabalu, we visited the Kundasang War Memorial. Visiting the memorial helped us better understand the sacrifices these soldiers made and why it is so important to remember and honour their courage. We also visited the Semenggoh Orangutan Wildlife Centre near Kuching, where we were lucky enough to see orangutans in their natural rainforest environment. It was a memorable experience and highlighted the importance of protecting these endangered animals."

- Cerys

"Malaysia for me was a life changing experience. It was an opportunity to step outside our comfort zones, support local communities and experience a culture very different from our own. Looking back now, I realise the greatest thing we brought home wasn't a souvenir, but a new perspective."

- Bailey

"Travelling in Malaysia felt like such a new and exciting experience for me. Seeing firsthand how other cultures live was truly an eye-opening experience. The opportunity we students and teachers were given to learn about such a different way of life made me realise that nothing should be taken for granted. Experiencing such a different culture was a wonderful change from life back home, as we were given the opportunity to get involved with social enterprises like DUMO Wongi."

- Zeke

We would like to thank the Lutheran Church of Malaysia and the organisations that were part of our students’ service-learning experience as well as our dedicated staff and supportive parents and caregivers who made this life-affirming trip possible for our Year 11 students.

Hats off to the budding entrepreneurs in Year 11 who rolled up their sleeves to build a café-themed hospitality business during our Australian Business Week program at the end of Term 2. Our enterprising students swapped their school uniforms for corporate wear and stepped into real-world business roles, such as CEO, Marketing Director and Product Development specialist. 

Working together at locations around the college with guidance from mentors, the students launched and grew their own companies and showcased their results to judges at an Expo event.

A total of 10 student businesses competed for a podium position and awards for excellence. Middle and senior school teachers supported the judges and business mentors, asking students thought-provoking questions, keeping them on task and encouraging our young CEOs to lead effectively. 

Tatachilla Lutheran College 2026 Australian Business Week winners:

Top 3 

1. Meeting Place (Stella, Sabrina, Connor, Tom, Daniel, Ari, Lauren, Bella, Hudson)
2. Bloomings (Ella, James, Alpha, Max, Cerys, Leah, Abigail, Lilliana, Anna).
3. Flip It (Isabelle, Jolie, Mitchell, Marley, Kimberly, Keziah, Maya, Peyton, Lachlan)

Category winners 

• Best Computer Simulation: Smooth (Mylie, Chase, Kian, Ollie, Jasper, Nara, Jade, Julian, Zach, Toby)
• Best Oral Presentation: Bloomings
• Best Trade Display: Bloomings
• Best Video Commercial: Meeting Place
• Best Teamwork: Common Ground (Caleb, Felipe, Levi I, Grace, Levi B, Sienna, Fletcher, Phoebe, Nate).

Congratulations to all our winners and well done to all our Year 11s who took part.

A huge thank you to our external judges, David Matkovic, Brighton Jetty Bakery; and Billie Cornthwaite, Meez On Plus Catering, and to business mentor Scotty from Manna, McLaren Vale. A special mention to our keynote speaker Megan Caldersmith from She Sews, McLaren Vale for her inspiring words. 

Our college deeply values the strong partnerships we have with the local business community. These connections support our students to gain job-ready skills.

We also thank our teachers Kelly Baldock , Pathways Coordinator, and Connor Jones, Business Teacher for serving on the judging panel; Gordon Middleton and Colleen Huntly for ensuring the entire week ran smoothly; and Josie Palombo and Evelyne Adefusi who provided fantastic in-house catering for the judging team. 

We couldn’t have done it without you!

Congratulations to the following teams and students on their outstanding sporting achievements over the past few weeks.



Team achievements:

Congratulations to our Open Girls’ soccer team (pictured above) who have progressed to round two of the Statewide Schools Competition. The team was undefeated after three games, with the final game won by a penalty shootout against St Aloysius. We wish them well in the next round.



The Open Girls' netball team competed at Blackwood Recreation Centre on 21 July. Although the girls didn’t manage to come away with a win this time, it was wonderful to see the team's determination, growth and teamwork on display.


Our Year 5/6 SAPSASA netball team travelled to Woodend Primary School during Week 1 to compete in the second round of the SAPSASA knockout competition.
Our team showed great composure under pressure, holding on to secure a thrilling one-goal victory.
Congratulations to the following players for their outstanding effort, resilience and sportsmanship throughout the match: Shanae B, Asha H, Isla M, Billie J, Pippa S, Sarah P, Luca C, Noveau D, Ruby W, Frankie J and Mileena R.



Student successes:

Congratulations to the following students for their state selections and results: 

• Tom A - who competed in the Australian school sports in Melbourne, achieving the following results:

  Gold 17-19 year 50-metre freestyle, mc

  Gold 17-19 year 100-metre freestyle, mc

  Gold 17-19 year 50-metre butterfly, mc

  Bronze 17-19 year 200-metre freestyle, mc

  4th 17-19 year 100-metre butterfly, mc.

• Ella M, Hannah C, Lily S, Willow A, Jacob B and Sebastian J for being selected to represent Onkaparinga South District in the State SAPSASA soccer carnival taking place this week.
   
• Sebastian J  – for being selected for the School Sport SA under 12 boys’ soccer team representing South Australia at the School Sport Australia Soccer Championships in Newcastle in October.

• Pippa S, Isla M, Mileena R, Asha H and Shenae B for representing Onkaparinga South SAPSASA at the netball carnival held at Golden Grove in Week 8 of last term.
Pippa and Isla ( team 1) played nine matches, losing only one game to City South and drawing with Onkaparinga North. Their strong performances across the carnival earned them a joint runners-up medal. Mileena, Asha and Shenae (team 2) had an exceptional tournament, remaining undefeated throughout the carnival to claim the gold medal.